Curriculum Resource Center Links



Curriculum Resource Center

Links to Resources for Teachers, Librarians, Parents and Students

General Resources

Adventures of Cyberbee: Curriculum Resources



Cyberbee zooms around the Internet scouting out curriculum treasures. Eight "trunks" hold these treasures for teachers to use for teaching and learning and for professional growth. These educational treasures include curriculum ideas, research tools, treasure hunts, web projects, how to's, web links, professional articles, and postards.

ALA Great Web Sites for Kids



The Association for Library Service to Children, a division of ALA, provides a portal to safe, fun, and educational websites for the whole family. Librarians select, organize, and categorize the vast resources the Internet offers into eight divisions: animals, literature & languages, sciences, the arts, reference desk, history & biography, mathematics & computers, and social sciences. Each division is divided into sub-sections for quick access. One website is featured each month.

The Annenberg Media



Annenberg Media uses media and telecommunications to advance excellent teaching in American schools. This mandate is carried out chiefly by the funding and broad distribution of educational video programs with coordinated Web and print materials for the professional development of K-12 teachers. It is part of The Annenberg Foundation and advances the Foundation's goal of encouraging the development of more effective ways to share ideas and knowledge. Annenberg Media's multimedia resources help teachers increase their expertise in their fields and assist them in improving their teaching methods. Many programs are also intended for students in the classroom and viewers at home. All Annenberg Media videos exemplify excellent teaching.

After many years and much research and consideration, we are announcing that the Annenberg Channel will cease operations at midnight on September 30, 2008. Note that after the Channel is discontinued, our programs will continue to be offered on our Web site through Video on Demand. Programming will continue to be available for the curricular areas of Arts, Literature & Language Arts, Mathematics, Science, and Social Studies & History. .Ending our satellite broadcasts will allow us to focus on developing the most up-to-date and flexible technologies for delivering excellent professional development resources. One professional development workshop is “Insights into Algerbra 1” Other new professional resources include interactives. One interactive is “Collapse: Why Do Civilizations Fall?” .

Awesome Library for Teachers



Awesome Library is a web portal to over 25,000 carefully reviewed resources. These resources are categorized into curriculum content areas, resource types, and user type such as student, parent, and teacher. The goals of this site are to promote multi-cultures, world peace, world-wide communication and to evaluate solutions in the fields of health, education, and criminal justice.

Blue Web 'M: Knowledge Network Explorer



AT&T Education sponsors Blue Web'n, an online library of 1800+ outstanding Internet sites categorized by subject, grade level, and format (tools, references, lessons, hotlists, resources, tutorials, activities, and projects). Each week new sites are added and free weekly updates are available.

Columbia Education Center



The Columbia Education Center (CEC) is a private educational service organization whose efforts are directed towards dissemination and staff development projects. CEC has put particular emphasis on efforts to enhance programming relating to:

• small-town and rural schools; science, mathematics, and technology;

• environmental education;

• international/intercultural education; and

• constitutional studies.

This website links to over 600 lesson plans, webguides for classroom activities, and links to a large collection of web-based teaching resources, all contributed by teachers who have successfully used them in their classrooms.

Community Learning Network



Community Learning Network is designed to help K-12 teachers integrate technology into the classroom. Here you'll find over 5,800 annotated links to educational sites with free resources, all organized by theme pages and keyword search. Over 160 theme pages supply two kinds of links:

• curricular links with information on a topic and

• instructional materials links with teaching support including lesson plans.

The Learning Lab is a place for teachers to increase their competence with technology and explore effective models of technology use in their teaching, learning, and personal/professional growth. The Resource Scrapbook links to professional e-Learning opportunities and research studies, such as the United States Open e-learning Consortium. For Kinds Only is an activity center for numerous learning games and activities for students of all ages. One activity center is the Environmental Kids Club sponsored by the Environmental Protection Agency.

Discovery Channel School Lesson Plans Library



Here is a lesson plan library with hundreds of original lesson plans, all written by teachers for teachers. To access these lessons, pull down menus provide access by subject or grade level (K-5, 6-8, 9-12) or both. Each week outstanding lesson plans are featured at the home page for this section of the Discovery Channel School website.

Education World



As an educator's best friend, Education World provides professional resources in six areas: lesson planning, professional development, administrator's desk, technology integration, school issues, and more resources such as financial tips, classroom management and parent involvement. Lesson Planning Center at features several sections: current lessons, archives, lesson planning message board, lesson planning newsletter, submit a lesson plan, and lesson planning resources.

Educators Reference Desk (source for Ask ERIC lessons)



The Educators Reference desk provides access to the following resources:

• The Resource Collection links to over 3000 resources on a variety of educational issues that includes Internet sites, educational organizations, and electronic discussion groups;

• Lessons Plans is a collection of more than 2000 unique lesson plans which were written and submitted by U.S. teachers that may be searched by subject and grade level from Pre-K through 12 as well as vocational education, higher education and adult/continuing education;

• The Question Archive is a collection of over 200 responses to popular questions on the practice, theory, and research of education; and

• ERIC database is the world's largest source of education information in the form of more than one million abstracts of documents and journal articles on education research and practice that is updated monthly ensuring that the information is timely and accurate.

The Educator's Reference Desk is a project of the Information Institute of Syracuse and it is catalogued using GEM metadata.

EduHound



EduHound is maintained by the T.H.E. Journal. It is a highly specialized educational directory with built-in resource links for a broad range of over 55 educational subjects. It is offered free to educators, students and parents as a teaching and learning tool. The first step is to select a topic from Administration to Substitute Teaching to World & Countries. A series of subtopics will appear. Another click narrows the topic to specific examples or articles. (Lessons Plans σScienceσCaring for Pets). Since its launch in 2000, four components have been added: AwesomeClipArt, School On the Web, Classrooms on the Web, and Weekly Spotlight!

ENC Online



ENC Online, sponsored by the Eisenhower National clearing house for Mathematics and Science Education (ENC), is a K-12 math and science teacher center with information divided into four sections: Web Links, Curriculum Resources, Education Topics, and Professional Development. At Web Links educators explore thousands of online lesson plans, student activities, and teacher learning tools that can be accessed by subject area or through special features: Digital Dozen, Lessons & Activities, Professional Resources, Student/Classroom, Reference Sources, and Math Topics.

Exploratium: the Museum of Science, Art and Human Perception



Online since 1993, the Exploratium became one of the first science museums to build a presence on the WWW. This site now contains over 15,000 web pages exploring hundreds of different topics. The site's content focuses on investigating the science behind the ordinary subjects and experiences of people's lives, running the gamut from skateboarding to earthquakes to remembrances about the bombing of Nagasaki. This site offers enhancing activities, such as online interactive exhibits, activities for teachers to use in the classroom, and ideas for at-home experiments. Current online exhibits include science of music and cycling and the exploration of Saturn, living cells and embryos, and the origins of matter, the universe and life itself. The Exploratium also sponsors live and archived Webcasts from locations all over the world, including visits to Antarctica, viewing solar eclipses, and the science of cheese-making. .

Federal Resources for Educational Excellence (FREE)



More than 30 Federal agencies formed a working group to make hundreds of Federally supported teaching and learning resources easier to find. The results is the FREE web site. These resources include teaching ideas, learning activities, photos, maps, primary documents, data, paintings, sound recordings, and more - on thousands of topics from The Constitution, photosynthesis, to aerospace careers and water in Africa. FREE is a one-stop access to learning resources developed by Library of Congress, NASA, National Park Service, Peace Corps and many others. Each week day a new resource is featured on the FREE home page, such as Valley of the Shadow, The Math Forum, and Art for the Nation.

