NEA: 2004 Lessons Archive

St. Patrick's Day

Sun, 12 Mar 2006 05:00:00 GMT

St. Patrick's Day

Holiday Teaching Ideas

O'Sullivan Stew -- A Delicious Concoction!
Young readers will love strong, confident, smart Kate O'Sullivan. When the chips are down, Kate saves the lives of her family members by stirring up a handful of outrageous tales, each one more far-fetched than the last. O'Sullivan Stew -- the latest book from award-winning author and artist Hudson Talbot -- offers surprise after surprise!

Rainbow Maker's World
Lots of rainbows!!! You can click on the thumbnail pictures of rainbows and view an enlarged image. You can visit the rainbow events gallery and see photos taken at each event. You can even find out how to make your own rainbows.

Cultural Arts Resources for Teachers & Students
The Cultural Arts Resources for Teachers and Students (CARTS) Web site is a gathering place for educators wishing to include folklore and culture in classroom projects and discussions.

Database Resources

Crafts

Sounds

Irish/Celtic Music

Recipes

Activities

Games

Clipart

Teaching with Music

Mon, 13 Dec 2004 05:00:00 GMT

Teaching with Music

by Linda Starr, Education World®

Description

"I started writing [music] as a way of helping myself (and my colleagues) survive the year with an intact sense of humor," educator and songsmith Eric Baylin told Education World. "But now I wonder -- seriously -- if laughter itself isn't one of the soundest pedagogies, a "best practice" that can help us re-tune our schools and shift the culture to one that genuinely embraces wellbeing and lightness of heart as sound supports for learning. I wouldn't mind working at a school whose mission statement included the words 'And this is a school where we love to laugh!'"

If you feel the same way, be sure to tune in to the latest Education World column Time for a Tune-Up: Songs to Brighten a Teacher's Day , in which Baylin offers original musical compositions that are sure to make any teacher smile. His first song premiers today:

Only November!
They tell him it's only November, but Eric Baylin knows that's "a third of the way" through the year -- definitely something to sing about! But then, it seems that educator/songsmith Baylin always has something to sing about. Join him in a chorus of his original autumn anthem "Only November!"

Learn More About Teaching with Music

Education World articles describing and explaining teaching with music include:

Bringing Out the Best in Kids
Author and teacher Dr. Thomas Armstrong helps teachers apply Teaching with Music in their teaching, so they can tap into students' traditional and non-traditional talents and styles of learning. Included: Ideas for teaching to different learning styles.

Teaching with Music: A Theory for Everyone
Howard Gardner's theory of Teaching with Music makes people think about "IQ," about being "smart." The idea is changing the way some teachers teach. Included: An introduction to Gardner's eighth intelligence.

Teaching with Music: It's Not How Smart You Are; It's How You're Smart
Howard Gardner's Teaching with Music theory asks educators to take a fresh look at their assumptions about children and learning. Teachers around the world are rethinking lessons and units -- and their entire approaches to teaching -- based on his research.

In addition, Education World has published several articles dealing with practical classroom applications of Teaching with Music. They include:

Magnet School Helps Students Develop, Appreciate Different Talents
A new elementary magnet school strives to educate a diverse student body, using the Teaching with Music theories of psychologist Howard Gardner. Included: Ways of applying Teaching with Music theories in classrooms.

Magnet School Draws Praise in First Year
A second look at a Teaching with Music elementary school as it winds up its first academic year. We found staff upbeat and eager to share stories about students being more engaged in learning. Included: A description of the program.

Lessons Learned from Howard Gardner and the TV Remote Control
Max Fischer shares his first days teaching in a middle school -- after years at the elementary level. Would he be able to reach the students whose body language screamed 'Go ahead, make me learn!'? Included: How Howard Gardner saved the day.

The "Art" of Comprehension
If it wasn't for Howard Gardner's Multiple-Intelligence theory, Max Fischer might never have seen how art can increase student comprehension of content reading material. Included: Ideas for using pictographs, storyboards, graphic organizers.

Creating a Naturalist-Friendly Environment in School
Students with naturalist intelligence can feel constrained by traditional classrooms and by spending so much time indoors. Teacher Gwen Lanning discusses ways to make school friendlier to students with a "naturalist intelligence."

Student Learning-Strengths Inventory
In this learning-intelligences lesson, students take an online inventory to determine their learning strengths and weaknesses, create graphs to show the results, discover areas where they might need to work harder, and learn to appreciate differences.

I Wish I Had a Million

Mon, 06 Dec 2004 05:00:00 GMT

I Wish I Had a Million

by Gary Hopkins, from Education World

Have students complete the following sentence with any word except "dollars" -- or any other money word.

"I wish I had a million __________ because . . . "

Next, have students develop this topic sentence into a full paragraph.

Use this printable handout (PDF, 285K) to make copies and distribute to students.

Helpful Hints

Make a list of five words that could complete the statement.
Choose the best word.
Provide at least three reasons you would want to have a million __________.

Religious Diversity in America

Wed, 01 Dec 2004 05:00:00 GMT

Religious Diversity in America

Teaching Ideas, Plus On-Air and Online Resources

from PBS TeacherSource

This monthly themed content package offers interdisciplinary activity ideas, TV programs and online resources for your classroom.

PBS TeacherSource offers educators a wealth of free resources tied to PBS TV programming and online content. Among the resources are monthly, grade-appropriate thematic units for grades 3-12 and for grades PreK-2. In addition, educators can Search for more than 3,000 free lesson plans and activities to use in the classroom.

Return in Return in January for activities and resources focusing on great leaders!

Teaching Ideas

1. A Tapestry of Religions
Grade Level: 3-5
Subjects: Social Studies, Math

This lesson presents numerous opportunities for students to acknowledge the many different religions practiced in America. In this activity children will research multiple religions in America and create graphs to sort and represent their collected information. Because there are so many religions recognized and practiced in America, it will be interesting to see how the children create, research and organize their data.

An option would be to limit the research to the largest religious groups in America. (These may include, Christianity, Non-religous/non-secular, Judaism, Islam and Buddhism.)

Provide resources and discuss ideas they may use for creating their graphs. Ideas may include: largest religious group in America; largest religious groups in the world; the different branches of Christianity; the central beliefs of various religions; religious holidays and books of worship.

After the children make the graphs, save time for classroom discussions and interpretations.

Online Resources

2. The American Melting Pot
Grade Level: 6-12
Subjects: Social Studies, Civics/Government, Sociology, Language Arts

In a nation as diverse as the United States, religions abound because of the freedom of religion guaranteed by the U.S. Constitution. While Christianity is the primary religion, a number of religions are practiced nationwide. In part, the American melting pot was created because of religious freedom, beginning with the settlement of the colonies over 300 years ago. Those suffering religious persecution set out for America in search of the freedom to practice their beliefs. This still holds true today.

Begin by discussing the idea that one of the things that makes America a great country is its diversity. Using the melting pot analogy, discuss what has brought people to this country over time being sure to include the pursuit of religious freedom and tolerance of a variety of religious beliefs.

Next, show students the "American Faith Statistics" graphic (http://www.pbs.org/now/society/faithstats.html) that illustrates some of the most popular religions practiced in the U.S. Take time to discuss the terms Christianity and Non-secular. Point out that a number of common religions would be placed under the label Christianity.

Next, have students brainstorm a list of as many religions as they can name. Assist students with development of the list as needed. Once the list is complete, have students work individually or in pairs to conduct research about one of the religions on the list based on random assignment. Be sure to limit the number of religions that could be placed in the Christianity category so that students will learn about a wider variety of religious beliefs.

While researching, students should find the answers to questions such as:

What is the name of the religion?
Where did the religion originate?
Who was the founder of this religion?
What are the basic beliefs associated with this religion?
Who are some important leaders or figures within this religion?
What are some of the important celebrations associated with this religion?
What are the symbols and/or books associated with this religion?

All information gathered should be basic, factual information about the religion.
Once research is completed, students should make a display or poster that describes what they have learned about the religion they researched. In addition, they should explain how the Constitution?s guarantee of religious freedom helped to bring this religion to America so it could be practiced freely.

Extend the lesson by asking students to discuss how we benefit individually, and as a nation, from having religious freedom, tolerance, and diversity in our country.

Online Resources

PBS Online Resources

NOW with Bill Moyers - 21st Century Faith
Examine the prominent role religion pays in all facets of American life.

Religion and Ethics Newsweekly
Explore the issues that affect the country's diverse religious landscape and its faith community.

Flashpoints USA - God and Country
Understand and evaluate the the role of religion in politics, government and public life.

Heritage - Civilization and the Jews
Explore the the interaction of Jewish history and Western civilization.

Frontline - The Jesus Factor
Study the role of religion in the founding of the American Republic and its influence on our leaders today.

Frontline - Muslims
Examine the myths and stereotypes about Islam.

TeacherSource Concepts Across the Curriculum - World Religions
Find activity ideas and online resources on the world's major religions.

NewsHour Online - Church and State
Explore the ongoing legal and political controversy over the proper role of religion in American public life.

PBS Programs

Don't miss these program airing in December! Check your local listings for the most accurate air date and time.

The Congregation
The Congregation is a probing examination of the role religion can play in society, as illustrated through the portrait of one mainstream Protestant congregation in the Philadelphia area. The First United Methodist Church of Germantown is known to its congregation by the acronym FUMCOG. Historically an activist church, the congregation has been involved in civil rights and social justice issues for decades. When the beloved longtime head minister retires, new senior pastor Fred Day finds he has big shoes to fill as the congregation dissolves into fractiousness.

Add Literature -- and Life -- to Content Instruction

Mon, 29 Nov 2004 05:00:00 GMT

Add Literature -- and Life -- to Content Instruction

by Max Fischer, Education World

This week, educator Max Fischer bemoans his sterilized history text. Were it not for that text, however, he might not have been forced to "discover" the value of bringing quality literature into his history classroom.

As a long-time history teacher, I often bemoan how textbooks sterilize history's most exciting and meaningful events. In the interest of "covering it all," they frequently leave out the rich detail of "a story well told." My current world history text's attempt to cover 10,000 years is about as rich as a loaf of soft white bread. Yes, its ingredients include the basic facts, causes, and effects, but the nutritious fiber of interest has been removed.

So you might think that's a bad thing, right?

Sterilized texts have often forced me to look elsewhere to provide students with a more real sense of events and time periods. In the process, I've learned how a good piece of literature can elevate my social studies instruction.

Yes, issues of time and money, and even legal issues, sometimes prohibit me from presenting entire books to my seventh graders. But by extracting segments -- the right chapter, a vivid episode, or even a few vibrantly descriptive paragraphs -- from a piece of quality historical fiction I am often able to invite students to see history in a different light. They gain a new appreciation and comprehension of historic times or events from literature. And reading or sharing such excerpts even motivates some students to want to read more.

As a teacher, I've found that introducing pieces of historical fiction affords me a natural opportunity to differentiate instruction. Advanced students can be simultaneously exposed to and challenged by previously unknown works. Students with lower levels of comprehension might be given a brief excerpt -- several paragraphs -- to read and dissect with the aid of an appropriate graphic organizer.

LITERATURE INSPIRES NEW TEACHING IDEAS

When my curriculum dictated that I teach about the mound builders , the information provided in my state history text was limited in detail and lifeless. I turned to the novel People of the Lakes by Kathleen O'Neal Gear and W. Michael Gear (Tor Books, 1994). The Gears' background as archaeologists supplemented our sparse text as it enriched students' understanding of the valuable local marketing network in flint, obsidian, pipes, greenstone, and conch shells. Moreover, the small episode I selected from People of the Lakes painted a pulsating depiction of life along the ribbons of waterways of the Mississippi basin in pre-Columbian times.

Literature can often inspire new teaching ideas too. The Gears' rich work prompted me to develop economic simulations to accompany our mound builder unit and logical reasoning problems based upon the native marketplace.

Literature has also proven to be fertile ground for students' end-of-unit projects -- projects they choose based on their personal learning interests, skills, and styles. Another form of natural differentiation! The avid readers among my students might choose to read and review an entire novel as their project. For example, one of the project choices I offered at the conclusion of a unit on ancient Egypt was to read Mara, Daughter of the Nile or The Golden Goblet, both by Eloise McGraw (Puffin Books, reissued 1990). I had read both books the previous summer. I knew the characters would keep young readers mesmerized while feeding them full with exceptional portrayals of Egyptian life in the second millennium B.C. Student reviews of those books confirmed my opinion.

CHALLENGES OF BUILDING LESSONS WITH LITERATURE

Building lesson plans around literature is not the easy way out. I have run into a number of obstacles as I've strived to widen my curriculum in this way. The following are a few of those hurdles that I've managed to overcome:

Time. I'm not a fast reader, so it can be difficult to read a novel and develop lessons for it during the routine hubbub of a school year. For me, it is easier to devote time to reading literature related to my curriculum during the summer months when I'm free of the stresses and expectations that accompany my school-year regimen. But not all lessons require reading entire books. For example, I built my lesson around People of the Lakes during the school year. In that case, I didn't have to read the entire novel. I was able to skim and plan my lesson. I read the entire book later, at my own leisure.

Money. Like most of you, I'm a teacher and I'm not independently wealthy. I can't afford to buy a class set of books for my students. I am always looking for opportunities to acquire class sets. When my district allocated funds specifically for the purpose of improving reading scores, I was able to obtain 20 copies each of several historical fiction titles. In addition, some local and regional foundations in my area offer grants; I took advantage of one such opportunity to purchase another set of novels.

Copyright guidelines. For my mound builder lesson, I copied a specific selection from the book People of the Lakes. Copyright laws give educators some leeway when using material for instructional purposes. For example, one chapter could be copied and distributed to each member of the class. However, such use is allowed only as a single occurrence and only if the lesson is spontaneous enough to prohibit time to seek permission from the copyright holder. Subsequent uses of copied material from the same book would require written permission from the holder of the copyright. The following Web sites offer fairly easy to follow charts to guide teachers' "fair use" of literature in the classroom:

Integrating quality literature into history or any other content area is a worthy undertaking. It can offer students a different perspective on content as it creates a more well-rounded and interesting curriculum and develops in students a lifelong love of reading all kinds of literature for a wide variety of purposes.

Tracking Down Quality Literature
So how does one go about locating quality literature for students?

Asking colleagues and your school librarian is always a good place to start.

The Notable Trade Books for Young People lists published by the National Council for the Social Studies is another excellent source of quality literature.

I've found that an advanced search on Google or your favorite search engine -- searching terms such as juvenile fiction ancient Egypt -- is bound to provide a number of titles. Background information and reviews of those titles on a major bookseller's site -- Amazon or Barnes & Noble, for example -- helps me determine a book's suitability.

About the Author
A teacher for over three decades, Max Fischer currently teaches seventh graders the marvels of ancient and medieval history. A National Board certified teacher in the area of early adolescence social studies/history, Max has authored nine resource books for teachers in the fields of social studies, health, and math. You can read a previously published article about Fischer: Simulations Engage Students in Active Learning.

The Best on the Net: Native Americans

Mon, 22 Nov 2004 05:00:00 GMT

The Best on the Net: Native Americans

by Walter McKenzie, Education World

This page highlights the best on the Web sites on the Internte for teaching about Native Americans. These resources should help you work timely themes into your lessons.

The Cherokees of California
http://www.powersource.com//cocinc/default.html
Look here for a number of resources on Cherokee culture, from language and recipes to music and literature. The Cherokee Syllabary offers a Cherokee pronunciation key, the Cherokee alphabet, and more. Recipes from the Cherokee Cookbook are simple and appealing enough to make for or with your students. The Cherokee Research links let users explore the lineage and present-day descendants of this proud people. Teachers could base a unit study of Native Americans, featuring the traditions, history, and language of the Cherokee people, on this site.

Flags of the Native Peoples of the United States
http://hometown.aol.com/Donh523/navapage/index.htm
The flags of more than 100 groups of Native American people, from the Abenaki of New England to the Zia Pueblo of the Southwest, are catalogued here. Text that accompanies the flag images includes information about the symbolism of each flag and the people it represents. Users can also find information about native peoples of Canada and Australia.

Zitkala-Sa: Old Indian Legends
http://www.inform.umd.edu/EdRes/ReadingRoom/Fiction/Zitkala-Sa/
The University of Maryland brings together this collection of native tales as told by Zitkala-Sa. Each story is presented with descriptive detail and reflects the values of Native American culture. The plain text format allows quick loading and easy-on-the-eyes reading. You will enjoy making use of such stories as Iktomi's Blanket, the Badger and the Bear, and the Warlike Seven with your students, both as cultural documents and examples of traditional tales.

Native American Culture
http://www.mcps.k12.md.us/schools/argylems/lessons/lessons.shtm
Jay Savage of Montgomery County (Maryland) Public Schools designed this two-week unit for eighth graders. Cross-curricular explorations in social studies, language arts, and technology skills occur in a constructive, open-ended format that allows for student interests and abilities. Students conduct online research, create a table of information gathered, analyze literature, and use Native American techniques to create an original piece of art. Great teacher support, resources, and rubrics for assessment make this a site you'll want to visit!

Native American Links
http://www.ameritech.net/users/macler/nativeamericans.html
If you're looking for a directory of all kinds of resources to use in your classroom study of Native Americans, this site may be very helpful. Links to clip art, folk art, clothing, crafts, recipes, games, art and music, projects, and listings of tribes are all offered here for quick reference. These resources are ideal for elementary school kids and can be easily adapted for older students as well!

Native American Nations
http://www.nativeculture.com/lisamitten/nations.html
Native American Nations is the most comprehensive listing of tribes online. Succinct descriptions of each group and links for further research make this especially valuable for student research. Heavily text-based with lots of scrolling through alphabetical listings, the site is best suited for middle schoolers and beyond.

Native Tech
http://www.nativetech.org/
Highlighting accomplishments in Native American technology and art, this fully searchable site offers lots of information about beadwork, bird feathers, pottery, games, clothing, metalwork, plants, quills, tools, weaving, food, and literature. Message boards and interactive forums round out this extensive collection of materials.

Native Pre-Contact Housing
http://www.kstrom.net/isk/maps/houses/housingmap.html
This site allows users to examine more than a dozen different types of Native American structures in North America. From MainMenu, users can search more than 300 Web pages. MainMenu also leads to menus of independent topical sections. This site is a useful tool for teachers of all grades who wish to introduce students to Native American studies.

Map Lessons: The Route to Improved Geography Skills

Mon, 15 Nov 2004 05:00:00 GMT

Map Lessons: The Route to Improved Geography Skills

by Gary Hopkins, Education World

To celebrate National Geography Awareness Week, Education World editors have created five lessons that employ maps to teach geography and a wide variety of other skills. Included: Lessons to teach all students about landforms, the global economy, maps from space, more!

"When I got to the third grade, that’s when I discovered the earth because I had my first geography book. . . . In the third grade room, there was a globe spinning on its axis, and the world was mine, and I feel it’s been my oyster ever since. It’s whatever I can make of it and make of myself in it."
-- Albert Murray, writer on American culture

In June, Secretary of Education Rod Paige unveiled the results of the most recent geography testing of U.S. schoolchildren. The National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) “nation’s report card” on geography revealed slight improvement at the elementary and middle grades, but 12th graders’ scores have remained flat for most of the last decade. Paige noted that much work remains to be done before geography skills reach acceptable levels. “For example,” Paige said, “when given a map of the United States, 16 percent of eighth graders could not locate the Mississippi River, and one-fourth of fourth graders could not identify the state where they lived.”

Geography is at the forefront this week, as we prepare to celebrate National Geography Awareness Week. To recognize the week, Education World unveils five map lesson plans that can be easily adapted for use in most any grade.

FIVE LESSONS FOR TEACHING ABOUT MAPS
This week, Education World provides five lessons for teaching about geography, maps, landforms, and more! Click on each of the five lesson headlines below for a complete teaching resource. (Appropriate grade levels for each lesson appear in parentheses.)

1. Create a Country

Subjects

Language Arts
Visual Arts
Mathematics
Science
Social Studies

Grade Levels

3-5
6-8
9-12

Objectives
Students will:

work in small groups to list features and elements found on a variety of grade-appropriate maps;
develop a class list of map features and elements to draw from as they create a map of an imaginary country;
include all the required elements in their maps; and,
complete extension activities as directed.

Keywords
map, imagine, imagination, country, political, natural resource, landform, river, mountain, map key, biome, geography, measure

Materials Needed

drawing paper
art supplies
a variety of maps from textbooks and/or other sources

Procedure
In this lesson, students use the geography skills they have developed to create a map and related materials for an imaginary country. This lesson might be done in a couple of class sessions or it can extend for weeks by incorporating many areas of the curriculum, including the following.

math -- students include a distance measurement key on their maps or create a currency for their country.
science -- students include at least two different biomes on their country map or map the weather conditions on a recent day.
language arts -- students create a brochure or a TV commercial to promote travel to their imaginary country.

Depending on the grade and skill level of your students, the lesson might also incorporate different types of maps, including the following.

political maps -- showing the country capital and large cities, states, or counties.
physical maps -- showing the wide range of landforms in the country.
color key maps -- showing average temperature, population density, elevations.
natural resource maps -- showing locations of centers of agriculture, manufacturing, education.

This lesson has unlimited possibilities. Decide in advance how you plan to proceed. The lesson below offers a basic framework that is easy to adapt.

Before you begin the lesson, collect a variety of maps that students will be familiar with. (The maps will vary according to your grade level and curriculum.) Arrange students into small groups. Challenge each group to look over a variety of maps and make a list of the elements that comprise those maps. Students’ lists will begin with elements such as countries, capitals, boundaries… Give students 10 minutes to complete this part of the activity. Then gather as a class to share lists and make a class list of map elements.

If students did not include landforms on their lists, direct them to think in those terms. Ask: What different types of landforms do you see on the maps? Add landforms -- such as rivers, mountains, deserts, and islands to the list.

For additional landform ideas, you might refer to online resources such as Landform Glossary or List of All Landforms.

You might also talk about other elements that appear on maps if students have not already mentioned them and if they are appropriate for your grade level. Those elements might include a compass rose, map keys, and a scale of miles.

When the list is complete, you might use a word processing program to type up the list as a resource for students as they do the activity.

Now you are ready to introduce the main thrust of the lesson: Tell students that they are going to create a country of their own! The first thing they need to do is create a map of the new country. Develop a list of required elements for the students’ maps; the list should be based on grade-appropriate geographic knowledge and should be drawn from the students’ brainstormed list of map elements. If you want a rubric students can use to make sure they include all the required elements, you might assign a score to each element and ask students to make sure their elements add up to 100 points. Tell students to name their countries, as well as the cities and major landforms in their countries. The following list can serve as an example of a rubric a fourth grade teacher might provide for students:

REQUIRED ELEMENTS FOR YOUR COUNTRY MAP

compass rose -- 5 points
country boundaries -- 5 points
country name -- 5 points
capital city -- 5 points
five cities -- (2 points for each city) 10 points
scale of miles -- 10 points
landforms -- (at least five different ones, five points each) 25 points
icons to show five natural resources found in the country -- 5 points each (25 points)
neatly color the map -- 10 points

Adapting the Lesson
As mentioned previously, this lesson can be adapted in many, many ways; it can include any area of the curriculum and involve many skills you might be teaching. In addition to the lesson adaptations listed above, here are a few more activity ideas.

Create a fact sheet or an almanac page for the imaginary country. This sheet might present a wide variety of information and statistics about the country. As an example, share with students the World Factbook. Select a country from the drop down menu at the top of the page and see the kinds of information that might be included in each student’s country fact sheet.
Create graphs to show information related to the imaginary country (for example, populations of the largest cities, population or income growth over the last century, or value of goods produced by major industries). Students can use art supplies to create colorful graphs, or they might use graphing software or the online Create a Graph tool.
Write brief interviews with citizens from different parts/cultures within the country.
If graph plotting and scale of miles skills are taught at your grade level, students can create their maps on graphing paper.
Invent a currency for the country and create a chart to show equivalencies between the country’s currency and U.S. dollars.
Hold a culture fair in which each student shares her or his map with the class and tells about some of the cultural elements of the country’s people.

