Copyright and Acceptable Use

Note on Copyright and Acceptable Use

In these lessons special care is taken to conform to copyright and fair-use guidelines. In all my teaching, I try to keep myself constantly aware of these guidelines. In producing teaching and educational materials, I always use a creative commons license as indicated by this designation:



This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial 3.0 United States License.

Technology Curriculum Integration Ideas!

Goal Number 1: Use technology to convey information to students, parents, other teachers, and faculty.
Goal Number 2: Have students’ lessons enhanced by the use of technology.
Goal Number 3: Technology will be used across the curriculum.

General Ideas
Open houses: info for parents on the smart board.
Welcome to classroom, showing class rules
Calendar of school/building/classroom events
School activities
Faculty/staff pages

Science and Health
Have students create an ocean vocabulary word scramble and then have them exchange with a friend and practice vocabulary. Have them use the computer to make the word scramble.
Use a desktop publishing or word processing program to write a newspaper report about the topic you're studying.
Use a desktop publishing program to create a banner or poster about pollution, or other health or science issues.

English/Language Arts
Student write stories or essays about what you are studying.
Use one computer in the front of the classroom to brainstorm a story or paper together. Model how to gather facts and information. Write the sentences and paragraphs together, and then print the story or paper for students to look at when writing their own.
When using CD-ROM books, assign young students to read until they can read the book themselves without the computer voice.

Math
Use a word processor to have students keep a journal of the math concepts they understand and have learned. etc.
Use a desktop publishing program to create a banner or poster about a math concept or advertising something using a math concept.
Have students create a multimedia portfolio of math concepts they understand, including video clips of them using manipulative, photographs of projects, and explanations of concepts.

I will know that I have met my goals when I put into practice the ideas I have listed above. It is important to brainstorm a plethora of ideas using technology, so that in an instant you have a resource to go to.

ISTE Standard 3

ISTE Standard 3.
Main activity
Step 1: Color distribution
•
Software: Microsoft Office Word
•
What to do
Work in pairs to gather data from several small-sized bags of M&M's or from two larger-sized bags
1.
Before opening any bag of candy, make a few guesses about the colors you expect to find. Ask yourself:
•
Do bags of equal weight have an identical number of candies?
•
Are all colors represented equally, or are some more popular than others?
•
Does color distribution remain constant, no matter how small or large the bag?
2.
Record your answers in a Word document and save it for later reference.
Step 2: Create a worksheet
•
Software: Microsoft Office Excel
•
What to do
Create an Office Excel spreadsheet with the data you have gathered
1.
Open a worksheet in Excel. In cell A1, type the title "Candy Is Dandy!"
2.
In row 3, beginning in cell A3, type the following headings:
•
Colors
•
Bag 1
•
Bag 2
•
Bag 3
•
Bag 4
•
Average
3.
Type in the weight of the bags of M&M's in a comment. Here's how: Click inside cell B3. On the Insert menu, choose Comment. Then, type the weight in the yellow pop-up box. Now, any time you move your cursor over that cell, the weight of the bag will appear.
Cell notes pop-up box in an Excel spreadsheet
4.
In column A, beginning in cell A4, list all of the colors of M&M's you found in your bags.
5.
Sort the list alphabetically. Here’s how: Highlight the cells in Column A. On the Data menu, choose Sort. Type "Total" in the cell below your last entry.
6.
Now, you can format your worksheet in a variety of ways. On the Format menu, choose AutoFormat and select the format of your choice.
Step 3: Add formulas
•
Software: Microsoft Office Word, Microsoft Office Excel
•
What to do
Add formulas to your spreadsheet
1.
Enter the number of same-color M&M's in the corresponding cells, beginning with Bag 1. Use the AutoSum function to total your columns. Highlight cells B10:E10.On the Edit menu, choose Fill, and then choose Right.
2.
Now you can automatically calculate the average number of each color per bag. Click inside cell F4, then type the formula =average(B4:E4). Highlight cells F4:F10. On the Edit menu, choose Fill, and then choose Down. In the Average column, format cells so that a whole number (that is, no decimal places) is returned by using the Decrease Decimal button on the Formatting toolbar.
3.
Interpret your data. Answer these questions:
•
Are some colors more numerous?
•
Do all bags have the same number of candies?
•
Compare your observations with the findings of students in other groups. Are the same colors more numerous from one group to another?
•
Is color distribution consistent in bags of differing weights?
Step 4: Create graphs
•
Software: Microsoft Office Excel
•
What to do
Create two charts and add your data
1.
Use the Chart Wizard in Excel to produce at least two different charts.
2.
Choose the chart types that best represent the data, such as a bar chart or a column chart. For example, you might choose to chart the distribution of colors in a single bag or the total number of candies for all bags in your sample.
3.
Highlight cells A3:E9. On the Insert menu, choose Chart. Click the Column chart type, and then click Next. Click the DataRange tab, and be sure Columns is selected next to Series In, and then click Next. In step 3 of the wizard (Chart Options), click the Titles tab. Add titles for the chart and its axes. Click the Gridlines tab, and experiment with gridline options. Choose a gridline that makes it easier to understand the data. Click the Legend tab, choose a location for the legend, and then click Next.
4.
Use Excel to place the chart as an object on the original worksheet you created (with your guesses about color distribution), so that worksheet entries are visible as you examine the chart.
Step 5: Writing the report
•
Software: Microsoft Office Word
•
What to do
Analyze your data and use Word to write up your report
In your report, do the following:
1.
Describe:
•
The research project
•
The procedures you used to sort and count the candies
•
What the data reveals about candy colors and color distribution
2.
Compare your initial hypotheses about the average number of candies per bag (in Step 1) and the expected color distribution with actual survey results. Copy and paste spreadsheet and chart data into Word where appropriate.
3.
Discuss the advantages/disadvantages of representing data in spreadsheet tables, column charts, bar graphs, or pie charts. For example:
•
When is it best to use one chart type instead of another?
•
What is the value of using more than one bag of candy to conduct this experiment?
•
What is the value of using bags with different weights?
Conclusion
You can assess the students on:
•
The accuracy of their data collection
•
The successful completion of a spreadsheet that includes formulas
•
Their ability to work and problem solve collaboratively
•
Their demonstrated understanding of the uses of different charts
•
The thoroughness and effectiveness of their final report