Gateway to Educational Media (GEM)



The Gateway to Educational Materials™ (GEM) is a consortium effort to provide educators with quick and easy access to thousands of educational resources found on various federal, state, university, non-profit, and commercial Internet sites. The GEM consortium consists of two main groups: individuals and organizations who make their educational resources available to educators through The Gateway and the users of the GEM metadata standard or those organizations who promote the Gateway as a valuable resource to their constituents. GEM has developed a set of standards used world-wide for describing those resources. It provides a freely available set of tools for collection holders to prepare descriptions of their educational resources to be included in the GEM Gateway.

George Lucas Educational Foundation: Instructional Modules



GLEF provides excellent professional resources for integration of information and technology literacy into teaching and learning. Resources fall within four domains: technology integration workshops and classes; Edutopia magazine that features education change agents; videos for professional development; and Internet radio shows. The professional development modules can be used as extension units in your existing courses or can be used independently in workshops and meetings. Each module includes articles, video footage, PowerPoint presentations and class activities. They draw from the best practice archives of George Lucas Educational foundation and correlate with the ISTE/NCATE NETS standards. These ever-growing Innovative Classrooms include:

• Project-Based Learning ,

• Assessment ,

• Technology Integration in Language Arts, Social Studies, Math and Science , and

• Exploratory Learning with a Digital Microscope

Global SchoolNet Collaborative Learning Center



Sharing best practices is the specialty of this website. This learning center provides tools, content, and resources for online collaboration. The tools include accessibility, assessment, audio, animators, blogs, calendars, chat, courseware databases, document sharing, photo sharing, web publishing and others. The content includes a projects registry, worldwide connections, ePals, and IEARN. Several programs and partnerships enable international collaborative learning: Doors to Diplomacy, Power of the Purse, Friends & Flags, and Friendship through Education.

Intel Teach Program



The Intel Teach Program portfolio includes a range of face-to-face and online offerings designed to enable teachers to introduce, expand and support 21st century learning. These offerings include online tools and resources for educators that support collaborative student-centered learning, hundreds of high quality, technology-enriched lesson plans and several professional development options.

ISTE Educator Resources



ISTE links to educator resources (primary resources, interactive lessons, and professional materials) grouped by 17 curricular areas: art, biology, chemistry, environment, economics, foreign language, general science geology, history, language arts, mathematics, metal shop, music, physical education, physics, social studies, and space.

Kathy Schrock's Guide for Educators



Kathy Schrock presents a categorized list of sites useful for enhancing curriculum and professional growth. Topics range from curricular to interest areas, such as Agricultural Education, Business Sources/Grants, Holidays & Celebrations, Kidstuff, and Reference & Librarians. Special features include Sites of School Days, New Sites this Month and Content-Rich Sites. Sites of School Day send a weekly e-news update on sites relevant to the week. A third special feature is Teacher Helper, including professional books, workshops, evaluation rubrics, professional articles, and Fry's Readability Graph. This site is updated often to include the best sites for teaching and learning.

KIDLINK



KIDLINK is a global, non-commercial virtual organization based in Norway. KIDLINK strives to empower children to guild global social and knowledge networks. Since the start in 1990, children from 162 countries have participated in over 20 languages. Via the Kids and Youth page children discuss how to make the world better, design an imaginary pet, play group chess, and share what their family is like. Via the Teacher and Student page participants enter a time machine, post collaborative projects, share research articles, and design competitions.

Kids Web: The Digital Library for K-12 Students



Kids Web presents students with a subset of the Web that is very easy to navigate and contains information targeted teaching and learning at the K-12 level. The subsets include Arts, Sciences, social Studies, and Miscellaneous. The Arts section leads to national and international art museums with pages for student interaction. Science includes links as varied as astronomy, weather, chemistry, computers, environment al sciences, geology and physics. Social studies leads to sites on geography, government, and history. Miscellaneous is a "motley" collection of links with universal appeal such as fun and games, reference resources, sports, and fun stuff like chat and cyberpals for kids. The links on the pages are updated on a weekly basis by the Northeast Parallel Architectures Center of Syracuse University.

LessonPlansPage



Here teachers may connect with over 2500 lessons by entering a subject or keyword search. Subjects include math, science, music, language arts, computers & internet, social studies, art, P.E. & Health, and Multi-Disciplinary. There is also a seasonal calendar that links to lessons by dates. An open forum for teachers to engage in professional discussions within each of the subject areas or by educator types such as 1st year teachers, college students, substitute teachers, home schooling, parenting, school administrators and teachers and school issues such as classroom management, inspirational pick-me-ups, and job listings.

Library of Congress Learning Page



The Learning Page is designed to help educators use the American Memory Collections to teach history and culture. It offers tips and tricks, definitions and rationale for using primary sources, activities, discussions, lessons plans and suggestions for using the collections in classroom curriculum. American Memory is an online archive of over 100 collections of rare and unique items important to America's heritage. The collections contain more than 7 million primary source documents, photographs, films, and recordings, and unique personal items from another period in time. These collections are 'snapshots' providing a glimpse into America's past. Lessons plans are indexed by Theme, Topic, Discipline or Era and alphabetically by title. Extensive professional development resources provide information on each step of the lesson framework from how to select, use, and organize instruction to specific activities within the instructional cycle. Additional features include collaborative activities that provide students opportunities to interact with the Library of Congress artifacts and with other classes and topic-based interactive, "hands-on" experiences with the American Memory collections. Collection connections provide activity ideas for using the collections to develop critical thinking skills. Through the Community Center themed conversation live chats, an online newsletter, and email exchanges, students and educators meet the library staff, American Memory fellows and practicing educators. "In House", Video-conference, and Self-Serve workshops provide a variety of professional development programs and resources.

Library of Congress Online Collections



Library of Congress Online Collections explore exciting periods, events, and individuals of American and world history and culture. The three main collections include American Memory, Global Gateway, America's Library, Thomas, Exhibitions, and Wise guide. American Memory is a gateway to rich primary source materials relating to the history and culture of the United States. Global Gateway connects with collaborative digital libraries across the globe. Access to these international collections varies by language and material type. Each libraries reading room offers in-depth reference assistance, substantive briefings and guide and tours through specific national collections. America's Story is designed with young people in mind, but there are great stories for people of all ages. Here is a terrific place for children and their families to explore "Amazing Americans", "Join America at Play", "Jump back in Time", "Explore the States", and "See, Hear and Sing" together.

McREL (Mid-Continent Research for Education and Learning): Lesson Plan Library



McREL is a nationally recognized, private, nonprofit organization dedicated to improving PK-16 education for all through applied research, product development, and services. Their services include workshops/training, technical assistance/consulting, evaluation/policy studies/ information resources, community education/public outreach, and visiting scholars. The information resources include PK-16 lessons plans and related resources for the arts, social sciences, language arts, health, math, science, technology, and multi/interdisciplinary. These resources are connected to comprehensive standards and benchmarks of the states in the central region: Colorado, Kansas, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, South Dakota, and Wyoming.

