Get Started for FREE
Sign up with Facebook Sign up with X
I don't have a Facebook or a X account
 Your new post is loading...
Your new post is loading...
Scoop.it!
"We offer these lesson plan ideas to help teachers cover important skills in English/Language Arts and Social Studies. Each SKILLS-BASED IDEA and CONTENT-BASED IDEA suggests specific ProCon.org topics and resources that are particularly well-matched to the lesson and designed to help you meet multiple curriculum goals."
Beth Dichter's insight:
Beth Dichter's insight: ProCon is one of my favorite websites. The mission of the site is to promote 'critical thinking, education, and informed citizenship by presenting controversial issues in a straightforward, nonpartisian, primarily pro-con format." There are 52 controversial topics that are available, and they have just released 20 lesson plans. Seventeen of the lesson plans are skill- based and three are content-based. The lesson plans are geared to learners in grades 5 - 12. Below is a list of two skill-based lessons and two content-based lesson, along with the grade levels. Skill-Based (material quoted from site): * Critical Thinking Quotes - Engage students in a metacognition exercise about critical thinking and also practice research and informational writing skills using ProCon.org's collection of critical thinking quotes. Grades 9 -12. * Main Ideas of Visual References - Use charts and graphs on ProCon.org to engage students in a visual literacy exercise. Grades 6 - 8. Content-Based * Exploring Controversial Issues in Literature - To introduce a novel, use ProCon.org to help students build background knowledge and examine the novel’s controversial issue(s). Grades 5 - 10. * Drug Ads Over Time: Analyzing Historical Images - Use ProCon.org's Gallery of Drug Ads to give students an opportunity to practice ad analysis and recognize how methods and messages have changed over time. Grades 5 - 10. To access the 52 issues that have detailed information and provide references (and links) to the materials used click on the Home page and you will find topics in Education, Elections & Presidents, Health & Medicine, Media & Entertainment, Money & Business, Politics, Religion, Science & Technology, Sex & Gender, Sports, and World/International. 
Scoop.it!
Beth Dichter's insight:
This visual is based on an article published by Edutopia, 5 Powerful Questions Teachers Can Ask Students. You can access the article through the link which provides some additional information. If you read the comment section you will also find some additional resources related to questioning.
Tony Guzman's curator insight,
September 29, 2014 9:24 AM
Good list of questions to help get the student voice active in your classroom. 
Frédéric Falisse's curator insight,
October 10, 2014 6:51 AM
Sans questions pas de raisonnement. D'ailleurs, qu'est ce que la réflexion si ce n'est l'enchaînement de questions? Et l'intelligence ne serait elle pas simplement l'enchaînement de bonne questions?
Scoop.it!
Beth Dichter's insight:
Here is a visual that may help your students with critical thinking skills. The post in Edutopia provides addtional information on this and the image came via twitter and that link is at the end of this post. As you read the five questions you may find that might change a few. For example, if you are working with younger students you might want to change the first question to "What do you think you know?" and you might also want to change the fourth question to "What more can you tell me?" Do you have other ideas? Share them by adding a comment. The link to the visual is at https://twitter.com/shannonclark7/status/404336242625892354/photo/1/large
Scoop.it!
"Internet Safety and Digital Citizenship are important topics ... it is so integral to what our kids do while they are at school. Whether or not you have a 1:1 program, these are topics that shouldn’t be overlooked! Don’t assume that because your students are fairly savvy when it comes to learning technology, that they will automatically pick up on digital literacy...it is essential that parents learn about digital literacy so that they can echo and enforce good technology use at home"
Beth Dichter's insight:
If you are looking for some great resources for elementary and middle school students that look at issues involved in digital literacy this post may be just what you are looking for. The post is divided into five sections: * Online identity * What to do * Digital footprint * Cyber Bullying * Online Privacy Each section has a list of resources split into elementary and middle school as well as a description of the topic area. Also included are resources to assist with Online Discernment (think about how many students tell you that if it is online it must be true!) as well as teacher resources and lesson plans.
