Category: Grade Level

World Digital Library

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What it is:   The World Digital Library is a collection of free primary materials from around the world.  Students can search the World Digital Library for materials that will help them understand other cultures.  Students can search for materials by place, topic, time period, or institution.

How to integrate World Digital Library into the classroom:   This is an amazing collection of primary materials from around the world.  This is truly like bringing museums from around the world into your classroom.  Use the World Digital Library to illustrate lessons using an interactive whiteboard or projector.  Students can use World Digital Library for research and to support projects they are working on.  I love the look of World Digital Library, primary sources embeded in a map of the world.  It helps students visualize where in the world the materials they are looking at came from.

 

Tips:  Bookmark World Digital Library on the classroom computers for quick access.  World Digital Library is multilingual, just choose your language before you begin searching!

 

Leave a comment and tell us how you are using World Digital Library  in your classroom.

Virtual Forest Challenge

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What it is:   Scholastic and Nature’s Source have teamed up to create the Virtual Forest Challenge game to help students understand how their actions have real implications in local and global ecosystems.  The game leads students through a variety of virtual environments and along the way asks them to make decisions about how they would act in the ecosystem they are in.  If students answer correctly (make the correct decision) they continue in the game.  If they answer incorrectly, they are offered the correct answer accompanied by an explanation.

How to integrate Virtual Forest Challenge into the classroom:   Virtual Forest Challenge would be a good site to use in conjunction with Earth Day.  However, since the principals of Earth Day are valid year round, it can be used any time throughout the year.  This would be a great challenge to take on as a class with an interactive whiteboard or projector.  As students make decisions in the virtual world, discuss why one option is better for the ecosystem than another.  Virtual Forest Challenge would also be a good challenge for students to take on solo in the computer lab setting.  

 

Tips:  Visit the Teacher Resource section for some great accompanying lesson plans and resources.  Here you will find a Community Planting guide, a Community Planting poster, a lesson plan about the delicate balance between people and the ecosystems we are a part of, and a lesson about Our Community Past Present and Future.

Linux Comics

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What it is:   The Linux open source operating system is gaining popularity in schools because of the enormous savings that open source can offer.  Ubuntu is the most popular Linux operating system in schools, learn more about it here.   Hackett and Bankwell Worldwide have created two comic books that are designed to teach readers about Linux.  There are two free e-book downloads that take the reader on a journey with the iconic Linux penguin.  The first e-book focuses specifically on Ubuntu.

How to integrate Linux Comics into the classroom:   These comics are an outstanding resource to learn about Linux and the Linux operating system Ubuntu.  I learned a lot myself reading through these!  Use these comics to teach students, or read though them yourself to get a better understanding of Linux.  Whether you use Linux at your school or not, it is important to expose students to the different operating systems available.  

 

Tips:  If you want a print copy of the Linux Comics, they can be purchased from the Hackett and Bankwell website as well.

 

Leave a comment and tell us how you are using Linux Comics  in your classroom.

My Award Maker

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What it is:   It is that time of year again, time for end of the year award ceremonies where we remind our students of how far they have come this year and celebrate their achievements.  My Award Maker is a site I learned about from Kevin Jarrett’s blog NCS Tech.  He found this site just in time for it to be useful for me so I thought I would pass it on so you could benefit as well!  My Award Maker is a free, very easy to use award/certificate creator.  Choose from one of hundreds of great awards, fill in the information that best fits your needs, and print.  It couldn’t be easier and the results are fantastic!  This is going to save me from going to Lakeshore or US Toy to hunt for awards for this year, they are as good if not better quality than those you can purchase.

How to integrate My Award Maker into the classroom:   At my school, we have a formal end of the year award assembly where students are recogized and celebrated for their hard work throughout the year.  This is the perfect place to find an award or certificate for any occasion.  Don’t wait for a formal award ceremony, tell your students how proud you are of their achievements and effort year long with class awards and certificates.  

 

Tips: My Award Maker has a special section of Tips and Tricks for making special occasions memorable.  Check it out!

 

Leave a comment and tell us how you are using My Award Maker  in your classroom.

Educational Videos

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What it is:   Educational videos can be expensive, out of date, or hard to find.  Happily there are a few sites working to make it easier to access educational videos for free.  PBS has always been known for their great educational material.  They have hosted videos on their site for some time but they were not located in one place where they could be easily sorted through.  Now PBS has PBS video, all the great PBS material in one easy-to-search place.  You can browse these videos by program, topic, or keyword search.  All videos are on demand, I have been impressed with the quality!  Another great website for on demand free videos is American History in Video by History Education.  American History in Video has more than 5,000 titles in its collection!  The videos allow students to analyze historical events, and look at the events over time through commercial and governmental newsreels, archival footage, public affairs footage, and important documentaries.  Students and teachers can search videos by year, historical event, people, places, subjects, and by keyword.  This is an outstanding collection of free on demand history video!

How to integrate Educational Videos into the classroom:   Video is an amazing medium for teaching.  It brings textbooks to life and helps students to relate to history and science in new ways.  Kids often find history boring and I believe one of the reasons is that they haven’t had enough life experiences to relate what they are learning to prior knowledge.  Video helps them make connections that reading a textbook can’t do.  Use these videos as an introduction to learning, as a reinforcement during learning, or embedded in lessons. 

 

Tips: Always make sure you watch a video in its entirety before showing it to a class.  Sometimes content may not be age appropriate or as on topic as you would have guessed.

 

Leave a comment and tell us how you are using Educational Videos  in your classroom.