New York Times Learning Network



The New York Times Learning Network is a free service for students in grades 3-12, their teachers and parents. This site is updated Monday through Friday throughout the year. Students can read the day's top stories using Knowledge Tools, take a news quiz about today's world, and play special crossword puzzles. Students can also submit a letter to the editor, ask a reporter a question, or submit a science question and search through the Science Q&A archive. They can expand their vocabularies, practice verbal ties-note-taking skills or take a web exploration on a variety of topics. 6-12 Teachers can access a lesson plan or a thematic lesson plan unit and 3-5 teachers can explore current events through photos and related Q&A. Parents can enhance their child's understanding of current events through Conversation Starters, join an online discussion, explore the family movie guide or participate with their children in the student activity section. Other features include a browse navigator to recommended web sites, access to issues in depth on both current and historic events or travel back in time through the On This Day section.

PBS Kids



PBS Kids features online activities for each of its children’s and educational programs, such as Author, Backyard Jungle, Cyberchase, and Design Squard. Other educational programs include The Big Apple, Africa for Kids, American Experience Way Back When, Democracy Project, Don’t Buy It, and Go Figure!..

PBS TeacherSource



PBS Online features companion Web sites for more than 1,000 PBS programs and specials with rich, stand-alone resource content for educators and learners from names you trust, like NOVA, Reading Rainbow, and more. The site also includes local TV schedule information for free off-air taping of programs, opportunities to purchase videos, streaming versions of selected TV programs, and special neighborhoods for kids, parents and adult learners. PBS TeacherSource, a division of PBS Online, includes over 4500 lesson plans and activities for the content areas of Arts & Literature, Health & Fitness, Math, Science, Social Studies, PK -2, and Library Media. Each lesson plan section offers MARC records for resources, Recommended Books and Links, and Media Literacy activities and quizzes. Other features of PBS TeacherSource are online professional development, featured lessons and activities of the day, Personalized TeacherSource, PBS Shop, and Current Event Stories.

Scholastic: Teacher Lessons Plans



is a portal for school-based professionals including teachers, administrators, librarians, families and kids. Featuring rich content, community and live events, productivity and communications tools, and e-commerce, helps teachers integrate technology into the classroom and supports the way today's students learn. It also provides a unique link between the home and the classroom through the classroom webpage tool. This portal offers seven educator sources: student club online ordering, teacher store, online activities, lesson plans, teaching strategies, and instructional tools. Online activities include student interactive celebrations, daily news, and communication with an author through an online bulletin board. Teaching Strategies includes a Reading Resources Network, Teaching with Technology, New Teachers, Instructor Magazine, and Early Childhood Today Magazine. There are three very helpful teacher tools: Class Homepage Builder, Teacher Toolkit for creating lessons, rosters and more, and Class Set-Up Tool for planning your classroom layout. For planning ahead there is a planning calendar with special events indicated, Author Visits and Bulletin Board Discussions, and Teaching Themes & Holidays. Teaching with Technology features a Tech Tutor, Wireless: Lessons on the Go! and News & Trends. The Reading Resources Network includes Best Practices, Reading First, Book Finder Motivate Readers, and Literature Connections.

Smithsonian Education



The Smithsonian Center for Education and Museum Studies provides leadership in education at the museum and produces a variety of programs, services, and resources for the education and museum communities. The Smithsonian spans 16 museums, over 100 affiliates, and 7 research centers. These resources offer scheduled online and in-person classes, as well as customized training per request. Professional development opportunities are searchable through the resource finder by subject, grade, or keyword. In depth lessons plans, field trips, primary resources, and websites are classified by Art & Design, Science & Technology, History & Culture, and Language Arts.

Teacher Net



is the website for IMPACT II - The Teachers Network, a national non profit organization that supports classroom teachers in the United States. These comprehensive lesson plans in 18 subject areas and for all K-12 grade levels have been designed by teachers, for teachers in order to improve student achievement in classrooms across the nation and abroad.

Teacher Planet



The Educator's Network designed a new network of "Teacher Only" web sites. The teacher resource tabs include lesson plans, theme units, worksheets, grade books, teacher tools, online degrees, savings, books, DVDs, and posters. The professional service tabs include newsletters, certificates, jobs, resumes, rubrics, forum, quotes, humor, and education software. Another feature found on the main page is a calendar with clickable events to help plan for special lessons and activities.

Teachers First



TeachersFirst is a rich collection of lessons and web resources for K-12 classroom teachers, their students, and even students' families. Materials are arranged by subject area and grade level, making it easy to locate lesson plans and associated web resources quickly. Over the years, TeachersFirst has created a number of quality lessons and instructional units.

TechLearning: the Resource for Education Technology Leaders



TechLearning provides links to learning resources for all learners from Pk through adult for all curricular topics.

Thinkfinity



Thinkfinity reflects the Verizon Foundation's goal of truly making a difference in the lives of students, teachers, families and the communities in which they live and work. Their Content and Literacy Partners include:

• ArtsEdge

• EDSITEMENT

• EconEdLink

• Illuminations

• ReadWriteThink

• Science NetLinks

• Smithsonian’s National Museum of American History

• Thinkfinity Literacy Network

• Xpeditions

Through this collaboration, Thinkfinity delivers the high quality, standards-based and research-based educational and literacy resources programs that enable lifelong learning and growth to teachers, higher-ed instructors, literacy tutors, families and students.

ThinkQuest Library



The ThinkQuest Library is a free educational resource featuring over 5,500 websites on educational topics created by students around the world as part of a competition. Competitions, sponsored by Oracle Education Foundation, start every 12 months, in April and October and are open to teams of 3 - 6 students who are between the ages of 9 and 19 and one adult coach who is a teacher. Teams have competed since 1995. The winning websites are archived by subject: Arts & Entertainment, Books & Literature, Business & Industry, Computers & the Internet, Geography & Travel, Health & Safety, History & Government, Math, Philosophy, Religion & Mythology, Science & Technology, Social Sciences & Culture, and Sports & Recreation.

University of Wisconsin Digital Collection



The University of Wisconsin Digital Collections (UWDC) was created in the summer of 2001 to provide quality digital resources from its academic libraries to faculty, staff and students, citizens of the state, and scholars at large. There are four primary collections: Belgian-American Research, Ecology and Natural Resources, State of Wisconsin, and Wisconsin Pioneer Experience. In addition there are eight local library collections: Eau Claire, La Crosse, Madison, Milwaukee, Oshkosh, Stevens Point, Stout, and Wisconsin Historical Society.

WebQuest Page



This site is designed to serve as resource to those who are using the WebQuest model to teach with the web. By pointing to excellent examples and collecting materials developed to communicate the idea educators are able to learn from each other. This site is organized into seven sections: Overview & FAQ, Fan Mail & Awards, Portal, Training Materials, Search, Examples, and What's New? The Portal leads to webquests rated as "Top", "Middling" and "New". After a teacher uses a "New" quest, a rubric is completed to evaluate the web learning adventure. These evaluations are consulted to establish a rating for the webquest. WebQuests can be searched by keyword, subject or title. "What's New" reports news and views about WebQuests as an instructional tool through a periodic news release.

Arts and Humanities

Art Institute of Chicago: Education and Exhibitions Online



through numberous programs and resources the Art Institute strives to increase art awareness and appreciation by providing engaging student user-friendly resources in the Teacher Center, online educational resources, workshops and teacher in-services that demonstrate ways to integrate museum resources into classroom curricula. Student and Teachers Programs offers classes and workshops to assist in teaching across the curriculum with the visual arts. The Resource Center offers teaching materials, including curriculum manuals, with slides, transparencies, posters, postcards, videos, and on-line resources. Online Resources contain images and text, lesson plans, maps, bibliographies, and activities for five topics: ArtAccess, Cleopatra, Science Art & Technology, Chicago: City in Art, and Taoism and the Arts of China.

