Science Teachers: Tyler DeWitt Shows You How to Make Class Fun

The teachers I remember most from high school were those who made class enjoyable. It was the boring ones whom turned me off to the subject matter; those who themselves weren't excited about the information they were sharing with their students. When I taught library skills for grades K-5, I was always trying to find ways to get my kids involved in the learning process, including allowing the kids to rap and break-dance while reciting the Dewey Decimal categories. Science teacher Tyler DeWitt shows how easy it is to get creative when teaching what could be a very boring lesson.

Let's Teach Our Students About Copyright: 15 Sites Which Can Assist You

An important area for all teacher-librarians to cover is copyright law. Students (and teachers) are really not aware of what they can and can't do legally. I teach my students about plagiarism and copyright because they will be held accountable if they do not follow the law. This list has been added to the Teacher-Librarian page.

The Code of Best Practices in Fair Use for Media Literacy Education- assists teachers in fair use doctrine; from the Center for Social Media

Copyright Advisory Network- "a way for librarians to learn about copyright and seek feedback and advice from fellow librarians and copyright specialists"

Copyright Basics- from Copyright Kids!

Copyright and Fair Use Guidelines for Teachers- PDF document

Creative Commons- various sharing methods explained

Cyberbee- cute interactive for grades 4-9

Fair Use Evaluator- "understand how to determine the "fairness" of a use under the U.S. Copyright Code."

Fair Use Wiki- the fair use clause explained

Taking the Mystery Out of Copyright- from the Library of Congress; interactive for kids in grades 4-8

Teaching Copyright- Five 60-minute lessons

TeachersFirst Copyright and Fair Use Resources

United States Copyright Office- search records, register works


What is Copyright?- wiki managed by by teacher Mary Beth Hertz

Weeding Books From Your Collection? Here Are 15 Resources

I'm currently in the process of inventory and weeding. Why both, you might ask? Well, as I go along scanning my books, I very often come across a book which looks like it has been here since our school was built. (1963) With old titles, such as "Disco King", a red light often often goes off and I check the card to see the last time the book was taken out. When you are dealing with a limited budget as I am, you sometimes have to keep that very, very old copy of "Gulliver's Travels" or "The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn" because it is a classic book. This list can also be found on the Teacher-Librarians page of this blog.

10 Ways to Give Weeded Books a Second Life

Attack Your Collection: Weeding with CREW from Dawn Krause

Be Proactive: Weed- School Library Monthly post

CREW: A Weeding Manual for Modern Libraries- a 93-page document from the Texas State Library and Archives Commission

Less is More: A Practical Guide to Weeding School Library Collections- book by Donna J. Baumbach and Linda L. Miller

Weed 'Em And Weep from Awful Library Books

Weeding Guidelines By Subject from Ed Sadowski

Weeding Library Collections- this wiki includes great ideas on what to do with weeded books, including  book sales, donation and more.

Weeding Library Collections: A Selected Annotated Bibliography for Library Collection Evaluation-
ALA library fact sheet

Weeding and Maintenance of Reference Collections- book by Linda S. Katz

Weeding: A Practical Manual for Librarians- 7-page document from the Jefferson County Public Schools

Weeding the School Library- brochure from the California Department of Education

Weeding Presentation from Jennifer Peterson

Weeding Your Library- simple page on basics from Perma-Bound Books

Weeding Your Library- tips from teacher-librarian Cindy

19 Great Web Curation Tools

There certainly is no shortage of ways to collect content from the web. Apps make it even easier to sync with your computer and smartphone. Every time I find a resource I love (but don't have time to look at it) I clip it to Evernote. This list has been added to the Teacher-Librarian page. What's your favorite curation tool?


Bag the Web- curate web content to make your own topic bags

Bundlr- create and share bundles of content

eduClipper- educational digital clipboard

Evernote- one of my favorites; sync with your smartphone, home computer and work compute

Video streaming by Ustream

Juxtapost- all of your favorite things, side-by-side

Kuratur- "cool, customized automated content magazines"

Kweeper- collect videos, pictures, sites with one click

Livebinders-"3-ring binder for the web"



Livebinders Tutorial from EdTechTeacher on Vimeo.

Only2Clicks- organize your sites with various tabs, (like folders) and thumbnails

Paper.li- your own online newspaper

Pinterest- online pinboard

RebelMouse- "your social front page"; app available

Scoop.it- create a topic and Scoop.it will proceed to find you links on the Internet which are related to your topic

Spaaze- collect and organize web sites, videos etc. in one location, a giant cork-board.

