The new year has started off great....busy, but great. I have been away from work to spend some time with family, but it will be time to get back in the groove by the end of the week. If you missed my previous Resources for Teaching Geography and Economics, I highly recommend checking them out. I now turn my attention to Government.
1.) iCivics is a GREAT site. They have various games and interactives that students can use. The site does a great job of helping students learn about the Supreme Court, play a game Executive Command and be a President for four years, or learn what it takes to become a citizen through Immigration Nation. That is not the only games; their Games Section has over a dozen games broken down by the subject matter in government classes. There is also a section for teachers as well where you can find the curriculum for the standards for your state. This site is intended for middle schools, but I think the site is very applicable for 9th and 10th graders.
2.) If it is an election year, Project Vote Smart is a great site to learn about candidates and voting. There is a special section for teachers that has lesson plans for all grade levels. You can also visit their partner site; Vote Easy which provides a great background on the candidates for each state and their stance on the various issues/hot topics. A great resource for understanding elections.
3.) From PBS, comes a great resources for learning about the Supreme Court. One of their sites contains games and interactives that contains 9 games to help students learn about court cases and how the supreme court works. So many of the Supreme Court cases have defined our future, and students need a good understanding of how it works.
4.) From Scholastic comes You're the Candidate, an opportunity to create a Presidential Election platform. Students create a character, create stance on issues, determine their level of importance on those issues, and choose states to spend time campaigning in.
5.) The Three "Branches" of Government would be a great review tool or tool to use with an Interactive Whiteboard. Each section of the tree represents one of the three branches and students place leaves that contain facts of each branch on the tree. When done, a score is provided.
6.) Original documents are a huge part of understanding our American Government and its history. With the creation of the Internet, obtaining these documents have become a lot easier. There are several sites that make obtaining these documents. The first is the Avalon Project by Yale Law School which provides historical documents in law, history, and diplomacy all the way back to 450 BC and through the present. The other is Our Documents which contains the top 100 Documents to help us think, talk and teach about the rights and responsibilities of citizens in our democracy
7.) Part of teaching government for me was having students interpret Political Cartoons. Whether they are historical in nature or present time, I tried to do as many as possible to initiate discussion. Harper's Weekly has a great collection of political cartoons. You can search by date or by topic. For more modern cartoons, a great site is Daryl Cagle's Political Cartoonists Index.
8.) The Constitutional Rights Foundation has a great section dedicated to education and teachers. There is a section that contains lessons that you can search through for teaching government. You can also find information on Mock Trials, which is becoming a growing sensation in government classes. Although the site seems more focused on California, it still has great resources for any teacher.
9.) In government classes, one section that is covered is American Foreign Policy. The University of Wisconsin Digital Collections has put together a great collection of American Foreign Policy Resources. You can browse and search for various texts related to foreign policy. The collection covers the election of Abraham Lincoln to the end of World War I.
10.) Current Events is another aspect of Government that I would cover in class. There are two great sites for finding current events. The first is newsmap which organizes news by location and topic and color codes those topics as well. Another site is 10x10 which helps organize and share 100 words and pictures that define the time. You can choose a time and find the stories that matter to what you are teaching.
Up next will be U.S. History.
Monday, January 10, 2011
Thursday, January 6, 2011
10 Resources for Teaching Economics with Technology
In a continuation of a post from 2010, 10 Resources for Teaching Geography with Technology, I wanted to focus on Economics this go around, with Government to follow this one. Economics is a growing subject matter in the high school setting. It was something I did not learn, and had few college classes that would qualify me to even teach it, but I did. These resources would have made a difference for how I teach the content.
1.) The Economics of Seinfeld is a website that shares parts of the television series that relates to economics. I first learned about the site a while back and it has made improvements. You can click on Economic terms and find all the clips that relate to that topic. The site previously did not have the clips on there and now they do as well as a description of the clip. What a great addition to Economics lessons.
2.) Common Craft has put together some great videos discussing money as it relates to economics. The topics include Borrowing Money, Insurance, Investing Money, Saving for Retirement, Saving Money (Compound Interest), and Stock Markets. I highly recommend adding these to your lessons.