Louvre Museum: Virtual Tours



The Louvre museum website provides an introduction to a visit to the museum. History of the Louvre traces the history of the Louvre. Collections presents a selection of the works of art from each of the seven departments of the museum. Virtual Tour presents 70 QTVR (360◦) images which allow online visitors to discover about fifty rooms of the museum. Latest News aims to periodically highlight a work taken from the museum's collection via an article written by one of the curators of the Louvre. Publication and Databases provides a bibliography of printed publications (some of which are in English), audiovisual and interactive productions in French, as well as information about the museum's databases. Exhibitions, Lectures, Guided Tours and Workshops describe the current program of temporary exhibitions in English and series of lectures, symposia, films, and concerts only available in French.

The Metropolitan Museum of Art: Explore and Learn



Explore the world from prehistory to the present through the Met’s collection as your guide. Learn fascinating facts about works of art featured on the splash page. Visit the daily artwork archive or just for fund explore new ways to see art and visit an art museum. Discover cultures, past and present, with the Met’s collections and exhibitions. Bring the Met’s collection into the classroom through online features and printable files.

Minneapolis Institute of Arts: Teacher Resources



Educators find relevant resources and experiences at the Minneapolis Institute of Arts website. These educational pieces are accessible at the Teacher Resources, Tours, Classes, Lectures, and Events sections. Classes are brought to the children and families in each of Minneapolis city parks.

National Gallery of Art: Online Tours



Choose a tour by school or medium and explore the National Gallery’s collection of sculpture, works on paper, photographs, and decorative arts. Many guides are in Portable Document Format files and can be downloaded in English, French, and Spanish. In-depth study tours explore specific artists, works of art, or themes in these specially designed features, including Jacopo Bassano, Romare Bearden, Eduard Manet, Pablo Picasso, Jackson Pollock and many more.

National Gallery of Art: Classroom



Here is a place where teachers and students can connect art and curriculum with themselves. Lessons feature Self-Portraits in Art, New Angles on Art, Counting on Art and Art Since 1950. Teachers and students can access lessons and resources by curriculum, topic or artist. Curriculum areas include English Language Arts, Geography, History, Math, Performing Arts, and Science. Some of the topics are American Art, Ancient Art, Architecture, and Civil War. Super-Learner Interactives feature Ancient Arcade, Medal Maker, Mobile Maker, Design your Own Mobile and Decorate Cakes in the Art Bakery. Many games and activities for children of all ages can be experienced.

Seattle Art Museum: Online Art Tours



These SAM sites have online art tours are of special interest to students, teachers and parents. They include interactive games, lesson plans and art activities, background information and discussion ideas, as well as glossaries, bibliographies, Web links and more. The topics include:

• Art from Africa

• Art of the Silk Road

• Discovering Buddhist Art – Seeking the Sublime

• Egypt: Gift of the Nile

• Explore Korea: A Visit to Grandfather’s House

• How Does Art Tell Stories?

• Impressionism: Painting

• Marine Navigation in the Age of exploration

• My Art Gallery

• Porcelain Stories

• Stories of Krishna: the Adventures of a Hindu God

• The Conservator’s Studio

• Treasures from the Lost Civilization: Ancient Chinese Art from Sichuan

English/Language Arts

American Collection: An Excellent American Literature Resource



This site was created in partnership with the National Council of Teachers of English and written by English teachers all over the country.  It is divided into three areas:

• The Series: Teaching resources, lesson plans, background information, author profiles, online links, and behind-the-scenes production news on the films that will be seen on the series and the works of American literature on which they are based.  This section will expand as new materials are created and new titles are announced. 

• American Literature Resources: A collection of teaching resources — including an online video catalog listing widely taught titles at the lowest prices; links to teacher-evaluated websites on some of the writers you are most likely to teach; collaborative projects; and other teaching aids developed by teachers like you.

• Beyond the Core Here is a helpful list teacher developed lessons for middle and high school literature. These lessons will broaden your core class curriculum. .Educators may contribute to this collection.

Children's Literature Web Guide



The Children's Literature Web Guide is an attempt to gather together and categorize the growing number of Internet resources related to books for Children and Young Adults. Much of the information that you can find through these pages is provided by others: fans, schools, libraries, and commercial enterprises involved in the book world.

ePals Classroom Exchange



Our Global Community™ is the largest online community of K-12 learners, enabling more than 325,000 educators and 126,000 classrooms in over 200 countries and territories to safely connect, exchange ideas, and learn together. Our award winning SchoolBlog™ and SchoolMail™ products are widely used and trusted by schools around the world. Deep learning is catalyzed throughout the community in collaborative learning experiences, such as In2Books, ePals' first set of curriculum-based products. In2Books is research-proven, generates great excitement about learning, and builds reading, writing and thinking skills.

Outta Ray's Head: Tested Lesson Plans for Language Arts and Library Studies



A collection of lesson plans with handouts by Ray Saitz and many contributors; all of the lessons have been used and refined in the classroom. These lessons for middle school and high school students are divided into four main sections: Literature, Poetry, Library, and Writing. The Literature and Poetry sections include a large number of writing assignments.

Teachers First: Pilgrim at Tinker Creek Reader's Responses



Pilgrim at Tinker Creek offers a chapter-by-chapter reader's response "starters" for Annie Dillard's evocative book about the Virginia woods for high school students. As the student travels through each chapter of the work, they will be engaged writing prompts based on quotations from the book. The student may use as little or as much as is appropriate; these "assignments" are intended to get teen minds moving.

Teachers First: Was He Shakespeare? Presenting Christopher Marlowe



Built for high school students, this unit examines Marlowe's life and works, and looks at the relationship between his work and that of his more famous contemporary. The text, illustrations, and lesson ideas can stand on their own or enhance any Shakespeare study

Teachers First: Writer's Workshop



Writer's Workshop is an interdisciplinary writing technique which can build students' fluency in writing through continuous, repeated exposure to the process of writing. These pages introduce Writer's Workshop implementations for K-3 and upper elementary students. As you read this information, remember that you can implement these strategies in whole or in part, depending on your class and individual circumstances. In any case, the goal is to create students with confidence and fluency in the writing skills that will be necessary for secondary and post-secondary education.

Teaching Books



is an online collection of K-12 multimedia author and book resources. TeachingBooks features include:

• Author Programs of comprehensive author interview filmed at the author’s home and studio that are accompanied by in-dept written interview and supplemental materials;

• Book Guides are stimulate informative discussions about books written by authors, publishers and educators that are searchable by author, title, subject-area, and grade level. Multiple guides for specific titles provide a variety of discussion strategies;

• Book Readings include audio excerpts bring a new voice to favorite titles that are read by authors, professional actors and others for the PK-12 audience;

• Thematic booklets are1,789 bibliographies organized by themes that are created by teachers for teachers;

• Book Awards and Distinctions provides information about the awards, each state’s connection to the award that are searchable by the award and by specific titles;

• Valuable Web-Links are organized by 25 curricular topics.

