Web Resource for English Language Arts: Podcasts

Hey Everyone!

I bet you are all looking forward to the end of the semester. It's almost here! Anyway, I have been looking around the internet for some online resources. I was finding it hard to find one that I really liked, but I finally came across one. This site is called The InklessTales Podcast Kids. The site if full of wonderful children's stories that are put on the internet in the form a podcast. Students can listen to the stories right on the website or they can download them onto ipods or mp3 players. This is a very cool website! This resource, in my opinion can be used with any of the primary, elementary, and middle years levels in English Language Arts and possibly some other subject areas. However, I have selected to use this web resource with Grade Two in English Language Arts. The activity that I am going talk about will meet the following objectives from the Evergreen Curriculum:

Listening

• Listen attentively for pleasure and information
• Listen attentively to others’ ideas and paraphrase information shared
• Respond appropriately to questions about what has been presented orally
• Make connections between own and others’ ideas and experiences
• Form sensory images

Speaking

• Contribute to shared language experiences (e.g., choral reading, drama, reader’s theatre, puppetry)
• Share ideas and information through group talk
• Read aloud informally and for an audience
• Generate and contribute ideas on particular topics

Writing

• Write patterned stories, original stories, learning logs, poetry, riddles, friendly letters, messages, and notes
• Write short informative reports and narratives when given help with organization
• Work through the stages of a writing process including pre-writing, drafting, beginning to revise, and sharing
• Arrange ideas and information to make sense

Reading

• Read aloud with fluency, accuracy, and expression

Each week for a month I am going to put the website The InklessTales Podcast for Kids up onto the data projector and have the Grade Two students select, as a class, one podcast story to listen to. The students will listen to the story and then we will have a class discussion about it. We will talk about what makes it a good story or a bad story, how the person telling story made it exciting or boring, and what could be done to make the story better. We will discuss what it takes to make a podcast story. At the end of the month the students will have listened to and dissected 4 different podcast stories. Then as a class we are going to come up with our own podcast story that will be put up on the classroom blog and the school website. In order to make a class story we are going to come up with a topic, make a story board, come up with a sequence of events and then write the story as a class, making sure that each child has at least one line to read from the story. We will then write out the story and revise it, then edit it and make it a good copy. The students will not only be making a podcast story, but they will be working through the writing process. Once the story is written out and ready to go, the class will record the story into a podcast and then be put up on the classroom blog and school website.

I believe that this activity will enhance learning because the students will be learning about the new technology of podcasting while learning about story telling and writing. They will be learning about what makes a good story and good story teller by listening to and dissecting 4 different podcast stories. The students will be working through the process of writing and telling a story. The students will develop their skills of the writing process. The students will also be able to work on skills of listening, reading, and speaking. By doing this as a class the students will gain confidence in their ability to write and tell stories.

I also believe that this project will be exciting for the students because they get to use technology, something that is a new form of learning. The students will be engaged and excited to learn.

The students will learn about collaboration and team work skills because they are going to work on creating just one story for the entire class. They will have to share their ideas and work together to come up with the best story possible.

By posting the podcast story on our classroom blog and school website the students will be able to share the story with family, friends, peers, and beyond. This will give the students a sense of ownership, responsibility, and pride.

I hope this resource and activity idea are helpful for you. Good luck!

Web Resource for Science: Space

Hey Everyone!

I hope you are all enjoying the nice weather and aren't stuck inside studying. I was looking around the web for some online resources and I came up with another great one. A Virtual Journey into the Universe is a wonderful website that takes you on a tour of our Solar System. There is a ton of information and pictures on each planet and the sun. Many of the pictures are 3-D and animated. They give you a really good idea of how the Solar System looks. There is great music that accompanies each area of the solar system and makes you feel like you are actually on a tour out in space. Very cool! There are many ways that this resource can be used and with many different ages, but I have selected to use this website with Grade Three students during a Science unit on the Solar System. The activity will meet the following objectives from the Evergreen Curriculum:

1. Describe the solar system
   
   1. Compare the sizes of the Sun, the Moon, and the Earth.
   2. Name the planets .
   3. Describe some characteristics of each planet
      
   4. Locate the planets Venus, Mars, and Jupiter in the sky or on sky charts.

The Grade Three students will be broken up into 9 groups of three or so for this activity. Each group is going to be given a planet or the sun to study. Once the groups know which planet or the sun they are studying they will go onto the A Virtual Journey into the Universe website and take the virtual tour of their planet or the sun. While they are taking the journey they are going to take notes in their own words of the facts they are learning. They must come up with at least 12 facts about their planet or the sun. Once they have completed taking the tour and writing down their 12 or more facts the groups will each create a large poster on poster board that contains 12 facts about their planet or the sun and detailed illustrations. Their illustrations must be colorful and their facts must displayed neatly and large enough to read. Once the posters are created the groups will share them with the rest of the class. Thus each group are now experts on their planet or the sun and they will teaching everyone else what they have learned. After the presentations the posters will be hung up in different areas around the room so all the students and others who come into the classroom can read about the different plants and the sun. Once it is time to take the posters down from the wall I will get them laminated and put them together as a large class book about the Solar System. This way the students can still read about the Solar System.

I believe that this activity and the use of the A Virtual Journey into the Universe web resource will enhance the learning of students because it gives the students a chance to explore and get a really good sense of what the Solar System is like. The pictures, animations, and music really give the impression of exploring the universe. This is something the students would not be able to experience by just reading a book. The activity also allows for the students to work on their group work and collaboration skills because they are working together in small groups becoming experts on a planet or the sun. They are then going to work together again in their groups to create a large poster on their planet or the sun. Each group is then teaching the rest of the class about what they have learned, thus collaborating with each other.

The students will be responsible for teaching each other and this gives them skills to speak in front of the class and convey information in a meaningful way. I believe that by having students do this they will gain a sense of pride over their work and realize that what they do really matters. This will give them a reason to learn, thus making the work and learning relevant to them. Also, by displaying their work around the room will give the students a sense of ownership over what they do. They will take more time to make sure their work is done well. Having the posters later turned into a book will show the students what they do can have lasting effects thus teaching them, again, that what they do matters.