3.) We Seed is a free site for educators to teach students about the Stock Market. "We Seed is a virtual tool that uses actual companies, stock prices and data — but all trades are made with fake money. Students can buy and sell shares anytime — and see first-hand how the market is affecting the portfolio they build."
4.) From the Mid-continent Research for Education Learning are a host of Economics Lesson Plans that are available by categories and subject matter. Many of the lesson plans involve the integration of technology as well. This would be a great starting point when looking for Economics Lessons. There are also several lessons available from PBS and the Council for Economic Education.
5.) Our kids LOVE McDonalds. The McDonalds Video Game allows students the opportunity to build a McDonalds franchise, and control all aspects of production and consumption. The game is available in 9 different languages. "Making money in a corporation like McDonald's is not simple at all! Behind every sandwich there is a complex process you must learn to manage: from the creation of pastures to the slaughter, from the restaurant management to the branding."
6.) The Story of Stuff is a great website that looks at how stuff is made and done. There are two great videos: Bottled Water shows the implications of all the bottled water in the world and how it is produced and consumed. Another great video is Cap and Trade which is perfect for Economic lessons.
7.) The Economics Search Engine is a site that allows you to find specific resources, websites, and links for Economics. This would be a great way to search for specific terms or stories related to economics. The words that you search for will then be highlighted, thus making it easier to see connections.
8.) From econedlink - Free Online Economic and Personal Finance Resources for K-12 comes a great resource that contains several interactives that students and teachers can use to have a better understanding of economics and personal finance. You can search for interactives based on grade level, concept, and interactive tool. Some of the interactives are Flash and others are videos.
9.) Growing up I was a HUGE fan of the game SimCity. It has grown so much since the first version, and because of that growth students can play the original version of SimCity online for free. Registration is required. I like this type of game because students have to make economic decisions. They have to determine Supply and Demand as well as have an understanding of Opportunity Cost.
10.) LavaMind is a site that provides links to Business Simulation Games. The three games of interest are Gazillionare, Zapitalism, and Profitania. Each game has a business economic goal in mind. Gazillionare is a cross between business strategy and Wall Street in wonderland. Zapitalism goal is to become a retail tycoon. Build your company from the ground up, open larger stores, and outwit your wiley competitors in a game of super sales and savvy shoppers. Profitania puts you in the role of a manufacturing mogul. Buy up commodities in real-time, expand your factory, and invent new products. In no time, you'll be on your way to becoming an industrial tycoon.
I hope I was able to supply some economic resources to meet your demand.
1.) The Economics of Seinfeld is a website that shares parts of the television series that relates to economics. I first learned about the site a while back and it has made improvements. You can click on Economic terms and find all the clips that relate to that topic. The site previously did not have the clips on there and now they do as well as a description of the clip. What a great addition to Economics lessons.
2.) Common Craft has put together some great videos discussing money as it relates to economics. The topics include Borrowing Money, Insurance, Investing Money, Saving for Retirement, Saving Money (Compound Interest), and Stock Markets. I highly recommend adding these to your lessons.
4.) From the Mid-continent Research for Education Learning are a host of Economics Lesson Plans that are available by categories and subject matter. Many of the lesson plans involve the integration of technology as well. This would be a great starting point when looking for Economics Lessons. There are also several lessons available from PBS and the Council for Economic Education.
5.) Our kids LOVE McDonalds. The McDonalds Video Game allows students the opportunity to build a McDonalds franchise, and control all aspects of production and consumption. The game is available in 9 different languages. "Making money in a corporation like McDonald's is not simple at all! Behind every sandwich there is a complex process you must learn to manage: from the creation of pastures to the slaughter, from the restaurant management to the branding."
6.) The Story of Stuff is a great website that looks at how stuff is made and done. There are two great videos: Bottled Water shows the implications of all the bottled water in the world and how it is produced and consumed. Another great video is Cap and Trade which is perfect for Economic lessons.
