TeachersFirst: Resources for the Olympics

Olympic Torch TeachersFirst Resources for the Olympics:

Winter or summer, the Olympics provide teaching opportunities across the curriculum for students of all ages. Browse these options for curriculum connections to light the Olympic flame in your classroom.

If you wish to narrow this list of Olympics-related resources for a specific topic and grade level, try entering your topic and Olympics as search terms in the TeachersFirst keyword search, setting the grade level you seek, as well.

38 record(s) found - search again

2008 Olympics in Beijing Grade K to 12 - International Olympic Committee- 8952

This official Olympic site supplies historical and current information about Olympic activities and venues. Centered mostly on the 2008 Olympics (August 08-24), it also offers general information about past Olympics. Students may play interactive Olympic games (click on Fun Page at the left).

In the Classroom:
Teachers may download a multitude of Olympic posters from this site, as well as view videos promoting this historical Olympics in China. Want to build an Olympics' unit? This site supplies much of the crucial information needed. Whether you are planning fitness or reading incentives or trying to tie your math content to a real-world event, this site will give you the "official" Olympic info you need.

TeachersFirst Resources for the Olympics Grade K to 12 - TeachersFirst- 9475

In the Classroom:
Use these Olympics resources to plan an entire unit during the Olympics or make them available as links from your teacher web page for enrichment if the Olympics fall during school breaks. Not enough time for an Olympics unit? Perhaps students can use these links to generate ideas and projects to share on an Olympics extra credit wiki. Teachers of gifted will find many ways to spark new projects usig these links.

Classroom Olympics Grade 1 to 5 - AIMS Education Foundation- 5323

This simple PDF site, provides some wonderful ideas for classroom Olympic events. *Be aware, this site does take a moment to open. The site is ready to go and provides everything you need: information about ancient and modern Olympic games, illustrated instructions for each Olympic event, printable awards for students, and very detailed instruction about how to do the Olympics in your classroom. There are nine Olympic games included in this lesson. Some examples include Find the Mass Race, Straw Javelin, and Cotton Ball Shot Put.

In the Classroom:
Use this FREE and READY TO GO resources to have the Olympic Games in your classroom. Print off the certificates for your students. Invite students' families to the games (if space permits).

Go For The Gold Grade K to 10 - Scholastic- 6354

This website (originally created for the 2004 Olympics, and updated in 2008) offers a great deal of information on the Olympics. Specific highlights include "In my Backyard," "History of the Games," "More to Explore," and "Get in the Game." There are also links to a Teachers Guide (with lesson plans for grades K-10 and standards), related booklists, interactive activities, and more. Although this site is slightly dated, it does contain some excellent information on the origin and history of the Olympics. Also, the "In The News" section is no longer updated.

In the Classroom:
If you are bringing the Olympics into your classroom, incorporate the many ideas at this website into your lessons. There are lesson plans ready to go (and divided by grade level). Try the interactive "It's All Greek To Me" together on your projector or interactive whiteboard. Use this site for research about the history of the Olympics, politics and the Olympics, and other pertinent topics.

Gateway to the Summer Games Grade 2 to 8 - EdGate- 5211

Bring the spirit of the games into your classroom! These nicely designed lesson plans, organized by grade level, address topics including characteristics of the ancient games, national anthems and customs, and women in the Olympic arena. Fun Olympic facts, information on health and exercise, and creative activities for learning about life in ancient Greece are also provided. Although these activities were originally created for the 2004 Olympics, nearly all of the information is applicable to any year of Olympic events (specifically, the summer Olympics). Some of the lesson plans and other activities require Adobe Acrobat. You can get it from the TeachersFirst Toolbox page.

In the Classroom:
Use this information to enhance your Olympic unit. The lesson plans and activities require very little preparation. Challenge your students to research the various countries that have hosted the Olympics in the past and create multimedia presentations to share on your interactive whiteboard or projector.

Olympic Sports Grade 4 to 10 - Vocabulary University- 9898

Are you gearing up for a unit about the Olympics? If so, check out this site that combines Olympic information with new vocabulary words. There are word puzzles, a word bank of 30+ words, and tidbits of information about the Olympics. You are able to print the word puzzles. This site does have some basic advertisements.

