Phyllis' Favorites

American West
http://www.americanwest.com/
A Presentation of the History and Development of the American West!

From the site:
“From the Frontier and Pioneer days of the Wild West, to today's Modern West.”

[NOTE: Previously posted. Site updated.- Phyllis ]

Annenberg Classroom: Resource for America’s Teachers
http://www.annenbergclassroom.org/

From the site:
“Annenberg Classroom offers a wide array of educational resources under a single umbrella. Educators can find curricula, lesson plans, multimedia programs, and other teaching materials all indexed and in conformance with the educational standards of their state.”

Topics include: Constitution, Elections, Government, History, Citizenship, and Current Topics

Podcast from the Gilder Lehrman Institute

David Hackett Fischer
“Washington’s Crossing”
http://www.gilderlehrman.org/wp/?p=56
The New-York Historical Society
January 10, 2005
Running Time: 1:02:01

From the site:
“Most Americans know George Washington’s December 1776 crossing of the Delaware from the famous painting by Emmanuel Gottlieb Leutze, which depicts Washington standing bravely in a rowboat on stormy waters. David Hackett Fischer, author of Washington’s Crossing, looks beyond the famous painting to the events of that tumultuous month. One of Washington's great strengths was his ability to lead men from different regions and walks of life. He was also known for his humane treatment of British prisoners -- treatment that the British did not reciprocate with American prisoners.”

Sites found in:
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PBS Teachers Newsletter: July 19-25, 2009
Current PBS Teacher Previews Newsletter
http://www.pbs.org/teachers/newsletter/
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FRONTLINE 'Digital Nation' Provides Resources for Education in the Digital Age

FRONTLINE Digital Nation ( http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/digitalnation/ ) is a multiplatform initiative that explores how the Web and digital media are impacting the way we think, learn and interact. FRONTLINE's year-long project will unfold through a series of online video reports and user-submitted stories that will springboard to a nationally televised documentary scheduled to air in winter 2010.

As a part of the chapter on educational technology, Education in the Digital Age (http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/digitalnation/view/ ) explores how technology is -- and isn't -- changing our schools and provides related information for teachers, principals, districts and states. Central to Digital Nation is a mosaic of user-generated videos, audio, photos, comments, and posts that contribute to the project's reports. FRONTLINE and the Digital Nation team are asking educators to collaborate on this unfolding chapter on education by submitting stories and comments on how technology impacts their classroom, their work, and their lives.

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NOVA scienceNOW
On-Air & Online
Gr. 6-8 / 9-12
Tuesday, July 21, 2009
9 - 10:00 pm
A team of NASA scientists who will smash two SUV-sized rockets
onto the lunar surface and unleash a debris cloud to study data
that could provide the key to understanding how to build a
permanent base on the moon; microbiologist Jack Griffith, who
made a phenomenal discovery -- the oldest known organic
molecules on earth; research on an Australian songbird called
the zebra finch, shedding light on the neuronal processes that
lead from understanding sounds to producing them; and a profile
of climate scientist Lonnie Thompson, aka Tropical Ice Core
Man. Neil deGrasse Tyson hosts. (CC, Stereo, HD, 1 year)
http://www.pbs.org/nova/sciencenow/
[NOTE: See details below. – Phyllis]

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Time Team America
Topper, South Carolina
On-Air & Online
Gr. 6-8 / 9-12
Wednesday, July 22, 2009
8 - 9:00 pm
"Time Team America" digs for the remains of the first American
town founded by freed slaves. In 1836, "Free Frank" McWorter
purchased his freedom from a Kentucky plantation owner and
headed north. When he reached Illinois, he planted roots,
started a town and sold enough property to buy the rest of his
family out of slavery. Join in the search for the remains of
the schoolhouse where New Philadelphia's black children learned
to read and write in freedom. (CC, Stereo, HD)
http://www.pbs.org/timeteam/

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History Detectives
On-Air & Online
Gr.6-8 / 9-12
Monday, July 20, 2009
9 - 10:00 pm
Investigations include a a recording that may have played a
part in the World War II treason trial of Tokyo Rose; a photo
ostensibly of Crazy Horse; the poignant diary of a World War II
pilot. (CC, Stereo, HD, 1 year)
http://www.pbs.org/historydetectives/
http://www.pbs.org/opb/historydetectives/investigations/index.html