David Cook's curator insight,
August 7, 2014 10:26 PM
Looks better for K - 8 teachers than high school (myself). I do like the week plan of 5 days of focus on digital literacy! 
Melissa Marshall's curator insight,
October 25, 2014 10:46 AM
This is an excellent collection of resources, split into age groups and a suggested order of activities. It is an American site, but I like how they have picked up on the cybersmart resource put out by the Australian Government. I would add another one to the list: the resources made by CommonSense Media. These are great too, and Prendiville's digital citizenship unit is based on them. 
Lamia Saad's curator insight,
March 9, 2021 9:53 PM
It’s great resource including different resources to teach children about online Identity, digital footprint, cyber bullying and online Privacy.These references can be use by parents and teachers.
Scoop.it!
"A pinspiring place for teachers to find and share creative ideas. Follow these boards for lesson plans, classroom decor and lots more for lively learning."
Beth Dichter's insight:
Pinterest has become a great location to find educational sources, and now they have launched a teachers hub. Currently they are boards that share information for grades PreK through Grade 6 (one board per grade) as well as boards for Art, Science, Math, Classroom Decor, Classroom Management, Home School, Literacy, Sensory Learning, Gold Star Supplies, Back to School and Educational Blogs. For more information on this new feature you may travel over to the Pinterest Blog where they posted "Say Hello to Pinterest" at http://blog.pinterest.com/post/58175180377/say-hello-to-teachers-on-pinterest The current boards are for elementary school but the post also notes that they will "work together with Edutopia—an online resource for educators—to build out the education-focused community on Pinterest." If you are looking for lesson plans, ideas for your classroom, and more it is worth checking out this resource.
The Teacher Treasury's comment,
August 22, 2013 1:54 AM
This is a wonderful idea. Really looking forward to the development of this Teacher Hub.
Scoop.it!
More than 1600 federal teaching and learning resources organized by subject: art, history, language arts, math, science, and others -- from FREE, the website that makes federal teaching and learning resources easy to find.
Beth Dichter's insight:
This site organizes many of the free reosurces available through various federal agencies. Subjects covered include Art and Music, Health and Phys Ed., Language Arts, Math, Science, World Studies, U.S. History Topics, and U.S. Time Periods. Resources include lesson plans, animations, primary documents, photos and videos.
Scoop.it!
"Over the years, I’ve noticed how one question can change the dynamics of any situation. Everything might be moving along quite nicely at the dinner table, everyone’s happy and laughing but one question can send those same smiling faces into a frenzy of shouts and upset. This also holds true in a classroom. Students may be working quietly and the teacher might be content but one question or comment from a student or the teacher can turn that quiet into bubbling sea of chatter."
Beth Dichter's insight:
As teachers we know that there are days when a lesson is just not hitting the spot. This post provides a range of ideas across the curriculum that you might try if this happens..."just quick tricks to step up the beat so that students stay interested." Five lesson ideas are presented for math, reading, writing, science and social studies, each providing an idea that you may want to incorporate. One example for social studies is below (quoted from the post). Lesson: Civil Rights One of the most important lessons taught to students, this gives them a deeper understanding of right and wrong and why laws exist and need to be enforced. Sometimes students see it as ancient history though. So keep it current as well. Add Students. Ask the important question: How have things changed? Have them list it or journal it then expand on that as the lesson continues. They need to understand their relationship to it.
Scoop.it!
Google just keeps adding new tools...or you discover something that you never knew they had...such as a "massive library of free lesson plans." Perhas one of the best things about these plans is you have multiple wasy to sort them. You can sort by Google product, or by subject or by age. The post provides additional details as well as samples of a few lesson plans.
Scoop.it!
What can we do in our classroom to inspire students to be more innovative and creative? This post shares one way we might do this, by instituting a 20% project. Read the post to explore the why, what, how, when and who, and to access additional resources.
Scoop.it!
Garbology is the study of what we do with our waste. All the things we throw away each day—where do they end up? Many of us know that we can reuse, recycle, and compost to help keep waste out of landfills, but how do you know what goes where? Why is it important to reduce the waste we put in landfills? All of this and more is Garbology. This site has many resources available for students, teachers and families. Lesson plans for Grades K - 12 are also available, and some resources are also in Spanish.
