8th Grade

8

Traci’s List: 10 Unusual Sources for Research Papers

— Traci Gardner

8-11 0 favorites 0 promising practices http://www.tengrrl.com/tens/005.shtml Last updated: Fri, 08/27/2021 - 11:49 share

How It Works

Another of Ms. Gardner’s "Lists of Ten," this one is a nice twist on getting students to think beyond the usual for sources for research information. While students often stick to what is in the school’s library or what they can find with an internet search, this site offers some great ideas that explore humanities based approaches to research: such as art, interviews, music, advertising, and others. Although this site was originally created in 1998 and updated in 2005, nearly all of the information is still useful in today’s classrooms. The link included with idea #5 (Web Evaluation Link) was inactive at the time of this review.

In the Classroom

An interesting way to teach this kind of research to your students would be to assign one topic to a class and have different students or groups of students investigate the different research ideas. This could serve as a model when assigning individual work for students later in the semester. Encourage students to think "outside the box" when looking for new and supportive information for their theses. Share this list on your teacher webpage as a reference for students to access outside of class, as well.

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Tag(s): interviews, advertising,

Higher Bitesize Revision - Trigonometry

— BBC

8-11 0 favorites 0 promising practices https://www.bbc.com/bitesize/subjects/z6nygk7 Last updated: Fri, 08/27/2021 - 11:49 share

How It Works

This website, created by the BBC, includes review information (referred to as "revise") and online tests created specifically for trigonometry students ages 16+. Some of the material would be useful in the lower secondary grades also. Although this website may appear "plain vanilla," there is a wealth of information and activities just waiting to be explored. There are higher-level trigonometry topics: Radians and Equations, Compound and Multiple Angles, and The Auxiliary Angle. Once you click on the main topics, there is a list of countless subtopics at the bottom of the page (click on the arrow to scroll through). rn<br> <br>rnThe website includes Learner Guides to assist teachers, parents, and students in navigating the site, and about specific difficult concepts. Since this site was created by the UK, you may notice some slight language differences. Much of the information is available in a printable format.

In the Classroom

Project the "Revise" information on a projector or interactive whiteboard. Use the information as an anticipatory set for a new lesson or as a review prior to a quiz or test. Project the quiz and have students work at their seats. (Students will need a piece of paper to complete the online quiz, it is not interactive.) Be sure to include this link on your class website, so students can access the site and practice at home.

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  • Find interactive ABC's, colors, etc.
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Tag(s): charts and graphs, angles,

Higher Bitesize Revision - Calculus

— BBC

8-11 0 favorites 0 promising practices https://www.bbc.com/bitesize/subjects/z6nygk7 Last updated: Fri, 08/27/2021 - 11:49 share

How It Works

Although this website doesn’t appear especially engaging, there is a wealth of information and activities just waiting to be explored. Scroll down the page to find the Calculus section. The two main topics, Differentiation and Integration, both include numerous subtopics with a great deal of information. This website, created by the BBC, includes review information (referred to as "revise") and online tests created specifically for calculus students ages 16+. Some of the material would be useful in pre-calc. <br> <br> The website includes Learner Guides to assist teachers, parents, and students in navigating the site, and about specific difficult concepts. Since this site was created by the UK, you may notice some slight language differences. Much of the information is available in a printable format.

In the Classroom

Use this website in your Calculus class on an interactive whiteboard or projector. The "Revise" information would work as an anticipatory set for a new lesson or a review prior to the test. Have students work on individual computers to try the online quiz. Students will need a piece of paper to complete the online quiz, it is not interactive. Be sure to include this link on your class website, so students can access the site for practice at home.

