Lesson Plans, Interactive Web Sites, and Other Good Ideas

Three sources on the web are highlighting some very good web sites for the classroom. Check out these resources for all grades--both elementary and secondary--and for teachers as well.


TEACHERSFIRST web site (http://www.teachersfirst.com/index.cfm)…

http://www.zerofootprintkids.com/kids_home.aspx
Zero Footprint: Kids Calculator - Grades 3 - 8
What impact does your lifestyle—and that of your students--have on our environment? This interactive online calculator can help your students look at their use of natural resources, land, water, and trees after they answer questions about transportation, what they eat, what they throw away, what they use, and home and school. They can then compare their “carbon footprint” to the averages in other nations.

http://www.yale.edu/ynhti/curriculum/units/1986/4/86.04.07.x.html
Painless Writing - Grades 3 - 9
This site has both old and new ways for teachers to get students writing painlessly. The procedures, lessons, prompts, and interesting combinations of approaches may be just what you’ve been trying to find.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/cbbcnews/hi/specials/2005/hurricane_katrina/default.stm
Hurricanes - Grades 1 - 8
Use an interactive whiteboard with this site’s animated guide to hurricanes to understand this type of weather. There are also quizzes, pictures of Hurricane Katrina’s destruction, reference information, and other helps.

http://www.history.org/media/interactive.cfm
Colonial Williamsburg Interactive - Grades 3 - 12
Your students will enjoy playing games and learning about Williamsburg at this interactive site. You can show coinage and Gilbert’s paintings. Looking at Queen Elizabeth’s visits to Williamsburg in 1957 and again in 2007 opens the door for examining the differences in our world over 50 years. You can even explore the Constitution interactively.


KDP ROUNDUP (http://www.kdp.org/)…

http://www.lessonplanz.com
Lesson Plans for Preservice and Beginning Teachers
Here’s a site which has thousands of free online lesson plans. You can search by grade or subject or both.

http://www.keepschoolssafe.org
Keeping Students Safe
Information about school safety from the playground to gangs is available at this site.

ANNENBERG MEDIA (http://www.learner.org/index.html)…

http://learner.org/redirect/march/view14.html
Annenberg Viewing Options
See an overview of Annenberg’s viewing options, including their free Video on Demand.

http://learner.org/redirect/march/aecl6.html
The Arts in Every Classroom: A Video Library, K-5
Integrate art, mathematics, and science.

http://learner.org/redirect/march/sim7.html
Surprises in Mind
This documentary looks at mathematical creativity and the brain. Art, architecture, music, and a 12-year research study all play a role in looking at instruction designed to help children use their natural mathematical inclinations.

http://learner.org/redirect/march/geom8.html
Learning Math: Geometry
View polygons, dissections, symmetry, and more.

http://learner.org/redirect/march/math12.html
Mathematics: What's the Big Idea?
Examine the use of geometry in art and architecture. Visit classrooms where students are engaging in hands-on activities.

More Web Sites... Useful and Many Interactive

This list of web sites begins with some sites that are interesting no matter what or whom you teach. The list closes with a few specialized sites for language arts and mathematics. Many of these sites are interactive and will work well with a SMART board or other interactive whiteboard. Enjoy!


Web Sites for Everyone…

Exploratorium
http://www.exploratorium.edu/explore/online.html
The Exploratorium was one of the first science museums to build a site on the web. (Don’t let that stop you if you’re not a “science teacher.” This site will capture your interest no matter what you teach.) The award-winning site has more than 18,000 pages exploring many different topics. The Explore section has activities to guide you to explore a variety of topics such as frogs, global climate change, language, and robots. On the Tools for Teaching page, you can watch the dissection of a cow’s eye, try some hands-on activities, access an extensive digital library, and more. You can also purchase some interesting gifts at the online store. (This site was difficult to evaluate and annotate because I kept becoming involved in the activities!) A brief description of this web site does not do it justice. This web site is definitely a “must visit”!

Lexicon of Learning
http://www.ascd.org/portal/site/ascd/menuitem.4247f922ca8c9ecc8c2a9410d3108a0c/
Finally… a dictionary for “educationese”!

Project Based Learning Checklists
http://pblchecklist.4teachers.org/
With project based learning, students participate in projects and practice skills from the academic content areas. This site provides checklists for project products. The checklists are easy to customize and to use.

I am certainly ready for spring… for fresh air and warmer temperatures! With that in mind, these next three sites certainly caught my attention!

AccuWeather.com
http://home.accuweather.com/index.asp?partner=accuweather
Enter a city or zip code to find what meteorologists think the weather will be for the coming week. Choose a state and see an animation of the changes in the weather.

National Oceanic & Atmospheric Administration
http://www.noaa.com/
This site provides long-term forecasts (eight days).

USA Today Online Weather Almanac
http://www.usatoday.com/weather/wresources.htm
This site provides monthly climate data for cities around the world. Find average monthly high and low temperatures, rainfall, and snowfall.

Old Magazine Articles - Reference & Research skills - grades 6-12
http://www.oldmagazinearticles.com/
This searchable archive of PDF images of old magazine articles is mainly from the 20th century, but there are also 19th-century entries. The articles include pictures that illustrate the time period. There is some emphasis on the early 20th century among the topics. This primary document site has many useful resources for social studies teachers. (This site is fun to browse even if you have no need to research.)

Librivox - English - grades 0-12
http://librivox.org/newcatalog/
You can download audio recordings (read by volunteers) of books and poetry in the public domain. Search for works by category (fiction, poetry, non-fiction, dramatic works), genre, author, title, or reader.

Web Site for Language Arts…

Basketball Season Vocabulary - English - grades 6-12
http://www.vocabulary.com/basketball.html
Vocabulary.com has added a themed area for March Madness. Interactive activities use basketball-related vocabulary words. The themes available on this web site can help to make vocabulary development more fun for students.

Web Sites for Mathematics…

Pattern Blocks - Exploring Patterns with Shapes - Mathematics - grades 1-5
http://arcytech.org/java/patterns/
This site permits students to “manipulate” pattern blocks online. The activities work well with an interactive whiteboard.

Thinking Blocks - Mathematics - grades 3-8
http://www.thinkingblocks.com/
This interactive mathematics web site has video tutorials, interactive activities, virtual tutors, and more. Topics include addition/subtraction, multiplication/division and ratio word problems. Blocks represent numbers within each mathematics problem. Each lesson includes eight questions, so they can be completed during one class period. There are six lessons in each area.

SAT Math Pro - Geometry - grades 6-12
http://www.satmathpro.com/Practice.html
This interactive web site provides video tutorials and practice for students who are working with mathematics concepts (number properties, ratios and portions, percent, probability, data analysis, algebra, word problems, circles, lines and angles, Roman numerals, triangles, quadrilaterals, solids, coordinate geography and multiple figures). The site has received some very good reviews.