NEW 2015 RESOURCES
This page contains information on Social Studies resources located on the Internet. Our purpose in providing you with information on these resources is simply to draw them to your attention. We are NOT guaranteeing that these particular resources will be valuable and without frustrations.
If you didn't find what you were looking for on this page, the complete archives of Network Nugget links are keyword searchable .
Index
- Cemetery Studies(Wednesday, January 12, 2000)
- Masks Theme Page(Wednesday, December 8, 1999)
- Ask Asia(Monday, December 6, 1999)
- The Peopling of Canada(Wednesday, December 1, 1999)
- Healthy School Environment(Wednesday, November 24, 1999)
- The Age of Exploration(Friday, November 19, 1999)
- Voices of Youth(Friday, November 12, 1999)
- Famous Canadians Theme Page(Thursday, November 4, 1999)
- Thanksgiving(Tuesday, November 2, 1999)
- Grassroots Communities@ca(Monday, November 1, 1999)
- KinderCastles(Wednesday, October 20, 1999)
- National Atlas of Canada(Tuesday, October 12, 1999)
- Thanksgiving Lesson Plan(Monday, October 4, 1999)
- Amazing Time Machine(Friday, June 4, 1999)
- Pier 21(Thursday, June 3, 1999)
- Castle Builder(Wednesday, June 2, 1999)
- World Flag Database(Monday May 17, 1999)
- Kosovo(Friday, Jan. 29,99)
- Newsexpress(Monday, March 29)
- Mapping Skills for Primary Students(Monday, Feb. 22, 1999)
- Who Killed William Robinson(Friday, Jan. 29,99)
- Latitude and Longitude(Friday, Jan. 8,99)
- China: Dim Sum(Tuesday, Dec. 15, 98)
- History Comes Alive in the Graveyard(Friday, Dec. 11, 98)
- Children of War(Thursday, November 19, 1998)
- Collapsed Civilizations(Monday, November 9, 98)
- CanText Library(Monday September 28, 98)
- Nunavut(Friday, September 18, 1998)
- Natural Disasters (Thursday, September 17, 1998)
- Garbage (Monday, June 15, 1998)
- Family Histories(Tuesday, April 7, 98)
- Alternative Energy (Thursday, 2 April,1998)
- The Environmental Curriculum (Monday, 9 March, 1998)
- The Globe (Thurs, 5, Feb, 1998)
- BC Marine and Other History(Wednesday, 28 January 98)
- Landmines(Wednesday, 3 December 97)
- Canadian Remembrance(Friday, 7 November 97)
- Remembrance Day(Monday, 3 November 97)
- Frogs and the Environment (Thurs, 2 October 97)
- Today in Canadian History (Tuesday, 16 September 97)
- Yahoo News(Tuesday, 9 September 97)
- BC (and other ) Local History (Tuesday, 10 June 97)
- Medieval/Renaissance Food Homepage(Monday, 24 Mar 97)
- Virtual Global Learner Centre(Monday, 17 February, 97)
- The Dead Sea Scrolls(Tues, 26 Nov 96)
- Refugee website for Teachers (Monday, 25 November, 96)
- B.C.'s Ocean Link(Fri, 8 Nov 96)
- Our Home/Notre Foyer(Friday 11 October, 96)
- PBS Online Newshour(Thurs 19 September 96)
- Social Studies resources(Tues, 4 Sept 96)
- Junior Environmentalists(Fri, 3 May 96)
Return to Network Nugget Archive's Main Index
Cemetery Studies
The teacher who designed this site uses cemetery studies to encourage an appreciation of the unique historical significance of the place, to reveal the lives of people of the past, and to help the students enjoy the wonderful artwork and architecture of the mausoleums. She has included in the site a set of lesson plans that can be used within Language Arts, Science, Math and Art classes. There is also information on how other teachers have used cemetery studies in the classroom and a set of links to online cemeteries.
This site would be useful for teachers doing a genealogy unit or a study of their community's history. The lesson plans themselves are a list of possible student activities rather than a detailed set of instructions that a teacher would follow. As such, they serve as a useful starting point from which you can add your own ideas or adapt as necessary.
Cemetery Studies is suitable for Social Studies students in grades 5-10.
Masks Theme Page
/themes/masks.htmlI've put together another CLN Theme Page for your browsing pleasure - this one on Masks. For those of you new to CLN, a 'theme page' is a focused collection of links to educational resources on a specific topic within a subject area. You'll find curricular information where teachers/students can learn more about the topic as well as instructional materials to help you teach the topic. You can get a listing of CLN's 125 theme pages at:
/themes_index.html The Mask Theme Page can be used in a variety of subject areas. The application that I would particularly like to draw to your attention is its value in Aboriginal Studies classes. Check out the link to Richard Hunt - a contemporary Kwakiutl artist from BC. You'll find a history of the art of a "transformation mask." At the bottom of the page, click on "About the Artist" to learn more about the artist. The button "Discussion/Activities" leads to suggestions for studying the work in the classroom in a multidisciplinary approach.
