Saturday, March 03, 2007
Thursday, February 01, 2007
SEARCH FOR WHAT YOU WANT TO LEARN FROM BELOW
Web Resources Gallery
The Web Resources Gallery offers links to a myriad of useful English language arts resources on the Internet. You may use the drop-down menus above to sort ReadWriteThink's Web Resources by grade band and resource type. See our Resource Definitions for a description of each resource type.
100 Best Books for Kids http://www.teachersfirst.com/100books.htmThis list was selected by the National Education Association, is posted on the TeachersFirst.com website, and recommends best books for kids grouped by age level. There are also site links to Reading Resources, Storytelling Resources, and Reading Lessons.Instructional Resources, Professional Development
2Learn.ca http://www.2learn.ca/From the homepage, choose a site version (English or French), then navigate through areas for professional development, curricular resources, teacher tools, project information, technology integration, and more. From the homepage, there are also links to student sites (by grade level) that help with homework and offer educational activities.Instructional Resources, Professional Development, Student Resources
4Teachers.org http://www.4teachers.org4Teachers.org is a free, multifaceted site that includes a variety of fast, easy-to-use tools for teachers and students. Among the website's offerings are the popular RubiStar and QuizStar, as well as links to professional development research and WebQuests. A separate registration is required for each Star tool.Instructional Resources, Professional Development, Student Resources
A Scholarly Snow White http://scils.rutgers.edu/%7Ekvander/snowwhite.htmlIf your students are exploring the Snow White fairy tale, this site has everything you need. The site includes teaching tips, 37 versions of the fairy tale plus a series of illustrations, information about films, videos and recordings, excerpts on the context, excerpts of criticism of "Snow White," selected Links on Fairy Tales, Folklore and on "Snow White," and a selected bibliography. Instructional Resources
A Teacher's Guide to Fair Use and Copyright http://home.earthlink.net/~cnew/research.htmA Teacher's Guide to Fair Use and Copyright is an online resource to help teachers and students better understand about copyright and fair use. Reference Library
A to Z Teacher Stuff http://atozteacherstuff.com/ A to Z Teacher Stuff provides teachers with free lesson plans, thematic units, printables, and other resources. The active discussion forums allow teachers to exchange ideas and give advice on a variety of issues.Instructional Resources
Ad Council http://www.adcouncil.org/The Ad Council provides films of many of their public service announcements, including the famous anti-litter film featuring Iron Eyes Cody. In addition to supplementing study of specific historical periods and interest areas, the site provides useful material for teaching about persuasive messages.Instructional Resources, Student Resources
Aesop's Fables http://www.aesopfables.com/This online collection of Aesop's fables includes a total of 655+ fables, indexed in table format, with morals listed.Instructional Resources, Reference Library
America's Story From America's Library http://www.americaslibrary.gov/America's Story from America's Library is created by the Library of Congress. Games, activities, and a reading list are added to historical collections featured in the Library of Congress.Instructional Resources, Student Resources
American Folklore http://www.americanfolklore.net/This website contains numerous tales of American folklore. The site is organized around different themes, such as Famous Characters, Historical Folklore, and Regional Folktales. Along with these areas, there is also a complete alphabetical list of all the different tales on the site. Student Resources
American Masters Database of Visual Artists http://www.pbs.org/wnet/americanmasters/database/database_visual_arts.htmlThis index has access to biographical information and images of visual art created by some of America's most famous artists. It is a wonderful resource for anyone connecting art and reading or writing.Instructional Resources, Reference Library, Student Resources
American Museum of the Moving Image http://www.movingimage.us/site/site.phpThis online companion to the museum in Astoria, New York provides Internet visitors to information on the art, history, technique, and technology of film, television, and digital media and their impact on culture and society.Instructional Resources, Student Resources
http://school.aol.com/ http://school.aol.com/AOL@SCHOOL is designed by educators for educators. It offers portals for teachers, administrators and age appropriate portals for K-12 students. Content includes student resources and research tools, lesson plans, and management tools.Instructional Resources, Professional Development, Reference Library, Student Resources
Arthuriana Pedagogy Page http://smu.edu/arthuriana/teaching/Sponsored by the journal Arthuriana, the Arthuriana Pedagogy Page provides a wealth of resources for students of all ages (pre-school to graduate school) and their teachers, including include lessons plans, classroom activities, project ideas, and suggested paper topics.Instructional Resources, Reference Library
Babel Fish Translation http://babelfish.altavista.com/babelfish/This online tool from AltaVista translates words and phrases from a number of languages into English and vice versa. Because translations of more complex entries aren’t always accurate, teachers may want to supervise students’ use of the site and turn instances where it errs into learning opportunities.Reference Library
Barahona Center for the Study of Books in Spanish for Children and Adolescents http://www.csusm.edu/csb/The Center for the Study of Books in Spanish for Children and Adolescents is an academic center at California State University at San Marcos. Their information can be accessed in English or in Spanish. Recommended books are updated weekly, and there is a feature that creates a customized booklist.Instructional Resources, Professional Development
Between the Lions http://pbskids.org/lions/index.htmlThis website is designed for parents and kids to surf together. Stories from the popular PBS show are posted online with links to associated games.Instructional Resources, Student Resources
BookHive http://www.bookhive.org/BookHive is designed for students through age 12, their parents and teachers. Created by public librarians in North Carolina, the site lists good children's books arranged categorically. The lists provide a synopsis of the book, its intended audience, and occasional reviews. Professional Development, Student Resources
BookTV http://www.booktv.org/CSPAN2'S BookTV site, a complement to the weekend television program Book TV, provides an online archive of videoes on famous American authors as well as historians and critics who talk about these authors.Instructional Resources
Carol Hurst's Children's Literature Site http://www.carolhurst.com/The Carol Hurst's Children's Literature site provides reviewed book lists, activities related to the latest award winning books and professional development readings related to teaching practices.Instructional Resources, Professional Development, Reference Library
Celebrating Cultural Diversity Through Children's Literature http://www.multiculturalchildrenslit.com/This site, developed and maintained by Robert F. Smith, offers annotated bibliographies of children's literature. Organized by genre these titles offer information about many cultures. Additional links are offered to many resources related to each cultured covered in the site.Instructional Resources
Center for Media Literacy http://www.medialit.org/One of the most valuable sites available to help students understand the influence of the media and advertising has on their own lives. You will find lesson plans, articles, links to other sources, and texts available for purchase or download. Instructional Resources, Reference Library
Children's Books Online: The Rosetta Project Library http://www.childrensbooksonline.org/library.htmText and illustrations from hundreds of antique books for children of all ages are availlable online in this library collection. The site arranges books by reader's age level and includes a search engine.Reference Library
Children's Literature Reviews http://www.childrenslit.com/th.htmChildren's Literature Reviews features interviews with children's book authors and illustrators, and several sets of themed reviews archived for continued reference. The site also provides more than 1000 links to author illustrator sites, publishers, kids, parent and teacher resources, children's literature collections, upcoming events relating to children's literature and much more.Instructional Resources
Children's Literature Web Guide http://www.acs.ucalgary.ca/~dkbrown/Designed by David K. Brown of the Doucette Library of Teaching Resources of the University of Calgary, this site includes materials for children's and young adult's literature ranging from teaching resources to book lists. Instructional Resources
Circle of Stories http://www.pbs.org/circleofstories/As this PBS Site explains, "Circle of Stories uses documentary film, photography, artwork and music to honor and explore Native American storytelling." For teachers focusing on authentic storytelling, this is a rich and useful site.Student Resources
Clickable Poems http://www.clickablepoems.com/The Internet changes how text can be organized. Poetry is no exception. This site features an online journal of hypertext poetry. This site stretches the user to think about how we use poetry and how it is written with changing technology.Instructional Resources, Student Resources