Assessment
Students will include all the required elements in their maps of imaginary countries.

2. Global Economy: A Simple Activity

Subjects

Language Arts
Visual Arts
Educational Technology
Mathematics
Social Studies

Grade Levels

K-2
3-5
6-8
9-12

Objectives
Students will:

bring a favorite item of clothing to school,
make a chart to show where their favorite clothing articles are produced,
take a home survey to identify the country of origin of other common goods, and
use collected data to make a chart, graph, or map to illustrate the global economy in which we live.

Keywords
global, economy, consumer, country, graph, map, clothes, clothing, data, survey, conclude, conclusion

Materials Needed

world map
World Outline Map 1 (PDF) or World Outline Map 2
graphing software, Internet access to the online Create a Graph tool, or art supplies to make graphs

Procedure
On the day before doing this lesson, send students home with a note asking them to bring into school one of their favorite items of clothing. They need not wear that item of clothing; they just need to bring it. Tell them no more about the activity. Let them wonder what you are up to…

The next day, display a world map. Ask students to identify, without looking, the countries where they think the clothing they are wearing was made. Make a list of the students’ responses. Then invite students to look at the labels on the favorite item of clothing they brought to school to determine where it was made. Make a chart identifying each country where an item was made. Put a checkmark next to the country name for each item that was made there. Then invite students to look at easily accessible labels in clothing they are wearing. Add that information to your chart. You might Create a Graph showing the results of the clothing survey. Ask students to study the chart or graph and draw conclusions about the information in it. Do they draw the conclusion that a lot of the things we wear are made outside the United States?

What about items other than clothing? For homework, have students take an at-home survey of some common items in their homes. They might document information about where ten of the following things were made.

appliances such as the refrigerator, air conditioner, or washing machine
computer
furniture
curtains, towels, or bed clothing
dishes or other kitchen utensils

The following day, collect the data and have students create a chart showing that data.

Extension Activities

Students can create a graph illustrating some element of the data they collected.
Students might color a world map to show the five areas of the world that produced the most goods worn or used by students in the class. Students might use World Outline Map 1 (PDF) or World Outline Map 2 to complete this activity.

Assessment
Invite students to draw two conclusions based on the data they have collected. Students should write their conclusions; the conclusions should be accompanied by supporting data.

3. Comparing Countries

Subjects

Arts & Humanities
Language Arts
Educational Technology
Mathematics
Social Studies

Grade Levels

3-5
6-8
9-12

Objectives
Students will:

use online or library resources to research information about two countries,
collect information and use it to complete a simple graphic organizer,
study the collected information for similarities and differences, and
write statements or a brief essay comparing the two countries.

Keywords
graphic organizer, country, compare, contrast, natural resource, population, capital, flag, money, religion, agriculture, industry

Materials Needed

Internet access or library resources
Comparing Countries work sheet

Procedure
In this lesson, students use a simple graphic organizer to collect facts about two countries. They use that information to make comparisons between the two countries. The lesson is best used by students who have computer access, but it can be adapted to use library resources. If you have computer access, the activity can be used

in a computer lab setting with all students working on the activity at the same time;
in a classroom with limited computer access; have students sign up for a 30-minute block of time in which to complete the activity; or,
as whole-class activity, if your computer is equipped with projection capabilities.

Provide each student with a copy of the Comparing Countries work sheet. This graphic organizer is created for use in grades 2-5. If you are doing this activity with middle or high school students, you might want to create a different form that challenges students to read more comprehensive material; that form will probably include more fields for students to fill in.

Activity Resources
The activity is designed to be used with library resources (encyclopedias and almanacs, for example) and/or the following online resources:

Fact Monster
Click World & News , then Countries. (Grades 2-3)
InfoPlease
Click World , then Countries. (Grades 4-5)
The World Factbook
Select a country name from the drop-down menu at the top of the page. (Grades 6-up)

Comparing and Contrasting
After students have collected the information and completed the graphic organizer, have them write a brief comparison of the new countries.

Your youngest students might write simple statements such as “Madagascar has more people than Zambia has.”
Older students might provide a little more substance in their observations by writing a brief essay that includes such statements as “Madagascar has more than 5 million more people than Zambia has.”
Your oldest students might write a coherent essay comparing and contrasting the two countries by the numbers.

Countries to Compare
Following are some possible pairs of countries that you could assign individuals or groups to compare:

Canada and Mexico (America’s neighbors)
Denmark and Finland
Costa Rica and the Ivory Coast (Cote d’Ivoire)
United States and Russia
Afghanistan and Pakistan
Argentina and Brazil
England and Ireland
Germany and Austria
Japan and the United States
Thailand and Cambodia
Algeria and Libia
Norway and Sweden
Spain and France
Iran and Iraq
China and Russia
Egypt and Ethiopia
Ukraine and Romania
Chad and Sudan
Poland and the Czech Republic
South Africa and Zimbabwe
Vietnam and Cambodia
India and China
Belgium and the Netherlands
Hungary and Yugoslavia
Chile and Peru

Assessment
Once students have collected the information and completed the graphic organizer, have them write a brief comparison of the new countries. (See Comparing and Contrasting above.)

4. Memorable Maps

Subjects

Language Arts
Visual Arts
Social Studies

Grade Levels

K-2
3-5
6-8
9-12

Objectives
Students will do the following.

Create at the start of the year a map from memory. (The subject of the map depends on the focus of the social studies curriculum for your grade level.)
Repeat the activity at the end of the year so students will have an eye-opening visual record of just how much they learned about maps and geography during the year.

Keywords
map, draw, test, United States, geography, world, state, region

Materials Needed

drawing paper
pencil
colored pencils or crayons

Procedure
This lesson is a simple one that can be adapted, depending on the focus of your social studies curriculum -- whether that focus is your state, the world, the United States, your region, Canada, or any other locale. For the purpose of this activity, we will assume you are studying the world, so…

At the start of the school year, provide students with a sheet of drawing paper. Tell them they are going to make a “memorable map” -- a map of the world from memory, that is!

Remember, if you are studying your state’s history, then the activity should focus on making a “memorable map” of your state. If your focus is the United States, then students will be challenged to make a “memorable map” of the United States…

Allow students a specified amount of time -- 30 to 45 minutes is recommended -- to draw the assigned map from memory. Students should include on their “memorable” world maps the continents, as many countries as they can name, names of oceans, mountain ranges, cities, and anything else they can think to include.

When students have finished their maps, make sure their names are on them, collect them, and file them away.”

Nine Months Later… At the end of a school year of studying world geography or history, and after many map experiences related to the world, students should be able to do a much better job of drawing from memory a map of the world. That is why you will repeat the “memorable map” activity that you did at the start of the year. Provide the same length of time and, when students’ maps are completed, break out the maps they drew much earlier in the school year. How do the maps compare? The maps should show quite a bit of growth in students’ concepts of the world. The end-of-year maps are probably much more accurate than their earlier counterparts, and they probably include many more places, bodies of water, and other features. The maps should be a visual reminder to students of just how much progress they have made.

Display the before-and-after maps for the whole school to see!

Assessment
Students will write a paragraph that expresses their reactions to the two maps.

5. Earth at Night

Subjects

Educational Technology
Mathematics
Science
Social Studies

Grade Levels

3-5
6-8
9-12

Objectives
Students will:

identify the seven continents on a map image of Earth as seen from space, and
use map resources to identify ten selected cities on the Earth at Night map work sheet.

Keywords
map, Earth, space, night, population, countries, cities, country, city, continent, satellite

Materials Needed

world maps from a variety of sources (textbooks, atlases, encyclopedia, online sources, and more)
Earth at Night work sheet

Procedure
In this lesson, students use maps to identify places on a map image of the world at night taken from space. The work sheet that accompanies the lesson is intended for use in grades 3-6. Teachers of older students might print out the activity and mark ten additional locations for their students to identify.