In the Classroom:
Use this site to enhance your Olympics lessons. The word bank could easily be used as vocabulary words for students to research on their own. Share the word puzzles on an interactive whiteboard or projector. Have students attempt to create their own word puzzles about the Olympics or a specific Olympic event.

Vancouver 2010 Olympic Games Grade K to 12 - Associated Press- 10698

Follow the latest Vancouver Olympics news from AP. The site includes profiles of legendary athletes from other Olympic years side by side with the latest results and highlight videos. The interactive Venues section provides map skill practice as you gain a much better sense of the "layout" of the Vancouver games.

In the Classroom:
Use this site side by side with other coverage to see varied reporting on the games. As students follow a specific sport in connection with curriculum or for current events, consider using your class wiki to make your own "Olympic News" features with a curricular angle, such as articles analyzing the physics of bobsledding or the physiology of elite athletes. Use the Olympics as writing prompts for more athletically-minded students: Ex. "The most important preparation any athlete can have is..." or "If I were in the Olympics..." or "The most important lesson of the Olympics is..." Have student reporters select and share daily 30 second "Olympic moments" to practice speaking skills.

Create Your Own Classroom Olympic Games Grade 3 to 12 - Education World- 2074

This creative lesson plan challenges students to participate in their own version of the Olympics. Students choose which activities they want to "try their hand at" and are required to keep score. Some of the classroom Olympic "sports" include Speedy Spelling, Tongue-Twister Tournament, The Math Meet, and several others. The lesson plan includes descriptions of all sports and standards. This site was last updated in 2008, but the activities are applicable during any year.

In the Classroom:
Bring the Olympics into your classroom. Share these "ready to go" sports with your students. Then have students try to invent their own Olympic games to share with the class. Why not video and share the Olympics using a site such as Teachers.TV reviewed here.

Gail Skroback Hennessey's Winter Olympics 2010 Grade 3 to 6 - Gail Skroback Hennessey- 10593

This site offers a 10 question fact quiz all related to the 2010 Winter Olympics. Links are provided to research the answers to each question. Most of the questions include multiple blanks to fill in (and research). Learn about the mascots of the games, history of the games, geography skills, locations of past games, information about Vancouver, the Olympic flag, and more.

In the Classroom:
Have cooperative learning groups complete this activity together. If you don't have time for each group (or individual) to research all 10 questions, why not assign groups 2-3 questions each. Move beyond just the facts by challenging the groups to create a multimedia presentation about some aspect of the Olympics to share with the rest of the class. Use measurement connections in math, geography connections in social studies, etc. to determine the topics. Have groups create an Olympic podcast using PodOmatic (reviewed here).

TeachersFirst's Vancouver Olympics 2010 Resources Grade K to 12 - TeachersFirst- 10411

Whether you have a few minutes or a few days to light the Olympic torch in your classroom, TeachersFirst offers these resources to guide the way to medal-winning lessons. This collection of reviewed resources from TeachersFirst is selected to help teachers and students learn more about the Vancouver Olympics, 2010, and to plan curriculum-related projects and classroom activities around the Olympic winter games in Vancouver. These links may also be helpful to compare the Vancouver games with other years.

In the Classroom:
Use these resources to plan a special lesson or unit within your curriculum during the Olympics or share the link on your class web page for students to access both in and out of class for enrichment or individual projects.

Archaeology's Ancient Olympics Guide Grade 8 to 12 - Archaeological Institute of America- 5166

This informative site delves into the ancient tradition of the Olympic games and provides brief, but interesting essays on Olympic myths, games for women, and the history behind Olympic competition. There is also a new link all about the cultural heritage of Beijing.

In the Classroom:
Use this site for a jigsaw activity on the culture importance of the festival of Olympia in ancient Greek society. Have students work with partners and read the interviews about Beijing.

Path of the Athlete Grade 1 to 5 - Canadian Olymphic Committee- 10611

This interactive game follows the "path" of an athlete to the Olympics. It first allows students to drag the flags of Olympic participants to the matching country, select healthy foods for an athlete, and more. Only when a correct match is made does the game offer up the next screen.

In the Classroom:
Introduce a unit on the Winter Olympics with this activity displayed on a projector or interactive whiteboard or have students try this activity with a partner. As students learn more about the countries and history of the Olympics, have the class create their own Olympic matching games on paper or using an online flashcard tool such as Brain Flips, reviewed here.

