Learn Boost

Have people at your school been looking for a way to keep an online grade book for free? I just learned about Learn Boost. It is a free online grade book along with having other features like attendance, calendars and a way to create lesson plans. If you have Google Apps for Education this programs is suppose to work with it. Check it out.

Climate Change

Are you interested in teaching climate change in your class, but aren’t sure where to start?

Do you already have some climate change materials, but want to supplement them with some reliable online resources?

Would you like a climate change reading list for kids, put together by librarians?

Click on the links below to access our website:

Climate Change Reading List for Kids

Climate Change Websites for Kids

Climate Change Curriculum Ideas for Teachers

Climate Change Reading List for Adults

Please contact us with any questions or for more information.

Thanks!

Amy De Simone & Anne Moser

Wisconsin's Water Library

Aquatic Sciences Center, University of Wisconsin-Madison

Biography for Kids

Biography Websites for Kids

compiled by Sarah Loughrin

Badgerlink has a great resource that I used with 5^th graders last year.  I’m not sure if the link will work (depending on how your computers are recognized by the state), but within Badgerlink, the Elementary School Edition of Encyclopaedia Britannica has a Biography section: http://school.eb.com/elementary/bio 

Try these,

http://pbjclibrary.state.ar.us/kidsbiography.htm

http://www.dmoz.org/Kids_and_Teens/People_and_Society/Biography/

http://www.biography.com/bio4kids/bio4kids-meet.jsp

www.awesomestories.com has visually interesting, in-depth info. linked to primary sources

Bio for Kids!

http://www.biography.com/bio4kids/index.jsp

Sites for teaching about Copyright

I have been going through my old emails and have found that I have a lot of them that have compiled list for different topics from the WEMTA listserv. I will be adding those list to my blog over the next few weeks.
The first list deals with copyright and was compiled by Naomi Harm.

http://www.copyrightkids.org/ 

http://www.cyberbee.com/copyrt.html

http://www.teachersfirst.com/copyright.cfm

http://www.bsu.edu/library/collections/copyright/students/

http://copyright.columbia.edu/copyright/fair-use/fair-use-checklist/

http://www.ehow.com/about_4882063_copyright-laws-students.html

http://www.ncwiseowl.org/zones/copyright/Student_Guidelines.html

http://school.discoveryeducation.com/schrockguide/referenc.html

http://eduscapes.com/tap/topic98.htm

http://www.techlearning.com/section/Copyright

http://www.eduscapes.com/tap/topic24.htm

http://www.richmond.k12.va.us/schools/jones/Copyright-Kids/

http://www.copyright.gov/

http://www.sdst.org/shs/library/guidelines.html

http://www.loc.gov/teachers/copyrightmystery/#/copyright/

Copyright Chart

http://archive.techlearning.com/techlearning/pdf/supplements/CopyrightGuide200506_1.pdf

Copyright Primer for Administrators

http://archive.techlearning.com/techlearning/pdf/supplements/CopyrightGuide200506_1.pdf

Copyright Quiz

http://www.csus.edu/indiv/p/peachj/edte230/copyright/quiz.htm

Lesson Plans
http://learning.blogs.nytimes.com/2006/04/28/a-way-with-words/
http://cybersmartcurriculum.org/mannersbullyingethics/lessons/6-8/considering_copying/
http://www.readwritethink.org/classroom-resources/lesson-plans/exploring-plagiarism-copyright-paraphrasing-1062.html
http://www.readwritethink.org/classroom-resources/lesson-plans/students-creators-exploring-copyright-1085.html

Plagerism

http://tlt.its.psu.edu/plagiarism/tutorial

You Quote - You Notes- shared with me on Twitter today:

http://library.acadiau.ca/tutorials/plagiarism/

Copy the "Right" Way  -  a webquest

Library of Classroom Curricula - Copyright Alliance Education Foundation and educational organizations like Weekly Reader, iSafe, and Young Minds Inspired.   Curriculum designed to help incorporate copyright lessons into K-12 classrooms by subject area.

Sharing Creative Works - comic about Creative Commons. It aims to explain the basics of CC licensing as simply.

Teaching Copyright - Electronic Frontier Foundation project developed curriculum that will help students understand and exercise their rights and responsibilities.

Thinkfinity - Standards-based lessons, interactives, worksheets, media, and more. 

Many more resources on the WEMTA website at http://www.wemta.org/members/copyright_sites.cfm

Read Aloud Books for 8th Graders

Here is a list of read aloud books for 8th graders. This list was created from suggestions from teachers I work with and suggestions from WEMTA listserv users.

• Uglies by Westerfield
• Hunger Games by Collins 
• Freak the Mighty by Philbrick 
• House of the Scorpion by Farme
• Chronicles of Vladimir Tod by Brewer
• Wanted by Cooney
• Among the Hidden
• Buddha Boy by Kathe Koja 
• Bruiser by Neal Shusterman
• Witch and Wizard by Patterson
• Moon over Manifest by Clare Vanderpool

Also check out Nancy Keane's website for her list.

http://nancykeane.com/rl/1119.htm

Battle of the Books

Our school does the Wisconsin Battle of the Books and here are some suggestions from other coaches as to what they do with their students to prepare for the Battle.

•  l went to all the middle school reading classes and book talked the BOB list in September to create interest and get the kids to start reading the books.. Teams signed up in December. After the Christmas break we met during lunch time once a week to quiz each other on the books using the questions provided. I also gave them spelling tests at the beginning each meeting in Jan. to make sure they knew the authors and correct spellings. One thing that was a big hit was an after school practice night where I provided treats and prizes. We played Jeopardy using questions from the books.
  
  At the end of the year we had a pizza and ice cream party after school and played BOB Bingo. I have several kids looking forward to participating next year. Hopefully someone will take over for me. It is a great program and the WEMTA volunteers do a wonderful job of organizing and providing resources for us.
  
  Carla
• I create bookmarks that have a check box in front of the title so that the students can check the book off their list after they have read it.  

•    When the practice questions come out I print them and put a code for the correct book on each question.  I cut them up and divide them into groups.  Then I try to get the students to come in and practice with the practice questions.  when I coached elementary teams, I set up a schedule for them to come in and practice with the questions. Now that I am in a middle school, it is impossible to get teams together to practice. I encourage them individually to take the practice quizzes.

Mary Hayes

Antigo

• I am in HS. I created a Google Doc spreadsheet with booklist, meeting dates, and email/contact information of those on team(s). Students have access/editing permissions to go in and sign up to read books and check off when completed. When I schedule meetings I send (share) notices through Google docs. At meetings students help plan future meeting dates/activities. They sometimes just like to sit around and have book discussions. During practice months we capitalize on meeting and utilizing opportunities. We have refreshments and snacks. Communication is key.

Nancy Biese

• I have students use index cards and make flashcards for themselves.  On one side the author, the other the title.  They can quiz themselves.  Some will make a couple sets so they can keep one set in the car, backpack, etc.

• I also write out questions from the books as I read them that are in the same format as the questions asked during the competition.  These I also put on index cards (for myself.)  I continue to add more questions with each meeting we have.  Then the last couple weeks before competition, I'll go through all of them.  If I don't get all the books read, I will have some upperclassmen who were past battle participants write some questions up for me.  They love this!  And are eager to help.  

• I also have each student do a 'book talk' on the book they read.  We discuss them plot, characters, setting, etc.  

Order in the Library

Order in the Library is a great web game that will help students learn how to put books in order on a bookshelf. This game also allows for the student to print a certificate when they finish a section.