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If you teach the predator/prey concepts, here is a web activity that can be used by early elementary grades through middle school. You choose how many lions, antelope and the rate of birth for antelope and the rate the grass grows on the plain. At the bottom of the page, there is a link for additional education activities. This is a great time fill activity for your class. There are several types of writing prompts you can create from this simple science concept.

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I came across two posts to plurk today about Thanksgiving activities:

1. Get 6 letters from a colonial boy or girl - "Sign up to receive three letters from a young girl traveling on the Mayflower* and three letters from a young Native American boy*. Give your class a glimpse of history through the eyes of two school-age children. New This Year: Bonus letters and activities including vocabulary quiz, fact scavenger hunt, and readers' theater. Sign up here to receive it all."
   
   
2. You are the Historian - "Some historians think that "The First Thanksgiving" wasn't really a thanksgiving. They call it "The 1621 Harvest Celebration" because it was more like a harvest festival. You can be a historian! On this website you will discover clues about what really happened at the 1621 harvest celebration."
   

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Girls Inc.

Picture the world through the eyes of a Girls Inc. girl. She belongs to a community that empowers her to pursue the biggest dreams she can dream. She is uplifted by the strength of a national organization that is committed to inspiring the leaders of tomorrow.

This is how Girls Inc. celebrates girlhood. Letter to parents about this site.

Sally Ride Science

Science Festivals, invent a toy, hear Sally ride speak, and general information for girls to be encouraged to pursue science careers. This is a fun day, as I attended a Science Festival with my daughter about 5 years ago. I think she was to young to get it, because I was the one who stood in line for her autograph!

Gotta Have iT

Many many many resources for encouraging girls to gt involved in tech or science careers. Links to contests, challenges and lesson ideas for teachers. Resources for parents as well.


More resources and organizations on this web page.

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If you have a subscription to BrainPop then you are aware of the fantastic resources available. If you would like to sample what they have available then visit the site to see the FREE movies and take a test drive. Did you know that DEN Star Teryl McGee is a BrainPop Advisor and will be highlighted as someone to watch! Read more at: http://www.brainpop.com/about/advisors/

Join Izzit and select from a list of videos for your free one. There are several types of memberships, but I have been a member for several years and have selected a free video, with no strings attached, each year. Some of the videos available are not first run movie theatre flicks, so don't look for that. These videos include topics about the Pilgrims, David Robinson, Drew Carey, microeconomics, and solar energy.

Online Education Conference on Climate Change
from the Smithsonian Institution

Join one or all of twelve exciting sessions of the Smithsonian’s free online conference, September 29 to October 1. “Climate Change” sessions are appropriate for teachers, their students, and the general public.

In this innovative format, you will interact in real-time with Smithsonian experts and hundreds of fellow participants. With only a computer and an Internet connection, you will see and hear live presentations, take part in a moderated Q&A forum, and exchange ideas with a community of learners. It's a special behind-the-scenes look into the Smithsonian's multi-disciplinary research on climate change that can help you and your students (especially middle and high school) better understand this complex topic.

From prehistoric plant life and its reactions to climate change, to how peoples in the past dealt with changing environments, to artists’ and young innovators’ responses—it’s a conference only the Smithsonian could offer—and it’s available free of charge, to view live or replay at any time.

Register Now
For the conference program and registration, go to SmithsonianEducation.org/Climate.

Special Educator Resources
Don’t miss the special section for educators with ideas for before, during, and after the conference.

The Education Team at the Zoo will be hosting two Teacher Open Houses (October 13^th and 14^th) from 5:00-6:30 pm in order to showcase our new McNeil Avian Center as well as visit with educators about the resources and programs available through the Zoo. The event is FREE and will include light refreshments. Registration for the Open Houses is on a first-come, first-serve basis and is now available online through our Teachers’ Lounge. Please help spread the word!

Have you heard? Tua, the16-year-old Sumatran orangutan, is expecting her first baby in October. Sumatran orangutans are among the largest of all primates and also among the most endangered - scientists estimated that there were only 3500 surviving in the wild in 2002, and numbers were continuing to drop. Read a recent article about Tua and visit the Zoo’s website to learn more about Sumatran orangutans.

Information above directly from the September Educator newsletter. To contact the zoo directly email: education@phillyzoo.org

Wikis can be used for many things by different people. Even with the limited editing tools, there is enough available to create some online content for any purpose. There is a blog post on the smarttech.com site that offers 50 Ways to Use Wikis for a More Collaborative and Interactive Classroom.
When you are finished reading this article, visit this site to compare over 25 different types of wiki programs.

Want some more suggestions? Try these:

1. 38 Ways to use Wordle
2. 17 Ways to use VoiceThread
3. 23 Ways to use Nintendo DS in the classroom
4. 40 Ways to use Pocket Video
5. 21 Ways to use GoogleDocs
6. 24 Ways to use GoogleEarth
7. 42 Ways to use your IWB in your classroom
8. 34 Interesting ways to use Search Engines in the classroom
9. 25 Interesting ways to use Twitter in the classroom

Using search engines in your classroom
Best Places to learn Web2.0 tools.

Image by happy via via Flickr

In a recent podcast by The Tech Chicks, they recommended several great and FREE links/sites/applications. So be sure to visit their site and enjoy these teaching resources:

1. Math Posters
2. TakingITGlobal - social network for student to take a stand for their environment.
3. Kewl Grader - just like that little wheel you have to figure out a percentage score for a student who gets 7 wrong out of 27. There is an iPhone app for this too.
4. Bugscope - The Bugscope project provides free interactive access to a scanning electron microscope (SEM) so that students anywhere in the world can explore the microscopic world of insects.
5. SignUpNow - create an online sign up sheet for many things, homeroom activities, personal lists etc. Here is a sample: http://www.signappnow.com/sheet/hPGN6CWw
6. Energy Education - Teach your students the importance of green energy while enhancing your required curriculum. Here you'll find about 63 creative lesson plans, projects and other activities for grades K-12 on energy-related topics.
7. Reflections - Icebreaker activities

Enjoy the resources AND of course, pass them on to a colleague.

I thought this blog post about President Obama's speech for the first day of school said it all.

http://welcometoorganizedchaos.blogspot.com/2009/09/sky-is-still-there.html

Certainly we have had many other presidents speak to students early in the school year without all the fuss. They were, of course, Republican presidents. I think releasing the content of the speech in advance was a wise choice for the administration. You can read the full text below. The video is also linked here too.

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