If you have a projector attached to a classroom computer, you might introduce students to the map of Earth at Night that was taken from space. Following are several sources of that map:

Have students identify the continents on the Earth at Night map. Can they pinpoint the location of their city or town? Then hand out to students the Earth at Night work sheet. Challenge students to use maps they find in their textbooks, encyclopedia, atlases, or online to identify the names of the ten large cities highlighted on the work sheet.

You might extend the lesson by looking at other maps of Earth from space. See a resource on the NASA Web site, The Blue Marble. Discuss what features of Earth those other maps show that cannot be seen in the Earth at Night map.

Assessment
Work sheet answers:

San Diego, CA (USA);
Santiago (Chile);
Boston, MA (USA);
Miami, FL (USA);
Madrid (Spain);
Paris (France);
Cape Town (South Africa);
Bangkok (Thailand);
Tokyo (Japan);
Sidney/Canberra (New South Wales, Australia).

copyright: 2004, EducationWorld.com, used by permission

Take the "Polar Express" to Learning

Mon, 08 Nov 2004 05:00:00 GMT

Take the "Polar Express" to Learning

by Gary Hopkins, Education World

Polar Express, the movie, arrives in movie theaters nationwide on November 10. Don't miss the movie and the opportunity to take advantage of this "teachable moment."

One of the most beloved children's books of all time, The Polar Express by Chris Van Allsburg, gets big-screen treatement this holiday season. As children and families head in droves to local theaters to see the movie, wise teachers are preparing lessons to capitalize on its release.

Some schools are even capitalizing on the excitement that surrounds the movie by booking a theater for a night of family fun and fundraising. If you're looking for a great holiday fundraiser, you might contact your local theater for more information about theater rentals.

To help you take advantage in the classroom of this supremely "teachable moment," Education World has gathered lessons and other resources from around the Web. We hope these great resources help you connect The Polar Express to all areas of your curriculum.

FIVE LESSONS FOR TEACHING THE POLAR EXPRESS

The five links below offer fun activities for teaching with The Polar Express. You'll find links to many additional activities as you scroll down this page.

A Train Track Reading Log (PDF, 437K)
Use this printable sheet to motivate kids to read or to help encourage parents to read to or with their kids.
Polar Express Crossword Puzzle (PDF, 436K)
A simple crossword for young readers. Printable work sheet included.
Polar Express Word Search Puzzle (PDF, 436 )
Build vocabulary and spelling skills as kids hunt for 23 words. Printable work sheet included.
Make Your Own Reindeer (PDF, 441K)
Follow up your reading of Polar Express with this simple craft activity.
Polar Express Party Recipes (PDF, 454K)
Have a party with caramel nougat squares and chocolate-bar cocoa.

The above activities are part of a great resource from Houghton Mifflin. For additional activities, printables, and resources from the publisher, see their resource A Polar Express Pajama Party (PDF, 2.158MB).

MORE RESOURCES FROM HOUGHTON MIFFLIN

The Polar Express Teachers & Librarians Page
This resource from Houghton Mifflin offers across-the-curriculum lesson ideas for The Polar Express and many other books by Chris Van Allsburg plus a special Polar Express Pajama Party Kit.

Additional resources from the publisher include the following:

MORE LESSONS AND RESOURCES

Lesson Ideas for Teaching with The Polar Express

The Polar Express Unit & Theme
Teacher Colleen Gallagher's "Teaching Heart" Web site offers some wonderful, easy-to-use activities for getting the most out of your classroom reading of The Polar Express.

Polar Expressions
Third-grade teacher Kimberly Dutton's lesson challenges students to write a five-paragraph expository essay.

The Polar Express Math Problems
These story problems related to The Polar Express come from MathStories.com.

TeacherViews: The Polar Express
Teacher Katy Smith offers a brief review and some of her favorite teaching activities.

The Polar Express: Activities from Kinderthemes
Teacher Denise Fischer offers some fun ideas for sharing The Polar Express with very young readers.

A Vacation to the Polar Regions
Extend learning about the polar regions with this lesson plan from National Geographic.

Polar Animals
The Activity Idea Place offers a couple dozen language arts, art, and music ideas to help teach about animals of the polar regions.

Mrs. Burns's Class Reads The Polar Express
Spend a "virtual day" with Mrs. Burns's kids. Their Polar Express explorations didn't leave out Hannukah!

Resources for Teaching About Chris Van Allsburg

Chris Van Allsburg
This is Chris's official Web page. Here you will find a brief biography, an FAQ page, teacher resources, a scavenger hunt for kids, and much more.
A Conversation with Chris Van Allsburg (Houghton Mifflin)
Chris Van Allsburg's 1986 Caldecott Medal Acceptance Speech (for The Polar Express) (Houghton Mifflin)
Author Spotlight: Chris Van Allsburg Biography (EduPlace.com)
Author Spotlight: Chris Van Allsburg Interview (EduPlace.com)
Author Studies: Chris Van Allsburg Biography (Scholastic.com)
Author Studies: Chris Van Allsburg's Interview Transcript (Scholastic.com)

Letterboxing

Tue, 02 Nov 2004 05:00:00 GMT

Letterboxing

by Cara Bafile, Education World

Letterboxing -- a new kind of exploration that's been gaining popularity across the United States -- is quickly becoming a hit with teachers and kids as well. In this pastime turned class-time activity, students solve and follow clues to find a hidden "treasure" -- containing a stamp, a logbook, and a few other goodies.

"I discovered letterboxing in September 2003, in a small article in a parenting magazine sent home by my son's preschool," Melanie Adams told Education World. "The entire article was about six lines long, but it included the Web address of Letterboxing.org. I checked it out that night on a whim -- and have been addicted ever since."

Letterboxing is a modern form of treasure hunting that is catching on in the United States. Participants leave weatherproof boxes -- containing a logbook and carved rubber stamp -- in remote, interesting, and picturesque places, and then they write clues to help others discover the boxes. Seekers follow the clues, which often can be found online, as they hunt for a letterbox. When they locate a box, finders stamp the box's logbook with their personal stamp, and stamp their own books with the box's stamp. Sometimes other items, like small rewards or clues to another letterbox, are included in the boxes as well.

FIRST GRADE

An avid letterboxer, and a Title I educational assistant at Highland Elementary School in Gresham, Oregon, Adams has found that letterboxing fits beautifully into the classroom. During the last school year, she designed a letterbox activity for a first grade class that focused on students' study of penguins.

"I carved stamps and hid them around the school," she recalled. "The class was arranged into small groups, each with an adult. The adult was given a copy of the clues to read to the group. They were instructed not to give the clues away, only to read the clues to the students and supervise their hunt. The clues consisted of information about areas they had been studying. Students had to work cooperatively, using knowledge they had learned over the previous weeks and their knowledge of the school."

Some clues had students counting off steps; some had them identifying habitats of different species of penguins; some had them identifying school employees; and some even involved using a compass. Students had their own logbooks to record their discoveries, and students in each group logged into the box logbook with their thumbprints. Later that day, the classroom teacher asked students to write about their finds on the pages they had stamped.

SECOND GRADE

Highland Elementary's second graders currently are involved in a Flat Stanley project. In order to expand its reach, Adams and the classes created three Flat Stanley postal letterboxes with a "Flat Stanley," a copy of the book, a Flat Stanley stamp, a logbook shaped like Flat Stanley's lunchbox, a disposable camera, and instructions. Each recipient has agreed to take Flat Stanley to an interesting place in his or her state, take a picture of Stanley at that location, and write about the trip in the logbook.

"We've had great communication with people, and most of them have gone above and beyond to get students information about their state," said Adams. "One woman even collected enough post cards from her state for each student to receive one. The students love to read the e-mail I get about Flat Stanley's trip and to track on the map where he's going next. When he returns, we will post all the pictures and log book entries." So far, the youngsters' Stanleys have traveled to Alaska, Tennessee, Texas, California, and Connecticut!