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P.O.V.
The Betrayal (Nerakhoon)
On-Air & Online
Gr. 6-8 / 9-12
Filmed over 23 years, "The Betrayal" is the directorial debut
of cinematographer Ellen Kuras in a unique collaboration with
the film's subject and co-director, Thavisouk Phrasavath. After
the U.S. government waged a secret war in Laos during the
Vietnam War, Thavi's father and thousands of Laotians who
fought alongside American forces were abandoned and left to
face imprisonment or execution. Hoping to find safety, Thavi's
family made a harrowing escape to America, where they
discovered a different kind of war. "The Betrayal" is a story
of survival and the resilient bonds of family. (CC, Stereo, HD,
1 year)
http://www.pbs.org/pov/
http://www.pbs.org/pov/betrayal/

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Copyright 2008 PBS Online

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--------Forwarded Message--------
NOVA Presents "NOVA scienceNOW"
Broadcast: Tuesday, July 21, 2009
http://www.pbs.org/nova/sciencenow
(Check your local listings as broadcast dates and times may vary.
This program has one-year off-air taping rights.)

The Science of Picky Eaters
http://www.pbs.org/nova/sciencenow/0404/01.html

Watch Online
Watch this video segment online after the broadcast date.
(QuickTime or Windows Media plug-in required.) (Grades 6-8,
9-12)

A Tour of the Tongue
In this audio feature, learn how our sense of taste works, and
why it's important for us to sense each of the five tastes.
(QuickTime or Windows Media plug-in required.) (Flash plug-in
required.) (Grades 6-8, 9-12)

Blocking Bitter Taste
In this web-exclusive video, Neil deGrasse Tyson explores how
our genes play a part in what we like to eat and whether science
can help temporarily block bitter tastes. (Flash plug-in
required; running time: 2m 52s.) (Grades 6-8, 9-12)

Ask the Expert
Send in your questions about taste and its genetic roots to
geneticist Danielle Reed. (Questions due by Wednesday, July 22;
selected responses will be posted on Monday, July 27.) (Grades
6-8, 9-12)

Teacher's Guide
Find a classroom activity to accompany this video segment.
(Grades 9-12)

Capturing Carbon
http://www.pbs.org/nova/sciencenow/0302/03.html
[NOTE: Previously posted. - Phyllis ]

Watch Online
Watch this video segment online. (QuickTime or Windows Media
plug-in required; downloadable version available.) (Grades 6-8,
9-12)

Ask the Expert
Geophysicist Klaus Lackner from Columbia University answers
viewer questions on carbon capture and storage. (Grades 6-8,
9-12)

Video Extra
Learn in this video extra how many pounds of CO2 a person
breathes out every year, and how many pounds a tree takes up.
Running time: 33s. (Grades 6-8, 9-12)

Smart Sea Lions and Talking Walruses
http://www.pbs.org/nova/sciencenow/0404/03.html

Watch Online
Watch this video segment online after the broadcast date.
(QuickTime or Windows Media plug-in required.) (Grades 6-8,
9-12)

How to Speak Walrus
See and hear two experts (and two walruses) demonstrate how to
speak walrus in this audio feature. (Flash plug-in required;
running time: 6m 58s.) (Grades K-5, 6-8, 9-12)

Ask the Expert
Send in your questions about brainy pinnipeds to marine
biologists Colleen Reichmuth and Kristy Lindemann-Biolsi.
(Questions due by Wednesday, July 22; selected responses will be
posted on Monday, July 27.) (Grades 6-8, 9-12)

Profile: Sangeeta Bhatia
http://www.pbs.org/nova/sciencenow/0404/04.html

Watch Online
Watch this video segment online after the broadcast date.
(QuickTime or Windows Media plug-in required.) (Grades 6-8,
9-12)

The Many Sides of Sangeetia Bhatia
Read a full interview or hear audio highlights as Sangeetia
Bhatia explains how she creates "micro-livers" in the lab and
the obstacles she has overcome to become a woman engineer.
(Grades 6-8, 9-12)

Ask the Expert
Send in questions for Sangeetia Bhatia about her life and work.
(Questions due by Wednesday, July 22; selected responses will be
posted on Monday, July 27.) (Grades 6-8, 9-12)


Teacher's Guides
http://www.pbs.org/nova/sciencenow/educators/subject-anth.html
Find teachers support materials for past NOVA scienceNOW episodes.
(Grades 6-8, 9-12)

Physics Games
http://www.physicsgames.net/
Online physics-based games

How To Do Research - Kentucky Virtual Library - Grades 3 to 8
http://www.kyvl.org/kids/homebase.html

Site found on TeachersFirst.com

From the site:
“"How To Do Research" is a great starting point for teaching even the youngest researchers how to begin. Follow Research Rocket for an educational ride through all of the steps of conducting research. Students will be guided through all phases of research starting with Planning the Project and moving their way through Search for Information, Search the Internet, Take Notes, Use the Information and finally, Share What You Know. The information is provided in a colorful and interactive manner with plenty of examples, tools and helpful hints. What a great way to walk students through a research project without leaving any questions unanswered or stones unturned.”