Technology Heads-up!
  • Find interactive ABC's, colors, etc.
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Tag(s): differentiation,

Higher Bitesize Revision - Algebra

— BBC

8-11 0 favorites 0 promising practices https://www.bbc.com/bitesize/subjects/z6nygk7 Last updated: Fri, 08/27/2021 - 11:49 share

How It Works

Created by the BBC, this website offers higher-level algebra information and practice activities for algebra students ages 16+. Some of the information would be useful in pre-algebra classes also. Specific algebraic topics include <i> Function, Polynomials, Recurrence Relations, Quadratic Theory, &amp; Logarithms </i>. Each topic includes a link to review activities (referred to as "Revise" on this British website) and online practice tests. rn<br> <br>rnThe website includes Learner Guides to assist teachers, parents, and students in navigating the site, and about specific difficult concepts. Since this site was created by the UK, Americans may notice some slight language differences. Much of the information is available in a printable format.

In the Classroom

Be sure to list this link on your class website, so students can use the information to review and practice at home. In the classroom, use an interactive whiteboard or projector to share the information and take the online test together. The <i> Revise </i> activities could be used as an anticipatory set for a new lesson or a review prior to a test. Have students try their hands at the online test using individual computers. If individual computers aren’t available, print out the tests and send them home for additional practice.

Technology Heads-up!
  • Find interactive ABC's, colors, etc.
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Tag(s): polynomials, factoring, exponents, equations,

Bitesize Maths: Numbers

— BBC

4-8 0 favorites 0 promising practices http://www.bbc.co.uk/schools/gcsebitesize/maths/number/ Last updated: Fri, 08/27/2021 - 11:49 share

How It Works

This simple site offers a much information and many activities for math. There are review activities (referred to as revise) and online tests. The main topics include "Factors, Powers, and Roots," "Fractions, Decimals, and Ratios," and "Numbers."

In the Classroom

This is an ideal website to use as a review before a test or as an anticipatory set for a new topic of study in math class. Use an interactive whiteboard to share the "revise" - review activities. Then have students work in pairs to explore the activities and try their hands at the online Test. <br> <br> Save this link in your favorites and list the site on your class webpage so students can practice and review at home.

Technology Heads-up!
  • Find interactive ABC's, colors, etc.
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Tag(s): percent, numbers, negative numbers, factors, decimals,

Academic Integrity

— Ryerson University

8-11 0 favorites 0 promising practices http://www.ryerson.ca/academicintegrity/ Last updated: Fri, 08/27/2021 - 11:49 share

How It Works

This is an incredibly rich site for teaching and learning about resources, plagiarism, and writing a research paper. Although geared for Ryerson University students, all students can access the animated "story" told in episodes and many of the resources discussed in the story. Particularly helpful for students are such resources as the Assignment Calculator, which helps plan when to do what, and reference sources to access online. The key draw to this site, however, are the stories which cover unintentional plagiarism, buying or borrowing coursework, cheating on tests and exams, forging/misrepresentation &amp; unauthorized group work, and group work. All of the episodes use the same characters and teachers can download the scripts to preview or use at their discretion as supplemental. Note: the interactive quizzes offered at the end of the series are not accessible to non-Ryerson students.

In the Classroom

Downloading the scripts would offer an opportunity for groups of students to act out the episodes, always a popular idea. Having 5 groups of students watch different episodes and then report on them is another way to use the site. You can also have students watch certain episodes as assignments or enrichment. Be sure to check out the additional resources shown at the end of each episode. Social studies teachers assigning research projects may want to make these tutorials available for reference at research time.

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Tag(s): Research, plagiarism, ethics, cheating,

IPL: Literary Criticism

— U of Michigan; Drexel U

8-11 0 favorites 0 promising practices http://www.ipl.org/div/litcrit/ Last updated: Fri, 08/27/2021 - 11:49 share

How It Works

One of the most valuable (though visually plain) sections of the Internet Public Library, this site offers students reliable sources for literary criticism on the authors most studied in high school. For most students, writing their first research paper is a daunting task and a great temptation to plagiarize from a vast Internet. Walking your students through the maze of biographical and literary criticism explained on this site can show them how to incorporate their own thoughts about a work with support from the academic world. They can search via the author’s last name, by the title of the work, or by period in literary history. Students can also access the Online Literary Criticism Guide for assistance within the site or the Literary Criticism Pathfinder, a nice guide to directing students how to find resources within their own libraries.