Another good link to review is the U'Mista Cultural Centre Potlatch Collection. You'll find images of more than 100 masks from Kwak'wala speaking aboriginal groups in the North West coast and BC interior along with information on their provenance.
The Masks Theme Page has lots of other practical resources for teachers of Art, Art History, Arts & Crafts, Drama, and Multiculturalism. There are quite a number of lesson plans as well as recipes/instructions for making masks.
Masks Theme Page is hosted by CLN and is suitable for K-12 students and teachers.
Ask Asia
Ask Asia is a rich resource for teachers and students doing a unit on Asia. Be sure to check out the "Instructional Resources" link in the "For Educators" section. You'll find over 50 lesson plans (e.g., on China, India, Indonesia, Japan, Korea, Vietnam), online readings, downloadable images and maps, a teaching workbook on Japan, information on how to exchange classroom 'culture boxes', and more...
There's plenty here for your students as well. Click on "Asian Topics" In the Instructional Resources section to access a collection of short multi-media discussions on topics concerning China and Japan. Or, have them go to the "Adult Free" zone where they'll find activities, links to e-pal organizations, a virtual gallery of student art, links to other Asian resources, a kid message center, and an ask an expert link.
Ask Asia is hosted by the Asia Society and is suitable for Social Studies students in grades K-12.
Peopling of Canada
Here's a great set of resources for social studies students and teachers wishing to learn more about Canadian immigration policies, practices, and events. There are actually two separate sites - both from the University of Calgary.
The first covers the period of 1891-1921 and the second extends the study to 1946-1976. Each site provides online tutorials in a textbook type format complete with commentary, pictures and statistics. The strength of both sites is their breadth of coverage with more than a dozen topics explored.
The Peopling of Canada is hosted by University of Calgary and is suitable for Canadian History students in grades 4-12. Their two web resources are located at:
1891-1921: http://www.ucalgary.ca/HIST/tutor/canada1891/index.html 1946-1976: http://www.ucalgary.ca/HIST/tutor/canada1946/index.html
The two Calgary sites are appropriate for providing an initial broad coverage of this topic. If you're looking for additional resources, CLN's Canadian Immigration Theme Page has more than a dozen additional links to web resources offering personal perspectives, lesson plans, and essays exploring the issues.
Canadian Immigration Theme Page: /themes/immigration.html
Healthy School Environment
This interdisciplinary unit will engage middle/junior high school students in participatory science, examination of multi-causal reasons for particular situations, data collection, data organization and data analysis as they conduct field research into the quality of their school environment. The teaching unit is fully developed with lesson plans, assessment guidelines, samples of student work, resource materials, and Internet links.
During the project, students will investigate a wide range of school environment issues, including air quality, drinking water quality, temperature, radon levels, carbon dioxide levels, carbon monoxide levels, oxygen levels, formaldehyde content, air flow, illumination, and relative humidity. This is more than a science unit. The teacher developers have integrated the activities to be part of the Social Studies, English, Science, and Math classes in an eight week study.
The Healthy School Environment is hosted by Cohasset Middle-High School and is suitable for middle/junior high students.
The Age of Exploration
Here's a free, multi-month teaching unit on the period of world exploration from the late 1400's to the early 1600's by Charity Lovelace, co-owner of a company specializing in unit study curricula for home schoolers. The outline of the unit covers: Motivation of the explorers; their sponsors,a broad range of explorers and their discoveries, results of the Age of Exploration, supplementary activities, a research form for students, an end of unit test, and a list of general resources. A major strength to the unit is the large number of links to useful web resources that are included throughout the plan.
The Age of Exploration is hosted by the Lovelace Family and is suitable for social studies students in elementary and middle grades.
The Age of Exploration is a popular topic on the web with lots of web sites available for students and teachers interested in learning more about this era. I put about 30 of these resources onto a CLN Explorers Theme Page a couple of months ago. "Theme Pages" are a specialty of CLN - they include curricular resources for students as well as instructional materials (e.g., lesson plans) for teachers. A 'must see' site on that page is Discovers Web. Recently, I've added a couple of new resources to this page, one on the Era of Spanish Galleons and another on Navigation in the 15th century. The most recent addition has been to a new CLN Theme Page on Pirates, Privateers and Buccaneers. You can find all of the resources that are listed in this Nugget and more at at...
the CLN Explorers Theme Page
Voices of Youth
The goal of the Voices of Youth site is to help children learn about interdependence, peace, social justice and the rights of young people. Currently, the site has five thrusts: Children's Rights, Children and War, Children and Work, Children and Cities, and the Girl Child. Students/teachers can explore these issues (e.g., reading background information), enter into online discussions with others, and consider what kind of action could be taken to alleviate the problems.