Lesson extension activity
•
After the lesson, encourage students to use Internet Explorer to visit the M&M's Web page and take a virtual tour of the factory. They can send electronic mail to the company, indicating which colors they like best, which colors they would like to see more of, and which new colors they would like to see in future bags of candies.

Pioneers

Laura Lee
CSE 624
10/20/09 All updates are in RED.

In these lesson plans I used the ISTE standards for Technology. There are six goals to be achieved:

1. Creativity and Innovation
2. Communication and Collaboration
3. Research and Information Fluency
4. Critical Thinking, Problem Solving, and Decision Making
5. Digital Citizen
6. Technology Operations and Concept

I used www.literacymatters.org to evaluate the quality of each web site. There criteria is:

1. Navigation, Appearances, and Accessibility
2. Accuracy and Currency
3. Authority, Objectivity, and Credibility
4. Content Appropriateness
5. Interactivity
6. Easy Classroom Management
7. Minimal Commercialism

Pioneers!

Pioneer Venn Diagrams
Grade Level: Fifth
Objectives:

IST Standards:1, 2, 3, and 4

English Language Arts
EL.05.RE.03 Listen to, read, and understand a wide variety of informational and narrative text, including classic and contemporary literature, poetry, magazines, newspapers, reference materials, and online information.
EL.05WR.25 Write responses to literature:
Demonstrate an understanding of a literary work.
Support interpretations through references to the text and to prior knowledge
Develop interpretations that exhibit careful reading and understanding.
SS.05.GE.05 Identify patterns of migration and cultural interaction in the United States.
Teacher Materials Needed:
On The Banks of Plum Creek
Sarah Plain and Tall
Wagon Wheels
Large sheets of blank paper to draw the Venn diagrams
Student Materials Needed:
Their book that they used for Literature Circles
Notebook paper and pencil
Computer
Pre-Activities:
Students will have already read the books in advance as part of literature circles. A social studies unit on the Westward movement would be in place and students would be in the stage of learning about pioneers. Students would have been introduced to some word processing skills, writing for clarification, and Venn diagrams.

