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Country of the Week - New York Times
Grades
5 to 12tag(s): countries (69), cross cultural understanding (157), cultures (132)
In the Classroom
This site is an excellent addition to any social studies or geography classroom. Bookmark the site and participate in the weekly activities. Ask students to explore countries more in-depth and then modify their learning by creating infographics using Canva Infographic Maker, reviewed here, to compare what they learned from the New York Times site and their own research. Keep track of countries visited through the interactive quizzes and using Google My Map, reviewed here. Google My Map offers tools for modifying learning by creating custom maps that include uploaded images and videos. Think of it as your virtual field trip around the world during your school year!You must be registered and logged in to add items to your favorites.
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Travelling Tales - Joel Bevans
Grades
K to 12tag(s): collaboration (87), cross cultural understanding (157), digital storytelling (141)
In the Classroom
Integrate reading, writing, and social studies objectives through participation in this global project. After signing up for the project, motivate students by predicting the location of your partner class before your assignment arrives. Instead of asking for student predictions, use an online survey tool like Stickies, reviewed here, for students to vote on the country you might be assigned. Include all students in your class project by asking them to use organization tools from ReadWriteThink, reviewed here. For example, have each student use the Plot Diagram interactive to tell a story then collaborate as a class on your final submissions based on student ideas. Extend student learning even further by learning more about your partner classroom's country. Share your learning using Google My Maps, reviewed here, to create a virtual field trip to your collaborator's home country.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Quatr.us - Dr. Karen Carr
Grades
8 to 12This site includes advertising.
tag(s): 1700s (36), 1800s (72), 1900s (73), 20th century (59), medieval (31), renaissance (32)
In the Classroom
Bookmark Quatr.us as a resource for history articles and "on this date" information to share with students. Instead of creating links to bookmarked sites on your class webpage or computer, use Padlet, reviewed here to create an interactive resource for students. Within your Padlet create columns to add websites, videos, or other student resources. Consider using Quatr.us along with other history sites as a resource for students to use and create a weekly or monthly podcast discussing historic events using a site like Podcast Generator, reviewed here. Instead of just learning about historic events, different time periods, or the history of a country enhance student knowledge by having individual students or groups of students use Google My Maps reviewed here to create a virtual field trip to tell the story. Enhance student learning by asking students to use a timeline creation tool like Time Graphics Timeline Maker, reviewed here, to create an interactive timeline using images, maps, and video.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Country of the Week - New York Times
Grades
5 to 12tag(s): countries (69), cross cultural understanding (157), cultures (132)
In the Classroom
This site is an excellent addition to any social studies or geography classroom. Bookmark the site and participate in the weekly activities. Ask students to explore countries more in-depth and then modify their learning by creating infographics using Canva Infographic Maker, reviewed here, to compare what they learned from the New York Times site and their own research. Keep track of countries visited through the interactive quizzes and using Google My Map, reviewed here. Google My Map offers tools for modifying learning by creating custom maps that include uploaded images and videos. Think of it as your virtual field trip around the world during your school year!Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
You must be registered and logged in to add items to your favorites.
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GR8CTZ - Great Cities of the World - Vadim Temkin
Grades
8 to 12tag(s): countries (69), cross cultural understanding (157), map skills (56), maps (207)
In the Classroom
Use this tool on an Interactive Whiteboard (or projector) with an entire class. Students can work as a class, individually, or in groups to identify locations based on clues. Use the clues to discuss information about social structure, livelihood, religion, landforms, and other cultural information. Use this information to uncover and correct misconceptions and discuss cultural differences in countries outside the US. Go beyond the map to learn about the various foods, agriculture, and other aspects of their lives. Research the local ecosystem to determine native plants and animals found in the country. Create a poem or story set in that locale using information learned through research. Are you a connected educator? Find other educators around the World using Twitter (reviewed here) to make connections between classrooms. Join the Across the World Once a Week project ( here) to share about the culture where you live.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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GeoGuessr - Anton Wallen
Grades
9 to 12tag(s): countries (69), cross cultural understanding (157), cultures (132), maps (207)
In the Classroom
Use this tool on an Interactive Whiteboard (or projector) with an entire class. Students can work as a class, individually, or in groups to identify clues in the image. Use the clues to discuss information about social structure, livelihood, religion, landforms, and other cultural information. Use this information to uncover and correct misconceptions and discuss cultural differences in countries outside the US. When the answer is revealed, the names of many other countries are shown. Use this opportunity to reinforce past learning of geography and culture. Go beyond the culture to learn about the various foods, agriculture, and other aspects of their lives. Research the local ecosystem to determine native plants and animals found in the country. Create a poem or story set in that locale using information learned through research. Are you a connected educator? Find other educators around the World using Twitter to make connections between classrooms. Join the Across the World Once a Week project to share about the culture where you live.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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The Hunger Games Challenge - Educurious - Educurious
Grades
8 to 12tag(s): essays (20), expository writing (31), novels (31), persuasive writing (55), politics (112), posters (45), reading strategies (98), social networking (66)
In the Classroom
You could use this unit with the entire class reading The Hunger Games, or, with some fine tuning of ideas and materials, possibly use it with other dystopian novels in literature circles. A couple that come to mind are The Giver and The Maze Runner. This unit suggests Glogster, but you can also use a program like Webnode, reviewed here, or Sway, reviewed here. They will do just about everything Glogster will do, and they have more free features.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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FFFBI: Missions - WGBH
Grades
4 to 9tag(s): map skills (56), mysteries (19), problem solving (226)
In the Classroom
Share the site on your interactive whiteboard or projector; then assign a challenge each week for students to work on during centers or on laptops in geography/social studies class. Use activities from different countries as an introduction to the country before starting classroom activities. Special Education teachers may want to offer this active alternative to traditional lessons for students with attention issues.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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News English Lessons - Sean Banville
Grades
4 to 12This site includes advertising.