I hope that this activity and website will be something that you can one day use with your own students. Have fun and good luck!

Web Resource for Social Studies: Our Community

Hello All!

I hope that you are all enjoying your weekend. I have been searching around the web for some good resources to use in my classroom and I have found another great site that is all about Africa from children's point of view. This website is called Africa for Kids and it is a wonderful website in which kids from four different areas in Africa have taken photos to represent what their lives are like. There are also thumb piano songs (traditional instruments used in Africa), activities on making masks and some folktales. The website is done from a kid's point of view so it is a great way for other children to relate and connect with these kids. There are many ways in which this web resource can be used in the classroom, but I have selected to use the website with Grade Two students in Social Studies covering the topic of Our Community. The activity that I will describe will meet the following objectives from the Evergreen Curriculum:

Knowledge Objectives

Students will know that:

• people belong to groups like neighbourhoods and communities.
• communities have similarities and differences .

Skills/Abilities Objectives

Students will:

• identify the components of a local neighbourhood and community.

Attitudes/Values Objectives

Students will:

• appreciate the similarities and differences of communities.

Citizen Action Objectives

Students may:

• work cooperatively in group tasks.

Since Grade Two students are still quite young, I would put the Africa for Kids website up onto the data projector and as a class we would navigate through the website and discuss the different photographs the students have taken and what their lives are like in Africa. We would compare their lives to what our lives are like here in Canada. Then as a class we would brainstorm what we could take pictures of in order to share what our lives are like here in Canada with the rest of the world. Once the students have brainstormed many different possibilities we will select the best photographs to take. Then the students will be broken up into groups and each group will be responsible for taking a couple of different photographs and coming up with a short write up about each photograph to put on to our own website. Once the photos have been taken and the writes up written. I will create a website that shares what the life of a Grade Two student in like in Canada.

Using this website would enhance learning because it allows the students to see what life is like Africa for students of similar ages to them. This lets the students make real world connections to other children and it teaches them that life outside of Canada can be very different, but also similar. By seeing pictures that are up to date this really makes the learning experience relevant to the students and I believe they will learn more from seeing very detailed photos with explanations from other students than they would by just reading a book. I also believe that by having the students take photographs and come up with a write up of their own will have them really think about what their lives are like compared to the lives of other children. They will begin to really appreciate what they have and the educational experiences they receive. The students will also appreciate that other communities around the world are very different from ours, but that we are also very similar. I think that using this web resource and having the students do their own website would be an excellent learning experience for students and they would have a lot of fun along the way!

I hope that this resource and activity will be something you can use with your own students. Good luck and have fun!

Web Resource for Health: Going to the Hospital

Hello Everyone!

I was checking out the web again and I came across this fun site related to Health Education. The online resource is called Hospital Life. It is a website that is all about hospitals, medicine, sickness and all that goes along with it. This site has many different sections depending on which age group you are looking at. It has stuff for young kids, middle aged kids, and older kids. The site uses age appropriate language. It contains quizzes, games, real life stories, dictionaries, art work, etc. There are many ways in which this site can be used, but I would use this site with Grade Two students in Health. The activity that I would have the kids do would meet the following objectives from the Evergreen Curriculum:

Knowledge

Students will increase their knowledge of the human body

• understand some problems of physical health, one of which is HIV/AIDS*
  
• gradually incorporate the vocabulary related to the human body and to health into their speech and writing

Students will identify sources of support for healthy living

• recognize that family and friends are sources of support

• recognize that the job of health-care professionals is to prevent disease and injury and to care for those who are ill or hurt

Skills and Habits

Students will act on their knowledge about maintaining or improving their health

• establish daily habits for caring for their bodies in order to maintain or improve health and prevent illnesses, including HIV/AIDS*
  

Students will help members of their family, class, and community achieve physical, mental and social well-being

• develop their ability to communicate their knowledge about health to their friends, family and community

• learn to support those who are trying to maintain or improve their health
  

• explore and develop empathy for all persons

Attitudes and Values

Students will develop attitudes necessary for healthy living

• demonstrate respect for the needs of their body
  

• demonstrate compassion for people suffering from ill health, including people with HIV/AIDS*

Now how I would use this in my classroom with Grade Two students during Health would be if one or more of my students had to have an operation or visit the doctor for any number of reasons. In a class of students at least one student will have to go to the doctor or visit the hospital. It is just part of life. When this situation occurs I would put this website up on the data projector and as a class we would go through all of the stuff about visiting the doctor and hospital. I would have the students taking part in the interactive activities so they can learn about going to the hospital or doctor. They will then realize that it isn't really such a scary thing after all. Knowledge is power. The more you know, the less you fear. After the students have learned all about visiting the doctor and hospital they are going to create a class book of tips on how to stay calm and make your hospital stay or doctor's visit a pleasant one. The idea of this book will be for the students to read or for other people to read to help them through the scary thing of going to the doctor or hospital. Each student will be responsible for creating a page.

Using this website would enhance the learning of students because it is very interactive and kid friendly. The site uses a lot of kid friendly language that is easy for the students to understand. They will learn a lot about hospitals and doctors through cute, non-threatening characters and methods. All of the colors and designs will help those students who are visual learners. This website gives the students an experience that cannot be had with a book or even a video. This website will also benefit learning because it will spark numerous discussions. Students will be able to talk with each other and learn from their own experiences. This site also has many real-life stories which means the students can also learn from the experiences of other kids from different parts of the world. They can see that doctors and hospitals everywhere are places that help you when you are sick or hurt.

I recommend this website to you. I also hope that this lesson or activity is something that you can use. Have fun!

Web Resource for Mathematics: Multiplication

Hello Everyone!

I have found another great online web resource that kids can use both inside and outside the classroom. Spark Island contains different games on a variety of subject areas. There are a few games that students can play without registering. However, if a parent or teacher registers there are many more options available. I would use this resource with Grade Two children in the subject area of Mathematics. The activity that I would have them do would meet the following objectives from the Evergreen Curriculum:

Learning Objectives

N-63
recognize and solve a variety of problems involving multiplication

During our unit on multiplication I would have 5 different students each day come in and play the Submarine game during our opening routine. The 5 students who are allowed to go onto the computers in the morning will log onto the Spark Island website and begin playing the submarine game, which has the students steering a submarine while answering multiplication questions. Steering the submarine is a lot harder than it looks, so the students are challenged in both the mathematical sense and a spacial sense. The students will play the game for about 15 minutes in the morning, thus allowing them to practice their multiplication skills before we get into out math lesson.

