MiddleWeb

Resources for Teaching about 9-11

Facing the 10th anniversary of September 11, 2001 will be difficult for many people, in the United States and across the world. For teachers the challenge is to help students understand that day and our country’s response to it. Among the online resources for educators, we have found these to be the most helpful:   The “September 11: Teaching Contemporary History” website provides lesson plans and activities from the Smithsonian National Museum of American History, the three memorial organizations, and others. The site now offers recordings of the early August online conference sessions for EL, MS, and HS teachers.

Materials are also available to help parents talk about 9/11 with their children. Access education services company Pearson’s free September 11 resources. The two Pearson collections, one for K-6 and the other for 6-12, include lesson plans, audio of survivors, and a booklet to share with secondary students. This week the NYT’s Learning Network offers thoughts on how to use the anniversary of 9/11 to help students understand history, and why it is essential for them to see that history is more than chronology.

Edutopia’s Suzie Boss suggests several 9/11 resources in her August 29 blog. Especially helpful are brief guides from the National Association of School Psychologists. The advice can help educators,  parents and young people face the pain and questions which memories of 9/11 provoke.

If you decide to use video of people’s responses to the attacks, the History Channel provides interactive maps with linked video clips. Finally, the Associated Press has created a free style and reference guide.

Ferlazzo's Top 15 Social Studies Sites

Teacher and resource guru Larry Ferlazzo is noted for his "Best of" lists, and his top social studies picks for 2010 are definitely worth a look. They range from the Lottery of Life (see how your life might have looked if you had been born in another country) to The Time Map of World History ("a super-cool interactive and accessible way to learn about…world history. Using a map and accessible text, it starts at 3500 BCE.").Teachers with ESL students will appreciate Ferlazzo's interest in sites and tools accessible to English Language Learners. In this post at his "Websites of the Day" blog, he also included links to previous "Best Social Studies Websites" for 2007-2009.

 

Tired of Humdrum Student Research Papers?

 

Want to help your students liven up their research reports? Writing to Explore gives you all of the structures and tools you'll need to carry out an exciting adventure writing project in grades 3-8. Includes numerous examples of student writing and a section on using technology. Preview the entire book online!

Thanks to Stenhouse Publishers for their support of MiddleWeb and middle grades educators.

From Justice O'Connor: iCIVICS

Patti Kinney at NASSP (the secondary principals group) sent along this very cool resource, developed by U.S. Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O'Connor. Seems the internet is making everybody a software developer. iCivics is an oline gaming simulation of the three branches of government that Kinney deservedly describes as "an incredible civics teaching tool." The target audience is middle schollers, and Kinney says O'Connor is eager to alert middle grade teachers and principals to the project's potential.

 

History: The Primary Source Librarian

Most history teachers will be eager to spend a little time hanging out at the Primary Source Librarian's website. It's "a friendly professional space where you can find information, advice, and support for teaching with primary sources.” Check out the links to primary source collections, discover the best primary source lesson plans, learn about the lastest digitized sources, and share your own ideas. You can also follow the PSL on Twitter. And learn about blogkeeper Mary J. Johnson's useful book.

 

Social Studies Resource: The Real Pro's and Con's

  This non-partisan website impresses with its crisp presentations of policy pros and cons around a wide variety of issues. There's a corner for teachers and librarians that includes lesson plans, link-ups with national content standards, and - if you need them - some sound arguments in favor of engaging students in pro/con discussions and research. Among them: promoting critical thinking skills and informed citizenship. Here's a sample likely to interest students in the middle grades: Do video games contribute to youth violence?

 

Teaching Tool: Google's Wonder Wheel

Middle grades English and social studies teacher Bill Ferriter is getting some great comments on his ideas (taken from his new book Teaching the iGeneration) about using a Google tool to help students break down broad topics into related subtopics as they develop research projects. Check out Ferriter's blog post in which he explains how to find the Google Wonder Wheel and offers a link to a lesson plan that teaches students how to put the tool to work.

 

Major Teaching Resource: THINKFINITY

Thinkfinity was launched three years ago by Verizon Foundation with an impressive list of education partners. The foundation has invested $30 million to create a premiere teaching resources site, complete with a social networking component for those who are not only looking for good lesson plans and other teaching resources, but like to talk about their work. Inside the fancy shell, Thinkfinity houses a database that includes thousands of resources in various subject areas. If you prefer to skip to the chase, once you reach the homepage, find the drop-down menu In the Classroom in the upper left of your screen and click to choose from Lesson Plans, Student Interactives, 21st Century Skills, Today in History, and more.

Math & Science: Teach with Trade Books

Given the pressures to "cover" the curriculum, say the instructional experts at the Middle School Portal, math and science teachers may be skeptical about using trade books as teaching tools, but general literature written for children and young adults "can lead to rich results" in your classroom. One immediate benefit not always present in textbooks: student engagement. "Many contain colorful, interesting illustrations, photographs, and diagrams, all of which draw students into the text and improve comprehension." In this helpful resource the MSP shares 10 tips with links to related ideas and examples.