This site could serve as a central resource in any K-12 unit on children's rights. In addition to the resources noted above, it offers a secure message board for teachers looking for others classes to collaborate on projects where children can learn more about the issues (see "The Teachers' Place"). Also, online quizzes (see "The Learning Place") can be useful in raising childrens' awareness of the issues.
"Voices of Youth" is hosted by UNICEF and is suitable for students in grades K-12.
Famous Canadians Theme Page
This new CLN Theme Page is a collection of 30 links to resources that provide biographical information on famous Canadians. Individual sites, by themself, may look at a fairly narrow field of study, but the page overall covers a wide range of categories, including entertainers, politicians, authors, scientists and engineers, explorers, artists, astronauts, athletes, business people, inventors, journalists, and musicians.
This page would be useful in any course on Canadian studies course where teachers wanted students to conduct research on Canadians who have made a significant contribution to their field. In addition, it would be useful as a resource in other specific subjects, such as Science, English, and Fine Arts - again for the same purpose.
The Famous Canadians Theme Page is hosted by CLN and is suitable for students in grades K-12.
Thanksgiving
KIDS DOMAIN THANKSGIVING has a large collection of links to potential classroom materials including Crafts and Recipes, Online Games, Thanksgiving Clip Art, Riddles and Jokes, Pictures to Print and Color, Mazes, and Word Puzzles. Find it at: http://www.kidsdomain.com/craft/_Thanks.html
THANKSGIVING is a five lesson literature-based teaching unit that is adaptable for elementary students. Its broad goals include: to help students maintain thankful and giving mind-sets throughout the unit and season; to introduce the students to the two types of people that created the first Thanksgiving; and to accurately depict the first Thanksgiving and why it was held. Find it at: http://www.ed.uiuc.edu/YLP/96-97/96-97_mini_units/Thanksgiving_CSchaffer/table_content.html
Grassroots Communities@ca
GrassRoots Communities@ca is a nationwide competition open to all K-12 schools in Canada. Hosted by Schoolnet, students create a website about their community and post it on the Internet. I've made the link to the site's map since it provides a good visible overview of the contents. Here you'll find information on the competition, advice on creating the project, tools that students as well as teachers may find useful, and links to entrants in last year's competition.
This site would be useful for teachers considering an integrated social studies classroom project on their commuity. The ability to post the results of their research on the web, within the framework of a national competition, adds just another dimension to what is, in itself, a solid learning activity. If the technological aspect is a concern, you can partner with other schools in your community who can provide that expertise.
The Grassroots Communities@ca is hosted by Schoolnet and is suitable for Social Studies students in grades K-12.
KinderCastles
Looking for a cross curricular theme that's popular with young children? Here's one that draws on students' fascination with castles and brave knights and fair damsels. The unit starts with fairytales and nursery rhymes and uses the children's familiarity with these to develop a full class investigation of the medieval period.
KinderCastles could be used in a primary classroom. It contains starting points that will enable a teacher to integrate literature, the Internet, computer software, songs and poetry, recipes, and armor within a cross curricular unit. Caution: The navigational buttons on the bottom of the sub pages may not work for you. You need to return to the home page and use the navigational buttons that are there to get into the site.
KinderCastles is hosted by Nancy Yost and is suitable for primary students.
NATIONAL ATLAS OF CANADA
This site was suggested by L. Harrison. It is a great resource for Social Studies or Geography teachers and students. Examples are: Carto Corner, Geographical Names, Earth Net, National Atlas of Canada, and many others. A great online quiz has four areas that your students may want to try their knowledge of: Canada - the People, Canada - the Land, Shapes of Canada, and Canada - Land of Superlatives. A search function and FAQs are also part of the site.
This site would make a great resource for both teachers and students that are studying our country. It is so nice to have a truly Canadian site, that is so easy to use, attractive, fun, and best of all, contains great information for our students.
The National Atlas of Canada is hosted by National Resources Canada and is suitable for students in grades 2-12.
A THANKSGIVING LESSON PLAN
Since our Canadian Thanksgiving is only 6 days away, I am sending this out so you can have a chance to use some of the materials. This site was developed by a teacher/historian and contains the following sections: an introduction for teachers, study and discussion questions, ideas for enrichment, how to avoid old stereotypes, a Thanksgiving prayer, Indian corn, recipes, and the story of the corn husk doll.
