Volume 4, No. 9
26 November, 2004
[To view this newsletter on line:
http://www.emck.net/eline/04_11_26.htm] |
|
 The E-Line
wants you! We're constantly
looking for new and exciting resources. If you use an
online resource regularly, but haven't seen it on these
pages, send it to us! Even if you don't, we're happy to
hear from you. Simply respond to this email! |
|
 Celebrations Around the World
As you and your
students look ahead to the Winter Break, the
E-Line
focuses on religion, holidays, and
celebrations. (Be sure to look at our
November 28, 2003 and
December 6, 2002 editions for more resources!)
International
Holiday Calendar -
http://www.kidlink.org/KIDPROJ/MCC/ - This
project of KidLink (see The
Eline for
April 18, 2003) gives an omnibus listing of
holidays across the globe, contributed by student
and adult/mentor members of this project. For
December, there are nearly 500 short articles on how
Christmas and other December holidays are celebrated
in different countries, most written by young
writers. NorthPole
Christmas Activities -
http://www.northpole.com/Overview/Teacher.html -
Barb Morrison and the crew of NorthPole contribute
this collection of activities, books, and lessons
with a Christmas theme, mostly aimed at very young
students.
 Mexican Holidays
-
http://www.mexonline.com/holiday.htm -
MexOnline.com identifies three December holidays
important to Mexico: Día de Nuestra Señora de
Guadalupe (the day of the Virgin of Guadalupe -
December 12), Las Posadas (Joseph and Mary's search
for shelter in Bethlehem - December 16-January 6),
and, of course, Christmas. Details of these holiday
celebrations are given on the site. Islamic Holidays
- http://www.cie.org
-The Council on Islamic Education in Orange County,
California, maintains this web presence. Click on
the "Download resources" link at upper right for
information about this important religion, including
a 16-page Teacher's Guide in PDF format. Since
the Islamic religious calendar is lunar-driven,
holiday celebration dates vary from year to year
(see the InfoPlease calendar for this religion's
holiday dates at
http://www.infoplease.com/ipa/A0760942.html) -
Ramadan ended this year on November 14th.
|
|
On-line lesson
planning |
 The
Solution Site
http://www.thesolutionsite.com
Ah, yes, another
collection of resources maintained
by an educational consulting firm.
The firm in this case is The
EdVenture Group out of
Morgantown, West Virginia. For
complete units and lesson plans,
go to "Find a Unit." You can
search by grade level and content
area. A quick exploration shows
quite a number of units. Most
resources are just web pages
(simple enough to be printable).
The search results are listed
without reviews or synopses, so
some browsing is required. |
|
Content Area
Resources |
|
Visual Arts |
 The
Color Pencil Challenge
http://cpchallenge.com/
Color Pencil Artist
Karen Cardinal (http://karencardinal.com/)
maintains this collection of
resources on traditional color
pencil art. There are lessons
grouped by submission year which
give step by step instructions on
specific subjects or visual
effects. There are a limited
number of classroom-specific
resources...it doesn't look like
Karen managed to corral a lot of
outside participation in some of
the site's interactive
initiatives. But there are lots of
examples of art created with this
medium. |
|
Mathematics |
 Count
On
http://www.counton.org/
This quirky resource
from Great Britain is loaded with
activities, games, and tutorials on
a variety of math subjects, from
"reception to year 9" (covers our elementary and middle
schools). There are also printable
resources, and links to related
sites. This website is provided in
support of the UK's Math Challenge
competitions, and designed by London
Web design house AcuMedia. |
|
Reading |
 The
Penguin Group's Teachers Guides
http://us.penguingroup.com/static/packages/us/yreaders-new/tl-guides.html
Like a lot of book
publishers, Penguin maintains
support materials for their
children's books. This odd lot
includes web pages and PDF
documents with extensions and
classroom projects/ideas
associated with some selected
titles, grouped by age. Also,
check out "Featured book sites"
linked on the right menu for some
other online resources. |
|
Science |
 Online
Exhibits from The Tech
http://www.thetech.org/exhibits/
In our September 17,
2004 edition we featured
problem-based learning projects from
this museum in San Jose, California.
The museum also produces "online
exhibits," with interactive
question/answers from experts, and
other informational resources. Also,
don't miss the "Tech Topics" Flash
modules at
http://www.thetech.org/exhibits/online/topics/.
|
|
Social Studies |
 Thematic
Units from USC
http://www.libsci.sc.edu/miller/Unitlink.htm
Elizabeth Miller,
of the University of South
Carolina, has posted this
collection of instructional units
produced by her students as class
assignments for her library media
course. Most use a social studies
theme, but are cross-curricular.
This collection is included in a
larger collection of online
teacher resources here:
http://www.libsci.sc.edu/miller/Integration.htm.
|
|
Writing |
 Word
Dance
http://www.worddance.com/
Word Dance is a
print journal which features
writing by K-8 authors. It is
published quarterly. This web
presence hasn't been updated in
awhile, and print journals are
never free, but with a fairly long
history with no advertising, it
seems like a good resource for
student writing. There are
submission guidelines on the site. |
|
|
Grant Resources |
 Do
Something
http://www.dosomething.org/
"Young People Changing Their
World" is the subtitle of this initiative
started by New Jersey's Andrew Shue and
Michael Sanchez. From a small idea, in its
15-year span it has grown into a national
non-profit organization that trains
"Community Coaches" as mentors for local
student projects. They also offer $500
grants to 18+-year-olds with a community
support idea. Deadline for this round is
December 10th. |
|
Professional
Resources |
 Disability
Studies for Teachers
http://www.disabilitystudiesforteachers.org/
This very unusual
resource is offered by Syracuse
University College of Education's
Center on Human Policy. The site
offers lesson plans for middle and
high school classes aimed at
educating all students on issues
of disabilities, including various
challenges, and mental health
issues. Language Arts and
Social Studies (particularly a
U.S. history focus) form the core
content aim of most of the
lessons. The lessons include
printable resources in PDF format.
The site also includes strategies,
essays, and other resources aimed
at experienced teachers and
students of education. [Suggested by Maggie
Whittington, Fayette County
Schools.] |
|
|
