netTrekker Blog

PBS Teachers: Reading and Language Arts

Becca Gilman — Wed, 16 May 2012 08:00:37 +0000

This compilation of resources across PBS programs is a treasure trove for teachers looking for lesson plans, audio, video, projects and interactive sites for reading and language arts, as well as for geography, journalism, media studies, and cultural studies. Sources include Between the Lions, Super Why, Masterpiece Theater, NOW, Oregon Public Broadcasting, and PBS NewsHour, along with many other PBS programs. The site offers a way to filter the resources offered by topic, media type, and PBS programs. The content is separated by grade level and subject matter.http://www.pbs.org/teachers/readlanguage/

Math Court: The Proof Game

Becca Gilman — Tue, 15 May 2012 08:00:21 +0000

Here’s a foolproof way to help your students become veritable masters at writing proofs. Math Court provides everything you need to play this game either on line or on the game board you can print out. Also included are the proof cards, hint cards, and a legal reason sheet for each level of play. The levels become increasingly difficult moving from lines, segments, and rays on Level 1, up to Level 7, which reviews triangle congruence theorems and the properties of parallelograms. There is plenty of review information and instruction on how to write a clear and valid proof. It’s a great game to play cooperatively. After the game is over, read the 36 Methods Humorous Methods of Mathematical Proof. http://www.themathlab.com/geometry/mathcourt/howtoplay.htm

Quarked: Shape Sleuth

Becca Gilman — Mon, 14 May 2012 08:00:52 +0000

What a great way to illustrate how shape affects the movement of objects in the real world. Play this game which asks you to kick a soccer ball at a hidden shape and determine what kind of shape it is by observing how the ball bounces off it. There is immediate feedback as you try to score the most points you can. The help section explains how to analyze the way the ball bounces off the invisible shape. There are four levels and each becomes more difficult with an increasing number of shapes rom which to choose. Will you be able to tell from a kick or two of the soccer ball whether the shape is a trapezoid? Good luck.http://www.quarked.org/gamezone/shapesleuth.html

Arts ConnectEd: The Artist’s Toolkit

Becca Gilman — Fri, 11 May 2012 08:00:48 +0000

This toolkit is filled with so many ways to access the artist in you. With each of the six fundamentals of art, line, color, space, shape, balance, and rhythm, you can watch an animated explanation of the fundamental, find examples of that fundamental in works of art, and create your own work. Each of the fundamental concepts is broken down into smaller, related concepts, so, just by examining the demonstrations, you’ll get a comprehensive understanding of the fundamentals of art. You can then put that knowledge to work by recognizing the concepts in works of art that are in museums, and finally, apply those concepts to your own creation. Clicking on the Encyclopedia gives you even more examples. This is a great site to use for all levels of students.http://artsconnected.org/toolkit/index.html

EDSITEment: Following the Great Wall of China

Becca Gilman — Thu, 10 May 2012 08:00:35 +0000

Learn some history of the great Chinese imperial dynasties, particularly the Ming, and help build the Great Wall of China with the interactive map that is part of this lesson. By examining the Great Wall you can learn something about the foreign policy of China and the intentions of its neighbors in the 14th through 16th centuries. Information is provided about the resources needed to build the wall and an essay about the geography of China describes the terrain covered by this huge civil engineering undertaking. Teachers will find guiding questions, learning objectives, and lesson activities that will support student knowledge as the students work on the Great Wall. In addition are photographs of the wall today.
http://edsitement.neh.gov/lesson-plan/following-great-wall-china

Math Science Nucleus: The Bear and the Baby

Becca Gilman — Wed, 09 May 2012 08:00:10 +0000

Astronomy for the elementary school set! The more kids know about their natural environment, the greater involvement they will feel with it. This is a great little story, set in a village in Eritrea, where the village storyteller shows the children the night sky, picks out Polaris, and tells them the Roman myth about Callisto and Arcas, who became Ursa Major and Ursa Minor. Many of the illustrations are animated, and at the end of the story is a star chart showing many constellations that surround “The Bear and the Baby.” This is a a simple, but instructive, introduction to constellations that will interest your students.http://www.msnucleus.org/membership/storybooks/BearAndBaby.html

Artopia: Dance

Becca Gilman — Tue, 08 May 2012 08:00:23 +0000

Grab your dancing shoes and get moving through this great site from Artopia. There are so many things to watch and do. Start out by watching the “One Minute Movie” that offers a short explanation about what dance is and the many kinds of dance there are. In the Studio you can watch the floor paths that dancers make and, after watching a dancer, you can choose which path you think she made. The Language of Dance explains dance notation. Be a dance critic by watching dance videos of dancers. Don’t miss the video of the young Georgian boys doing their incredibly physical dance, and the video of Peg Leg Bates tap dancing is beyond belief.http://www.knowitall.org/artopia/dance/index.html

Children’s Book Council: Children’s Book Week

Becca Gilman — Mon, 07 May 2012 08:00:48 +0000

National Children’s Book Week is observed this year from May 7-May 13. You will find everything you need to celebrate books and reading on this site sponsored by the Children’s Book Council. Print out the official bookmark, designed by author and illustrator, Lane Smith. See the poster designed by David Wiesner, and perhaps, most important of all, encourage your students to vote for their favorite book. Activities include story starters by many children’s authors, and word-search and crossword puzzles. There is a digital toolbox for teachers and librarians, and suggestions on how to make this week a community affair. Celebrate books and the transformative power of reading.http://www.bookweekonline.com/

Tune in to Learning: Vocabulary

Becca Gilman — Fri, 04 May 2012 08:00:53 +0000

Join the Dictionary Wizards and Question Man in these fifteen short videos running 2 to 4 minutes as they explore the world of vocabulary. The videos address topics about the dictionary and thesaurus as well as understanding how words work. Find out how to look up words in a dictionary that you know how to spell and watch another video showing how to look up words that you don’t know how to spell. Expand your vocabulary and learn how to pick the right definition with words that have multiple meanings. This aim of this site is to help adults gain basic reading skills, but the videos are fun for any age to use.http://www.tv411.org/vocabulary

BMW: Safe on the Streets

Becca Gilman — Thu, 03 May 2012 08:00:43 +0000

Here is a site filled with road safety information for children 7-11 years old. The section for pupils has tips on being seen outside, how to ride bicycles safely, how to stay safe in the car, and what to do when walking along the road. In addition to the tips are several interactive activities for each theme. A few are matching games, some are memory games, and many involve moving pictures around a map. Half the fun of this site is listening to Ollie the Owl lecturing in his British accent. Besides the extensive section for children, there are sections for teachers with a teacher’s guide and for parents. Although the site is constructed for school curriculum in Great Britain, the information in universal. http://www.bmweducation.co.uk/sots06/