Phyllis' Favorites

Best Educational Sites
http://www.bestedsites.com/

From the site:
"The best educational links on the web!”

Last Updated July 9, 2009

Some categories: Astronomy and Space, Math, Language Arts, Science, Social Studies, Reference, …more.

Site found in:

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PBS Teachers Newsletter: September 20-26, 2009
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Nature
Violent Hawaii
On-Air & Online
Gr. 6-8 / 9-12
Sunday, September 20, 2009
8 - 9:00 pm
This spectacular film features volcanic eruptions, rivers of
molten lava, monster waves, humpback whales and perhaps most
surprising of all, snow. (CC, Stereo, HD, 1 year)
http://www.pbs.org/wnet/nature/episodes/violent-hawaii/introduction/1861/

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Copyright 2008 PBS Online

Sites found in:

Librarians' Internet Index
Websites you can trust!
NEW THIS WEEK, November 27, 2008
Read This Online : http://liiwww.ischool.drexel.edu/cs/lii/print/news/173

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Piracy at Sea
Collection of news and analysis about piracy at sea, such as material about 2008 activities by pirates from Somalia. Includes an interview with a spokesman for the Somali pirates, slideshow on Somali piracy, and other material back to the mid-1980s. Also include links to related sites. From The New York Times. (May require free registration)
URL:
http://topics.nytimes.com/top/reference/timestopics/subjects/p/piracy_at_sea/index.html
Shortened URL: http://tinyurl.com/5d9dmh
LII Item: http://lii.org/cs/lii/view/item/27264

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The Law of Piracy in Popular Culture
This 2000 article discusses "how the legal regime that has governed piracy is reflected in current works of popular culture. After briefly reviewing the background of pirate literature from the 17th to the 20th centuries" the article pays special attention to the depiction of pirates and piracy in films and television. Topics discussed include egalitarianism, pirate punishments, and jurisdiction over pirates. Reprinted from the Journal of Maritime Law & Commerce.
URL: http://tarlton.law.utexas.edu/lpop/etext/jmlc/gutoff31.htm
LII Item: http://lii.org/cs/lii/view/item/27269

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Digital Youth Research
Website for a project that "explores how kids use digital media in their everyday lives" outside of school. In addition to a report and the book "Hanging Out, Messing Around, Geeking Out: Living and Learning with New Media," the site features project background, field stories, and a bibliography covering digital media and education, gaming, mobile phone culture, and related topics. Administered by the Institute for the Study of Social Change, University of California, Berkeley.
URL: http://digitalyouth.ischool.berkeley.edu/
LII Item: http://lii.org/cs/lii/view/item/27247

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Center for Ethics in Government
Compilation of resources from this center that addresses "this most critical, fundamental and far-reaching problem facing government in America: the loss of public trust and confidence in representative democracy." Features an overview of ethics policy issues, an ethics and lobbying legislation database, publications, links to news stories on ethics, and more. From the National Conference of State Legislatures (NCSL).
URL: http://www.ncsl.org/programs/ethics/
LII Item: http://lii.org/cs/lii/view/item/27176

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Librarians' Internet Index
Websites You Can Trust!
http://lii.org/

Copyright 2008 by Librarians' Internet Index.

Talk Like a Pirate Day, Saturday September 19th, 2009


But piracy is a serious matter:

PBS: The Live Piracy Map: A Treasure Trove for Student Discussion
by Andy Carvin
http://www.pbs.org/teachers/learning.now/2008/11/the_live_piracy_map_a_treasure.html
Shortened URL: http://tinyurl.com/nlsnuz
From the site:
“It seems you can barely turn on the TV without hearing stories about the rash of piracy incidents that’s been taking place off the coast of Somalia. While it’s tempting to crack wise with references to parrots and peg legs, modern-day piracy is no laughing matter. And now there’s a Google Map mashup you can use in the classroom to help your students understand how serious this is.”<<>>