FIFTH GRADE

Adams' fifth graders have just begun to explore letterboxing as a hobby. They recently engaged in a weeklong unit about creating a unique symbol to represent their personalities and interests. The students took notes on words, images, and shapes that reflected their lives. They participated in a two-day workshop on form and types of stamps, and then carved their own signature stamps. These are used not only for letterboxing activities, but also to stamp reading journals, lunch logs, and more. The intricacies of creating and finding boxes will be addressed in coming months.

FUN FOR ALL

"Our students loved letterboxing," Adams stated. "Almost all our first graders went home and talked about it with their parents. We got inquiries from many parents for more information."

"The first graders loved collecting the images and the secrecy of the boxes," Adams added. "Our fifth graders have grown as individuals and have started looking for information and codes they can work into clues. They love breaking clues and creating their own stamps."

Students frequently ask Adams to set up additional boxes and to report on her latest finds. She shares her logbooks, stories, and knowledge she has gained from her letterboxing adventures.

MATH IN THE BOX

Tim Kuehl of Kettle Moraine Lutheran High School was hooked immediately when he read an online article about letterboxing in 2002. Now, he promotes the pastime among his students in Jackson, Wisconsin.

For his honors algebra class, Kuehl offers several Mathman Letterboxes that review the materials at the end of each semester! "Since honors algebra is a freshman class and students can't drive, I make the boxes family oriented, and offer them as extra credit," he said. "Students turn in the clue sheet with all the work done and the box stamp on it."

In his honors advanced algebra class, Kuehl's students work in groups of four to make "Mathman" letterboxes. First, to get a feel for letterboxing and what makes a good letterbox, they research online the clues for 20 letterboxes, and they locate two current Mathman boxes. Then, each group finds a location at which to hide its box, and writes clues that utilize the mathematics students have learned. Students also select a theme and design a stamp for their box. Although they can carve their own stamps, Kuehl usually handles that aspect of the project.

"Last year, the students really got into it and took personal ownership in the boxes they were creating," Kuehl reported. "They incorporated not only the math they learned, but also geography, history, English, previous math, and science into the clues. Many students were proud of their creations -- and rightly so."

In trigonometry and pre-calculus classes, Kuehl provides a series of three letterboxes he calls Triangles, Triangles, Everywhere. Students use trigonometry skills to uncover three boxes hidden in counties near the school. He moves the boxes each year -- in case students from one class enroll in the other. When they have found a letterbox, students submit a poster board display, PowerPoint presentation, or video of their trip, along with a worksheet containing the clues and an explanation of how they were solved.

EDUCATIONAL TOO!

"For the most part, students have a good time," reported Kuehl. "They like doing an activity that is very different from any other school work. I do incorporate into the clues a number of activities that allow them to do some fun activities that are not necessarily school-related. Although I warn students to plan enough time during good weather, the only students who really complain about the activity are those who complain about everything and/or those who wait until the last minute and need to rush or go out in nasty weather!"

Kuehl has been pleased to see so many of his students enjoy the letterboxing experience. Some of his classes didn't have associated letterboxes until the students enrolled heard about how much fun other classes had had with boxes and requested them. The cross-curricular learning achieved by the students who create their own letterboxes has also impressed Kuehl. His current projects will establish letterboxes for statistics and advanced placement calculus classes, as well as for Spanish, German, and Latin foreign language courses.

Some of Kuehl's letterboxes for students include a Pi Day Series of boxes that are only available around March 14th (3.14) and a Creative Writing - The Never Ending Story Letterbox for his school's English classes. There is a Weapons of Math Instruction Series as well, and his first planted box is in the school's Environmental Classroom, on its cross-country course. At times, Kuehl makes temporary letterboxes for his cross country runners to find, and he plans to create a bulletin board display of his letterboxing journeys soon.

"I like to slowly lead students into letterboxing," he said. "I believe the best way to get started is to have the students find some easy letterboxes with their families."

ON THE QUEST

"I have used letterboxing primarily in a program called Quest, an adventure-based counseling program for at risk teens," Andrew Marancik explained. "The program is designed to help students deal with diverse problems -- drug abuse, emotional, psychological, social, and family problems. We offer students physical and mental challenges to attempt to create metaphors for the challenges they face in their personal lives. Students discover problem solving strategies and tactics to overcome the many difficulties they face in their personal lives."

With one of his Quest groups, Marancik recently established a box on an island in the Delaware River. Similar groups have been camping on the island annually for at least 15 years, during a two-day canoe trip. He hopes the placement of the box will allow those groups to connect through it.

"If I were to tell most groups of students that I wanted them to go hiking, the response would not be positive," admitted Marancik. "But if they have a goal, that makes all the difference. There is something for everyone in these activities -- art, history, science, and environmental science."

Marancik also uses letterboxing to teach students about vectors in his physics classes at High Point Regional High School in Sussex, New Jersey, and he is devising ways to present all his quizzes and tests in that format, because it requires much more effort and delivers greater rewards. Students love the challenge of searching for a letterbox, he noted.

He also is trying to organize a letterboxing club at the school. "Letterboxing is a great activity that you can incorporate into any curriculum or subject matter and at any age level," he said.

LETTERBOXING TIPS

Marancik offers the following advice to teachers who want to explore letterboxing with kids.

When you choose a box and set of clues, be sure to verify on your own that the box is there before you involve students.
Make sure you have permission to visit a letterbox site and that it will be open when you plan to bring students.
Consider arranging the class into small groups in the beginning. That practice will keeps one strong personality from getting the entire group hopelessly lost!

ADDITIONAL RESOURCES

Letterboxing North America
Offering information, instructions, and the clues for many boxes hidden across the United States, this site probably is the best place for would-be letterboxers to begin.

Letterboxing Central
Learn the basics of letterboxing and find additional resources about it.

How to Make a Rubber Stamp
Step-by-step instructions for creating a personalized rubber stamp.

Use Editorial Cartoons to Teach About Elections

Mon, 01 Nov 2004 05:00:00 GMT

Use Editorial Cartoons to Teach About Elections

by Walter McKenzie, EducationWorld.com

When children look through the newspaper, what section do they gravitate to first?

The comics, of course!

Children are visual by nature, and the humor and empathy created in comic strips naturally lend themselves to a child's understanding of the world. Why not take advantage of that natural attraction to cartoons in your classroom? Bring the power of editorial cartoons -- the strength of their images and the power of their messages -- into your classroom!

Teacher Peg Cagle does just that! "Put an editorial cartoon and a newspaper article in front of kids; which one will they pick?" asks Cagle.

Kids gravitate more willingly toward editorial cartoons, and the format is often richer in political, economic, and social impact, added Cagle, who is the creator of a truly unique Internet resource -- Teacher Guide for the Professional Cartoonists Index.

Although Cagle's interest in editorial cartoons is educational, it doesn't hurt that her husband is renowned editorial cartoonist Daryl Cagle and that he is the creator of the Professional Cartoonists Index!

"Editorial cartoons cover a lot of high-level concepts: metaphor, simile, hyperbole, satire, irony -- things that are harder to convey in text," Peg Cagle told Education World. "Language isn't a barrier. It is all right there in the visual.

"In a number of states, the ability to interpret an editorial cartoon is being named as one of the basic skills, right along with map and graph reading," added Cagle.

Cagle's site -- we're talking now about Peg's site for teachers -- is loaded with valuable classroom resources. Editorial cartoons from 71 newspaper editorial cartoonists are presented with the permission and participation of the creators -- including top names in the field, such as Pulitzer Prize winners Michael Ramirez, Jeff MacNelly, Jim Borgman, Mike Luckovich, Steve Breen, Dick Locher, Jim Morin, and Mike Peters.

"We have developed lesson plans for using the editorial cartoons as a teaching tool in the social sciences, art, journalism, and English at all levels," added Cagle.

A LITTLE HISTORY LESSON

Editorial cartoons have a long and "illustrious" history. Widely credited as "the father of the editorial cartoon," illustrator Thomas Nast expressed his opinions on a wide range of political and social issues during the last half of the 19th century. Many consider Nast's cartoons to be a chronicle of U.S. history during that period. His cartoons were widely influential; every presidential candidate Nast supported was elected!

