Thursday, February 25, 2010
Thurs., Feb. 25, 2010 - CampusCompare
CampusCompare
From the site:
“Welcome to CampusCompare, the starting point for your college search. Discover 4000 community colleges, state colleges, traditional colleges, universities, and more. Dive into the College Current to see college videos, student reviews, and college information on Twitter.”
Thurs., Feb. 25, 2010 - PBS: AMEX: Fly Girls
AMEX: Fly Girls
Amelia Earhart may have been the US
Site includes Special Features, Timeline, Maps, People & Events, and Teachers Guide.
Thurs., Feb. 25, 2010 - Brain Boosters
Brain Boosters
From the site:
“Browse through our categorized archive of challenging Brain Boosters.”
Categorization
Lateral Thinking
Logic
Number and Math Play
Reasoning
Spatial Awareness
Word and Letter Play
Thurs., Feb. 25, 2010 - PBS: NOVA: The Pluto Files / Secret Life of Scientists: Adrienne Block
---------Forwarded Message--------
Subject: [NOVA Teachers] The Pluto Files airs March 2
Hello Educators,
When the American Museum
stopped calling Pluto a planet, director Neil deGrasse Tyson found
himself at the center of a firestorm led by angry, Pluto-loving
elementary school students. But what is it about this cold, distant,
icy rock that captures so many hearts? Is it a planet? Is it just an
ice ball? The debate continues, as NOVA travels cross-country with
Tyson to find out.
Here is what you'll find online:
Watch a Preview
View the entire program online beginning March 3. (Grades 6-8, 9-12)
What's Your Favorite Planet?
Listen in as 11 planetary scientists make pitches for the "best"
planet, then vote yourself. (Grades 6-8, 9-12)
Notes from the Pluto Files
Hear Neil describe what it was like to meet Pluto discoverer Clyde
Tombaugh's family and other people passionate about Pluto. (Grades
6-8, 9-12)
Hate Mail from Third Graders
See what some outraged, but loving, kids had to say to Neil about
"demoting" Pluto. (Grades 6-8, 9-12)
Can You Remember the Planets?
Share your ideas for new ways to remember planet names. (Grades 6-8,
9-12)
My Dad Discovered Pluto
How did Clyde Tombaugh go from baling hay to finding Pluto? In this
slide show, his son Alden reflects. (Grades 6-8, 9-12)
NEW!
Media-Rich Lesson Ideas from NOVA
NOVA is delighted to bring an exciting new way to engage your
students in the wonders of science. These media-rich lesson ideas
help you navigate the myriad resources on the NOVA website and
integrate NOVA video, interactive features, lessons, and much more
into your science or social studies classroom. Check out the lesson
ideas for "The Pluto Files."
Program Transcript
The transcript is usually available one to three weeks after the
original broadcast date.
* * * * * * * *
Other NOVA Resources
Secret Life of Scientists: Adrienne Block
Shortened URL: http://tinyurl.com/y9e7oac
Adrienne Block is an Earth scientist who ventures to the coldest
realms of the Arctic and plays the bassoon to boot. Have your
students send in questions for Adrienne to answer.
Wednesday, February 24, 2010
Wed., Feb. 24, 2010 - Climate and Energy
Climate and energy: More than meets the eye!
POSTED 11 FEBRUARY 2010
From the site:
“Should we worry about carbon dioxide or glaciers? Haze or deforestation? Feedbacks or complexity? Dive behind the headlines for a look at what keeps the experts up at night.
Climate scientists worry about feedbacks, glacial melting, sea level rise, using tax policy to slow warming, and the complexity of climate science.”
Wed., Feb. 24, 2010 - Clue Into Climate Change
Sila: Clue in to Climate Change
Adventure
From the site:
“Here you can clearly see the four basic elements that support all life - earth, air, fire, and water. Climate controls how these elements are glued together to create polar bears, icebergs, forest fires and all else that makes the Arctic a very special place. As climate changes, some of this glue is becoming unstuck in ways that local people and scientists are just beginning to understand.”