Piracy 2009
http://www.britannica.com/blogs/2009/04/live-pirate-maps/
From the site:
“Live piracy maps (see samples below) and live piracy reports are available from the ICC International Maritime Bureau, a specialised division of the International Chamber Of Commerce (ICC).” <<>>

IMB Piracy Reporting Centre
http://icc-ccs.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=30&Itemid=12
Shortened URL: http://tinyurl.com/lmq5fm

Piracy doubles in first six months of 2009
http://icc-ccs.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=362:piracy-doubles-in-first-six-months-of-2009&catid=60:news&Itemid=51
Shortened URL: http://tinyurl.com/luxkx8
Wednesday, 15 July 2009
“Piracy attacks around the world more than doubled to 240 from 114 during the first six months of the year compared with the same period in 2008, the ICC International Maritime Bureau’s Piracy Reporting Centre (IMB) said today.”

Live Piracy Reports
http://www.icc-ccs.org/index.php?option=com_fabrik&view=table&tableid=70&calculations=0&Itemid=82
Shortened URL: http://tinyurl.com/na6r9q

IMB Live Piracy Map 2009
http://icc-ccs.org/index.php?option=com_fabrik&view=visualization&controller=visualization.googlemap&Itemid=219
Shortened URL: http://tinyurl.com/nm6rl6
From the site:
“This map shows all the piracy and armed robbery incidents reported to the IMB Piracy Reporting Centre during 2009.,, Zoom-in and click on the pointers to view more information of an individual attack.”

IMB Piracy Map 2008
http://www.icc-ccs.org/index.php?option=com_fabrik&view=visualization&controller=visualization.googlemap&Itemid=89
Shortened URL: http://tinyurl.com/5jfncp
Page includes links to maps from 2005-2008

Solar Symphony Game: Sounds of the Solar System - Discovery Channel - Grades 3 to 12
http://science.discovery.com/tv/space-week/solar-symphony/solar-symphony.html
Shortened URL: http://tinyurl.com/c4notm

Site found on TeachersFirst.com:

“This visually exciting site offers both background information on the planets and a unique way for students to remember the order of the planets. To play the game, students hit the letter key that corresponds to the beginning letter of the planet name whenever the planet, rotating around the sun, hits the "hot zone." The music, flashing lights, planetary movement, and other effects make this activity extremely engaging. Students will love the excitement of this game so much they will not even know they are learning something! This site is up to date (Pluto is not included). Gustav Holst’s famous composition, The Planets serves as the musical accompaniment! The site has some minor advertisements.”

Entire review and suggestions for using this site “In the Classroom”:
http://www.teachersfirst.com/single.cfm?id=10144

[NOTE: See Also: Other Space Games
http://science.discovery.com/games/space-games.html - Phyllis ]

The Animal Web Guide
http://www.animalwebguide.com/
Facts and Pictures
See Also: List of More Animal Websites
http://www.animalwebguide.com/animal-websites.html

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

Hi! It's Tuesday, November 18, 2008 and time for Science at ClickSchooling!

Antarctica was "discovered" by Nathaniel Palmer on November 17, 1820. Here
are some websites about Antarctica (geared for different age ranges) that
you are sure to enjoy...


Recommended Website:
Museum of Science: Secrets of the Ice: Antarctic Expedition
http://www.mos.org/soti/

Age Range: 10-17+ (approximately)

You can "discover" Antarctica and learn all about the continent and the
scientific discoveries it provides by visiting this website sponsored by the
Museum of Science.

When you get to the site you'll see a menu that includes:

*Explore Antarctica - Discover the history of Antarctica, marvel at the
untamed wilderness, and find out about the changing climate there.

*Ice Core Research - Find out how ice sheet formation and flow give
scientists clues to earth's climatic changes over the centuries.

*Scientific Expedition - Learn about some scientific projects and research
conducted in Antarctica from 1999-2002. Then, at the "Expedition
Headquarters" read the daily logbooks of explorers who were part of the
expedition teams.

