The E-line Archives, Vol. 2, #23

Volume 2, No. 23 27 June, 2003

[To view this newsletter on line:
http://www.emck.net/eline/03_06_27.htm.]

Summer is a-comin' in...

If our release is a bit late, it's because we've been on vacation! We hope you have too, and get the rest you need for a great new school year!

Periodicals!

Continuing with our general resource theme this summer, this edition of The Help Desk is all about using newspapers and other periodicals in instruction. There are no subject-specific resources, only links to sites maintained by commercial periodicals, and aimed at providing materials that contribute to their use in instruction. Remember - the Wall Street Journal has as much to offer a math class as it does a social studies class!

Many periodicals appear only online or as email (that's us!), but for this edition, The Help Desk will focus on traditional paper resources which supplement their presence and support for education through Web pages. In the age of electronic delivery, your library doesn't need to have 30 copies of the New York Times for you to use its stories! Of course, not all printed stories make it on line, but most do. Some online periodicals ask that you register with them - for hints and helps on how to avoid unwanted "spam" as you tip-toe through the world of online registration, see the July 5, 2002 edition of The Help Desk.

General Lesson Plan Sources for Periodicals

Use the News/Newspapers In Education

http://www.usethenews.com/

Newspapers in Education has been around since the 1930's, and is considered the oldest program supporting classroom use of newspapers. It's beginnings were humble - a few copies of the New York Times bundled and donated to local social studies classes in New York City. The program is now aimed at the use of any newspaper in any educational setting, and works with local concerns to provide newspapers to school libraries, service organizations, prisons, and other venues where teaching takes place. Beyond their work with newspapers, they offer resources in print form, and this website serves as a place to order them. There are a few things offered online, including excerpts from their teacher resource books.

Education World

http://www.education-world.com/

This wonderful teacher resource has appeared in The Help Desk before. We're including it today because it frequently features teaching ideas incorporating newspapers, including this list of 10 activities contributed by Linda Starr.

Parade Classroom

http://www.paradeclassroom.com/

Parade Magazine is a regular feature-oriented Sunday supplement to many major and local newspapers. This website contributes teaching ideas and instructional materials associated with the stories in the magazine. The site is dormant for summer, but the archives show the kinds of materials this service provides. (We're wondering if it'll be in color again in the fall!)

Specific Periodicals

Louisville Courier-Journal: 4 Your Info

http://www.courier-journal.com/education/nieforyourinfo.html

Here's the home-town favorite! Arguably the premiere newspaper of Kentucky, The Courier-Journal provides this simple concept - a once-a-week printable information resource which selects a single timely topic. Included with the resource are general information on the topic, resources, vocabulary, reviews, poetry, and other associated content. Funded by the C-J, Ashland Oil, Louisville Gas & Electric Energy Foundation, and Tricon.

The New York Times: The Learning Network

http://www.nytimes.com/learning/

Free and open to everyone, full of activities and fully-developed lesson plans, timely and current, completely searchable by a variety of criteria, delivered in several formats including printable, and tied to and referencing national and New York curriculum standards and grade levels - that's The Learning Network. Access to The New York Times' stories requires free registration and garnishes some annoying pop-unders - but this website doesn't!

The News Magazines

The "big three" all have educational resource sites, all have online activities associated with current events, and all deliver their resources free of cost or required email registration. U.S. News seemed to have the best lesson plan structure, and both it and Time provide teacher's guides for their magazines. A lot of Newsweek's resources are embedded in MSN's Web shell, so navigation can be pretty odd at times. The magazines themselves also are free of cost and registration, but the content is pared down for web delivery. In general, the educational resources are intended to supplement the print versions.

Newsweek Education Program

http://www.newsweekeducation.com/

Time Online/Education Classroom

http://www.time.com/time/classroom/

U.S. News Classroom

http://www.time.com/time/classroom/

USA Today Education

http://www.usatoday.com/educate/home.htm

USA Today offers four lesson ideas and a worksheet in PDF format every day, tied directly to the paper. Since the stories are generally more accessible to younger students, and since the print edition of the paper is completely available online without registration...even if your library doesn't subscribe, you can use the plans as is.

The Wall Street Journal - Classroom Edition

http://www.wsjclassroomedition.com/index.html

WSJ isn't just for business, though many of the teacher resources available online are aimed at "financial literacy." They want to sell you the "First Class" service, which includes the print version of WSJ - Classroom Edition, plus teacher resources, sent to your school. But many of the resources, including lesson plans and worksheets in PDF form, are available online

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