Curriculum Resources

There is more than one way to use the Internet in your classroom!  You may want to use existing lessons and join existing projects, or you may want to locate the really useful resources, and design your own activities around them.  

Existing Lessons and Projects

• The Learning Space (http://www.learningspace.org/about.html) is a teacher-based non-profit organization.  Check out their Featured Projects (listed on the home page) or go to Connecting with Others and click on Project Announcements.  Shorter lessons are available by clicking on Teaching and Learning, then Lessons Library.
• Athena Earth and Space Science for K-12 (http://www.athena.ivv.nasa.gov/)
• The Jason Project (http://www.jasonproject.org/) offers in-depth year-long explorations through which classrooms join researchers in the field via the world wide web.  These projects are long and involved, and there is generally a charge for participation.
• Classroom Connect (http://www1.classroom.com/login/landing.jhtml) offers internet activities from short lessons to online units to quests (online adventure through which classes join teams of researchers in the field via the www).  Log on as a visitor to see what this resource has to offer.
• GOALS (http://www.goals.com/default.asp) is the Global Online Adventure Learning Site.  They offer online adventures similar to those at the Jason Project and Classroom Connect.  They may not be quite as large in scope, but they are free to access and participate in.
• Terraquest (http://www.terraquest.com/index.html) offers virtual expeditions  similar to GOALS.  Even when expeditions are over with, you can access the archived information.
• Lewis and Clark Online Base Camp (http://www.nationalgeographic.com/lewisclark/), hosted by National Geographic
• Explore Ancient Egypt (http://cgi.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/egypt/) hosted by Nova
• Thinkquest (http://www.thinkquest.org/) is a competition that asks students to design educational websites that are then hosted by ThinkQuest for other learners to access.  The Library of Entries will allow you to search the entries, or see a catalog of all entries.
• MCREL (http://www.mcrel.org/), the Mid-continent Research for Education and Learning has a lot of info on technology standards, as well as a list of Hot Links categorized by subject area.  Go to Resources and click on Hot Links.
• Blue Web’n Learning Sites Library (http://www.kn.pacbell.com/wired/bluewebn/) has lesson plans listed by content, subject area and grade level.  Also, check out the Hot Sites.

Great Information Resources for Designing your own lessons

• Discovery School (http://school.discovery.com/schoolhome.html) is hosted by Discovery Channel.  Many of their lessons are linked to current programming on the Discovery Channel.  If you click on Students, however, you will find articles and other information on subjects that rotate.  Generally, their sites are archived, so even when a subject no longer appears on the main page, you can still access the info by searching for it.
• Kathy Schrock’s Guide for Educators (http://school.discovery.com/schrockguide/index.html) is a comprehensive list of sites that are useful for teachers and students.
• NASA for Kids (http://www.nasa.gov/kids.html)
• United States Holocaust Memorial Museum (http://www.ushmm.org/)
• National Museum of Natural History (http://www.mnh.si.edu/)
• Florida Aquarium (http://www.flaquarium.net/)
• The White House (http://www.whitehouse.gov/)

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