Phyllis' Favorites

FORVO - forvo.com - Grades 2 to 12
http://forvo.com/

From TeachersFirst.com:

Forvo offers word pronunciations in a whopping 213 languages, with more words recorded every day. Besides common languages, there are a host of unusual and even rare and old languages whose words students can hear on the site: Lithuanian, Latin, Tibetan, Franco-Provencal, Walloon, and many others. Speakers of other languages may wish to contribute their own pronunciations for unusual words; all of the speakers on the site are native speakers! Words are organized by languages and also in 6 very general categories which include people, music, countries, etc. The site also includes Google Maps of the areas where the languages are spoken. Files are downloadable to mp3's and other types of recorders. But you can also listen to them directly online without downloading. Native speakers can also dispute recorded pronunciations and request for new languages to be added. There is free membership, but this is only needed if you wish to rate recordings or participate as a contributor.

Entire review and suggestions for using this site “In the Classroom”:
http://www.teachersfirst.com/single.cfm?id=10010

---------Forwarded Message--------
Hi! It's Saturday, October 19, 2008 and time for P.E. at ClickSchooling!

Recommended Website:
KIDS EXERCISE
http://www.kidsexercise.co.uk/

Normally, I don't feature Physical Education on ClickSchooling, but this
note from Louise Clare of the "Kids Exercise" website intrigued me:

"We have created a public interest website that focuses on keeping your kids
fit, active and healthy, which I thought may be of interest to your readers.
We don't make any profit from the site but we'd like to spread the word and
get the information out to as many people as possible."

Essentially this site archives interesting articles with tips and advice for
keeping your kids active and fit by providing exercise and nutrition ideas!

When you get to the site, you'll see instructions at the top of the screen
for how to navigate the site. Below that are some featured articles of
interest. Use the menu on the left to access many articles by experts and
journalists on these topics:

* Fit Families - Learn how to make time for family fitness including using
pets as exercise partners.

* Fit Kids - Find out how much activity kids need, get fitness suggestions
for 5-12 year olds, learn about fitness equipment, personal trainers, and
yoga for kids.

* Fit Teens - Discover fitness games for teens, how to have a healthy body
image, and how to manage stress through exercise.

* Fit Under 5's - Get fun activities to channel your preschooler's boundless
energy and form good nutrition and exercise habits early.

* Fitness On the Go - Incorporate movement into holidays and vacations. Get
the scoop on Sports and Weigh Loss Camps.

* Home Fitness - Enjoy suggestions for active indoor play. Learn about
exercise videos for kids and how to get fit playing computer games!

* Nutrition & Health - Learn about foods that fuel active, growing bodies
and improve health and fitness.

* Sports - Read advice on all kinds of sports activities from cold weather
sports to extreme sports to martial arts for kids and more!

The articles I read were well-written with a nice balance of facts,
practical advice, and easy tips for incorporating health and fitness into
your family's daily lives.

Diane Flynn Keith
for ClickSchooling
Copyright 2008, All Rights Reserved
http://www.Homefires.com
http://www.Carschooling.com
http://www.UniversalPreschool.com

DID YOU MISPLACE A ClickSchooling Review? Do you need to find an educational website - fast! Visit the ClickSchooling archives at:
http://www.homefires.com/clickschool/archive.asp

Note: We make every effort to recommend websites that have content that is appropriate for general audiences. Parents should ALWAYS preview the sites for suitable content.

Click Schooling (Clickschooling) is a Federally Registered Trademark.

PBS: The Future of Television
http://www.pbs.org/nbr/site/features/special/future-of-television_home/

From the site:
“TV is a pervasive and powerful medium, and it is in a period of major transition. In the "Future of Television," NBR New York bureau chief Scott Gurvey examines how high-definition, digital video recorders, and the Internet will change that little black box that sits in 99% of all American homes.”

Site found in:
******************************************
PBS Teachers Newsletter: May 24-June 6, 2009
Current PBS Teacher Previews Newsletter
http://www.pbs.org/teachers/newsletter/
******************************************

Buffalo Bill: American Experience
On-Air & Online
Gr. 6-8 / 9-12
Monday, May 25, 2009
9 - 10:00 pm
This program draws upon rich archival materials of the period
to explore the man behind the legend, revealing the complexity
of Buffalo Bill's extraordinary life. (CC, Stereo, HD, 1 year)
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/amex/
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/americanexperience/cody/

Copyright 2008 PBS Online

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From: American Experience on PBS
Go Wild with BUFFALO BILL on AMERICAN EXPERIENCE

"Fascinating... more than any other American of his time, Cody is the one most responsible for crafting the enduring narrative of the American West." New York Post

“For most Americans in the mid 1800s, the Wild West existed only in dime novels and story papers. But for William Cody, it was very real. He roamed the plains, first tracking down deserters, and eventually taking part in direct combat with the Natives; He was tall, handsome, with brash confidence and a great deal of charisma. In short, he was the embodiment of how easterners pictured a frontier hero-struggling to bring civilization to the west.
From filmmaker Rob Rapley, Buffalo Bill draws upon rich archival materials to explore the man behind the legend, revealing the complexity of William Cody's extraordinary life. "Buffalo Bill was a phenomenon unlike anything the world had seen. He turned the story of the west into a phenomenon as well," says Rapley. "Cody blurred the line between truth and entertainment, history and myth. And he was wildly successful doing it."

