Date: Tue, 01 Oct 2002 08:31:44 EDT From: "bigchalk" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Subject: Top 8 Web Sites
bigchalk's Top 8 Newsletter Week of September 30 - October 6, 2002 http://www.bigchalk.com Welcome to this week's installment of Top 8, sponsored by Start Something. http://i.bigchalk.com/U/targetstart02 Each week we bring you links to Web sites that represent the very best online academic research destinations. *******************ADVERTISEMENT******************** Attention Teachers! Start Something is a free ready-to-go curriculum that promotes character development, leadership, and community stewarship brought to you by Target and the Tiger Woods Foundation. Click here to learn more: http://i.bigchalk.com/U/targetstart02 **************************************************** TABLE OF CONTENTS 1. Science Spot Teacher Resources > Science 2. Mark Twain House American Literature > 19th Century > Mark Twain 3. Weather: Doppler Radar Sites Earth Science > Meteorology > Forecasting & Prediction 4. Global Connections Current Events > World > Middle East 5. Plastic Fork Diaries (PFD) Physical Education & Sports > Fitness > Nutrition 6. CNN Student News Teacher Resources > Current Events ELEMENTARY SITES 7. CyberChase Elementary Resources > Student Games & Stories 8. Sci4Kids Science > Basics *****************ADVERTISEMENT******************* NEW! The Adobe Education Print to Web Promotion: SIX Award Winning Products at a disounted price for students and educators! The Adobe Education Print-to-Web Promotion includes Education versions of six products plus a bonus GoLive/LiveMotion training CD, which includes step-by-step tutorials, templates, art files, stock photography, and other extras. http://i.bigchalk.com/U/adobepack02 ************************************************* THIS WEEK'S TOP 8 SITES 1. Science Spot Teacher Resources > Science Science teachers, take note! This rich destination is home to dozens of classroom-tested lesson plans, worksheets, and project ideas aligned to state standards. You'll also find tips to help you develop your own nature spot and make this "outdoor classroom" a hit, ideas for Math Olympiad events plus special kid-friendly resources in the Kid Zone. http://i.bigchalk.com/U/8-023901 ++ Teaching & Learning Link http://i.bigchalk.com/U/8-023901LL -- 2. Mark Twain House American Literature > 19th Century > Mark Twain One of America's greatest writers and social commentators was fond of saying that "out of the public schools grows the greatness of a nation." Here's your chance to turn the tables on Twain and learn about his life in Connecticut, then take a virtual tour of his home, which was described by his hometown newspaper as "one of the oddest looking buildings... ever designed for a dwelling." See for yourself! Classroom teaching materials are available. http://i.bigchalk.com/U/8-023902 ++ Teaching & Learning Link http://i.bigchalk.com/U/8-023902LL -- 3. Weather: Doppler Radar Sites Earth Science > Meteorology > Forecasting & Prediction When you turn on your local TV news, there's a good chance the forecaster shows you a Doppler image of your local area. Doppler radars dot the country, offering TV viewers and meteorologists alike the ability to peer into the atmosphere to spot incoming storms, wind speeds, precipitation amounts and more. This simple Web site allows you to quickly tap into all 115 U.S. radar sites and view current images. Be sure to try a few "loops" to watch weather events move through your area. Wow! http://i.bigchalk.com/U/8-023903 ++ Teaching & Learning Link http://i.bigchalk.com/U/8-023903LL -- 4. Global Connections Current Events > World > Middle East PBS is known for its emphasis on producing quality TV and Web programming with a truly global focus. Global Perspectives integrates these rich resources, providing a fresh international perspective to help teachers and students explore and understand important historical and modern events. Currently, the site is focusing on the Middle East. Visitors can explore the past 100 years of history here as well as the relationship between the region and the West. http://i.bigchalk.com/U/8-023904 ++ Teaching & Learning Link http://i.bigchalk.com/U/8-023904LL -- 5. Plastic Fork Diaries (PFD) Physical Education & Sports > Fitness > Nutrition PFD is aimed at 9-12 year olds, providing thought-provoking information about food, eating and nutrition. This traditionally "bland" topic has been reenergized by embedding the material in a continuing serial story, with new episodes appearing online each week. Follow six middle school students as they experience the relationship between food and their changing bodies, cultural differences, the vanishing family meal and nutrition -- online! http://i.bigchalk.com/U/8-023905 ++ Teaching & Learning Link http://i.bigchalk.com/U/8-023905LL -- 6. CNN Student News Teacher Resources > Current Events If you like to use current events in your classroom, you'll love CNN Student News! Every morning you'll find new top stories written by CNN journalists working in collaboration with teachers that contain appropriate vocabulary and content for middle and high school students. Each story is accompanied by a lesson