Hot web sites

Teaching Pre K-8, Nov/Dec 1997 by Lindroth, Linda

This month's Hot Web Sites column highlights suggestions for lesson plans for all the content areas as well as organizing and publishing tips and using web links in the classroom.

EDSCAPE

http://www.edscape.com

This is a great subscription web site by Simon & Schuster with links to other publishers. Each has web-linked lesson plans for all the content areas.

1. Computer Curriculum Corporation has free and registered projects that are quite extensive.

2. Be sure to check out the Lesson Plan Wizard at Globe-Fearon.

3. And the Teacher Activity Center at Silver Burdett & Ginn.

4. Lessons and links at Prentice Hall.

5. Explore African-American History and 1997 Inauguration links at Educational Management Group.

6. Watch for teacher links and student activites at Modem Curriculum Press.

Be sure to try free projects. Invox connects students to classes around the world. Mediterranean Fieldtrip runs until May, 1998. Try an Online Challenge and then publish your solution. Research a Country Quest with the comprehensive Bike About links.

Subscription projects are extensive. Elementary projects: include Math Path, Science Lab, Inventatorium and Reading Clubhouse.

Middle school themes: include energy, shapes, time, newspaper, inventions, space, culture and oceans.

Each project has comprehensive lesson plans, interactive games and related resources. Call 800-858-3672 for subscription or register online for a free trial.

WWW.4KIDS.ORG http://www.4Kids.org

This is a weekly feature published in newspapers across the country. Sites are reviewed for educational value along with suggestions for using them. Back issues are posted each month and archived. The Cool Spots contain dozens of reviewed sites categorized under Creatures, Arts, Games, Heroes, Brainsweat and Voyages. A weekly quiz about the featured sites can be completed and posted online. Use this site as a model for creating your own weekly web site news to send home.

Check out the partner site http:/ www.4teachers.org with resources for teachers using the web. Don't miss Pre mier Tracks full of ready-to-go web lessons and TrackStar software to organize and publish your own web-based lessons.

TOM SNYDER PRODUCTIONS http://www.teachtsp.com

Online Activities gives you dozens of web links to use in your classroom.

a) Looking for a map project? Try the Neighborhood Map Machine Online Gallery and print maps from other classes or post maps created by your students with the related software.

b) Join a Decisions Decisions e-mail discussion or visit the Internet links on feudalism, immigration, colonization, political campaigns and prejudice. Find extension lessons on oceans, the solar system and rainforests.

c) Compete in the weekly scavenger hunt between U.S. classrooms that have the National Inspirer software.

d) Check out Timeliner weekly timeline challenge, web links to timeline resources and images for American, world and local history.

There are practical tips for building timelines for web pages and lesson ideas for using timelines. All the software programs have extensive web links to related resources.