Theatrehistory.com - Grades 9 to 12
http://www.theatrehistory.com/index.html
[NOTE: Previously posted. - Phyllis ]

From TeachersFirst.com:

If you teach theatre, acting, or history, this site is a smorgasbord of information. The home page features "today in theatre history" and a featured topic. The index of topics shows origins of theatre, ancient and medieval theatre, and then theatre by country (American, Irish, Russian, French, etc.). Clicking on one of those takes you to a page with category choices-- Plays and Playwrights, or Actors-- and a list of links to specific articles that are academic, but interesting and very readable.

One of the nicest features on the site is the "Script Archive," which gives access to full-length plays, one-act plays, 10-minute plays, and monologues. This is a fabulous source for theatre and speech teachers alike.

Be aware: this is a commercial site, so there are links to purchase books, but it is more subtle than most sites, and all the links are freely given without a need to register. There are also advertisements, preview for appropriateness before sharing with your class, as these ads change without notice.

Entire review and suggestions for using this site “In the Classroom”:
http://www.teachersfirst.com/single.cfm?id=10021

UnitConversion.org
http://www.unitconversion.org/

From the site:
“UnitConversion.org is the ultimate resource for unit conversion. Use our free online unit converters to easily convert between different units of measurement. Simply select the appropriate unit converter from the lists below. Please spread the word about this completely free resource.”

Math Playground
http://www.mathplayground.com/

From the site:
“Welcome to Math Playground, an action-packed site for elementary and middle school students. Practice your math skills, play a logic game and have some fun!”

[NOTE: Previously posted. - Phyllis ]

--------Forwarded Message--------
Hi! It's Monday, October 20, 2008 and time for Math at ClickSchooling!

Recommended Website:
HoodaMath.com
http://www.hoodamath.com

ClickScholar Annette Hall, suggested this website that was created by
Michael Edlavitch, a middle school math teacher, who wrote, "I spent the
summer making a website geared directly for grades 6-8. I want students to
have a site where they can practice their math skills while still having
fun. I have personally made the games."

When you get to the site, you'll see a brief introduction and a couple of
featured games. Use the menu bar at the top of the screen to access:

* Games - Have fun honing math skills with 11 interactive games that include
Addition Eaters, Factor Feeders, Integer Tilt, Multiplication Eaters,
Division Eaters, Fraction Poker and the innovative Pimon (a combination of
Pi and Simon).

Note: There aren't instructions for how to play these games, but if you try
them, you'll intuit how to play. You're kids will probably figure it out
before you do. :)

* Tutorials - Watch amateurish YouTube videos on Base 10 math, adding and
subtracting integers, and solving integer equations featuring multiplication
and division. Essentially you view a white screen containing black text and
equations. The limited explanations and illustrations move way too fast for
a beginner to absorb - so, it may be a better resource as a brush-up tool.

Note: As always with videos on YouTube, parents should preview the videos to
determine if the surrounding content is suitable, and supervise use.

Mr. Edlavitch is eager to hear your comments and suggestions about
HoodaMath.com - just use the "Contact Us" form on the menu to reach him.

Diane Flynn Keith
for ClickSchooling
Copyright 2008, All Rights Reserved
http://www.Homefires.com
http://www.Carschooling.com
http://www.UniversalPreschool.com

DID YOU MISPLACE A ClickSchooling Review? Do you need to find an educational website - fast! Visit the ClickSchooling archives at:
http://www.homefires.com/clickschool/archive.asp

Note: We make every effort to recommend websites that have content that is appropriate for general audiences. Parents should ALWAYS preview the sites for suitable content.

Click Schooling (Clickschooling) is a Federally Registered Trademark.

Sites found in:
Larry Ferlazzo's Website Update -- November, 2008

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The Best Online Resources About Christopher Columbus
( http://larryferlazzo.edublogs.org/2008/10/06/the-best-online-resources-about-christopher-columbus/ )
Shortened URL: http://tinyurl.com/4kdfcp

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The Best Online Sources For Images
( http://larryferlazzo.edublogs.org/2008/10/11/the-best-online-sources-for-images/ )
Shortened URL: http://tinyurl.com/4523k3
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What A Great Way To Write A Book Review!
( http://larryferlazzo.edublogs.org/2008/09/24/what-a-great-way-to-write-a-book-review/ )
Shortened URL: http://tinyurl.com/4rjgep

The San Francisco Chronicle has been running a great weekly feature called the Three Panel Book Review, drawn and written by Lisa Brown. She develops a book review in three cartoon panels with a short amount of text. They’re very funny and creative.

