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American Presidents: Life Portraits - C-Span
Grades
6 to 12
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American Presidents: Life Portraits is a site created to accompany C-Span's series of the same name. Search for any president or choose from the drop-down box to begin. View and ...more
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American Presidents: Life Portraits is a site created to accompany C-Span's series of the same name. Search for any president or choose from the drop-down box to begin. View and print teachers guides and lesson plans for all 41 programs, explore facts related to specific presidencies, view C-Span programming, and much more. This site does require a bit of exploration to find exactly what you are looking for. However, it is worth the time!
In the Classroom
Use American Presidents: Life Portraits as a great starting point for lessons relating to any presidency or period in American History. Share with students to use when researching presidents for any type of report or presentation. Have students extend their learning using Fakebook, reviewed here, to create a "fake" page similar in style to Facebook about any of the presidents. You could also extend student learning by having them create a newspaper detailing events from any period of American History or any president's tenure using a site such as Printing Press, reviewed here.You must be registered and logged in to add items to your favorites.
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Intel Education Units - Intel
Grades
K to 12
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Find engaging, challenging units to begin your Common Core journey. Intel Education Units are complete and include assessment tools. Search by grade level or subject. Find the basics...more
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Find engaging, challenging units to begin your Common Core journey. Intel Education Units are complete and include assessment tools. Search by grade level or subject. Find the basics for planning units. Also find sequencing maps, sequencing activities, classification charts, and prioritizing listings. Instructional Strategies include activating prior knowledge, graphic organizers, cooperative learning, and questioning strategies.
In the Classroom
Begin your curriculum planning here. After reviewing exemplary units, use as they are, or modify to fit the needs of your students, content, or even resources adding your own personal touch. They will inspire you to dig deeper and go further with Common Core! Be sure to bookmark this site (or save in your favorites) as your go to resource for Common Core.
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Who Was Lee Harvey Oswald? - PBS - Frontline
Grades
7 to 12
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This site accompanies an episode of the PBS series Frontline which examines the life of Lee Harvey Oswald, the presumed killer of John F. Kennedy. Because Oswald himself was assassinated...more
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This site accompanies an episode of the PBS series Frontline which examines the life of Lee Harvey Oswald, the presumed killer of John F. Kennedy. Because Oswald himself was assassinated before a full examination of the crime could be completed, mystery surrounds the man and his possible motivations for killing the President. Did he act alone? Here you will find a summary of the major conspiracy theories, a timeline of Oswald's life (including a psychiatric report from his teenage years), and an overview of the events surrounding the assassination. You can search YouTube and find Frontlines' video for free, if your district doesn't block YouTube.
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In the Classroom
Students are often fascinated by conspiracy theories, and the mystery of whether Lee Harvey Oswald acted alone or was part of a larger plot to kill the President represents one of US history's most enduring. Certainly the site will be useful in a discussion of the event itself. However, it can be used more generally as a springboard for discussion of conspiracy theories themselves. See the lesson ideas in the Teachers Guide section. What evidence do we require to decide if something is true or not? Who can be trusted to tell the story of an emotional event? Is "seeing" always "believing"? How can resolve the fact that eyewitnesses do not all have the same recollection of the event? Have your gifted and highly able students do a special project investigating conspiracy theories in history and sharing them as a role play or video for the rest of the class.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Engaging Students With Primary Sources - Smithsonian National Museum of American History
Grades
6 to 12
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The Smithsonian Institution offers a printable guide to using primary sources in any classroom. View examples of how to do it and suggestion! Explore each of the main sections including...more
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The Smithsonian Institution offers a printable guide to using primary sources in any classroom. View examples of how to do it and suggestion! Explore each of the main sections including documents, photographs, oral histories, and objects for ideas and tips. Each activity is aligned to National Center for History in the Schools standards. The guide is in PDF format for easy printing and use.