This site would be useful as a starting point for discussion of social issues such as immigration and stereotyping. As the author states "the First Thanksgiving is a mixture of history and myth...Thanksgiving is a bigger concept than the Plymouth Plantation".
A Thanksgiving Lesson Plan, hosted by The Center for World Indigenous Studies, is suitable for students in grades K-12.
Amazing Time Machine
This site contains some of the best from the BC Archives. The various topics include: Families in B.C. History, Communities in B.C. History, First Nations' Art in B. C., The Cariboo Gold Rush, Multiculturalism, Social Institutions, First Nations in B. C., Economy and Technology, B.C. Resource Development, Women in B. C. History, Art in B.C. History and of course a Teacher's Corner. Each of the sections are all matched with the appropirate curriculum IRP's. A favorite link of mine was the wonderful art work on the First Nations page.
The Amazing Time Machine is hosted by the British Columbia Archives and is suitable for students in grades K-12 .
Pier 21
Do you know what Pier 21 is? Well thanks to a loyal Nugget reader, we all have a chance to learn about this important Canadian historical location. It was at this particular pier on the Halifax waterfront that many immigrants and refugees began their new lives in our country, as well as many soldiers left their last footsteps on Canadian soil. This site contains the following sections: Volunteers, War Brides, WW2, Guest Children, Refugees, and Immigrants. There are many excdellent graphics that truly give a feel for the times. I especially liked the various descriptions of the ships that put into port.
The Pier 21 site is hosted by Pier 21 Society and is suitable for Social Studies students in grades 10-12.
Castle Building
This is a new site featured on our very own host site: CLN. It contains the following sections: the Task, the Process (Daily Life, The Baron's Castle Specifications, Glossary of Castle Terms, Castle Research, Castle Layout and Design, and the Model), Resources, Learning Advice, Evaluation, Reflection, Conclusion, Extension Activities, and Teacher's Notes. This site would make a great thematic unit, since it gives suggestions for incorporating Language Arts, Social Studies, and Mathematics.
The Castle Building site is hosted by the San Bernardino School District and is suitable for Social Studies students in grades 7.
World Flag Data Base
This site contains a simple alphabetical index of many of the world's flags. Also included are: Formal Name, Local Formal Name, Location, Status, Captial City, Population, Currency, and Main Languages. A large flag is also available for copying.
The World Flag Database is hosted by Graham Bartram and is suitable for Social Studies students in grades 2-7.
Kosovo
With all the events happening in Kosovo, this site provides up to date information on the situation there. The site is divided into the following sections: Recent News, Background Information, Timelines, Maps, Literature Guide, Web Guide, Quiz (with related help links so the students can find out the information they need to know for the quiz), and Related Lesson Plans.
The Kosovo site is hosted by The New York Times and is suitable for History/Georgraphy students in grades 6-12.
Newsexpress
This site was suggested by A. Sweeney from Ottawa. Included in this site are: Today's Canadian Headline, Today's Canadian Birthdays, Other Events in the past that involved important Canadians. Many of the topics also contain links to more information about the particular person or event. Even though this site contains advertising, it more than makes up for it in content.
On This Day is hosted by Sympatico and is suitable for Social Studies/History students in grades 4-12.
Mapping Skills for Primary Children
I had a request from some primary teachers in Fernie for ideas to teach mapping. This first site contains the following topics: introduction to maps, construction of maps, integration of map skills with literature, introduction to aerial maps, and orientation to local community through an aerail map. Each lesson contains a clear objective, a list of materials, a stated purpose, procedure, and the all important evaluation.
The "Introduction to Maps" site is hosted by the Florida Geographic Alliance and is suitable for Social Studies students in grades 1-4.
Who Killed William Robinson
This historical "Whodunit" is based on an actual murder case on my favorite island, Salt Spring in 1868. The site contains documents about 19th century British Columbia such as letters, diaries and newspaper articles. This allows students to gain some understanding of such topics as immigration, gender equity, and race relations in the past. Students also will also encounter historial evidences of judicial problems, social violence, and economic changes on this small island. An excellent Teacher's Guide is also available.
Who Killed William Robinson is hosted by the University of Victoria History Department and is suitable for Social Studies/History students in grades 8-12 .
Latitude and Longitude
Have you had an introductory mapping unit to teach to your students, and wanted more than just the paper/text book approach? Well this online tutorial may be the answer. It contains a series of 9 lessons, (all your intermediate students need to know about latitude and longitude) and an interactive tutorial which gives hints to help you get the correct answer.
The Latitude and Longitude site is hosted by the University of Calgary and is suitable for Social Studies students in grades 4-6.
