[ Classroom Management ]

 A little list of IT resources from around the net  for the Curriculum and Ed Tech uses for students and classrooms. 

PBS   Teacher Planet  go off to these spaces on this page

 Province of Manitoba - Education Manitoba 

 University of Manitoba - Faculty of Education 

 Winnipeg School Division 

 Extra School Resources 

Manitoba Schools listing
http://www.teachon.com/sch.man.html

Brian Metcalfe maintains an excellent Teacher Web page of resources that is not on the WSD1 server! 
Check it out!
http://teacherweb.com/MB/Winnipeg/Metcalfe/

National Geographic Map Machine is a versatile online tool from number one in geography. Find the theme, maps, facts and flags that you need now.  Good use of coordinates and cross-hairs to locate sites with precision.

Grad Finder  Alumni and recent graduates will find this a very useful IT resource.  It is not commercial like "Classmate".
Connect and communicate to Graduates and Alumni about upcoming events and upcoming 'School Reunions'.

You can directly link a school into your main web page like this using a HREF:
 Sargent Park School Alumni

   PBS   

 PBS Teacher Sources and Previews 

PBS  'Secrets of the Pharaohs'
The third program in the series  entitled "Unwrapping the Mummy"
In Manchester, England, scientists are performing a unique examination of an ancient Egyptian mummy. It is the mummy of a noblewoman and chantress from Luxor named Asru, and a new autopsy of her body reveals startling insights into the everyday lives of the ancient Egyptians.
http://www.pbs.org/wnet/pharaohs/

At the companion site, learn more about obelisks and the seeming impossibility of erecting one. Read essays, get some perspective on the fantastic dimensions of obelisks, and try levering one with a Shockwave activity.
http://pbs.org/nova/lostempires/obelisk/

Frontline "Inside the Teenage Brain"
Thursday, January 31, 2002 (8-9:00 pm)
It's the mystery of mysteries -- especially to parents and teachers. This program explores how new research into the recesses of the brain can provide explanations for why adolescents behave the way they do and how this may change the way we parent, teach and understand our teenagers.
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/shows/teenbrain/

The Secret Life of the Brain "The Teenage Brain: A World of Their Own"
Tuesday, January 29, 2002 (8-10:00 pm)
Exploring the startling new map of the brain that has emerged from the past decade of neuroscience, this series shares a revelatory view of this most complicated organ. Many have long felt that teenagers are different from the rest of humanity, and this episode -- demonstrating that the areas of the brain involving reason and impulse control are still in development during puberty -- proves them right.

At the companion site, explore the fascinating processes involved in brain development across a lifetime. Learn about new information in the brain sciences, meet some of the foremost researchers in the field, and hear compelling human stories that examine brain-related illness and disability, and the ways the brain changes from birth to old age.
http://pbs.org/brain/

Art in the Twenty-First Century "Identity"
Middle/High School
Thursday, January 31, 2002 (11-10:00 pm)
In an unprecedented look at the shape and direction of art in contemporary America, this program invites viewers to meet emerging and established artists, to see how they work and to hear them discuss what their art is about and what they hope to accomplish.  In this hour, actor Steve Martin and photographer William Wegman introduce an exploration of identity through artistry. 
Find your inspiration at the companion site. Meet the artists and view their works, discuss your opinions about art, access a comprehensive teacher's guide and more.
http://pbs.org/art21/

Mark Twain: A Film by Ken Burns
Middle/High School
Monday, January 14, 2002 (8-10:00 pm EST, 7-9 CST) and
Tuesday, January 15, 2002 (8-10:00 pm EST, 7-9 CST)
This documentary is an illuminating and touching portrait of Mark Twain, born Samuel Clemens, one of the greatest writers in American history. Considered by many to be the funniest man on earth, Twain was known by all as an outspoken critic of racism, greed and hypocrisy.
Spend some time with Twain at the companion site. Explore his writings and a collection of artifacts in the scrapbook, follow a chronology of Twain's life, explore the range of his work and his use humor and satire, go behind-the-scenes and learn about the making of film, access classroom activities and much more.

