Useful Information In and Out of the Classroom 8/13/21

Here are some interesting sites that I’ve found this week, thanks to my PLN. As a teacher, I feel we have to keep up to date concerning research in our field and current issues in the education system. I hope some of these inspire you, inform you, and even have you asking questions. Thank you for coming by and visiting!

Note: Each resource is labeled with a level and subject area to make it easier to use.

Levels: E: Elementary; M: Middle; H: High; G: General, all levels; SN: Special Needs; T: Teachers

Subject Areas: LA: Language Arts, English, Reading, Writing; M: Math; S: Science; Health; SS: Social Studies, Current Events; FA: Fine Arts; Music, Art, Drama; FL: Foreign Language; PE: Physical Ed; C: Career; A: All

How Do Rockets Fly? - “Rockets are super amazing, but how do we get something that weighs as much as 100 elephants all the way into space?” (L:G,;SA:S)

Periodic Table of Elements - interactive periodic table of elements (L:H,;SA:S)

Space Math - “This resource offers over 1000 math problems that reveal the many ways math and science work together to help us understand the universe. Some problems involve the simple counting of integers to reveal the structure of molecules. Other problems explore more complicated methods of statistical analysis, algebra, geometry and, yes, even calculus! All problems are matrixed into the national math and science standards for a quick review.” (L:G,;SA:M)

PhET Sims - Science and Math - “A collection of fun, interactive, research-based simulations for science and math instruction in Grades K-12 and university, developed by PhET Interactive Simulations at University of Colorado Boulder (https://phet.colorado.edu). All simulations are based on the results of education research and tested with students. Each PhET simulation provides a highly interactive environment which supports student exploration and discovery – making the invisible visible, including models and representations, providing measurement tools, and emphasizing real world connections.” (L:G,;SA:S,M)

Whichbook - “Choosing books by mood and emotion You can mix our mood sliders into great combinations - try unpredictable, lots of sex and optimistic and check what comes up. Flip the slider setting from optimistic to unusual and the books offered are quite different. Click on a book cover that intrigues you and you can find out more. No need to wade through long reviews, or complicated plot summaries. There’s a short comment designed to convey the essence of the book, what it feels like to read. You can get a direct experience of the author’s voice in a sample paragraph. And there are a few Parallels – other books and sometimes tv shows, songs and even paintings which have some similarities with this one.” (L:T,;SA:LA)

Original photo by Pat Hensley