Launch:
As a class make a huge Venn diagram on the sheets of blank paper. Have the students give examples of how life in the 1800’s was and how life is, in present time. Then have the students see what things are the same. Examples can be of the culture, the lifestyle, food, and clothing. Anything that students can pick out of their books and share as examples of a pioneers life. After the children suggest the more obvious answers, encourage them to try for some more advanced comparisons and contrasts (how do family relationships compare to theirs, what methods did they have for recreations compared to today; etc.).

Web Resources:

The following links are all through thinkquest. It meets all six criteria for being a good web site.

Pioneers: http://library.thinkquest.org/6400/default.htm

Who were the Pioneers?
http://library.thinkquest.org/6400/who.htm

Why did they travel to the frontier?
http://library.thinkquest.org/6400/where.htm

Where did the pioneers go?
http://library.thinkquest.org/6400/trails.htm

What did they take with them?
http://library.thinkquest.org/6400/supplies.htm

How did they travel?
http://library.thinkquest.org/6400/travel.htm

What were their wagons like?
http://library.thinkquest.org/6400/travel.htm#

What was a Wagon Train?
http://library.thinkquest.org/6400/travel.htm

#What was a Wagon Train

Who led the Wagon Train?
http://library.thinkquest.org/6400/travel.htm#Captains

What were their lives like on the trail?
http://library.thinkquest.org/6400/lives.htm

What did they do after reaching their new homes?
http://library.thinkquest.org/6400/new%20home.htm

Explore:
First students will choose a smaller subject around the pioneer life to do a compare/contrast diagram. They can choose topics such as setting, food, friendships, problems, chores, entertainment, or transportation. After students finish the diagram they are to write a clarification such as “Which is better- to live in the 1800’s or today? Why?” Why is life today easier than in the 1800’s?” The students should use the class Venn diagram and the compare/contrast diagram for ideas of the details they can use in their writing. When students are done, they should have a peer edit their paper. Then the teacher will do a quick review of the processes for revising, editing, saving, retrieving, printing, and have students type their clarification. Students should use spell check, proofread again, and print.
Assessment:
Observe students during class discussion for evidence of understanding the changes in life during the 1800’s and today. Evaluate the diagrams for accuracy and thoroughness of contrasts and comparisons. As children are working, use interviewing and observation to evaluate understanding of the topic, use of graphic organizer, ability to write clarification and computer skills.


GradeLevel: 5th
Teacher Materials Needed:
Life on the Frontier
KWL chart transparency or use Document Camera
KWL chart handout for each student
Letter format transparency (master attached)
Quilt Story by Tony Johnston

Student Materials Needed:
KWL chart handout (master attached)
Paper
pencil

My Social Studies Goal for This Lesson: To engage and excite students in an exploration of the westward expansion time period of American history.
Objectives:

ISTE Standards: 1, 2, 3, and 4

Social Studies
EL.05.RE.05 Demonstrate listening comprehension of more complex text through class and/or small group interpretive discussions across the subject areas.
EL.05.LI.01 Listen to text and read text to make connections and respond to a wide variety of significant works of literature, including poetry, fiction, non-fiction, and drama, from a variety of cultures and time periods that enhance the study of other subjects.
EL.05.WR.10 Write for different purposes and to a specific audience or person, adjusting tone and style as appropriate.
EL.05.WR.09 Edit and proofread one’s writing, as well as that of others, using the writing conventions, and for example, an editing checklist or list of rules with specific examples of corrections of specific errors.
SS.05.HS.02 Identify cause and effect relationships in a sequence of events.
SS.05.SA.01 Examine an event, issue or problem through inquiry and research.



Launch:
Students will watch internet video: American Pioneers (appr. 20 min)
http://www.archive.org/details/american_pioneer

This web site met all the criteria for being a good web site.