Official Website of the Olympic Movement Grade 2 to 12 - Olympic.org- 6393

This website offers a one-stop destination to all of your Olympic information. There are links across the top to learn about the athletes, sports, countries, and even a media player offering video clips and more. At the time of this review the media player had over 1,000 videos and nearly 10,000 photographs! This is an excellent site for research about the Olympics (both summer and winter). There is also a link to go back and learn about the past 46 Olympic games. Although there are no "student" or "classroom" links, this site truly has something for everyone: maps and geography, science behind the sports, research about events and countries, athete information, and more.

In the Classroom:
The possibilities at this website are endless. Use your interactive whiteboard or projector to share the MANY videos, information about the athletes, and many other activities. Use the site for research purposes about specific athletes or sports. Have students create multimedia presentations about events, athletes, or countries using this site. Create a class Olympics Wiki! Not comfortable with wikis? Have no wiki worries – check out the Teacher’s First Wiki Walk-Through reviewed here.

1936 Olympics Grade 6 to 12 - Smithsonian Holocaust Museum- 3233

This site, based on an exhibit from the American Holocaust Museum, uses the 1936 games as a starting point for a visual synopsis of the evolution of the Nazi regime, with a particular focus on its racial and ethnic policies. The result is a succinct, though stark, introduction that should be useful for many students. The site features an online exhibition with video clips, pictures, and articles of interest.

In the Classroom:
Use this site to spark a discussion and study of the role of the Olympics in politics and foreign policy (especially during an Olympic year as an extension of your study of current events). You may want to share some of the video clips on your interactive whiteboard or projector. Why not have a class debate about the 1936 Olympics in Berlin.

Going for the Gold Grade 2 to 12 - 2009 United States Olympic Committee- 4908

Follow the United States Olympic athletes at this interactive website. Find out current news about the athletes, read biographical information, read the athlete's blogs, watch video clips, explore the articles, and more. Click on "Resources" and then "U.S. Olympic Education" to find some lesson ideas to use in your classroom. There are some minor advertisements at this website.

In the Classroom:
Use this site to research American athletes. Share the video clips, read the blogs, and view the pictures on your interactive whiteboard or projector. Don't miss the lesson ideas (in the "Resources" section). Share this site on your class website, so families can follow the U.S. Olympians.

Science and the Olympics Grade 4 to 10 - WhyFiles- 2075

This site was developed for the 1996 Atlanta games, and updated in 2006. It offers some timeless information about the science behind the sports that is useful during any Olympic year! The WhyFiles presentation shows the hundreds of scientific connections to modern sports. There are eight main categories (for example, Ancient Olympics, Computers In Sports, and Sports Doctors: Athletic Ethics). Although this site isn't highly interactive, there are some explicitly detailed photographs and extensive information on all topics highlighted.

In the Classroom:
Why not do an eight day unit based on this website. Highlight a new category each day on your interactive whiteboard or projector. Or divide your students into small groups and assign each group one of the eight topics to explore. This site would tie into social studies, health, physical education, technology, and other subject areas.

Science of the Olympic Winter Games Grade 3 to 12 - Nantional Science Foundation- 10703

This site hosts 16 Olympics-related videos from NSF and NBC. Learn about the science of the Olympics available without a membership. Any science teacher can find something related to your curriculum: from Newton's Laws of motion, to concepts of physics, chemistry, biomechanics, and physiology. Math teachers can also find applied math concepts from basic arithmetic to calculus.

In the Classroom:
Share these videos on an interactive whiteboard or projector, being sure to have student use the whiteboard tools as you pause the video so students can draw lines to illustrate forces and other concepts. Have student groups watch different videos and report back on the theoretical science AND the actual results from that sport, connecting the science concepts to the actual results they see in competition. Even younger students can benefit from the videos as an overview of more advanced concepts, provided you preview vocabulary, then stop and discuss more challenging words during the video. Your students will want the link to this site, so share it on your class web page. You can also embed the videos right in your web page, blog, or wiki. Have students write about the embedded piece, adding their own commentary of the actual Olympics based on the video.