China: Dim Sum
http://www.newton.mec.edu/Angier/DimSum/chinadimsumaconnection.html
"This site is full of ideas about the cultural diversity of China. The many different links on this very clean and easy to use site, include Math, Social Studies, Lanugage Arts, Science, the Arts, Miscellaneous, Celebrations, Holidays and Customs. Some of the activities include the Great Wall of China, famous Chinese women, Imperial tombs, lucky redevelopes, and Yin and Yang symbols.
The China: Dim Sum site is hosted by Newton Schools and is suitable for students in grades K-5.
History Comes Alive in the Graveyard
"This site contains ideas on gathering information needed for students to learn about the history of their communities, their ethnic composition, immigration and the impact these people had, all from the local cemetary. Do you know that the interpretation of the pineapple as a grave symbol means prosperity? Field trip ideas, a glossary of symbols and terms, as well as a graphic organizer all make this a well organized resource.
The History Comes Alive in the Graveyard is hosted by The Colonial Williamsburg Foundation and is suitable for Social Studies students in grades 4-12.
Children of War
http://school.discovery.com/fall98/activities/childrenofwar/index.html
The Discovery Channel School has placed online an activity related to its "World in Conflict" theme. Involving language arts, history, sociology, psychology, and media literacy, this unit can be modified for use with students from Grade 6 through to Grade 12.
With children's war diaries as a central focus, learners are guided through the creation of a public service announcement designed to inform a target audience about children's rights during wartime. There are plenty of links to appropriate contextual material, questions to guide discussions and more.
Collapsed Civilizations
"Mesopotamia, Chaco Canyon, the medieval kingdom of Mali--what do these places have in common? They were all flourishing, vibrant communities that have all but disappeared from the earth."
The above paragraph is from the "Collapse" online exhibit of the Annenberg/CPB Projects. At this website you can explore theories related to the causes of failed civilizations and learn how scientists assemble clues to the past.
After reading about basic needs, (or 'prerequisites for survival') related to keeping the people of a vibrant civilization healthy and happy, students may want to discuss or write about their own environments. What motivates them to 'get up in the morning'? Does it seem easy to them to get the education and training required to function in adult society? Do the people around them get the food, drink, shelter, and medical care they require? Do they feel that internal and external order are being sufficiently maintained?
These issues could be the basis of a telecommunications project, with students sharing their perceptions from urban to rural areas within a school district, or with keypals in remote parts of the world.
The CanText Library
http://www.nelson.com/nelson/school/discovery/cantext/cantext.htm
'Nelson Canada' has a wealth of information available in its "Canadian Documents Collection." These are original resources online, of value to everyone who is studying the history of the earliest European contact with North America to modern politics.
With the text from historical speeches, a selection of cultural and humourous resources that includes Sioux legends, an 1856 testimony of fugitive slaves in Canada and even a Governor-General's recipe for boiled bear meat, there is probably something of interest to all.
Note that Nelson's image library is a nice accompanyment to the above documents, including the flowers of Canada, maps, flags anthems, and more.
The Image Library:
http://www.nelson.com/nelson/school/discovery/images/ncddimag.htm
Nunanvut
http://www.inac.gc.ca/news/jan97/9702bk2.html Establishing the Nunavut Territory
http://npc.nunavut.ca/ Nunavut Planning Commission
On April 1, 1999, the map of Canada will change to include the new territory of Nunavut. Covering 1,900,000 square kilometres (roughly one-fifth of Canada's land mass) this northern space will be the home of only 22,000 people.
The above websites offer information about the geography, environment and culture of this new territory. With maps, and pictures along with links to educational, government, land claim issues and more, there is plenty to explore at these sites.
At these final two sites you'll be able to listen to some Inuktitut (the language of the Inuit people, who are the majority of Nunavut residents) songs, words and place names.
Inuktitut - The Language of the Inuit People
http://www.arctic.ca/LUS/Inuktitut.htmlInteractive Mapping from the Nunavut Planning Commission:
http://npc.nunavut.ca/eng/intermap/Natural Disasters
http://www.fema.gov/kids/teacher.htmHopefully all our kids go to schools which have well-developed response plans that will be implemented effectively in the event of any type of disaster. Here's a website that can help, with information about how to deal with emergencies of many types.
There are lesson plans (including activities to encourage students to find out about the preparedness of their local communities), as well as descriptions of various types of disasters and information to help schools become more 'disaster-resistant'.
Don't forget B.C.'s own website devoted to emergency programs:
http://www.pep.bc.ca/Garbage
http://www.learner.org/exhibits/garbage/Garbage Exhibition
http://www.ec.gc.ca/eco/Millenium Eco CommunitiesThe Annenberg Corporation for Public Broadcasting has created an online exhibition with information about garbage. This site was designed to accompany the "Race to Save the Planet" video series, but can stand on its own as a starting point for students who are beginning to think about pollution-related issues.