This web resource will enhance the learning of students because they will be learning and practicing their multiplication skills without even knowing it. The game is a fun and interactive way for the students to work on math. The students can also work together on answering questions because they will be working side by side. This will allow more communication on math skills.

Another way this web resource will enhance learning is the fact that it "warms" the students brains up in the morning to do math. They work on multiplication skills first thing in the morning before actually beginning a lesson. This gets their minds thinking in terms of mathematical skills.
The students will not only be working on math, but they will be working on their spacial movement skills as well because the submarine in the game is quite tricky to maneuver.

This is a very neat website. I recommend that you register so you can have access to even more options and interactive, educational games. I hope this helps! Have fun!

Web Resource for English Language Arts: Poetry

Hello Everyone!

I hope that you are all not too busy as the semester is coming to an end. I have been yet again looking around the web for some great online resources and I have come across a wonderful website on poetry. This website is called Poetry4Kids.com. It contains many funny poems written by Kenn Nesbitt, books by Kenn Nesbitt, information about author visits, an events calender, poetry lessons for kids, poetry games, poetry podcasts, newsletters, links, poetry writing contests, surveys, rhyming dictionary, and discussion forums. This website can be used in many different ways, with a variety of ages, but I chose to use this website with a Grade 4 class in English Language Arts. The activity will meet the following objectives from the Evergreen Curriculum:

Listening

• Connect new ideas, information, and experiences to construct meaning
• Listen courteously and respond sensitively and thoughtfully to others
• Listen to and follow three and four-step oral directions
• Activate and build upon prior knowledge and experiences

Reading

• Read grade-appropriate texts orally and silently with increasing confidence, fluency, and accuracy
• Read a variety of texts for enjoyment and information
• Connect new information with prior knowledge to make sense of new ideas and experiences
• Begin to interpret figurative language
• Adjust reading rate according to purpose(s) for reading

Viewing

• Participate in a variety of guided and independent viewing experiences of poetry

Speaking

• Participate in a variety of shared language experiences (e.g., read-alouds, reader’s theatre)
• Share ideas, observations, and experiences in structured small and large group talk
• Prepare and present information on a specific topic using print and non-print aids to engage and inform a familiar audience
• Experiment with language and non-verbal elements (e.g., gesture) to achieve an effect for a particular purpose and audience

Writing

• Organize ideas in an appropriate sequence
• Write modeled poems
• Revise draft material by adding, deleting, and rearranging ideas
• Develop and demonstrate an understanding of written language conventions including:
  • spell correctly common words and use a strategy to learn to spell new words
• Write legibly using correct letter formation and consistent size and spacing

Representing

• Convey ideas using a variety of media
• Experiment with different ways of representing and communicating ideas

For this activity I would have the students go onto the Poetry4Kids.com website. I would have them go to the Funny Poems link and select their favourite poem. I will have the students read the poem to themselves a couple of times to really get the feel for it. They will then open up a word document and write a poem that follows the same format as the poem they selected. This poem must be about a different topic from the selected poem, but it must follow the same format. The students will work through the writing process with this poem. Once they have completed their poems they will post them on the class blog to share with parents, family, peers, and friends. They will also read their poems a loud to the class. This will ensure that the true expression and feeling comes through in their poems. The students will give feedback to each other by using the T.A.G. method. They can Tell something they liked, Ask a question or Give a suggestion.

Using this website will enhance the learning of students because they would be working on their navigating skills by finding a favourite poem from the website. Students will discover that they can find poetry outside of books. They will also be using these poems to create their own poems. These poems will be modeled poems. By putting their poems on the classroom blog the students would be reaching an audience that they would normally not reach. They will be able gain comments and feedback from many different people. This will help them become better and more fluent writers. It may even lead to a passion for poetry for some students. By using the T.A.G. method of feedback students will be able to get information that is given in a positive light. This information will help make their writing better and keep them engaged and excited about the process.

I hope this idea will be helpful to you! Good luck and enjoy!

Web Resource for Science - Endangered Spieces

Hey Everyone!

This website is probably not the most interactive website out there because it is just being revamped, but it is something that I am passionate about as I worked at the centre for 5 years so I thought I would share it with you and how I would use it in my classroom. It is the website for the Saskatchewan Burrowing Owl Centre in Moose Jaw. I would use this website in a Grade Three Science class during the Endangered Species unit. The activity would meet the following objectives from the Evergreen Curriculum:

2. Appreciate that animals can become endangered.
   2.1 Develop an operational definition of the term "endangered species."
   2.2 List some endangered and extinct animals.
   2.3 Examine some protective adaptations of animals.
   2.4 Investigate reasons why animals become endangered or extinct.
   2.5 Identify ways of protecting animals.

On this website there is a webcam that is placed in different areas depending on the time of year. In the spring time the webcam is placed inside the underground burrow of a mated pair of burrowing owls. This allows people to watch the eggs being laid, incubated, and hatched. You can also see the mother and father taking care of the young burrowing owls. So what I would with my class is to hook up this website to the data projector and follow the burrowing owl each day. They can see the progress and process of how owls raise their young. I would have the students come up with questions we can send to the centre and have them answered by a professional who works there. After watching the eggs hatch and the young being taken care of, I would then take the students on a field trip to the Burrowing Owl Centre so the students can see first hand the owls they are watching everyday. They will also take part in a student program offered at the centre. The students will then gain even more information on endangered species and what they can do to help.

By using this website the students would enhance their learning by gaining an interest in an Endangered Species. They would be hooked on following what the owls are doing each day. This would fit in with the endangered species unit found in the Grade Three Science curriculum. This will enhance learning because the students will be able to see the species in real time. It will be more relevant to the students. Actually taking a trip to the centre would also enhance learning because the students will see and touch a burrowing owl first hand. It will then become very relevant to them. I am sure that by doing this a few students will be affected and develop a passion for helping endangered species or animals in general. Since these are the people who will soon be making decisions that affect our world, it is important to help teach them to decide for themselves what is important and worth fighting for.

I hope this activity, website, and resource helps you at some point during your teaching careers!

Web Resource for Social Studies: Identity

Hey Everyone!

I hope that you are all taking some time to enjoy this gorgeous weather! I have been looking around the web and I found another great online resource that can be used in the classroom. It is a website called Bio4Kids. This website contains biographies of many different people written in kid friendly language, videos on the life stories of many different people, facts about living challenged, educational games, and activity ideas for teachers. Although this website can be used in different subject areas, I have chosen to use it with a Grade Three class in Social Studies. The activity that I would do with my students would fall under the Identity strand and meet the following objectives from the Evergreen Curriculum:


Knowledge Objectives

Students will know that:

• people belong to groups such as families.
• families have similarities and differences.

Skills/Abilities Objectives

Students will:

• compare families.
• access print and non-print resources.

Attitudes/Values Objectives

Students will:

• appreciate the similarities and differences of various families.

I will start off this activity by having the students brainstorm a list of different ways we can share information about ourselves with others. I will then go into talking about what biographies are. I will have the students go onto the Bio4Kids website and search out a biography of someone they want to learn about. They will read and examine what is contained in these biographies. They will also watch the video (if one is available) on the person they have chosen. I would have each student share what they discovered. They can come up with different characteristics that are found in biographies. The students will then know how to write a proper biography. I will then have each student write out an auto-biography of themselves. I would like them to emphasize their families in these auto-biographies. At this point in their lives, their families are going to be a huge part of their lives. Once they have completed their auto-biographies the students will then each share their biography with the class. Then as a class we will have a discussion comparing the lives of the students in our room. We can compare their families and what they have all gone through and accomplished.

By using this website the students will enhance their learning because they will be able to read biographies and watch biographical videos online. They will see that knowledge about people or individuals can be found at their fingertips. The internet is another way for them to discover and create knowledge. The students can also see that information in organized and readily available. The students can then use this information to write their own personal auto-biography, focusing on their families and lives. They will then enhance their learning by comparing the different biographies of the students in the class. Thus, they will be transferring knowledge and skills they discovered online to activities that are done inside and outside the classroom.

I hope that this website and activity are something you can use. Have fun and good luck!

Web Resource for Language Arts: Spelling

Hey Everyone!

I have been searching around the web for some good resources and I have found a good one. This website is called Kids Know It Network. This website is full of great material from many different subject areas. Depending on which subject area you choose, you can find activities, videos, games, information, webs, etc. I have chosen to use this website for Grade 3 Language Arts in the area of spelling. It would meet the following objectives from the Evergreen Curriculum:

Reading

• Apply cueing systems to construct meaning
• Begin to develop word attack strategies

Writing

• Develop and demonstrate an understanding of written language conventions including:
  • spell many high frequency words correctly and use a strategy to learn to spell new words
• Revise to accommodate new ideas and information
• Identify personal accomplishments and set goals

Representing

• Use a variety of verbal and visual features to enhance communication

I would have the Grade 3's each week choose their own spelling lists of 15 words based on certain words I have chosen as well as words that interest them from books they are reading and assignments they are doing in class. The students will write out the words they want on their lists and bring them to me to be approved. Once their lists have been approved they will go to the Kids Know It Network website and click on the Our Spelling Website link. The students will then select the option to build their own spelling lists and type out their spelling words into this list and give it a title. The students will then save and print out their spelling lists. Once they have their spelling lists generated this website will use this list in many different spelling activities. I would allow the students 15 minutes each day to sign onto the computers to play a spelling activity to practice their spelling words. At the end of the week the students will get into partners and test each other on their spelling words.

Using this web resource would be beneficial to the students because they can create their own spelling lists online. By having the students write out their words and then create an online list will help them practice and reinforce the spelling of their chosen words. Not to mention having the list on the computer and printed out makes it a neat and organized way to do spelling. From writing out their lists, typing them on the computer, doing online assignments with their spelling words, and writing out a spelling test will ensure that the students will gain practice in both writing out their words and typing them out. This way they get the best of both worlds. The students will also get to practice and learn their spelling words through interactive, fun, and exciting online activities. The students will probably not even realize they are learning and chances are they are going to remember how to spell the words better because they are using them in a way that is relevant to them.

I found this resource to be really cool and I am looking forward to using it with my students. I hope that you can take my idea and use it as well. Good luck!

Web Resource for English Langauge Arts - WebQuest (Wizard of Oz)

Hey Everyone!

I was looking around the web for some good WebQuests and I came across a few good ones, but I thought that I would post about one that you can use with younger grades. WebQuests for the younger grades are harder to find since it is tougher and more time consuming to use computers with younger students. The WebQuest that I found is called "We're Off To See The Wizard!". This WebQuest deals with the story The Wizard of Oz. It's a fun way for the students to learn about the characteristics and order of a narrative story.

I would use this WebQuest with a Grade One class in English Language Arts. The activity and WebQuest will meet the following objectives from the Evergreen Curriculum:

Listening

• Listen attentively to a variety of oral texts for enjoyment and information
• Follow step-by-step directions
• Retell stories by relating the sequence of story events

Reading

• Participate in individual, small group, and whole class reading of texts for emergent and early developing readers
• Attempt and practise reading behaviours

Viewing

• Participate in shared and guided viewing experiences
• Share feelings and moods evoked by a variety of visual texts
• Interpret illustrations and photographs

Representing

• Use pictures, simple charts, models, and drawings to illustrate and represent experiences and understanding
• Recognize that representations have a purpose
• Reflect upon own representing skills and strategies by checking details and the meaning portrayed by representations

I would create a story corner in which there would be a rocking chair for the storyteller and a large rug for everyone to sit on. I would bring the students to the story corner and read to them "The Wizard of Oz". I'm sure many of them may have seen the movie or heard the book before, but it's a classic that every child should hear. During the story I will have the students make predictions about what they think is going to happen next and how the story will end. At the end of the story we will have a class discussion about their thoughts and feelings on the plot, setting, characters, introduction, and ending. Once we are done with the discussion I will have the students get into partners and read the "We're Off To See The Wizard!" WebQuest on the computer. The students will then complete the WebQuest and share their finished product with the class.