Younger students may enjoy...

Wild Kids: Antarctica
http://www.amonline.net.au/wild_kids/antarctica.cfm
[NOTE: Previously posted. - Phyllis ]
Age Range: 6-10 (approximately)


This website offers a brief overview of Antarctica's landscape and focuses
on the penguins that inhabit the pack ice, mountains, and the surrounding
seas.

If you are interested in learning more about Captain Nathaniel Brown Palmer
who is credited with the discovery of Antarctica, you can read his biography
and take a virtual tour of his home here:

Captain Nathaniel B. Palmer House
http://www.stoningtonhistory.org/palmer1.htm

Enjoy!

Diane Flynn Keith
or 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.

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

Site of the Day for Friday, November 21, 2008

The Good Earth
http://www.frontiermultimedia.com/the-good-earth.htm

Today's site, from the commercial enterprise Frontier Multimedia, offers a
presentation of stunning NASA images of earth mounted as a video with words and
music. Gentle Subscribers may find this stirring exhibit speaks to mankind in a
particularly poignant manner.

"Our planet is wondrously strange and beautiful. This show, "The Good Earth" is our
most popular, and is now in its third version. There are images from a range of
satellites, the space shuttle, and the International Space Station." - from the
website

The video is just under four minutes in length, although additional time may be
required for buffering issues, and is accompanied by a blend of choral, strings and
electronica in the music "Worlds Beyond Number". The photographs range from the
Bering Glacier in Alaska to the Ganges River delta in India. Among the particularly
striking images are those of a sandstorm sweeping across Qatar in the Persian Gulf,
a cloud pattern over South Georgia Island in the Atlantic and the Nile river and
its delta.

Journey to the site for an uplifting view of earth at:
http://www.frontiermultimedia.com/the-good-earth.htm

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

Teacher Tip Newsletter #436
To view this newsletter online, visit the following web address:
http://www.teachnology.com/newsletters/436.html

Teaching Parts of Speech - Teacher Tips #436
http://www.teachnology.com/themes/lang_arts/partsofspeech/

Site contains links to Work Sheets, Lesson Plans, Web Quests, Background Information Sites, Interactive Sites and more.

NOTE: Many are free; access to some requires paid membership.

Word Ahead Vocabulary Videos - Lafazi, Inc - Grades 9 to 12
http://wordahead.com/

Vocabulary Videos and Flash Cards for SAT, ACT and GRE

Site found on TeachersFirst.com:

“This great site offers more difficult vocabulary words with a short video so that students can more easily remember their definitions and usages. The focus for this site is students preparing to take the ACT and SAT tests, students who want to improve their verbal scores. It would also be useful for students preparing to take the TOEFL test. Students can view the featured words and their accompanying videos, check the Study Room for more word videos, and even submit their own ideas for vocabulary videos. Another option is to sign up for a word video of the day in one's email box. This obviously requires registration and an email address. If you choose to allow your students to register, you may want to create your own Gmail account with up to 20 subaccounts for each group of students (by code name or number) within your classes. Here is a blog post that tells how.
http://mscofino.edublogs.org/2007/10/18/sign-me-up-the-elementary-email-solution-linked-gmail-accounts/
Shortened URL: http://tinyurl.com/2dl238

You can also prepare a list of flash cards for repeated practice. A complete word lists is available for students to scroll through. Students can share videos, make comments on those already present, and flag inappropriate ones.”

Entire review and suggestions for using this site “In the Classroom”:
http://www.teachersfirst.com/single.cfm?id=10207

Eye on Idioms - Read Write Think - Grades 4 to 9
http://www.readwritethink.org/materials/idioms/

Site found on TeachersFirst.com

“For idiom review, try this site. ESL/ELL and some speech/language students will find it especially useful, as they often find idiomatic language confusing. The site has multiple approaches to idiom retention, including picking a definition, using it in a sentence, and writing a version of the "metaphorical" meaning. A disadvantage to this site is that it does not keep the student answers online. Instead, interested students must print out the page with their work on it.”

