Clip Art and Backgrounds

I will be teaching teachers this semester about how to use the Ellison. I have found some clip art sites to use with the puzzle making dies.

• http://etc.usf.edu/clipart/

The state of Florida has a technology clearinghouse which has many treasures such as clipart, frames and borders:

• http://etc.usf.edu/

I will add more as I find them.

Have fun! cdb

Digital Storytelling

Digital Storytelling is the modern expression of the ancient art of storytelling.
Digital stories derive their power by weaving images, music, narrative and voice together,
thereby giving deep dimension and vivid color to characters, situations, experiences, and insights.
Tell your story now digitally.

- Leslie Rule, Digital Storytelling Association

 
I took this quote from a wonderful website resource entitled Digital Storytelling:

• http://electronicportfolios.org/digistory/index.html

This resource filled site was put together by Dr. Helen C. Barrett.   According to this site, the Canadian Film Centre: http://www.storycenter.org/canada/index.html has a very good introduction to storytelling from images and memories. She also recommends a school link to various digital stories from Scott Country Schools in Kentucky:  http://www.scott.k12.ky.us/technology/digitalstorytelling/ds.html
and Digital Family Stories which includes links to the BBC's Capture Wales and other examples of digital stories.

There are other beautiful sites as follows:

• Educational Uses of Digital Storytelling is a massive site developed at the University of Houston.
• Center for Digital Storytelling with the wonderful quote: "Listen deeply. Tell stories." The quotes and graphic at the bottom of this post is from this site.

Arabic digital stories are numerous. Here are a few links that I found thanks to Google's translating service and Mr. Mohammed Ali:

• Changing Lives: Digital Storytelling by Young Arabic Women in Western Sydney http://nexusproject.net.au/nexusblog/changing-lives-digital-storytelling-by-young-arabic-women-in-western-sydney/#readcommentsanchor
• This is very encouraging: Alaa Sadik's Blog : القصص الرقمية
• This is a promising example of Arabic Digital Storytelling:  http://www.aawsat.com/details.asp?section=19&article=416476&issueno=10375

Enjoy! cdb

Fun with Science Media

As a staff of one, it can take hours to find good science videos, especially when it is so easy to take off on tangents. Here's some of the most fun ones that I have found so far:

• Animaniac Universe 
• Animaniac Solar System 
• Animaniac Nations
• Toothpick Trick 
• Jennifer is a Mammal    

Other  good sources: Science Bob, Bill Nye, and Teacher Tube.

Enjoy!  cdb

Media Moments

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ju5sF3YUseU

Thanks to Angela Brittain for the YouTube Download Tutorial:

Downloading YouTube Videos... yes it is possible!

1. Find YouTube video that you want to download.
2. Copy the internet address. (Highlight and press CTRL c)
3. Open zamzar.com
4. In zamzar's Step 1 click on URL. This takes you to the 'Download Videos' tab.
5. Paste your internet address in step 1.
6. Choose the file conversion you want. (.mov for Quick Time Movie and .wmv for Windows Media Player)
7. In step 3 enter your email address for your YouTube video to be sent to.
8. Step 4 click on Convert and wait for the upload to complete.

A conversion normally takes an hour or so to come through to your email.

Follow the instructions given in the email to finish the download.

Science Lessons for 2009-10

Dear Science Teachers,

I plan to incorporate performance tasks from the following sources into upcoming science lessons for 2009-10.
http://pals.sri.com/tasks/tasksk-4.html
http://pals.sri.com/tasks/tasks5-8.html

Here's the site summary:

The performance tasks currently come from several sources: the Council of Chief State School Officers/State Collaborative on Assessment and Student Standards (CCSSO/SCASS), Partnership for the Assessment of Standards-based Science (PASS), the Kentucky Department of Education (KDE), the New York State Education Department (NYSED), the RAND Institution (RAND), the Assessment of Performance Unit (APU), and the Oregon State Education Department (OSED).

Some tasks cover multiple content areas. All tasks include a Science as Inquiry component.

I wish, wish, wish that I can find some videos and/or illustrations to go with the lessons. cdb

Summing Up the 2008-9 School Year

Dear Friends in Education,

Here is a working summary of the more popular internet resources gleaned from the 2008-9 school year with the Al Wajbah Primary Science Department.


The best website resource of the year was:

• http://hea-www.harvard.edu/ECT/thrcontents.html. It contains the following Shadow Inquiry:

Everyone should grab one small shiny object like a new penny or an interlocking math cube, a pink eraser or a marble. Let's go outside. Find an asphalt or concrete area with a lot of space, enough that the entire class can spread out and be bathed in sunlight. Is there enough room for their shadows? You might consider timing this for between 11 a.m. and 1 p.m., when the shadows are shorter but not so short as to make this impossible.