In the Classroom
The articles are short and interesting, a perfect match for non-fiction reading comprehension. With so many different activities to choose from, it will be easy for the classroom teacher to differentiate. There is an mp3 audio version of each article so students can listen as they read. Assign small groups of students to present the news each week, using the interactive whiteboard to show others the country and city from which the article originated. Make the newscasting experience even more real by having students read scripts of these news stories or their own original stories using a EasyPrompter, reviewed here. Students can then go to another news source such as News for Kids, reviewed here, to see what else is happening in the news. For a project and to enhance student learning, have the small groups create a "talking map" using a site such as Zeemaps, reviewed here. This site allows students to create audio recordings AND choose a location (where their article/story took place). What a fabulous way to share the article with the rest of the class!Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Westward Ho - Cyberbee and Darlene Andre, The Wagonmistress
Grades
2 to 9tag(s): pioneers (9), westward expansion (38)
In the Classroom
Plan to use this site as the hub of your social studies units on westward expansion or related American History topics. What makes this site exciting is that students interact with other students from around the country. Through technology they get to meet online to make decision and chat with each other. At the end of the 5 weeks students could create a living museum by dressing up in character and present to parents how they accomplished their "journey." Have students videotape the living museums and share them using a resource such as SchoolTube reviewed here.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Plurk - Plurk
Grades
9 to 12tag(s): chat (42), communication (136), microblogging (18)
In the Classroom
This site is not difficult to navigate. Left click on the timeline to drag it to earlier posts. Unread plurks and replies appear as a number beside each plurk and in the timeline. Along the top of the timeline are user controls. "My profile" contains your contact information and details. Upload a photo, customize the colors of your outline, or add a widget to your blog or site that contains your plurks. Use "My friends" to invite friends, create cliques that allow you to segregate who sees certain plurks, and blocking other users. "Alerts" contain friend requests sent to you. Click on "Interesting plurkers" to see plurks from everywhere which you can customize to gender, age, city, state, or country. Use "My account" to change privacy settings and set up instant messaging. Create your plurks below the timeline and use the dropdown to change your verb from "is" to "says," wishes," "feels," and many others. Hover over a person's picture or name to send a private plurk. Plurk messages can be edited but replies cannot. Pictures, images, and links can be added as well. Also below the timeline are tabs to see plurks from you and your friends, your plurks alone, and private plurks. View your Karma -- which increases with plurks and friends and unlocks new features. Use "Embed your Plurk widget" easily to your blog by simply entering your login information.Create a written and signed classroom policy that outlines necessary privacy settings and actions that would be considered misuse. Check these regularly and take appropriate actions to enforce rules when needed. Students need to be guided in how to safely blog and share information. Students may come across questionable content if reading through the "interesting plurkers" tab. As with all social networking sites, students need to be aware of proper ways to communicate at school and at home. Teachers should be a part of all student groups to monitor use.
Students can use Plurk to discuss group work on a project, create study groups, ask for help, or communicate with those who can mentor their class or subject they are learning. Many students will find success with sending bits of information at a time and letting the conversations evolve from there. Literature teachers may want to require students to plurk their thoughts within small groups as they read chapters or acts of longer works for homework, generating discussion and active reading. Social studies teachers could assign a similar task as students read about history. Math teachers may want to encourage "plurking" as students work on longer, more complex problems. Those writing lab reports for science class may find that plurking will help them collaborate in interpreting data. Consider setting up a regular class "plurk time" in the evening on certain nights of the week or for snow days.
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The Pledge of Allegiance - Hubbard's Cupboard
Grades
K to 0In the Classroom
Use this guide during the first week of school. Provide a slide show of snapshots of the flag being flown in various locations around our country using an interactive whiteboard or projector. Record your class saying the Pledge as the audio portion of the slides.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Economist Intelligence
Grades
6 to 12In the Classroom
Use this site as a resource for current events projects - assign students various weeks through out the semester in which they are to be the class news reporter, keeping their peers up to date and informed. Have students research whats going on via this news site, and present a small presentation at the beginning of class every day during their week. Students can either orally present, or for the technologically inclined, create a short video summarizing the same information. Have students create news briefs and share them using a tool such as SchoolTube reviewed here.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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