Entire review and suggestions for using this site “In the Classroom”:
http://www.teachersfirst.com/single.cfm?id=10213

Celebrate National Punctuation Day

September 24, 2009
http://www.nationalpunctuationday.com/

From the site:
“A celebration of the lowly comma, correctly used quotes, and other proper uses of periods, semicolons, and the every-mysterious ellipsis.”

The National Punctuation Day Baking Contest
All entries must be received by September 30, 2009

[NOTE: Other years previously posted. - Phyllis ]

The Baldwin Online Children's Literature Project
Home Page: http://www.mainlesson.com/

[NOTE: Previously posted. - Phyllis ]

The Best Online Classic Children's Books By Title - 539 Books in All Genres
Online Classic Children's Books - Baldwin Online Children's Project - Grades 2 to 12
http://www.teachersfirst.com/getsource.cfm?id=10141

Site found on TeachersFirst.com:

“This digital collection of over 500 classic children's books (and other literature) offers search by titles in alphabetical order and also by author. The list includes poetry, nature stories, historical fiction, legends, fables, individual biographies, ethical faith stories, and more! Much of the collection offers full text. Click on the name of the author to learn more about him or her. Click on the name of the piece of literature to see a summary or read the full text!”

Entire review and suggestions for using this site “In the Classroom”:
http://www.teachersfirst.com/single.cfm?id=10141

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Best Online Classic Children's Stories - By Story Title - 10397 Stories in All Genres
Stories by Title - Baldwin Online Children's Project - Grades 2 to 12
http://www.mainlesson.com/displaybooksbytitle.php

Site found on TeachersFirst.com:

“This site has an amazing collection of digitized stories (over 10,000 stories) arranged by title and author. Not only are the texts of the stories found here; other relevant parts of the work including maps and graphics appear as well. The stories are arranged in alphabetical order and all on one page, but it is easy to them quickly.”

Entire review and suggestions for using this site “In the Classroom”:
http://www.teachersfirst.com/single.cfm?id=10140

Banned Books Week: Celebrating the Freedom to Read
http://www.ala.org/ala/issuesadvocacy/banned/bannedbooksweek/index.cfm

“Banned Books Week (BBW): Celebrating the Freedom to Read is observed during the last week of September each year. Observed since 1982, this annual ALA event reminds Americans not to take this precious democratic freedom for granted. BBW celebrates the freedom to choose or the freedom to express one’s opinion even if that opinion might be considered unorthodox or unpopular and stresses the importance of ensuring the availability of those unorthodox or unpopular viewpoints to all who wish to read them. After all, intellectual freedom can exist only where the freedom to express oneself and the freedom to choose what opinions and viewpoints to consume are both met.” <<>>

From the American Library Association (ALA).
[NOTE: Previously posted. - Phyllis ]

Traits of Nonfiction

Free Printable this month (Sept. 2009) from Scholastic
http://printables.scholastic.com/printables/f.jsp?id=35600

The Freedom to Read!

Banned Books Week is September 26 - October 3, 2009.
http://www2.scholastic.com/browse/article.jsp?id=3747835&eml=TNL/20090901/TNL
Shortened URL: http://tinyurl.com/mlvdu6

Get kids thinking about censorship. Find eight ideas to celebrate the freedom to read.

From the site:

“Each year during Banned Books Week, librarians are called upon to confront the practice of censoring children’s literature. The annual event, started in 1982, offers the perfect opportunity to teach kids and their families about intellectual freedom and individual American's right to freely access information.”