Language Learning and ELL: English Language Learners

ESL TESOL: Lesson Plans: English as a Second Language



English lesson plans for beginner, intermediate and advanced levels including reading, writing, listening, grammar, speaking, pronunciation for adult and childrens' classes as well as Business English.

ESL Reading Smart



ESL ReadingSmart is a Web-based learning environment that accelerates the development of English as Second Language (ESL). This online ESL/ELL program supports classroom instruction, and state-adopted objectives. It provides instructional materials for beginner, intermediate, and advanced English learners in Grades 4-12, college, and adult education. Since the instructional materials are written at a variety of ESL/ELL levels, teachers can easily meet the challenge of teaching English learners in a multilevel classroom.

Everything ESL: Lesson Plans



Here are 41 content-based ESL lesson plans for beginning through intermediate students that can be sorted by title and recent dates. Educators are invited to publish their own lesson plans. Directions for preparing your lesson plan for publication, as well as ideas for lesson plan topics are included.

Literacy Matters



The goal of the Literacy Matters project is to improve the literacy development of middle grades and secondary school students, especially those students who are struggling to succeed. The content within this web site focuses on what matters most in adolescent literacy development.

• The primary audience is teachers. They will find useful information, valuable resources, and creative opportunities for online professional development

• The second audience is parents. Literacy Matters provides them with ideas about how they can support literacy learning at home.

• The third audience is adolescent learners. For students, the site includes interactive, online tutorials LINK

Teaching with the Web



Teaching with the Web is a compilation of ideas for using WWW resources as a language teaching tool. The web activities are arranged in categories including Any Language and Language Specific for German, French, Spanish, Italian, Asian, Russian and African. Also this site offers links to sites that have pedagogical information and for ESL/ELL activities. Links are provided to other teaching resources for language instruction and worldwide multi-cultural activities, as well as to language learning and technology publications and language learning centers and associations.

Information and Technology Literacy

Best Practices of Technology Integration



This site is sponsored by the Association of Intermediate School Administrators, the REMC Association of Michigan and the Berrien Intermediate School District. The lesson plans are written by practicing teachers and have worked within their classrooms. They are examples of how technology can be used as a valuable tool in the classroom. The lessons should be adapted to meet the needs of the teacher and the students.

Curriculum-Based Technology Integration Activities



The Curriculum-Based Technology Integration Activities database has bee developed to provide teachers with “Best Practices” in technology integration to support teaching and learning process and model activities. These activities were developed during a 2006 Summer workshop of the Instructional Technology in the Baltimore county Public Schools. For each activity the learning preferences and the field preference are noted and the level of cognitive demand is identified.

Intel K-12 Thinking Tools



Intel Foundation provides research-proven digital tools and resources for educators that support collaborative student-centered learning. These online thinking tools are active learning places where students engage in robust discussions, pursue investigations, analyze complex information, and solve problems.

The Thinking Tools are:

• Visual Ranking which students use to identify and refine criteria for assigning ranking to a list and then debate differences, reach consensus, and organize ideas.

• Seeing Reason which guides students in investigating relationships in complex systems and in creating maps that communicate understanding.

• Showing-Evidence which assists students in constructing well-reasoned arguments that are supported by evidence through application of a visual framework.

• Assessing Student Products is a productivity tool for teachers to create assessment tools for 21st century learning.

Media Awareness Network



To help teachers stay informed and up-to-date on relevant media issues Media Awareness Network offers professional development workshops, which include slides, self-directed tutorials, speaking notes, workshop guides and supporting classroom resources. The workshops cover a variety of topics from Internet safety, privacy, online marketing, cyber bullying and evaluation of online information to bias and stereotyping and hateful content on the Internet

Mathematics

ExploreLearning



ExploreLearning offers a catalog of modular, interactive simulations in math and science for teachers and students in grades 6-12. These simulations are called Gizmos.. eLearning Gizmos are designed as supplemental math curriculum materials that support state and national curriculum standards; in addition, Gizmos help teachers bring research-proven instructional strategies to their classrooms. ExploreLearning has a catalog of over 400 Gizmos with accompanying curricular materials, all with the aim of sharing the "A-Ha!" moment with teachers and students.

Interactive



The goals of Interactive are the creation, collection, evaluation, and dissemination of free online interactive Java-based courseware for exploration in math and science. It is comprised of activities, lessons, and discussions.

National Library of Virtual Mathematics



The National Library of Virtual Manipulatives (NLVM) is an NSF supported project that began in 1999 to develop a library of uniquely interactive, web-based virtual manipulatives or concept tutorials, mostly in the form of Java applets, for mathematics instruction (K-12 emphasis). The NLVM is a resource from which educators and learners may freely draw to enrich their mathematics instruction and learning. The materials are also of importance for the mathematical training of both in-service and pre-service teachers. The library is actively being extended and refined through projects including the eNLVM, a project to develop interactive online learning units for mathematics. eNLVM includes eModules, Tracking Tools, Adaptation Tools, and Collaboration Tools. eNLVM is located at

NEIRTEC Mathematics Portal



NEIRTEC, the Northeast and Islands Regional Technology Consortium, focuses on helping educational leaders at the state, district, and school levels put technology to effective use in schools. NEIRTEC places a particular emphasis on the needs of schools in underserved urban and rural communities. Selected online tools are organized by Algebra Readiness areas:

1. Represent Integers, Fractions, Decimals, Percent

2. Compute Fractions, Decimals, Percent

3. GCF, LCM, Prime Factors

4. Ratios, Rates, Proportions

5. Geometric Figures and Properties

6. Perimeter, Area, Volume

7. Pythagorean Theorem

8. Data

9. Probability

10. Algebraic Equations

11. Patterns

12. Functions

13. Favorite Sites

14. Other Interactives

15. Management

Math Forum



The Math Forum is an online community of teachers, students, researchers, parents, educators, and citizens at all levels who have an interest in mathematics and math education. The Math Forum has been consistently recognized as the leader in its field, and continues to provide high quality content and useful features. This site contains the best resources for teaching math at all levels as reviewed by Drexel University staff. This space is not only for teachers but has been built in part by teachers. The features include: The Student Center, Teachers Place, Problems of the Week, Internet Mathematics Library, Ask Dr. Math, Teacher2 Teacher, Math Forum Searches, Teacher Exchange, Math Forum Internet Newsletter, Forum Showcase and Special Projects, and Discussion Groups.

Visual Calculus



Visual Calculus is a collection of modules that can be used in the study or teaching of calculus. Originally, this collection was designed for instructors to give some ideas how technology, in particular, computers, can be used in the teaching of calculus. Detailed instructions on implementing these ideas with various public domain, shareware and commercial software packages are provided. The collection has been expanded to include tutorials, interactive modules (LiveMath, Java, and Javascript) which can be used by either students or faculty and includes detailed instructions for TI-85 and TI-86 graphing calculators. As an additional aid for students, modules containing quizzes and drill problems have also been added.

S.O.S. Mathematics



S.O.S. Mathematics is your free resource for math review material from Algebra to Differential Equations! Here is a terrific study site for high school, college students and adult learners. Get help to do your homework, refresh your memory, or prepare for a test. Browse more than 2,500 Math pages filled with short and easy-to-understand explanations. To access resources by subject areas click on one of the following subjects: Algebra, Trigonometry, Calculus, Differential Equations, Complex Variables, Matrix Algebra, or Mathematical Tables or on topics ranging from simplifying fractions to the cubic formula, from the quadratic equation to Fourier series, from the sine function to systems of differential equations - this is the one stop site for your math needs.