CNN Student News http://fyi.cnn.com/fyi/CNN Student News Web site provides news for students and resources for teachers on how to use the site. Cross curricular ideas are available for all subject areas.Instructional Resources, Reference Library, Student Resources
Colorín Colorado! http://www.colorincolorado.org/homepage.phpThis bilingual site is part of Reading Rockets, WETA's multimedia initiative that provides information, activities, and advice to Spanish-speaking parents to help their children learn to read.Instructional Resources, Student Resources
Content Literacy Information Consortium http://curry.edschool.virginia.edu/centers/clic/The Content Literacy Information Consortium (acronym, CLIC) is an organized set of web links of special interest to teachers and researchers interested in issues defined by "learning to read to learn." The web sites cataloged in CLIC will provide every teacher with ideas and strategies for adopting the instructional moves that empower their students to become independent, actualized learners. Instructional Resources, Professional Development
Creative Proverbs from around the World http://creativeproverbs.com/This collection of proverbs from around the world can be accessed via keyword search (12,000 proverbs from 300 countries and cultures) or via browsing by country and culture (1,500 proverbs from 100 countries and cultures). The site contains advertisements.Instructional Resources, Reference Library, Student Resources
Dialect Survey http://cfprod01.imt.uwm.edu/Dept/FLL/linguistics/dialect/The Dialect Survey is based on a survey that identifies how people verbalize specific words in order to explore the ways that people use the English language in the United States.Instructional Resources, Student Resources
Dickinson Electronic Archives http://www.emilydickinson.org/This site focuses on the work of Emily Dickinson, her writing practices, writings directly influencing her work, and critical and creative writings generated by her work. The site includes teacher resources to guide teachers and students using the online materials in the classroom.Instructional Resources, Reference Library
Distinguished Women of Past and Present http://www.distinguishedwomen.com/Distinguished Women of Past and Present has biographies of women who contributed to our culture in many different ways. There are writers, educators, scientists, heads of state, politicians, civil rights crusaders, artists, entertainers, and others. Some were alive hundreds of years ago and some are living today. Multiple search functions and literature connections are also available.Instructional Resources, Reference Library
Documenting the American South: North American Slave Narratives http://docsouth.unc.edu/neh/This site, funded by NEH and the Gladys Krieble Delmas Foundation, follows the lives of African-American slaves through slave narratives, broadsides, photographs and other resources. Texts have been collected from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Duke University, North Carolina Central University, and other libraries.Reference Library
Earth Day Groceries Project http://www.earthdaybags.org/This website encourages classrooms to decorate paper grocery bags with environmental messages and to distribute these bags to stores for Earth Day.Instructional Resources
Ebooks for Young Readers http://etext.lib.virginia.edu/ebooks/subjects/subjects-young.htmlFrom the University of Virginia’s Electronic Text Center, this collection of electronic books is available in ebook, Palm, and Web versions. The collection includes such classics as The Marvelous Land of Oz, Little Women, and Uncle Tom's Cabin.Student Resources
Educational Paperback Association http://www.edupaperback.org/resources.cfmThe Educational Paperback Association provides a selected list of Web Resources for Teachers and Librarians featuring sites related to authors, illustrators, resources for teachers and librarians, journal and magazines sites, and sites for children's book awards. Reference Library
Educational Resources Information Center (ERIC) http://www.eric.ed.gov/ ERIC is a national information system that provides ready access to education-related literature. ERIC’s database has more than a million records of journal articles, research reports, curriculum and teaching guides, conference papers, and books. Products and services include research syntheses, electronic journals, online directories, reference and referral services, and document delivery. Reference Library
Educational Web Design http://www.oswego.org/staff/cchamber/webdesign/edwebdesign.htmThis website provides teachers with tools to help them successfully create dynamic websites for their students. Educational Web Design includes links to sites with free graphics, sound files, and animated gifs. Instructional Resources
elearningeuropa.info http://www.elearningeuropa.info/ Dedicated to improving the quality of learning through Internet use and other technologies, this portal provides access to technology learning articles, projects, research, and events information. Descriptions of ICT implementation in schools are provided, as well as online forums for sharing experiences, opinions, and questions. Instructional Resources, Reference Library
Electronic Text Center at the University of Virginia Library http://etext.lib.virginia.edu/This vast collection of online texts seeks to fulfill its mission to "build and maintain an internet-accessible collection of SGML and XML texts and images." The collection includes complete and definitive texts of many difficult-to-find and rare documents as well as texts by authors such as Mark Twain and Alfred Lord Tennyson. Reference Library
Encyclopedia Mythica http://www.pantheon.org/mythica.htmlThis online encyclopedia has entries for gods and goddesses, supernatural beings, and legendary creatures and monsters. Browse by category (mythology, folklore, etc.), or search articles by keyword.Reference Library
Encyclopedia of Educational Technology http://coe.sdsu.edu/eet/Admin/TOC/index.htmThe Encyclopedia of Educational Technology provides a comprehensive collection of short, multimedia articles on a variety of topics in the field of education technology. Many include links to supporting resources. Reference Library
Encyclopedia of North American Indians http://college.hmco.com/history/readerscomp/naind/html/na_000107_entries.htmThis online version of Frederick E. Hoxie's Encyclopedia of American Indians includes over 400 entries, covering such topics as specific tribes, biographies of Native people, historical topics such as boarding schools, and current issues such as mascots. Entries can be used by older students and by teachers at all levels.Instructional Resources, Student Resources
Eric Carle Museum of Picture Book Art http://www.picturebookart.org/Devoted to national and international picture book art, this museum site emphasizes ways of combining visual and virtual literacy. The virtual tour provides great visuals, which could be a springboard for language or visual arts projects.Instructional Resources, Reference Library
Exploring Diversity: Themes and Community http://www.cynthialeitichsmith.com/lit_resources/diversity/multicultural/communities.htmlThis section of Cynthia Leitich Smith's personal Web page gives access to many web sites concerned with issues of culture and gender in children's and young adult literature. The Bibliography includes brief annotations of books about Asian Americans, Native Americans, and interracial families can be found.Instructional Resources
Fact Sheet on Research on the Teaching of Phonics http://www.ncte.org/library/files/Related_Groups/WLU/phonics.pdfConstance Weaver's fact sheet on the teaching of phonics explains the research behind integrating phonics instruction in a whole language curriculum. In addition to providing a clear overview, the fact sheet includes an extensive bibliography.Professional Development
Fact Sheet on the Myths of Whole Language Instruction http://www.ncte.org/library/files/Related_Groups/WLU/myths.pdfConstance Weaver's fact sheet counters the myths surrounding whole language instruction with clear, concise answers to the questions whole language instructors encounter most frequently.Professional Development
Fact Sheet on the Nature of Whole Language Instruction http://www.ncte.org/library/files/Related_Groups/WLU/nature.pdfConstance Weaver's fact sheet on the nature of whole language instruction explains the background, history, and key concepts for a whole language curriculum. Professional Development
Favorite Poem Project http://www.favoritepoem.org/The project site houses a collection of
short video documentaries of Americans reading and speaking personally about poems they love. It also provides a forum for teachers and students, including poetry lesson plans and forms for submitting favorite poems. Instructional Resources, Student Resources
Field Trip Earth http://www.fieldtripearth.org/index.xmlSupported by the North Carolina Zoological Park, this site provides online details on a number of animals around the world–perfect resources for inquiry studies!Instructional Resources, Student Resources
Fight Hate and Promote Tolerance http://www.tolerance.org/A Web project of the Southern Poverty Law Center, Fight Hate and Promote Tolerance, provides information about anti-bias programs and activities being implemented in schools across the country. Sections on awareness and possible actions are available for parents, teachers, teens and kids.Instructional Resources, Professional Development, Reference Library