I believe this activity would enhance the learning of students because they will be able to explore the story of "The Wizard of Oz" in a different and more enriching way. The students will get the chance to use technology as part of their learning and complete an assignment with little direction. This will help them develop independence and help them take more of a responsibility over their own learning. The students will also be able to practice their computer skills as they will have to locate and open up the WebQuest. They will also have to navigate around the internet. This activity will also enhance the students comprehension skills as the task involves comprehension of the story as well as the instructions need to be interpreted by the child.

I hope this is an activity you can use with your students! Enjoy!

Web Resource for Mathematics - Graphing/Data Analysis

Hello Everyone!

I hope that you are all enjoying your reading week break! I was searching around for good web resources and I found one that would be a great one to use for Math. It is called Kid's Zone: Learning With NCES. It is a website that allows kids to create graphs online. This website makes it easy for students to create and understand graphs. The site also uses the proper mathematical terminology.

I would use this website for a Grade Four math lesson on graphing. It meets the following objectives from the Evergreen Curriculum:


SP4.1 Demonstrate an understanding of many-to-one correspondence by:
• comparing correspondences on graphs
• creating bar graphs and pictographs using many-to one correspondence.

b) Compare graphs in which the same data have been displayed using a one-to-one and a many-to-one correspondence, and explain how they are the same and different.
d) Find examples of graphs in which a many-to-one correspondence is used in print and electronic media, such as the Internet, and describe the correspondence used.
e) Select many-to-one correspondence for displaying a set of data in a graph and justify the choice.
g) Create and label (with axes and title) a bar graph to display a set of data using a many-to-one
correspondence, and justify the choice of correspondence used.
h) Answer a question using a graph in which data are displayed using a many-to-one correspondence.

For this activity I would have the students come up with three different survey questions in which they could ask the class. I would then have each student choose one survey question. They must create a table in which they can record the data they collect. They will then have 10 minutes to walk around the room and survey their fellow classmates on the question they chose. The students will then take the data they collected and go onto the Kid's Zone: Learning With NCES website and create bar graphs to represent the data they collected. The students will ensure their graphs are labeled and contain the correct data information. Once they have done this they will each print out their graphs. The students will then get into groups of 4 and compare their graphs. They will make a list of similarities and differences. The students will then share their findings with the rest of the class.

Using this online resource would enhance the learning of these grade 4 students by having them learn about and create graphs on the computer. The students are going to be able to construct their own knowledge about graphing and analyzing data in an interactive and fun way. Students will be more engaged creating graphs this way than they would be by just doing questions out of a textbook. The students will also get the chance to interact with each other. This website uses the proper terminology such as x-axis and y-axis. Thus, reinforcing the language they should be using when discussing graphing. Many students find graphs hard to create neatly by hand, therefore, making the graphs hard to read and decipher. Using this website will ensure that graphs are neatly done and easy to read. Students will then be able to focus on the information these graphs contain.

I hope that this activity will work for you! Good luck and have fun!

Web Resource for Science: Plants

Hello All!

I have found another awesome website that will be very helpful to you as a teacher. This website is called United Streaming. It is so amazing! There are educational videos on almost any topic that you can think of. The videos on this site can also be broken up into segments so that you can show just the portions that pertain to the class material or you can show the whole video. There is only one problem with the site. You need an access code to get onto it. Many school divisions have an access code to the website. All you have to do is talk to the IT guys or the principal and they can get it for you.

I chose to use this website for Grade 5 Science under the Plant unit. It will meet the following objectives:

· Describe the characteristics of vascular plants.

1. Identify the roots, stems, leaves and flowers of plants.

· Explain some of the functions of the roots, root hairs, stems, leaves, sepal, pistil, and flowers of plants.

1. Be able to define photosynthesis and germination.

2. Can begin to describe the process of pollination.

I would show a video to the students regarding plant structures and functions. During the video the students will be filling out a fill-in-the blank worksheet in order to help them take notes on the video. This will also ensure that the students will stay watching the video. Once the video is over as a class we will correct the fill-in-the blank worksheet. I will then have the students each choose one important fact or piece of information that stood out to them or interested them. They will then create a poster for representing the fact or piece of information. The posters will be hung up throughout the room to remind students of plant structures and functions.

I believe that this activity will enhance student learning because the video is done by a child teaching the students about plant structures and functions in kid friendly language they will understand. Also, watching videos is a treat for students and they tend to be very engaged in any lesson that involve videos. The students will be representing their learning through creating posters about the information from the video. Since these posters will be put up around the classroom the students will be able to have reminders about plant structures and functions whenever they look around the room.

Here is the video that I would use:




Enjoy!

Web Resource for Web 2.0

Hello Everyone!

Web 2.0 is an excellent internet tool that can enhance learning in many different facets. Web 2.0 is a communication network that has many different applications. One of the websites regarding Web 2.0 is called Remember the Milk. It is a very cool website that allows individuals to organize their lives no matter where they are. You can get text or instant messages sent to you, share what you are doing with others, use the Google calender application, etc.

I would use this website with a Grade 8 class. I would have each student sign up for an account and I would have an account as well. I would then ensure that all assignments and announcements are sent to each student in the means that they choose. The students will also be entering important information for themselves on these accounts. They will also share what they are doing (the non-private affairs such as homework, projects, ect.) with the class.

Having the students do this will enhance their learning because it makes them more accountable for getting work done and fulfilling responsibilities. I also believe that students will take more ownership over their work by using this application because the whole class with know they have something to do.

I hope that this information gives you some ideas to do in your classroom!

Web Resource for Health Education: Feelings

Hello Everyone!

