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Below are good curriculum sites recommended by several PCS Teachers. If you have others to add, please contact the PCS Webmaster. Table of Contents Everything From Soup to Dessert Math, Science, and Technology - Includes Test Practice Sites |
Good Sites for Test Practice Recommended by District 623 Staff Dan and Chris found a site created by South Washington County that has the MAP vocabulary sorted by Lexile levels and put into Quizlet which has flashcards (with definitions) for the words, a learn program and a couple of games. http://www.childtopia.com/index.php?module=home : His site offers a variety of children's stories that children can listen to while they watch scenes or graphics corresponding to the story. Besides the stories, there are both listening and reading comprehension sections for each story. Both the audio and the text are available. As the story is being read, the words are highlighted on the page. Also available is the full screen option for the story. The reading comprehension questions use both aural and text format and also use an interesting illustration to capture the reader/listener's attention. Stories and all activities are also available in Spanish, Catalan, French, and other languages. There are some advertisements on the side. Select the full screen option to avoid them http://mrnussbaum.com/readingpassageindex.htm : Read a passage chosen from many themes (sports' heroes, history, famous people or many others), and then take a ten-question multiple choice quiz. As the student takes the quiz, a smiley face or an 'x' appears to give immediate feedback. There are five elementary levels of reading passages. In the Classroom: Reading teachers you may opt to use the countdown clock located on some of the reading selection pages to increase fluency. When opening up the topic, make sure your students click 'read passage' first, before answering the questions. In this age of high-stakes testing, one more opportunity to take an online multiple-choice test that is similar to many of the state tests is priceless. Here, it's free. You can also debrief or model by revisiting the passages on an interactive whiteboard and having students highlight key words and phrases that help them with comprehension. The quiz taken wasn't all multiple choice; there was some fill in the blank. If you click on the Language Arts link at the top of the page, you can find other activities such as Cloze passages and printable comprehension practice. http://ritter.tea.state.tx.us/student.assessment/resources/online/2003/grade4/read.htm : 4th grade Texas state practice test. You can get 3rd+ tests by changing the grade4 to grade3,etc. http://www.rhlschool.com/reading.htm : This collection of printable worksheets addresses a variety of comprehension skills using short poems, essays, articles, and stories. Each text sample is followed by content-related discussion questions or multiple-choice quizzes. In the Classroom: Add to your arsenal of educational tools for state assessment testing preparation. Distribute the worksheets and divide your class into cooperative groups so that students can share in discussions of the readings and related activities. http://literacynet.org/cnnsf/archives.html : Improve reading comprehension of non-fiction text with this online activity that uses actual CNN news stories to strengthen skills in making inferences and drawing conclusions. Differentiate your reading instruction by allowing students to choose a story of interest, then select the full or abridged version, based on reading ability. Follow-up activities testing vocabulary and comprehension are provided (see links to the left of each story). http://www.dolchword.net/ : Free sight word games and printables for pre-primer - grade 3 Dolch words. http://www.interventioncentral.org/ : Free RTI resources including CBM Reading Fluency Passage Generator - you can type in any text and it will give you the level and word count by line. http://www.fcrr.org/ : Tons of support material for teaching reading. http://www.pearsonlongman.com/ae/marketing/sfesl/practicereading.html : online practice tests for grades 1-8, includes a list of tips for taking reading tests. |
Tools for Teachers are links put together by the RAS ISD 623 Department of Teaching and Learning - Programs and Services - Instructional Technology. Ideas and Kits for Substitute Teachers Kathy Schrock's Guide for Educators - "Kathy Schrock's Guide for Educators is a categorized list of sites useful for enhancing curriculum and professional growth. It is updated often to include the best sites for teaching and learning." ERIC Index Portal OR Use Google to search for an askERIC Lesson Plan Topic. For example: askERIC lesson plan estimating Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development [ASCD] Center for Applied Research in Educational Technology [CARET] Federal Resources for Educational Excellence Minnesota Department of Education [MDE] Pathways - research, policy, and best practices for school improvement Global Classroom Exchange - Global Classroom Exchange - Connecting via e-mail with other Classrooms Teaching Tolerance: Read, Explore, and Play - The famed Southern Poverty Law Center has created Tolerance.org, a site dedicated to promoting tolerance of diversity. It is home to a unique collection of games, storybooks, and exercises that explore the rewards of living in a world that respects gender, diverse cultures, languages, heritages and civil rights. WebQuest - Funded by PacBell, provides online resources showing teachers how to construct web-rich research units The Gateway.Org - The Gateway to Educational Materials. The key to one stop access to high quality lessons, curriculum units and other education resources on the internet Thinkfinity.org - Thousands of free lesson plans and educational resources for teachers Moodle.org - Do you Moodle? Have you thought "hmmm wouldn't it be cool to have some of my instruction online?" Well here you go…If it is technology based….most kids will like it. iTunes U - You can use your computer or download the iTunes U app on your iPad, iPod, iPhone to access free lesson plans on a variety of topics. To access them open iTunes and then select iTunes U. |
Everything From Soup to Dessert Great Websites for Parents, Caregivers, Teachers & Others from the American Library Assn - has a little bit of everything.