Springpad- save information on your computer and it will sync with your mobile device (Android or iPhone)

Storify- tell your stories by curating social media posts

Surfmark- collect, express, collaborate

Themeefy- allows you to create, curate and publish; phone app available



Trapit- captures what you want and “serves it up fresh and spam-free all day long.”

27 Great Sites for Physics Teachers

In an effort to cover all areas of the sciences, this post for physics has been added to the Science page. (Tab at the top)  Please add your suggestions or feel free to request any future postings.

SITES
100 Amazing Videos for Teaching and Studying Physics

Amusement Park Physics- provided by the Annenberg Project

Center for History and Physics: Niels Bohr Library and Archives- history of modern physics, astronomy, and geophysics

Khan Academy Physics Videos-

NASA's Amusement Park Physics Days

Newton's Laws

The Physics of Angry Birds- neat article from Wired Magazine

The Physics of Archery

Physics Animations- 10 listed from KScience

The Physics of Baseball

Physics Central- includes a physics blog, podcasts, physics in action, physics in pictures, physics @home and much more

Physics Flash Animations- FLASH required to view

Physics Games- around 90 games here

Physics Interactive Simulations- close to 100 from the University of Colorado at Boulder

Physics Lessons, Tutorials, Help- from the Physics Zone

The Physics of Skateboarding

Physics.org- your guide to physics on the Internet

Popular Physics Resources- from TeacherVision

Roller Coasters and Amusement Park Physics 

Science Central Physics Resources- loads of subcategories

The Titanium Physicists Podcast- "the boundary between the incomprehensible and the well explained"

LESSON PLANS
50 Physics Lesson Plans for Middle School Students- from Edgalaxy
 
Lesson Planet Physics Lesson Plans- by grade level

Links to Physics and Astronomy Lesson Plans -by grade level; maintained by the Experimental High Energy Physics Group at Rutgers, the State University of New Jersey.

Mrs. Carder's Downloadable Physics Lesson Plans and Labs

Physics Inquiry Lesson Plans

Physics Lesson Plan Links- from the Science Spot 

TeAchnology Physics Lesson Plans

What a List!! 138 Interactive Educational Games By Subject Area

What kid doesn't like a game? Here's a great way to support your lesson plans without losing your audience. Interactive games allow students to play, learn and interact with the game while having fun. Can't beat that, right?

CIVICS
Are They Watching You?- 4 quizzes from the Bill of Rights InstituteBill of Rights Institute- interactive learning games
iCivics- 20 games include Argument Wars, Represent Me, Win the White House and Immigrant Nation, to name a few.

National Constitution Center- 6 games

Sunnylands Civics Games- includes Branches of Power, Court Quest, Executive Command, First Amendment

GEOGRAPHY/HISTORY
Coast to Coast- make a coast-to-coast road trip

Conquer the Continents- identify as many as you can in one minute!

Conquer the United States- find the state on the map

Elections- "your adventure in politics"

GeoGame- interactive geography game

Geography Games- with 14 categories, including: cities of the United States, France, Mexico and Austria, you can have fun learning!

Geography Hangman

Geography IQ-online world atlas "packed with geographic, economic, political, historical & cultural information".

Geography Quiz

Global History & Geography Multiple Choice Questions

Hiroshima Quiz

History Mystery

HyperHistory Online- over 2,000 files covering 3,000 years of world history

InfoPlease Interactive Atlas- from Fact Monster

Lewis & Clark- from National Geographic

National Geographic Maps- map games

The Oregon Trail- interactive site produced by History Globe.com

Place the State- test your geography skills

Playing History- 126 games

Presidents & First Ladies Game- interactive online

Road Maps & Mileage Tables

Salem Witch Hunt- interactive from National Geographic

States Web Games- locate the state, place the state, state postal abbreviations, state capitals etc. Different levels.

Timeline-rearrange the events so that they are in chronological order

U.S. Constitution Trivia

United States Presidents Trivia Game- interactive online game

United States Quiz Game- select your level of difficulty

Vector Kids- state capitols

World Capital Concentration

LANGUAGE ARTS
Activities for ESL Students

American Literature Trivia

Conjunctions

Correct or Incorrect?- check your grammar

English Zone- the BEST English-Learner's site on the Net!