For Educators – Gr. 7-12
From the site:
“The Canadian Museum
Quiz
WEd., Feb. 24, 2010 - NOVA: The Elegant Universe
NOVA: The Elegant Universe
[NOTE: Previously posted. - Phyllis ]
Watch The Elegant Universe (3 hours)
A Theory of Everything?
Learn the basics of string theory and why it might hold the key to
unifying the four forces of nature in this excerpt from The Elegant
Universe by Brian Greene. (Grades 9-12)
A Conversation with Brian Greene
Read about what it's like to be a string theorist, ways string
theory might be experimentally supported, and advice for aspiring
theorists in this interview. (Grades 9-12)
Viewpoints on String Theory
Compare what seven leading physicists have to say about the nature
and meaning of string theory. (Grades 9-12)
Imaging Other Dimensions
Consider why it is so difficult to visualize a world with more than
three spatial dimensions. (Grades 9-12)
The Making Of "The Elegant Universe"
Travel from London to New Mexico
behind-the-scenes photographs taken during the production of NOVA's
"The Elegant Universe." (Flash plug-in required.) (Grades 6-8, 9-12)
A Sense of Scale
Start at the scale of an apple and travel by powers of 100 down into
the infinitesimally small world of strings. (Flash plug-in required.)
(Grades 6-8, 9-12)
Resonance in Strings
See how resonance affects both an everyday string and the tiny
strings of superstring theory. (Flash plug-in required; non-Flash
version available.) (Grades 6-8, 9-12)
Multidimensional Math
Begin with a point and end with a hypercube in this interactive
that takes you from one to four spatial dimensions. (Flash plug-in
required; non-Flash version available.) (Grades 9-12)
Elementary Particles
Find out about matter and force particles, including their properties
and when many of them were discovered or confirmed. (Flash plug-in
required; non-Flash version available.) (Grades 9-12)
Smashing Pictures
See images and computer reconstructions of particle accelerator
discoveries of such fundamental particles as the strange, charm, top,
and bottom quarks. (Flash plug-in required; non-Flash version
available.) (Grades 9-12)
NOVA News Minute: Einstein's Dream
Use this news clip to introduce students to a science topic related
to this week's program. Available when the program airs. Transcript
included. (QuickTime or RealVideo plug-in required.)
Teacher's Guide
A 32-page companion Teacher's Guide for this series explores current
theories, nature's four fundamental forces, the essence of strings,
extra dimensions, and more. (Grades 9-12)
Program Transcript
The site includes a complete narration for this program.
Plus Resources.
Wed., Feb. 24, 2010 - 30 Dumb Inventions / National Criminal Justice Reference Service / Park Histories
Sites found in:
NEAT NEW STUFF, October 9, 2009
-----
30 Dumb Inventions - Photo Gallery - Life Magazine
An entertaining look at dumb (and even horrifying) ideas, including the curved barrel shotgun, baby cage, motorized surfboard, yodel meter, birdman flying suit, etc.
-----
National Criminal Justice Reference Service
A guide to official government statistics and information on a wide variety of crime and criminal justice policy topics (and not just the big ones - topics include bullying, date rape, DUI, missing children, hate crimes, etc.).
[NOTE: Other pages from http://www.ncjrs.gov/ previously posted. - Phyllis ]
-----
Park Histories - National Park Service
If the Ken Burns PBS series on the national parks whetted your curiosity, here's where you can find out lots more about when and how each park came to exist.
[NOTE: Previously posted. - Phyllis ]
-----
Neat New Stuff I Found This Week
by Marylaine Block
Copyright 1999.
Tuesday, February 23, 2010
Tues., Feb. 23, 2010 - WordDuck Word Games
--------Forwarded Message--------
Hi! It's Wednesday, January 14, 2009 and time for Language
Arts at ClickSchooling!
CLICKSCHOOLING REVIEW:
Recommended Website:
WordDuck.com
I love word games - especially "Hangman" and Word Search."
They boost vocabulary and spelling skills in a fun way. When
I stumbled across this site, I knew I had to share it with
you. WordDuck.com provides all kinds of free, interactive
"Hangman" and "Word Search" games themed around an array of
educational topics including:
*Anatomy - bones
*Animals - cats, dogs, dinosaurs, fish and more
*Art - colors and famous artists
*Astronomy - constellations
*Chemistry - elements
*Geography - U.S.
*Geometry
*History - U.S.
*Literature - the classics
*Music - classical composers, common terms, instruments,
singers and groups
*Mythology - Greek
*Poetry - famous poets
*Words - homonyms, onomatopoeia, oxymorons
You'll also find a variety of just-for-fun topics such as
cars, cartoons, comic book heroes, events, food, games,
holidays, movies, sports, and television shows.
When you get to the site you'll see a brief introduction. Use
the menu bar at the top of the page to navigate the site. Or
simply click on the "Dunk-A-Duck Hangman" or "Word Search"
icons on the right side of the screen. A new page opens
displaying the game screen. Use the menu on the left to
select the subject or topic that will determine the vocabulary
words used in the game. Then, set the difficulty level for
easy, normal, or hard. Read the instructions and play the
game.
As explained at the website, "What makes WordDuck.com truly
unique is that we let our members create their very own word
lists. This can be a valuable tool for educators, especially
those teaching vocabulary or foreign languages." To create
your own word list you must register for membership - it's
FREE!
You do not need to register to play the games.
This is a fun way to improve vocabulary. For those who love
word games - I'll warn you in advance, this is a time-stealer.
I could spend hours here - and have. :)
for ClickSchooling
Copyright 2009, All Rights Reserved
DID YOU MISPLACE A ClickSchooling Review? Do you need to find an educational website - fast! Visit the ClickSchooling archives at:
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.
Tues., Feb. 23, 2010 - All About Homonyms
All About Homonyms
From the site:
“[Words] that are pronounced the same, but are spelled differently, and that have different meanings.”
Tues., Feb. 23, 2010 - Literature Project
Literature Project - Literature Project - Grades 5 to 12
Site found on TeachersFirst:
Literature Project is a compilation of books, speeches, plays, poems and more, including links to chapter by chapter text. The site also provides research links and information as well as links to eBooks to purchase. There are many classic books available to read as well as information and links, called “topic sites,” with more coming soon. One example of a useful topic site on Literature Project is African American Authors in History. Note that though study guides are listed, they are not accessible and the reader may be taken to a link where she can make a purchase! The site lacks images and animation, but it is useful for access to electronic texts of many classic works frequently studied in schools.
The project states that they are currently working on literature forums, which may be useful for students in discussing literature once it becomes available.
Entire review and suggestions for using this site “In the Classroom”:
Tues., Feb. 23, 2010 - Study Habits and Test Anxiety
Study Habits & Test Anxiety
From the site:
“The following information provides tips for better study habits and decreased test anxiety”
Although created for college students, all students can benefit from these tips.
Monday, February 22, 2010
Mon., Feb. 22, 2010 - Artful Animals (Africa)
Artful Animals: Introduction
“Artful Animals explores how African artists create striking works of art using images based on an array of domestic and untamed animals. From rock art to contemporary media, animals are used as symbols of leadership, in masquerades and to tell the history and moral values of their makers. Many of the design elements are derived through direct observation of the animals in their natural habitat. Animals may be picked because they are beautiful, strong, fierce, well armored or have special skills. Sometimes the sound the animal makes or the way it moves is important. The animal's distinctive behaviors lend themselves to carrying messages in the visual arts as well as in performances, stories and proverbs.” <<>>
The Animals
Mon., Feb. 22, 2010 - eNature: America's Wildlife Resource / Switcheroo Zoo
Sites found in:
NEAT NEW STUFF, September 18, 2009
eNature - America
There's a lot here to love, particularly the field guides to wildlife, the park guides, and the Ask an Expert feature, with its archived 5,000+ answers.
[NOTE: Previously posted. - Phyllis ]
------
Switcheroo Zoo
A great place to learn by playing around. That's how this site got started: "We were playing around with the idea of making new animals by switching their parts... Today, there are 142 species in Switch Zoo, and the site features animal games, music performed using animal voices, a reference section about all of the animals in Switch Zoo, lesson plans, and poetry, stories and artwork created by students and visitors." Visitors can make their own new animals, build an online habitat, learn to make balloon animals, and more.
