Winter Olympic Shidonni Lesson

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What it is: The Winter Olympics is here!  There is so much learning to be done.  In my computer lab, my students will be completing the following assignment using Shidonni and various Olympic websites for research.  I have created a Weebly site as a research landing page for students.


Please leave a comment and share how you are using the Winter Olympics 2010 as a learning event in your classroom.

The Eco Zoo

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What it is: The Eco Zoo is an impressive 3d environment where students can meet different “animals” that will give them some ideas about taking care of the environment.  Each of the critters has a virtual pop-up book that tells a little about the character.  Each character has an environmental quirk, like one who is always turning off the lights to save energy, and has a little story that will get your students thinking about the environment.   The site is available to view in both Japanese and English.

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How to integrate The Eco Zoo into the classroom: The Eco Zoo is a great site to travel through as a class when you are studying the environment, ecology, or eco-friendly solutions.   This site is ideal for an interactive whiteboard or projector connected computer.  As a class, travel up the tree, visiting each animal along the way.  Ask students to guess what environmental issue the animal is passionate about.  Have students brainstorm ideas of ways that they could be friendlier to the environment as it relates to each animal.  This would be a great site to guide classroom discussion and spark some new ideas.

The look of the site is very unique, students will love the virtual popup books!  Students can also explore this site on their own on classroom computers or in a computer lab setting.  As they view the different animals, students can create character cards about the animal, listing the environmental passion, and ideas of how they can be more environmentally friendly.


Tips: This site was created in Japan so some of the English is a little awkward, or the humor missed.

Leave a comment and share how you are using The Eco Zoo  in your classroom.

Olympic Winter Games Vancouver 2010

Vancouver 2010 Olympic Games

What it is: The Winter Olympics are just around the corner and Vancouver has created a website to track all things Olympics.  Vancouver 2010 has excellent information and links for your students to explore.  On the website, students can learn about each of the winter games sports, the medals, the athletes involved, current news relating to the Olympics, photos, videos, and more.  My favorite features is in More 2010 information.  Here you will find the 2010 Olympic torch relay route.  The torch is tracked on an interactive map. Students can follow its journey from October 30 to February 12.


How to integrate Olympic Winter Games Vancouver 2010 into the classroom: Vancouver 2010 is a well made site where your students can learn more about the winter Olympics that will be taking place in February.  There are some great little videos that will teach students about each event, photos of the Olympic events, historical medals of the different countries, schedules of events, and much more.  The Olympic games is a fun time for each country, students can learn more about geography, other cultures, the Olympic games, and the history of the Olympics.  Track the torch as it makes its way to the games each day.  Talk about the places it has been and about this history of the torch.  Create a Google Earth Map where your students can keep track of the medals won by different countries throughout the games.  Assign groups of students to learn about the different competitions in the winter Olympics.  Each group can be assigned to learn more about the competition using the Vancouver 2010 website and use the photographs and pictures to help them present the event to the class.


Tips: The Olympic games is a great time of year to teach about teamwork, doing your best, and supporting your country.  Great tie ins for character education!  Check out the education programs (More information for 2010) there are great lesson plans and ideas.


Leave a comment and share how you are using Vancouver 2010 in your classroom.

Wiglington & Wenks Virtual World

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What it is: I absolutely love when I learn about a new site, especially those that I immediately know will be a winner with students.  You know the sites that have incredible graphics, are easy to use, and involve kids in the story (instead of just drill and practice).  Wiglington & Wenks is one such site.  One of the creators of the site @aldricchang alerted me to the new site today via Twitter.

Students are dropped into the middle of a story where they become world travelers to places around the real-world, meeting historical characters, playing brain games, building culture inspired houses, exploring secret locations, and solving ancient mysteries.  There are 100 educational real-world and imaginary places for students to visit from the past, present, and the future.  Wiglington and Wenks was originally a children story book series written by Johan Bittleston.  It has exploded into an online world where students can learn and explore.

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Wiglington and Wenks is so much more than your standard virtual world, it has a rich story line with well developed characters, plot, mystery, and quests.  Students are dropped into the story and invited to participate, learning through exploration, problem solving, and critical thinking.  The world highlights famous real-world landmarks, historical figures, inventions, culture, nature, and wildlife.  Students are motivated to learn more about each as they complete a series of quests.

The story behind the virtual world is about two water rats from England, Wiglington and Wenks, who are in search of a legacy left by Wiglington’s great explorer ancestor.  A series of magic maps guide them as they travel through time and space.  Through a series of events, a time portal was accidentally created that transported famous figures from the past to the future.  All of the historical figures seem to have forgotten who they are.  Students embark on a quest to help Wilington and Wenks find the famous missing characters and recover their lost memories.