Three Panel Book Review: Oliver Twist
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2009/05/10/RVTHREEPANEL.DTL
Shortened URL: http://tinyurl.com/oyo5q8

Archive
http://www.sfgate.com/columns/threepanel/archive/

Uncovering the Human Story: Milestones of Evolution (timeline)
http://www.history.com/content/the-link/uncovering-the-human-story

From the History Channel site: The Link
http://www.history.com/content/the-link/about-the-link/the-link

Also includes:
The Link
Discovering the Fossil
The Human Connection
Analyzing the Fossil

Facts for Features: 2009 Hurricane Season Begins
http://www.census.gov/Press-Release/www/releases/archives/facts_for_features_special_editions/013534.html
Shortened URL: http://tinyurl.com/clfvgq

From the site:
“The north Atlantic hurricane season begins June 1 and lasts through November. The U.S. Census Bureau produces timely local data that are critical to emergency planning, preparedness and recovery efforts. This edition of Facts for Features highlights the number of people living in areas that could be most affected by these dramatic acts of nature.” <<>>

# posted by Phyllis @ 10:46 PM 0 comments

From: Weekly Teacher Tip Newsletter
Subject: Memorial Day Teacher Resources: Teaching Tips #409
http://www.teachnology.com/newsletters/409.html

Memorial Day Teaching Theme
http://www.teachnology.com/themes/holidays/memorialday/

Site contains links to Crafts, Teacher Resources, Worksheets, Lesson Plans, Work Sheets, Web Quests, Interactive Sites, Background Information, and more. NOTE: Many are free, access to some requires paid membership.

Harvest of History from The Farmers' Museum
http://www.harvestofhistory.org/index.html
Explore the Village to find out where your food comes from, how and where it
grows, and compare life in 1845 with our modern world.

Primary Sources
http://www.harvestofhistory.org/primary_sources.html
Search or browse the Primary Sources database to find images and information
about objects and documents related to agriculture and rural life.

Resources (includes websites)
http://www.harvestofhistory.org/resources.html

[NOTE: Previously posted. - Phyllis ]

Primary Research: Bring History Closer to Home - Primary Research - Grades 9 to 12
http://www.primaryresearch.org/
[NOTE: Previously posted. - Phyllis ]

From the site:
“The aim of this website is to serve the research community by providing free access to original source documents and databases, as well as to provide a vehicle for the publication of original primary research by high school students.”

From TeachersFirst:
“Primary Research is an archive of student projects related to local history near Beverly, Massachusetts. Projects range from an examination of local cemeteries and tombstones to the lives of African Americans in antebellum Boston. The site represents an excellent example of the kind of innovative projects student groups can undertake, and might spark ideas for similar projects regardless of the location. The "Library" section of the site provides primary documents used in the student projects, while the "Guides" section gives additional instruction used in the analytical sections of the projects.”

Entire review and suggestions for using this site “In the Classroom”:
http://www.teachersfirst.com/single.cfm?id=10034

Brain Breaks - Dave Sladkey - Grades 4 to 12
http://www.brainbreaks.blogspot.com/

From TeachersFirst.com:

Here is a useful blog created by a high school teacher who saw the value of "Brain Breaks" in his own classroom. Many of the activities could be used with older elementary and middle school students. The blog contains postings from several teachers. Each posting consists of a write-up of the activity as well as a video of the actual activity. The link provides practical uses and allows you to add your own as well. Breaks are archived so you can look at previous months. You can also download them. There are some great “breaks” at this site. The site does require Flash.

Entire review and suggestions for using this site “In the Classroom”:
http://www.teachersfirst.com/single.cfm?id=10012

Sites found in:
October 18, 2008 "Earth Science Sites of the Week"
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MONSTER OF THE MILKY WAY, NOVA, (Rae McEntyre) This site includes teacher resources, activities for "proof" of black holes, and slide presentations.

http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/blackhole/
[NOTE: Previously posted. - Phyllis ]

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DEATH BY BLACK HOLE, Neil DeGrasse Tyson (Paul R. Nevergold) A conversation with Neil DeGrasse Tyson, astrophysicist and director of the Hayden Planetarium called Death by Black Hole. It is a hoot and the kids should love it.

http://fora.tv/2008/02/19/Neil_DeGrasse_Tyson_Death_by_Black_Hole

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Mark Francek
Central Michigan University
Resource Page: http://webs.cmich.edu/resgi