Everyone should spread out enough that they can twirl in place and not hit anyone. Next, everyone should drop their shiny object somewhere about 4-5 feet from them in any direction. Now find your own shadows and stick your arms out. Make an OK sign with your fingers, so that your shadows show a little ring or circle for your hands. Can you, without squatting, move your shadow ring so that it encircles the shiny object on the ground?

General Science Inquiry:

• http://www.sasta.asn.au/qualityscience/
• http://www.sfscience.com/english/toc/toc_start.htm
• http://www.wvec.k12.in.us/battle/classpage/science/scienceunits.htm (from Raba'a Aziz)
  
• http://www.csiro.au/services/Science-By-Email-Main.html
  
• http://www.sasked.gov.sk.ca/docs/elemsci/elemsci.html
• http://pbskids.org/zoom/activities/sci/
• http://www.andybrain.com/sciencelab/science-lab-experiment-list/
• http://www.sciencekids.co.nz/experiments.html

Life Science:

• http://www.funology.com/laboratory/listing.cfm?category=52&type=laboratory

Vertebrates & Invertebrates

• Bones: http://www.childrensmuseum.org/special_exhibits/bones/games/Game1_FINAL.html
• Food Chains and Other Games: http://sheppardsoftware.com/content/animals/kidscorner/gamesforkids.htm (from Amani Shaweesh)
  

What is the Life Cycle of a Plant?

• www.arboretum.fullerton.edu/grow/primer/cycle.asp

Plant Life Cycle:

• www.urbanext.uiuc.edu/gpe/case1/c1facts1b.html

The Life Cycle of a Plant (flash movie):
This site shows the growth of a plant, has students label plant parts, and includes the measurement in cm of the height of the plant.

• www.sln.org.uk/science/lifecycle/

Dottie's Garden An online ebook about planting seeds. This makes a great center activity

• www.primarygames.com/storybooks/plant/start.htm

Treasures@Sea: Many ocean facts, activities and resources are found here.

• http://www.fi.edu/fellows/fellow8/dec98/intera.html

Cells Alive:
Find just about anything you need to know about cells here. View the interactive and animated cells.

• http://www.cellsalive.com/cells/cell_model.htm
• http://www.cellsalive.com/howbig.htm

Health and Handwashing:

• http://www.accessexcellence.org/AE/AEC/CC/hand_activity.php

Water Cycle:

• Water Cycle Animation: http://www.cnr.vt.edu/plt/WaterCycle/index.htm
  
• Make a Water Cycle Wheel: http://www.epa.state.il.us/kids/fun-stuff/water-cycle/
• The Wonders of Water: http://www.saasta.ac.za/easyscience/pdfs/es_2006_02.pdf
• http://www.epa.gov/OGWDW/kids/pdfs/activity_grades_k-3_activitybook.pdf (from Amani Shaweesh)
  
• Water Cycle and Evaporation: http://www2.scholastic.com/browse/article.jsp?id=1638

Water Cycle Models (from Amani Shaweesh) :

1. http://www.uen.org/Lessonplan/preview.cgi?LPid=21522
   
2. http://www.epa.gov/OGWDW/kids/grades_k-3_watercycle_activity.html

Rocks & Minerals / Geology:

Excellent resources for teaching 5.7 "How Rocks are Formed"

• http://www.fi.edu/fellows/fellow1/oct98//create/index.html
• http://www.fi.edu/fellows/fellow1/oct98//collab.htm
• http://www.eia.doe.gov/kids/classactivities/teachers&students.html
  

Physical Science:

• http://www.funology.com/laboratory/listing.cfm?category=48&type=laboratory

Heat Transfer (from Suzana Mahmoud):

• http://sol.sci.uop.edu/~jfalward/heattransfer/heattransfer.html

Conduction, Convection and Radiation movies and songs (from Suzana Mahmoud):

• http://www.kidsgeo.com/geography-for-kids/0054-heating-cooling-atmosphere.php

Excellent Light & Shadow PPT:

• www.learnanywhere.co.uk/la/science/3f.ppt

Exploring Light & Color:

• http://www.primaryresources.co.uk/science/science.htm
  

Energy Experiments (Electricity etc.):

• http://www.need.org/energyfair.phphttp://library.thinkquest.org/15215/Resources/Projects/solar_oven_experiment.html
• http://www.starprof.com/ac/pscspring04/psc021104pp/sld005.htm (from Suzan Mahmoud)
• http://www.eia.doe.gov/kids/classactivities/teachers&students.html (from Raba'a Aziz)
  

Chemistry:

• http://www.funology.com/laboratory/listing.cfm?category=49&type=laboratory

From Surfnet by Barbara J. Feldman:
Desert
DesertAnimals.net features seventeen desert animals.
http://www.desertanimals.net/

Desert Animals
http://www.surfnetkids.com/desert_animals.htm

Desert Animals Printable
http://www.surfnetkids.com/printables/desert_animals.pdf

Printable Desert Animals Word Search
http://www.surfnetkids.com/printables/Word_Searches/desert_animals_wordsearch.pdf

Blue Planet Biomes: Desert Animals
http://www.blueplanetbiomes.org/desert_animal_page.htm

Biomes/Habitats Mix & Match:

• http://www.surfnetkids.com/games/biomes-mm.htm

Teaching Physics Using YouTube Videos

• http://physics.andreadecapoa.net

Magnets - virtual textbook and dozens of experiments that you can either buy or build.

• http://www.coolmagnetman.com/magindex.htm

Electricity and Magnetism video

• http://mitworld.mit.edu/video/319

Science Games:

• http://www.primarygames.com/science.htm
• http://sheppardsoftware.com/science.htm (Check out the new Cell Game!)
  

Internet Videos:
For professional development, future curriculum planning and classes:

• Seven Lesson Starts: http://www.teachers.tv/video/28260
• How to use the Lesson Starts: http://www.teachers.tv/video/23316

There is a series called from Good to Outstanding that is very, very good also:

• http://www.teachers.tv/video/25613
• http://www.teachers.tv/video/25596

Science Fair Resources:

• Science Fair PPT for Student Intro: http://www.chariho.k12.ri.us/faculty/dmmor/scifair02/sm.ppt
• Great Resource: http://www.chariho.k12.ri.us/faculty/dmmor/scifair02/scires02.html
• Student sample from same site: http://www.chariho.k12.ri.us/faculty/dmmor/scifair02/sf027.html
• http://www.need.org/energyfair.php

Science Curriculum Planning Resources:

Science Concept Stories and Focus Questions:

• http://lsc-net.terc.edu/do.cfm/report/7139/show/use_set-ref_mat#2

Linking Science with Literacy:

• http://www.science.org.au/primaryconnections/additional.htm (from Raba'a Aziz)

Science Lessons with Differentiation:

• http://www.primaryschoolscience.com/
  

KS2 Science Resources:

• http://www.primaryresources.co.uk/science/science.htm (from Naheel Hamdallah)
  

Lesson Planning Basics:

• http://www.ecu.edu/cs-educ/opd/upload/6_step_lesson_plan.pdf
• http://www.teachers.ash.org.au/researchskills/Dalton.htm

Assessment:

PALS Performance Tasks (K-4)

• http://pals.sri.com/tasks/tasksk-4.html

Assessment Ideas for Elementary Science

• http://www.sasked.gov.sk.ca/docs/elemsci/ideass.html

Inquiry rubrics:

• http://www3.nsta.org/main/news/pdf/ss0209_22.pdf

Science and Literacy

In progress:
So much to keep track of:

http://www.planet-science.com/under11s/index.html

Coloring pages/minibooks with short English explanations:
http://www.dltk-teach.com/minibooks/index.htm
http://www.dltk-kids.com/animals/index.html (life cycles)
http://www.dltk-kids.com/crafts/cartoons/zoo.html (cartoons etc.)
http://www.dltk-teach.com/index.htm

Animal Classification (wonderful resource - easy to read)
http://www.brunswick.k12.me.us/jas/pod2/animals/
http://www.brunswick.k12.me.us/technology/integrator/elementary/teachersites/integration/science/index.htm

Recommendations from Open Wide Look Inside blog
**http://blog.richmond.edu/openwidelookinside/archives/category/science
**Spectacular Science: A Book of Poems.
**Scien-Trickery: Riddles in Science by J. Patrick Lewis
**Science Verse
**The Who Lives Here? series, written by Deborah Hodge and illustrated by Pat Stephens, examines animals in their natural environments and explains how those animals are uniquely adapted to their habitats. The books are organized by habitat, and include titles on Desert Animals, Polar Animals, Rain Forest Animals and Wetland Animals.
**Looking Closely from Kids Can Press uses this type of visual puzzle as an introduction to natural environments.
**Magic School Bus books
**You Can’t Smell a Flower with Your Ear!
**Vicki Cobb books such as Perk Up Your Ears
**Neil Ardley has written a book entitled The Science Book of the Senses that offers fun and simple experiments you can do to learn more about how your five senses work.
**In The Sound of Colors: A Journey of the Imagination, Jimmy Liao tells a story that makes us realize what we do have, while also making us think once again on expanding our imagination even more.