Wilglington and Wenks are the main characters of the story.  They are the heroes. There are a host of other characters that further enchant students as they solve the mysteries of this virtual world.

Carto is the map creator who created the magic maps that keep track of geography, cultural evolution, and climate change over time.  Fragments of the map piece together to form a complete real-world map.

Sir Ordy Nace is the curator of the maps at the British Museum.

Filo rat is the head of the Traveling Academy in the town.  He is an inventor, code breaker, and skilled strategist- a genius in every way.  He loves a challenging game of sudoku or master mind.

Scuttle Butt is a search engine.  Ask him a question and he provides a useful list with the most relevant information at the top.  He is Filo Rat’s assistant. (This is an awesome way for students to familiarize themselves for using search engines to solve problems!)

Chacophonous is a crab who also happens to be a conductor.  He is reportedly connected by an ancestor to Beethoven.  He introduces students to classical music.

Walpole the whale makes cross-ocean transportation possible.  He has a terrible sense of direction so students have to give him directions and help guide him.

Every story needs a villain and the Count is the villain of this story.  He is known for using his knowledge of the magic maps for the destruction of the environment along with his side kick Warrior Wolf.

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Historical figures include Thomas Edison, Alexandar Graham Bell, Cleopatra, Confusious, Copernicus, Damo, Emperor Quin, Galileo Galilei, Issac Newton John, Marco Polo, John Rolfe, Nostra Damus, Pocahontas, Wilber Wright, Orville Wright, Vlad Dracula, and many more.

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How to integrate Wiglington & Wenks Virtual World into the classroom: The rich storyline alone makes this site one to bring into your classroom.  Students can do character studies, learn about plot, mystery, and suspense.  Use this site to teach your students about environmental issues such as global warming, forest preservation, protection of marine life, and endangered animals.  This is an immersive learning environment where your students will learn by doing.  As students travel the virtual world, they will learn geography, cultural differences, history, and inventions.  Students are encouraged to think creatively to solve the issues facing the world today.  Wiglington & Wenks would be a great site to introduce to students at the beginning of the year that is used throughout the year for learning.  Make it your goal to solve the mysteries of the magic maps before the end of the year.  Throughout the year students can visit the virtual world, learn about historical figures, famous inventions, and geography.  Hang up a world map in your classroom and keep track of the places that have been visited.  Encourage students to create character cards as they learn about new historical figures, and story characters.  Each student can have their own account but keep track of progress as a class.  Create PSA posters for the classroom as students learn about environmental issues.  Explore more about the inventors and inventions that students come across in the virtual world.  Have students keep a journal of discoveries (on or offline) as they discover new clues.  Have students write newspaper articles about the happenings of the virtual world and it’s characters.   This site can be tied into your curriculum for the year in a variety of ways.

I love the way this site encourages discovery of knowledge, teamwork, and critical thinking. This site will have your students excited about learning the whole year through.  Fridays would make a great day of discovery each week and give students something to look forward to.  Create a single class account and explore Wilington and Wenks as a class each week (or a little each day) using an interactive whiteboard or projector.  Give each student the opportunity to be the navigator of the world.  The other students can take observation notes in a journal about what they see and learn.  If you have classroom computers, cycle your students through the virtual world as a center activity.  In this model each student can have an account.  If you have access to a 1 to 1 environment (one computer for each child) or a computer lab setting on a regular basis, students can each have their own account and solve the mystery individually.  Form small groups where students can discuss their findings and give each other tips and tricks. (Hint: these groups will form whether or not you create them…it is that engaging!)

Wiglington and Wenks is the way that learning should be!



Tips: Read the Wiglington & Wenks books (Amazon link) as a class…the tie into the virtual world will have your students eager to read these books to learn more!

Your students will catch on to the virtual world environment quickly and know more about the characters, games, etc. than you could ever hope to learn.  There is a great guide that will clue you into everything the world offers so that you can keep up with your students. Check it out here.

Leave a comment and share how you are using Wiglington & Wenks Virtual World in your classroom.