Solid waste, hazardous waste, sewage, global efforts and the future are the topics included, along with a collection of links to sites on waste management and the general environment. Also, there is a bibliography of recent, factual books with environmental themes.
For a Canadian site offering ideas about eliminating pollution of all types, check out the Millenium Eco-Communities site. You can ask a specialist, read fact sheets and share project ideas here.
From Environment Canada, the Millenium Eco-Communities webpage is available in both English and French.
Family Histories
http://www.CyndisList.com/howto.htm
http://erienet.net/~sruth/geneal.htmlGenealogy is a fascinating topic that touches upon history, family relationships, social conditions and more. Although there are sometimes reasons why a particular child might prefer *not* to trace a family history (and these reasons certainly should be honoured), in general, it's usually lots of fun to find out about the people who came before us.
The internet is an almost unending source of information that can help with this type of enquiry. Above are two meta sites that link to hundreds of relevant sites from all over the world.
Child-focused genealogy sites include the following:
Genealogy for children:
http://home.iSTAR.ca/~ljbritt/Refugees - a special type of migrant:
http://www.unhcr.ch/teach/tchhist/9-11lp.htmNotes that this last site is described as a set of lesson plans for 9-11 year olds, but I'd suggest that the ideas here apply to older students as well.
Alternative Energy
http://environment.miningco.com/msubae.htm Mining Co., Alternative Energy
When I was asked for a Nugget on Alternative Energy, I realized that this was a very broad and general topic. Such topics can be difficult to search in the usual search engines, since there is just too much information.
In this case, I tried to narrow my keywords by searching for "alternative energy" and "school projects" which helped me to find the first site above, which is an interesting project built by students combining information from Ireland and Germany.
For a different, general collection of information on alternative energy, the second site above (Mining Co.) is worth a visit.
Finally, here's a site for those interested in alternative energy with a Canadian focus:
The Canadian Sustainable Energy Web Site:
http://www.newenergy.org/newenergy/The Environmental Curriculum
http://noisey.oise.utoronto.ca/osee/tec.html Towards an Ecozoic Curriculum
http://tess.uis.edu/www/environmentaled/ Dragonfly Museum TourThe above websites are related to environmental education in the K-12 curriculum, with a focus on intermediate students through to the senior secondary level.
Ontario's "Towards an Ecozoic Curriculum" is a site based on the infusion model, with lesson plans (online, or downloadable in PDF format) integrating environmental issues with a range of other curriculum subjects. Arts, Business, Geography, History, Math, Science, and others are represented.
The "Dragonfly Museum Tour of Environmental Education" is a guided, online tour of the web's many environmental education sites. Created by Peggy Dunn at the University of Illinois, it's a webpage providing links for students to browse through topics relating to environmental issues.
The Globe
http://globe.fsl.noaa.gov/The "Globe Program" in an web-based project with a focus on global learning and observation to benefit the environment. Students from all over the world are involved, sharing daily environmental measurements from their local area via the Internet. From the above link, you can join the project and become a contributor, or select "visit" to access data from around the world, see what students are doing, ask an expert, read the newsletter and more.
Another look at the globe can be found at the Smithsonian Museum's "Online Natural History Exhibit" which includes an area devoted to "Global Warming" and a fascinating explanation of what can be learned through a holographic view of the earth via a display called "Hologlobe".
Smithsonian Museum's Online Natural History:
http://www.nmnh.si.edu/museum/online.html
BC Marine and Other History
The Maritime Museum of British Columbia offers a wonderful set of resources for students who might find that history is more interesting when it's associated with nautical topics. For those who don't have access to the ocean, this might be a very interesting way to gain an understanding of the importance of marine-related events. Even if you do live near the ocean, or if you have the opportunity to visit Victoria and see the museum in person, the above webpage is a valuable "port of call".
From "West Coast Lighthouses" to the 'Kidzone' focus on Northwest Adventure, Exploration and Commerce, the website covers a range of topics and includes many pictures.
Other aspects of local history are presented via the following websites. Each has been created with students in mind. You'll find learning activities, study questions, games and more.
Emily Carr: At Home and At Work:
http://www.tbc.gov.bc.ca/culture/schoolnet/carr/Point Ellice Collection of Household Victoriana:
http://www.tbc.gov.bc.ca/culture/schoolnet/victoriana/The Hudson's Bay Company at Fort Victoria:
http://www.tbc.gov.bc.ca/culture/schoolnet/fortvic/J.S. Helmcken - Pioneer Doctor:
http://www.tbc.gov.bc.ca/culture/schoolnet/helmcken/Emily Carr is one of my favourites. Her writing and art are the expression of an unconventional life during an era when women were expected to behave in a very conventional way. For instance, she rebelled against the notion that women's paintings were the manifestation of a social skill rather than art.