In the Classroom
Bookmark and save this site for use throughout the year as a guide for using primary sources. Use some of the lesson strategies with other primary source collections
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Beyond The Bubble - Stanford History Education Group
Grades
6 to 12
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Beyond the Bubble offers a new generation of history assessments that work hand in hand with Common Core Standards to provide a window into student thinking and promote academic literacy....more
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Beyond the Bubble offers a new generation of history assessments that work hand in hand with Common Core Standards to provide a window into student thinking and promote academic literacy. Refered to as "HATS" (History Assessment of Thinking), assessments go beyond recall to applying facts in context. Choose the assessment link to explore topics such as "Civil Rights Movement in Context" or "Edison and a Kansas Housewife." Lessons also include an interactive rubric and sample student responses. Don't miss the going deeper activities, such as videos. Click links to download materials available in PDF format.
In the Classroom
Bookmark and save this excellent site as a resource for Common Core social studies literacy assessments. Many of these activities (and videos) are ideal for your interactive whiteboard or projector. Share the interactive rubric BEFORE the lesson, so students are aware of exactly what is expected. Use activities and materials provided on the site to teach lessons in character education, bias, and racism. Create your own similiar activities. Explore this site during professional development sessions for ideas for rubrics and lesson planning. Click on tags for "same assessment type" to find additional assessments not in the main list.
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Artifacts & Analysis - Smithsonian Center for Education and Museum Studies
Grades
9 to 12
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Smithsonian's Artifacts & Analysis offers strategies and resources for incorporating historical documents and resources into the teaching of U.S. history, particularly the decades of...more
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Smithsonian's Artifacts & Analysis offers strategies and resources for incorporating historical documents and resources into the teaching of U.S. history, particularly the decades of the 20th century. Use the details of everyday life to help focus understanding of a time period. Choose from the four main sections: Artifacts & Documents, Teaching Guide, Writing Assignments, or Essay. The sample artifacts offered include a Furnace Salesman's Kit (1920s), Fiestaware (1930s-40s), Pennants (1950s-60s), Barbie Doll (1958), Jeans (1970s), and Lunchboxes (1950s-80s).
In the Classroom
Start off with a visit to the Teaching Guide to find some great ideas to incorporate in your class. Use materials from this site to enhance and bring historical teaching to life. Print the student guide for writing effective essays for students to include with history notebooks. Use questions from the teaching materials here to add to your current teaching plans or as discussion topics. Create a link on your class website for students to view this site at home. Have students research and find documents and artifacts in your own community or online to share in the classroom. Have them create curated collections in digital form with accompanying writings to explain them. Students could create annotated images including text boxes and related links using a tool such as Thinglink, reviewed here.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Pulitzer Center Lesson Plans - Pulitzer Center
Grades
3 to 12
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Find lesson plans at the Pulitzer Center for grades 3-12 that identify global issues and ways to address them. Topics include subjects such as International Adoptions: Ethics and Effects...more
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Find lesson plans at the Pulitzer Center for grades 3-12 that identify global issues and ways to address them. Topics include subjects such as International Adoptions: Ethics and Effects and America's Responsibility for the Welfare and Safety of Chinese Workers and many other intriguing topics. Each lesson plan includes big ideas, essential questions, Common Core standards, vocabulary, assessments, and additional resources. Bring lessons to life through journalist visits (in larger cities) or Skype visits.
In the Classroom
Use the lesson plans on the site as a resource for discussing and debating global issues. If there is no time to complete a full unit, explore resources from each topic for ideas to use in your classroom. For example, try the ideas on interviewing individuals who migrated to the United States offered in the How Did I Become the Person That I Am unit. Share this site with students interested in journalism careers as a resource for learning more about the profession and some of its members.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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History Labs - A Guided Approach to Historical Inquiry in the K-12 Classroom - UMBC Center for History Education
Grades
5 to 12
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The Center for History Education offers this resource to teach a variety of topics in American History via an inquiry approach. Use the Resources Timeline to search by Eras (from ...more
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The Center for History Education offers this resource to teach a variety of topics in American History via an inquiry approach. Use the Resources Timeline to search by Eras (from beginnings to 1620 through 1968 to today); sample topics include Native Americans, Colonization, Civil Rights, Slavery, the American Revolution, and many more. All labs include central questions, source materials, and step by step explanations to implement the lab. The approach is well suited to social studies literacy standards of Common Core, as students explore and evaluate sources (informational texts) and eventually "Develop, present, defend, and refine their evidence-based answers." Choose from History Labs or Lesson Plans to find resources then scroll through the dates to view available materials. Use links to print materials in PDF format. Although the site title indicates materials for all levels of students, most resources are geared toward middle and high school grades. Some of the videos are hosted on YouTube. If your district blocks YouTube, then they may not be viewable.
