Date: Sun, 22 Sep 2002 12:57:36 -0400 From: David Shively <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Subject: TeachersFirst Update - September 23, 2002 To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] TeachersFirst update – September 23, 2002
Preschool Goodies! Kindergarten and preschool teachers take note! This past week we added several hundred new activity sheets to the Alphabet and Numbers sections of our companion TeachersAdFamilies.com site. While intended primarily for use by parents with their children, teachers may find these sets of activity sheets useful in their classrooms as well. There are over 100 activity sheets available to any user, and members have access to 200+ activity sheets on the Alphabet alone. Browse if you choose by visiting the themes selection page: <http://www.teachersandfamilies.com/open/ps-themes.html>http://www.teachersandfamilies.com/open/ps-themes.html Test Scores Simplified Explaining test scores to parents can be a real challenge. If you've ever grappled with questions about norms and stanines, you may want to suggest that parents read our new resource: "Understanding Test Scores – a primer for parents." This is a simple explanation of the various types of standardized tests, the ways in which they are used, and the interpretation of their results. The presentation uses non-technical terms to explain the basic concepts, leaving teachers free to deal with the students themselves. Puzzled parents can find this resource on our TeachersAndFamilies companion site at: <http://www.teachersandfamilies.com/open/parent/scores1.cfm>http://www.teachersandfamilies.com/open/parent/scores1.cfm Math Celebration Fair Seasoned teachers will tell you that not all great ideas necessarily incorporate technology. TeachersFirst's Math Celebration Fair is a great collection of "math celebration" activities that provide a culminating math activity for a marking period or a year. The ideas are simple; just add your own creativity! Field tested over the years with upper elementary students, this unit can also work with middle schoolers. The Math Celebration Fair ideas are at: <http://www.teachersfirst.com/lessons/math-fair.shtml>http://www.teachersfirst.com/lessons/math-fair.shtml Dante's Infernal Grammar Sometimes mixing old ideas in new combinations can produce interesting instructional results. That's what happened when TeachersFirst created Dante's Infernal Grammar. Originally designed for high school students preparing for the English SAT II, this unit combines an introduction to Dante's Inferno with a review of some of the thornier grammatical concepts with which students must grapple. The result is an engaging parallel study that lets teachers use either track individually or combine the two. And while we don't suggest that getting into the college of your choice requires selling your soul to the devil, English teachers have found that the themes in Dante's story resonate with today's students in interesting ways. Begin your exploration at: <http://www.teachersfirst.com/lessons/dante/>http://www.teachersfirst.com/lessons/dante/ Frontier Forts Any elementary teacher will tell you that their students are curious. Sure they're interested in what Americans on the frontier thought, but what did they eat for dinner? …and where did it come from?? TeachersFirst's presentation "Frontier Forts in the American Revolution helps answer both questions. Created with the help of several hundred re-enactors, this unit introduces the purpose and lifestyle of the forts that dotted the western wilderness during the American Revolution. Learn about how the forts were built, what the soldiers did, even what the kids played with. Great visuals make this one a nice "living history" example if there isn't one near you. Visit our fort at: <http://www.teachersfirst.com/lessons/forts/>http://www.teachersfirst.com/lessons/forts/ The Original Thirteen States We've received a number of compliments on TeachersFirst's new section "The Thirteen Original States." This section is, of course, a prototype for a resource on all fifty states. For now, you can learn about the founding of the original colonies. Our narrative includes the Native Americans, geology and landforms, history, and economics of each state. Along the way there are interesting people to meet and places to visit. Upper elementary and middle school students will find this site perfect for "state history" units. It's at <http://www.teachersfirst.com/share/13states/>http://www.teachersfirst.com/share/13states/ Features This week's features include a great collection of Civil War lesson ideas, a huge resource library for math teachers, an art sharing site, and lots more. The features are in the usual place: <http://www.teachersfirst.com/feature.htm>http://www.teachersfirst.com/feature.htm That's all for now. Fall is officially upon us; enjoy the change in the weather! David Shively Senior Editor IMPORTANT NOTE REGARDING E-MAIL ADDRESSES: TeachersFirst's mailing list has thousands of names. This makes manual list editing extremely difficult. We'll continue to do it when necessary, but we'd much prefer you follow the automated instructions below: TO SUBSCRIBE to this newsletter, please follow these instructions: Go to the page: <http://www.teachersfirst.com/lsoftsignup.htm>http://www.teachersfirst.com/lsoftsignup.htm and complete the form there. You will receive a confirming e-mail for security purposes. When you respond to that message, your name will automatically be added to the TeachersFirst mailing list. ************************************************************************* If you want to unsubscribe, click and send (no body or subject: required) mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] Archives for K12 Newsletters can be found at: http://www.classroom.com/community/email/archives.jhtml?A0=K12NEWSLETTERS