Note that most of the information at the above sites is available in both English and French.
Landmines
Unicef estimates that there are over 100 million landmines strewn in 70 countries throughout the world. As you may know, a conference is taking place this week in Ottawa, to discuss a Nobel-prize winning plan to eliminate landmines forever.
There are many websites that address this issue. I'm pointing you to a few, and your web searching skills can help you find dozens more.
SafeLane (Canada's federal government site to support a world-wide ban on Anti-Personnel Mines):
http://www.mines.gc.ca/Unicef's "The Legacy of Land-mines":
http://www.unicef.org/sowc96/9ldmines.htmCNN's "World News" (coverage of the conference):
http://cnn.com/WORLD/9712/02/land.mine.conference/
Canadian Remembrance
Veterans' Affairs Canada Online, available in English and French, is a web page containing war information (WWI, WWII and the Korean War) with a Canadian flavour. You can listen to, and read the lyrics of, songs in both languages that were popular during WWI. This might be an chance to compare how French Canada and English Canada responded through music to the impact of war. The site also lets you view memorials, read diaries and hear interviews with veterans. You will find excellent historical resources here as well, including a section devoted to the stories of Native Soldiers on Foreign Battlefields.
Remembrance Day
For Remembrance Day, many students get involved in thinking and learning about war. Information about the causes and impact of war, and details of the sequence of events as they occurred in specific wars are available at many internet sites. One example is the very comprehensive Historial Text Archive/War (above), which covers war from the Neolithic era to the present day.
Students may have have living relatives or friends who experienced World War II. Projects involving interviews with these people provide an authentic context for learning, allowing the integration of information from a variety of sources. Part of the interview might involve sharing a tour through a WWII website. Appropriate sites (some with a multimedia focus) include:
The WWII Sounds & Pictures Page:
http://earthstation1.simplenet.com/wwii.htmlPresident Roosevelt's Radio address to the nation:
http://www.antique-radio.org/sounds/news/decowar/decowar.htmlWorld War II Resources:
http://sunsite.unc.edu/pha/Historial Text Archive (WWII):
http://www.msstate.edu/Archives/History/USA/WWII/ww2.htmlHosted by Canada's Schoolnet, the following web page is called 'Courage Remembered' and its focus is on Canada's role in both World War I and World War II. The site includes historical overviews, veterans' personal memoirs, examples of war art and information about war graves and memorials. The top page also links to a French version of the site.
.. and finally, the CLN Holocaust Theme page:
/themes/holocaust.html
Frogs and the Environment
http://www.mncs.k12.mn.us/html/projects/frog/frog.htmlIn Minnesota, in 1995, a class of 10-year-old students on a field trip discovered a number of deformed frogs. Like any good researchers on a data collecting mission, these children recorded their findings. Upon analysis, it was noted that half the frogs found had hind-leg deformities which were not due to injury. The class wanted to find out why.
These students' quest for answers has led to a look at the environment that received world attention, with the media, leading scientists, politicians and environmental activists now involved. The above 'Minnesota New Country School Frog Project' web page has the information about the extraordinary turn of events following the trip to the pond.
Other sites with information about the delicate balance between amphibians and their environment include:
http://www.npsc.nbs.gov/narcam/
http://www.hartwick.edu/biology/def_frogs/index.html
http://www.pbs.org/newshour/bb/science/july-dec96/frogs_12-23.html
Today in Canadian History
It's always interesting to know what happened "on this day" in the past. Sympatico has set up a web site with Canadian News highlights from the past, famous Canadian birthdays, quotes and links to discussion forums, news, sports, and more. There's also a link to information in the French language.
Yahoo News/Top Stories
Yahoo News/Top Stories is a place where the current headlines and summaries are available. Things are updated frequently here (the summaries are updated on an hourly basis), making this a great source of information for an overview of late-breaking news. The archives allow you to catch up on items you've missed and it's sometimes interesting to review how interpretations of events change over time, as more details become available.
BC History
A huge collection of British Columbia history-related web resources is available via the above website. Some of the links depend on a graphical browser but many are valuable even if you have a text-only browser. For instance, in text-only mode, try
-
Ghosts of the Klondike Gold Rush: http://www.gold-rush.org/
or
British Columbia Folklore Society: http://www.folklore.bc.ca/ (and find out about the Ogopogo, or N'ha-a-itk)- the Living Landscapes (Thompson/Okanagan)
site at: http://royal.okanagan.bc.ca/resource/index.html
The History of the Northwest Coast site at: http://www.hallman.org/~bruce/indian/.www.html
Or an intriguing historical 'whodunit' at the "Who Killed William Robinson" site: http://web.uvic.ca/history-robinson/
Medieval/Renaissance Food Homepage
Preparing and consuming the food of different era is a way of "studying the past by selective recreation." It's an exercise that may require you to learn that the concept of precision regarding weights and measures has changed over the ages. You might also gain a new appreciation for the fact that refrigeration and imported ingredients were simply not an option until very recent times. The witty but practical web page above has recipes, bibliographies and articles that are sure to help you experience the "flavoures" of the past.