Parts of Speech

Preposition Practice

Self-Study Grammar Quizzes

A Shakespeare Quiz

SpellBee.org- for grades 2-6; compete with your peers in an online spelling bee

Using Nouns as Adjectives

Word Game of the Day- from Merriam-Webster; word games, downloads

LIBRARY SKILLS

Becoming Familiar With Dewey- print a certificate when you are done

Dewey Decimal Hangman
DDS- timed game
Dewey Decimal System- match books with their Dewey number (easy)
Dewey Decimal System- match books with their Dewey number (medium)
Dewey Decimal System- match books with their Dewey number (hard)
Dewey Decimal Interactive Quiz

Do the Dewey

Do We Really Know Dewey?

Kids Click for Dewey

Order in the Library- a great interactive game to practice shelving!

MATH
Algebra Flash Cards

Algebra Matching

BasketMath Interactive- exponents (in Spanish and English)

Billy Bug- helps middle school kids learn coordinates

Billy Bug 2- a new quest for middle schoolers

Decimal & Whole Number Jeopardy

Decimal Multiplication Football

Decimal Quiz

Dr. Gee's 3D Lab- geometry

Exponents

Fish Tank-probability

Fractions

Line Jumper Algebra

Manga High- number and algebra games

MathCar Racing- integers

MathDork- view 10 of 24 lessons for free

Math Playground- for middle school

Mrs. Glosser's Math Goodies- integers

Online Graphing Calculator- Java mathematical graphing system

The Ruler Game- learn how to measure using a ruler

S.O.S. Mathematics-Algebra

Virtual Coin Toss-probability

MIND GAMES
Brainbashers-brainteasers, puzzles, riddles, games & optical illusions

Braingle- brain teasers, trivia, games

Fit Brains- brain games, brain fitness

Mindcipher- challenge yourself to brain teasers and logic puzzles

Play With Your Mind-collection of original mind games and IQ tests

SCIENCE
The Amazing Human Body

Anatomy Arcade-games are sorted by body system

Animal & Plant Classification Mini Quiz

The Atoms Family- from the Museum of Science in Miami, FL
BAM! Body and Mind- the CDC's information site for K-6 includes diseases, nutrition, physical activity and safety

The Blobz Guide to Electric Circuits

Bronx Zoo's Online Interactive Activities- for middle school age students

Cell Inspector

Comets and Meteors- from National Geographic

The Compass Activity Page

Cow's Eye Dissection

Creative Chemistry Crosswords

CSI:Web Adventures- learn about forensic science

David's Whizzy Periodic Table

Digestive System

DNA Detective

Ecokids-games and activities; waste, energy, wildlife, climate change

Edheads- great games for your brain!!
Eekoworld- from PBS Kids; grades K-4 can learn about the environment, ecology, garbage and recycling

Electromagnets

Energy Kids

Gadget Anatomy- site has an Inventor's Toolbox

Game for Science- they claim to be the "first virtual world for science"

Hitting the Target- learning angles through sports

Human Body- for Middle School (6th,7th)

Inventor & Inventions

Melting & Boiling

Microscope Magnification

Mitosis: an interactive animation

NASA Space Place- word puzzles, scrambled pictures, quizzes and a board game

Periodic Table Quiz Questions- choose your grade level...

Playing Science- 23 games for biology and physics

Science Review Games- choose from astronomy, biology, chemistry, earth science, geology, physics.

Science Stumpers- play against your classmates

Space Flight in 60 Seconds- choose from these 60 second videos from NASA

Space Shepherd

Stop Disasters Game- disaster simulation

Tiger Adventure Games- from the Minnesota Zoo

Vascular Plants

VARIOUS EDUCATIONAL GAMESABC Ya- for younger kids

AT&T Internet Safety Connections Game- for younger kids
Babble

Cybersafety Games- K-12

Discovery School Brain Boosters

Nobel Prize.org- includes the Blood Tying Game

Teach-nology

VIRTUAL LABS
Edheads- virtual knee surgery, weather, machine

Microbe Zoo

The Mixtures Lab

The Virtual Body- site is in English or Spanish

Virtual Frog Dissection

Virtual Open Heart Surgery- from the Australian Broadcasting Network; very cool!

Virtual Pig Dissection

Virtual Plant Dissection

6th Annual Doodle 4 Google Contest

Students in grades K-12 have the opportunity to win a $30,000 college scholarship and a $50,000 technology grant for their school. The Doodle 4 Google Contest began 5 years ago, and entries have come from all over the United States. Here is a collection of Google's own doodles which commemorate various events and holidays. This year's theme is "My Best Day Ever.." 

More Information
Application
For Educators
Judging and Prizes