Entire review and suggestions for using this site “In the Classroom”:
http://www.teachersfirst.com/single.cfm?id=10116

Universcale - Nikon - Grades 2 to 12
http://www.nikon.com/about/feelnikon/universcale/index.htm

Site found on TeachersFirst.com

From the site:
“Want to make more connections between the smallest things in the world and the largest? Universcale has an opportunity to view vast differences in size using a slider and images from the largest of things (planets, etc.) to the smallest (portions of atoms). Additional information is provided with the images. Choose "Full Screen Mode" or "Normal Screen Mode." Grasp the physical differences and presence of various objects in the living world around us.”

Entire review and suggestions for using this site “In the Classroom”:
http://www.teachersfirst.com/single.cfm?id=10112

Geography
http://www.surfnetkids.com/geography.htm

From the site:
“Geography, the study of the Earth's land and inhabitants, is divided into two main branches. Physical geography includes landforms, natural resources, weather and the environment. Human geography covers populations, political systems and religion. When choosing today's sites, I tried to cover both areas, although most sites focus on either one or the other.”

Page includes links to 9 sites (5 Annotated, 4 Honorable Mentions)

--------Forwarded Message--------
Hi! It's Tuesday, November 11, 2008 and time for Science at ClickSchooling!

Recommended Website:
National Museum of Education: Inventucation Central
http://www.nmoe.org/students/index.htm

Age Range: 8-18 (approximately)

The National Museum of Education has a winner with this addition to their
website that encourages young inventors by providing all kinds of
information on inventors, inventions, and how to invent. It encourages
students to invent with interactive games to challenge thinking and improve
science skills, a database of online science experiments, and terrific
invention contests and competitions. They also maintain a "Hall of Fame"
featuring student inventors!

When you get to the site you'll see an introduction. Scroll down to the main
menu featuring five items:

1) Student Inventors - Read comics featuring the biographies of student
inventors, explore the student inventors and their inventions in the
"Gallery for America's Young Inventors" and find out how you can submit an
invention and be inducted to the hall of fame.

2) Invention Competitions - Students can participate in competitions,
awards, scholarships and more. Check out the BubbleWrap competition, the
Rubber Band Contest, Student Ideas for a Better America and more!

3) Science Activities - Check out this fantastic database of online
activities that help kids learn how to design and build inventions,
problem-solve, think scientifically, and use physics to develop their
inventions. All of these lessons and experiments link to websites with
terrific content for students of all ages and abilities. Who needs
textbooks? This is a science curriculum all by itself.

4) Inventors and Inventions - Explore this archive of famous and
not-so-famous inventors from around the world (including African-American
and Women inventors). Check out the U.S. Patent Office for kids. Get a
short list of museums featuring weird and wonderful inventions.

5) Resources for Teachers - Get FREE invention curriculum, lesson plans,
printables for your students, invention graphic organizers, recommended
books, and more!

This site gets a ClickSchooling Award for Excellence! Bookmark it - your
young inventor will want to return often!

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 to See: Native Americans
http://www.educationworld.com/a_tech/sites/sites010.shtml

From the site:
“Web sites created by and about Native Americans offer resources that help students of all ages learn about the varied histories and cultures of hundreds of American Indian groups, and better understand how those histories and cultures affect their lives today. Included: Twenty online resources on Native American history and culture.”

[NOTE: Previously posted. Links last updated 10/30/2008 - Phyllis ]

---------Forwarded Message--------
Site of the Day for Tuesday, November 11, 2008

Special greetings to those in Canada observing Remembrance Day and
those in the U.S. commemorating Veterans' Day

"At the eleventh hour, of the eleventh day, of the eleventh month, we remember."