In the Classroom
Bookmark and save this site for use with any American History topic as a complete lesson or to offer another angle on current lessons. Enhance learning by having students create a simple infographic sharing their findings using Venngage reviewed here. Before beginning a unit, have students brainstorm or collect ideas on a collaborative bulletin board like Scrumblr, reviewed here (quick start- no membership required!).
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GR8CTZ - Great Cities of the World - Vadim Temkin
Grades
8 to 12
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GR8CTZ - Great Cities of the World is a geoguessing game where you are transported to a world city and have to guess the location based on views from Google ...more
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GR8CTZ - Great Cities of the World is a geoguessing game where you are transported to a world city and have to guess the location based on views from Google Maps street views. Look and walk around a bit before attempting a guess. You have three tries to get it right. Start the game after choosing options such as levels, language (English, Portuguese, Russian, and Spanish), and city subset options. Although very simple looking, this is an intriguing option for exploring the world without leaving home!
In the Classroom
Use this tool on an Interactive Whiteboard (or projector) with an entire class. Students can work as a class, individually, or in groups to identify locations based on clues. Use the clues to discuss information about social structure, livelihood, religion, landforms, and other cultural information. Use this information to uncover and correct misconceptions and discuss cultural differences in countries outside the US. Go beyond the map to learn about the various foods, agriculture, and other aspects of their lives. Research the local ecosystem to determine native plants and animals found in the country. Create a poem or story set in that locale using information learned through research. Are you a connected educator? Find other educators around the World using Twitter (reviewed here) to make connections between classrooms. Join the Across the World Once a Week project ( here) to share about the culture where you live.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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The Bean Game - Jana Darrington Utah State University Extension
Grades
6 to 12
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Learn to manage money while having fun living on a 20 "bean" salary using this printable game. Use the directions and discussion questions to play two rounds of the game. ...more
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Learn to manage money while having fun living on a 20 "bean" salary using this printable game. Use the directions and discussion questions to play two rounds of the game. Although it is possible to play with individual players, the site recommends groups of between 2 and 5 players for optimal results. Even though this game is "low tech," it is a great teaching tool!
In the Classroom
Use the Bean Game as part of your financial literacy unit as a center activity. When finished, have students create blogs. If you are beginning the process of integrating technology, have students create blogs sharing their learning and understanding using Tumblr, reviewed here.
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Documentary Tube - DocumentaryTube.com
Grades
4 to 12
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Watch full length documentaries online for free. Find your favorites through daily suggestions, browsing the top 100, or searching categories: 9/11, activism, art, aviation, business,...more
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Watch full length documentaries online for free. Find your favorites through daily suggestions, browsing the top 100, or searching categories: 9/11, activism, art, aviation, business, comedy, crime, disaster, drugs, economics, environmental, food/drink, health, media, medicine, music, nature, performing arts, philosophy, political, religion, science, social, sport, strange, technology, travel, and many more. Look at film festivals and films featured in each. If you do not find what you are looking for, submit your request. A link to Amazon brings you to DVD's. Some are free, and others are for sale.
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In the Classroom
Discover the power of documentaries while studying point of view, primary and secondary resources, and debate skills. Examine the aspects shown in documentaries and help students find structure to provide an unbiased research project. Challenge existing knowledge in many areas. Help students become active thinkers and become involved in current events. Sharpen your own understandings.
