Best bets - teaching resources

Instructor, July-August, 1994

30 Freebies, contests, and good deals for $10 and under

Getting your hands on lively activity books, colorful maps, or teaching guides filled with fascinating facts doesn't have to mean spending a fortune. To complement your curriculum, here are 30 resources that will enrich your teachings without breaking your budget. (Look for Best Bets Next month, and every month, in Instructor's Teachers Are Talking About.)

LANGUAGE ARTS

BOOK WEEK POSTERS

(November 14-20)

Deck your classroom walls and encourage reading at the same time with the Children Book Council's "Books for Everyone, Everyone for Books," colorful 22-by-9 inch posters featuring children and animals avidly reading. A set of two costs $6, plus $2.50 shipping and handling. Call (800) 999-2160.

PEN PALS FOR PEACE

Your 'students in grades 1-12 can help promote world peace by corresponding with students from other countries through Kids Meeting Kids Can Make a Difference (KMK), a nonprofit organization devoted to international cooperation. The pen-pal program costs $5 per student. Or join KMK's global online network, Peacenet, and post your peace messages electronically. For more information, send a SASE to KMK, Box 8H, 380 Riverside Dr., New York, NY 10025; or call (212) 662-2327.

KIDS' TV PROGRAMS TO TAPE

Harness the teaching power of television by taping the Discovery Network/Learning Channel's hour-long broadcast for K-6 students, TLC Elementary School, airing Tuesdays at 4 A.M. (EST). Each segment features stories about children from diverse backgrounds, classic tales, explanations of how things work, and more. An accompanying educator's guide includes complete listings and lesson plans. For programming information and to order the free guide, call (800) 321-1832.

SCIENCE and The ENVIRONMENT

UNDER THE EARTH GUIDE

Go beneath the surface of the earth with the Colorado School of Mines' "What's Under Your Feet?" student activity booklet for grades K-12. The illustrated booklet includes dozens of games, activities, maps, fun facts, lively charts, and more. The teacher's guide "Sharing Science with Children" suggests ways to recruit scientists as classroom allies. Order the activity book ($3) and teacher's guide ($1.50) by writing to Earth Science Resource Center, Office of Special Programs and Continuing Education, Colorado School of Mines, Golden, CO 80401. Make checks payable to CSM Continuing Education. Colorado residents call about sales tax at (303) 273-3038.

WASTE NOT! NEWSLETTER FOR KIDS

Eco Kids, an environmental education club sponsored by International Paper's Strathmore Legacy, is offering teachers a free copy of "Waste Not!," a newsletter for kids. The colorful newsletter includes updates on endangered species, facts about the Earth, a list of things kids can do to help the planet, activity suggestions, and more. For a copy, write on school letterhead to Strathmore Legacy's Eco Amigos Club, 333 Park St., West Springfield, MA 01089.

ENVIRONMENTAL ACTION

Translate your students' environmental concerns into activism with the help of the Young Environmentalist's Action (YEA) packet, which includes a monthly newsletter (in English, Spanish, or Braille, with information and letter-writting options) focusing on an urgent environmental issue selected by YEA. In September, for example, the topic will be the endangered Siberian tiger. You can also order a free "Eco-Club Environmental Activist Guide" offering tips on how to form and run local YEA club. The $9 donation is requested, not required. For information, contact Global Response, P.O. Box 7490, Boulder, CO 80306-7490; or call (303) 444-0306.

FREE MARINE POLLUTION CURRICULUM

Teach your students in grades 3-6 about marine pollution and how to combat it with the help of a free interdisciplinary 78-page curriculum, "Turning the Tide on Trash: A Learning Guide on Marine Debris." Developed by the Environmental Protection Agency and available from the Center for Marine Conservation, the curriculum includes hands-on lesson plans, reproducibles, games, and more. Also available are brochures, posters, slide shows (on loan), and other educational materials, many of which are free. To order the curriculum or to request a catalog, write to NOAA Marine Debris Information Office, The Center for Marine Conservation, 1725 DeSales St. NW, Washington, DC 20036; or call (202) 429-5609.

VISIT THE RAIN FOREST VIA VIDEO

Take your K-6 students on a trip to the rain forest by showing "Tropical Voyage," a $5 video from the nonprofit organization Save the Rainforests. The video showcases the rich ecosystems of Latin American rain forests and the forces that threaten them, and includes a guide to environmental action activities. With the video you'll receive a free poster and sample T-shirt. To order, send a check (payable to Save the Rainforest) to Save the Rainforest, 604 Jamie St., Dodgeville, WI 53533; or call (608) 935-9435.

WEATHER UNIT RESOURCES

Whether or not the weather is frightful, tape the Weather Channel's Weather Classroom, an instructional program for grades K-12 airing Monday through Friday at 4 P.M. and 1 A.M. (EST). For $6.82, you can get the accompanying 80-page teacher's guide with lesson plans, review questions, and directions for enacting a television weather broadcast, To order the guide, send checks (payable to A.M.F.) to A.M.F., P.O. Box 723247, Atlanta, GA 31139-0247.