First Hand Learning Mini Journals http://www.firsthandlearning.org/minijournal.htmlThe site is designed to engage elementary and middle school students in writing about natural phenomena and to observe and read on their own. Teachers are encouraged to use the variety of free mini-journals to encourage students to begin keeping a science journal.Instructional Resources, Student Resources
Folger Shakespeare Library http://www.folger.edu/The resource for units on the Bard's plays, the Folger Library site includes lesson plans and materials for kids and families as well as online exhibits of multimedia material related to Shakespeare and his writings.Instructional Resources, Student Resources
FunBrain.com http://funbrain.com/This site by the Family Education Network provides free educational games and quizzes in math, grammar, science, spelling, and history. It also provides excellent resources for teachers and parents.Instructional Resources, Student Resources
GEM: Gateway to Educational Materials http://www.thegateway.org/GEM, a project of the U.S. Department of Education, is a consortium of over 400 education institutions, from schools to professional associations, providing access to Internet-based educational materials.Instructional Resources, Professional Development, Reference Library
Global Dimension http://www.globaldimension.org.uk/This website provides materials, practical guidance, and support to help teachers incorporate a global perspective into their classes. General reference links cover an array of topics, and a database includes teacher resources. Instructional Resources
Google for Educators http://www.google.com/educators/Google provides this free site for educators which offers a teacher's guide to 12 Google products as well as a teacher's newsletter and other educational resources.Instructional Resources
Grimms' Fairy Tales http://www.nationalgeographic.com/grimm/index2.htmlThis National Geographic site for students invites students to read and hear (in some cases) stories in their original, unsoftened form. Students can choose from a menu of options to guide them through the tales. Reference Library
Guys Read: A Literacy Initiative from Jon Scieszka http://www.guysread.com/This site's mission is "to offer leadership, practical solutions, a forum, and support to get guys reading." The site includes Favorite Books for Guys, What You Can Do, and Guys Speak.Instructional Resources, Professional Development
High School Journalism http://www.highschooljournalism.org/ Created by the American Society of Newspaper Editors, this site provides resources for high school journalists and their teachers and advisors. The resources can also come in handy for teachers working on class newspaper projects.Instructional Resources, Student Resources
History and Politics Out Loud http://www.hpol.org/Hearing a speech can be fundamentally different from simply reading the text. This site helps make that difference concrete by providing audio recordings of hundreds of important political speeches in a searchable archive.Reference Library
History News Network (HNN) http://hnn.us/One of the best sites on the Web for history teachers, and valuable as well for people who teach English and language arts.The Breaking News section tells news stories that focus on history: the cheating scandals involving famous historians; the arguments among China, Korea, and Japan about textbooks; and so forth. The site includes historians’ blogs and lesson plans.Instructional Resources, Professional Development, Reference Library, Student Resources
In the Heydays of His Eyes: An Anthology of Poems about Being http://www.heydays.ws/Because the anthology is about being young and growing up, student writers can find experiences of their own to match the models. The anthology is for students who have not written poetry before, but makes no compromise in quality. Students are asked only to write their own poems.Instructional Resources, Student Resources
Index to Internet Sites: Children's and Young Adults' Authors & Illustrators http://falcon.jmu.edu/~ramseyil/biochildhome.htmThis website, hosted by James Madison University, includes an extensive collection of resources that link to websites for children's book authors, illustrators and related resources. Instructional Resources, Reference Library
International Children's Digital Library http://www.icdlbooks.org/The International Children's Digital Library has nearly 200 titles selected by national libraries, authors, and publishers representing 45 different cultures. It's aiming for 10,000 by 2005. All will online, fully illustrated, and in their original languages. There will also be some translations. Instructional Resources, Reference Library, Student Resources
Internet Archive http://www.archive.org/The Internet Archive is the home of the WayBack Machine, indexes billions of webpages, showing how they have changed over the years. With links to millions of pages and themed collections, this collection is a useful starting place for research on how the Internet has changed since its creation in 1990. Reference Library
Internet Public Library KidSpace http://www.ipl.org/div/kidspace/The Internet Public Library KidSpace contains books, magazines, and newspapers from around the world that are freely available via the Internet.Reference Library, Student Resources
Invented Spelling and Spelling Development http://www.eric.ed.gov/ERICWebPortal/contentdelivery/servlet/ERICServlet?accno=ED272922Defines invented spelling, describes the developmental stages, and considers implications for classroom instruction. Useful background research for teachers interested in helping students develop strategies for learning standard English spelling without resorting to memorization as the key to mastery. Professional Development
Invention at Play http://inventionatplay.org/Invention at Play, based on a Smithsonian traveling exhibit, focuses on how play inspires invention. Multiple intelligences are explored, and the site offers a variety of integration opportunities for the classroom teacher. Games for students tap into the imagination and build problem-solving skills.Instructional Resources, Student Resources
Jan Brett's Web Site http://www.janbrett.com/Well-known author Jan Brett provides a wealth of illustrated instructional materials that she adds to regularly, as well as tie-ins to her many books and contests for teachers and students. Instructional Resources, Student Resources
Kathy Schrock’s Guide for Educators http://school.discovery.com/schrockguide/index.htmlCovering all disciplines, this guide includes a categorized list of useful websites for enhancing curriculum and professional growth. The site includes areas like Subject Access, which includes an extensive list of education resources, and Teacher Helpers. Instructional Resources, Professional Development
Kids Web Japan http://www.jinjapan.org/kidsweb/index.htmlContaining information on Japanese language, folktales, customs, geography, etc., Kids Web Japan is an invaluable resource for any student or classroom learning about Japan. The site also shows kids in other countries how life for Japanese schoolchildren is similar to or different from their own.Reference Library, Student Resources
KidsReads.com http://www.kidsreads.com/index.aspThis site promotes quality reading through book reviews, related games, author biographies and interviews, and more. Students can also find out how to set up a successful book club, along with discussion guides for select books. Reference Library, Student Resources
Language Learning and Academic Achievement http://www.cal.org/crede/credeprg.htmThe Center for Research on Education, Diversity, and Excellence has created a collection of research about language learning and academic achievement.Professional Development
LD Online http://www.ldonline.org/ This site is an interactive guide to learning disabilities for parents, teachers, and other professionals. Numerous articles, resources, and ideas on a variety of LD topics are available.Professional Development
Learning in Hand http://learninginhand.com/Former fifth-grade teacher and educational consultant Tony Vincent has documented much of what he knows about handheld computing and podcasting; included are software collections, links, lesson plans, and a blog.Instructional Resources, Reference Library
LEO: Literacy Education Online http://leo.stcloudstate.edu/Created by faculty at St. Cloud State University, LEO provides detailed advice for high school and college students interested in improving their writing. Citations, grammar rules, and organization of ideas are just a few of the topics presented.Reference Library, Student Resources
Library of Congress Webcasts http://www.loc.gov/today/cyberlc/index.phpThis collection of Web-based talk, discussion and conference recordings provides a rich resource for educators to tap on a range of curriculum areas, including poetry, literature, biography, history, the performing arts, and technology. Reference Library
Literacy & Technology http://www.oswego.org/staff/cchamber/literacy/index.cfmDeveloped by the Oswego City School District in New York, this is an excellent place to begin your search for literacy resources on the Internet. This site includes links to resources that support the new literacies of the Internet as well as more traditional literacies.Instructional Resources
Literacy Connections http://www.LiteracyConnections.com/A collection of literacy resources including materials on read alouds and how to involve adult family and community members in activities with children. The Read Aloud page is particularly useful.Instructional Resources, Professional Development, Reference Library