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Secret Builders Update

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What it is: I have reviewed Secret Builders virtual world before, but some new additions and features deserve another post.  Secret Builders is a virtual world for kids (8-12) that introduces them to fictional characters from history and literature.  Secret Builders has added a host of new historical characters that students can interact with including: Jane Austen, Bach, Alexander Bell, Emily Bronte, Confucius, Marie Curie, Thomas Edison, Hafez, Magellen, Omar Khxyam, Motzart, Issac Newton, Rumi, and Lao Tzu just to name a few.  Students can actually visit the historical figures house, learn more about them, interact with them by asking questions in a virtual chat (answered as the character would answer), and take a quiz to find out how much they know about the historical figure.  Secret Builders allows kids to get up close and personal with history in ways not previously possible.  It allows them to gain a better understanding of historical figures than a textbook offers.  Secret Builders has additional school friendly features like areas for students to write, collaboratively draw and share, and play educational puzzle games.  Secret Builders also has a great Internet safety quiz that tests students on their knowledge of what online behavior should look like.  Secret Builders has just added a Teacher’s Console where teachers can add and manage their students from one central location.  Teachers can also set up an online reward system for students where they can unlock special Secret Builder features by completing “quests” that you assign.  For example, you may be studying Thomas Edison in class.  You could send students on a quest to find and learn about Thomas Edison and give the reward to those students that correctly complete the quiz.


How to integrate Secret Builders into the classroom: Secret Builders is an excellent way to bring history to life for your students.  They will understand historical and literary figures better as they interact with them in this virtual world.  Secret Builders is best in a lab setting where every student has access to a computer.  Be sure to sign your class up under a teacher account where you can control and monitor what students are expected to do in Secret Builders.  Encourage students to interact and “interview” the historical figures that they encounter.  They can then write an article about the historical figure for the Secret Builders virtual newspaper.  Secret Builders is a great first stop for learning about important figures in history.  It will leave them wanting more and excited to learn more about these interesting people in history.


Tips: Secret Builders also has a program that is connected called “One for All” students can raise money for their school by answering math, logic, geography, and vocabulary questions.

Leave a comment and share how you are using Secret Builders  in your classroom.

Track My T

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What it is: Track My T is a truly impressive website that I learned about from @dianadell on Twitter. Track my T lets students type in the unique lot number on their t-shirt and then go through an amazing interactive journey tracking their t-shirt from its very beginning as a cotton seed on a farm, to every step before they bought it.  Students can track their actual t-shirt or choose a random t-shirt to follow.  On their journey students will learn about picking cotton, the cotton gin, yarn spinners, textile mills, cut and sew factories, and distribution centers.  This is an incredible journey that teaches students the process that goods go through before they end up in the local store.  Each stop on the journey includes video, images, and information about what happens during that part of the t-shirt creation process.  In addition, students will learn about and encounter historical figures like Eli Whitney.  At the end of the journey students can check out their custom T tag, learn more about the screen printing process, and learn how to reduce their carbon footprint.

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How to integrate Track My T into the classroom: Track My T is an amazing site.  From beginning to end your students will be engaged and enthralled with this website.  The ability to track their actual t-shirt is really something!  Use this activity as a whole class with an interactive whiteboard, as a center activity in the classroom, or individually in the computer lab setting.  As a follow up activity, have students put placemarks on a Google Earth map on the location where their t-shirt/pants/shoes were made.  This activity could easily be expanded to the geography classroom (perfect for national geography week which is this week!).  Students could do additional research about the country where their t-shirt originated from.  To expand the activity even more, have students Tweet about their findings, see if they can get a response from someone that lives in that country.


Tips: Be sure to take a look at the accompanying lesson plan on Track My T.  The lesson teaches students all about fair trade.

Leave a comment and share how you are using Track My T  in your classroom.

Investigating the First Thanksgiving

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What it is: Investigating the First Thanksgiving is a fun interactive where kids are the historians.  Students explore all the clues to learn about the first thanksgiving (really a harvest festival).  This site provides great primary source material for kids to sort through.  First they explore a section called Fact vs. Myth where they match pictures and descriptions.  Each section includes an expert video that talks students through the section and explains a little about the first Thanksgiving.  In the next section, students explore the Wampanoag people and learn about their different celebrations and traditions throughout the year.  Then, students visit an English Colonist village and learn more about life for the pilgrims.  Students can then learn about the events that happened prior to 1621 and what led up to the harvest celebration.  The timeline in this section clearly shows what events were happening from the colonists point of view and what events were happening from the Wampanoag point of view. Finally, students can share what they have learned on a virtual informational poster where they can type the text of the poster.  Students can print their completed poster at the end.