Give students Supply List where they must choose what they are going to take on their journey west. This will be done again in the closure so students can change their supply list. (appr. 20 minutes)



Supply List
Below are the supplies that a Pioneer family traveling west might take on their five-month journey by covered wagon. Pretend you are a pioneer and about to make a long journey to the frontier. Make a list of what you would take on the journey, keeping in mind that the wagon will carry 2,000 pounds. Compare your list with a friends.
TOOLS POUNDS
ax 15
shovel 12
hatchet 9
hammer 7
hoe 3
anvil 150
grinding stone 75
animal trap 15
rope 4


Personal Items Pounds
doll 2
jump rope 1
marbles 1
family Bible 2
books 2
hunting knife 1
bag of clothes 40
fiddle 2
snowshoes 8
rifle 10
pistol 7
first aid kit 3


Food Pounds
flour 150
tea 10
salt 50
sugar 50
coffee 100
bacon 40
dried fruit 100
dried beans 100
cornmeal 10
spit peas 100
oatmeal 8
vinegar 25
pickles 50
dried beef 25
salt pork 5
assorted spices 5
barrel of water 350
vegetables 5


Household Goods Pounds
coffee grinder 5
rug 40
bedding 20
mirror 40
dutch oven 70
butter churn 40
table and 4 chairs 200
piano 900
organ 2000
baby cradle 75
wooden bucket 10
bedpan 2
butter mold 1
rocking chair 50
pitcher and bowl 5
cooking stove 700
cooling utensils 2
stool 10
spinning wheel 80
lantern 4
clock 1
10 candles 1
set of dishes 40




Explore:
Have students close their eyes while you read Life on the Frontier out loud. Ask students to imagine that the story is about their family. After reading the story, ask students to discuss in small groups how the story made them feel. Ask one person from each group to tell the class about the feelings that were discussed in their group.

Life on the Frontier
By: LeAnne Carroll
Imagine you live in a mountain cabin in North Carolina. Your family works very hard each day to grow and preserve food and make provisions for winter by gathering wood, weaving fabric and sewing clothes. You are only 12 years old, but you are expected to help your parents with the daily chores. Right now it is the end of July and you have heard your father talk about the harsh winter your family must survive.
Just the other day you overheard your mother talking to your father about a better opportunity for the family in a territory about a three-month journey from your North Carolina cabin. Your mother seems reluctant to move, but your father is a very wise man and he makes very informed decisions. In the western territory, land is plentiful and there is no persecution for your beliefs. Your family will have the opportunity to be more prosperous in the unsettled western territory. However, leaving behind the life your family has established can be risky.
A couple of weeks have passed since you heard your mother and father discussing the possibility of moving west. Your father comes in for dinner tonight and says your family must pack up. You, your mother, father, and two brothers will be leaving in two weeks with the next wagon train headed west. You start to think about everything your family will need. In your mind a list forms; food for a family of five for three months, including meat, flour, vegetables and cornmeal. Pots and pans for cooking and clothes and blankets to keep your family warm while sleeping in the covered wagon. Supplies will also be needed for the wagon in case something breaks, such as an extra wagon wheel, axles and boards. Some extra items that would also come in handy are candles to use for light and your favorite toy for comfort.
That night you fall asleep wondering how your family can possibly prepare to leave their cabin forever and take all of their belonging in just two short weeks. You also wonder about the harsh winter ahead; will the weather be milder once you get into the Tennessee territory and if it snows while you are moving west, will there be enough supplies to get through. Your mind spins on and on…until finally you fall asleep, on the hay, in the loft of your cabin with two blankets to keep you warm.


Using the KWL Chart transparency, demonstrate on the overhead projector or smart board, how to use a KWL Chart. Allow students to contribute the information for the “K” and “W” sections of the chart. Explain to students that the “L” section will be completed later in the unit. Each student will have his or her own KWL Chart to complete. Students will use the information they put in their “K” and “W” sections to compose a letter in the accepted letter format. Place the letter format transparency on the overhead to reference as needed during the activity.
Give each student a KWL Chart handout. Instruct students to complete the “K” and “W” sections independently. Using the information in these two sections students will write a letter to a man, woman or child on the frontier. Students are to pretend they are writing to the frontier person and not actually research frontier people in detail. In the letter students will express what they know about westward expansion and life on the prairie and frontier and also include what they want to learn on this topic. Use the accepted writing process to compose, edit, revise and publish the letters.
Summarize:
Read Quilt Story to the class using predictions when possible throughout the book.
Possible Questions to ask:
What did the mother make for Abigail? Why was it so special? Has your parent or guardian ever made you some thing special? How did the quilt make the little girl feel safe? How did you feel when you pretended to wrap the quilt around you? Did the quilt make the little girl feel safe? What makes you feel safe? Do you have a special item similar to Abigail's quilt? What is it? What do you like to do with it? Was Abigail happy with the quilt? What did she do with the quilt? Did you have fun pretending you had the quilt? Where does Abigail play? Does she feel safe? Where do you play? How do you feel there? What was on the quilt? Were the symbols on the quilt happy symbols? Why? What was the story about? Was the story about peace? What is peace? When do you feel peaceful? Where do you feel peaceful? With whom do you feel peaceful?