Science

Digital Library for Earth System Education (DLESE)



DLESE a geoscience community resource that supports teaching and learning about the Earth syste. DLESE is funded by the National Science Foundation and is being build by a community of educators, students, and scientists to support Earth system education at all levels. DLESE provides:

• Easy access to quality teaching and learning resources about the Earth as a system for a wide range of learners;

• Services to help users effectively create, use and evaluate digital learning resources;

• Interfaces and tools to allow student exploration of Earth data; and

• A community center that fosters interaction, collaboration and sharing.

Resources include lesson plans, scientific data, visualizations, interactive computer odels, and virtual field trips. Many of these resources are organized in collections or groups of resources that reflect a coherent, focused theme. In many ways, digital collections are analogous to collections in traditional libraries. All resources are contributed by community members, are relevant to Earth System education, and are checked periodically for technical stability.

EPA: Students and Teachers



Want to learn about the environment? Want to share what you know with someone else? With fact-sheets, interactive games, and more, EPA's Web site can help you with all sorts of information about EPA and the environment. This site is for both formal and nonformal educators who wish to teach about the environment. It offers background information on a variety of topics, lesson plans, and activities that work in and out of the classroom. You will also find information on workshops, conferences, grants, awards and a variety of other information that will assist you in your educational goals whether you teach in a traditional classroom setting, an outdoor classroom, a community center or in your home. In addition to resources for teachers there are three sites for children and students of all ages. For children ages 4 – fourth grade The Environmental Kids Club helps youth explore their environment and learn how to protect it through games, pictures, and stories. The EPA Student Center for students in grade 5-8 provides information on Environmental Clugs; Careers, Internships and Scholarships; Environmental Basics, along with sections on Air, Water, Ecosystems, Waste & Recycling, Conservation, and Human Health.

Exploratorium: Museum of Science, Art, and Human Perception



Online since 1993, the Exploratorium was one of the first science museums to build a site on the World Wide Web. Our site now contains over 18 thousand award-winning Web pages exploring hundreds of different topics for over 20 million visitors a year. Housed within the walls of San Francisco's Palace of Fine Arts, the Exploratorium is a collage of hundreds of science, art, and human perception exhibits. The Exploratorium is a leader in the movement to promote museums as informal education centers.

This unique museum was founded in 1969 by noted physicist and educator Dr. Frank Oppenheimer, who devoted his efforts to it—and was its director—until his death in 1985. From 1991 until 2005, the museum was led by renowned French scientist and educator Dr. Goéry Delacôte. In May 2006, nationally known science education and policy expert Dr. Dennis M. Bartels was named Executive Director.

Franklin Institute Science Museum Online



Evolving over the years, but retaining a passion for exploration and discovery, the heart of the Institute’s mission remains public science and technology education - through interactive exhibits, theater-based programming, educational programs, and outreach. The Franklin Institute is composed of three centers of division, The Science Center, The Center for Innovation in Science Learning, and The Benjamin Franklin Center.

• The Science Center is the flagship of The Franklin Institute. It develops, maintains, and presents exhibits and programs which inspire a passion for science and technology learning. The Science Center includes many interactive exhibits, the Fels Planetarium, and the Tuttleman IMAX Theater. Permanent interactive exhibits include: Sir Isaac’s Loft: Where Art & Physics Collide, Electricity Hall, Franklin…He’s Electric, The Franklin Air Show, KidScience, Space Command, The Sports Challenge, The Train Factory, and The Giant Heart: A Healthy Interactive Experience.

• The Center for Innovation in Science Learning (CISL), in support of its commitment to bringing technology and science education to the public, focuses on supporting teachers and administrators, enhancing the use of technology in teaching, and providing educational services on line. The CISL has developed a special focus on girls and young women in science, and also on young leaders in science.

• The Benjamin Franklin Center of The Franklin Institute has hosted The Franklin Awards Program, one of the oldest and most prestigious comprehensive science and technology awards program in the world. The program recognizes extraordinary achievements in selected areas of science and technology – including Chemistry, Life Science, Physics, Engineering, Earth Science and Computer & Cognitive Science. Many Benjamin Franklin Medal laureates have eventually won the Nobel Prize.

Journey North: Tracking Migration and Signs of Spring



Journey North engages students in a global study of wildlife migration and seasonal change. K-12 students share their own field observations with classmates across North America. They track the coming of spring through the migration patterns of monarch butterflies, robins, hummingbirds, whooping cranes, gray whales, bald eagles— and other birds and mammals; the budding of plants; changing sunlight; and other natural events. Find migration maps, pictures, standards-based lesson plans, activities and information to help students make local observations and fit them into a global context. Widely considered a best-practices model for education, Journey North is the nation's premiere "citizen science" project for children. The general public is welcome to participate.

MendelWeb: An Educational Resource for Students and Teachers



MendelWeb is an educational resource for teachers and students interested in the origins of classical genetics, introductory data analysis, elementary plant science, and the history and literature of science. Constructed around Gregor Mendel's 1865 paper "Versuche über Pflanzen-Hybriden" and a revised version of the English translation by C.T. Druery and William Bateson, "Experiments in Plant Hybridization", MendelWeb is offered as a public sourcebook and collaborative environment compatible with a variety of guided and independent studies.

Micron for Teachers



Micron believes that supporting math and science education is critical to cultivating tomorrow’s technology leaders. Micron provides teachers with opportunities and tools designed to excite students about science, math, and engineering using hands-on, real-world applications. In addition to content rich Web resources, Micron provides classroom presenters, workshops and site visits in Idaho and Virginia. As well, Micron provides an interactive Web resource to introduce students to high-tech career options. Because MendelWeb is constructed around primary texts, making your way around is not very complicated. If you keep in mind the meaning of the following buttons, you shouldn't waste too much time hopelessly clicking. Micron for teachers includes

• K12 lesson plans are aligned with national standards and complement your curriculum.

• Math and Writing in the Workplace demonstrate the relevance of classroom learning to workplace requirements.

• Career Awareness launches students from the classroom to the workplace.

• Activity Request provides a tool to request more information, to participate in a Micron K-12 activity, or to arrange for a classroom presentation.

Neuroscience for Kids



Neuroscience for Kids has been created for all students and teachers who would like to learn about the nervous system. Discover the exciting world of the brain, spinal cord, neurons and the senses. Use the experiments, activities and games to help you learn about the nervous system. There are plenty of links to other web sites for you to explore. The Neuroscience for Kids Writing Contest is now open. Can't find what you are looking for? Search the web site and the questions/answers page. Keep up-to-date on new discoveries in brain research with Neuroscience in the News, request the Neuroscience for Kids Newsletter or watch BrainWorks, a 30-minute TV show about the brain hosted by Dr. Eric H. Chudler

NASA Quest



NASA Quest is a rich resource for educators, kids and space enthusiasts who are interested in meeting and learning about NASA people and the national space program. NASA Quest allows the public to share the excitement of NASA's authentic scientific and engineering pursuits like flying in the Shuttle and the International Space Station, exploring distant planets with amazing spacecraft, and building the aircraft of the future. The site features:

* Profiles of NASA experts and stories about their work days.

* Several live interactions with NASA experts per month.

* Audio/video programs over the Internet.

* Lesson plans and student activities.

* Collaborative activities in which kids work with one another.

* Background information and photo sections.