Vancouver 2010: With Glowing Hearts Grade K to 12 - The Vancouver Organizing Committee for the 2010 Olympic - 10390

This eclectic site has something for everyone about the 2010 Vancouver Olympics. For younger students, be sure to meet the mascots of the site, view the interactives, and more. Students of all ages can use this site to learn about the schedule, view photos and videos, learn about each sport in the winter 2010 Olympics, trace the torch relay, view a spectator guide, meet the athletes, view the interactive map, and more.

In the Classroom:
Share the video clips on your interactive whiteboard or projector. Introduce the mascots to your students and discuss their relevance. Have students research various athletes or sports and create a multimedia presentation. Use the Olympics as the theme for your study of world geography. Have students create online posters on paper or do it together as a class using a tool such as Project Poster (reviewed here or PicLits (reviewed here. Have cooperative learning groups create online books using a tool such as Bookemon, reviewed here.

The Olympic Games Grade K to 5 - Enchanted Learning- 10393

Although some of the printables are available to members only, this site does includes some excellent FREE information on the history of the Olympics, maps, flags, Greek alphabet, writing activities, graphic organizers, "Invent a New Olympic Sport" challenge, and more. If nothing else, the printables offer some great ideas to implement in your classroom (for example, "Write a Sentence for Each Sports-Related Word").

In the Classroom:
Take advantage of the ideas presented at this site (if you are a member or not). Share certain maps or handouts on your interactive whiteboard. Use this site to teach your students more about the history of the games.

xtimeline Grade 2 to 12 - Famento, Inc.- 8802

TeachersFirst Edge Entry: for moderately adventurous technology users. Xtimeline allows you to view, create, share, and discuss interactive timelines. The sample, user-created timeline topics vary greatly: History of the Olympic Games (perfect during Olympic years), Google Company History, Biography of Mozart, Pregnancy Timeline, Timeline of Harry Potter Series, Eleanor Roosevelt, Darfur, and countless others. There are search options to help you find the timeline that you are looking for. Of course, there is also the option to create your own unique timeline and share it by URL or by embedding in your class blog, wiki, or ther web page (see example below). Many of the timelines include Flash enabled animations or videos. If you don't have Flash. You can get it from the TeachersFirst Toolbox page.

NOTE: This tool opens without the narrow TeachersFirst framebar at the top that allows you to return easily to TeachersFist search results. To go to xtimeline, RIGHT click the site title and Open in new window (or tab)to be able ot return here easily.

In the Classroom:
Skills Needed: If you only plan to VIEW timelines, no extra skills are needed at all! If you plan to comment or add a timeline, you must register. Registration requires a username, password, email address, and marking the box stating that you are OVER 13 YEARS OF AGE. To create a timeline, click on the Create link and follow the step-by-step directions. The next page will be a "fill in the blank" activity asking for the title of your timeline, language, photos, categories, tags, descriptions, and the security options for the timeline (who can edit, who can view, who is able to discuss).

Safety/Security Concerns: To protect the identity of your class and individual students, you may want to mark the boxes private (on the timeline create/edit screen). By marking the boxes private, others can't view, edit, or discuss your timeline. This eliminates many of the dangerous aspects of the public viewing your class information. If you make the timelines public, you may receive comment from outsiders("discussion"), ratings ("likes"), etc. These tools can be used within groups or privately with thsoe you specify as haing permission to veiw your timeline. These options could provide a controlled way for students to interact safely with each others' work.

Users must register to create a timeline. Registration requires a password and email address. Tip: rather than using your personal or work email, create a free Gmail account to use for memberships. If you plan to have students register individually (OVER 13 ONLY!) , You may want to create your own Gmail account with up to 20 subaccounts for each group of students (by code name or number) within your classes. Here is a blog post that tells how to set up GMail subaccounts to use for any online membership service.