Literacy Matters http://www.literacymatters.orgThe goal of the Literacy Matters project is to improve the literacy development of middle and secondary school students, especially those students who are struggling to succeed. The site offers content for teachers, parents, and adolescent students.Instructional Resources
McBookwords: Authors and Illustrators on the Web http://www.mcelmeel.com/curriculum/authorlinks.htmlEducational consultant Sharron L. McElmeel collects links to children's author sites by the author/illustrator him or herself or in some cases by an individual fan. The materials are provided to help schools prepare for author visits, but can be used any time one of the listed writers is discussed in a class.Instructional Resources, Reference Library
Media Literacy Clearinghouse http://medialit.med.sc.edu/This site is designed for K-12 educators to learn about media literacy and its integration into the classroom.Instructional Resources, Reference Library
Merriam-Webster Online: The Language Center http://www.m-w.com/Access the full text of Merriam-Webster's Collegiate Dictionary, Tenth Edition, and Collegiate Thesaurus at The Language Center. Site links take you to word games, the featured word of the day, and Word Central, a language site for kids.Reference Library
MidLink Magazine http://www.ncsu.edu/midlink/search.htmlMidLink Magazine offers a Web Tutorial, guidelines for Selecting Search Tools, and Useful Skills for Web Treks. Students can learn practical skills that range from managing bookmarks and favorites to saving graphics to a folder or disk. The mission of MidLink Magazine is to highlight exemplary work from the most creative classrooms around the globe. The magazine is a non-profit organization, supported by North Carolina State University, and the University of Central Florida. Student Resources
Miss Rumphius Award http://www.reading.org/resources/community/links_rumphius_info.htmlThe Miss Rumphius Award, which takes its name from the title character of the book Miss Rumphius, is presented to educators who develop and share exceptional Internet resources for literacy and learning. Award-winning sites and webpages (which serve as outstanding models for others to follow) are indexed by grade level.Instructional Resources
Modern Language Association Language Map http://www.mla.org/resources/census_main/The MLA Language Map uses data from the 2000 United States census to display color-coded maps of the United States, based on counties or zip codes, that show the language spoken by citizens in each location. The maps include details on over 30 languages.Instructional Resources, Student Resources
Moving History http://www.movinghistory.ac.uk/From Britain’s Arts and Humanities Research Council, this site offers a variety of collections and a selection of 100 film clips, which can be browsed by theme and used in content-area explorations as well as in nonfiction documentary investigation. Some films may be inappropriate for your classroom. Be sure to review any films completely before using them with students.Reference Library
Mr. Shakespeare and the Internet http://shakespeare.palomar.edu/Sponsored by Palomar College, this site endeavors to provide annotated links to every Shakespeare site on the Internet. Additionally, the site provides timelines, genealogy material, and online versions of important texts.Instructional Resources, Reference Library, Student Resources
My Town Is Important http://www.mrsmcgowan.com/town/index.htmlAn excellent example of a collaborative literacy project, this site showcases elementary students' favorite aspects of their town or state. Teachers are encouraged to register their class for the project, or simply have students browse the site to learn more about a particular U.S. locale. Instructional Resources, Student Resources
NASAexplores http://www.nasaexplores.com/NASAexplores provides free weekly educational articles and lesson plans adapted to three reading levels and covering numerous subjects. Printable and downloadable, these supplemental curriculum resources meet national education standards. The site is helpful for combining reading and language arts instruction with science and social studies.Instructional Resources, Student Resources
National Center for Children's Illustrated Literature http://www.nccil.org/Through this site, the students will really get a feel for the role that illustrators and artists play in books and literature. This site provides recognition of the artistic achievement of illustrators and includes a gallery of exhibits.Instructional Resources, Student Resources
National Coalition for Equity in Education http://ncee.education.ucsb.edu/The National Coalition for Equity in Education Web site is a good starting point for educators who wish to eliminate inequity. The site provides readings and resources to look at equity issues in classroom practices, curriculum, testing, and the cultures in our schools.Professional Development
National Endowment for the Humanities Summertime Favorites http://www.neh.gov/projects/summertimefavorites.htmlA recently updated summer reading list, in grade bands from Kindergarten through 12th grade. The list includes classic texts as well as more contemporary titles.Instructional Resources, Professional Development
National Research Center on English Learning & Achievement http://cela.albany.edu/This site provides research, a newsletter, links, and teaching resources, such as learning materials and online journals. It also includes examples of research-to-practice booklets like Improving Literacy Understanding Through Classroom Conversation.Professional Development
National Writing Project http://www.writingproject.org/The National Writing Project (NWP), based at the U. of California-Berkeley, is a network of 150 sites, each representing a school/university partnership. The site has a wealth of professional development resources for teachers of writing at all levels, primary through college, including online discussion lists (Urban and Rural, also Teacher Inquiry), author-led seminars, and a regularly updated "NWP Interactive."Professional Development
New York Times Learning Network http://www.nytimes.com/learning/index.htmlThe New York Times provides this free website with resources for students, teachers, and parents. Some of the features include current events, searchable daily lesson plan connections, and links that provide an opportunity for students to send a question to New York Times reporters or to the editor.Instructional Resources, Professional Development, Student Resources
Newseum http://www.newseum.org/The Newseum features the front pages of over 300 US and international newspapers, online exhibits, such as one that features photographs that have received the Pulitzer Prize and a fine exhibit on D-Day, and resources for educators.Instructional Resources, Reference Library, Student Resources
No Child Left Behind http://www.nochildleftbehind.org/index.htmlAt this official website, education professionals and parents will find answers to frequently asked questions, fact sheets, newsletters, statistics, tools, and other resources to help them understand and implement the No Child Left Behind legislation.Instructional Resources, Professional Development
No Flying, No Tights http://www.noflyingnotights.com/Explore graphic novels at this site that features Top Ten lists, book reviews, definitions and links, all of which show the classroom application of graphic novels.Instructional Resources, Student Resources
Notes from the Windowsill http://www.armory.com/~web/notes.htmlAn independent, electronic journal of book reviews for children and young adults, this site offers themed annotated lists of books and indexes to back issues.Instructional Resources
NYPL Digital Gallery http://digitalgallery.nypl.org/nypldigital/index.cfmThe New York Public Library's new image database contains over 275,000 items for online viewing, including an entire section on Arts and Literature. The site includes such resources as Dust Jackets from American and European Books and Illustrated Books by William Blake. Reference Library
Ohio Center for the Book http://www.ohiocenterforthebook.org/The Ohio Center for the Book offers resources on Ohio authors and literature that highlights the state. The site includes an interactive literary map as well as lists of literary treasures and landmarks in the state, which brought us such authors as Erma Bombeck, Harriet Beecher Stowe, and Lois Lenski.Reference Library
Online Poetry Classroom http://www.onlinepoetryclassroom.org/Online Poetry Classroom is the newest education initiative from The Academy of American Poets. Free resources include curriculum units, lesson plans, poetry, teacher forums on teaching ideas, and possible workshops.Instructional Resources, Professional Development, Reference Library
PBS TeacherSource: Arts and Literature http://www.pbs.org/teachersource/arts_lit.htmPBS TeacherSource provides searchable access to the various lesson plans, teaching resources, and student activities on the PBS website. The collection can by sorted by grade level and curricular areas (books, reading skills, and so forth).Instructional Resources, Reference Library, Student Resources
Phonics in Whole Language Classrooms http://www.indiana.edu/~reading/ieo/digests/d93.htmlDiscusses some of the ways children develop functional phonics knowledge in the context of authentic reading and writing, as well as some of the ways teachers can foster such development. The site provides useful background research by Constance Weaver for teachers interested in teaching phonics in context.Professional Development