In the Classroom

You might choose an author and, using an interactive whiteboard or projector, have students find sources for that author and discuss their own ideas of his work in contrast to what others have said. Together, write a brief essay as an example. As a bonus, you get to show them how to cite the source correctly!

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Tag(s): literature,

Calibrated Peer Review

— University of California

8-11 0 favorites 0 promising practices http://cpr.molsci.ucla.edu/ Last updated: Fri, 08/27/2021 - 11:49 share

How It Works

This site offers teachers the option of having students do writing assignments on the web. It also offers students the chance to comment on the writings of their classmates. After registering as an institution administrator or just a class administrator, the instructor can put up the writing assignment and attach relevant links, graphics, and other references. Although the lesson plan is part of the overall site offerings, the student responses are not visible to anyone but the class administrator. Another option for the teacher is to browse the lesson plans already created by other teachers and use them if so desired. This site works with Internet Explorer or Netscape Navigator. You also must have cookies enabled in your web browser. <br> <br> Although the collection of lesson plans is heavily science oriented, there are plans from other subject areas, for high school and college. The site appears to function just fine, though the copyright date on most areas is 2001.

In the Classroom

Use this site to teach students how to do peer editing. Besides allowing them to see their classmates’ writings, it has a series of specific questions, called calibrations, which give them ways to make effective comments. After students make comments on others’ essays by responding within a "calibration framework," they can read, respond to, and correct their own writings.

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Tag(s): editing, grammar, editing, grammar,

Dynamic Earth Interactive

— Annenberg Media

3-8 0 favorites 0 promising practices https://www.learner.org/series/interactive-dynamic-earth/ Last updated: Fri, 08/27/2021 - 11:49 share

How It Works

Learn the powerful forces that shape and change the Earth. Dynamic Earth explores the Earth’s Structures, Investigating Plate Tectonics, learning about Plates and Boundaries, and how the plates Slip, Slide, and Collide. Read the information provided, click on the Interactive pictures for more information, and test your knowledge in each section with interactive activities. In the end, test your skills using an online assessment.

In the Classroom

Use this site as an introduction to Geology or Earth Science or as a review of concepts previously learned in class. Use the site as a springboard for additional activities such as mapping where most earthquakes occur. Follow up with ways to prepare for earthquakes, design buildings to withstand earthquakes, or other important topics. Augment technology use in class by having students work in teams to share various aspects of earthquake knowledge for an audience of people living in an earthquake zone using Padlet, <a href="/single.cfm?id=10007">reviewed here</a>.

Technology Heads-up!
  • Find interactive ABC's, colors, etc.
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Tag(s): volcanoes, plate tectonics, mountains, geology, earthquakes, earth,

Interactive Periodic Table

— Annenberg Media

8-11 0 favorites 0 promising practices https://www.learner.org/series/interactive-the-periodic-table/ Last updated: Fri, 08/27/2021 - 11:49 share

How It Works

Follow through the basics and history of the atom, the development of the periodic table, orbitals, notation, and isotopes on this site. You can try interactive activities, such as "Name that Atom," Building Elements," "What’s In the Box," and "Isotopes: A Weighty Matter." In the end, students can check their skills with an online test. Students click on the interactive periodic table. From there, each element click in the periodic table will bring up information about the element such as atomic weight, melting point, boiling point, density, and other information. <br> <br> Click on "About this Interactive" to view an introduction and goals (including standards).

In the Classroom

The Periodic Table interactive can be incorporated into a larger unit on chemistry or physical science and is best at the High School level. It provides a good introduction to chemistry and the chemical properties of substances. Students can use each chapter to obtain background information for discussion in class. The Interactive Periodic Table provides information for each element that can be used to create a presentation about the elements or to identify trends in the periodic table.

Technology Heads-up!
  • Find interactive ABC's, colors, etc.
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Tag(s): periodic table, elements, atoms,
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