7.) The Economics Search Engine is a site that allows you to find specific resources, websites, and links for Economics. This would be a great way to search for specific terms or stories related to economics. The words that you search for will then be highlighted, thus making it easier to see connections.
8.) From econedlink - Free Online Economic and Personal Finance Resources for K-12 comes a great resource that contains several interactives that students and teachers can use to have a better understanding of economics and personal finance. You can search for interactives based on grade level, concept, and interactive tool. Some of the interactives are Flash and others are videos.
9.) Growing up I was a HUGE fan of the game SimCity. It has grown so much since the first version, and because of that growth students can play the original version of SimCity online for free. Registration is required. I like this type of game because students have to make economic decisions. They have to determine Supply and Demand as well as have an understanding of Opportunity Cost.
10.) LavaMind is a site that provides links to Business Simulation Games. The three games of interest are Gazillionare, Zapitalism, and Profitania. Each game has a business economic goal in mind. Gazillionare is a cross between business strategy and Wall Street in wonderland. Zapitalism goal is to become a retail tycoon. Build your company from the ground up, open larger stores, and outwit your wiley competitors in a game of super sales and savvy shoppers. Profitania puts you in the role of a manufacturing mogul. Buy up commodities in real-time, expand your factory, and invent new products. In no time, you'll be on your way to becoming an industrial tycoon.
I hope I was able to supply some economic resources to meet your demand.
Tuesday, January 4, 2011
Weekly Core Subjects Resources - Social Studies
Since I took a substantial vacation from writing on the blog, my Weekly Core Subjects Resources post for this week will be broken down into each subject since I got so many resources over the past 3 weeks. So here is the fourth entry for 2011, Social Studies.
1.) Fundrace 2010 is a map program via the Huffington Post that allows visitors to track Campaign Fundraising. Visitors will be able to see who got money, where the money came from, and how much money was donated. It really puts local campaign fund-raising into perspective.
2.) Mapping America from the New York Times takes all the data from the U.S. Census and puts it on a map. The data is easy to view and understand and can take the data to a local view for students and teachers. It really helps to put demographic data into an easy graphic to read and search through.
3.) Open Congress is a site that allows visitors to track bills, votes, senators, and representatives in the U.S. Congress. This would be a great site for government teachers to share with students who are doing current events that relate to how the laws are changing and what is going on with Congress, especially this year with all the change over.
In case you missed them, here are Science, English, and Mathematics as well.
1.) Fundrace 2010 is a map program via the Huffington Post that allows visitors to track Campaign Fundraising. Visitors will be able to see who got money, where the money came from, and how much money was donated. It really puts local campaign fund-raising into perspective.
2.) Mapping America from the New York Times takes all the data from the U.S. Census and puts it on a map. The data is easy to view and understand and can take the data to a local view for students and teachers. It really helps to put demographic data into an easy graphic to read and search through.
3.) Open Congress is a site that allows visitors to track bills, votes, senators, and representatives in the U.S. Congress. This would be a great site for government teachers to share with students who are doing current events that relate to how the laws are changing and what is going on with Congress, especially this year with all the change over.
In case you missed them, here are Science, English, and Mathematics as well.
Weekly Core Subjects Resources - Science
Since I took a substantial vacation from writing on the blog, my Weekly Core Subjects Resources post for this week will be broken down into each subject since I got so many resources over the past 3 weeks. So here is the third entry for 2011, Science.
1.) From Free Technology for Teachers, here are 11 Science Resources to try in 2011. A great list and a great website. There are several here that I have shared here, as well as some others that I had not seen before. Check out this great list.
2.) Scitable is a free science library and personal learning tool brought to you by Nature Publishing Group, the world's leading publisher of science. Scitable currently concentrates on genetics and cell biology, which include the topics of evolution, gene expression, and the rich complexity of cellular processes shared by living organisms.
3.) A couple of links from the site Make Use Of. If you have never seen this site, it is worth checking out for many resources. The first site is 6 More Interesting Websites a Space and Astronomy Buff Should Visit and 6 Virtual Tours of the Human Body for Free Interactive Anatomy Lessons
4.) From Encyclopedia Britannica a great resource to learn about Discovering Dinosaurs.