Picturing Books http://picturingbooks.imaginarylands.org/This comprehensive website on picture books includes information on evaluating and using picture books for younger and older children. It includes book lists and numerous links. Reference Library
Plimoth Plantation's You Are the Historian http://www.plimoth.org/OLC/index_js2.htmlThis award winning online investigation allows you to be the historian at Plimoth Plantation. With both student and teacher components, visitors encounter images, text and audio to investigate the "First Thanksgiving."Instructional Resources, Student Resources
Poetry Archive http://www.poetryarchive.org/Inspired by a plan of the 1999 U.K. Poet Laureate Andrew Motion and recording producer Richard Carrington, this site provides audio files of poets reading their poetry. Additionally, the site provides resources for teachers and students. The site does include links to buy CDs of the poets reading their works, so use with care.Reference Library
PoetryTeachers.com http://www.poetryteachers.com/The site provides ideas for poetry lessons, contests, and activities. It also links to Giggle Poetry (http://www.gigglepoetry.com/), a fun site for students reading, rating, and writing poems. Instructional Resources, Student Resources
PowerPoint in the Classroom http://www.actden.com/pp/index.htm This tutorial, designed as a talk show with PowerPoint as the special guest, demonstrates basic and more advanced features of the presentation software. Quick tips, quizzes, screen shots, and a printable guide are provided. Reference Library
Publishers' Bindings Online 1815-1930: The Art of Books http://bindings.lib.ua.edu/This site includes images of close to 5,000 decorative bookbindings along with research tools and lesson plans. The site features include various bindings for Uncle Tom’s Cabin, bookbindings focusing on representations of the Industrial Revolution in America, and bindings that feature metal stamping.Instructional Resources, Reference Library
Publishing with Students http://www.publishingstudents.com/This website gives practical advice to teachers interested in helping students publish their writing. The site includes links to websites that focus on student writing and publishing, a page for teachers to exchange ideas, and a list of award programs and writing competitions for students.Instructional Resources
Purdue OWL http://owl.english.purdue.edu/The Purdue OWL (Online Writing Lab) has grammar, punctuation, mechanics, and conventions resources as well as professional writing material and general composition information. The site includes everything from comma splices to resumes in clearly explained pages. It is the premiere source for online writing information.Instructional Resources, Student Resources
Quizhub.org http://QuizHub.comQuiz Hub is a noncommercial educational portal for upper elementary school and middle school students. It includes free online interactive learning games, puzzles, and quizzes for language arts, math, science, social studies, and four foreign languages.Student Resources
Rainforest Action Network http://action.ran.org/action/This site explores information about Rainforests and ways that students can act to help protect their natural habitat. The site could provide nice inspiration for letter-writing, poetry, and other kinds of writing as well as content reading. Student Resources
Reading is Fundamental http://www.rif.orgOne of the oldest nonprofit literacy organizations in the U.S., Reading is Fundamental (RIF) seeks to expand and encourage children's literacy learning by placing free books and resources into the hands of those children and families who need them most. Their homepage provides information on how you can donate books or volunteer to participate in a local RIF program. The RIF Reading Planet section provides educational games and activities for kids.Instructional Resources, Student Resources
Reading Rainbow http://pbskids.org/readingrainbow/Reading Rainbow, PBS's award-winning children's series, offers this website which details on books featured on the television show, online games and activities, and information for adults and families. While the site complements the television show, the resources can easily stand alone, though students may need access to the books mentioned.Professional Development, Reference Library
Reading Rockets http://www.readingrockets.org/A project of WETA, the public broadcasting station in Washington, DC, this site provides information about learning to read and strategies for supporting struggling readers. It offers news, practical information, expert advice, and resources for parents, teachers, and others.Professional Development
ReadingQuest.org http://curry.edschool.virginia.edu/go/readquest/Designed for social studies teachers, this site includes practical directions for a range of comprehension and content area reading strategies, printable handouts, masters for transparencies, and links to articles and resources.Instructional Resources
Resources for Teaching about the Americas http://retanet.unm.edu/RetaNet supports secondary and preservice teachers by providing resources and curriculum materials about Latin America, the Spanish Caribbean, and the U.S. Southwest. RetaNet is an online community of peers, a place where teachers can find teaching support, professional development, and share their experiences and interest in teaching about Latin America.Instructional Resources, Professional Development, Reference Library, Student Resources
Revising Himself : Walt Whitman and Leaves of Grass http://www.loc.gov/exhibits/treasures/whitman-home.htmlThis Library of Congress exhibition traces this evolution of Leaves of Grass and Walt Whitman's life, tapping a range of editions and drafts of the famous work. A wealth of interesting biographical material on Whitman, his friends and associates, his work as a teacher, tending the wounded during the Civil War, and for the federal government, also appears in the exhibit.Reference Library
RubiStar http://rubistar.4teachers.org/index.shtmlRubiStar is a tool for teachers to create rubrics without starting from scratch. Rubrics are available on a variety of teaching topics and are customizable. RubiStar can also analyze data for an entire class to determine problem areas, and teachers can return and edit their rubrics at any time.Instructional Resources
Say it Plain: A Century of Great African American Speeches http://americanradioworks.publicradio.org/features/sayitplain/index.html This rich site includes a audio files and texts of speeches by Booker T. Washington, Dick Gregory, and Stokeley Carmichael. The site includes the only known recordings of Marcus Garvey as well as Barbara Jordan's defense of the US Constitution during the impeachment hearings of President Richard Nixon.Reference Library, Student Resources
Scholastic http://www.scholastic.com/Scholastic provides opportunities for learning and fun for families and students. This website also provides a multitude of resources for teachers, specific to grade levels and subject areas, including excellent information on and by authors.Instructional Resources, Professional Development, Reference Library, Student Resources
Schoolhouse Rock http://www.postdiluvian.org/~gilly/Schoolhouse_Rock/HTML/schoolhouse.htmlIn the mid-70s, short cartoons called Schoolhouse Rock taught a generation about government, history, grammar, science, and math. The combination of song and content seems to have made a connection with today’s generation as well. This site provides all of the lyrics for these catchy tunes.Student Resources
SCORE Cyberguides http://www.sdcoe.k12.ca.us/score/cyberguide.htmlThis site offers standards-based guides for many classics and current student novels. Features include teacher guides, lessons, activity banks, standards, student and teacher evaluation forms, and links to other sites.Instructional Resources, Student Resources
Serious Play: Reading Poetry with Children http://www.poets.org/viewmedia.php/prmMID/17151This Academy of American Poets website provides tips that help "translate [students'] energy, once aroused and captured, into the desire to read poetry seriously, to do the intellectual work necessary to gain a basic mastery of the literary art."Instructional Resources
Sesame Street http://www.sesameworkshop.org/sesamestreet/The Sesame Workshop has games, stories, music, and more for young children, all of which are engaging, educational, and built around Sesame Street’s beloved characters. Teachers will also find the parenting section useful. For example, the Fun To-Go section has printable coloring sheets (sorted by letters, numbers, shapes, etc.) and a searchable activity planner.Instructional Resources, Student Resources
Seussville http://www.seussville.com/seussville/ Brightly animated and highly interactive, Seussville entertains children as they complete word puzzles, matching games, and other activities based on the books of Dr. Seuss. Kids can also write a story and bring it to life with fanciful characters, music, and scenery.Student Resources
Shakespeare Searched http://shakespeare.clusty.com/This cluster-based search engine allows users to search Shakespeare's works by topic, work, and character. Instructional Resources, Student Resources
Sites for Children: Literature and Language http://www.ala.org/parentspage/greatsites/lit.htmlThis ALA website, collected by the by the Children and Technology Committee of the Association for Library Service to Children, includes links to a variety of reading resources.Instructional Resources, Reference Library, Student Resources
