General Educational Resources
Michigan Department of Education - A valuable resource for administrators, patents, students and teachers. It provides resources, directories, reports, statistics, legislative news, links to school districts and other related educational topics.
National Educational Technology Standards (NETS) - National standards developed for PreK-12. It defines the use of technology in our schools addresses issues of student use, teacher instrucion, curriuclum, technology support, and assessments.
RubiStar - An invaluable education resource for creating rubrics for use with students on a varitey of stubjects. It provides a templete for a large variety of projects. These rubrics can be saved and edited for specific lessons or classes.
Online Stopwatch - Both a stopwatch and a countdown timer are available from this site. Both the stopwatch and countdown timer can be paused and restarted without beginning over.
Language Arts
Authors & Illustrators on the Web - A great resource for finding an author or illustrator online. The page provides an alphabetical listing and a source page for additional resources. The websites listed include authors' personal websites and websites maintained by fans, scholars, and readers. The author of the page has rated some of the pages as particularly valuable. This resource would benefit teachers and students who are looking for information about an author or illustrator.
Flat Stanley Project - Students make paper Flat Stanleys and begin a journal with him for a few days. Then Flat Stanley and the journal are sent to another school where students there treat Flat Stanley as a guest and complete the journal. Flat Stanley and the journal are then returned to the original sender. Students can plot his travels on maps and share the contents of the journal.
Florida Center for Reading Research - The Florida Center for Reading Research was established by Governor Jeb Bush in January, 2002. It is jointly administered at Florida State University by the Learning Systems Institute and the College of Arts and Sciences. This site is designed for the K-5 teacher, administrators, classroom, parents, and students. The Assessment Programs link provides a variety of assessments including DIBELS. There are some great student activities that can be downloaded and reproduced.
Monster Exchange - Monster Exchange is designed to encourage the development of reading and writing skills while integrating Internet technology into the classroom curriculum. Classrooms from a variety of schools worldwide are paired together; the students in each classroom are split into groups, each of which designs an original picture of a monster. The students must then write a description of the monster. The partnered classes then exchange their descriptions via e-mail and the Internet. These students are then challenged to use reading comprehension skills to read the descriptions and translate them into a monster picture. The true challenge involves creating a redrawn picture as close to the original picture as possible
Starfall -Teachers around the world use Starfall and Starfall high-quality educational products as an inexpensive way to make the classroom more fun and inspire a love of reading and writing. Parents use Starfall to prepare their children for school, and to support them once they are there. Starfall is an educational alternative to other entertainment choices for children. Primarily designed for first grade, Starfall is also useful for pre-kindergarten, kindergarten and second grade.
Young Writer's Workshop - Looking for ideas are story starters? This page provides some simple story starters with sentences to complete. This page is most appropriate for the budding author.
Math
The AmbleWeb - An elementary math site that provides teachers with teaching tools, students with game and practice at math skills. It has more activies for the lower elementary, but does have some activities that would benefit upper elementary. The site includes time, numberlines, fractions, a virtual tangram, addition, subtraction, multiplication and division practice. Students enjoy visiting this site and practicing basic math skills.
Arcytech: Educational Java Programs - Educational Math Java applets are used to provide tools to enhance the student's education. This site offers seven Math Java applets for student use. They include:
*Pattern Blocks: Exploring Fractions with Shapes
*Base 10 Blocks: Exploring Whole Decimal Numbers, Place Value, and even Algebra
with Blocks
*Integer Bars (or Cuisenaire Rods): Explore basic math skills, fractions, and more
*Fraction Bars: Explore equivalent fractions, ordering fractions, adding fractions, and
more
*The Pythagorean Theorem: Figure it out all by yourself
*Discovering the Value of Pi
*Fractals: Exploring its simplicity, beauty, and mathematics
Illuminations - Illumination provides a balance of teacher resources, including single day and multi-day lessons plans, assessments, notes and answers and includes interactive student investigations. The Math investigations are online, interactive and multimedia.Many of the lessons include math applets or videos. This is a superior site teacher's to integrate into their Math lessons for students.
Science
Molecular Expressions: Microscopy Primer Virtual Microscopy - This webiste offers a virtual microscope that utilizes a java script, which allows the user to simulate the use of a microscope online. It offers a wide variety of microscopes and veiwing options. The site includeds a microscopy museum. Virtual Scanning Electron Microscopy on this site is of special interest because it offers a variety of insects including a grasshopper, cockroach, carpet beetle, bullet ant, house dust mite and fruit fly. In addition, The Molecular Expressions Website features a photo galleries that explores world of optical microscopy. It offers a large collections of color photographs taken through an optical microscope. This site will be enjoyed by students and adults of all ages.
StarChild A Learning Center for Young Astronomers - Explore the Solar System and the Universe from this website. The site provides two levels for exploration. The lower level would be most appropriate for strong second readers through fourth. The second level would be most appropriate for fifth to sixth graders. Students explore the solar system through informational text and activities. The site provides printable pages for manyh of the activities. Science words are linked to a glossary for easy definitions.
Virtual Reality Moon Phase Pictures - The current phase of the moon is updated every four hours on this virtual site. It also allows the viewer to view the phase of the moon for any date and time between 1800-2199. Where you born on the full moon?
Astronomy, Biology, Botany, Physical Science and Earth Science songs. This is a great way to teach science concepts.
Social Studies
Center for Michigan History Studies - An excellent resource and lessons on Michigan History (including lumbering and the Flint strike), an interactive unit on Core Democratic Values with a printable version of a Core Democratic Notebook designed for elementary students, a virtual tour of the state capital and US Histroy designed for 5th, 8th and 11th grade.
Postcard Geography: An internet project that teachers can enroll their class in for the purpose of learning about other places by exchanging postcards. Please note: Teachers need to sign up for this program between August 15 and September 15 to participate in the program.
Showcasing Waterford - A Webquest designed and created to explore Waterford, Michigan. Includes resources, worksheets and rubrics for student project.
Teaching with Music
Craft Project Ideas
Making Friends-This website offers many art projects and craft ideas for students from 2-15. Students expecially like making the Making Friends Paper Dolls. The friends include dolls and clothing from other cultures, and children who are physically challenged. Contains diversity ideas, holiday projects and other special occasions.
The Toymaker- This website has a large variety of decorated paper boxes, decorations and cards with a Victorian design. From Marilyn Scott-Waters, "Welcome to my odd, little world of paper toys, holiday cards, valentines, sun boxes,baskets and bags, origami and ephemera... all for you to make. My goal is to help grownups and kids spend time together making things.
It is my wish to amuse and delight."
