For Teacher Appreciation Week, we would like to say thank you for all you do by giving away a free Annenberg Learner DVD series. Read on to find out how you can win! READ MORE
Teachers: Win a free DVD series from Annenberg Learner!
Mike Wallace Debates Journalists’ Obligations When Covering War
James Fallows, national correspondent for The Atlantic, writes about the series Ethics in America in his post, “Dramatic Video of Wallace, Jennings, Gingrich, and ‘North Kosan’.” READ MORE
Think Like an Animal
Dr. Temple Grandin, Professor of Animal Science at Colorado State University, has the ability to think in pictures much like the cows for whom she designs more humane cattle facilities. Her holding pens are used all over the world, and her papers on animal behaviors help livestock owners reduce the stress of these animals. She has written several books about animal behaviors, including “Animals Make Us Human,” “Thinking in Pictures,” “Livestock Handling and Transport,” and “Genetics and the Behavior of Domestic Animals.” Despite being born with autism and living with the challenges that go along with the brain disorder, Dr. Grandin is a remarkable example of someone who has overcome her obstacles. She believes that the early interactions she had with her family, caregivers, and teachers helped her develop her strengths. READ MORE
Journey North’s Exciting News!
See it, snap it, report it.
Citizen scientists and budding environmentalists can now report sightings of birds, butterflies, and other migrating species from the field to the Journey North network using their iPhone or iPad. The new app provides tools including maps, a geographic locator, and a function to record and send field notes. App users can take and send photos of their quarry using their camera phone. By reporting sightings of migrating species, the app user becomes part of a network of more than 900,000 K-12 students who contribute data as they track the season’s advance northward. An Android version of Journey North mobile will be released in late April. download the free app
Journey North, the nation’s premiere citizen science project for children, is a global study of wildlife migration and seasonal change. Participants (including the general public) share observations of animals and changes in the ecosystem. The data feeds into the resource-rich Journey North Web site, which features migration maps dating back to 1997, images and photos of wildlife, video, standards-based lesson plans, classroom activities, and information from scientists about specific species and the seasons. Journey North is a winner of the Webby award as a best educational site.
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Teaching the Arts Across the Curriculum
Art is a valuable tool for students to learn how to express themselves, work through a process, work cooperatively, and gain respect and understanding for others. How can we teach the arts in all subject areas so that students benefit from the learning opportunities that art affords them? READ MORE
Black History Month
During Black History Month, we pause and reflect on the contributions of great African Americans. This year the theme is “Black Women in American Culture and History.” In this space, we provide resources to help you teach about women who have made significant contributions to African-American literature. American Passages features several writers who have contributed to and commented on American culture and history.
Read the remarkable stories of educated enslaved woman such as Phillis Wheatley and Harriet Jacobs. Phillis Wheatley became a published poet writing about Christianity and liberty. Unit 4, “Spirit of Nationalism,” tells how Wheatley’s mistress recognized her intelligence and oversaw her education. Harriet Jacobs, another enslaved woman who was taught to read, escaped from the plantation and eventually fled to the North. She wrote about her own experiences of exploitation and escape in order to bring awareness to the mistreatment of enslaved women. Read about her in unit 7, “Slavery and Freedom.” READ MORE
Happy Groundhog’s Day!
Journey North gardeners are excited about predicting spring using science and technology. Are they smarter than a groundhog? READ MORE
Ferris Wheel Day (February 14, 1859)
George Washington Gale Ferris, an American engineer and inventor, invented the Ferris wheel for the Chicago World’s Columbian Exposition in 1893. READ MORE
Primary Elections Begin
The news is buzzing with information and opinions about GOP candidates as they compete in primary elections across the United States. How do presidential candidates focus their campaigns during primary elections? How can citizens influence a primary election to follow their positions and interests? READ MORE
Directing Student Learning
As teachers, we sometimes have moments when we are confident the students are leaving the classroom prepared to tackle the homework, yet the work they bring back is inadequate. Where did our lesson go wrong or does the trouble lie within the students? READ MORE
International Holocaust Remembrance Day (January 27)
‘The Children of Willesden Lane’ by Mona Golabek is a memoir about her mother’s experiences in the Kindertransport during the Holocaust. The course Teaching ‘The Children of Willesden Lane’ has a multi-faceted Web site with descriptions ‘The Children of Willesden Lane’of the history of the events, explanations of race and anti-semitism, musical selections from the book, and videos showing effective classroom instruction. READ MORE