Phyllis's Favorites from the CJRLC Blog – Aug.-Sept. 2009

http://www.cjrlc.org/blog/

Albert Einstein Archives
http://www.albert-einstein.org/
Einstein for Kids
http://www.albert-einstein.org/.index6.html
Einstein: Image and Impact
http://www.aip.org/history/einstein/

Digital Resources for Physics and Astronomy Education
http://www.compadre.org/portal/index.cfm

EMuseum at Minnesota State University
Anthropology, Archaeology, Biology, Cultures, History, Information, Prehistory
http://www.mnsu.edu/emuseum/index.shtml

Fashion Plate Collection
http://content.lib.washington.edu/costumehistweb/

The Field Museum On-line Exhibits
http://www.fieldmuseum.org/exhibits/online_exhib.htm

Footnote: The Place for Original Historical Documents Online
http://www.footnote.com/

Honky Tonks, Hymns & the Blues: American Music From Back Roads to Big City
http://www.honkytonks.org/
W.C. Handy’s Blues
http://www.honkytonks.org/wchandysblues/

It’s Elemental! Periodic Table of the Elements
http://education.jlab.org/itselemental/index.html
Jefferson Lab: Science Education
http://education.jlab.org/index.html
Links to Science Sites
http://education.jlab.org/otherresources/index.html

Mymoney.gov
http://www.mymoney.gov/
My Money for Kids
http://www.mymoney.gov/kids.shtml

National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences:
Environmental Health Science Education
http://www.niehs.nih.gov/health/scied/index.cfm
NIEHS Kids' Pages
http://kids.niehs.nih.gov/home.htm

SmART Kids
http://smartmuseum.uchicago.edu/smartkids/index.html

Sports Illustrated Vault
http://vault.sportsillustrated.cnn.com/

UCMP Online Exhibits K-12 education resources
http://www.ucmp.berkeley.edu/education/students.php
UCMP Online Exhibit
http://www.ucmp.berkeley.edu/exhibits/index.php


NOTE: To receive these posts via email, send your request to: anker @ hslc.org

When Weather Changed History - The Weather Channel - Grades 4 to 12
http://www.weather.com/history/


Watch full episodes
http://www.weather.com/multimedia/videoplayer.html?collection=257

Site found on TeachersFirst.com

“Weather's impact on the course of history sometimes goes unnoticed. A heat wave brings about public policy change; a hurricane alerts the public to the need for better planning and an improved safety net; a father of our country dies due to extreme weather. This collection of full episodes and shorter (2 minute) clips from the Weather Channel's regular series is ideal for use in the classroom to help students make connections between climate, geography, and history. The collection includes more obvious events such as Hurricane Katrina as well as numerous others: heat waves, George Washington, the Hindenburg, American colonial times, Nagasaki, D-Day, the Dust Bowl, smog, the Titanic, the Nome Serum Run and the green movement in the wake of tornado devastation. The video makes the events more real while the narration places then in context.”

Entire review and suggestions for using this site “In the Classroom”:
http://www.teachersfirst.com/single.cfm?id=10236

History Animated - History Animated - Grades 6 to 12
http://www.historyanimated.com/newhistoryanimated

Site found on TeachersFirst.com:

“You know how TV documentaries highlight their explanations of war with cool battlefield animation? This site enables teachers to project animations on an interactive whiteboard or projector as a supplement to class presentations. The site has its limitations: at the time of this review, only animations of the Pacific theatre of WWII, the Civil War, and the American Revolution are available. More battles are promised for the future. The animation is rudimentary; moving dotted lines, the usual color-coded boxes to represent troops, and fairly primitive sounds. Students who are used to high graphic video games might even find the animation amusing, and middle school boys are sure to laugh at the "explosions" that represent conflicts. Sadly, there are typos in the text that accompanies the animations. Nearly all links worked at the time of this review. On the other hand, the site will provide visual learners with maps, the details of troop movement, and a good overview of the wars' major battles.”

