| Now that I have a connection to the Internet, what do I do with it? This is a very valid question that is asked hundreds of times on listservs, at conferences, and in school faculty meetings. Common statements range from I don't have time to do one more thing to where do I go for examples? This page is dedicated to examples of how the Web can be used in the classroom. |
Transform your classroom into a virtual art studio and museum. Have students create their masterpieces with free online drawing, painting, and sculpting tools. Then, invite parents to the school gallery where they can view their children's artwork. The following Web sites are fantastic starting points for introducing students to the world of artistic design.
Celebrate African-American Art Music and Literature
Approach Black History from a different perspective. Explore the rich heritage of African Americans through art, music, and literature. Most of our students know the impact of Martin Luther King Jr. and Malcom X. They know rap. But do they know about the Lindy Hop? Have they heard the sounds of W. C. Handy, read firsthand stories from former slaves, or been to an African-American art exhibit? Let the voices of the past speak to our students in a way that will give them a deeper appreciation for African-American culture.
This interactive question and answer activity for students will teach them the basics about copyright. There are also resources and lesson ideas for teachers on the Copyright with Cyberbee page.
Learn about the history of the phonograph and listen to early recordings.
From the Ancient Egyptian game of Senet to the digital games of today, children have reveled in the strategies, stories, and intrigue that challenge the mind. Teaching history, math, science, reading/languages arts, and the unified arts through games or game construction can reinforce skill, concept, and application level knowledge.
Advertisements flash on the television screen, each image no longer than 3 seconds. Students look at a photograph, illustration, or painting for about the same amount of time and nonchalantly comment, "It's just a picture." But wait, upon further inspection and some guided inquiry, the pictures soon come alive and tell a story. Some of the stories are historical, some personal, some made up. These stories behind the images bring rich context to the viewer who might be prompted to conduct further investigation. You never know what you may learn or the mysteries that may unfold until you dig deeper. Let's examine people as they are depicted in paintings, posters, and photographs and discover their stories.
This is a study of rain forest ecology. 1) Find out what plants and animals live in the rain forest. Choose a plant or animal to investigate. Write a short report on your findings and include a picture. 2) What sights and sounds will you encounter? Take us on a musical journey through the rain forest.
Using the millennium as a springboard, introduce your students to horology, the scientific study of time, timekeepers (clocks and watches), and timekeeping. All kinds of subject tie-ins can be used from cultural history to the scientific principles behind timekeeping.
Imagine being shipwrecked on a deserted, barren island with 30 students. You find an old barracks completely decked out with beds, cooking paraphernalia, and food. It will be a few days before you are rescued. The waters are shark-invested, so no swimming is allowed. With nothing else to do, your students begin searching for buried treasure. They are convinced a pirate ship must have landed on this island. After digging in several locations, a large, water-tight crate is discovered. Aha! The treasure chest has been found. Inside are 31 laptop computers (batteries fully charged) with wireless connectivity, five PDAs with probes, and a digital camera. You dig out a copy of the current issue of MultiMedia Schools magazine from your knapsack and turn to the "CyberBee" column. With a smile on your face, you know how to turn these treasures into golden learning experiences. Even if you are not on a desert island, you can help your students discover a treasure-trove of information by visiting these Web sites.
Welcome to Cyberspace Summer Camp
Howdy folks! Tired of hearing kids say, "I'm bored" or "There's nothing to do" during summer vacation? Will they remember how to wrangle historical events, tame intrepid spelling words, or lasso important science concepts when they return to the classroom? How do you keep those young minds sharp? Consider setting up a Cyberspace Summer Camp to continue the learning and problem-solving processes. There are several ways you can approach this venture: One is to organize a rotating learning environment, using excursions to several community sites, for hands-on activities. Another way is to build the program into your summer school curriculum. A third way is to initiate independent learning at home by enlisting the help of parents and thoroughly briefing them on how to assist.
How many students sit silently in the classroom with no understanding of the events behind a story because they do not bring prior knowledge with them from conversations or experiences at home? What are some strategies teachers can use to introduce information crucial to comprehension? What role can technology play in assisting teachers with presenting prior knowledge in an engaging way?