I have discovered yet another great website that can be useful in the classroom. This website is called Out on a Limb- A Guide to Getting Along. It contains interactive information on thinking and sharing, perspectives (how we see things), listening, getting along, and feelings. This website is set up in a digital story type fashion. I would use this activity in a Grade One classroom under the topic of feelings. It would meet the following curriculum objectives:

Social Relationships
Making friends

• identifying and expressing feelings

I would use the feelings section (found on the bottom right-hand side of the site) of this website to teach a lesson on identifying and expressing different feelings or emotions. I would show the students the short little digital story on feelings. This story shows a bunch of different faces that are a different color for each feeling. The feelings include confused, happy, sad, angry, excited, etc. We would then have a discussion of each feeling and why the makers of this website possibly chose the colors they did to represent each feeling. I would also ask the students to give examples of times when they have felt these different feelings or emotions. After we have had a good thorough discussion of feelings I would have the students design their own faces that represent each emotion. I will then have these faces laminated so they can be used throughout the year. Each morning the students will have an opportunity to choose the emotion they are feeling and stick it to their desks. This way the students will begin to learn how to identify the different emotions that each other is feeling. It will also give them a way to express themselves without actually using words.

This activity will benefit the students because they will be able to learn the emotions and feelings of their classmates. It would also give them the chance to react to these emotions through acceptable and appropriate means. The students will also, as I said above, be able to express themselves freely in a way that does not involve words. This will create an very welcoming, open, and accepting environment that is free from judgment. Having a digital story of what these emotions are like would enhance learning because it would give the students a visual interpretation of emotions. I think the students would really enjoy this activity and it would lead to deeper thinking about emotions and feelings.

I hope this activity will be helpful for you!

Web Resource for Art Education: Visual Art

Hey Everyone!

I found a cool website that can be used for Arts Education under the Visual Art strand. It's a website called Mark Kistler's Imagination Station. This website is really cool because it is very interactive. There are online art lessons, examples of artwork, Mark's artwork, and information on the history of art. I would use this website in Grade Seven for the Visual Art strand of Arts Education. It will meet the following objectives:
Students will be able to:

• understand and use various aspects of the creative process when developing works of art
• continue to determine and explore appropriate media, technology, forms and methods for visual expression
• develop co-ordination and skills for using appropriate tools, technology, materials and techniques
• purposefully use the elements of art and the principles of design in their own work

I would use this website by showing the students the online video of how to draw animals. In this case the students would be watching the video on how to draw Non-Manga Space Hamsters. The video is a step-by-step art lesson. I would show the video and have the students follow along by drawing their own Non-Manga Space Hampsters along with Mark. I would then display the artwork in the halls of the school or on the walls of the classroom.

I believe this website would benefit the students greatly. This is because I am a horrible drawer and would not really know where to start with the kids. There is no way I would be able to teach students how to draw properly. Using these online lessons would be neat because the students would get step-by-step visual instructions from a real artist. The students would be able to follow along and create visual art by using an online resource. I would also be learning along with the students.

This is a very cool website! Check it out!

Web Resource for Science: The Solar System

Hello Everyone!

I have discovered yet another great internet resource to use with your students. This time the resource is on astronomy. The students can learn about and "explore" outer space from their classroom or home. The website is called KidsAstronomy.com. This website contains information, activities, games, projects, and songs on outer space, the solar system, deep space, space exploration, civilian space travel, and the universe. I would use this website for Grade Three Science. It meets the following objectives:

1. Describe the solar system.
   1. Compare the sizes of the Sun, the Moon, and the Earth.
   2. Name the planets .
   3. Describe some characteristics of each planet.
   4. Locate the planets Venus, Mars, and Jupiter in the sky or on sky charts.

I would use this resource by breaking the students up into small groups. Each group would work together in researching the solar system, the planets, and the moons. They will do this by taking part in a treasure hunt that I will create. This hunt will have a variety of questions the students must answer. Once the students have researched this information they will use the information to create a 3-D replica of the solar system. They will then present their solar systems to the class.

I believe using this resource would be beneficial to the students because they would be working in groups researching on the internet and then creating a 3-D replica of the solar system. Each person will bring different strengths to the group and they will then be able to work together and teach each other different skills. By working together the students will learn how to navigate the internet, see visual, musical, and print information about space, and use that information to create something that is real, therefore making it more relevant to their lives. The students will then learn how to transfer knowledge discovered on the internet into something concrete.

I hope this website is helpful!

Web Resource for Physical Education: Activity Log

Hello Everyone!

Here is another great internet resource. It's an online activity log website called Get Active Stay Active. It is a website in which a classroom can keep on online log of their physical activity and a journal of their thoughts and feelings related to the activities they are doing. This log can be monitored by the teacher, parents, and students.

This website can be used with many of the older grade levels, but I chose to use it with Grade Five. It meets the following objectives:
Active Living Perspective
Students will be able to:

• participate regularly in physical activity to develop components of fitness and motor abilities
• demonstrate a willingness to participate in a variety of activities from all activity areas
• identify factors that affect choices of physical activity for life
• set and modify goals to develop personal fitness and motor abilities (IL)
• describe how activity affects the body systems and levels of physical fitness
• participate in and describe the benefits of warm-up and cool-down activities
• demonstrate a health-enhancing level of physical fitness

Movement Perspective
Students will be able to:

• use Basic Movement Patterns and Movement Variables to participate in alternative-environment activities

Personal-Social-Cultural Perspective
Students will be able to:

• demonstrate self-confidence while participating in physical activity

I would sign up the class on this website and have each student create a S.M.A.R.T goal about their own personal physical fitness and physical activity. They will then keep track of their progress on the online log and journal. Each week we will look at the logs and evaluate their progress. The students can give each other feedback and tips.

I believe this resource would enhance learning because the students will have an easy and organized way of keeping track of their progress. Since it is online they can record their physical activity and their thoughts and feelings about their activity anywhere and anytime as long as they have access to the internet. If students do not have access to the internet they will have a designated time to use it at the school. Since the teacher and others can also look at and keep track of these logs it encourages students to keep up with it as opposed to something that is just done on paper individually.

Web Resource for Arts Education: Music

Hello All!

I found another great web resource. It's a website called New York Philharmonic Kid Zone. This website contains information on composers, the elements of music, and instruments. It contains many great interactive activities and games in which students can really delve into the topic of music.

