Volume 1, No. 4
31 May, 2002
[To view this newsletter on line:
http://www.emck.net/eline/02_05_31.htm]
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 The
Help Desk wants you!
Do you have an on-line resource you can share? Have you
constructed a website for instructional use? Send it to us -
we'll include it, and give you credit! |
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Don't forget - if you wish to stop The Help
Desk for the summer, let us know by responding to this email. Be sure to
indicate when you'd like it to resume.
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| On-line Lesson Planning |
 The
Middle School Net
http://www.middleschool.net/
The resources on this website are supplied by teachers
like you! Maintained by Judy Horn of the Virginia Department of Education,
the site has articles and support links for middle school administrators
and staff as well as teachers. There are lesson plans and links to
resources arranged by subject.
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| Content Area Resources |
| Mathematics |
 Where's
George?
http://www.wheresgeorge.com/
OK, so there's no lesson plans on this website . . . but
you could develop one! There's dozens of ways to tie into mathematics -
probability, graphing, etc. This site allows you to enter the
serial number of a dollar bill, and track its movement across town or
across the state using the site's
database. It is, of course, dependent on others obtaining and entering the
same bill, but it happens with surprising frequency! Make tracking dollar
bills a class project...or a school project...or a collaborative project
between schools a long way apart! What fun! |
| Reading |
 Bibliomaniahttp://www.bibliomania.com/
Although most of the texts available at
Bibliomania are for adults, the resource is exceptional on several
levels: it delivers the entire text of many classic books for
reading on line, has study guides, reference, and research
assistance, provides for interactive discussion, and more.
Bibliomania originates in Oxford, England -
it sells books, but the free services are offered without intrusive
ads or self-promotion. |
| Science |
 Sport
Sciencehttp://www.exploratorium.edu/sports/
This interactive website on the subject of science
in sports is maintained by the Exploratorium - a " . . . collage
of over 650 science, art, and human perception exhibits" housed
in San Francisco's Palace of Fine Arts. The site has Shockwave
simulations on a variety of sports-related science topics, as well as
text and streamed-media descriptions of various phenomena.
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| Social Studies |
 National
Geographic
http://www.nationalgeographic.com/
Not surprisingly, the National Geographic web
presence is slick, powerful, and full of resources. There is an
entire area of the website dedicated to teacher
resources., including cyber-field trips, maps, pictures, and
lesson plans. |
| Writing |
 Vocabulary
U
http://syndicate.com/
Vocabulary University is the work of cartoonist
Carey Cook (grandson of the Chicago Tribune political cartoonist Carey
Orr) with his wife, English teacher Jan Cook. The site is dedicated to
making words and vocabulary fun - there are on-line puzzles and games, and
vocabulary lists for classic books of literature. The interactive portions
of the site require registration, which is free. |
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| Software Sources |
 MusicMatch
http://www.musicmatch.com/
Tired of fooling with CDs when you want to add music to
your PowerPoint? Do you have a recording of your middle school chorus
you'd like to post on your school website? Discover what your students
already know - MP3-format sound files are just as good as CDs and WAV
files, but at one-tenth the file size! MusicMatch Lite is free for
download, and will convert a wide range of sound files (including CDs)
into MP3s. There's even a Mac version! (A little hint, though - like a lot
of free programs, the default install tends to "take over " - do
a custom install.) |
| Idea Exchange |
We need your help!
Send hints, helps and resources to eline@emck.net |
| Professional Resources |
 The
Jordan Fundamentals Grant Program
http://www.nike.com/nikebiz/nikebiz.jhtml?page=26&item=jordan
Sponsored by Nike, the Jordan Fundamentals Grant Program
awards $2500 grants to teachers who " . . . demonstrate instructional
creativity and exemplify high learning expectations for economically
disadvantaged students." Grants are awarded for teaching materials,
transportation costs, etc., associated with a thematic unit or lesson
plan. Deadline is June 15, 2002. [editor's note: As of 7/6/04, this
grant is still being renewed every year.]
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