A fourth grade Safety Net teacher, took advantage of several technology tools to aid her students in understanding the book Teammates by Peter Golenbock. Teammates is a story about Jackie Robinson and his friendship with Pee Wee Reese, both Brooklyn Dodgers, in an era of segregation. Waugaman employed the Big6 framework to design this powerful lesson that engaged her low-level reading students in learning about the '30s, '40s, and '50s.
Capture Your Daydreamers: Unleash Creative Talent
Are you working on a publishing project in your classroom? Do your students enjoy the arts? Do you need ideas and ways to generate enthusiasm? From imagination to expression, these CyberBee selected sites will help you begin to unleash the creative writing and artistic talents of your students.
Children of YesterYear Writing Prompts
Use primary source photographs with to spark student writing. Each photograph has a title and a question. A photo analysis guide is included.
This summer (2001)I had the opportunity to attend a workshop presented by Paddy Bowman from the National Network for Folk Arts in Education. Paddy is a leading authority on folklife and culture. The title of the workshop was "Finding the Invisible: Folklore in Sense of Place." Her inspiration to learn about one's sense of place in the community through traditions, music, food, and crafts was the catalyst for this article. Sometimes everyday life becomes invisible until you begin to analyze and categorize your experiences. You have to see, hear, smell, taste, and touch daily life in such a way that you begin to feel a sense of person in the place where you live. Connecting students with community can open doorways to the cultural legacies of many diverse groups of people. It will certainly enlighten minds.
When Henry decides to build a cabin, he is given lots of advice from his friends. While others think it should be bigger, he has his own ideas. Follow Henry through the building process and see how his cabin is just right! Henry Builds a Cabin is another fantastic book by D.B. Johnson that looks at the life of Henry David Thoreau in a delightfully engaging way. It is a book for all ages.
Here are activities you could incorporate into your language arts curriculum. Have your students read How a Book is Made by Aliki at the HarperCollins Web site. Then, print out the Noodles pop-up book page at the same location. Have your students color the picture with magic markers or crayons. Then cut, paste, and fold to make the book. Take the activity one step further by having students create their own pop-ups and stories. The following listing points you to some terrific pages that can help you get started.
Jazz up your e-mail correspondence by sending virtual postcards or flowers.
Send your students on an online author scavenger hunt.
Henry Hikes to Fitchburg by D. B. Johnson is a book for ages 4 to 104. It is based on Walden written by Henry David Thoreau, a writer, naturalist, and surveyor in the mid 1800s. In the book, Henry and his friend travel from Concord to Fitchburg, Massachusetts. Henry hikes the 30 miles while his friend works odd jobs for the train fare. Who arrives first? Read this delightful book, then choose your path to Fitchburg. Be sure to keep a journal of your activities.
With calculators, credit cards, and electronic transfers, it's tough for students to visualize the many ways in which math is used in daily life. Balancing a checkbook, creating a budget, planning for retirement, and paying taxes are distant realities. How do we instill in students the important mathematical concepts that will help them now and later in life?
Have you ever wondered whether you can blow square bubbles? Using bubble mix and pipe cleaners find out the answer to this question and others through hands-on experimentation at these Websites.
Let's Make a Deal Math"Heads, you go first; tails, I do." "I need to roll a seven to win." "If I can spin and land on a green slot the jackpot is mine." How many times have you played a game and hoped to win? What is the probability of winning? The purpose of this WebQuest is to introduce you to some interesting problems and learn about probable outcomes. At the conclusion of the WebQuest you will be able to explain why some choices are better than others.
M&Ms: In the Bag Graphing Activity
Can you guess how many M&Ms are in a bag? What is the probability of the same number of colors in each bag? The next time your students complain that math is boring, toss them a bag of M&Ms.
Mathematics is the study of the measurement, properties, and relationships of quantities and sets using numbers and symbols. It is also dazzling, magical, perplexing, challenging, cool, awesome, and fun. Research has shown that the more-abstract concepts become more concrete when modeled onscreen and guided by teachers.
Test your skill at playing an interactive version of Mastermind and learn about the history of the game.
Join Cyberbee in this interactive clock challenge along with links to sites on telling time.
Picture this scene. A family is driving home from soccer practice when suddenly Jane remembers that she has an assignment due the next day that requires some research. The library is the logical place to begin, but it will be closing in a few minutes. Suddenly panic strikes. Then, mom remembers reading an article in a magazine about homework sites on the Internet. She suggests trying out the new computer Jane received for Christmas. Up to this point Jane has used it for playing games and e-mailing her friends. To everyone’s relief, they find a treasure-trove of Web sites that will not only help Jane in her research for the next day’s assignment, but also for future projects.