Sites for Teachers - has a little bit of everything and then some. Writing Rubrics: Standard Deviants - A Good web site for several subject areas. THIRTEEN.org - Lots of good lesson plans. Smithsonian - Lots of Resources. WriteDesignOnline.com - Great place for quotes. LessonPlanZ.com - Has lots of links to other sites with free lesson plans. Lesson Plan Central - Has thousands of free lesson plans (art, geography, language arts, science, weather, math, social studies, economics, health, physical education), webquests, worksheets, student links, and clipart. Instant Display Teaching Resources - Has page-size, Free, downloadable, color posters for everything from spelling, connectives, contractions, math, starters, and a lot more. Everything is in MS Word. Education World - Has a Clip Art Gallery, templates, techtorials, lesson planning, work sheet library, professional development info, ideas for administrators, and a whole lot more. Busy Teacher's Cafe - A K-6 site for busy teachers like you with links to themes, strategies, printables, resources, and shopping. The Teacher's Guide - Has lesson plans, themes, printouts, children's songs, book activities, teacher, store, SmartBoards, interactive sites, virtual fieldtrips, professional development, class management, math worksheet generators. Create Your Own Games - Design Your own Interactive Games or use the Pre-made Games. Inspiration & Kidspiration - Links to the PCS Inspiration & Kidspiration page with links to great sites with how-to's and lesson plans. What is WatchKnow? - It is beyond youtube. Imagine hundreds of thousands of great short videos, and other media, explaining every topic taught to school kids. Imagine them rated and sorted into a giant Directory, making them simple to find. WatchKnow--as in, "You watch, you know"--is a non-profit online community devoted to this goal. Intervention Central - This web site has lots of good ideas for behavioral and academic interventions as well as tools to monitor them. |
Appropriate for Elementary aged youth 
Appropriate for Middle School aged youth 
For Parents/Teachers/CaregiversClip Art Clip Art site are here today and gone tomorrow. Please let Janice know if there are links that no longer work. Google™ Image Search: http://images.google.com/ AltaVista® Image Search: http://www.altavista.com/image/default Yahoo® Image Search: http://images.search.yahoo.com/ Kid's Image Search Tools: http://www.kidsclick.org/psearch.php Classroom Clipart: http://classroomclipart.com/ AAACipArt.com: http://www.aaaclipart.com/ Royalty-Free Clip Art Collection for Foreign/Second Language Instruction: http://tell.fll.purdue.edu/JapanProj//FLClipart/default.html Graphic Image Parts: http://www.simz.com/lib/l_pict.html |
Anti-Bullying Sites Stop Bullying Now!: Anti-Bullying Strategies, Solutions and Events: Pacer Center's Kids Against Bullying: Operation Respect is a non-profit organization working to assure each child and youth a respectful, safe and compassionate climate of learning where their academic, social and emotional development can take place free of bullying, ridicule and violence. Founded by Peter Yarrow of the folk group Peter, Paul & Mary, the organization disseminates educational resources that are designed to establish a climate that reduces the emotional and physical cruelty some children inflict up on each other by behaviors such as ridicule, bullying and-in extreme cases-violence. Operation Respect disseminates the DLAM programs free of charge. More than 150,000 copies of the program have been distributed to educators since Operation Respect's inception. Peter Yarrow: anti-bullying curricula with song and video: Committee for Children - A nonprofit working globally to prevent bullying, violence, and child abuse: Center for the Study and Prevention of Violence, UC at Boulder: New Zealand Police Departments school bullying prevention program: Skills-based web site for teens on developing tolerance: Explains the circle and its use in classrooms: International Institute on Restorative Practices - SanerSafer Schools: MN Dept. of Corrections: scroll down on the left and click on Restorative Justice: MN Dept. of Education, scroll down on the left and click on Learning Support-Safe and Healthy Learners: Women's Educational Media: GroundSpark's Respect For All Project facilitates the development of inclusive, bias-free schools and communities by providing media resources, support and training to youth, educators and service providers. |
