TED is a nonprofit devoted to Ideas Worth Spreading. It started out as a conference bringing together people from three worlds: Technology, Entertainment, Design. Since then its scope has become ever broader.
On TED.com, we make the best talks from TED available to the world, for free. More than 700 TEDTalks are now available, with more added each week. These videos are released under a Creative Commons license, so they can be freely shared and reposted.
Great interactive game that presents real-life scenarios and requires students to determine if they are protected by Bill of Rights, then identify the appropriate amendment. Comes complete with a kid-friendly version of the Bill of Rights.
A double-entry website that has fully interactive text of the Constitution. Each article is broken apart with a specific explanation. From there, students can click on individual passages (usually as small as a single phrase!) to find detailed explanations.
Amazingly thorough and in-depth, it has abundant history + law + citizenship uses.
The National Academy of the Sciences has launched this new website that gives an overview of the U.S. energy system. It covers 4 main topics: energy uses, sources of energy, the cost of energy (in terms of the environment, national security, and sustainability), and energy efficiency. The site has easy to navigate content and links to source material, and it includes n energy quiz, a glossary, and a source library. The site's producers are also developing curriculum-based materials for high school and middle school classrooms. Two special features--Our Energy System and Understasnding Efficiency--are designed to actively engage visitors and enhance their understanding of energy, including what it is, h ow we use it, and ways to conserve it.
Maps 101 appears to not be free but has a trial version. ti appears to be K-12. It includes materials for Spanish language educators and those teaching students with limited English. I couldn't find information on the purchase but I did see that you can request an extension on the trial version.
Blog about Courage Using Photos. This is a readwritethink activities that has teens think about the concept of courage and then find or take photographs from their own lives that they think exemplify courage.
Interesting idea for blogging. Think about how many concepts we teach, thus there are numerous ways an activity like this could be used in a variety of content areas.
"This lesson will introduce DNA, genes, chromosomes, the chemicals that make up
DNA, etc. After the basic information, students will do an experiment in which
they will separate out DNA from peas. Knowing that DNA can be separated will
give them a base of understanding for future lessons in biology, evolution,
biotechnology, and health technology."
"This lesson will encourage students to examine the trade-offs involved in our
use of energy, a topic they will likely revisit throughout their lives.
This lesson is built around an interactive called
Power Up!
in
which students choose how to power a city. They will have to choose between
various energy sources, taking into account the trade-offs between cost and the
environmental impact of each choice. Discussions before and after the game will
examine the various options and what students may want to take into account when
making their decisions."
What is it like to work as a paleontologist? In Activity 1, students listen to or read an interview with paleontologist Paul Sereno, a National Geographic Explorer-in-Residence, to learn about his passion for science and his discovery of SuperCroc in sub-Saharan Africa. In Activity 2, students join a dig with paleontologist Mike Everhart to learn what happens when a scientist in the field suddenly discovers fossil remains. In the Closing Activity, students create a story or conduct an interview and present or record their work for an imaginary radio program.
"To engage students in making design decisions that affect the transfer of energy
between a building and the outside environment. To help students identify and
consider the types of decisions involved in improving a building's energy
profile. To analyze the green roof option in economic and community terms."
Conceptua Math has some free tools available for users. While there is a subscription with conceptua math, the free things look interesting and worth checking out.