* A place where teachers can meet one another.

* A searchable QNA area with over 3,000 previously asked questions.

* An e-mail service in which individual questions get answered

PALS: An Interactive Resource Bank of Performance Assessments Links in Science



PALS is an on-line, standards-based, continually updated resource bank of science performance assessment tasks indexed via the National Science Education Standards (NSES) and various other standards frameworks. Take the guided tour to become familiar with PALS. The tasks, collected from numerous sources, include student directions and response forms, administration procedures, scoring rubrics, examples of student work, and technical quality data calculated from field testing. On-line rater training packets have also been created for some tasks. From a matrix of related standards and tasks select standards to create a chart of tasks intended to test the standards, or select tasks to create a chart of standards addressed by those tasks.

Preschool Science Exploratorium



The Exploratorium presents a preschool science Web site. The materials on this site were compiled specifically to address how to introduce preschool age children (ages3-5) to the field of science. Teaching science to preschoolers requires a different approach than would be used in the elementary and secondary schools. Young children require science to be an experiential activity--hands on fun, which is also educational. The materials available on this site are collected from the Exploratorium's Learning Studio. Under the heading of science we have included mathematics, science and technology, earth science, biology, and the five senses. We have also created a Web page of pedagogical information that includes both print sources and Web sites.

Teachers’ Domain



Featuring public television content, Teachers’ Domain provides multimedia resources and professional development courses to K-12 educators. Teachers’ Domain online science courses and science resources give K-12 teachers new ways to inspire students, broaden content knowledge and integrate technology into their classrooms. Teachers and students learn through using videos of exemplary practice and rich resources from NOVA and other PBS programming sites.

TeachersFirst



TeachersFirst is a rich collection of lessons, units, and web resources designed to save teachers time by delivering just what they need in a practical, use-friendly, and ad-free format. The collection offers professional and classroom-ready content along with thousands of reviewed web resources, including practical ideas for classroom use. They may b e searched by subject, grade level, keyword or extensive menus.

• Teachers First: Biomes of the World



TeachersFirst’s biomes of the World unit is an online research project for middle school or advanced upper elementary students. The unit has three parts:

▪ a description of the on-line research project;

▪ Introductory descriptions of the major biomes, along with web resources for further research and exploration; and

▪ A Teacher’s section with questions for further discussion along with reproducible handouts for teachers and students.

• Teachers First: Who Did It?



This unit has been developed for a middle school (grades 6-8) science class. It is appropriate for general science, science-technology-society (STS), or biotechnology classes. Biology and chemistry are important components for this unit. The unit has been designed with an emphasis on laboratory activities. There is a series of short lectures followed by the labs. Each lesson is based on a 40-45 minute class. Suggested lecture notes are included for teacher use.

"Crime Scene" scenarios have been provided for each activity. These appear in the anticipatory set of each section's lesson plan. The "crimes" all take place in school settings. Different scenarios could also be used to match the dynamics of a particular class. The unit final is a project which will require cooperative groups to use their prior knowledge to collect and analyze evidence from a "crime scene."

There are several possible uses for this lesson including, but not limited to:

• an introduction to the scientific method, the microscope, laboratory procedures, and maintaining laboratory notes.

• an introduction to genetics and DNA.

• an application of DNA technology

• an "in between" unit before or after a vacation

• an end of the year final unit.

In addition to the web presentation, there are printable Adobe Acrobat files for the student handouts and rubrics. These are available from the individual lesson elements.

Social Studies

Adventures of CyberBee: Election Lessons



Adventures of CyberBee is a cartoon character zooming around the internet scouting for curriculum treasures for students, teachers, and parents. The Internet treasures are classified as curriculum ideas, research tools, treasure hunts, web projects, how to’s, web links articles, and postcards. An example of a social studies curricular area is government and more specifically elections. Cyberbee scoutsseveral aspects of American elections, including Campaign Advertising, Election Process, Historical Style, 2004 National Candidates, Platform Issues and History of Campaign Buttons.

American Cultural History: The Twentieth Century



The purpose of these pages is to present a series of web guides on the decades of the twentieth century.  The pages are being prepared by Kingwood College reference librarians.  Period pictures used are those of the family of the web author(s)

American Memory: Library of Congress



American Memory is a gateway to rich primary source materials relating to the history and culture of the United States. The site offers more than 7 million digital items from more than 100 historical collections. There are three guides for locating primary sources: Collection Finder, Search, and Learning Page. Collection Finder links to lists of American Memory online collections. From that list, individual collections are located or specific items are retrieved from those collections. Search browses collections by keyword(s). The Learning Page provides lesson plans, theme activities, and professional workshops for teachers.

Crayon Create Your Own Newspaper



Crayon is a useful tool for students to keep abreast of current events, learn about point of view and Internet research. Students build their own online Internet-based news resource. The page can be customized to view only a few resources or a wealth of international, local, health, technology and other news options. The creator can save just the links to the sites for the custom paper, making access much faster.

Documents for the Classroom: Archives of Maryland



The Archives of Maryland series Documents for the Classroom series is compiled and introduced by Dr. Edward C. Papenfuse, Maryland State Archives & Dr. M. Mercer Neale, Boys' Latin School with the assistance of R.J. Rockefeller and Lynne MacAdam. This program makes facsimiles of original documents available for use by teachers and students in elementary and secondary schools, as well as colleges and universities. See also for other resources.

Endeavour Project: Journals of Captain James Cook's First Pacific Voyage



Welcome to the Endeavour Project's prototype hypermedia edition of the Journals of James Cook's first Pacific voyage. This brief guide explains how to use the edition and associated resources. The site currently offers the texts of the original manuscript journals in which James Cook and Joseph Banks recorded their observations and experiences amongst the peoples of Tahiti, between 13 April and 6 July 1769. It is interesting and historically valuable to be able to compare and contrast these two journals. Importantly, the Tahiti sections of Cook's and Bank's journals are offered together with the account of events on the island written by John Hawkesworth, a well-known London man of letters, who was given the task of preparing an account of Cook's expedition for publication.

Freedmen and Southern Society Project: Drama of the Emancipation



Drawing upon the rich resources of the National Archives of the United States, Freedom: A Documentary History of Emancipation, 1861-1867 is transcribing, organizing, and annotating a selection of some 50,000 documents to explain how African-Americans traverse the ground from slavery to freedom between the beginning of the Civil War to the beginning of the Radical Reconstruction in 1867. The documents vividly convey the first-person immediacy of the times and the interpretive essays by the editors provide historical context.

History/Social Studies For K-12 Teachers



The purpose of this site is to provide a tool for learning and teaching using online resources especially for secondary education. Here is a large collection of humanities links to interactive social studies sites, news articles, and media literacy sites.

Historical Treasure Chests



Developed by Bank Street College of Education working in collaboration with staff at the Center for Improved Engineering and Science Education (CIESE), this site provides activities for students to learn to examine primary sources: letters, diaries, maps, photographs, public records, artifacts and other authentic materials from the past.. Student partners learn to examine each resource and then they are encouraged to share their finding with another student-research team. Then the teams are pointed to Internet sites to continue exploring primary source material.