How many times have you heard a scenario similar to the one above? In the past 5 years, publishers of encyclopedias, almanacs, and other reference materials have rushed to tap into the online market. It will be interesting to watch how instant access to information will evolve during the 21st century. In the meantime, you can help students determine whether the information they use from the Web is reliable by having them look at the author and source. Several Web page evaluation guides are available with checklists for critically reviewing a site.
Our lives are filled with destinations, whether it is a jaunt to a fast food restaurant or a trip to a favorite vacation spot. In each case, we need to know the directions. Sometimes we simply know how to go from point A to point B, other times we have to study maps. Think about how you give directions for navigating to your house. Do you say turn east, west, north, or south on such and such a street; or do you say left or right? Do you provide landmarks like turn east just after McDonalds or if you pass the fire station you have gone too far? If the landmarks were not there, would people be able to find the street or your house? When you have been given directions, have you ever gotten lost? How many times did you have to stop before someone could give you more precise instructions? We know that understanding how to read different kinds of maps, plot routes between two points, and interpret the data in a concise manner are important concepts for students to learn. Where on the Web can we find tools to help us? Let CyberBee show you the way.
Ready, Set, Go! Reference Sources on the Web
School library media specialists are bombarded with hundreds of questions like these every year. With tight budgets for expensive reference books, the Internet can provide some welcome relief. CyberBee has been searching the Web far and wide for the very best ready reference locations.
Hone those reference skills in this popular treasure hunt.
Bridges, Bubbles, and Boulders
What do bridges, bubbles, and boulders (rocks) have in common? They are topics covered in the science curriculum at all levels with varying degrees of difficulty. A variety of activities can be used to enhance learning and promote cross-curricular study. Many clever and captivating suggestions from teachers and organizations will allow you to venture behind the scenes of our physical world.
Use the Websites in this list to learn about butterflies, then create a butterfly garden in your schoolyard. Don't miss the iMovie of the Red Admiral.
Predicting the weather has challenged man from the beginning of time. Today, sophisticated instrumentation, satellite imagery, and instantaneous communication allow meteorologists to issue weather warnings before disaster strikes. Still, on some days it seems easier just to look outside your window. So, what do we really know about weather, and how does science help us to understand it better? Fly with CyberBee to "cool" weather Websites.
Cyberbee Meets T-Rex
Leapin' Lizards! CyberBee has time warped back over 65 million years to the age of the dinosaurs. Have fun digging into facts and exploring these great sites.Don't Count Your Chickens Before They Hatch
A big thanks goes to Amy Cress, a kindergarten teacher at Chernington Elementary School in Westerville, Ohio, who granted permission to share the PowerPoint Slide Show and iMovie she created about the hatching process of baby chicks. View the movie.Charge up your classroom with cool experiments, awesome demonstrations, and noteworthy historical information about electricity. Learn about people who made major scientific contributions that opened up new frontiers leading to household lighting, the long-distance transmission of power, and electronic devices that made life easier. Visit these Web sites for background information, illustrations, explanations, lessons, and insight into the world of electricity.
Before the next commercial break, describe a food label. "What's a food label?" you may ask. When was the last time you read one while grocery shopping? I know, you don't shop for groceries. Parents shop for groceries. You simply go to the refrigerator or cupboard and grab whatever looks tasty. That's okay, but you will need to know about nutrition which leads to this FoodQuest/WebQuest. The purpose of this WebQuest is to introduce you to the Food Guide Pyramid and food labels. At the conclusion of this WebQuest you will be able to explain the items
that are contained on a food label and their significance. You will also be able to plan a balanced meal based on the Food Guide Pyramid.How Does Your Garden Grow
When is the perfect time to plan a schoolyard garden or habitat? As e.e. cummings wrote, "in Just—spring when the world is mud-luscious." Imagine watching butterflies flitting from flower to flower or listening to the melodic coo of a morning dove as ornamental grasses sway in the gentle breeze. Each day your students keep a journal of the natural world. The classroom is buzzing with shared experiences. Your schoolyard habitat becomes the focal point.Constructing a garden is a wonderful project that can involve the entire school and community. Beautifying the school grounds fosters pride, teaches students about the environment, and creates a lasting legacy. Many schools already participate in garden or habitat projects sponsored by the National Wildlife Federation and the National Gardening Association. State and local wildlife organizations also provide programs for schools along with resources. Where do you begin? How does a garden project fit into your daily classroom instruction? Who will provide funding? CyberBee has been scouting the Web for ideas that can sow the seeds for growing, inquiring minds.