Scoop.it!
PowerMyLearning.com is an acclaimed free online platform for K-12 students, teachers, and parents, developed by the national nonprofit organization, CFY. We carefully select the most effective digital learning activities available on the web and make them easily accessible and usable through this free platform.
Scoop.it!
Teacher videos, resources and lesson plans. Discover great ideas and strategies to use as a teacher with this collection of videos covering Math, Science, English, History and more.
Scoop.it!
In Motion: The African-American Migration Experience presents a new interpretation of African-American history, one that focuses on the self-motivated activities of peoples of African descent to remake themselves and their worlds. Of the thirteen defining migrations that formed and transformed African America, only the transatlantic slave trade and the domestic slave trades were coerced, the eleven others were voluntary movements of resourceful and creative men and women, risk-takers in an exploitative and hostile environment. Their survival skills, efficient networks, and dynamic culture enabled them to thrive and spread, and to be at the very core of the settlement and development of the Americas. Their hopeful journeys changed not only their world and the fabric of the African Diaspora but also the Western Hemisphere.
WalkerKyleForrest's comment,
September 16, 2013 9:53 AM
This article accurately exemplifies the many reasons why Africans have migrated to the United States. The most dominant reason occurred a long time ago when slavery was present and there was a large demand for blacks in America. This all happened before the civil war, of course. Now Africans are coming over because of job opportunities and to be civilized. Another reason is the refugees escaping war.
BandKids13-14's comment,
September 16, 2013 10:17 AM
This article states that the African american migration history began when they began coming from Mexico and the Caribbean to the Spanish territory of Florida, Texas and parts of the south. Their migration movements continued with movement to the north with the underground railway and toward Mexico and the Bahamas. Migration has played a large role in shaping the history of African Americans.~Rayann S.
|
Scoop.it!
Research shows that children want assistance with finding a reading book. While your students search the stacks, here's some helpful tips for teachers.
Beth Dichter's insight:
Here are five great tips for helping students find books - a great find for librarians and for teachers in elementary school. The short hand version of the tips is below and additional information is located in the post.. 1. Get to know the student 2. Experiment 3. Exposure 4. Permission to abandon the book 5. Time to look. The visual above is not found on the site, but is found on Edutopia's Facebook page and also on Flickr.
Scoop.it!
"Media educators base their teaching on key concepts of media literacy, which provide an effective foundation for examining mass media and popular culture. These key concepts act as filters that any media text has to go through in order for us to respond."
Beth Dichter's insight:
Do you teach media literacy? Do you think we should teach students in upper elementary and middle school the concepts of media literacy? Media Smarts (out of Canada) with the assistance of Companies Committed to Children, has launched a new website, Media Literacy 101. What will you find? Six short videos that will engage students as they learn about media literacy as well as lesson plans that include an overview, learning outcomes, preparation and materials, key concepts and an optional worksheet. The areas covered include: * What is media anyway * Media are constructions * Audiences negotiate media * Media have commercial impacts * Media have social and political implications * Each media has a unique aesthetic form These lessons are geared for students from about Grade 5 - 8, but make sure you review them to determine if they will work with your students. If you believe that your students need to become more media savvy this is website is worth exploring.
Antonio Andrade's curator insight,
September 6, 2014 11:54 AM
Muy buena interpretación de los contenidos sobre.....
Scoop.it!
"Thinking critically is one thing, but being able to teach it can be quite another."
Beth Dichter's insight:
How do we teach students to be critical thinkers? How do we train teachers to teach critical thinking? Edutopia has recently published a number of articles focused on 'Critical Thinking: A Path to College and Career.' This link takes you directly to a page where a "Katie Kirkpatrick, dean of instruction at KIPP King Collegiate High School" shares her experience with a training she designed for teachers. From this page you may link to many other areas. Two that you may find helpful are: * Ten Takeaway Tips for Teaching Critical Thinking * Resources and Downloads for Teaching Critical Thinking The Resources and Download area includes lesson plans and rubrics as well as Tools for Critical Thinking.