In Motion: the African-American Migration Experience



Developed by researchers at the New Your Public Library, this masterful reference tool is an engaging, easy-to-use site that is organized around a series of 13 African-American migrations. This new interpretation of history focuses on the self-motivated activities of African-Americans peoples to reinvent themselves and their worlds. Only the transatlantic slave trade and the domestic slave trades were coerced migrations the others were voluntary movements of resourceful and creative men and women, risk-takers in an exploitative and hostile environment. These migrations begin in the 1500s with the first Africans coming from Mexico and the Caribbean to the Spanish territories of Florida, Texas and other parts of the South and continue to date with the Caribbean, Haitian, and contemporary African immigrations.

Jamestown Rediscovery



Association for the Preservation of Virginia Antiquities (APVA) Preservation Virginia is dedicated to preserving and promoting Virginia’s irreplaceable historic structures, landscapes, collections, communities and archaeological sites. APVA strives to ensure the vitality of Virginia's distinctive heritage, resulting in cultural, economic and educational benefits for the public. APVA site includes a Professional Services Directory, Historic Preservation Awards, and feature historical preservation projects.

One project is Jamestown Rediscovery . This project is investigating the remains of 1607-1698 Jamestown. This archaeological project began in 1994 and continues to date on Jamestown Island, Virginia.

Knowledge Network: Exploring African American Issues on the Web



The following six Web sites were created as models to suggest ways to integrate the World Wide Web and videoconferencing into classroom learning. African-American History was chosen as a topic because of its importance, popularity and the wealth of Internet resources available on the topic. What we hope to add to this richness are some specific strategies for integrating the Web into learning. So rather than merely send learners to a Web site, we've arranged separate formats designed to support different kinds of learning. Read the blurbs below to help you decide which activities you might want to use.

Lessons Plans and Resources for Social Studies Teachers



Chris Meyer has developed a bibliography of links to over 200 significant, reliable websites for social studies lesson plans and teaching strategies, plus links to national professional organizations, online student activities, newsgroups and educational standards for social studies. These sites include the entire scope of social studies curriculum such as the Academy of Social Studies Curriculum Exchange, the Age of Exploration, AskAsia, the Best of History Websites, Bill of Right Institute, and numerous others.

National Museum of Women's History



The National Women’s History Museum (NWHM), founded in 1996, is a nonpartisan, nonprofit educational institution dedicated to preserving, interpreting, and celebrating the diverse historic contributions of women, and integrating this rich heritage fully into our nation's history. In addition to the museum housed in Washington DC, NMWH features several online collections and activities, including the CyperMuseum and several Educational Resources. The CyperMuseum includes interactive collections on Women’s Suffrage, Women Olympians, Women in Industry, Rights for Women, Women in World War II, Women in Education, Women & the Progressive Area, Women Spies, Coalition Organizations and Women of Jamestown. The Education Resources include Self-Guides Tours, Biographies, Lessons Plans, Quizzes and Quotes, and Women’s History Events by State.

National Register of Historic Places: Teaching With Historic Places



Teaching with Historic Places (TwHP) is a program of the National Park Service's National Register of Historic Places. Over the years TwHP has developed a variety of products and services that help teachers bring historic places into the classroom. These include a series of lesson plans; guidance on using places to teach; information encouraging educators, historians, preservationists, site interpreters, and others to work together effectively; and professional development publications and training courses. Initially created in collaboration with the National Trust for Historic Preservation, TwHP grew out of a desire by both organizations to expand educational outreach. Teaching with Historic Places (TwHP) uses properties listed in the National Park Service's National Register of Historic Places to enliven history, social studies, geography, civics, and other subjects.

North Bay International Studies Project: Activities and Resources



The North Bay International Studies Project is a grant- funded, statewide subject- matter project that provides pedagogical and curriculum resources in both History/Social Science and International Studies to the University and K-12 educational community. It is one of the seven sites of the California International Studies Project (CISP) and a member of the Redwood Professional Development Consortium (RPDC).

The Project offers workshops, seminars, lectures, and summer institutes aligned with the California State Standards for History/Social Science, including content programs in International Studies, World and American History, teaching methodologies, and leadership development. All teachers participating in NBISP programs examine both what constitutes best classroom practice in History/Social Science and the multifaceted roles in which teachers are engaged as facilitators of learning, researchers, and professionals. NBISP programs are also open to student teachers.

Teachers First (Social Studies Examples)



TeachersFirst is a rich collection of lessons and web resources for K-12 classroom teachers, their students, and even students' families. Materials are arranged by subject area and grade level, making it easy to locate lesson plans and associated web resources quickly. Over the years, TeachersFirst has created a number of quality lessons and instructional units.

Teachers First: Colonial America



A surprising number of America's earliest settlements have been preserved or reconstructed to help today's Americans understand how Europeans first settled North America. If you're planning a trip along the east coast, chances are good that at least one of these sites will be within a few hours of your route. These pages provide background information and explaining the historical significance of these sites. They also list numerous other web sites for each location. You can also use these pages to take your own interactive tour of the places that helped start a new nation.

Teachers First: Inventor's Workshop



TeachersFirst offers this classroom-ready unit on Inventors of the Industrial Revolution, written by Georgia social studies teacher Bill Burton and revised in 2007, in a format well-suited for projector, interactive whiteboard, or individual student use. The unit is designed for middle and high school students, but could easily be adapted for upper elementary grades, as well. These interactive lessons will help students grasp the background and impact of the inventors of the Industrial Revolution. The activities include a timeline and some basic facts so students build a context of historical events and every day life in the time period. The Invention information and activities are divided into categories:

• Agriculture

• Textile

• Steam and Steel

• Transportation

• Technology

Teachers First: Remembering The Rev. Martin Luther King Jr.



This curriculum integrated unit offers three lessons with three versions for K-2, 3rd, and 4th grade classrooms:

• Listening to a Vision exposes students to the words and writings of Dr. King, and offers them an opportunity to reflect on his work at an appropriate level.

• Breaking Color Barriers is a science lesson that asks students to use the scientific method to illustrate that, while things may appear different on the outside, they're the same on the inside.

• The Mathematical Montgomery Bus offers students a chance to count passengers and fill a Montgomery bus.

Teaching American History: Shared Lesson Plans and Strategies



This Project is designed to deliver a three-year program of professional development and training in American history content and to provide quality instruction to middle and high school teachers. The Project's outcome will result in a sustainable network that will provide continuing history education and professional development for those teachers. The Project established an interactive website at sonoma.edu for two purposes: to post model interactive projects and to create a virtual community of project teachers to continue the dialogue throughout the year.

Valley of the Shadow: Two Communities in the American Civil War



The Valley Project details life in two American communities, one Northern and one Southern, from the time of John Brow’s Raid through the era of Reconstruction. In this digital archive you may explore thousands of original letters and diaries, newspapers and speeches, census and church records, left by men and women in Augusta county, Virginia and Franklin County, Pennsylvania. Giving voice to hundreds of individual people, the Valley Project tells forgotten stories of life during the era of the Civil War.

Virtual Jamestown



The Virtual Jamestown Archive is a digital research, teaching and learning project that explores the legacies of the Jamestown settlement and "the Virginia experiment." As a work in progress, Virtual Jamestown aims to shape the national dialogue on the occasion of the four hundred-year anniversary observance in 2007 of the founding of the Jamestown colony.

Wisconsin Historical Society: Library Archives



The Society helps people connect to the past by collecting, preserving and sharing stories. When engaging in the online library archives visitors view pictures of Wisconsin historical images, connect with biographical sketches, articles and obituaries, read historic newspaper accounts, letters, and diaries, and travel along with famous explorers.

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