Frontline: A Company of Soldiers
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/shows/company/

Today's site, from the PBS documentary series Frontline, details the lives of one
small group of soldiers seeing active service on the streets of Baghdad as the
military situation deteriorated after the initial capture of the city. Gentle
Subscribers may find this examination, focused on a single cavalry company of fewer
than a dozen men, offers a moving and intensely personal view of some of their
experiences.

"In November 2004, a Frontline production team embedded with the soldiers of the
1-8 Cavalry's Dog Company in south Baghdad to document the day-to-day realities of
a life-and-death military mission that also includes rebuilding Iraq's
infrastructure, promoting its economic development, and building positive relations
with its people." - from the website

This companion website to the documentary provides the production notebook of
co-producer Edward Jarvis, along with a number of print interviews with members of
Dog Company. A Frequently Asked Questions section and a brief glossary which
explains a number of specific military terms and acronyms are also available, while
another section covers the innovations in urban warfare being developed and shared
on the ground through technical improvisation. The entire film, divided into six
segments and totaling ninety minutes, can be streamed from the site in either
Windows Media or RealPlayer format. Although the conditions of war resulted in the
use of strong language, an edited version can be chosen with the offensive language
removed.

March to the site to review this stirring documentary on the war in Iraq at:

http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/shows/company/

A.M. Holm
view the List archives on the web at:
http://www.freelists.org/archives/sotd

--------Forwarded Message--------

Hi! It's Monday, November 10, 2008 and time for Math at
ClickSchooling!

Recommended Website:
MathEBook.net
http://www.mathebook.net

Age Range: 5-18 (Grades K-12)

What a find! This website offers FREE math "Downloadable
Tutorials." The tutorials come in the form of both online math
videos (via YouTube, with some that are similar to webinars) and
interactive eWorkSheets and eWorkBooks that allow students in grades
K-12 to learn and practice math with ease.

The downloadable eWorkSheets and eWorkBooks in pdf format can be used
at the website or offline. They are editable - in other words you can
type in answers using your computer keyboard so you don't have to
print them out to use them. The site emphasizes the fact that "by
using Downloadable Tutorials one can save the waste of paper and SAVE
TREES, so we encourage you to be GREEN, and help mother nature to
survive." While you can print the colorful and engaging worksheets
and workbooks out, they would prefer you didn't in the interest of
being green. :)

When you get to the site, you'll see a welcome message and a picture
of a ladder with varying grade levels including Kindergarten,
Elementary, Middle, and High School. Click on any one and a new page
opens.

*ON THE LEFT SIDE OF THE SCREEN...you'll see titles of various math
strands and concepts. Place your cursor over them and you'll see the
words "Virtual" and "eWorkBook." Click on "Virtual" and a new page
opens to a series of individual worksheets on that math topic. Click
on "eWorkBooks" to download a pdf file containing an editable
workbook on that topic. All of the worksheets and workbooks contain
colorful illustrations that are sure to engage students. It's obvious
that real care was taken to make this graphically appealing.

*ON THE RIGHT SIDE OF THE SCREEN...you'll see the words, "Click Here
for Video Tutorials." Click on it and a menu opens with all the video
titles for every grade. Click on any one and enjoy the lesson
presentation delivered through YouTube videos that are on MathEBook
website.

Back on the home page, you'll see a menu bar at the top of the
screen. Use it to access the free "Math Dictionary" that defines
various math terminology. You can also click on "Download" to see
and access the eWorkSheets contained on the site.

Bookmark this website as it promises to "continuously develop and
further enhance the syllabus and will keep adding new features." They
also want your feedback to improve the user experience for all
visitors to the site.

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:

ConnectEng
The newsletter of Web English Teacher
November 9, 2008

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Bram Stoker
http://www.webenglishteacher.com/stoker.html
Dracula, anyone?

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The Horror! The Horror! Exploring the Conventions of the Horror Genre in
Film and Literature
http://www.nytimes.com/learning/teachers/lessons/20081023thursday.html

Students identify the conventions of the horror genre and analyze films
and texts to uncover these conventions in action. Their work will
culminate in a "Festival of Fear," a class celebration of the genre.

[NOTE: Site includes many links to suggested resources. – Phyllis ]

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Teacher's Guide for the Professional Cartoonists' Index
http://www.cagle.com/teacher/
Looking for a way to teach analysis? Looking for a topic introduction to
your lesson? Visit this site, which always has 5 lessons for teachers.
Visit often, as lessons are updated frequently. The site explicitly gives
teachers permission to recopy these cartoons and materials for educational
purposes. [NOTE: Previously posted. - Phyllis ]

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Carla Beard
Web English Teacher
http://www.webenglishteacher.com
This newsletter is copyright 2008, Web English Teacher.