Pests, workers, artists—the intrepid insects of the world fascinate, annoy, and benefit humankind. From butterflies to bees to the lowly cockroach, insects are an integral part of the natural environment, making their mark on culture through rhyme and lore. Who can resist Jiminy Cricket, a bug transformed into a wise intellectual who advises Pinocchio and encourages kids to get the en-cy-clo-pe-di-a to find information? Who hasn't chuckled at unsuspecting bugs planning an attack only to be foiled by RAID?
What causes fireflies to blink? Did you ever wonder about the origin of "Sleep tight, don't let the bed bugs bite?" Sleep tight is a reference to the tightening of ropes that supported mattresses on old beds and don't let the bed bugs bite refers to the critters that sometimes lived in the wooden frame. Regardless of the reactions by students, insect studies are a favorite in the classroom. Let's delve into the insect world and see what we can learn.
Inquiring Minds: Science Magic
Capture the gas. Build a roller coaster. Experiment with gooey recipes. Inquiring minds can learn about science through a variety of hands-on and minds-on techniques. Structured inquiry relies on an outline of procedures with activities designed for discovering relationships and making generalizations about the data. Guided inquiry allows students to develop procedures and methods for examining concepts about a specific problem. Open inquiry challenges students to create and solve science principles, interpret data, and draw conclusions. Resources on the Web can supplement the inquiry lessons in your classroom. Explore these sites for ideas and activities.
How does that caterpillar become a butterfly? And can that little egg really grow into a frog? Exploring life cycles with students can be a fascinating adventure. Begin by having students keep a scientific journal of observations and research based on the life cycles of butterflies, mealworms, and frogs. Ask them why journals are important to scientists. What sorts of things are written in a scientific journal? What can we learn from a scientific journal? Why is it important for scientists to keep journals? As students begin asking questions, direct them to Web sites and books that will help them find the answers to these essential questions and to gain deeper understanding.
Paper Airplanes & Paper Airplane Science
Let your budding pilots test paper airplane designs and record data using the Paper Airplane Science lesson. Then, graph the results. You will be amazed.
A field trip to Spruce Run was no ordinary outing. A group of young urban scientists were going to collect data with science probes that would help them find the answers to questions posed about the differences in the ecosystems of a stream, forest, and meadow. Which type of soil supports more plant life? Why do you think the habitats have different pH levels in the soil? Are there different temperature readings among the ecosystems? After being divided into groups, students were given worksheets and rotated through stations where they learned about the characteristics of ecosystems, soil pH, difference between air and ground temperatures, and how to use probes. Laptop computers were set up in the shelter house to manipulate the information. Prior to this scientific expedition, students were prepped with background information on habitats, pH, making predictions, and soil composition. Web sites provided valuable background information and contributed to the prior knowledge necessary for scientific inquiry.
This is a study of rain forest ecology. 1) Find out what plants and animals live in the rain forest. Choose a plant or animal to investigate. Write a short report on your findings and include a picture. 2) What sights and sounds will you encounter? Take us on a musical journey through the rain forest.
Explore the realms of space with these Websites.
Science in the Classroom - Lesson for the Yuckiest Site on the Internet
In this activity students will work in groups to investigate two different organisms, a worm from the annelid phylum, and a cockroach from one of the insect orders. Each group will conduct their investigations using the World Wide Web as a resource, and a real example of the organism for comparison.
Note that there is a significant difference between the two animal examples provided. The worm will be dead and dissected. The cockroach will be alive and caged. Observations will be an important part of the group investigation, as will be a comparison of the real organisms to the technologic versions as presented on the Web.
Who took a bite out of the candy? Sticky fingers have been found on the broken aquarium glass. Wet footprints lead to the open window. What is that powdery substance next to the broken piggy bank? Answering these questions is what forensic science is all about. Learn how to be a crime solver by exploring the world of the forensic scientist. Then, solve The Case of the Barefoot Burglar.
