Thomas Jefferson was the third President of the United States and the primary author of the Declaration of Independence. The Virginian was an integral part of the American Revolution (SOL VS.5b, USI.6c) and the establishment of the new American nation (SOL VS.6b). Jefferson was an advocate for liberty and his contributions can not only be seen in the aforementioned Declaration of Independence but also in the Virginia’s Statue for Religious Freedom. The resources listed below are helpful in the study of Thomas Jefferson and his contributions to our history.
Book Resources for Teachers and Students:
Thomas Jefferson by Jacqueline Ching is great biography on the third President’s life. This book is filled with archival photographs and great facts about Thomas Jefferson to help introduce students to his life and important accomplishments. The book covers everything from Jefferson’s childhood to his involvement in the American Revolution and the Declaration of Independence. The pictures alone make this book a must read for students and adults studying Thomas Jefferson.
Did you know that Thomas Jefferson resigned as the governor of Virginia during the Revolutionary War? Thomas Jefferson by Carol H. Behrman and Martha Cosgrove contains great facts, like the one above, about the author of the Declaration of Independence. This 112 page hardcover is a comprehensive look into Jefferson’s life, having each chapter represent a theme and time within his lifetime. Many pages contain “It’s a Fact” boxes that contain uncommonly known facts at Thomas Jefferson. This book is great supplement in the study of one of our nation’s founding fathers.
Thomas Jefferson by Cheryl Harness, published by the National Geographic Society, highlights the many sides of Thomas Jefferson. Jefferson’s life and accomplishments are highlighted in this 48 page book. Quotations are embedded in the text along side mixed-media illustrations to help promote a full understanding of our third President. A few highlights are Jefferson’s part in the Revolutionary War and his controversial use of slaves. This book is a good introduction to the author of the Declaration of Independence.
John Adams had to push Thomas Jefferson to write the Declaration of Independence. The Virginian refused at first, but then went on to author one of the most important documents in our nation’s history. Who was Thomas Jefferson? by Dennis Fradin and illustrated by John O’Brien and Nancy Harrison investigates the life of Thomas Jefferson while providing interesting facts like the one above. The author does a great job covering Jefferson’s life, both personal and public. The book also provides a side-by-side time-line of Thomas Jefferson’s life and world history events of the time. Who was Thomas Jefferson is a great resource of information on the famous Virginian.
Thomas Jefferson: A Life of Patriotism by Ann-Marie Kishel is a great introduction for students on the life of Thomas Jefferson. Each page as an appropriate amount of text was well as good pictures to help in the understanding of Jefferson and his accomplishments. The author touches on the Revolutionary War, the Declaration of Independence, and Jefferson’s Presidency and includes a important index of main concepts.This book would be great for independent reading and exploration of Thomas Jefferson.
Website Resources for Students:
Thomas Jefferson and the Declaration of Independence
This website is a great resource for students studying Thomas Jefferson and the American Revolution. The website is broken up into sections relating to the Declaration of Independence and the Revolution. Sections are devoted to such aspects as the Graff House where Jefferson wrote the Declaration of Independence and Thomas Jefferson’s Constitution for the State of Virginia. Pictures and fast facts are provided in each section. The text may be slightly advanced but with teacher guidance this website can be a great resource of students .
A Day in the Life of Thomas Jefferson
This site provides a great look into a typical day for Thomas Jefferson at Monticello. Pictures of Monticello as well as pictures of some of Jefferson’s personal items such as his “traveling calculator” accompany information about Jefferson’s daily life. This website is great for independent discoveries as well as guided instruction.
This website offers fun facts about our third President in a colorful, easy to read format. Facts include what pets Jefferson had as well as a list of all the offices Jefferson held. This site would be great for a fact hunt for students.
Liberty Archive: Thomas Jefferson
The Liberty Archive: Thomas Jefferson is a kid-friendly site that provides quick, interesting facts about Thomas Jefferson. The site is colorful and has a fun feel to it. There are also links to John Adams and the Declaration of Independence. The site provides information on how Jefferson and Adams disagreed as to who would write the Declaration and why it was decided on Jefferson as the author.
Thomas Jefferson: Student Encyclopedia
This site is a great information on Thomas Jefferson, his life, and his accomplishments (both public and private). The sight delivers small paragraphs of information at a time by letting the student push the next button when ready for the next paragraph of information. The information is segmented into themes of Jefferson’s life.
Additional Teacher Resources:
This educational website provides information on Thomas Jefferson as well as a list of resources. These resources include a Thomas Jefferson word scramble, a Jefferson worksheet, and Jefferson crossword puzzle. The last resource is a printable Thomas Jefferson multiple choice test.
Image Gallery: Thomas Jefferson
This Monticello in the Classroom website offers a range of images pertaining to Thomas Jefferson, his works, and Monticello. Each image, once clicked on, has a description and facts underneath. An example of an image in this gallery is the original copy of the Declaration of Independence.
This website, from the Us History site, includes great information on Thomas Jefferson as well as offers lesson plans and primary resources. Each link to either the lesson plans or the primary resources have annotations that provide an overview of each link.
President Thomas Jefferson is explored through activities, lesson plans, and games in the great website for instructors. The site includes Jefferson coloring pages, a Jefferson time-line, as well as a Thomas Jefferson interactive word-find. This is site is a great place for teachers to get some ideas when teaching about our third President.
This is a great educational website when studying Thomas Jefferson. The information may be a little advanced for elementary students, but for teachers this is an invaluable site. The site includes a link to teaching tips on Jefferson as well as student study sheets.