Today, hundreds of cartoonists carry on the tradition of editorial satire introduced by Nast more than 150 years ago. Their cartoons provide a library of teaching tools for teachers eager to use the news to teach critical thinking and media literacy!

A TOOL FOR TEACHING HIGHER-LEVEL THINKING

Kids and editorial cartoons are a natural connection. The cartoons can be a terrific tool for teaching higher-level thinking skills. Students can discuss them and analyze them -- and they can even create them as original works that reflect their perceptions of current events and cultural trends.

Editorial cartoons can help develop students who are much more sophisticated interpreters of current events than students of previous generations. Today's students are ready to look beyond actual events and immerse themselves in some of the issues.

Editorial cartoons used to be the sole domain of language arts and social studies, but today, teachers of all subject areas can make use of cartoon commentaries on a wide range of topics -- including cloning, ecology, health, and space. There has never been a better time for teachers to incorporate editorial cartoons into their teaching strategies.

EDITORIAL CARTOONS AND THE ELECTIONS

No current event could be more rife with editorializing possibilities than the upcoming U.S. presidential elections. Personalities and issues are rich fodder for satire. Imagine the possibilities for creating classroom galleries of editorial cartoons from around the country about a specific candidate or a hot topic. Those cartoons have great potential for classroom debates.

Teachers might consider projects in which students create their own portfolios of editorial cartoons collected from a variety of sources. As an extension activity, challenge students to design their own editorial cartoons that counter the sentiments of the cartoons in their portfolios.

KIDS AS EDITORIAL CARTOONISTS!

Tapping into students' editorial voices can be an enlightening experience that goes far beyond classroom studies. If you are looking for ways to celebrate your students' most meaningful work, you might send the best work from your class to your own local newspaper for publication on the editorial page.

If you have a copy of Editorial Cartoons by Kids, share and talk about some sample cartoons with your students.

EDITORIAL CARTOON RESOURCES

So where can the great editorial cartoon resources be found on the Net? Online, teachers can find dozens of excellent sources. One great place to start is the Washington Post On Politics page, where you will find links to the work of Herblock, the editorial cartoonist at the Post since 1946.

Would you rather find something a little closer to home? Your local newspaper may post an editorial cartoon each day. Collecting a file of them in hard copy can take patience and planning, but what a valuable resource!

Are you looking for editorial opinion from a variety of locales? Newspaperlinks.com enables teachers to look up newspapers online around the country so students can catch the local sentiment about a variety of local, national, and international issues.

Just one note of caution: Because editorial cartoons tackle some controversial issues, screen materials before using them in class.

ADDITIONAL ONLINE RESOURCES

A Brief History of Political Cartoons
This page provides an overview of the political cartoon from Roman times through the American Revolution and the Civil War. This site is appropriate for upper middle school and high school students. Footnotes nicely document the information offered.
The American Presidency
Grolier presents this overview of political cartoons and how people have used them during the past two centuries to satirize our presidents. This site provides background information that students need to interpret editorial cartoons.
World War I Cartoons
This excellent presentation of a dozen editorial cartoons from the period of World War I (1914-1918) has historical background and succinct analysis to aid students in their appreciation of the cartoons' satire.
Bateman Editorial Cartoons
Scott Bateman offers his daily political cartoon here, along with an archive of his work for the past six months. Links enable readers to contact Bateman for further insight into his work.
Jeff MacNelly
This is the official Jeff MacNelly SHOE site.
Politically Correct Cartoons
Jim Huber archives his weekly editorial cartoons from 1994 to the present here. The cartoons are well crafted and do not contain inappropriate content.
Cartoon of the Week
This collection is updated every Thursday. It highlights editorial cartoons about world events.
Editorial Cartoons
This site has editorial cartoons from some of the top cartoonists in the field, including Mike Luckovich, Chip Bok, and Herbert Block.
Editorial Cartoons of Cam
This site features editorial cartoons by one of Canada's most popular editorial cartoonists, Cameron Cardow.
Steve Sak Cartoons
This editorial cartoon site from the Minneapolis Star Tribune includes an alphabetical listing of cartoon topics.
Michael Ramirez Editorial Cartoon Index
An indexed listing of cartoons by Los Angeles Times editorial cartoonist Michael Ramirez.
Daryl Cagle's Professional Cartoonists Index
Election Cartoons 2004 (TIME magazine)
Indecision 2004 Editorial Cartoons

The Presidency

Mon, 01 Nov 2004 05:00:00 GMT

The Presidency

Interdisciplinary Activity Ideas from PBS TeacherSource

from PBS TeacherSource

This monthly themed content package offers interdisciplinary activity ideas, TV programs and online resources for your classroom.

PBS TeacherSource offers educators a wealth of free resources tied to PBS TV programming and online content. Among the resources are monthly, grade-appropriate thematic units for grades 3-12 and for grades PreK-2. In addition, educators can Search for more than 4,000 free lesson plans and activities to use in the classroom.

Return in December for activities and resources focusing on religious diversity in America!

Teaching Ideas

1. Presidents By the Numbers
Grade Level: 3-5
Subjects: Math, Social Studies

Begin this lesson by sharing fun facts about yourself. The only rule is that your facts must include numbers or math vocabulary. For example you might say ?I went to college for 6 years, I was born in 1965, in one year I read an average of four books, I enjoy reading non fiction more than fiction, I voted in the last presidential election four years ago.? Record your facts on the board and highlight numbers and math vocabulary. Afterwards call on a few children to share facts about themselves - same rule applies; the facts must include numbers! And hopefully some math vocabulary.

After this activator, arrange the children into small groups. Give them big pieces of paper to record their presidential facts. Distribute books, website printouts, and/or access to any other resources related to U.S. presidents. Have them read the information and then create and record fun facts about presidents. Again, the only rule is they must relate the presidential fact to numbers, somehow! For example, some facts might read?Bill Clinton was the 42nd President, 6 Presidents were named ?John,? Ronald Reagan was President for eight year - 4 more than George H.W. Bush. There were two presidents named Roosevelt and 2 named Bush.

Before the students begin, vote as a whole group on the rules for deciding how the winning group will be determined. (For example maybe one point will be given for each number mentioned, 5 points for a math vocabulary word, lose two points if the fact is mentioned twice?)

Have the students share their lists and designate one person from each team to keep score.

Online Resources

2. Madame President?
Grade Level: 6-8
Subjects: Social Studies

The United States has had 43 Presidents, but no woman has yet been elected to the Oval Office. Women make up half the population of the U.S. It therefore seems inevitable that one day a "Ms. President" or "Madame President" will lead the nation, perhaps with a First Man by her side.

Have your students volunteer scenarios under which a woman might become President. Do they believe it will happen within the next few elections, or during their lives? Who are some prominent women who are future possible candidates for president? When do they believe the country will have its first African American President? What about a candidate from another ethnic or religious background not yet represented among the Presidents? You could ask your students to write a short story about one such scenario.

Explain to your class that until 1920, women could not vote in federal elections. Ask how your pupils would feel if they lived in a country where they were not permitted to vote, even when they become adults. If some indicate that they would resent being disenfranchised, ask them to consider strategies to obtain voting rights. Structure a class debate around the following question: Should younger teens or kids be allowed to vote in presidential elections.

Online Resources

PBS Online Resources

By the People
Find lesson plans on all election and presidential-related topics.

Democracy Project
Explore lesson plans and fun interactives about the president for younger students.

WayBack: Presidents Secret History
Explore the lesser known side of being president.

American Experience - The Presidents
Explore the lives and careers of all the American presidents.

Frontline: The Choice 2004
What makes a good president? Read what a team of historians say.

NewsHour Extra - Campaign 2004
Find lesson plans and all the latest information on the election and its aftermath.

The American President
Examine how the presidency has adapted to a changing nation and world.

PBS Programs

Don't miss these programs airing in November! Check your local listings for the most accurate air date and time.