Milestones in Lit
http://www.phschool.com/atschool/literature/Milestones/LIT_ML.html

Each month, Milestones in Lit lists significant literary events that have occurred in the past during that month.

From the site:
“Check out some important literary events that have anniversaries this month. Milestones will be taking a summer hiatus, but check back in September for a brand-new listing of events!”

The Volcanoes of Lewis and Clark: October 1805 to June 1806
http://vulcan.wr.usgs.gov/LivingWith/Historical/LewisClark/

From the site:
“Two Hundred years ago on October 16, 1805, Lewis and Clark and the men of the "Corps of Discovery" reached the Columbia River. On October 18, 1805, the men began their journey down the Columbia River where they reached the Pacific Ocean on November 15, 1805. On the journey the men saw five different Cascade Range volcanoes. They even named Mount Jefferson after their benefactor, Thomas Jefferson. The Cascades Volcano Observatory's "The Volcanoes of Lewis and Clark" begins on the Clearwater River in early October, and uses the 1814 Biddle publication of the journey to follow Lewis and Clark down the Clearwater, Snake, and Columbia Rivers. This web presentation includes old illustrations, maps, and information about the landscape and the volcanoes which Lewis and Clark saw.”

Sites found in:
November 8, 2008 "Earth Science Sites of the Week”

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Geologic Time Period Project
POWERPOINT (Charlie Lindgren) I've created a lesson where teams of students must make a PowerPoint for one of the time periods. Everything you need is there.
http://www.gatesscience.info/teamescience/geotimes.htm
[NOTE: Time periods (at the top of the page) are hyperlinked. Question numbers are linked to resouces.

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AGE OF THE EARTH, USGS, (Virginia Malone), This one page is a relatively simple explanation of the rock evidence we have for the age of the Earth.
http://pubs.usgs.gov/gip/geotime/age.html
[NOTE: Previously posted. - Phyllis ]

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A GLOBAL MAP OF HUMAN IMPACTS TO MARINE ECOSYSTEMS, National Center for Ecological Analysis and Synthesis (Scout Report) Many people may wonder what happens in the vast stretches of the world's oceans. For some, it is simply a matter of "out of sight, out of mind". Fortunately that is not the attitude at the National Center for Ecological Analysis and Synthesis at the University of California, Santa Barbara. For one of their latest projects, they decided to estimate and visualize the global impact humans are having on the ocean's ecosystems. Visitors to the site can view the map, learn about the methodology used to create the map, and also read about their datasets. Their findings were also recently reported in Science magazine, and users can view supplementary findings which appeared in that piece. As it stands, this map provides "critical information for evaluating where certain activities can continue with little effect on the oceans, where other activities might need to be stopped or moved to less sensitive areas, and where to focus efforts on protecting the last pristine areas." [KMG]
http://www.nceas.ucsb.edu/GlobalMarine

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NOAA Is Encouraging Everyone To Prepare For Hurricane Season
NOAA SUMMARY, NOAA (Zach Miller) Here is a good NOAA summary from their online magazine for "Hurricane Myths and Misconceptions" Scroll down.
http://www.magazine.noaa.gov/stories/mag205.htm

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EARTH OBSERVATION FROM SPACE, (Nicole LaDue) The National Research Council has just published "Earth Observations from Space" about the satellites have revolutionized Earth studies. You can request a free copy and CD with pictures and animations by going to this website: http://dels.nas.edu/basc/earthobservations/index.cgi

[NOTE: See Also: Resources for Teachers http://dels.nas.edu/teachers/ - Phyllis ]

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OIL AND GAS EXPLORATION AND PRODUCTION THROUGH TIME, (suggested by Cher Cunningham, Science Information and Education Office, USGS), As our Nation wrestles with questions of energy use and climate change, the USGS has completed a map compilation showing historical oil and gas exploration and production in the United States. The map is available both as a static Portable Document Format (PDF) file and as an interactive, layered map using Geographic Information System (GIS) tools. The site includes links to important related data by using the USGS Internet Map Service or by importing the data into GIS software such as ArcGIS. An interesting video history over the last century is also available. http://pubs.usgs.gov/dds/dds-069/dds-069-q/text/cover.htm

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