5.) From NASA, a great site for Solar System Exploration. Another feature from NASA is Visible Earth, which offers tons of images of earth from space.
6.) Sixty Symbols is a site that provides videos to learn about the symbols of physics and astronomy.
7.) Five videos and interactives to learn about the Scale of the Universe.
8.) Ecofriend is a site to learn about renewable and green energy. There is a great timeline to learn about the evolution of renewable energy as well.
9.) Cast Science Writer is a site to help students learn how to properly write a science report. Science reports can be difficult because of terminology and organization. This site offers tips and resources for assisting students with the process.
Here are the other resources for English, Math, and Social Studies.
1.) From Free Technology for Teachers, here are 11 Science Resources to try in 2011. A great list and a great website. There are several here that I have shared here, as well as some others that I had not seen before. Check out this great list.
2.) Scitable is a free science library and personal learning tool brought to you by Nature Publishing Group, the world's leading publisher of science. Scitable currently concentrates on genetics and cell biology, which include the topics of evolution, gene expression, and the rich complexity of cellular processes shared by living organisms.
3.) A couple of links from the site Make Use Of. If you have never seen this site, it is worth checking out for many resources. The first site is 6 More Interesting Websites a Space and Astronomy Buff Should Visit and 6 Virtual Tours of the Human Body for Free Interactive Anatomy Lessons
4.) From Encyclopedia Britannica a great resource to learn about Discovering Dinosaurs.
5.) From NASA, a great site for Solar System Exploration. Another feature from NASA is Visible Earth, which offers tons of images of earth from space.
6.) Sixty Symbols is a site that provides videos to learn about the symbols of physics and astronomy.
7.) Five videos and interactives to learn about the Scale of the Universe.
8.) Ecofriend is a site to learn about renewable and green energy. There is a great timeline to learn about the evolution of renewable energy as well.
9.) Cast Science Writer is a site to help students learn how to properly write a science report. Science reports can be difficult because of terminology and organization. This site offers tips and resources for assisting students with the process.
Here are the other resources for English, Math, and Social Studies.
Weekly Core Subjects Resources - Mathematics
Since I took a substantial vacation from writing on the blog, my Weekly Core Subjects Resources post for this week will be broken down into each subject since I got so many resources over the past 3 weeks. So here is the second entry for 2011, Mathematics.
1.) Mathway is a math problem solver that students can use to get assistance with solving math problems. Students do have to sign up to access the steps to the problem and there is a premium version as well. As I have mentioned and wondered about with previous sites like this, why are students struggling with turning in math homework when you can have a website give you the answer? It also brings up an interesting point mentioned in the video below (I know the kid can be annoying, but still worth watching)...why are we teaching something that students can learn and get from the Internet?
2.) Museum of Math is a site dedicated to creating a space to share all there is to know about math. They recently completed a goal of raising funds to open a museum as well. They have a weekly post for using math in the classroom and is worth checking out.
3.) From one of my favorite websites, Free Technology for Teachers are 11 Mathematics Resources to try in 2011. I could have easily listed all of them here, but I am no fan of reinventing the wheel, so I highly recommend checking out his list.
Here are this weeks entries for English, Science, and Social Studies as well.
1.) Mathway is a math problem solver that students can use to get assistance with solving math problems. Students do have to sign up to access the steps to the problem and there is a premium version as well. As I have mentioned and wondered about with previous sites like this, why are students struggling with turning in math homework when you can have a website give you the answer? It also brings up an interesting point mentioned in the video below (I know the kid can be annoying, but still worth watching)...why are we teaching something that students can learn and get from the Internet?
2.) Museum of Math is a site dedicated to creating a space to share all there is to know about math. They recently completed a goal of raising funds to open a museum as well. They have a weekly post for using math in the classroom and is worth checking out.
3.) From one of my favorite websites, Free Technology for Teachers are 11 Mathematics Resources to try in 2011. I could have easily listed all of them here, but I am no fan of reinventing the wheel, so I highly recommend checking out his list.
Here are this weeks entries for English, Science, and Social Studies as well.
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