This website can be used at any grade level. I chose to use it at a Grade Six level. It would meet the following objectives:
Students will be able to:

• recognize that composers manipulate the elements of music to achieve various effects
• increase the variety of ways they use the elements of music in their own compositions
• recognize the principles of composition in the work of others
• begin to use the principles of composition in their own creations

What I would do with this website is teach the students about how composers create music. How they manipulate their music and different parts of the music to create certain effects. I would then have the students go onto the New York Philharmonic Kid Zone website and go into the Minute Mixer section and create their own compositions. They must then share their compositions with the class and explain why they chose certain elements in their music. Then I would have the rest of the students share their comments. I would have them share things they liked, asked questions, and give ideas of how to improve their compositions.

I think this resource would enhance the learning of students because they would get the chance to create their own pieces of music. This website will be very beneficial to those students who are not very comfortable with music as it allows them to create something with proper musical notes. I also think that having the students share their work and receive feedback on it will give the students a sense of ownership and it will also have them take more of a responsibility for their own learning.

Very cool website, but be careful because it's very easy to spend a lot of time on it! ha ha!

Web Resource for Science: Animals (Hibernation) **Note: This resource fits many subject areas, not just Animals. So check it out! **

Hey Everyone!

The Brain Pop Jr website is fantastic! This website can be used with so many different subject areas. It has great videos that explain so many topics in kid friendly language. The different subjects that appear on this website are Science, Health, Writing (ELA), Reading (ELA), Social Studies, and Math. Other things that this website contains are a word wall, interactive games, a bulletin board, a grown-ups guide, comics, lesson plans, step-by-step explanations on how to do things or how to learn skills, pictures, etc. The only downside to this website is that you have to subscribe to have access to the full website and the subscriptions are quite expensive. However, without a subscription you can still use most of the site, so that's pretty cool and there is a free trial so you can check out what the whole site has to offer for a short time.

Even though this site can be used with many different subject areas I choose to use it for Grade One Science in the Animals unit. It will fit the following objectives:
Explain how animals are adapted to their environments.

2. Explore the ways that animals adapt to their environments.
3. Explain how animals depend on their habitats for their basic needs.
4. Observe, describe, or imitate how animals behave in their natural environments.

I would use this website for a lesson on hibernation. I would show the students the video on the Brain Pop Jr. website and then as a class discuss the video. This discussion would be very interactive and get the students thinking about what hibernation really is. After the discussion I would have the students do a "draw it" activity in which they will draw an animal hibernating.

I believe this resource would be beneficial for the students because they are able to get visual, audio, musical, and kinesthetic explanations of a variety of different topics. This beats the regular direct instruction style of teaching because it reaches a variety of different learning styles. Also, it allows students to construct their own knowledge through discussion, asking questions, and taking part in activities. The teacher is merely a facilitator here rather than a director.

Check out this website! It's awesome!!

Web Resource For Health: Fire Safety

Hello Everyone!

I hope that you all had a good week. I have found another great web resource. This website is called Rescue: Fire Safety For Kids. It is an interactive website that contains fire safety information done in a creative, interactive, and fun format. There are quizzes, games, blogs, kid's zone, videos, teacher's zone, parent's zone, and activities. One of the activities that I found pretty neat was the Danger Challenge. You are given the option of taking the challenge in the kitchen or the bedroom. In these rooms you are supposed to find the different fire hazards. I think this is a neat way for kids to learn what things can cause fires. This website falls under the Grade Three Health Curriculum. It meets the following objectives:

Students will identify sources of risk to healthy living

• recognize situations that might be dangerous

  • at home
    

Students will identify sources of support for healthy living

• recognize that the community provides facilities and services to help its citizens enjoy better physical and mental health
  • emergency services (police, firefighters)

Students will describe a decision-making process (CCT, IL)

connect what they already know with what they are learning (IL)

I would use this website as a review of the Fire Safety unit with the students. The students can go on the site and test their knowledge about fire safety. They can watch the videos, take the quizzes, play the games, do the activities. They can even challenge each other in recalling the information. As a teacher I would make sure that the information I taught in the previous lessons coincides with the information presented on this website. This way the students knowledge is being reinforced by yet another source.

I believe that using this website would enhance learning by, as I said above, having the students knowledge reinforced by more than one source. The new way of teaching is moving towards resource based learning, which means that there is no textbook to learn from. We must pull our information from a variety of sources. The students will also see that the information they are learning about in class is indeed used in the real world. Also, the students would have the chance to review the information in an interactive and fun way. My guess is that many of the students would not even realize that they are learning. They would just be having fun.

Web Resource For English Language Arts : Literature Circles

Hello Everyone!

I have found another great website. This website is called is KidsReads.com and is all about children's literature. It contains book reviews, author information, book series, book clubs, audio/podcasts, new books out, teacher section, parent section, and much more!

This would be a great site to use in the classroom as a learning tool. The students can can take part in Literature Circles of different books that are contained on this website. The students are broken up into groups and each group reads a different book according to their reading level. The students can then take part in discussions and reading responses on the the classroom blog. The questions and responses can be based on information they discover on the KidsReads.com website. The questions and responses can talk about the authors of the books, certain things they are reading, the audio/podcasts they listen to, different book series, different writing genres, etc. The students can then respond and talk with each other through the blog. This gives the students a voice and allows them to think critically about the books they are reading. Parents and other students in the school can also get involved in this activity and respond to the students through the blog. The students are also able to construct their own knowledge by searching and finding information on the KidsReads website.
This activity would fit into the Grade 5 Language Arts Curriculum under the following objectives:

Reading

• Orally and silently, read a range of contemporary and classical grade-appropriate texts for enjoyment and information
• Adapt reading process and strategies for different purposes
• Answer inquiry or research questions using a variety of information sources
• Build connections among previous experiences, prior knowledge, and a variety of texts
• Understand a variety of forms and genres
• Support opinions with evidence from text
• Make judgments and draw conclusions

Viewing

• Recognize point of view and biases in visual texts
• Use various visual texts to find information (e.g., the Internet, illustrated print text, television, video)
• Distinguish between fact and opinion

Writing

• Write single and multiple-paragraph compositions
• Provide sufficient details to support main point
• Organize ideas in an appropriate sequence

Representing

• Use graphic organizers (e.g., story map, time line, summary chart) to clarify and shape understanding
• Choose images, words, and sounds appropriate to audience, purpose, and effect

I believe that students will benefit from this activity because they will be constructing their own knowledge by exploring this website. They will also begin to think critically about the books they are reading by asking questions, answering questions, and completing reading responses based on the books and the information found on the KidsReads website. The students would also be learning about many different books at the same time by completing their work on the classroom blog. They would be involved in an online interactive community that can take place both inside and outside the classroom. The students will also learn computer navigation skills, how to pick out important information, and how to take some control over their learning. The teacher in this case would become a facilitator rather than a director.

Be sure to check out this great website!

Web Resource for Math: Telling Time

Hello Everyone!

I found a great interactive website that focuses on telling time. This website has a "Whole Class Clock" in which the teacher can use to teach the students how to tell time. This clock comes in both digital and analogue forms. It also has two games, Stop the Clock and Bang on Time, in which the students can play in order to practice telling time.

This website fits into the curriculum under Math, Grade Two Measurement:Time. The objectives it would cover are:
M-47
solve a variety of problems involving time
M-50
understand the concept of time by using a

1. digital clock - minute

I would use this website by putting up the "Whole Class Clock" up on the data projector and having an interactive lesson on how to teach time using both the digital and analogue clock. This way the students will see the difference between the two clocks and be able to transfer their knowledge between the two. I would show the students how to tell time and how the hands on the clock work. I would then pick a few random times and have the students tell me what time it is. I would then use the games (Stop the Clock and Bang on Time) as things the students could do when they have finished their assignments. They can go onto the computer and play the games in order to practice telling time. This would be a fun and exciting way for the students to learn how to tell time. Chances are they aren't even going to realize that they are learning. I would then extend this topic by having the students create their very own clocks out of paper plates.

I believe that using this resource would benefit the students because by putting a clock up onto the data projector it makes the clock life size and really easy for the students to see. It would be much better than just having a small clock up at the front. It is also good because the students will be able to see the difference between the digital and analogue clocks. Again, having a life size image is way better than bringing in a very small clock which would be hard to see. I believe that having a visual of the clocks, talking about it, and having the students figure out the times will reach a variety of the learning styles in the classroom. Teaching the lesson this way would reach the verbal/linguistic learners, the kinesthetic learners, and the visual learners.

I also feel that having the students get the chance to use the computers to play the games would be a great way for them to practice telling time. Using the computers is more exciting than just having a clock to play with. The students would play the games and not even realize that they are learning. They would be learning time telling skills as well as computer skills. From my experiences during internship, I found that when the students got the chance to use technology they learned and retained the information much better.

Web Resource for Social Studies: Communities Around the World

Hello Everyone!

I was searching around for some good Grade 3 Social Studies websites based on Communities Around the World and I came across one put out by National Geographic. It is a super cool, interactive website that contains information, stories, videos, games, and activities about people and animals all over the world. Many of the stories, videos, and activities talk about the different cultures/communities around the world and what their lives are like, including traditions, celebrations, the food they eat, the games they play, etc.

This fits into the curriculum for Grade 3 Social Studies under Interdependence Communities Around the World:

Knowledge Objectives
The students will know that language, celebrations and games are integral to a community.
Skills/Abilities Objectives
The students will be able to identify and compare some components of various communities.
Attitudes/Values Objectives
The students will appreciate that communities have differences and similarities.

I would have the students use this website and possibly a couple of other websites to research and learn about different communities around the world and what they do for traditions and celebrations. They will be able to read information, see pictures, and watch videos about what different cultures/communities around the world do. I would then have the students share with the class what they learned. Once the class has learned that there are many different traditions and celebrations that communities around the world do, we would talk about the differences and similarities amongst the communities/cultures. We can compare those traditions and celebrations to the ones that we do here in Canada. To wrap up this topic I would have the students create as a class a new celebration that combines many of the elements they discovered from the many cultures around the world such as food, dance, music, clothing, etc.

I believe that using the National Geographic website would benefit the students because it is a reliable resource and contains a lot of factual information. This website is also very interactive in the sense that the students can see many pictures, watch videos, and even listen to interviews with many different people from many cultures/communities around the world. Through these pictures, videos, and interviews the students can get a better insight to these different cultures/communities than they would have got from a book. Therefore, the students will gain a better appreciation of these cultures/communities.

Web Resource for Science: Energy Conservation

Hello Everyone!

I found a great website called Getwise.org that can be used with students in order to learn about energy conservation. This website contains a house tour, games, and kit items all having to do with conserving energy. This fits into the Saskatchewan Curriculum under Grade 4 and Grade 5 Science. For Grade 4 it fits under the Optional Unit of Electricity and Magnetism. It meets the following objectives:

Students will be able to:
1. Recognize that electricity is a form of energy.
3. Identify ways in which electricity is used.
5. Suggest ways in which energy can be conserved.

For Grade 5 it fits under the core unit of Heat. It meets the following objectives:

Students will be able to:
2. Describe the transfer of heat energy.
2. Identify methods of heat conservation in buildings.

I would use this website as part of a computer centre during "Science Centres". This way only a small group of students will need computers at a time and most classrooms have a few computers right in the room. I would start off by creating a case study about a family that wastes energy or does not use energy wisely. I would then have the students read this case study and then go onto the Getwise.org website and take the house tour and search around the website for needed information. With the information that the students find, I would have them create an action plan for the family in the case study to help them use energy more wisely.

I believe that using this web resource would enhance the students learning because it makes the lesson more student centred. The students are deciding what information is important and they using that information to construct their own knowledge. It also teaches the students computer navigation skills. They must find their own way through the website in order to pick out appropriate information. I believe that this activity will give the students a sense of ownership since they are the ones doing the "teaching" and learning. The teacher is there only as a guide for this activity.

I hope that you find this web resource helpful!
Jade

Hello!

Hello Everyone!

My name is Jade and I am in my last year of an Elementary Education After Degree program. I just finished interning in a Grade 5 classroom. It went great!

I am really looking forward to learning about the various ways that I can integrate technology into my teaching and classroom. I believe that this world is ever changing and becoming more and more computer based. I think using technology in the classroom will enhance the learning of the students.