plan, discussion topic or classroom activity. Be sure to check out the teacher resources link to tap into the complete archive of lessons organized by subject. http://i.bigchalk.com/U/8-023906 ++ Teaching & Learning Link http://i.bigchalk.com/U/8-023906LL -- ELEMENTARY SITES 7. CyberChase Elementary Resources > Student Games & Stories Ready for an online learning adventure? This fun Web site takes visitors on virtual adventures where they use problem-solving strategies to defeat the bad guys. In each episode, a diverse team of Earth kids uses brainpower to defeat the dastardly Hacker, who is on a mission to take control of cyberspace away from the benevolent ruler, Motherboard. Jump into the latest installment today, then tune into your local PBS station to watch the characters come to life. http://i.bigchalk.com/U/8-023907 ++ Teaching & Learning Link http://i.bigchalk.com/U/8-023907LL -- 8. Sci4Kids Science > Basics This site proves that science isn't something that takes place in a remote laboratory. Science is in the food we eat, the clothes we wear and the water we drink. Ski4Kids will help you and your students find science everywhere you look! Created by the U.S. Agricultural Research Service (ARS), the site is home to a growing series of stories about what scientists do at the ARS. Click on the bee or the tractor or the fish or the satellite to get started! http://i.bigchalk.com/U/8-023908 ++ Teaching & Learning Link http://i.bigchalk.com/U/8-023908LL *******************ADVERTISEMENT******************** New at VeryBestKids.com is Teacher's Corner, a unique educator's resource created by teachers, for teachers, to provide quality lessons and fun activities for Grades Pre-K, K-2 and 3-5. Click here: http://i.bigchalk.com/U/verybestkids02 **************************************************** BIGCHALK CALENDAR Month of the Dinosaur Did you know that the term "dinosaur" originates from the Greek words deino and sauros, meaning "terrible" and "lizard"? Yikes! Scientists think that dinosaurs arose in the Middle or Late Triassic, about 235 million years ago. Find out more about these fascinating creatures this month -- online. http://i.bigchalk.com/U/octdino COLLEGE ZONE Read advice about getting into the college of your choice from myFootpath's admissions counselor in bigchalk's College Zone. http://i.bigchalk.com/U/czone01 And don't forget to get help paying for college with bigchalk and wiredscholar. http://bigchalk.wiredscholar.com BIGCHALK WEB SITE OF THE MONTH Christopher Columbus & The European Voyages of Exploration In mid-October each year, American's pause to reflect on the life and work of Spanish explorer Christopher Columbus. To many students, Columbus' journey to the Americas is the most well-known and studied aspect of the European voyages of exploration. However, there is a far richer tale to be told about the countries, events and people who populate the history of these fifteenth and sixteenth century journeys. Many historians point to these trips as the triggers to the process of globalization, linking once distant countries and peoples for the first time. In addition, while many believe that the seeking of profit was the primary motivator for sea exploration, these early explorers were equally interested in expanding Europe's knowledge about the world. Find out more about this special era of exploration. http://i.bigchalk.com/U/oct02site SEARCH BOX Want an easy way to give students and parents instant access to the Internet's largest, most up-to-date directory of learning sites? Add a free bigchalk search box to your Web pages. Users can search our collection by keyword and filter their query by grade level. http://i.bigchalk.com/U/bcsearchbx *******************ADVERTISEMENT******************** Could your college fund use a $5,000 boost? bigchalk has teamed up with A&E's "Biography" to challenge students to explore the life and times of a famous figure, then write a short biography. Sponsoring teachers could win special classroom prizes. Find out more! http://i.bigchalk.com/U/biographyc02 **************************************************** Thank you for reading this week's Top 8 newsletter. Be sure to preview each link and try any included projects or experiments before using them with your students. All Web sites included in this publication are subject to the bigchalk Linking Policy. http://www.bigchalk.com/corp/linkpolicy.html We offer several newsletters of interest to students, parents, teachers and Web surfers. To find out more, link to our newsletter signup page today. http://i.bigchalk.com/U/signup8 To find out more about bigchalk, connect to our Web site: http://i.bigchalk.com/U/bchome8 Looking for an archive of all past Top 8 sites arranged by theme? Connect to the Top 8 collection. http://i.bigchalk.com/U/8c If you have any questions or comments, please email our newsletter team via: [EMAIL PROTECTED] ************************************************************************* NOTE: Gleason Sackmann is the owner and host of this list. All inquiries regarding this list and its contents should be directed to Gleason Sackmann <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>. 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