Scoop.it!
Empower your classroom with the best games, apps, and maker kits, including engaging lesson plans aligned to core standards. Explore, connect, & create. Join today!
Beth Dichter's insight:
Educade, a free website, provides lesson plans "standards aligned lesson plans with 21st century teaching tools like games, apps, and maker kits. These are ready to use and effective resources that have been thoroughly vetted by the GameDesk curriculum team comprised of teachers, content specialist, researchers, artists, and developers." The site is designed for K-12 students, and you may sign up for an account if you would like to create and share your own content. It is easy to search (dropdown menus allow you to search by subject area, grade level, type of tool and platform). As they say on the site "Start browsing for hundreds of lesson plans and teaching tools right now. It is totally FREE!"
davidconover's curator insight,
September 7, 2013 10:29 AM
This is a great resource for teachers to find lesson plans that you can apply immediately in your classroom.
Scoop.it!
FREE Visual Literacy Teacher Resources from the creators of World Literacy Day… Spellodrome
Beth Dichter's insight:
Check out these great Visual Literacy Teacher Resources that will help you teach visual litearcy skills to your students. There are four downloads available, for ages 4 - 7, 8 - 10, 11 - 13 and 14 - 18. Each is 3 pages long and provides three images. Each image incorporates four learning tasks with a teaching note for each as well as a Ready to Learn section and a Follow Up Action. A portion of the first page of the download for ages 4 - 7 is shown above.
Scoop.it!
"Try Engineering is a site that hosts lesson plans and games designed to get students interested in engineering. The lesson plans, 114 in all, are arranged according age and engineering topic. The lesson plans can be downloaded as PDFs."
Beth Dichter's insight:
This site has great information on engineering, including 29 games that students may play. The majority of games are geared to students in elementary and middle school (although some would work in high school). With STEM becoming a push in many schools it is great to find sites like this that provide a range of resources.
Scoop.it!
Discover how the Library of Congress' vast resources — both print and digital — can help educators boost their lesson plans.
Beth Dichter's insight:
The Library of Congress has amazing resources, and this infographic provides an overview of what is available!
Scoop.it!
The Library of Congress is an amazing resource. It is the largest library in the world and has put much of their collection online. What is available? "Spoken history, photographs, and iconic cultural resources are available as teaching resources, and many of them are neatly organized into lesson plans, collections, and themes, perfect for bringing them into the classroom." Since searching for the resources may be "overwhelming" this post provides "a short guide to making the most of the Library of Congress, with tips and ideas for activities, plus links to guides, resources, and tools that you can put to work in your classroom."
Scoop.it!
There are so many articles and posts today on the new open platform TED-Ed...and with good reason. They state "the goal is to allow any teacher to take a video of their choice (yes, any video on YouTube, not just ours) and make it the heart of a 'lesson' that can easily be assigne din class or as homework, complete with context, follow-up questions and further resources." This scoop will send you to a page that has a video TED-Ed Website tour; a sample of a lesson where the teacher and the animator worked together; and tools that allow you to edit headlines, introductions, questions and follow-up links. Take the time to look at these new offerings, and realize that this is the beginning of a resource that become a key component of your tool box.
Scoop.it!
Free, timely topical activities and lesson plans for the K - 12 classroom offered by the nonprofit Educators for Social Responsibility Metropolitan Area.
Scoop.it!
ClassConnect defines itself as the easiest way to build and share your lessons. You may build your lessons, adding websites, online videos and more; search for lessons others have build; organize and store your lessons; and share and collaborate with students, parents and collegues. What intrigued me as I looked at this site is how it came to be. In the blog Eric Simons says "during my junior year of high school (almost two years ago), my chemistry teacher pulled me aside and asked the question that changed the focus of my life: "What would make you interested in learning what I’m teaching?" This website is his answer to the question!
Scoop.it!
Find Digital Learning Day lesson plans from 1000s of teacher approved lesson plans by grade and subject. Quickly find lesson plans that inspire student learning.
|
Thx Beth Dichter!
Great skills building via content-based articles that center on hot topics in the news related to science concepts (and others).