The Starfall.com learn-to-read website is offered free as a public service. Teachers around the country use Starfall materials as an inexpensive way to make the classroom more fun and to inspire a love of reading and writing. Primarily designed for first grade, Starfall.com is also useful for pre-kindergarten, kindergarten and second grade. Has great printable worksheets. Six-Trait Analytic Writing model from Rubrician.com. Kim's Korner - Six Trait writing, classroom Management, and more. Six Trait Writing using Picture Books. Six Steps to Building Academic Vocabulary. Study guides for Literature: FindMeAnAuthor.com takes a unique approach to finding an author was well as giving very helpful tips for finding author information. Outline of American Literature is part of the U.S. Department of State's impressive International Information Programs, this incredibly detailed and scholarly Website presents an overview of American literature chronologically. It divides the topic into 10 chapters, from Early American and Colonial to Contemporary. Each section is richly detailed, but requires an upper-grade reading level. The excellent site is an excellent resource for educators preparing their lessons, and would also be suitable for students able to appreciate its incredible depth of information. Children's Literature Web Guide Authors, Stories on-line, awards, and lessons on literature, and resources for teachers and parents. . |
Dan and Chris found a site created by South Washington County that has the MAP vocabulary sorted by Lexile levels and put into Quizlet which has flashcards (with definitions) for the words, a learn program and a couple of games. The URL is http://quizlet.com/user/sowashco/ MathCounts - Interactive site. Math and Logic Puzzles and Games at Math is Fun NCTM (National Council of Teachers of Mathematics) - Check out the interactive sites (Activities, Standards, Lessons, Web Links). Purple Math - Your algebra resource. (Activities integrating Math and Science) AIMS US EPA Student Center: Games and Quizes, Teacher Resources, News and Deadlines Gems-Lawrence Hall of Science , UC Berkely The Bell Museum of Natural History The National Library of Virtual Manipulatives (NLVM) is an NSF supported project that began in 1999 to develop a library of uniquely interactive, web-based virtual manipulatives or concept tutorials, mostly in the form of Java applets, for mathematics instruction (K-12 emphasis). The project includes dissemination and extensive internal and external evaluation. It includes manipulatives at a variety of levels (K-12). Polar Sciences Collection - from Teachers' Domain . Earth's polar regions may seem remote, but they are an integral part of the entire Earth system. For example, pollution from other areas affects Arctic and Antarctic ecosystems, and changes in the icy landscapes of the polar regions may influence global ocean circulation patterns and accelerate climate change. The fourth International Polar Year (IPY) is a 2007-2008 international campaign to advance polar science and better understand global climate change through an interdisciplinary approach. Learn about the importance of studying the poles through these media resources, adapted from a variety of sources. Explore the polar regions, the changes they are experiencing, and their connections to the rest of the world. |
National Geographic "XPEDITIONS" Mapmaker,Mapmaker, Make Me a Map Making a map from a written description |
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