1. Open the Scrap Book at
   http://www.pbs.org/marktwain/scrapbook/index.html
2. Class room activities
   http://www.pbs.org/marktwain/learnmore/activities.html
3. Selected Writings
   http://www.pbs.org/marktwain/learnmore/writings.html
4. Chronology
   http://www.pbs.org/marktwain/learnmore/chronology.html
5. Links
   http://www.pbs.org/marktwain/learnmore/links.html
6. Main Page
   http://www.pbs.org/marktwain/
7. non PBS site 
   visit Twain House in Hartford, Conn.
   http://www.marktwainhouse.org

NOVA "Life's Greatest Miracle" - Middle/High School
Tuesday, November 20, 2001 (8-9:00 pm)
This documentary takes viewers on an intimate journey to view life at its origins, from conception to birth.  Continue the journey at the companion site. Read the thoughts of an expectant mother, join the stem-cell research debate, learn how cells divide, access a teacher's guide and more.

1. Life's Greatest Miracle Main Page
   http://pbs.org/nova/miracle/ or http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/miracle/
2. Resources
   http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/miracle/resources.html
3. Teacher Guide
   http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/teachers/programs/2816_miracle.html
4. Window on the Womb
   http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/miracle/windows.html
5. The Stem-cell Debate
   http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/miracle/stemcells.html
6. How Cells Divide
   http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/miracle/divide.html
7. How Sex is Determined
   http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/miracle/determined.html

PBS   'The Living Edens' 
Costa Rica May 29, 2001 http://www.pbs.org/edens/costarica/
The Living Edens - Previous Sites for the PBS programs

PBS   Human Genome Project   "Cracking the Code of Life" 
The recent conclusion of the Human Genome Project was a stunning scientific feat, but how did the scientists do it, and what are the implications for medicine? NOVA explores these questions through interviews with experts and researchers, taking a close-up look at this impressive achievement that affects all of us.

1. PBS Nova Genome Web Site
   http://pbs.org/nova/genome/
2. Teacher Guide - a great resource for lesson planning!
   http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/teachersguide/genome/

PBS   NOVA - Easter Island 
Welcome to the companion Web site to the NOVA program "Easter Island," scheduled for rebroadcast on Tuesday, May 29, 2001. The film, which is a part of the NOVA series Secrets of Lost Empires, showcases the efforts of a team of archeologists, engineers, and other experts to transport an Easter Island moai, or carved stone monolith, overland and successfully raise it onto a pedestal.

Teacher Planet weblinks (new December, 2005)

 ZD Net 100 Top Web Sites 

Read the information on the ZDNet rating of many web portals by PC Mag. The 2 common uses were for searching and for content.
The chart gives a visual presentation and clickable item for the company information.
http://www.zdnet.com/pcmag/stories/reviews/0,6755,2643493,00.html
It is interesting to see which ones our Central group prefers and for which purpose. Likewise, it might be of interest for a student / class to survey members on use and preferences. If you want to view an extensive list beyond the 'truth out there' presented in the above listing, check out the connecting web page for the search engine guide.

 Water web Sites from CNN 

 Health and Medical Links 

Teen Touch - Winnipeg http://www.teentouch.org/

1. http://www.abc.go.com/theview/acs/pink_mug.html
2. http://www.cancer.org/
3. http://www.cancer.org/eprise/main/docroot/SPC/SPC_0
4. Breast Cancer - CBC TV News special June 5, 2002 

OnHealth
http://onhealth.com/ch1/interactives/index.asp

http://www.medinfo.org

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
http://www.cdc.gov

Doctor's Guide unregistered user
http://www.pslgroup.com/docguide.htm

Health World Online
http://www.healthy.net

The Franklin Institute - The Heart: An Online Exploration
http://sln2.fi.edu/biosci/heart.html

Kis Health
http://KidsHealth.org

Teens Health
http://www.teenshealth.org/

LifeLines
http://www.lifelines.com

World Health Organization
http://www.who.int/home-page/index.en.shtml

Web MD Health
http://my.webmd.com

http://my.webmd.com/index

National Cancer Institute
http://www.nci.nih.gov

Canoe Health
http://cgi.canoe.ca/Health/home.html

Canoe Health Index
http://cgi.canoe.ca/Health/index.html

Asthma World Day - May 7, 
Get ready for World Asthma Day on May 7 with facts and tips from the Arthur gang. Get fact sheets, learn how to reduce asthma risks, play a fun maze game, access advice for parents and more. Plus, access resources in languages including Spanish, Chinese, Vietnamese and Tagalog
PBS web page for Asthma

 Kids Domain 

April 2000. Thanks to Ken Olson for the original link on the web site "Kids Domain". He was kind of blown away by the sheer number of free titles on this one web page (above). Maybe some of the older stuff would be useful for the classroom.
Freeware Sorted by Age  http://www.kidsdomain.com/down/pc/_agefreeware-index.html

In addition to the above, I have looked beyond this page to get the following links:

For those who are interested, see the following 'eggstra' stuff on Kids Domain

 Calculators on Line 

 University of Ottawa Resources for Canadian Studies

 From "Innovative Teacher", Walter McKenzie - Science Web Links 

Main Page - Innovative Teacher Newsletter  ITN

Main Page - ITN Site Map

BrainPop: Simple Machines - 
http://www.brainpop.com/tech/simplemachines/
Here the BrainPop format is applied to simple machines with its animated graphics and colorful format. Of course there's a pop quiz and a movie explaining the science behind the machines. Levers and inclined planes are featured here.
Also checkout BrainPop science index at -
http://www.brainpop.com/science/index.weml

Inventor's Toolbox - The Elements of Machines
http://www.mos.org/sln/Leonardo/InventorsToolbox.html
From the Boston Museum of Science, 'The Elements of Machines' is part of the "Exploring Leonardo" site, Inventor's Toolbox covers the basics of simple machines as well as more sophisticated kinds of machines, and then applies them in examples of inventions by Leonardo himself and by viewing the "Gadget Anatomy" page where students can study complex machines. Also check out the "Educators Resource" page at
http://www.mos.org/learn_more/resources.html
and the Educators Cheap Book at
http://www.mos.org/learn_more/cheapbook.html
and the Teacher's Introductory Letter at
http://www.mos.org/sln/Leonardo/LettertoTeachers.html

InQuiry Almanack: Simple Machines -
http://www.fi.edu/qa97/spotlight3/spotlight3.html
Philadelphia's Franklin Institute spotlights the six basic machines and the science behind each, with extra information on each machine and an occasional demonstration of a specific principal. This page has an attractive design and is appropriate for elementary aged students.

What's Free in Science
http://www.ed.gov/free/s-scienc.html
Extensive listing and categories of many topics:
Biological and life sciences | Earth science | Ecology | Geology | History | Oceanography | Paleontology | Pharmacology | Space sciences
This is part of the "FREE" Federal Resources for Educators Excellence at:
http://www.ed.gov/free/index.html
and it includes a special Free page for Kids and students at
http://www.ed.gov/free/kids.html

ENC Online
http://www.enc.org/
ENC’s mission is to identify effective curriculum resources, create high-quality professional development materials, and disseminate useful information and products to improve K-12 mathematics and science teaching and learning. ENC serves all K-12 educators, parents, and students with free products and services.

Mechanisms and Simple Machines -
http://www.cs.cmu.edu/People/rapidproto/mechanisms/chpt2.html
More on Machines and Mechanisms
http://www.cs.cmu.edu/People/rapidproto/mechanisms/chpt3.html
Other Mechanisms
http://www.cs.cmu.edu/People/rapidproto/mechanisms/chpt8.html
Carnegie Mellon University offers this college-level explanation of simple machines and the principles of physics which take place behind their operation. The jargon is fairly technical and the sketches help to demonstrate the concepts being presented. Ideal for older students.

Moving Along with Simple Machines - 
Week 1
http://www.henry.k12.ga.us/cur/simp-mach/instruction.htm
Week 2
http://www.henry.k12.ga.us/cur/simp-mach/week-2.htm
Week 3
http://www.henry.k12.ga.us/cur/simp-mach/week-3.htm
Week 4
http://www.henry.k12.ga.us/cur/simp-mach/week-4.htm
The teachers of Henry County Public Schools, Georgia designed this four week elementary unit on simple machines, with very detailed lesson ideas, creative activities for demonstrating principles of simple machines, and connections across the curriculum to make learning more meaningful for students.
There is a page with content strands, performance strands and rubrics for performance tasks at 
http://www.henry.k12.ga.us/cur/simp-mach/strands.htm
They give a page of web links at
http://www.henry.k12.ga.us/cur/simp-mach/resources.htm#Web Links

Motion, Energy and Simple Machines -
http://www.necc.mass.edu/MRVIS/MR3_13/start.htm
From North Essex Community College, here's a more advanced look at simple machines, focusing on the laws of physics and some of the formulae used to calculate the work being done by simple machines. It is very linear in format and best utilized by older students who are ready to master more sophisticated concepts without all the bells and whistles of other sites.

Simple Machines - 
http://library.thinkquest.org/J002079F/sub3.htm
Inclined Plane
http://library.thinkquest.org/J002079F/plane.htm
Wheel and Axle
http://library.thinkquest.org/J002079F/wheel.htm
Screw
http://library.thinkquest.org/J002079F/screw.htm
Lever
http://library.thinkquest.org/J002079F/lever.htm
Pulley
http://library.thinkquest.org/J002079F/pulley.htm
Wedge
http://library.thinkquest.org/J002079F/wedge.htm
This ThinkQuest entry on the book Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of NIMH takes students through explanations, pictures and animations of simple machines. Of particular interest to students will be the instructions for building a working elevator out of K'Nex building blocks.