 

Favorite Websites: Digital History

Several years ago we invited subscribers to help us share "the good stuff" by sending links to some of their favorite teaching-learning websites, with a few sentences highlighting WHY they're favorites. Here's one we revisited recently, and it's better than ever. Middle school history teacher Melanie S. told us back in 2007 that she often turned to Digital History for teaching ideas and materials. "Lots of primary sources and multimedia -- even lectures suitable for snipping. There's also an online American history textbook and an interactive timeline. The Writing Guide area offers several short essays on how to write in history class."

Cool Sites: Not Just Great Science Resources

Way back in the prehistoric days of the Internet (1995), the San Francisco Exploratorium began surfing for good websites in the learning museum's areas of interest (which are wide and deep). The monthly service, now known simply as "10 Cool Sites," includes a categorical archive that allows teachers and other curious human beings to browse well over a thousand selections. A sample of June's offerings hints at the diversity: SmartHistory (art); NASA JPL: Cassini Equinox Mission; a historical timeline of chemical science; a site created by precocious Genna where tweens contribute stories and story ideas; and a "computational knowledge engine" that will excite any math/science nerd. Even E/LA teachers can have fun. Try the phrase "tortoise and hare."

History World

The tagline for the History World website reads: "More than 1,000,000 words on world history in linked narratives." One of our favorite sources, The Internet Scout, brings back this report: "Have you ever wished you knew more about the American Revolution, Marco Polo, or sea warfare? Well if you have, this site makes it simple to find out. We appreciated how easy it was to navigate, and how accessible the information was to find and understand. One million words of history can seem a bit daunting, but not when it is divided into 300 narratives and 10,000 events. The site also offers a set of quizzes, which include a timer for a bit of extra drama." We love historical dramas.

Oil Spill Crisis: Kids at Work

Many middle school students are deeply concerned about the Gulf oil spill crisis and are becoming acutely aware of the need to become environmental activists. Edutopia, the excellent education site supported by the George Lucas Foundation, has put together this page of resources  , highlighting many ways that young people are (or can) get involved with scientists and others committed to protecting the environment. Lots of ideas for the next school year -- or summer programs.

Place-Based Learning (and Podcasting)

Middle grades students at an Oregon school combined place-based learning with some 21st century skills development when they created podcasts as part of their study of a local streetcar line that used to operate near their school. The student recordings, says this news story, are posted on the website of the regional transportation planning agency, which is considering reviving the original line.

PBS Picks Teacher Innovators

In this press release, read details (and see video) about the top 10 teachers recently honored by the Public Broadcasting System for their innovative teaching. The group includes three teachers in the middle grades, but you'll find easily adaptable innovations from other grade levels, including Robert Schechter's "An Author You Can't Refuse," a writing strategy he employs with ELL and mainstream students. PBS has featured nearly 200 middle level teachers over the course of this awards program, so be sure to explore the Gr. 6-8 dropdown menu at the innovation gallery. See, for example, this video of history teacher Joe Huber sharing animation work of his 8th graders.

What Works: Writing to Read

A new report by Vanderbilt researchers summarizes key evidence that frequent, well-designed writing opportunities also help students improve their higher order reading skills. The authors of "Writing to Read," a project supported by Carnegie Corporation and the Alliance for Excellent Education, address three questions: Does writing about material students read enhance their reading comprehension? Does teaching writing strengthen students' reading skills? Does increasing how much students write improve how well they read? The report "comprehensively summarizes high-quality research using the powerful statistical method of meta-analysis (which) allows researchers to determine the consistency and strength of the effects of an instructional practice, and to highlight practices holding the most promise."

History: The Struggle for Justice

Teachers will find resources and inspiration at this online companion to the Smithsonian's National Portrait Gallery exhibition "The Struggle for Justice." Included are six video clips narrated by CNN's Soledad O'Brien highlighting six areas in which Americans have struggled for rights over the last century -- and a gallery section featuring portraits of many individuals who were instrumental in fighting for justice and equal opportunity in the United States. There's also a lesson plan with a list of useful outside materials.

Voices of Latino Middle Schoolers

In this collection of writing and media from middle school Latino/a students in Austin, Los Angeles, and Oakland, the concepts of "place, identity, and culture rule." Brought together by What Kids Can Do and the National Council of La Raza as part of a service-learning project, the young authors fight stereotypes, share what makes them who they are, explore their communities, and imagine some facets of the world they want to help create. "From start to finish," says WKCD director Barbara Cervone, "students talked about the key concerns they want to address as leaders. Safe families in caring communities. Respect and equity for their ethnic groups. High expectations. Healthy food options. A passionate desire to contribute in positive ways." An excellent launching pad for your own school or classroom projects.

May in History: Awesome Stories

Here's a collection of videos at the Awesome Stories website highlighting important historical events that took place during the month of May. Scroll down just a bit and find the U2 incident and the first American in space; the Hindenburg and Lusitania disasters; the trial and death of Joan of Arc; Samuel Morse, Albert Einstein and Leonardo DaVinci, and plenty more. Subscribe to Awesome Stories at no cost for extra features; it's a super repository of engaging history video - and text stories with primary source links.

10 Ways to Study the Supreme Court

This popular collection of lesson plans from the New York Times Learning Network was updated recently after the news of Justice John Paul Stevens' retirement plans. Designed with students in mind, it includes not only activities that help students learn about the court's inner workings but also about legal decisions that directly affected young people, including a fifth grader's protest of school uniforms.