Possible Uses: There are many uses for the already created timelines: use your interactive whiteboard or projector to learn about the history of the Olympics, famous people, events, literature, and more. Have students create timelines for research projects using Xtimeline. Use this tool to make a timeline of your class’ school year for younger classes who are just learning the graphical representation of time. Create animal life cycles, author biographies, or even timelines of the events and causes leading to a war. Make a time line using local, national, or international current events. Or look back in time and create a historical time line, scanning old pictures or using copyright free images from the Library of Congress American Memory Collection. Other ideas: artists, musicians, writers from a certain period in history, the twentieth century in different countries, World War II timeline, Civil War timeline, timeline of insect stages, timeline of the rock cycle, of a plant or tree, timeline or life cycle of migratory animals, personal timelines-- suitable for younger students only if they work with a teacher account. Have them create a timeline of the plot of a novel, interspersed with the ways themes appear throughout the novel. If you read Dickens, be SURE to create a timeline of the many intertwined characters, such as Estella and Pip in Great Expectations! If you teach chemistry, have students create illustrated sequences explaining oxidation or reduction (or both). Elementary students could even interview grandparents and create a class timeline about their grandparents’ generation for Grandparents' Day. For collaboration, link up with another classroom in another town (or another country) to build a time line that shares events in each local area so students can see what was happening at the same time in another location, maybe in the opposite hemisphere (compare weather and seasons!). In world language classes, have students create a timeline of their family in the mlanguage to master vocabluary about relatives, jobs, and more (and verb tenses!).

A Sample Xtimeline project created by the TF Edge review team appears here (click and drag to see the rest):

Olympic Crafts and Fun Grade K to 5 - Kaboose- 10392

Although this site isn't highly interactive, it does offer some theme based printables, crafts, and more. The three main links include: Olympic Crafts (Bingo Cards, Olympic Torch, and others), Sports Printables, and Q & A with Julie Foudy. This site is geared more towards families (and moms in general), but many of the activities would be ideal in the elementary classroom.

In the Classroom:
List this link on your class website for families to explore at home. Take advantage of the free craft ideas and printables.

NBC Vancouver 2010 Grade 3 to 12 - NBC- 10391

If you are looking for a general informational site about the 2010 Olympics, this is the site for you! Learn about the sports (alpine skiing, curling, freestyle skiing, snowboarding, and more), view video clips, watch a countdown (with days, hours, minutes and seconds), and more. Be aware this site does include unobtrusive advertisements.

In the Classroom:
This is a great site to use for research about the 2010 Olympics. Share the video clips on your interactive whiteboard or projector. Have individual students view different video clips and then write about what they learned on your class Olympic Wiki. Not comfortable with wikis? Check out the Teacher’s First Wiki Walk-Through reviewed here.

NBC Learn Olympics Grade K to 12 - NBC Universal, Inc.- 10526

This choice website is loaded with high quality videos! The content is professional, and very well presented. There is a free trial, however, it is only available for thirty days. Act fast! During the trial, the video originals and the science of the Winter Olympics can be streamed, but they cannot be downloaded. The five minute clips are perfect and very well suited to the concepts of beginning physics. Younger and older students alike will be able to make the connection between current events and science. Plus, the added bonus of sports and science is great! There are also grammar videos and mini documentaries that would be useful in language arts, English, and history classes. Clever users will use a 30 day trial to preview and perhaps a separate trial (using another email address or from another teacher) for teaching during the Olympics. Thirty days go by quickly. [Ed note: thanks to one of our TeachersFirst users, we are pleased to let teachers know that the same videos are available without a membership requirement through NSF's own site, reviewed here.

In the Classroom:
Use these video clips to review information or to begin a discussion. Present the clips on an interactive whiteboard or projector. Have students do an information scavenger hunt by asking them to note as many scientific concepts from the video as they can. Have students think, pair, and share ideas and then have the pairs collaborate to create a class list of science concepts. The video link could be made available to the students on the class wiki, and students could be asked to choose a different sport and create their own explanation of the science behind it. Have student groups create their own videos and share them using a site such as Teachers.TV reviewed here. The possibilities are virtually limitless. With the Olympics videos, the resource easily lends itself to cross-curricular units. History, health, physical education, and science could all easily be combined. Music and English could also be incorporated with enough creativity. Enjoy, but act quickly!

Olympic Shadow Boxes Grade 7 to 12 - Penny Sexton, Okemah High School; Okemah, OK- 6828

Step-by-step, this "plain vanilla" lesson introduces students to library research materials that are underutilized but extremely useful to students. By using them in conjunction with a lesson in English or art class, the students become familiar with them, using sports as the basis. This makes it especially useful for non-college prep students who often find sports more intriguing than other kinds of literature! The site itself is as plain-vanilla as they come.

In the Classroom:
One of the advantages of this lesson is its use in collaboration with another teacher (the librarian or media specialist) and its ability to be easily adapted to the individual classroom for your own classes without another teacher. It would work with any subject that interests your students, not limited to the Olympics (try mechanics or skateboarding, for instance). While all the activities are given, it is easily adapted to the individual needs of any classroom and any topic. It also presents collaborative learning in a way that would work with non-academic classes who are often distracted working in groups!