SmartWriters.com http://www.SmartWriters.com/Educators and students can make use of several SmartWriters.com features, including interviews with children’s writers, writing contest links for young writers, classroom resources for teachers and librarians, and a directory of children’s authors and illustrators who are available for school visits.Instructional Resources, Student Resources
Smithsonian Photography Initiative http://www.photography.si.edu/Smithsonian offers browsers the opportunity to explore an online repository from 19 Smithsonian museums. The site includes the ability to sequence, tag, and save images, making it a perfect tool for teachers to use as they arrange images for use in class. Instructional Resources, Student Resources
Smithsonian Source http://smithsoniansource.org/Useful for content area reading and interdisciplinary projects, this Web resource includes primary-source materials, tool, and other classroom materials for six topic areas: Civil Rights, Colonial America, Invention, Native American History, Transportation, and Westward Expansion.Instructional Resources, Professional Development
Spotlight on Voices & Visions http://www.learner.org/catalog/extras/vvspot/index.html Thirteen modern American poets are featured in this Web supplement to the video series from Annenberg/CPB. Teachers and students will find value in the video clips freely available from the series, along with links to sites that explore the life and works of each poet in greater depth.Instructional Resources, Reference Library
Starfall http://www.starfall.com/Designed for the emergent reader, the website has interactive books and rhyming word family games that teach phonemic awareness, comprehension, vocabulary building, and spelling skills. Free, supplemental materials can be downloaded or ordered online.Instructional Resources, Student Resources
Story of Movies http://www.storyofmovies.orgThe Film Foundation presents rich resources for teaching specific films in the classroom, including To Kill a Mockingbird and Mr. Smith Goes to Washington. Extensive guides can be printed from the site.Instructional Resources
StoryDog http://www.storydog.com/StoryDog offers a new story every day for kids and parents to share at home. Designed by parents interested in having their children read daily but understanding that our lives can be busy, the site offers short adventures that last for one week. Kids and parents can also find great games and activities on the site. Student Resources
StoryPlace: The Children's Digital Library http://www.storyplace.org/This award-winning bilingual (Spanish and English) site, sponsored by the Public Library of Charlotte & Mecklenburg County, includes a collection of online materials for elementary students including texts and activities.Reference Library
Tales of Wonder: Folk and Fairy Tales from Around the World http://www.darsie.net/talesofwonder/This award-winning site includes the text of folk and fairy tales from Africa, Asia, Europe, and the Americas as well as links to other folk and fairy tale sites. The extensive collection simplifies the process of comparing similar tales from different cultures since all the tales are in one place.Student Resources
Teacher's Guide to International Collaboration on the Internet http://www.ed.gov/teachers/how/tech/international/guide.htmlDeveloped by the Department of Education, Teacher's Guide to International Collaboration on the Internet was created to help teachers reach out globally using the Internet. The site showcases projects in the arts, language arts, foreign language, science, math, vocational studies and social studies.Instructional Resources
Teachers Talking About Learning http://unicef.org/teachers/This UNICEF-sponsored website supports the professional development of teachers around the world. The site explores the latest education-related research and issues, provides forums for teachers to share ideas, and offers online projects for students to participate in. Professional Development
techLEARNING http://www.techlearning.com/content/working/Home to Technology & Learning Magazine, this site has hundreds of articles written by K-12 teachers, administrators, and other experts in the field, who give practical, firsthand advice on how to effectively integrate technology into the classroom. Instructional Resources
Teenreads.com http://www.teenreads.com/index.aspEach month, Teenreads.com features candid reviews of new books for young adults. Author biographies and interviews, advice on starting a book club, and discussion guides are also available on the site.Reference Library, Student Resources
Telling Stories with Pictures: The Art of Children's Book
Illustration http://www.decordova.org/decordova/exhibit/1997/stories/Default.htmThis Web site is hosted by England's DeCordova Museum's special exhibitions of works by children's book illustrators. The exhibition was held in 1997, but the Internet information is still available. It offers a brief description of the different styles and techniques used by the 30 illustrators in the exhibit and explains the steps an illustrator takes from start to finish when illustrating a book.Reference Library, Student Resources
Textmapping Project http://www.textmapping.org/Textmapping is a graphic organizer technique used to teach reading comprehension and writing skills, study skills, and course content.Instructional Resources, Professional Development
The Academy of American Poets http://www.poets.org/Founded in 1934 to support the creative efforts of American poets, the American Academy of Poets has established a website which includes texts of hundreds of poems by American poets as well as poets from other nations. In numerous cases, audio recordings are available of the poems as well. The organization sponsors the National Poetry Month.Instructional Resources, Student Resources
The Amazing Picture Machine http://www.ncrtec.org/picture.htmThe North Central Regional Educational Laboratory provides a searchable index to graphical resources on the Internet. It provides information on citing images and detailed copyright information. This is a very useful site for anyone making websites.Reference Library, Student Resources
The American Collection Literary Map http://www.ncteamericancollection.org/litmap/amcollectlitmap.htmThe American Collection Literary Map provides a visual gateway to authors across America. By selecting any state, users can access author information or submit their own information and related web links. This site is brought to you by Exxon and the National Council of Teachers of English.Reference Library, Student Resources
The Balanced Literacy Classroom http://www.teachingmatters.org/literacy/morton.htmTeachingMatters.org offers this virtual tour of a model balanced literacy classroom. Simply click on the various topics (e.g., Read Aloud, Interactive Writing) to see how elementary students use technology in Mrs. Morton’s classroom. Users with slower browsers may have trouble loading this animation-heavy website.Instructional Resources
The Cinderella Project http://www.usmenglish.com/fairytales/cinderella/cinderella.htmlThis University of Southern Mississippi site is the place to go if your students are interested in exploring how tales have changed over time. This collection includes texts and images from a dozen English versions of the Cinderella story. Scroll to the bottom of the page for links to similar collections on Little Red Riding Hood and Jack and the Beanstalk.Reference Library
The Electronic Classroom http://www.readingonline.org/electronic/elec_index.aspA forum highlighting classroom uses of technology, the Electronic Classroom provides teachers, teacher educators, and researchers with resources for integrating technology and literacy in the classroom.Professional Development
The National Archives on Google Video http://video.google.com/nara.htmlThrough a partnership between the NARA and Google, educators and students can now access more than 100 historic films through the Google Video site. The collection includes newsreels from the World War II era, NASA documentaries, and films on the history and establishment of state and national parks systems.Reference Library
The Poetry Forge http://www.poetryforge.org/The Poetry Forge offers teacher tools such as poetry generators, lesson plans, and discussion groups for teachers attempting to implement these activities. Students have access to many of the same tools, and they have their own forum to discuss and publish their work.Instructional Resources, Professional Development, Student Resources
The Poetry Society of America http://www.poetrysociety.org/Founded in 1910, the Poetry Society of America sponsors an annual awards program, a calendar of events involving American poets, the Poetry in Motion® program, Chapbook Contests, a directory of over 200 poetry-related sites, the Crossroads Online archive. The PSA is also a partner in the Favorite Poem Project.Instructional Resources
The Underground Railroad http://www.nationalgeographic.com/features/99/railroad/index.htmlStudents start this interactive journey by choosing to follow Harriet Tubman along the Underground Railroad. The route to freedom presents other choices along the way and offers freedom songs and pictures that bear witness to slaves' experiences. Teachers' resources include age-specific lesson ideas and other Internet resources on the subject.Instructional Resources, Student Resources