American Currency Exhibit
http://www.frbsf.org/currency/

Money hasn't always looked like it does today. Explore the Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco's American Currency Exhibit online and watch history come alive as you step back in time to our nation's beginning. Learn how our country's rich history is closely tied with our currency. Discover the role the Federal Reserve has played--and continues to play--in that history.
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Source: Refdesk: http://www.refdesk.com
[NOTE: Previously posted. - Phyllis ]

WWW Chemistry Guide
http://www.chemistryguide.org/

From the site:
“WWW Chemistry Guide - the directory and search engine of chemistry related resources on the Internet. Our search engine allows you to search the contents of more than 250 website. It searches only the sites we specify, bypassing a lot of the junk.
We are only looking for the sites with the best information, resources, design and navigation. Only a small percentage of the thousands of chemistry web sites meet those criteria. That's why this site exists.

“All sites listed in the directory are examined by our team of editors and only if qualified are granted inclusion. We hope the links and search engine we have provided here will help you to locate the information you are looking for quickly and easily.”

Incredible Art Department
http://www.princetonol.com/groups/iad/

“This arts Web site includes a slew of activities for formal and informal learning; links art, math, and science; and much more.”
[NOTE: Previously posted. - Phyllis ]

Source: Exploratorium
http://www.exploratorium.edu

Sites found in:
=======
The Scout Report
October 17, 2008
Volume 14, Number 41
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The Scout Report on the Web:
Current issue: http://scout.wisc.edu/Reports/ScoutReport/Current/
This issue: http://scout.wisc.edu/Reports/ScoutReport/2008/scout-081017.php

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Exploring Genes & Genetic Disorders [pdf]
http://www.ornl.gov/sci/techresources/Human_Genome/posters/chromosome/

More and more excellent data continues to be produced by the Human Genome
Project, and a number of government organizations have created top-notch
educational resources based on this information. The Gene Gateway website
was originally produced as a companion to the Human Genome Landmarks poster
and has evolved into a "collection of guides and tutorials designed to help
students and other novice users get started with some of the resources that
make these data available to the public." Here visitors are introduced to
various Internet tools that anyone can use to investigate "genetic
disorders, chromosomes, genome maps, genes, sequence data, genetic variants,
and molecular structures." Visitors can download the Gene Gateway workbook,
which contains five activities, complete with screenshots and step-by-step
instructions "designed to introduce new users to genetic disorder and
bioinformatics resources on the Web". Moving down the homepage, visitors can
look into sections such as "Bioinformatics Tools", the "Genetic Disorder
Guide", and an outstanding "Chromosome Viewer". The viewer provides a great
backdrop for those seeking to understand the physical makeup of human
chromosomes. Also, visitors can order a free copy of the wall poster "Human
Genome Landmarks: Selected Genes, Traits, and Disorders". [KMG]

[NOTE: Home page
http://www.ornl.gov/TechResources/Human_Genome/home.html

Human Genome Project Education Resources
http://www.ornl.gov/sci/techresources/Human_Genome/education/education.shtml
Previously posted. Site updated.- Phyllis ]

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The Art of Teaching the Arts: A Workshop for High School Teachers
http://www.learner.org/workshops/hsarts/

Teaching the arts is, as one might expect, an art in itself, and teachers
young and old alike will find much to engage their attention on this
delightful website. Created as part of the Annenberg Media's educational
resource website, this site offers an eight-part professional development
workshop for use by music, theater, dance, and visual art teachers. The site
includes all eight of the one hour programs, and visitors just need to
complete a free registration form to view them in their entirety. The
programs all include demonstrations, sample activities, and other
pedagogical elements. Visitors should note that the programs include titles
like "Developing Students as Artists", "Creating Rich Learning
Environments", and "Fostering Genuine Communication". The site also includes
support materials and "Channel talk", which is the email discussion list for
this set of workshops. [KMG]

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Yearbook of the United Nations [pdf]
http://unyearbook.un.org/

Since 1946, the United Nations (UN) has produced an annual work known as the
Yearbook. This volume serves as the principal reference work on the United
Nations and their various activities. Recently, the UN digitized the
Yearbooks from 1946 to 2005 and placed them on this very handy website.
Visitors to the homepage can use the drop down menu offered here to look
through any of the volumes that interest them. Within each volume, visitors
can read through chapters, which usually include sections on political and
security matters, economic and social questions, and a host of legal
questions. For those persons looking for specific topics, each volume can
be searched individually, or users may also wish to use the "Power Search"
feature to refine their search even further. Finally, a "Share" feature
allows users to share their findings via Google, Digg, Facebook, and other
popular social networking sites. [KMG]

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>From The Scout Report, Copyright Internet Scout 1994-2008.
http://scout.wisc.edu/