A Race with Grace: Sports Poetry in Motion Grade 3 to 5 - IRA /NCTE- 6417

Turn the excitement of the Olympics into a meaningful writing assignment. This lesson plan asks students to explore the aesthetic characteristic of athletics, drawing from their own experiences as well as examples in popular media. Thoughts and impressions are recorded in a reflective journal. Using the data as a foundation, students conduct Internet research, view short informative video clips, take digital photographs, and synthesize all of the information into an original cinquain poem. The lesson plan includes IRA/NCTE standards.

In the Classroom:
Get your students excited about poetry, by using the momentum of sports and the Olympics. Share the video clips on your interactive whiteboard or projector. Use this site to integrate science, sports, and research into your language arts class.

Word Search Puzzles Grade 1 to 5 - Primarygames.com- 8699

This site offers user-friendly, interactive word search puzzles for vocabulary and reading enhancement. Some of the topics include the Olympics (both summer and winter), Dinosaurs, Farm Animals, Earth Day, butterflies, and various other topics and holidays. These are computer-based word searches, not printables. There is a link to a companion site with printables. NOTE: this site does include unobtrusive advertisements. The site requires Java. Get it from the TeachersFirst Toolbox page.

In the Classroom:
Share a search on your interactive whiteboard (use student FINGERS to circle the words!). Or make it a center as one of several options for spelling and vocabulary. Your students may ask you to include the link on your teacher web page so they can try some from home, as well.

Math Playground Grade K to 8 - Mathadvantage.org- 6814

Have a ball on this highly interactive, attractive, and entertaining site that teaches all sorts of math skills for grades K-6. Check out Weighing Wangdoodles to practice balancing equations, learn about perimeter, practice word problems, solve logic puzzles, and even watch video problem-solving challenges. View the video "Math Apprentice" to learn more about how math is used in the "real world." This is certain to be a favorite both in school and at home. Teachers can even build their own worksheets to specifications by topic and level. Try the math Olympics, get caught up in fractions playground or money mania (near the bottom of the page). Every activity allows you to differentiate by skill level. This one is a teacher's dream.

In the Classroom:
Use the activities to reinforce skills as you teach them or allow advanced students to move ahead. Be sure to include a link to this one on your teacher website for parents and kids to enjoy together at home.

Interactive Body Grade 9 to 12 - BBC- 5770

High school biology students will find a wealth of information about human body systems and structures in this interactive site. Visitors can choose to investigate muscles, organs, the skeleton, or the nervous system, and participate in click-and-drag activities that are quite challenging. Students must select correct placement and rotation of each part of the body, but the site provides hints along the way. Helpful animations and descriptive information round out this interactive, anatomical activity.

In the Classroom:
This site is ideal for an interactive whiteboard or projector. Use this site as an anticipatory set for systems of the body or Olympic (or other sports) events.

Documenting a Democracy Grade 6 to 12 - - 2375

The Australian government prepared this site to commemorate the centennial of confederation, celebrated in 2001. It contains a large collection of facts, images and information about the country that hosted the 2000 Olympics. There are also detailed maps and a timeline.

In the Classroom:
Use this site to research and learn more about the "land down under." Assign different regions to groups of students to investigate. Each region includes pictures and information. Have students create a mini-research multimedia project to share with the class.

Human Anatomy Online Grade 4 to 12 - MyHealthScore.com- 7352

Human Anatomy Online is so packed with information, students could spend hours maneuvering through the text. This site provides detailed information about the entire body as well as common procedures and interesting facts. The simple, colorful visual aids make it very easy to understand the make-up of all of the systems as well as many of the body processes such as reproduction, muscle strength, cardiovascular health and much more. Be careful to keep students focused on the area of concentration. Otherwise, they could become overwhelmed with the quantity of information and get off track. Great for research projects and health units. Make sure to check out the fantastic tutorials, animations and description index.

There are some minor advertisements at this website.

