Internet Lesson Plans and Projects

• Virtual Field Trips - An excellent resource for a variety of field trips.

• Kathy Schrock's Guide for Educators - A great resource of activities for teachers.
• www.learnnc.org/lessons/  - Lots of great lesson plans. 

• Blue Web'n Learning Sites - Links to online learning sites, lessons, activities, and projects.
• Global SchoolNet Foundation - Connect with other teachers around the world, join a collaborative project, find great educational resources.

• ePals - Set up your class with pen pals around the globe.

Internet Resources

• Marco Polo - provides the highest quality standards-based Internet content and professional development to K-12 teachers and students throughout the United States.
• Rhyme Zone - Check out this site for rhyming words, synonyms, definitions and more.
• Culture Quest World Tour
• The Art Room - This is a virtual art room. Students can create, discover, imagine, invent, learn, and make their thoughts become things.
• KidsReads.com - This site has book reviews, games, word scrambles, and current news all about children's' books.
• Sci4Kids Contents Page

• Childrens' Literature Web Guide - The place to go for anything and everything to do with children's literature on the   Web.
• Carol Hurst's Children's Literature Site
• The Learning Page for the Library of Congress American Memory Collection - A collection of historical photographs, maps, prints, documents, sound recordings and film. 
• Winter Weather Across America - Learn the weather regions across America and what can be expected for the winter season in each area.
• The United States Mint - Check out activities about coins that may be used in the classroom.
• Quilted Math - Quilts have much to do with both geometry and American heritage. Investigate quilting further with Riverdeep's feature, "Quilted Math". Several excellent activities and resources accompany the article.
• eThemes: Creating Internet Resources for Teaching and Sharing - over 400 teacher-created lists of links arranged by common themes taught in the classroom.
• Create and Print a Graph - This online tool allows teachers to create and print graphs for classroom presentations, or students can use this tool to add graphs to their research reports. Choices include bar graphs, pie charts, area graphs, and line graphs.
• Picturing Music - How would songs look if you could see them? That's entirely up to your students in this art and music lesson
  plan, where students paint abstract visual color patterns while listening to music. Experiment with various types of music for different results.
• Crepe Paper Blots - Experiment with color and expressive art, along with a little bit of kitchen chemistry. Crepe paper can be cut into different shapes and sizes for different effects. The vinegar is the catalyst for allowing the dye and
  shape to seep through the crepe paper onto the construction paper. Find further directions here.
   

Teacher's Helper

• NURSERY RHYMES FOR TRANSITION TIMES:  http://www.preschoolrainbow.org/transition-rhymes.htm
  Make clean-up and transition of activities fun in your preschool classroom with these nursery rhymes; a Spanish song is also included.
• Kendall/Hunt Publishing Company - Communicate with other educators about Math Trailblazers.
• Teacher Files - Free educational clip art.  Educational Headers, Words and Signs, Text Boxes, and nu-
  merous other categories are available in this educational
  clipart selection.
   
• Quia! - A site that has easy to use templates to create pop-up quizzes, matching and concentration games, word searches, and flash cards.
• Story Telling - Tips on the art of story telling.  A great resource for students too.
• Classroom Management and Organization - Print out charts, awards and certificates.
• abcteach - A selection of printable card templates that will help guide and organize students in their research projects.
• Customized Calendars - Here is a great online tool for generating a customized or individualized calendar, according to your needs and preferences.
• Enchanted Learning - A great website that produces children's educational web sites and games which are designed to capture the imagination while maximizing creativity, learning, and enjoyment.
• Primary Games - This site contains games for elementary school children.
• Bulletin Board Ideas for the K-3 Teacher
• The Teacher's Guide - A list of lesson plans, thematic units, book activities, teacher freebies, children's songs and more!
• Kinderart - A great site for art project ideas.
• Butterfly Bulletin Board Borders - Print out these butterflies for your students or for a bulletin board.
• Frog Counters - Use these with a math lesson or for whatever!
• Alphabet Fish - Download and print out the templates here to create an alphabet fishing game. For each uppercase letter and lowercase letter, attach "hooks" in the form of metal paper clips. Your fishing line will have a magnet attached as your students fish for letters.
• Mind Bender Mini Book - Print out copies of these mini books for intermediate stu-
  dents, and hand them out as prizes for end of year school
  games, or simply as a special treat for your students.

Holiday Helpers

• Veteran's Day

• Border Paper for Thanksgiving
• Pilgrim Cards
• Plimoth Plantation - Read about the history of the 1st Thanksgiving.

• Thanksgiving Word Search Game
• Thanksgiving Stationary - Check out this paper that you can copy.
• The Pilgrim's Voyage:  A Map and the Mayflower
• Then and Now:   Life in Early America, 1740 - 1840
• Video Demonstrations of Colonial Tools
• Native American Crafts - November crafts offered here include finger pots from
  a homemade clay recipe, weaving with yarn and cloth strips, or making masks with corn husks, gourds, or paper bags.
• Paper Weavings - Have your students complete a simple task to understand one of the jobs in Colonial America. These construction paper weavings can easily be turned into Thanksgiving
  placemats.
• Pilgrim Fact Cards - Print out copies of these fact cards on the Pilgrims to use with your own unit on Early America. Topics include the First Winter, Life at Plymouth, Plymouth Children, and Planning for the Voyage.
• Pilgrim Fact Cards - Seven lesson plans to go along with the URL listed above this one.
• Thanksgiving Menu Then and Now - How about compiling a class Thanksgiving cookbook of your students' families' favorite recipes? Students will also have a chance to compare Thanksgiving menus from 1621 and today using a Venn Diagram (included), and create a holiday card using online clip art.
• Spring Songs and Poems
• St. Patrick's Day Counting Worksheet

Social Studies

Historical Treasure Chests - provides models for engaging students in the investigation of authentic materials from the past.

