Middle School Resources

by Mike Campbell

May 24, 2007

• Teach Vietnam - Echoes From The Wall offers a wealth of resources about the Vietnam War experience. Lesson plans may be accessed through the Teachers' Guide link on the Educators page. Sponsored by Vietnam Veterans Memorial Fund.

• Science Hangman - Here's a fun site, developed by science educators, where students can improve their science vocabulary and enjoy the familiar Hangman word game. Select from many categories, including 6th/7th/8th grade science.

• SuperThinkers -This Flash-driven website features a set of original games and interactive mysteries designed to foster literacy and problem-solving. Created by children's book author Peter H. Reynolds and his creative team at Emmy Award-winning FableVision.

• The Race for DNA - Science teachers will want to explore this special collection at Oregon State University, documenting the scientific (and very human) competition to be first to describe the double helix structure of DNA. The collection draws on the papers and work of Nobel laureate Linus Pauling. There's rich material here for a collaborative project among history and science teachers.

• Teaching about War - Education World offers educators expert tips on how to address the issues of war and terrorism with their students. Included: Strategies for different age groups.

• Discovery School - Education World calls this site "enormously impressive" with lots of valuable resources for teachers and students. And it's well-organized, too!

• Inventing - "Everything that can be invented has been invented." proclaimed Charles Duell, Director of the U.S. Patent Office, arguing in 1899 for the closure of his department. It seems he was wrong. The U.S. Patent Office is still busy. And the Web is full of inventions, inventors and advice on inventing. (Surfing the Net with Kids)

• It's My Life - This interactive health site, funded by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, focuses on mental health and relationship issues that children face in their everyday lives. Lots of color, cute graphics, and easily read text make this site appealing. RealVideo plug-in is needed to view the video clips. (Education World A+)

• Vietnam Women's Memorial Project - Nearly 10,000 women actually served in-country during the Vietnam conflict. Articles describe the types of jobs women performed during the war. Also includes first person narratives from women veterans, information about the memorial, and links to more information.

• Project-Based Learning Website - This free professional development module from The George Lucas Educational Foundation can be used as a self-study course or as a staff development presentation. The Web-based, interactive modules answer the what, why, and how of project-based learning and include video clips of real teachers, students, and schools implementing project-based learning.

• An American Fairy Tale - This website, developed to accompany the Library of Congress exhibition of Frank Baum and the Wizard of Oz, shares history, the colorful illustrations and many artifacts. An integrated LA-history lesson for sure!

• Noodle Quest –"Wow!," writes a teacher. "This amazing Web research tool actually answers the inevitable first question: 'Where do I start?' Just answer the seven multiple-choice questions starting with 'Are you a kid, pretty new to the Internet, or an Internet wizard?" and click 'Show Me a Research Strategy.' This is my pick of the day because of the variety and quality of the research sites it unearths."

• ClassZone/Web Research Guide – This tutorial helps teach middle-school students to research, evaluate and cite web sites. It begins with a quiz to evaluate how much students know about the Internet and offers five lessons. The first explores the advantages of both the Web and traditional library research.

• The Kids Philosophy Slam – This annual program is designed to make philosophy fun and accessible to all kids in grades K-12, as well as to help promote critical thinking skills and encourage dialogue with other students and adults. The Philosophy Slam asks kids to answer a philosophical question. This year, it's "What is the Meaning of Life?" Students can express themselves in words, artwork, poetry or song. Each grade level has its own national winner,

• Congress for Kids - Learning about government doesn't have to be boring. This site gives students access to interactive, fun-filled experiences designed to teach about the foundation of our federal government and how its actions affect all of us.

•The Exploratorium - One of the first science museums to build a site on the Web, the Exploratorium site offers more than 10,000 Web pages and hundreds of sound and video files, exploring hundreds of different topics.

•Free Online Resources