[NOTE: Previously posted. - Phyllis ]
------
Neat New Stuff I Found This Week
by Marylaine Block
Copyright 1999.
Mon., Feb. 22, 2010 - The Imagination Factory
The Imagination Factory
[NOTE: Previously posted. - Phyllis ]
From the site:
“There's no machinery at The Imagination Factory, and smokestacks don't pollute the air. Instead, we teach children and their caregivers creative ways to recycle by making art. The lessons and activities include drawing, painting, sculpture, collage, papier-mache, marbling, and crafts.”
Mon., Feb. 22, 2010 - Curious Corner: The Art Institute of Chicago
Curious Corner - The Art Institute of Chicago
Site found on TeachersFirst:
What student could resist matching sounds to characters in a painting, searching for hidden animals in illustrations, matching shapes to a drawing or creating their own curious collections? Students will make personal connections to art as they work through unique interactive art activities: story time, match up, and play with art. The parent and educator resources include tips for looking at art together, engaging follow up activities, podcasts, video clips, and lesson plans. Don’t miss this site!
Entire review and suggestions for using this site “In the Classroom”:
Sunday, February 21, 2010
Sun., Feb. 21, 2010 - Women's History Resources
Women's History Resources - TeachersFirst - Grades 0 to 12
Site found on TeachersFirst:
This collection of reviewed resources from TeachersFirst is selected to help teachers and students learn about Women's History and to plan related projects and classroom activities. Whether you spend one class or an entire unit on Women's History, the ideas included within the "In the Classroom" portion of reviews will launch discussions and meaningful projects for student-centered learning.
Site contains annotated links to 61 resources
Entire review and suggestions for using this site “In the Classroom”:
Sun., Feb. 21, 2010 - 4000 Years of Women in Science
4000 Years of Women in Science
[NOTE: Previously posted. The latest update is 5/16/2009.- Phyllis ]
This website includes an introduction to the last 4,000 years of women's contributions to science, 125 biographies, accompanying photographs with enlargeable images, and references from books, articles, and catalogues.
Complete review:
Shortened URL: http://tinyurl.com/cjklex
Sun., Feb. 21, 2010 - Unemployment Rates by County - Map (From Jan. 2007 - present)
The Decline: The Geography of a Recession
Unemployment Rates by County
Watch the deteriorating transformation of the U.S.
Sun., Feb. 21, 2010 - Free Speakers on 9/11 and the War on Terrorism
I don’t know how many of you are in the “Greater Philadelphia Area”,
and I don’t know how far they would travel, but these speakers are FREE. - Phyllis
From: Alan Luxenberg
Date: Sun, Feb 21, 2010 at 5:36 PM
Subject: FPRI Speakers Available to High Schools in Greater Phila.
Educators in Greater Philadelphia
FPRI's Wachman Center
can now make available speakers on 9/11 and the War
on Terrorism, examining 9/11 in historical perspective
and offering up-to-date accounts of terrorism and
counterterrorism. This service is for high schools
in the Greater Philadelphia area.
As a result of a grant from Boeing Company, there is
no charge for this service.
Speakers include:
Stephen Gale, Chairman of FPRI's Center on Terrorism
and Counterterrorism and a professor at the
Terrorism and Counterterrorism, specializing in
the role of techology in terrorism and counterterrorism.
Edward Turzanski, Senior Fellow of FPRI's Center on
Terrrorism and Counterterrorism, with extensive
experience in the field of intelligence and national
security. He is a regular commentator in the local
and national media.
Alan Luxenberg, Director of FPRI's Wachman Center
and author of "Radical Islam" (Mason Crest, 2009),
a book designed for middle and high school students.
For resources on FPRI's website, visit:
To arrange a program at your school, contact:
Alan Luxenberg
Director, Wachman Center
Foreign Policy Research Institute
Tel. 215 732 3774, ext 105
Email: lux@fpri.org