The WebQuest Page http://webquest.sdsu.edu/The home of the WebQuest, this San Diego State University site traces the development of these online, interactive activities from their creation to the many variations that teachers use and customize today. The site includes material on developing original and customized WebQuests as well as links to existing WebQuests that teachers can use "as is." Instructional Resources, Professional Development
The Write Site http://writesite.org/The Write Site provides resources on journalism, from generating leads, gathering facts, and writing stories. Instructional Resources, Student Resources
Topics: An Online Magazine for Learners of English http://www.topics-mag.com/This online magazine is a wealth of cultural information for students learning about other countries. It also invites English learners to write articles about where they’re from and encourages them to sharpen their language skills in the Language Corner. The Teachers’ Corner highlights ESL Web projects and teaching techniques from around the world.Instructional Resources, Reference Library, Student Resources
Travlang's Word of the Day http://travlang.com/wordofday/With a new twist on word of the day, this site delivers a word a day in over 60 languages. Not only can you see it but you can hear it. Users have the option of having the word of the day e-mailed to them as well.Professional Development, Reference Library
Treasures in Full: Shakespeare in Quarto http://www.bl.uk/treasures/shakespeare/homepage.htmlThis British Library site presents digitized versions of all 21 of Shakespeare's plays that were published in quarto before 1642. and includes a background section, with additional information on Shakespeare's life, theatre, and other plays and works.Instructional Resources, Student Resources
Trelease-on-Reading.com http://www.trelease-on-reading.com/Author of the classic Read-Aloud Handbook, Jim Trelease provides this extensive collection of resources, excerpts from his books, and other professional development materials on topics including censorship, reading "incentive" programs, and read-aloud. Instructional Resources, Professional Development
U.S. National Archives and Record Administration http://www.archives.gov/index.htmlThe U.S. National Archives and Record Administration provides a wealth of information useful to classroom teachers. The "exhibit hall" makes many of our national treasures such as the Declaration of Independence just a click away. Lessons and digital images are readily available using many of these primary sources. Reference Library, Student Resources
United Nations Cyberschoolbus http://www.un.org/cyberschoolbus/The United Nations Cyberschoolbus offers information in six languages. All of the resources offered to teachers are intended to bring the world to your classroom. Curriculum materials include world data, units on peace making, and ask an ambassador.Instructional Resources
Verizon Literacy Campus http://www.literacycampus.org/Developed and managed by the National Center for Family Literacy and ProLiteracy Worldwide, with funding from Verizon, this site provides information about literacy challenges and free online courses for volunteers in adult and family literacy programs.Professional Development
Vocabulary University http://www.vocabulary.com/The site has interactive games for students to practice word etymology and word meaning, while having fun. Games have different levels of difficulty; Level 1 is for upper elementary and Level 2 is for middle school. Student Resources
Walt Whitman Archive http://www.whitmanarchive.org/The Walt Whitman Archive includes a host of versions of Whitman's Leaves of Grass, numerous poetry manuscripts witn a related guide, a detailed biography of Whitman, and a bibliography of articles, books, chapters of books and poems about Whitman published from 1975 to the present.Reference Library
Web English Teacher http://www.webenglishteacher.com/The Web English Teacher presents the best of K-12 English/Language Arts teaching resources: lesson plans, WebQuests, videos, biography, e-texts, criticism, jokes, puzzles, professional development and classroom activities. Instructional Resources, Professional Development
Webbing Into Literacy http://curry.edschool.virginia.edu/go/wil/home.htmlThis site features downloadable nursery rhymes and alphabet books, along with related lesson plans. It also includes a list of 101 great books for children. Instructional Resources
What's Under the Bed? Monsters in Children's Book Illustration http://www.decordova.org/Decordova/exhibit/2001/whatunderbed/whatsmain.htmThis Web site is a companion exhibition to DeCordova Museum's Terrors and Wonders: Monsters in Contemporary Art. Monsters have been a part of children's literature from time immemorial. The exhibition includes 51 illustrations by 10 artists. Reference Library, Student Resources
Wired for Books http://wiredforbooks.org/This collection of online interviews features writers reading their own texts as well as performance readings from Don Swaim's CBS Radio show, Book Beat.Instructional Resources, Student Resources
Word of the Day http://www.nytimes.com/learning/students/wordofday/Hosted by the New York Times and Merriam's Webster Dictionary, Word of the Day, provides a word of the day, and references its uses in the New York Times.Reference Library
Words and Pictures http://www.bbc.co.uk/schools/wordsandpictures/index.shtmlWords and Pictures, the Companion Web site to the BBC Schools Education Series Program Literacy Hour, includes numerous interactives on phonics, word sounds, and high frequency words. This British site does use British spelling and aural material is pronounced with a British accent.Instructional Resources, Student Resources
World Wide School http://www.worldwideschool.orgFounded by Project Gutenberg, the World Wide School is an e-library that provides free access to the full text of a wide variety of books. Texts range from fairy tales and poetry to mathematical dissertations and reference materials, in addition to many of the classics required by curriculums.Instructional Resources, Reference Library
WriteNet: Virtual Poetry Workshop http://www.twc.org/forums/virtualpoetrywrkshp.htmlPoet Hoa Nguyen of Austin, Texas leads an online poetry workshop, in the Sixth Teachers and Writers Collaborative Online Poetry Workshop. Teachers can use or adapt Hoa's writing exercises for their own students, and learn how to critique student poetry by reading Hoa's responses on the forum page. While the sample poems will not be appropriate for all students at all levels, every teacher is likely to find something useful at this site. Instructional Resources
Writing Fix http://www.writingfix.comSponsored in part by the National Writing Project, the Writing Fix features interactive writing activities and activities to engage all types of learners. This site includes tools, games, lessons on conventions, and areas for publishing.Instructional Resources, Student Resources
Yale-New Haven Teachers Institute Curricular Resources http://www.yale.edu/ynhti/curriculum/This site includes over 150 curriculum units developed annually since 1978 by the Fellows of the Yale-New Haven Teachers Institute. The lessons range across the curriculum, from English Language Arts to Science to Social Studies, and include concrete examples of lessons used in the New Haven Public Schools.Instructional Resources, Student Resources
Young Writers Workshop http://www.meddybemps.com/9.700.htmlYoung Writers Workshop encourages creativity by providing printable story starters for children in preschool and primary grades.Instructional Resources
Youth Radio http://www.youthradio.org/index.shtmlYouth Radio promotes the intellectual, creative and professional growth of adolescents through training and access to media and to produce the highest quality original media for local and national outlets. The site includes a range of podcasts and audio files, arranged in subject areas.
Tuesday, January 09, 2007
SIX WAYS TO MAKE YOU RICH
Does your bank pass book make shivers pass up and down your spine? Shape up all your accounts – savings, recurring and fixed deposits to lop down mistakes, add zing to investments and hear the welcome rustle of crisp currency notes.
That way, you won't balk, when you look at bank passbook. Here are tips to make bank balance big, in looks and books:
Put shine in savings account
A savings bank account is, generally, thought of as a cupboard, where money is put in and taken out. But, with masterly strokes, you can actually mint money.
How can one make money earn money? A common mistake is making cash withdrawals, big and small at any time of the month, from bank. It is not advisable to this. Because interest is calculated on minimum balance between 10th and last day of every month, in your savings account. Hence, if there is less money, interest plunges down.
Be prudent, by taking out money in first week or so of month only, deposit surplus earnings before 10th always, keep on adding cheques and any amounts pouring in till 30th or 31st and watch cash bundles balloon, with dollops of interest.
Another hint is never make too many withdrawals, one after another. If a person withdraws money more than four times a week through cheque, ATM, credit card and electronic fund transfers for three months, then he is charged a hefty Rs 50 for every time he takes cash from bank, subsequently.
Keen to grab whopping interest? The savings bank accounts give 3.5 per cent interest after every half-year. Choose banks which are now offering quarterly option. That is, ask the bank to compound your interest every quarter, instead of six months and prosper in a twinkling.
Avoid a bank, which requires a high opening deposit. There are now banks, which require Rs 100 only to open an account. And, yes, there is chequebook facility.