Assessment/Evidence of Learning:
After reading Quilt Story, ask students to give supporting comments about the predictions that were made while reading the book. Give each student the opportunity to comment on the book and previous class discussion. From the comments made, the teacher can assess students understanding of obvious differences in frontier life during westward expansion and life today.
Collect and evaluate the students’ letters for further understanding of the information about westward expansion that was covered in this lesson.



KWL Chart
What you Know

about the topic. What you Want to learn
What you Learned





Grade Level: 5
Teacher Materials Needed: List of different places that will be visited while the class moves west. The students will use these locations to write in their diaries. A bulletin board with the western trails marked on it. Also, each day a picture of a covered wagon will be moved from location to location on the map.
Student Materials Needed:
Any material on the Oregon Trail.
2 pieces of construction Paper, 7” x 8 ½” each (for the covers of their journals)
24 Sheet of Legal- Sized paper, 8 ½” x 14”
Ruler
Pencil
8 Large paper clips
Corkboard
5 pushpins
Light-colored heavy thread
Embroidery floss or heavy thread, app. 25” - 30”
Scissors
Tea or Coffee for staining

ISTE Goals: 1, 2, 3, and 4

Goals for this lesson:
• To get the students to write creatively and gain empathy with early pioneers.
• To expand the students knowledge about the settlement of the American west.
• To make the students appreciate the hardships their ancestors endured as they traveled to settle the west.
Objectives:
English Language Arts Grade 5
EL.05.RE.09 Understand, learn, and use new vocabulary that is introduced and taught directly through informational text, literary text, and instruction across the subject areas.
EL.05.WR.10 Write for different purposes and to a specific audience or person, adjusting tone and style as appropriate.
Social Studies Grade 5
SS.05.GE.05 Identify patterns of migration and cultural interaction in the United States.
SS.05.GE.05.02 Explain how migrations affect the culture of emigrants and native populations.

Launch
Students will watch internet video on the Oregon Trail: http://videos.howstuffworks.com/hsw/18259-america-from-1837-to-1844-the-oregon-trail-video.htm (4 minutes)

A good resource for learning about the Oregon Trail. It has a lot more information on other areas too. It meets all 5 criterias for a good web site.

The students have already begun their literature circles unit on the Westward Movement. Now, the students will create a new identity for themselves. They will have an old fashioned name, a new age if they choose, an occupation that will be chosen out of a hat, a spouse and a family. This family will be an important part of their travels. They will each have a minimum of 2 children and possibly some extended family traveling with them. Explain that most adults were married at this time of history so everyone will have a spouse. To begin the diary activity, have the students make an old fashioned cover for their diaries. “Aging” paper is possible by wadding it up and dipping it in tea or coffee. Once it is dry, it can be bound.
Directions for making a Reading Journal: http://www.littlehousebooks.com/pdf/LittleHouseReadingJournal.pdf

This site is pretty limited. It just is basically directions on how to make a journal. It meets criteria 1, 2, 4, 5, and 6

Explore
The students will have a longer first diary entry than the rest. In their first entry they must explain about all of the above conditions. Their family, occupation, etc. Next write on the board the diary entry for the day. It is about the decision to move. The husband has decided to move to Oregon (with or without the wife’s advice). There are no excuses good enough to postpone the trip. They will leave as soon as possible. Have the students spend about 15-20 minutes writing in their diaries. The students can use this time to look up information in their Social Studies textbooks, or any other resources in the class. The facts that they find out each day may be included in their entries or in a list. As the diary entries continue, the students will be moving from destination to destination. For example, on the first day they meet in Independence, Missouri to form the wagon train. They will travel from here and go across rivers, encounter troubles and so on. This will help the students develop an understanding of how it felt to be traveling west in a wagon train. Diaries are due at the end of the unit.
Summarize
Ask the students if there are any questions about the diaries they will be keeping? Make sure the students understand that they must think in the mindset of a pioneer. They do not have all of the modern accommodations that we have now. Tell the students for homework to make a visual on their new identities. These will be put up around the Westward Movement bulletin board. This board will be very important to them. They can track the wagon train daily and see pictures of the places they are traveling to. Also, tell the students to look forward to actually starting on the wagon train the next day.
Assessment/Evidence of Learning
The teacher can assess their students understanding by listening to the questions that they ask. The best way will be to keep track of the diary entries. They do not have to be read daily but will be turned in at the end of the unit for a grade. A spot check could be used as a daily grade. Also, having the students read from their diaries and sharing the facts they have found will be a way to assess their understanding of the material.

