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Since MIT's Lifelong Kindergarten group released Scratch in 2007, kids ages 8 to 13 have built more than 2.2 million animations, games, music, videos and stories using the kid-friendly programming language.

Scratch allows kids to snap together graphical blocks of instructions, like Lego bricks, to control sprites-the movable objects that perform actions. Sprites can dance, sing, run and talk.

Now, with a grant from the National Foundation of Science, Lifelong Kindergarten is collaborating with Tufts University's DevTech Research Group to make Scratch Jr, a new version aimed at kids in preschool to second grade. The expected launch date is summer 2012.

A non-computer programming lesson

Orgazined by subject area and grade level.

A free downloadable PDF eBook for learning how to program in Scratch.

Lots of resources!  Learn more about the Scratch programming language: what is it, where it can be downloaded, and how it can be used in the classroom. Engage your students in problem solving and mathematics while teaching them how to design their own interactive stories, animations, games and more. Find additional Scratch resources including detailed lesson plans with corresponding video tutorials, a Use this rubric to grade students first Scratch game design projects.Scratch project planning flowchart, storyboard and grading rubrics.

Check out this fun science project done by elementary students. Look at all the tools they used. Can YOUR students use those tools?

Microsoft Word version of rubric for Glogster project.

Links to lesson plan ideas to teach about 9/11

Award winning lesson plans for teaching 9/11 collected by Dickinson College

Lesson plans based on the September 11 theme.

"What are teachers doing to help their students understand the attacks that took place September 11, 2001? Education World has culled from the Web and listservs a list of possible resources. Included: Watch in the days ahead as we add new resources!"

These folks are attempting to sell you a 9/11 remembrance curriculum. There are several free resources, though.

Extensive list of lesson plans and activities related to terrorism.

"Education World offers five lessons to help teachers commemorate the anniversary of the September 11, 2001, attack on the United States. These lessons will keep alive the spirit of patriotism and tolerance stimulated by the events of 9/11. Included: Students make a huge flag mural for your school or a proverb book for your classroom library, write letters to fire fighters in their community, read aloud books that model tolerance, raise money for Afghan children, more!"

Teachers can get some free sample lesson plans from a new and highly regarded 9/11 curriculum. Modifications would have to be made for ELL's.

"The Interesting Ways to Use series has been really successful. I measure their success in how useful they are to teachers and other educators in helping with professional development.

They have been a great example of crowdsourcing good quality classroom ideas and it has been great fun connecting with all of the people who have taken time to add an idea. It is remarkable what can be achieved and created together if you give people the right way to do it. Thanks for all the help so far.

It all began with One Idea, One Slide and One Image as a premise for the IWB presentation and that has always remained. I hope we can all continue to create them - let me know if you have any other ideas for a presentation.

I wanted to keep the family together in one place and give you one page to see them all, as so many of you have requested. Don't forget that if you want to contribute an idea just let me know and I will give you access to share your thoughts."

Directory of lesson plans regarding the following topics:
Budgets, debts, economic decision-making, entrepreneurship/innovation, exchange & money, goods & services, interest rate, investment, market failures, money supply, opportunity costs and trade-offs, production and consumption, role of government, savings, scarcity & choice, supply & demand, unemployment, general economic resources

"We've got information for you on everything you need to know to survive in the real world. Our content is packed with tips, advice and direction on how to navigate the "consumer jungle".

Promoting Consumer Literacy Among Young Adults