Science Fair programs are awesome and can generate all sorts of amazing results from inspiring and engaging projects. Finding good resources that outline the process and suggest age-appropriate topics is a key component for getting students started. Another important factor is to involve parents so that they can assist their children throughout the process. Be sure to visit these CyberBee-selected Web sites for resources, tips, and experiments that will help jump-start your science fair program.
Discover the wonderful world of science with these tips and materials from the professionals.
Wonders of Science Scavenger Hunt
Have fun trying to find the solutions to these fascinating science questions.
These lesson ideas were created in a workshop with Columbus Public Schools Library Media Specialists.
Primary source visuals and text tell the story of the buffalo in relationship to Manifest Destiny. Self-running java applet.
Map trails, find treasure caches, and solve problems by using a Global Positing System (GPS) with your students.
While rummaging in grandma's attic, have you ever discovered a box of old photographs and marveled at the images, never to know who is pictured? Or found old newspapers, magazines, or sheet music and wondered how they survived the ravages of time? Imagine seeing the handwritten journal entry of Walt Whitman's observations of the wounded at the Battle of Antietam or viewing the only known picture of Lincoln at Gettysburg. Now you can reconnect with our nation's history through the National Digital Library's American Memory online collections presented by the Library of Congress.
Cavalcade of American History Revisited
Last spring Cavalcade of American History appeared in the May/June, 1998 issue of MultiMedia Schools magazine describing the American Memory collections of the Library of Congress. A year later over 20 more collections have been added as well as an expanded Learning Page designed especially for teachers.
In this activity, you will be creating a travel brochure. You may use any word processing or publishing program. In fact, you could design a Web page with the country information. Be sure to include the flag, map, common phrases, currency and its equivalent in dollars, how to travel to this destination, a description of the country, things to do, and any other interesting tidbits you might learn. Use these Web sites to help you.
CyberBee's Political Memorabilia Exhibit
This online exhibit of campaign buttons, ribbons, pins, watch fobs, medalets, postcards, and sheet music was made possible by the Ohio Historical Society and Macy Hallock who generously allowed me to photograph their collections.
Discover the American Memory collections from the Library of Congress. Learn about primary sources, search strategies, and the wealth of rich material at the click of a mouse. Lots of ideas and ready made activities to use with all grade levels of students. I created this material during a special assignment with the Library of Congress.
Enslave a people and they will find a way to escape. As the Underground Railroad developed, a metaphor unfolded that grew into a culture and myth of its own. People were passengers, although they never set foot on a train car; homes were stations, but there were no tracks; conductors led a group of people but never collected tickets. It was a road to freedom that followed the drinking gourd, a code name for the Big Dipper.
When did the Underground Railroad begin? How many people escaped between the American Revolution and the Civil War? What were the code words used on the Underground Railroad, and who were the people who risked their safety for a cause that they believed was just? Let's travel back in time and learn about the Underground Railroad.
Visit a 1921 grocery store. Egan's Basket Grocery was one of the first self-serve groceries in Colorado.
As the billowing black clouds of dust rolled and swirled across the plains in the 1930s, the American landscape was drastically changed. With their crops destroyed, a steady stream of humanity trekked westward to the promised land of California. John Steinbeck wrote vividly about the migrant camps in The Grapes of Wrath, Dorothea Lange documented the harsh conditions with compelling photographs, and Woody Guthrie, a refugee himself, sang Dust Bowl ballads. The stark reality of the Depression era contrasts sharply with the decades before and after it. Let's travel down the highway of time and view firsthand eyewitness accounts, pictures, and music archived on a variety of Web sites.
What is manifest destiny? What were some of the reasons that led to manifest destiny. What effect did it have on the people, the land, and the wildlife? Your history book is one source for information, but there are many documents, photographs, and other artifacts that were created at the time of an event. These primary resources also help to tell the story about history. Using the primary resources from the Library of Congress, your history book, and other sources, answer these questions and those on the next set of pages.
Primary Source Investigation: Children of YesterYear
Primary Source Investigation: Children of YesterYear PortraitsLearn how to use primary sources such as photographs, sound recordings, motion pictures, and documents through engaging activities around the topic of children.