In the Classroom:
This site gives wonderful opportunities for visual, interactive lessons and enrichment. Include an in-class activity based on this site in your unit on body systems and/or list the link on your teacher web page for students to review before the unit test. If you have an interactive whiteboard, consider using the site as the unit introduction, as well. Share this site during the Olympic games to learn more about the muscles and systems required for the various sports. Have cooperative learning groups investigate a specific body system and complete a multimedia project. Have groups create online books using a tool such as Bookemon, reviewed here.

Virtual Knee Replacement Grade 7 to 12 - Edheads- 6788

Learn about the anatomy of the knee and how doctors perform knee surgery through this online simulation. It even includes a separate section with actual photographs for the strong-stomach crowd. The animated movie has the option to display subtitles (for the hearing impaired or computers without speakers) and stops to ask questions all along the way. The activities are correlated to Ohio and National standards. Teach about scientific inquiry using the section where you select the correct prosthetic knee device. Not only is this site an interesting look at a science topic for biology, anatomy, or physiology classes, it also provides a view into medical careers. This site requires Flash. You can get it from the TeachersFirst Toolbox page.

In the Classroom:
Share this site as a real-world extension of a biology class on anatomical structures or in a career exploration activity. Students can navigate on their own computers or access the site from your teacher web page for use outside of class. Guidance counselors may want to include it among career links they offer to middle and high school students. Use this site during the Olympic games to discuss injuries that athletes may endure.

Bodyworks Games Grade 3 to 6 - ASTC Science World Society- 6323

This online exhibition includes frequently updated articles of interest, online games and videos, and other fun stuff to helps kids understand the sophisticated workings of the human body. Students can practice using their own fine motor skills, view some amazing (and slightly gross) scenes of body systems at work, watch what happens when food is digested, and observe the invasion of a common cold virus. Click on Bodyworks Games to find several interactives including Nutrient Roundup and Muscle Hustle. Some of the games open in pop-up windows. Make sure your pop-up blocker is set to allow them to open.

In the Classroom:
This site is an excellent addition to a science lesson on the human body, health class, Olympic unit, and more! Treat your students to the interactives on your projector or interactive whiteboard. Then set up a "health and science" computer center using the various games and activities. Many of the games are excellent review activities.

My Body Grade 4 to 6 - Nemours Foundation- 5713

This site features a very engaging interactive tour through the organs and functions of the human body - complete with disgusting sound effects that students will love! This site includes videos, reference information, quizzes, word searches, and other activities all related to the heart, lungs, bones, cells, bladder, brain, and numerous other body parts and organs.

In the Classroom:
Use your interactive whiteboard or projector to share this website with your students. This site is an ideal anticipatory set for a lesson on the heart, lungs, cells, brain, bones, and other body parts and/or organs. Use this site during a unit on the Olympics to learn how various parts of the body work together in sports. Create a learning station using this website. Provide this link on your class website so students can explore this site at home or use it to review for the quiz.

Virtual Body Grade 4 to 12 - - 4741

Here’s an animated and narrated tour through the major body systems that could be useful as an individualized study resource or for group presentations. Unlike many similar efforts, the images for these tours are of medical illustration quality, which increases the instructional value of this content. Learn about the human brain, human heart, skeleton, and digestive track. Well worth a look. Narration allows you to listen and read -- both in English and Spanish!

In the Classroom:
This site is excellent for an interactive whiteboard or projector. Use this site during a biology unit on the heart, brain, skeletons, or digestive system. Use the site during a unit on the Olympics, while you discuss how all systems work together. Assign small groups to investigate one particular system of the body and prepare a multimedia presentation to share with the class. Have students create online posters on paper using a tool such as Project Poster (reviewed here or PicLits (reviewed here.

Moon Olympics Grade 3 to 8 - Scholastic- 5294

This intriguing website shows you various cartoon video clips of sports (such as weight lifting, diving, golfing, and others) being played on Earth. Then you try the same sport on the moon. You are given multiple choice answers to choose from to determine the outcome of the same sport on the moon. Learn about the atmosphere, air, water, gravity, and more.

In the Classroom:
Share this site on an interactive whiteboard or projector. This is a perfect addition to a physics unit or while teaching about the atmosphere. Take your students to the moon to play a different sport each day and then discuss the science behind that sport on both Earth and the moon. Ask students to predict what will happen before you start the game.