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Documentary Storm - 2013 DocumentaryStorm
Grades
4 to 12
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Dive into Documentary Storm to discover 100% free documentary films. The goal of the website is to share knowledge spread ideas, and have fun. Search the different channels to find...more
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Dive into Documentary Storm to discover 100% free documentary films. The goal of the website is to share knowledge spread ideas, and have fun. Search the different channels to find exactly what you are seeking. Topics included are art, biography, conspiracy, culture, drugs, environment, health, indie films, lifestyle, mockumentaries, money, nature, politics, psychology, religion, science, society, sports, technology, war, and many more. Search in the top 100 documentaries, or click use"surprise me." Connect with Facebook, RSS, Twitter, or email.
In the Classroom
With documentaries challenge your students' understanding of food, history, politics, or people. Use to provide another point of view which might not be available in traditional text books. Use to explain primary and secondary sources, as well as an example of a way to extend thinking. Provide a documentary as an example for your students to do an in depth research project. Use documentaries to challenge knowledge, create new knowledge, and learn.
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Every Second on the Internet - designly.com
Grades
6 to 12
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Explore what happens every second on the Internet with this interesting and engaging site. View how many Skype calls and Tweets are issued each second. Find out how many happened ...more
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Explore what happens every second on the Internet with this interesting and engaging site. View how many Skype calls and Tweets are issued each second. Find out how many happened just since you began exploring the site. Keep scrolling to see graphics of Google searches, Facebook likes, and emails sent. Each action is represented with an icon making this visualization stunning and mind boggling at the same time. It provides a sense of the magnitude of information offered on the Internet each and every second.
In the Classroom
This site is perfect for use on your interactive whiteboard (or projector) during lessons on computer use or Internet safety. Have students predict the number of Google searches, emails sent, etc. each second before displaying the actual number. Use information on this site as part of a lesson on comparisons, fractions, or number sense with large numbers. Share with parents during your Open House to offer an understanding of the impact of computers and social networks on their students lives.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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UCAR - Center for Science Education - The National Center for Atmospheric Research
Grades
4 to 12
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At UCAR find games, activities, and lessons built around the theme of our atmosphere including weather, climate, and sun and space. Visit the Learning Zone to view video and...more
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At UCAR find games, activities, and lessons built around the theme of our atmosphere including weather, climate, and sun and space. Visit the Learning Zone to view video and images identifying changes in the atmosphere and greenhouse effect on the earth. Try interactives such as the solar eclipse memory game. Explore the climate sensitivity calculator. Be sure to check out the teachers' section of Spark to find several classroom activities divided into the topics of weather, climate change, and atmosphere and chemistry activities.
In the Classroom
UCAR is a must bookmark site for any teacher of atmospheric science. Create links to activities on student computers for students to explore and play. Search and use the activities for hands-on lesson ideas, all aligned to National Science Education Standards. Challenge students to create a presentation using Prezi, reviewed here to demonstrate information learned at Spark. Have students create a word cloud of the important terms they learn from this site using a tool such as WordItOut, reviewed here.
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Weird Road Signs - TODAY; Paul A. Eisenstein
Grades
6 to 12
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Take the road less traveled by and check out these 14 wild, weird, and wacky street signs that were finalists for a Today Show contest. You will find humor, irony, ...more
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Take the road less traveled by and check out these 14 wild, weird, and wacky street signs that were finalists for a Today Show contest. You will find humor, irony, and signs that require a law degree to comprehend among the entries. Ignore the advertising on the site; the signs are worth it. Be aware of the content: some may not be suitable for middle school classrooms.
