netTrekker Blog

What’s on Your Bookshelf?

What’s on Your Bookshelf?

As Danielle announced yesterday, The National Book Foundation (NBF) officially designated January as National Book Month.  In celebration of this event enjoy our blog series each day this week as we celebrate literacy!  Get some great ideas for pairing netTrekker’s resources with some of our staff’s favorite books to create amazing learning adventures.

If yesterday was your first day back at school and you missed the series debut with Harry Potter, please revisit Danielle’s article to find some amazing facts and learn how to host an annual Literature Bowl.

As a former elementary science teacher, I made sure that Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs by Judith Barrett lived in my classroom book baskets in multiple copies.  This beautifully crafted tall tale is not only a magnificent story, but also the perfect book to use to highlight vividly descriptive writing and illustrations to introduce a cross-curricular unit on weather.

No matter where you live, January is a great month for investigating weather.  As we look back on the year in review and start fresh with new statistics, keeping a weather log allows students to predict, collect, and analyze data in a fun and meaningful way.

Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs leads students to investigate how weather can affect people, plants, and animals.  The story is filled with weather vocabulary and even helps readers to consider safety tips for severe storms.

Since the book is geared toward the elementary reading levels, I recommend doing a keyword search under the elementary tab and then refining for readability levels 1(grades 1-3) and 2(grades 4-6).

Highlighted below are a few of the many, many netTrekker resources you may use to create a My Portfolio weather unit.

BrainPOP: Weather
Is it raining, is it snowing…is a hurricane a-blowing? Whatever the weather’s doing, you can find out why it’s doing it in this BrainPOP movie! In it, Tim and Moby explain what weather is and how different types of weather form. You’ll find out what the engine for all weather is (it has something to do with water). And if you’ve ever wondered why weathermen are always talking about cold fronts and warm fronts, wonder no longer! Grab your coat, we’re going out into the elements!

Scholastic: Weather Watch
Scholastic presents Weather Watch, where you can learn to predict the weather. Learn how to observe clouds, collect data with weather tools, investigate climate conditions, and analyze the weather. The site includes a comprehensive teacher’s guide with lesson plans, worksheets, and assessment options.

FOSSWeb: Air and Weather
This interactive activity from the University of California gets students to look at a thermometer and determine the temperature to dress the bear correctly! There are photos of things use air and ideas for other activities for teaching about air and weather.

Enjoy this great book and many marvelous weather investigations!

Tags: Integration Ideas, literacy, science, staff development, weather

A Christmas Carol : A sneak peek into the Victorian Era

What a perfect project for Christmas time – and spectacular way to introduce the Victorian Era, while learning a wonderful lesson about the true spirit of the holidays.

The newest version is a 3D Animation by Disney Studios.  Students will love the rich characters and mystical nature of this classic holiday story, A Christmas Carol. The main character, Ebeneezer Scrooge, is a miserly old man who hates Christmas and whose heart has turned cold since the death of his business partner and the break-up of his engagement many years ago. As Scrooge meets up with the Ghosts of Christmas Past, Present and Future, they help him to understand his misgivings and start celebrating the holidays in the true spirit of giving and compassion.

The tale has been viewed as a reflection of nineteenth century industrial capitalism and provides a “sneak peak” into the Victorian Era.  The novella captures life in London between 1830 and 1840 – the midst of the Victorian Era.

The Victorian Era is defined by the reign of Queen Victoria from 1837 – 1901.  netTrekker provides many resources to compare and contrast what life was like at the start and end of the Victorian Era.  This time of tremendous change is most evident by where people lived and worked in London, England.

1837		1901
People lived in villages and worked on the land.		People lived in towns and worked in shops, offices and factories.

Check out some netTrekker resources that will bring the Victorian Era alive in your classroom.  These and other similar sites can be found by refining your search on Victorian Era with Interactive Media.

Travel back in time to the Victorian era in this interactive journey to help Ruby & Michael search for Sam, their missing dog. While you are searching, you can learn about Victorian life by examining the objects in the house, listening to the characters, and answering the questions.

Be a Victorian Millionaire Now! Benjamin Gott was a model of entrepreneurial skill. By taking risks and experimenting with new ways of doing things, he managed to hit the cash jackpot and become a powerful businessman.  Can you solve business problems and make money by taking risks?

Virtual Victorians. Interactive examination of life during the Victorian era. Home, work, leisure, education, and technology are just a few facets of life addressed through photos, brief summaries, interactive games, newspapers, and documents.   Questions about daily life can also be submitted on-line to a role playing persona.

To learn more about integration ideas other resources to support your learning objectives, contact your Account Manager. We’d love to provide the perfect Professional Development solution for you.

Tags: Integration Ideas, professional development, refinement menu, Training, Victorian

Promethe-WHAT?

Pro-ME-thee-in, that’s what!

Some of you are quick to brush this wonderful resource aside because your school or district doesn’t own Interactive Whiteboards, but WAIT!    

You can still view & use Promethean Flipcharts even if you don’t have Interactive Whiteboards!

Simply click on   to download software which will allow you to view these teacher created resources.

Then click on and either open the flipchart immediately or save it to your desktop.

“I don’t have time to find the Promethean Resources.” 

 

By utilizing netTrekker’s COLLECTIONS refinement menu, you’re able to quickly and easily browse through thousands of Promethean resources. 

 

“What kind of resources does this Promethean offer?”

These educator created flipcharts allow teachers to browse lesson plans, in multiple subjects, and incorporate into their curriculum.  Whether it’s to be used in the planning of a concept or for the students to master a concept, Promethean flipcharts will enhance any lesson.

In fact, here’s how you find one!

Under the Middle School Tab, I entered the keyword, government. 

I narrowed my results by selecting Promethean located in the Collections refinement menu. 

Scrolling down, I found the flipchart Promethean: A New Government. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

                                                          

 

 

Tags: Integration Ideas, The Collections, Training