China Grade K to 8 - BBC- 7976

This website (created by BBC), provides a wealth of information on China. It was updated in 2007, so is slightly out of date. But the information still provides solid research and information about the country. Visitors to the website will find information about saving the pandas, China's one-child policy, famous Chinese landmarks and authentic accounts of visits to China (through the eyes and words of other students).

In the Classroom:
Use an interactive whiteboard or projector to take your students on a virtual field trip to China! The students are sure to enjoy the pictures and "student guides" of China. As a comparison across cultures, have your students create a "student guide" that compares their own culture with another. Middle school students could use issues such as the "one child policy" and some social policies as writing prompts for persuasive essays or debate topics in their world cultures class.

WebQuest: Does the Tiger Eat Her Cubs? Grade 9 to 12 - Knowledge Network Explorer- 7382

This WebQuest asks students to consider "the truth about how children are treated in China" through looking at reports about the conditions in orphanages in China, about China's "one child" policy, and about human rights in general. The site does include a disclaimer on the opening page warning teachers to evaluate if this WebQuest is appropriate for their classroom.

This is a very sensitive subject, and teachers should consider the maturity of their students before proceeding with the activities on this site. In addition, teachers should be sensitive to the fact that there may be Chinese adoptees in their classes for whom this topic might be especially difficult.

At the time of this review, a few of the links were no longer active. We are keeping the listing because of the discussions that the site can produce. You may want to provide students with a corrected resource list without the dead links.

In the Classroom:
While it is unlikely you will want to make a discussion on the plight of Chinese orphans the centerpiece of an examination of Chinese culture, this site may prove valuable for a student or student group to use in planning a special project. This site would be good research background for a debate on human rights.

Uuorld Grade 6 to 12 - Uuorld.com- 10309

Teachers First Edge Review: For adventurous MAC or Linux users with permission/ability to download software. Have fun and create four dimensional maps with chosen data. Choose data and view on a map that can be rotated, zoomed, and followed over time. Uuorld (pronounced "world") is a download application available for Mac OsX, Windows, and Linux. Uuorld is a free download but with some limitations. For example, the noncommercial (free) version has a maximum limit on data that can be exported to Google Earth. Any user can VIEW the gallery of Uuorld map images created by others and use them as a visual way to share data, no download necessary.

In the Classroom:
Skills needed: Users must be able to download and install the application. Many districts have restrictions on what can be downloaded and used on district computers. Be sure to check with your school policy before downloading. To first use data, create an account using your email address (though verification of email is not required). Data for the free version is found in the downloaded application.

Using Uuorld: Use data from reliable sources by going to the data portal. Along the top left of the panel, click "Data" to show the sets that you have chosen, "Display" to change colors and other parameters, "Analyze" to view all the data included in the image, or "Export" to create an image, a Google Earth file, or a comma separated value (csv) file. Below the map, click the world icon to browse over 10,000 data sets. Click "Metadata" to view the URL of the data, name of data set, source name and date, and other information. Change the tilt to really view the height dimension of the data. Zoom in and out of areas on the map. Many data sets have data over several years. Play the data to see the changes as they occur through those years.

Safety/Security Concerns: As email verification is not required, anyone can use this resource. If you do use email addresses, rather than using your personal or work email, create a free Gmail account to use for memberships. If you plan to have students register individually, you may want to create your own Gmail account with up to 20 subaccounts for each group of students (by code name or number) within your classes. Here is a blog post that tells how to set up GMail subaccounts to use for any online membership service.

Be aware, there are restrictions on the noncommercial free version. Be sure to read the licensing agreement prior to using.

Possible Uses: Data topics are quite varied and include everything from economics to health and even the Olympics! Before creating your own graphics (or if you are unable to download the software), have students browse the Gallery on your interactive whiteboard to become acquainted with reading visual representations of data. Use the sets to explore social and environmental issues and encourage critical thinking questions about WHY this data is as it is. View any data set as an inquiry activity in the classroom. For example, view "Calories Emanating from Animals" to view the animal calories consumed by countries over a 36 year period of time. Follow the viewing of the data by asking questions about what they see. From these questions, research the diet of various countries, identify the major biomolecules in the foods we eat, and identify nutrition, social, and ethnic issues. View this resource on an interactive whiteboard or projector for great impact. Students can create conventional or multimedia displays of information learned. To show what they have learned from this site, challenge students to create an online graphic to share using Tabblo reviewed here.