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In the Classroom
These signs can spark writing, geography, and visual communication lessons. Project selected signs on the interactive whiteboard as ideas for students to use for creative writing pieces. Have the students create a fictional scavenger hunt of several signs around the world. Have students use a mapping tool such as MapHub, reviewed here, to create a map showing the sign locations (with stories and pictures about what happened when people encountered the sign)! Use the locations offered in some of the descriptions for geography lessons to integrate geography with writing. Use the images on a bulletin board and have students write captions for the signs. Have student editors find grammatical errors on the signs. Students could create an annotated image including text boxes with captions and related links using a tool such as Thinglink, reviewed here. Have students upload a sign image and add voice bubbles with narration using a tool such as Phrase.it, reviewed here. Use the signs for ESL/ELL students to teach about the nuances of text translation.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Cyber Safety - Internet Safety Tips - Open Colleges, Ltd
Grades
4 to 12
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Cyber Safety is your go-to guide for learning Internet safety. Scroll through the page to view information on cyber bullying, identity theft, computer viruses, and general Internet...more
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Cyber Safety is your go-to guide for learning Internet safety. Scroll through the page to view information on cyber bullying, identity theft, computer viruses, and general Internet safety. Each section includes comprehensive information such as facts and legal issues as well as examples and what to do in each instance. Most also have a quiz and tips for parents.
In the Classroom
This site is an excellent resource for teaching and reinforcing online safety lessons. View on your interactive whiteboard as a class either in one session or several smaller sessions/lessons. Assign students to become experts on one safety concern and share an explanation about it with the class. Enhance learning and transform classroom technology use (depending on teacher requirements) by asking students to create a simple or multimedia infographic sharing what they learn using Venngage, reviewed here. Be sure to share with parents at an Open House or through your classroom website.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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National Forensic League - National Forensic League
Grades
6 to 12
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The National Forensic League bills itself as the "National Honor Society for secondary and middle school speech and debate." Certainly this site will be familiar if you are a member...more
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The National Forensic League bills itself as the "National Honor Society for secondary and middle school speech and debate." Certainly this site will be familiar if you are a member already, but is useful even if you are not fielding a formal competition team. The site is organized by level and contains information about upcoming competitions. Most useful to non-members, however, are the resources. There are downloads offering insight and instruction on a wide variety of speech and debate topics: how to organize a team, how to link speech and debate to the Common Core State Standards, and how to develop character in an interpretive speech. Access to some of the resources is limited to members; others require you to login to access.
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In the Classroom
Use the downloadable PDF documents as a resource for students who are developing their public speaking or debate skills, learning to analyze literary characters, understanding the use of humor in speech, or similar topics. Recommend this site to students who may be entering speech competitions, or who may be preparing to give a formal presentation. If you are trying to stage a debate on any topic for your classroom, consider the resources on how formal debate is organized and evaluated.
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Advanced Energy Legislation Tracker - Colorado State University's Center for the New Energy Economy
Grades
9 to 12
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State legislatures in the US are considering thousands of bills that will influence energy systems and how energy is purchased and used. This tool is an online database to identify...more
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State legislatures in the US are considering thousands of bills that will influence energy systems and how energy is purchased and used. This tool is an online database to identify possible changes in energy policy without having to gain access from a variety of sources. The tracker identifies bills organized into the following categories: Electricity Generation, Energy Efficiency, Financing, Regulatory, Natural Gas, Emissions, Transportation, Infrastructure, Economic Development, and Other Energy. Search across all 50 states or choose from a selection of states. Identify proposed bills, action on the bills, and information about the sponsors of the bill. The database also shows an analysis of policy trends.
In the Classroom
Use this resource in an Energy or Environmental unit or as an applied way to study civics and government. Students can search their State and compare to other States. Discuss the different bills being proposed and how they would affect consumers or businesses. As a project idea, assign student groups the task of creating a bill that they would like to see adopted by their State. Challenge students to share their bill and ideas by using Prezi (reviewed here) to create a presentation. Consider making this an authentic experience in civics by having students compose persuasive letters with their suggestions (with the link to their presentation) to send to legislators. The many bills shared on this site would also provide excellent topics for debate or persuasive writing in English classes.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Newsela - Matthew Gross
Grades
2 to 12
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At the start of the school year for 2023-2024, Newsela made some significant changes for their FREE or LITE version of the program! Now they offer four leveled news articles ...more
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At the start of the school year for 2023-2024, Newsela made some significant changes for their FREE or LITE version of the program! Now they offer four leveled news articles at five reading levels for teachers to choose from. The articles will be available for four weeks; Newsela Lite is free for any teacher to access four pre-selected news articles, select and lock reading levels for students, see alignment to state standards, schedule assignments and set due dates, access students' quiz scores, and respond to students' writing prompt submissions and annotations. Many of these features were on the "premium" account until the 2023-2024 school year.
