Have You Seen the Google Cultural Institute?

Currently showcasing 42 different exhibits online,  Google's Cultural Institute  is a treasure-trove of photos and videos which cover events over the last 100 years. The current list of exhibitions includes:

World Wonders Project
Bringing to life the wonders of the modern and ancient world  

Art Project
The world’s art at your fingertips  

Yad Vashem
Remembering the Holocaust

Dead Sea Scrolls
Digitizing the biblical manuscripts  

Nelson Mandela Centre of Memory
Presenting Nelson Mandela’s legacy online

Versailles 3D
Discover the Palace of Versailles in 3D throughout the ages  

Le Pavillon de l’Arsenal
A Liquid Galaxy digital display of Paris in 2020  

La France en relief
17th century France in Google Earth  

Here's an overview of Google's Cultural Institute:

Read Books For Free Online

We Give Books is a wonderful site which offers children the chance to read books online for free. Created by the Penguin Group and the Pearson Foundation, the books are divided into the following sections: Classics, Editor's Picks, Featured and New. Every Penguin or DK book read online helps a child receive a book through one of the literacy programs supported by the Pearson Foundation.

22 Great Places If You Teach Research Skills

If you are a teacher-librarian or media specialist, you are the one responsible for making sure students have learned the proper research skills. Since all students need to how to do research, why are school districts still cutting jobs for our position? Once kids get to middle and high school, they need to know how to do certain things tied to research, including a bibliography, website evaluation, searching techniques and so much more. Below you will find sites to assist you in teaching research skills for all ages.Use the Teacher-Librarians tab at the top to find a megalist of stuff for you.

The 6 Online Research Skills Your Students Need- from Scholastic

Copyright, Fair Use and Research Skills for Elementary Students- LiveBinder

Doing Research at the Elementary Level- written by technology teacher Mary Beth Hertz

Evaluating Information Sources Worksheet- for older students

The Future of Research- written by middle school librarian Jennifer LaGarde

Google Scholar- advanced scholarly searches

Infomine- scholarly Internet searches

iResearch: Information Skills for Life- 10 modules (covers plagiarism and searching databases) each include a PDF download

The Free Library- over 20 million articles and books

K-4 Research Materials- LiveBinder

Kentucky Virtual Library's How to Do Research- excellent interactive poster designed like a game board

Research it Right- from Acadia University's Library; animated interactive

Research Skills Lesson Plans- from Lesson Planet

Research Skills Worksheets- from TeAchnology; covers various topic areas 

Research Skills Worksheets- teacher-reviewed; grades listed

Research Skills Unit- for 8th grade students

Rutgers University's R.I.O.T.- wonderful interactive modules include: Selecting a Topic, Finding Sources, Selecting Keywords, Identifying Citations, Evaluating Sources.

State Library of Victoria- research skills for grades 5-9

Teaching Research Skills to Young Students- the role of the media specialist is explained

Teaching the Ten Steps to Better Web Research from SweetSearch


Using Critical Thinking to find Trustworthy Websites-video lesson by N.Y. middle school teacher Emily Koch (Grades 6-8)

Wading Through the Web: Teaching Internet Research Strategies- Three complete 45-minute lessons for grades 6-8

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255,800+ FREE Resources: Share My Lesson

Looking for tons of resources, including lesson plans, discussions and other learning materials? Share My Lesson is expected to be the largest online resource for teachers in the U.S. The site is divided by age group, with K-2, 3-5, 6-8, 9-12 and special populations. Sections include a resource calendar, highlights and the latest resources posted. Once you join (FREE) you can upload materials to share with other teachers.

Inspire Your Student Musicians

Usman Riaz is a 21 year old guitarist who taught himself how to play by watching his idols on YouTube. Preston Reed invented a percussive technique for the guitar and performs with Usman in this enjoyable video.

Rutgers R.I.O.T. Rocks

Rutgers University has posted RIOT (Research Information Online Tutorial) to aid students and teachers with their research. The 5-part animated tutorial is interactive. Teacher-Librarians can use this to get students started on their research papers. Thank you Richard Byrne (Free Technology for Teachers) for posting this awesome resource for students and teachers.

Award Your Students for Their Accomplishments

Class Badges is an online program which allows you award students custom made badges. Students create an account and teachers can award badges to student accounts when earned. Every kid enjoys being recognized for good work, don't they? At the moment you have to request an invite (I did it this afternoon and am waiting to hear from them...) Here's a sample of a badge I saw on their page which I would like to use with my library-media council members: