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Weaving Art Museum
Grades
6 to 12
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See annotated details of ancient and more recent weavings from many cultures using the interactive "exhibits" of the museum. See work from Egypt, Kashmir, Persia, and many more. Decode...more
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See annotated details of ancient and more recent weavings from many cultures using the interactive "exhibits" of the museum. See work from Egypt, Kashmir, Persia, and many more. Decode some of the iconography in Asian carpets. Some exhibits are text-heavy, while others offer many plates and details for your art students to study and use as references. World cultures classes will be able to envision ancient times by looking at the beautiful images on this site.
In the Classroom
Include this on your classroom computer Favorites when students are beginning a weaving or printmaking unit so they can find inspiration in the graphical patterns and story-telling elements. This would also be a great way to introduce a weaving unit or a unit on ancient Asian civilizations on a projector.You must be registered and logged in to add items to your favorites.
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The Cave of Lascaux - France Ministry of Culture and Communication
Grades
4 to 12
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Take virtual tour of the famous cave paintings of Lascaux in France, read about their discovery, learn to interpret the drawings, and find out fragile environment of the caves. ...more
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Take virtual tour of the famous cave paintings of Lascaux in France, read about their discovery, learn to interpret the drawings, and find out fragile environment of the caves. The site itself is beautiful to explore, letting you experience the caves with a virtual "flashlight" as you enter.
In the Classroom
Use a projector to introduce the site, if you must, but allow your students to navigate this one alone or with a partner. The thrill of discovery through the site's design is more than worth any management challenges. Give the students a specific set of questions to answer and things to find, if you are concerned that they may not stay on task. Compare these primitive drawings to those found in other cultures and continents as you discuss common themes in religion and mythology.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Alexander Palace Time Machine - Bob Atchison
Grades
6 to 12
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The tragic story of the lost princess Anastasia is often of interest to students and can serve as an introduction to the story of the Russian Revolution. The Alexander Palace ...more
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The tragic story of the lost princess Anastasia is often of interest to students and can serve as an introduction to the story of the Russian Revolution. The Alexander Palace site certainly illustrates the extreme wealth and extravagance of the Romanov court and how this brought about the Russian Revolution and the rise of communism. This site includes everything: diaries and letters, photographs of the palace pets, and information about the life of Tsar Alexander, the last tsar of Russia. Although the level of detail would be very useful for someone doing research into Russian history, the chief benefit of this site for classroom teachers is its photographs of the palace and its treasures. There are photo tours of the palace and each of its rooms. Of particular interest are zoom-able photos of eleven jeweled and decorated Faberge eggs. The site would also be useful for art teachers in illustrating the craftsmanship and beauty of the Faberge eggs, perhaps before asking students to design their own.
In the Classroom
Send your students on a tour, looking for evidence to support a poitn of view about tsarist Russia. Or try a scavenger hunt where students find answers to specific questions. Even simpler, use a projector to give a "tour" as the opening activity of your unit, then have students revisit the site in individual computers later on in the unit for specific research.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Podcasts from Colonial Williamsburg - Colonial Williamsburg
Grades
4 to 12
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Listen to Patrick Henry, Thomas Jefferson, and many lesser known inhabitants and visitors to the colony. Even some of today's actors tell about their roles as craftspeople and "residents"...more
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Listen to Patrick Henry, Thomas Jefferson, and many lesser known inhabitants and visitors to the colony. Even some of today's actors tell about their roles as craftspeople and "residents" of Colonial Williamsburg.
In the Classroom
Use these podcasts to introduce events (and even technology innovations of the times) from Colonial Williamsburg to your students. Listen together, or create a link to the podcast on classroom computers. Instead of sharing a written response to information learned on the podcast, have cooperative learning groups create their own podcasts demonstrating their understanding of one of the concepts. Use a site such as podOmatic, reviewed here. For younger students, after listening to a podcast, you may want to challenge students to reflect on their learning and what they would like to learn more about using a tool such as Flip, reviewed here.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Inventor of the Week - MIT Lemelson Center
Grades
6 to 12
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The Lemelson Center at MIT once offered a weekly profile of an inventor - some famous, many less so. Here you will find an archive of those scientists. If you're ...more
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The Lemelson Center at MIT once offered a weekly profile of an inventor - some famous, many less so. Here you will find an archive of those scientists. If you're doing a unit on scientists, creativity, or economic/industrial growth, this site can help students understand how many advances are the result of small, incremental improvements rather than revolutionary breakthroughs.
In the Classroom
Use the Inventor Archive as an activator at the beginning of every week in a science or Physics classroom. This could be used as an activator over the interactive whiteboard, a projector, or as a learning center or station. This could be used every week or before inventive projects, serving as a motivator!Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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North Korea - CIA FactBook - CIA
Grades
6 to 12
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The CIA's Factbook is pretty dry reading, but this site does provide some of the history of Korea, including the post-World War II division into North and South. There are ...more
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The CIA's Factbook is pretty dry reading, but this site does provide some of the history of Korea, including the post-World War II division into North and South. There are other facts about culture, government, and economy, but North Korea remains one of the world's least-known and least-understood nations. Could be a useful reference for discussion of current events or a research source for projects on countries.