Simple Machines Made Simpler -
http://www.smartown.com/sp2000/machines2000/
SmartTown presents this brightly adorned, musically inclined site about each of the 5 simple machines with crisp explanations and animated examples of each. There's an interactive quiz at the end which could offer more student feedback than it does, but it nonetheless does test students on basic understandings of machines and work.

Toting the Log and Lifting the Bale -
http://www.crpc.rice.edu/CRPC/GT/dawsonm/CAST/CAST95.html
This workshop presented by the Science Teachers Association of Texas is all plain text and requires lots of scrolling. But the wealth of simple classroom applications here you can use to promote an understanding of simple machines is so worthwhile, I decided to include it in this week's picks. When you have time to kick back and survey all the ideas contained herein, do so!

WebQuest: Get the Job Done: Use a Simple Machine! -
http://www.memphis-schools.k12.tn.us/admin/tlapages/simplemachine.htm
Here's a WebQuest that isn't too elementary or too advanced - it's just right for middle school! Students are challenged to able to solve a problem, create a book about simple machines for younger learners and construct their own machine. This is a three-student quest, with the roles of coach, recorder and researcher. Good rubric included.

WebQuest: Simple Machines -
http://www.plainfield.k12.in.us/hschool/webq/webq8/jjquest.htm
Jane Catlin and John Walsh used this problem solving approach to explore definitions and examples of simple machines, asking students to make use of KidPix to design original contraptions that utilize at least two simple machines. Promotes higher order thinking skills.

Work is Simple with Simple Machines -
http://www.ed.uri.edu/SMART96/ELEMSC/SMARTmachines/machine.html
This elementary unit by Rhode Island elementary educators Martha Baton, Stephanie McKiernan and Jolene Polidoro integrates the study of simple machines across the curriculum. The unit is thoughtfully designed with expected outcomes, identified benchmarks, activities in context and lots of local links with explanations and activities for students.

NIST Time - About NIST  US Official Time and view of earth with night and day
Time Exhibits from NIST.  Walk through Time  Fun Activites for Kids from NIST
Time and Frequency Division, Time and Frequency FAQs

Converters Time Zone,  Metric, Time Zone Main Page 

First Gov for Kids (US) the U.S. government interagency Kids' Portal. This site was developed and is maintained by the Federal Consumer Information Center. It provides links to Federal kids' sites along with some of the best kids' sites from other organizations all grouped by subject.  It is worth the time to look at some of these subject resources in planning educational IT activities.

Visual Interpretation of The Table of Elements
http://www.chemsoc.org/viselements/

History of computing article - CNN
http://cnn.com/TECH/computing/specials/flashback/

Genesis of the computer - CNN
http://cnn.com/TECH/computing/9904/02/1950.idg/index.html

Useless Knowledge.com  prove your point with this useless site from trivia gems from :'Cool Quizzes', Surveys and Polls, and useless fun stuff.  And don't forget to get the Fact, Quote and Word "of the day" to bore us day after day. Idea site for those with plenty of 'time on their - palmpilots' to build a useless vocabulary.

Find Sounds - a wonderful tech site for looking at different sound categories: Animals, Birds, Household, Insects, Mayhem, Misc., Musical Instruments, Nature, Noise Makers, Office, People noises, Sports, Tools, TV themes, Vehicles. Note: some are filtered out.  The "The Comparisonics® Audio Player" is a free download

Sounds of the Worlds Animals Sounds like the animals do and kids can imitate the sounds they hear.

Spelling the sounds of the world's animals listen closely to the some of the new sounds then look at the name in many languages.

Time Magazine - April 2002 - 50 Best Web Sites    Complete List 

ART Colour Theory  presents the elements of colour theory. In teacher resources, try fun ideas and online interaction.

Mathematics of Cartography - Cynthia Lanius's wonderful web site packed full of topics and resources. 

World Map Links a page from Yahoo that give excellent links, especially the companion page Country Profiles. 

The World Fact Book 2002 From CIA, a useful set of maps, facts, flags, and online data.  Check out Canada at this link for comparative information.

Jan Brett Home page, site map, activities page.  These web pages have been visited over 17 million times!

CBC Documents   Archives topic index