APTE Curious Minds Click

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What it is:  The APTE Curious Minds Click website lets students and teachers create e-puzzles that can be sent and played online.  You can create your own online Crosswords, Word Scrambles, Anagrams, and Secret Codes.  These puzzles can then be played online and sent as an email.

How to integrate APTE Curious Minds Click into the classroom:   Create your own online puzzles for students to play based on any curriculum or subject you are studying.  Puzzles are a fun way for students to practice new vocabulary, spelling words, and new content.  Students can create their own puzzles based on curriculum for classmates to solve.  Students will love creating puzzles for their classmates and solving puzzles that have been created for them.  

 

Tips: In addition to creating your own puzzles, you can solve puzzles that others have created.

 

Leave a comment and tell us how you are using APTE Curious Minds Click  in your classroom.

DoInk

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What it is:  DoInk is an outstanding free illustration and animation creator.  The site has tools that are similar in feel and function to Adobe’s flash.   DoInk creates custom animations right inside your Internet browser.  There is an explore section where you and your students can get some inspiration for animations.  DoInk provides tutorials for illustrating and animating making it easy to get started.

How to integrate DoInk into the classroom:   Adobe products not in the budget?  DoInk is a fantastic alternative to Flash.  DoInk would be a great way to familiarize students with the basics of animation that will lead nicely into using more robust programs like Flash.  Allow students to create mini animations to demonstrate science concepts (think life cycles, rock cycles, water cycle, etc.).  Students can also create short animations to display an understanding of verbs.  Since verbs are action words, an animation is a great way to show the action.

 

Tips: DoInk requires registration with a username and password.  For elementary students, I find it helpful to create one class account where students can create.  This keeps you from having to keep track of a class full of login information.  It also makes it simple to keep track of student work.

 

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

The Greens

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What it is:  Earth Day is tomorrow!  The Greens is a great site to get your students thinking about the earth and going green.  The Greens is a collection of 10 short flash movies that teach students important concepts for taking care of our planet.  Episodes touch on topics such as: paper use, recycling, composting, conservation, consumption, pollution, and energy.  The goal of The Greens is to instill environmental ethic in students.  Teachers can download a Greens activity guide (pdf form).  Students can use the carbon calculator to calculate their carbon footprint.

How to integrate The Greens into the classroom:   This is an awesome site to generate conversation on Earth Day (or any day!).  The Greens episodes are short enough to use several in class and can be used as discussion and idea starters for students.  Watch the videos in class and discuss ways that students can be greener at school and home.  Download the activity guide for some great extension activities.  Set up a “green” center in your classroom where students can watch an episode and write down ideas of implementation in their own lives.  Share these ideas at the end of the day.

 

Tips: The video episodes require a Flash Player (this is a free download if you don’t already have one). 

 

Leave a comment and tell us how you are using The Greens  in your classroom.

Simple Science

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What it is:  Simple Science is a collection of informative science music videos for use in the elementary classroom.  The videos can be used to reinforce science learning objective and science concepts.  The videos can be watched from the website for free or purchased on DVD.  Simple Science video topics include: adapting, micro organisms, forces, changes, dissolving, how we see, changing circuits, keeping healthy, life cycles (flowers), gasses, water cycle, sun, earth, moon, changing sounds, moving and growing, habitats, keeping warm, solids vs. liquids, plants, friction, teeth, circuits and conductors, materials, rocks and soil, magnets and springs, light and shadows, air, atoms, DNA, Earth, electricity, insects, and magnetism.  The format reminds me of School House Rock.  Lyrics for all songs can be downloaded for students to follow along.

How to integrate Simple Science into the classroom:   Simple Science videos are perfect for introducing or reinforcing science concepts.  The songs and videos break down science concepts so they are easy to understand.  Use Simple Science with a projector for whole class instruction or set up a science center on classroom computers where students can stop by and watch the videos.

 

Tips: The Simple Science website did not work for me using the Opera browser. I was successful with the links using Firefox.

 

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

Emerald Island

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What it is: Emerald Island is a great place for kids to play and learn more about the earth and ways that they can help the earth, perfect for Earth Day!  Emerald Island is a virtual world created specifically for kids (6-12).  Students can pioneer, prevail over, and protect the Island.  Emerald Island is more than just a game, it is a story that students take part in.  The students job is to help Tamino (the hero) to save Emerald Island (a green island) from Pirats (pirate rats).  Each player plants seeds and cultivates gardens to replenish Emerald Island.  Emerald Island helps students to learn about and experience important contributions that are part of an interconnected world.  It provides young students with a sense of community and a beginning understanding of a global society.  Students begin to build knowledge, empathy, and appreciation for an environment that emulates earth.  While playing, students are empowered to make a difference and become true eco-heroes as they take on challenges to save the world.  Along the way students meet other citizens of Emerald Island, many of whom give students tips about how they can save energy and be more responsible citizens.

How to integrate Emerald Island into the classroom:   Emerald Island is a great game for students to play throughout the month of April as they learn about Earth Day and how to become more earth-conscious citizens.  I love how Emerald Island involves students in a story and a quest to save a planet.  On the way they learn about how they can be better citizens of our planet with helpful tips from the Emerald Island citizens.  The games and activities help students to develop problem solving, reasoning, social, and computer skills.   Emerald Island can be played as a whole class exploring and reading clues together with an interactive whiteboard or individually in a computer lab setting. You can expand on what students are learning in Emerald Island by keeping a class notebook of green tips that students learn in Emerald Island.

 

Tips:  Emerald Island provides an outstanding introduction to registering for a website, it is easy enough to use with young students and reinforces Internet safety rules before the game begins.

 

Leave a comment and tell us how you are using Emerald Island in your classroom.