In the Classroom
Include this in your supplemental teacher links pages during a unit on Asia or Korea.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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World Geography Quizzes - Sheppard Software
Grades
3 to 12
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With such poor results as a nation on geography testing, we all should try these geography games to build student knowledge of U.S. and world geography. Students can click on ...more
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With such poor results as a nation on geography testing, we all should try these geography games to build student knowledge of U.S. and world geography. Students can click on the region of the world and practice at different levels of difficulty. Even adults can find a challenge. Offered in a "dial up version" for those accessing the sites from a slower connection.
In the Classroom
Be sure to put a link for these online games and quizzes on your teacher web page for the summer and throughout the school year. Students can use them to practice for your geography quizzes or as extra challenges. The different levels of dificulty will allow you to differentiate your instruction easily.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Live Career - Live Career
Grades
7 to 12
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A thorough site on planning for a career. Includes timelines, options, many links to different career paths and college planning resources, even a cover letter generator. the site does...more
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A thorough site on planning for a career. Includes timelines, options, many links to different career paths and college planning resources, even a cover letter generator. the site does have some advertising, but it is tolerable (turn on your pop-up blocker). Special Education teachers working with students on transition planning will also find this site helpful in providing a structured approach.
In the Classroom
Mark this one in the Favorites on a classroom computer or make it available for students to use independently after you share it for basic navigation tips. You may even want to assign certain tasks on the site as part of your careers unit.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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How Art Made the World - PBS/KCET
Grades
6 to 12
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This is the starting page for a collection of articles and lesson plans to accompany the series "How Art Made the World." The programs and lessons examine the use of ...more
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This is the starting page for a collection of articles and lesson plans to accompany the series "How Art Made the World." The programs and lessons examine the use of art to communicate - whether about religion, politics, even advertising - as societies and cultures have developed. Each lesson includes web links to examples, but surprisingly, the site itself lacks much of the visual impact one might expect to find.
In the Classroom
These articles and lessons would be great interdisciplinary "idea banks" for classes in art, world cultures, or government.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Heritage Travel - Historical Travel Itineraries - National Register of Historic Places
Grades
4 to 9
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Designed for trip-planning, this site also works well for students researching a city or region, for planning an "imaginary adventure" or as part of a larger webquest or other online...more
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Designed for trip-planning, this site also works well for students researching a city or region, for planning an "imaginary adventure" or as part of a larger webquest or other online geography activity. The sites include scores of little-known places that have historic importance for one reason or another.
In the Classroom
Try this one as the basis for a "did you know" contest, asking students to unearth little-known facts about a topic of interest to them.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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American History - Primary Documents - Library of Congress
Grades
6 to 12
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This collection of the key documents of American history puts "all the important stuff" in one place. At the moment, the collections only run through the Gilded Age and Progressive...more
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This collection of the key documents of American history puts "all the important stuff" in one place. At the moment, the collections only run through the Gilded Age and Progressive Era (1920).
In the Classroom
Try using this site as a way to actually connect students to the time periods they are studying.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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American Revolution - National Park Service
Grades
4 to 8
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This new (2006) site from NPS groups the parks associated with the American Revolution and suggests parks appropriate for study of particular revolutionary themes. While short on lessons...more
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This new (2006) site from NPS groups the parks associated with the American Revolution and suggests parks appropriate for study of particular revolutionary themes. While short on lessons and simulations, there is abundant information on many of the locations where important events during the revolution took place.
In the Classroom
If in a state that was one of the original 13 colonies, use this site to discover a site that would be prime for a field trip. In addition, teachers can share this site on the interactive whiteboard or projector as a way to preview for students what they are about to see. In addition to the sites, the park service also offers a "Guide to the Revolution," that teachers can use as supplementary material in their classroom. Note - the guide is text heavy, so only use it if in an advanced class or or one where you feel comfortable with students reading abilities and interests.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Nobel Prize Lessons - Nobel Foundation
Grades
6 to 12
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Science teachers will find some challenging experiences in physics, chemistry, and biology in these lessons and videos based in the subject areas in which the Nobel Foundation is active....more
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Science teachers will find some challenging experiences in physics, chemistry, and biology in these lessons and videos based in the subject areas in which the Nobel Foundation is active. Each presents a chance to explore science in a different context. Each lesson presents a thorough Teachers Guide.
In the Classroom
Try these as an online "hook" to counter the "why do we need to know that...?" reactions some students have to science. Enhance student learning by having them present to their peers what they learned using a tool Flip, reviewed here. On Flip, have students respond to their peers and discuss similarities and differences of the activity they chose. Create an interactive class book using Book Creator, reviewed here, to share findings from each game and lesson, including video of game-play and pictures of results of their learning. Students can combine their books later as a class book.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Our Stories: The Long, Long Battle for ANWR - Natural Resources Defense Council
Grades
6 to 12
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The Arctic National Wildlife Refuge is a site for both animals and controversy, as this site demonstrates. NRDC's site is a well-done treatment of an important national resource, but...more
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The Arctic National Wildlife Refuge is a site for both animals and controversy, as this site demonstrates. NRDC's site is a well-done treatment of an important national resource, but with a point of view. As such, teachers may find it useful in studying both the science of the Arctic and the government and political issues surrounding how we use our natural resources.