"Take as many eggs as thou wilt, and boil them whole in hot water; put them in cold water and divide them in half with a thread."
If you have an interest in European history, the web has many places for you to visit along with the nourishment to sustain your journey. The Community Learning Network (CLN) has created a new web theme page on Medieval Studies: /themes/medieval.html
Virtual Global Learner Centre
The Virtual Global Learner Centre is a BC site providing online resources for teachers interested in developing a global education theme within their curricula. Topics include food security, human rights, peace and conflict resolution, gender equity and multiculturalism.
You can browse through a set of activities that can be used in the classroom, link to resources, participate in discussions, or make use of VIDEA's (the Victoria International Development Education Association) researchers to get further information on global education.
The Dead Sea Scrolls
http://sunsite.unc.edu/expo/deadsea.scrolls.exhibit/intro.html
In 1947, young Bedouin shepherds entered a cave and found jars filled with ancient scrolls and scroll fragments. It was soon established these previously untouched artifacts were over 2000 years old and represented a library of extreme historical importance. The above website coincides with the display at the U.S. Library of Congress and contains both documents and images related to this archaeological treasure.
Refugee website for Teachers
http://www.unhcr.ch/teach/teach.htmThat "refugees are a painful living reminder of the failure of societies to exist in peace," is an eloquent statement found at the the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) website.
This site contains lesson ideas and information especially for K-12 teachers to help them use the topic of refugees to shed light on a variety of subjects that are important to their students. Community, society, current events, environment, history, geography, politics, economics, law, etc., can be made more relevant through an examination of their relationship to the people who have been forced to leave their homelands to avoid persecution. Fine arts and literature are other potential areas for an exploration of the issues faced by refugees.
B.C.'s Ocean Link
http://oceanlink.island.net/index.htmlOcean Link is a marine science information and interaction web site. Find out about B.C.'s local environment through the "Ocean News" items or link to ocean-related sites around the world. If you don't find the answer to your marine science question in the well-organized archives of previous questions and answers at this site, you can "Ask a Marine Scientist" and one of the resident experts will provide the information for you.
This site also has a "Careers" section for students who might want to consider a lifetime of devotion to the ocean!
Our Home/Notre Foyer
http://ellesmere.ccm.emr.ca/ourhome/ourhome/selectio.htmlThe "Our Home/Notre Foyer" site is for elementary students who want to learn about communities across Canada. Research has been conducted by students who live in each community and is available in French and English.
The "best things" and "things to change" sections are part of a format for research that could be duplicated by kids anywhere. It might be interesting to generate a set of categories for your students to conduct parallel research about their own communities before they explore this web site.
If you have a graphical browser, the maps are a nice way to access the information. If you're in text-only mode, the content is still worth exploring and can be easily aligned with the map on your classroom wall.
PBS Online Newshour
http://www1.pbs.org/newshour/textonly/home_text.htmlPBS, the Public Broadcasting System that we know from TV, and MacNeil/Lehrer Productions, have created an "Online Newshour" web page, with frequent updates of the daily news, forums for the discussion of current events, essays (try Gergen's "Wagging the Dog" for a stimulating start to a class discussion of technology) and a searchable archive.
Scroll down this page to some other newsites, then engage what I believe is one of the internet's finest educational opportunities -- comparing different perspectives on world events as they are happening.
Social Studies Resources
http://sun.kent.wednet.edu/curriculum/soc_studies/text/gr9.html
Although it's billed as a Grade 9 site, this Social Studies resource covers a much wider range, including lesson plans for Grades 3-12 and links to sites that will be relevant to anybody studying topics from Current Events to Ancient Civilizations, with the Middle Ages, geography lessons, the Virtual Travel Agency and others included to produce a very comprehensive web page.
Junior Environmentalists
http://www.wwfcanada.org/kids/k-001.htmlThe World Wildlife Fund of Canada (WWF) provides resources such as a complete list of Canada's Endangered Species and other Wildlife at Risk, fact sheets for many Canadian, and some international species, and a link to the world's list of species at risk.
Kids will find information about how they can make a difference at home and at school through simple activities such as building a birdhouse or providing coffee mugs to reduce the styrofoam cup use of their teachers.
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