Frontline - The Choice
As Americans prepare to choose their next president, FRONTLINE offers viewers a special, two-hour dual biography of the two candidates who hope to lead the nation for the next four years. The fifth installment in FRONTLINE?s continuing election series pairs filmmaker Martin Smith and correspondent Nick Lemann, who go beyond sound bites and political rhetoric to explore how the candidates and their values have been shaped by family background, history, victory and defeat. By eschewing political pundits in favor of insightful comments from friends, mentors, historians and spiritual advisors, ?The Choice 2004? offers viewers ? and voters ? a chance to see the candidates in a fresh light before the campaign reaches its climax on Election Day.

NewsHour with Jim Lehrer: Election Night Coverage
The NEWSHOUR presents complete live coverage of the 2004 presidential election. Jim Lehrer, NEWSHOUR correspondents and their team of experts provide analysis and discussion of the election results.

Every Day Activities: Language

Mon, 25 Oct 2004 04:00:00 GMT

Every Day Activities: Language

by Gary Hopkins, Education World? Editor in Chief

Build vocabulary skills, spelling skills, literature awareness, thinking skills, and more with daily fun.

Daily reinforcement of basic skills can go a long way toward ensuring that kids learn and retain the skills you teach. You'll see the results of daily reinforcement in end-of-year test scores too! This week, Education World highlights a couple of dozen Web sites that are perfect resources for developing activities to reinforce needed skills on a daily basis!

In this story, you'll find "every day" resources connected to language and literature. If you're looking for additional "every day" ideas, don't miss Education World's other two LESSON PLANNING stories this week: "Every Day" Activities: Today in History (including activities and resources to develop students' knowledge of current events, history, and culture) and "Every Day" Activities: Potpourri.

DAILY VOCABULARY BUILDING

Daily Buzzword
This is a fun site for kids of all ages from the dictionary people at Merriam-Webster. Each day a new word is presented. A definition and a sentence with the word used in context are offered. Finally, readers can take a multiple-choice quiz to find out if they really understand the meaning of the word. If your classroom computers are equipped with sound, students can click the "hear it!" button to hear the word pronounced. The Daily Buzzword is available free on a subscription basis; sign up and you'll get an e-mail each day. The Buzzwords for the previous 30 days are also available in an archive, so teachers can pick and choose words if they prefer. Among the words recently posted to this Web page were cacophony, adroit, newfangled, and null. Following is the entry that appeared recently for the word blandish.

blandish (verb)
\BLAN-dish\

What does it mean? to coax with flattery : cajole

How do you use it? Sam thought the best way to convince his mother to let him go to the movies would be to blandish her, but she proved immune to his charm and compliments.

Are you a word wiz?
Who do you think was one of the first writers to use "blandish"?

A. Richard Rolle de Hampole, a medieval English mystic (1300s)

B. Elizabethan playwright William Shakespeare (1500s)

C. American statesman and philosopher Benjamin Franklin (1700s)

D. English novelist Charlotte Bronte (1800s)

If you click you'll find that the correct answer is:

A. Richard Rolle de Hampole, a medieval English mystic (1300s) We're not just trying to flatter you; if you got this one right, you'e pretty smart! The word "blandish" has been a part of the English language since at least the 1300s. It derives from "blandus," a Latin word meaning "mild" or "flattering." One of the earliest known uses of "blandish" can be found in the sacred writings of Richard Rolle de Hampole, an English hermit and mystic, who cautioned against "the dragon ... that blandishes with the head and smites with the tail."

A Word a Day
More than 178,000 people subscribe to A.Word.A.Day now. Visitors to the A.Word.A.Day Web site can search the site for specific words, check the archive for word listings, or search for words by theme. If you have an audio-equipped computer, you can also hear the word's pronunciation. Words are arranged according to weekly themes. Among the recent themes were tree words, words about books, nautical words, and words about words. The word tessera, a recent posting, serves as an example of what you'll find if you subscribe to A.Word.A.Day or visit its site:

tessera

tessera (TES-uhr-uh) noun; plural tesserae (TES-uhr-ee)

One of the small squares of stone or glass used in making mosaic patterns.

[Latin, from Greek, neuter of tesseres, variant of tessares, four.]

"Kobi, the director at the site, showed us where a single tessera had come loose. If not reset, it could easily become lost and the empty space could then make it easier for the other tiles to come out, he says." -- Haim Shapiro, Ein Gedi's Mosaic Miracles, Jerusalem Post, 30 May 1997

Infoplease Daily Almanac
Have your students play a daily word game on the Infoplease Web site. They click on what does it mean? to find the day's word. Students can listen to the word's pronunciation if the computer has audio. Among the recent words on this site were sophism, pinquid, and prandial. Each entry provides a statement employing the word in context and three possible definitions. Students click on the definition they believe to be the correct one and quickly learn whether they are right or wrong. Among the recent postings to this list was this one for the word sequacious.

sequacious

After years of research and information-gathering, you begin writing your crime novel. You expect the writing to be sequacious and vibrant. To your surprise,

a. the writing style you were hoping for doesn't follow with smooth regularity.

b. you are unable to create the tone of a good detective story.

c. writer's block is a tremendous obstacle -- it almost forces you to give up the project.

Click to learn that the correct answer is choice a.

Cobuild Idiom of the Day
Each day, Cobuild (a British publishing company) offers an Idiom of the Day. This daily posting has all the makings for a quick, fun language activity at any grade level. Teachers might use the daily idiom as a discussion to settle students after lunch. Or students might create Idiom Journals; each day they might write their own take on the Idiom of the Day before the teacher shares what Cobuild has to say. Following is a sample posting from the site.

busy
a busy bee
busy as a bee

If you describe someone as a busy bee or say that they are busy as a bee, you mean that they enjoy doing a lot of things and always keep themselves busy.

"I enjoy being a busy bee, getting things done," she says in her confident way.

He is busy as a bee designing every production in London.

A DAILY WORD PUZZLE

Word Game of the Day This is another activity from the people at Merriam-Webster. Five types of word games (Definition Demolition, Flip Flop, Transform Brainstorm, Highbrow Lowbrow, and Match Maker) alternate to fill this space on a daily basis. The games are great tools for exercising the brain and for developing vocabulary at the middle- and high-school levels. The best way to understand what's offered here is to experience the games. With practice, students are bound to get better at them, so don't let them give up after only a couple of tries! As an example: The Transform Brainstorm game introduces a word, then provides a clue for a new word that can be made by changing one letter in the posted word. Players must keep going quickly because they are being timed! Can your students complete the puzzle?

STARTING WORD: JUNTO
type of finch JUNCO
con game BUNCO
group BUNCH
court BENCH
oak or chestnut BEECH
real bloodsucker LEECH

A DAILY DOSE OF LITERATURE

The Writer's Almanac
The Writer's Almanac, from Minnesota Public Radio, is a daily program of poetry and history hosted by Garrison Keillor. Parts of each show's script is available on-line. An archive provides scripts from the past year. This would be a nice resource for a middle or high school literature teacher to use as a tool for familiarizing students with great American authors. A timeline could be created to highlight some of the events.

Literary Calendar
Click on a date on the current month's calendar and up pops all kinds of literary information related to the day. An archive allows you to search for information about a date outside the current month. This site's information is also available in daily doses to anyone who subscribes to their email list. Following is a sampling of the entries posted to the site for the date May 30:

May 30, 1593. In the village of Deptford, outside London, Christopher Marlowe, 29, dramatist and government agent, is fatally stabbed with his own dagger in an argument over a tavern bill.

May 30, 1778. After entering Paris in triumph to oversee the production of his last play, Irene, Voltaire expires at 82. He is considered by most to be the greatest 18th-century European writer and is especially noted for his wit, satire, and critical capacity. His greatest work is Candide (1759).

May 30, 1834. Poet laureate Alfred Austin -- who will be remembered for attacking Tennyson, Browning, Swinburne, Hugo, and Wordsworth as inferior poets -- is born in Leeds.

May 30, 1903. One of the finest of the Harlem Renaissance poets, Countee Cullen, is born in Louisville, Kentucky. He will be adopted by the Reverend F. A. Cullen, and brought up in New York. After publication in major literary magazines, his first collection of poems, Color (1925) will be brought out before completing his studies at Harvard.