Overall Reflection: .

The use of the internet has enriched this unit on pioneers. First of all, I was able to go to the net to get the list of Curriculum goals for the grade this unit is geared for - 5th grade and update it from when I taught this 15 years ago. This is important to be able to do for gearing the lesson to whatever grade I am teaching. Currently I am substitute teaching.
The second thing I think was important was that I was able to navigate through many different websites on Pioneers and gather additional resources that I felt and assessed would be good resources for the students. They in turn can use the computer themselves to research information on pioneers. It is an additional resource besides just looking up information in text books and encyclopedias.
Next, I was able to preview the videos and choose ones to inspire the students as launches for the lessons. It is amazing to me how now at the click of a mouse the students are able to watch these educational videos. Before I would have to order VCR tapes or overhead projector films in order for the students to see supportive materials.
Finally, I was able to see what other people have done as far as lesson plans on this subject and pick and choose what might enhance my own lesson plans. Both me as the teacher and the students too have benefited from the addition of Web resources in these three lessons.

Annotated Web Resource List

Evaluating Web Resources

http://www.beaconlearningcenter.com/WebLessons/WebsiteEvaluation/


http://www.lib.berkeley.edu/TeachingLib/Guides/Internet/Evaluate.html



http://www.literacymatters.org/content/research/evaluate.htm


I chose the last one for evaluating my websites.

Criteria
Listed below are key criteria and questions to consider before sending students to any web site.

Navigation, Appearance, and Accessibility: Can students move around the web site with ease? Is locating resources and materials straightforward? Are materials easily accessible? Is the text easy to read? Are the graphics decipherable? Do the links work?

Accuracy and Currency: Is the web site reliable? Is the information complete? Is it error-free? Can the information be validated by other sites? Is the information up-to-date?

Authority, Objectivity, and Credibility: Who are the authors or publishers of the site? Are they recognized experts in their field or on the topic? Does the company, institution, publisher, or organization have a credible reputation? Is the information biased in any way? Is the site trying to persuade or influence the audience in any way? Is the site a .com, .gov, .edu, .net, or .org? What does this tell you about the site's driving force(s)?

Content Appropriateness: Who is the intended audience? Is the content age- and subject-appropriate for your students? Is the language understandable for your students? How well does the content meet the needs of your lesson plan?

Interactivity: In what ways can students interact with the site? What
type(s) of communication does it provide, if any, i.e., peer collaboration or expert volunteers? What type(s) of learning activities does it offer?

Easy Classroom Management: Will your students use the web site individually or in groups? How much instruction will you need to provide?

Minimal Commercialism: Does the site contain advertisements? What types? How much consumer-driven content is contained on the web site?

Web resource list:

1. Search engine: www.tattoodle.com This meets the criteria listed above.

2. Primary resource: http://www2.scholastic.com/browse/index.jsp
Excellent for teachers, parents and students. I really like this website.
It meets all six criteria for being a good web site. I think that Scholastic has a really good reputation and therefore creates Credibility for the site.

3. Oregon Education Department: http://www.ode.state.or.us/teachlearn/real/tlr/default.aspx

An excellent resource for lessons plans, using the Oregon content standards.
It meets criterias 1, in Navigation, Appearance, and Assessibility. It meets Criteria 2, with being accurate and current. It meets criteria 3 in that it's a government ran site and that leads to it being a credible site. It meets criteria 4, in that it is geared to a specific audience- teachers. I don't think it meets criterias 4 and 5 as in it isn't really a site for students. It does meet the 6th criteria for not having advertisements.

4. Professional Resource: NSTA
http://learningcenter.nsta.org/search.aspx?action=browse&gradelevel=k4

Great for science resources and free materials.
It meets criteria 1, 2, 3 in that it is a .org site, 4, and 6. This site is also aimed at teachers.