Outline of the Civil War

Outline of the Civil War

Outline of the Civil War

The above sites offer not only a detailed outline of Civil War events, but a collection of links as well to all topics outlined; great for student research projects (as always, please make sure all off-site links are appropriate before allowing student access). Use the 2nd URL above to access student quizzes; the 3rd URL provides an alternative Civil War outline.

The Valley of the Shadow - Primary documents form the basis of this online archive, showing the Civil War from two different but very real perspectives: north and south. Have students use the documents to create a fictional narrative or to write newspaper articles to document an event or time period.

Civil War Recipes - Hard tack was a staple of the Civil War. Have your students whip up a few authentic period recipes to wind up your Civil War unit with an exhibit and presentation day,
complete with food and costume.

The Civil War Home Page

 Chinese New Year Activities

• Chinese Paper Yo-Yo - These paper yo-yo's are fairly simple to create, and you can decorate your papers with a wide variety of designs to individualize this fun project.
• Printable Chinese Fans - Younger students will enjoy coloring, folding, and using these printable Chinese fans. Different Chinese pattern sheets are available to choose from.
• Chinese Paper Lantern - These paper lanterns are simple enough for early elementary grades to handle, yet elegant enough for older students to appreciate as well. A few simple cuts, paper of your choice, and you've got a Chinese New Year decoration.
• How to make a Chinese gift packet
• Chinese New Year Decorations
• Learn to count in Cantonese
• Play Mahjong - Learn how to play the classic Chinese game of Mahjong with this interactive and online version.

100th Day of School Activities

• Creative 100 Days of School Activities - If you need some creative ideas to help you celebrate your 100th day of school, here is a wide selection to choose from, from quick and simple activities to ongoing, all-day events.
• 100 Day Ideas - Feeling a bit stumped for some new ways to mark day one hundred with your school or class? Look no further. This site offers no less than three hundred suggestions to
  create a memorable day.

Presidents' Day

• Presidents' Day Activities - Students will be comparing the lives of George Washington and Abraham Lincoln, completing an online internet hunt for either or both presidents, writing quizzes on their research, and creating a PowerPoint class presentation.
• Presidents' Day Coloring Pages - Download and print these pages for primary students to celebrate Presidents' Day.

Arts and Crafts

Weaving and Yarn Projects

• Coiled Yarn Baskets - Clothesline or rope can provide the base for forming your coil in this art lesson plan. Students will learn more about the many cultures who have created colorful
  coiled baskets, then use yarns and fibers to create their own versions.

• Soda Straw Yarn Weaving - The art of weaving has been with numerous cultures for
  a very long time. Students can create their own woven bookmarks following this method, using yarn and soda straw. Find further directions here.

• Huichol Yarn Painting - The Huichol peoples of North Central Mexico create elaborate paintings with yarn. Your students can design their own versions, using yarn and glue and following
  the instructions in this art lesson plan.

Reading/Literature Websites

• LD Online - A great site about learning disabilities and reading.

• LD Resources

• Vaughn Gross Center for Reading and Language Arts

• PBS Kids - Between the Lions

• Big Ideas in Beginning Reading

• National Institute for Literacy

• The National Right to Read Foundation

• Leveled Books Database - Just type in a book title and this interactive database allows you to search for books that have been leveled using both Reading Recovery, Fountas and Pinnell levels.

• Leveled Picture Books - This site will search by title, author, or level.  For instance, if you are looking for books at a Reading Recovery level of 16, this will give you a list of books to choose from at that level.

• Starfall - a creative website designed to teach children to read.

• Harcourt School Publishers - website for teachers, students and parents.

• Connecticut State Department of Education - Language Arts Handbook for the Connecticut Mastery Test.

• International Reading Association (IRA) - promotes literacy through research and specialized instruction. The IRA Web site contains links to projects, conferences, councils, publications, and membership information.

• No Child Left Behind

• Reading is Fundamental - website offers all types of information for teachers.

• 103 Things to Do Before/After/During/After Reading - Generate a good deal of enthusiasm about your reading selections and classes with these very creative activities, with numerous ideas to last throughout the school year.

• Book Talks - If you are looking for a specific book, another book by the same author, or trying to match a book to your
  students' interest level, this site offers a synopsis on books from a huge database of titles and levels.

• Children's Literature - Offers suggestions for great books to complement your curriculum.  This site offers reviews, links to authors and much more.

• American Folklore Lessons - This site features an outstanding collection of tall tales, campfire stories, Native American tales, animal stories, famous characters and legends.
   

Guided Reading Websites

• Guided Reading in the Primary Classroom

• Reading Assessment and Intervention - In order to produce effective, efficient, and practical results in your reading classes, try the assessment ideas offered here for word recognition, comprehension, and writing. Both a literary elements chart and a sample record are included.
   

Agencies and Organizations

• U.S. Department of Education
• Connecticut Department of Education
• NEA: National Education Association
• CEA: Connecticut Education Association
• ASCD: Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development
• International Reading Association
• Learning to Read

• ALSC: Association for Library Service to Children
• AASL: American Association of School Librarians

Educational Research

• AskERIC - Submit education-related questions; links to educational resources; search ERIC databases for journal articles and documents.

Just for Fun

• Good Quotations by Famous People - Some great quotes collect by Gabriel Robins.
• Best Book Buys