In the Classroom
Try having students compare information on this site with other web sites about the ANWR. How do these sites differ in their presentation?Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Smithsonian Global Sound - Smithsonian Institution
Grades
1 to 12
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Listen to and learn about traditional music from cultures around the world and through the ages. Browse this amazing collection of downloadable tunes to find musical enrichment to enhance...more
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Listen to and learn about traditional music from cultures around the world and through the ages. Browse this amazing collection of downloadable tunes to find musical enrichment to enhance a unit of study. Full downloads in MP3 or FLAC format are available for purchase but each offering is accompanied by a free audio sample. Note: this site opens rather slowly.Be patient, especially if you are on a dial-up connection.
In the Classroom
Search this site for songs to supplement your unit in a US or World history class. This teacher was able to find a song about the suffrage movement, and was able to teach the beliefs of suffrage through student analysis of the lyrics and tone. Be sure to search - there are literally tons of songs that can be used for a variety of curriculum.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Discoveries in Dioramas - American Museum of Natural History
Grades
4 to 10
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If you can't make the journey to the Washington, D.C.'s American Museum of Natural History then take your students to this website for an online tour of the panoramic dioramas ...more
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If you can't make the journey to the Washington, D.C.'s American Museum of Natural History then take your students to this website for an online tour of the panoramic dioramas that are among the museum's most impressive features. Short videos, audio clips, 360''? panoramic views, and descriptions of geographic locations and species round out the virtual experience.
In the Classroom
If your students are studying a particular geographic location or animal species, send them to this multimedia site for some interactive research. Regions represented include the Upper Nile, Alaska's Denali National Forest, the Everglades, and the American plains.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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A Story of Epic Proportions - National Endowment for the Humanities
Grades
6 to 8
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Find out about the history, heroes, and patterns behind the epic poem, with this middle-school level lesson. Students can learn to recognize the epic hero cycle, and the patterns and...more
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Find out about the history, heroes, and patterns behind the epic poem, with this middle-school level lesson. Students can learn to recognize the epic hero cycle, and the patterns and events characteristic of this genre. The lesson also introduces students to the mnemonic devices used by generations of storytellers to help with recall of long and often complicated tales. Includes downloadable worksheets, a glossary of literary terms, and ideas for lesson extensions. Aligned to Standards.
In the Classroom
What would an epic poem of the 21st century look like? Challenge students to write and 'perform" their own epic work based on the characteristics and patterns uncovered in the lesson.
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World Mapper - World Mapper
Grades
6 to 12
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What would a world map look like if countries and continents were sized not by land area, but by population, number of elderly, various type of imports, or emigration? ...more
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What would a world map look like if countries and continents were sized not by land area, but by population, number of elderly, various type of imports, or emigration? This site presents dozens of cartograms - or density-equalizing maps - in which each country is resized according to a specific variable. Each map is accompanied by a downloadable Excel file and a printable poster.
In the Classroom
Use this site as an anticipatory set or "activator" to introduce a unit or lesson on a projector. The population maps would be extremely useful for any class discussion on the world use of resources, and the financial disparities that exist among nations. Use the animations provided on the interactive whiteboard or projector to show students the demographic differences between nations. World Mapper is an wonderful addition to any geography,civics or social studies class, particularly during units on the UN, natural resources, world conflict, and economic disparity.
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Grading on a Curve - New York Times
Grades
6 to 12
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Just how effective are the six key issues of President Bush's domestic agenda? This lesson gives students a chance to assume the role of political analyst as they critically examine...more
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Just how effective are the six key issues of President Bush's domestic agenda? This lesson gives students a chance to assume the role of political analyst as they critically examine the Bush administration. The goal is to create a report card addressing the efficacy of selected domestic topics. Includes suggestions for interdisciplinary activities and projects. Aligned to standards.
In the Classroom
Though a bit outdated for a current events class, this would be a great lesson in a US government class looking at the Presidency of George H.W. Bush. Save this lesson as a favorite on your desktop to allow for easy retrieval later on - though be sure to look closely at the lesson and make sure that students have learned enough of the contextual information to be able to make sense of the article. For differentiation, peruse the article before-hand, creating a list of words that students may have trouble with or may not be familiar with. Create a follow-along for the article, defining those words selected to help students as they read. This will allow lower achieving readers to be able to process the information more efficiently and with more comprehension.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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CIA Word Factbook: Iran - CIA
Grades
6 to 12
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The CIA's Factbook offers a wealth of information on most of the world's nations. This is a direct link to the page for Iran. ...more
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The CIA's Factbook offers a wealth of information on most of the world's nations. This is a direct link to the page for Iran.
In the Classroom
Introduce this site on the interactive whiteboard before allowing students to explore it in cooperative learning groups. Have the groups explore different aspects of the factbook, with the intentions of presenting the highlights to the rest of the class. Have students use a tool such as Zeemaps, reviewed here. This site allows students to create audio recordings AND choose a location (on a map) where the story takes place.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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