Remember, the minimum balance requirement penalty is attracted when opening deposit is not maintained. If one starts a bank account with say Rs 5,000 or Rs 25,000 sum, the amount has to retained, at all costs. Don't spend more than Rs 1,000 in any case, on just opening an account.
A Family Savings account is another device to stave off minimum balance requirement threat. Combine yours, spouse’s, parents’ accounts and if total is say, Rs 20,000 there is no need to show a minimum balance of Rs 20,000 in your own individual account.
Open no-frills account for expenses
Open a no-frills account, with any amount and the exciting part is that no minimum balance is to be maintained. Dip into it for all your expenses. The savings account is, thus, left untouched and the whole amount there merrily earns interest.
Make recurring deposits robust
A recurring deposit, of variable type can be opened. That relieves you of putting a fixed sum every month. One can put in Rs 5, Rs 100 or Rs 500 a month.
An ordinary recurring deposit, where a regular sum is submitted always gives higher interest than a savings account.
For example, an amount of Rs 100 can easily turn into Rs 2,626, if interest is 8 per cent, in two years. A higher sum like Rs 750 reaches a staggering total of Rs 19,698 in same time. The money accumulated over years can be used for child's education, meet unforeseen expenses or even to buy a car!
Spruce up fixed depositsHave surplus money or want to make a fast buck? Set your sights on a fixed deposit.
A stores away Rs 20,000 extra in savings account because he has to draw it out some time. Instead, if he puts money in a fixed deposit, for 30 days, there would be more dough, waiting at bank.
Plump for auto renewal facility, to make fixed deposit flourish.
For example, B has a fixed deposit, carrying 8 per cent interest, which matures on March 24, 2005 and the accumulated amount in normal course would be credited to savings account, where the sum, languishing under 3.5 per cent interest rate would yield little return. Instead, if B invokes auto renewal amenity for his fixed deposit for one year, more, there would be no break and he can count a whole lot of money after two years.
Opt for a reinvestment strategy, to multiply fixed deposit amount.
For instance, C holds a fixed deposit for six months. He puts interest, which accrues at end of first quarter, into fixed deposit. C continues with the deposit. Because he earns interest on interest, on cumulative basis, high returns are assured.
Always try to renew a deposit for a lengthy time.
For example, D's fixed deposit, of one year matures on August 13, 2005 and after thinking for some time, he decides to renew it in December 2005. But the smart thing would be to tell bank to renew it with effect from August 2005 itself. The benefit of interest would cover longer time, as it would be treated as a 2-year deposit.
Choose quarterly compounding rests schemes for fixed deposit, where principal and interest are accumulated each quarter and passed on to next quarter, till maturity. Avoid settling for plain interest in every quarter or reduced sum, called discounted value, every month.
A little alertness paysTry to avoid service charges, which nibble away earnings. For example, a bank which collects fees for chequebooks, balance enquiry, cheque status query, demand draft issue, use of phone, fax or modem can be shunned. Collect monthly bank statement from bank, instead of home service, because it may cost Rs 23 and don't settle for cheque pick-ups, as Rs 50 charge is levied, each time.
A multi-city chequebook is handy for amounts spent on issue of demand drafts and charges are fully eliminated. A savings account may also be offering free ATM cards, complimentary international debit card and no-cost branch transactions. Check which fixed deposit, has add-ons like lockers with no rent or credit card fee waiver in first year.
Bounty from bankMake a minute study, before putting your valuable money in bank. For example, where two banks announce fixed deposit schemes of five years and 61 months, with former offering 6 per cent and the other 7 per cent take the second one. By waiting for one month, to allow fixed deposit to mature, you get colossal sum.
All in all, cash grows, withdrawal slows. The big proof is that next time, you can actually manage to bare your teeth – in a smile at the bank manager.
The author, Meenakshi Subramaniam, is a former IRS officer.
Friday, January 05, 2007
Wednesday, October 25, 2006
CLICK ON THE TOOLBAR YOU SEE ON THE TOP OR ON THE TWO MONKEYS YOU FIND , TO THE RIGHT OF THIS BLOG
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Tuesday, October 24, 2006
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Friday, September 29, 2006
GET DATA FROM THE SCRACHED CD
Every user has had trouble with a scratched CD. In the case of data CDs (CD-ROM), the drive cannot properly read the CD, giving rise to reading errors. In the case of audio CDs, the CD skips when we play it.
The first thing to do when coming across a CD with a read error is to clean it, to check whether it the error is not being caused by a dirty surface. You can even wash the CD gently with a little detergent, using your fingers to clean it (avoid sponges, since they can scratch the CD). If the error persists, try reading or playing the CD on another drive. If another drive (or CD player, in the case of audio CDs) gives the same result (read error or skipping, in the case of audio CDs), it will mean that the CD is scratched.
Looking against the light, the recording surface (the flip side of the label) of a CD with this kind of trouble will allow you to easily see one or more existing scratches. A CD's data is recorded on a metal layer inside it, a silvered layer on commercial CDs, which is usually golden on CD-Rs. This metal layer is inset in a transparent plastic covering (polycarbonate), used to protect the CD's metal layer and allow printing a label on the side not used for reading.
A CD-ROM drive or CD player utilizes a laser beam to read the metal layer. This laser beam crosses the plastic layer and reads the metal layer. If the plastic layer is scratched, the beam will be unable to pass through it, resulting in a read error or skipping the music. In other words, the data to be read are still in the CD, the trouble lies in the layer of plastic.
As the CD's contents are preserved, a scratched CD can be recovered by polishing its plastic surface. If, after carrying out the above cleansing, the CD persists in giving reading errors, just polish the CD with toothpaste. That's right, toothpaste. It works wonders, and you won't spend a fortune buying professional cleaning kits. Polish the scratches with a cotton swab, rubbing gently the paste-imbued swab over the scratches until they disappear or until you notice that you have removed them as far as possible. Sometimes the paste may cause new scratching, but it will be merely superficial and easily removed. After clearing the scratches, wash the CD in water.
If there are still scratches that the toothpaste has not managed to removed, use a metal polish (Brasso) in the same way as described above. Finally, rub Vaseline on the CD, very gently (do not press hard), from moving out from the centre to the rim.
The last step will be testing the CD. If it starts working properly, great. If not, repeat the above procedure, looking for the scratch that is causing the error and concentrating your polishing efforts on it.
Monday, September 04, 2006
Connect this circuit to any of your home appliances (lamp, fan, radio, etc) to make the appliance turn ELECTRONICS ITS REALLY COOL
Clap Switch
Several circuits for sound operated switches have been published earlier. The circuit shown here for clap operated switch is inexpensive and easy to assemble by hobbyists of any level. Clap sound signals picked up by condenser microphone are first amplified by transistor T1, which is a simple common-emitter amplifier. Amplified signals are rectified by diode D1. Positive half cycle of clap signal is applied to a 3-stage DC amplifier formed by transistors T2, T3 and T4. Output from transistor T4 is used as a clock for flip-flop IC1 (7472). For each clap, the output of IC 7472 toggles alternately to on/off state.
Transistor T5 functions as relay driver since output level of IC1 is insufficient to drive a relay directly. The entire circuit, except the relay driver, operates at 5 volts regulated. The 5-volt supply is derived from 12V supply (used for relay driver transistor T5) using a zener diode with series resistor R11 (150-ohm, 1-watt). Using this circuit any electrical or electronic load can be controlled by just clapping in front of the microphone. The microphone should be housed inside a suitable funnel shaped enclosure to improve sensitivity. Potmeter VR1 is used as sensitivity control.
The entire circuit can be powered from simple 12-volt unregulated supply using 12-volt step-down transformer, followed by full-wave rectifier and a filter capacitor of about 1000µF, 25V.
Saturday, August 19, 2006
Sunday, June 25, 2006
Friday, May 26, 2006
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