5. Multimedia:
www.mathmatics.com

Fun interactive website that is great for the white board.
This web site turned out to a big advertisement for other web sites. I clicked on a link for flashcards and it directed me to places I could purchase flashcards, such as Target. I don't think this site met any of the criterias.

6. Free Worksheets, quizzes, games and online practice on math, grammar, phonics, handwriting, word search, language arts, social studies and geography for preschool to middle school.
http://www.softschools.com/
This site was easy to navigate through and engaging. It meets the first five criteria, but not the sixth, in that it has a lot of advertisements.

7. Free monthly songs and printables to download. Free lyrics that teach & motivate your students. Over 5,000 songs for subjects across the curriculum: Math, Phonics, Social Studies, Spanish, French, ESL-EFL-ESOL, Science, Character Ed, Grammar, Special Ed...
http://www.songsforteaching.com/
Fun web site that I can really see myself using for a lot of subjects. It met criterias 1, 2, 3,and 4, but not 5 and 6 because it is site teachers use for a resource,

8. Math is fun. Math website with free resources, puzzles, games, worksheets and simple explanations.
http://www.mathsisfun.com/
Good site for students to navigate through and play games and puzzles. It meets all six criteria.

9. Website: Education World
http://www.education-world.com/

Description: All subject areas. Many options and links. Grades K-8
Worksheets available for copying. Brain teasers and games are especially good for math. Hints and solutions provided.
This web site has too many advertisements and the layout is messy. I would say that it meets criteria 4 only. It is geared to a specific audience, teachers.

10.Website: Enchanted Learning
http://www.enchantedlearning.com/

Description: Designed for children. Includes a pictionary, foreign language dictionaries, puzzles, games, activities, crafts, as well as information. Designed to develop creativity in children.
This is a really nicely done site. It meets all the criterias.

11. Website: Kid’s Search Engine
http://www.yahooligans.com/

This is an excellent site for kids AND teachers. The school bell section has many suggestions for teaching ideas and learning. There is a section to look up info on authors and books. There is a list of all holidays found on the calendar and sites to go to. There is a kid’s almanac.
This site can be used for research for both teachers and students. Good for all ages levels.
Still agree that this is an excellent site. I think students would really like to explore this site. It meets all the criteria.

12.Website: Ask Jeeves for Kids
http://www.ajkids.com/

Description: Ask any question, and this site will provide you with an answer from science to social studies to any academic area.
You can use this site if you are on any unit in the elementary classroom. Since the questions may elicit a complex response, the teacher may have to either clarify some points or advise the students to ignore the part of the explanation that is not understandable. For example, if you ask the program, " Why is the sky blue?" you may get more explanation than you would require. Pictures also accompany the explanations.
This is another site that on the surface looks really good, but then when you click on links, it turns out to be just another advertising site. The links take you to different web sites. It meets none of the criteria.

13. Website: Fun Brain
http://www.funbrain.com/

DESCRIPTION: Interactive educational games categorized by age (6 and under, 7-10, 11-15, 15 and up). Each game has a brief description and level of difficulty.
Elementary – all areas of curriculum
I had fun playing on this site. They have Mad Libs, which I remember from when I was kid. Great fun! I think the site meets all the criteria, expect maybe the credibility one. I don't know how well known this site or its creators are.

14.WEB SITE: Kids Domain
http://www.kidsdomain.com/

DESCRIPTION: This was another excellent site. There was plenty of information for children, parents and educators. There were crafts, recipes and activities.
IMPLEMENTATION: Primary grades
I've used this site quite a bit. It is fun and a great resource for a variety of things. It meets the criterias 1 to 5, but not 6. It has annoying advertisements on it.

15. WEB SITE: Awesome Authors
http://www.jps.net/hatzi/awesomeauthors.htm#D

DESCRIPTION: Excellent description of books by famous authors. Biography, pictures of authors are also given. Many selected activities using the books-puzzles, games, word finds can be printed for classroom use.
IMPLEMENTATION: Excellent for all grade levels Kindergarten-high school.
The link no longer worked for this site. Therefore, it can not meet any of the criteria.

16. WEB SITE: www.crayola.com
I just discovered this web site and really like it. It meets all six criterias.