Incase you're wondering - Newsela features current events stories tailor-made for classroom use. Click "Products" on the top menu and slide down to browse content in subject areas (social studies, science, etc.). Stories are student-friendly and can be accessed in different formats by reading level. Use Newsela to differentiate nonfiction reading. Newspaper writers rewrite a story four times for a total of five Lexile levels per story. All articles have embedded Common Core-aligned quizzes that conform to the reading levels for checking comprehension, customizable assignments, writing prompts, and annotations. An account is required to use Newsela, both for teachers and for students, but students sign up using a teacher or parent-provided code rather than an email address. Click the Resources tab at the top to find guides and short webinars. Teachers can create classes and assign reading-level specific articles to individual students or download printable PDF copies of the article in any of its reading-level versions. There is no outside advertising.
Incase you're wondering - Newsela features current events stories tailor-made for classroom use. Click "Products" on the top menu and slide down to browse content in subject areas (social studies, science, etc.). Stories are student-friendly and can be accessed in different formats by reading level. Use Newsela to differentiate nonfiction reading. Newspaper writers rewrite a story four times for a total of five Lexile levels per story. All articles have embedded Common Core-aligned quizzes that conform to the reading levels for checking comprehension, customizable assignments, writing prompts, and annotations. An account is required to use Newsela, both for teachers and for students, but students sign up using a teacher or parent-provided code rather than an email address. Click the Resources tab at the top to find guides and short webinars. Teachers can create classes and assign reading-level specific articles to individual students or download printable PDF copies of the article in any of its reading-level versions. There is no outside advertising.
In the Classroom
Achieve two goals here: help students improve their reading comprehension and keep them current with what is happening in our nation and the world. When assigning articles, choose to have the class read at one reading level, or choose individuals and set the reading level for them. There are five categories from which to choose. You may want to set up different articles at different learning stations on the computers in your room. Have the students rotate daily through the stations, completing one or two a day until they have completed all five articles. Since Newsela is cloud based, even absent students can complete the missed work easily. If you and your students are teaching and learning remotely, or you have a blended classroom, Newsela will work perfectly for those! Teachers of gifted students can use this site to accelerate or enrich reading for students. Find each student's individual levels for reading nonfiction. Teachers of Learning Support and ENL//ESL students will love this alternate way for their students to meet nonfiction/current events requirements.Comments
This is an excellent article. Thanks for sharing this information. Please keep sharing content like this.Cassandra, IL, Grades: 0 - 12
This is an excellent site and allows differentiation while everyone is reading the same text.Renee, NC, Grades: 0 - 5
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Climate Commons - Earth Journalism Network
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9 to 12
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This tool is a map-based interactive platform containing layers of news and information on climate change in the US. It includes the latest data, stories on the causes and impacts,...more
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This tool is a map-based interactive platform containing layers of news and information on climate change in the US. It includes the latest data, stories on the causes and impacts, and the response to climate change. View the most recent data, including temperature, precipitation, and carbon dioxide emissions. Filter stories by a variety of categories (such as Oceans.) Each dot displays a story.
In the Classroom
Use the data and geotagged stories to understand more about climate change. Create multimedia (podcast, video, blog, wiki, etc.) or conventional products (poster or bulletin board) to explain the basics of climate change. Click on different dots on the map to view specific stories that are being published there. Compare the tone and substance of the different articles found in each of the areas. Are there certain regions that are more skeptical (or less) about this issue? Have students select a story to research in terms of its local implications at that location, such as a story about fracking in the Marcellus Shale region. Civics/government classes can use this site to trace political issues, news, and related policy initiatives related to climate change.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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