How to integrate Investigating the First Thanksgiving into the classroom: Investigating the first Thanksgiving is an outstanding activity that involves students and makes them the historian.  Use this site to teach students the history of Thanksgiving but also how history changes.  This site does a great job of teaching students the difference between “the past” and “history”.  It makes the distinction that the past is always true but history (the way we interpret the past) can change based on additional information and resources.  You can go through the Investigating the First Thanksgiving interactive as a class on the interactive whiteboard, inviting student “historians” to come up and help guide the class through the activities.  Or as a center or individually on classroom or lab computers.  Finish the posters together as a class, filling in information, or each students can complete the final project.  If you do complete as a class, give a copy of the final to each student.


Tips: There is a great teacher guide that accompanies this site and offers great ideas for using the interactive in the classroom.

Leave a comment and share how you are using Investigating the First Thanksgiving  in your classroom.

ZuiTube

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What it is: KidZui is a site I have written about in the past.  The KidZui network has added some sites to the network that I just learned about.  ZuiTube is a kid friendly You Tube portal.  It is the largest collection of kid friendly videos online.  New videos are added to ZuiTube daily.  All videos are approved by parents and teachers before being posted on ZuiTube.  Students can watch educational videos, funny videos, movies and movie clips, silly songs, and music.  There is also a special section on ZuiTube just for videos related to Thanksgiving.  The Thanksgiving collection includes everything from the Turkey Dance to videos about Native Americans and Pilgrims.

How to integrate ZuiTube into the classroom: ZuiTube videos can be used as an introduction to new teaching (on nearly any subject), to add some humor to the classroom, or to reinforce teaching.  Videos are a wonderful way for students to make connections to new learning.  I have found a video that correlates with nearly every part of our curriculum.  I even found a great Berenstein Bears video for character education…gotta love that!  With all the snow we get in Colorado, there are bound to be some indoor recess days for the kids.  ZuiTube is a safe place to find kid friendly videos that students will enjoy while they are staying dry and warm inside.

Tips: I often have parents asking me what they can do at home to keep their kids safe online.  KidZui is an excellent recommendation, the parent reports are a great way to keep parents involved in their children’s online activities.

Leave a comment and share how you are using ZuiTube in your classroom.

BBC Primary History World War 2

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What it is: The BBC has so many incredible technology resources and websites for students.  Today I learned about the BBC Primary History World War 2 website.  I am really impressed with the wealth of information on this site, but also the age group it is targeted at: primary students.  So much of the time, history websites (especially on WWII) are geared toward older students.  This site is very kid friendly in its verbiage, images, and content.  This is a great site to explore with your class to learn more about World War II.  Students will learn about the world at war, evacuations, wartime homes, food and shopping, the war time efforts, children at war, air raids, daily life, growing up during wartime, and the end of the war. Each section has easy-to-understand information and pictures.  Students can also be a historical detective with a World War II time capsule game.  The teacher section has an amazing collection of related worksheets, activities, and links that can be used with the site.

How to integrate BBC Primary History World War 2 into the classroom: I am so impressed with the content presented on this site.  It is easy enough for young students to gain an understanding of World War II. This would be an excellent website to share and explore with your whole class with a projector or interactive whiteboard.  Read the facts and discuss the stories together while browsing through the primary resource photographs. Encourage students to imagine what it would have been like to be a student during the war.  After you have viewed the site as a class, students can explore more on their own in a computer lab setting or on classroom computers.  Allow the students to play the time capsule game to reinforce the skills they are learning.

Tips: This site could take several class periods or days to explore.  The additional activities are wonderful, students can do everything from exploring a war time shelter to learning about rationing by shopping for a meal in 1943.  I so wish that I had learned history this way!!

Leave a comment and tell us how you are using BBC Primary History World War 2  in your classroom.

Simple Timer

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What it is: Simple Timer is just what you would expect based on the name, a simple timer (imagine that).  The timer can be projected or used with an interactive whiteboard during classroom activities or work time.  There is a timer and a count down feature.  To time an even just click the ‘start’ button, you can pause and restart the timer at any time.  To set a countdown timer, just set the time you would like the timer to countdown from and click the start button.

How to integrate Simple Timer into the classroom: Simple Timer can be used in a variety of ways.  I like using timers with my students as a motivator.  For example, “Let’s see how quickly and quietly we can put everything away and line up.” Each time you line up you can try to beat the previous time.  I add 10 seconds if someone is talking.  This is also a great way to make tasks manageable for students who struggle with focus. If they can see a visual of how much time is left with one activity it is much easier for them to continue through to the next activity.

Tips: If you have a student who has trouble staying on task, put them next to a classroom computer with their own timer or countdown clock.  This way you can set it for shorter intervals for that student.  Each time they have made it to the count down they can stand up and stretch before beginning the next activity.

Leave a comment and tell us how you are using Simple Timer in your classroom.