Entire review and suggestions for using this site “In the Classroom”:
http://www.teachersfirst.com/single.cfm?id=10174

Honored Places: The National Park Service Teacher’s Guide to the American Revolution
http://www.nps.gov/revwar/educational_resources/teachers.html

From the site:
“The National Park System has been called “America’s greatest university without walls.” It contains magnificent landscapes, the finest examples of American culture, and historic objects and places that reflect the most important events in American history… Please use the following links to download (PDF) sections of the Teacher's Guide.”
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The home page and other pages from this site previously posted:
The American Revolution: Lighting Freedom’s Flame
http://www.nps.gov/revwar/


Topics include:
Explanation of Primary and Secondary Sources
http://www.nps.gov/revwar/educational_resources/01_primary_and_secondary_sources.html
Shortened URL: http://tinyurl.com/f8qxg

Timeline of Events
http://www.nps.gov/revwar/about_the_revolution/timeline_of_events.html

Links to History
http://www.nps.gov/revwar/about_the_revolution/revolutionary_links.html
From the site:
"Hundreds of Web sites deal with the American Revolution. Here are some of the

most useful."

…and more pages

TeachersFirst's National History Day Resources - TeachersFirst - Grades 6 to 12

http://www.teachersfirst.com/getsource.cfm?id=10272

Site found on TeachersFirst.com
From the site:

“Whether your students actually compete in National History Day or not, the annual themes and the challenge of hands-on, primary research wrapped into the History Day project format is an engaging way for students to participate in their own learning and produce rigorous, meaningful projects they will never forget. This collection of TeachersFirst resources pulls from our offerings on primary sources as well as resources related to the 2010 National History Day theme of "Innovation in History." Explore and share these offerings as you plan a "history day" type event for your school or to assist students participating in National History Day.”

Entire review and suggestions for using this site “In the Classroom”:
http://www.teachersfirst.com/single.cfm?id=10272

FT Exploring - Science and Technology Education
http://www.ftexploring.com/index.html
http://www.ftexploring.com/sitemap.html

From the site:
“Follow the Energy Flows to discover how the same basic principles work in nature, living organisms, and human technology.”

“We are eager and willing for teachers and educators to use our pages for education purposes. We just ask that proper credit be given.”

K-5 GeoSource
http://www.k5geosource.org/

From the site:

“Welcome to K-5 GeoSource, the one-stop professional development web site for Earth science! If you are involved in elementary science education in any way, this Web site is for you. The site has a rich store of content, activities, services and links for you to explore, but this is only the beginning. Over the coming months the site will grow as more items and activities are developed, tested and added. We encourage you to come back often and tell us what you think.”

EPA Offers Climate Change
Toolkit for Middle School

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency recently released a new free collection of resources to enhance middle school students’ understanding of climate change impacts on the United States’ wildlife and ecosystems.

For more information, see http://www.epa.gov/climatechange/wycd/CCWKit.html

“Climate Change, Wildlife, and Wildlands Toolkit for Formal and Informal Educators” contains case studies and activities based on climate science, environmental education, and stewardship information. The toolkit is available online at http://www.globalchange.gov/resources/educators/toolkit .

Source: http://www.globalchange.gov/resources/educators

Sites found in:

November 22, 2008 "Earth Science Sites of the Week"
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EVOLUTION: THEORY OR FACT, National Academy of Sciences (Charles Burrows) Differentiating the two terms is succinctly explained. The source and printable version of the document is available at bottom of page.

http://www.eram.k12.ny.us/education/components/docmgr/default.php?sectiondetailid=43544
Shortened URL: http://tinyurl.com/on5ccb

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COREFACTS, (suggested by Cher Cunningham, Science Information and Education Office, USGS), Visit CoreFacts, a new USGS weekly offering that asks and answers a natural science question. You can search for episodes relating to a specific topic or subscribe to CoreFacts so that episodes will be automatically downloaded to your computer as soon as they're available.

http://www.usgs.gov/podcasts/corefacts/

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OCEAN LESSON RESOURCES, COSEE (Joan Macomber) “The primary role of the COSEE network is a catalytic, multi-faceted collaboration to integrate ongoing research in the ocean sciences with K-12 education and outreach.” Just check out COSEE at:

http://www.usc.edu/org/cosee-west/

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