April Morning by Howard Fast is on many core reading lists and addresses several of the standards in reading/language arts as well as social studies. This lesson draws upon primary sources as a means to interpret the events of April 19, 1775.
There were no cameras present to record the clashes between the Colonists and British during the struggle for independence. Our historical record relies on the stories told through paintings, drawings, broadsides, newspapers, government documents, and eyewitness accounts. The details of a skirmish or battle depend on whose account you read and the person's interpretation. These quotes illustrate two opposing viewpoints at a time when most Colonists considered themselves to be British.
We the People: Behind the Scenes with Benjamin Franklin
The U.S. Constitution is a living, flexible document that is the foundation of American government. Benjamin Franklin played a key role as elder statesman at the Constitutional Convention in 1787. Join Dr. Franklin as he shares his views about the framing of the U.S. Constitution in the town where history was made - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
Westward Expansion: Trails West
By covered wagon and handcart the emigrants came west across the plains and mountains of America. What was it like to walk 2,000 miles for the promise of fertile ground, a chance for fortune, and the dream of a new life? Who were these individuals who risked the arduous trip? What were the living conditions along the trails from Missouri to California and Oregon? Insight into this six-month journey can be derived from newspaper accounts, contemporary books of the era, and personal diaries of the people who forged an expanding nation. Many organizations, commercial companies, and individuals are publishing these materials on the Web for easy electronic access.
Analyze a primary source photograph using this guide.
Using the Big6 in the context of the Web will assist students with research and problem-solving.
With the advent of technological advances, distance education is experiencing a renaissance in delivering curriculum via two-way audio and video and the Web. Virtual classrooms are popping up at educational institutions across the U.S. and around the world. The concept of a virtual learning space allows the individual the flexibility to take a course anytime, anywhere; to interact with professors and other students in small learning communities; and to choose from a wide range of course offerings. This trend is now filtering down to K-12 schools. This idea is particularly attractive to students in remote areas who would not otherwise be able to take certain courses because there are not enough students or a qualified teacher is unavailable. It is also an innovative way to provide professional development or continuing education to K-12 teachers.
Internet Project Ideas and Activities
Starting your class with a well designed Web based project will save you lots of frustration and time. There are several organizations that provide the curriculum and framework. I would suggest choosing one from the Cyberbee, Global Schoolhouse, or Online Class.
Teacher Timesavers, Tools, and Tips
Summer is rapidly approaching. It is time to rest, relax, and leisurely explore new Web sites that offer timesaving tools, practical tips, appealing clipart, and free or inexpensive software programs that work like magic. Begin your next school year with a digital folder full of new ideas, worksheets, puzzles, and software tools that will liven up your lessons.
Create a home page using Web-based tools that offer fill-in-the-blank authoring. No HTML coding is necessary; the wizards do the job for you. If you already have a home page, jazz it up with cut-and-paste ease. If you are not a graphic artist, there are sites that provide a variety of templates, buttons, banners, icons, and animations to use as long as you link back to the site. Students will love experimenting with JavaScripts. Clocks, scrolling messages, time, and date can be placed on pages without knowing anything about writing JavaScript. Try out a message board. It's a snap for sharing information with parents, students, or colleagues. In order to build a house, the construction workers use specific materials and tools to make the job easier. It is the same when working with Web pages. If you have the proper tools, the construction will be much smoother. Here are some of CyberBee's favorite tools.
Treasure Chest of Technology Tools
Opening the media center each morning is like unlocking a treasure chest. You never know what you will find inside when the barrage of questions begins. Media specialists are thought to be equipped with a bag full of fixes for all sorts of technology related questions in addition to providing a wide array of information resources. Teachers and students alike would love to have their very own librarian-in-a-box available 24 hours a day. What is the intrepid media specialist to do when there are so many questions to answer and not always a treasure map to follow? Not to worry. CyberBee has been busy stuffing a treasure chest full of the best Web sites that will assist you in locating answers to some common technology questions.
Web-Based Lessons from Frontliners
Creating practical ways for using Web sites in the classroom was the primary focus of Computers in the Workplace, a graduate level course for teachers of the Columbus Public Schools. The framework for the lessons was based on the Big6 Information Access Skills developed by Michael Eisenberg and Bob Berkowitz at Syracuse University.