8th Grade

8

Religions of the World

— BBC

8-11 0 favorites 0 promising practices http://www.bbc.co.uk/religion/religions/ Last updated: Fri, 08/27/2021 - 11:48 share

How It Works

This factual guide to understanding world religions (Buddhism, Christianity, Hinduism, Islam, Judaism, and Sikhism) presents historical information, basic beliefs, and common practices in a clear, unbiased format. Links to other helpful resources are provided, including full-length audio clips from related BBC programs - in RealPlayer format only. This is a concise and useful resource for any World Religions or World Cultures class. From BBC World Service.

In the Classroom

These short "at a glance" looks could be a really great way to help students review major concepts during a unit on world religions. Assign students to small groups of 4-5, with each group assigned a different religion to review and present. Based on the information here and from class, have students put together a multimedia presentation that can be used to help their peers review the information.Have cooperative learning groups create podcasts demonstrating their understanding of one of the concepts. Use a site such as PodOmatic (<a href="/single.cfm?id=8094">reviewed here</a>). These review casts can be presented in class OR posted on the class website to allow students to review both in and out of the classrom!

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Tag(s): religions, religions,

Backyard Nature

4-8 0 favorites 0 promising practices http://www.backyardnature.net/index.html Last updated: Fri, 08/27/2021 - 11:48 share

How It Works

Life science teachers can find a wide variety of information about many aspects of the natural world in this well-organized site. Topics include geology, plants, fungi, animals, and naming/classifying living things. A section on "tools" provides guidance in selecting the proper items for successful nature study (i.e., field guides, binoculars, notebooks). Most importantly, all of the information is geared toward understanding nature in your own backyard (or schoolyard!). Encourage your students to check out the link to 101 Nature-Oriented Things to Do for some great science-based ideas on how to fill those long summer days.

In the Classroom
Technology Heads-up!
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  • Donec rutrum congue leo eget malesuada. Mauris blandit aliquet elit, eget tincidunt nibh pulvinar a. Curabitur aliquet quam id dui posuere blandit. Mauris blandit aliquet elit, eget tincidunt nibh pulvinar a.
  • Donec rutrum congue leo eget malesuada. Mauris blandit aliquet elit, eget tincidunt nibh pulvinar a. Curabitur aliquet quam id dui posuere blandit. Mauris blandit aliquet elit, eget tincidunt nibh pulvinar a.
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Tag(s): animals, classification, plants, animals, classification, plants,

War Letters

— PBS

8-11 0 favorites 0 promising practices http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/americanexperience/features/the-great-war-pershing/ Last updated: Fri, 08/27/2021 - 11:48 share

How It Works

Teach American history through the words of those who were there. This fascinating site focuses on personal narratives from man and women who captured the horror, sadness, and intensity of war. Experiences from the American Revolution to the Persian Gulf War are reflected in featured letters. Although this site is designed around a companion PBS special, much can be learned from the on-line materials without viewing the program. Visit the Teacher’s Guide for suggestions on using personal narratives in history class. Other features include a gallery of wartime cartoons, an interactive timeline (1775-1994), and a military postal history trivia game.

In the Classroom

History, Civics, Economics and Geography teachers will love the free lesson plans and activities offered in the "Teacher Guide" section. Beyond that the site also offers games and movie clips that would help make the site a useful lecture supplement or learning center.

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Tag(s): memorial day,

Wordsworth Trust

8-11 0 favorites 0 promising practices http://www.wordsworth.org.uk/ Last updated: Fri, 08/27/2021 - 11:48 share

How It Works

The life and poetry of William Wordsworth is the focus of this simple but revealing site that provides useful background for a study of 19th century British writers. Take a virtual tour of Dove Cottage, Wordsworth’s home in the charming hamlet of Town End, to gain insight into his inspiration and influences. A discussion of themes found in Wordsworth’s poetry and an introduction to the lives and works of his contemporaries are also provided.

In the Classroom
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  • Donec rutrum congue leo eget malesuada. Mauris blandit aliquet elit, eget tincidunt nibh pulvinar a. Curabitur aliquet quam id dui posuere blandit. Mauris blandit aliquet elit, eget tincidunt nibh pulvinar a.
  • Donec rutrum congue leo eget malesuada. Mauris blandit aliquet elit, eget tincidunt nibh pulvinar a. Curabitur aliquet quam id dui posuere blandit. Mauris blandit aliquet elit, eget tincidunt nibh pulvinar a.
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Tag(s): britain, england, britain,

Kaboom

— PBS

8-11 0 favorites 0 promising practices http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/kaboom/ Last updated: Fri, 08/27/2021 - 11:48 share

How It Works

What do those Fourth of July fireworks and the Periodic Table have in common? Plenty! This creative and interactive site not only teaches students about the history and elements of the Periodic Table, but helps them discover which elements are responsible for the colors and special effects evident in a fireworks display. This site was created by NOVA.

In the Classroom

Share this "hot" site on your interactive whiteboard or projector. Use this site to connect a topic students LOVE (fireworks) and the periodic table. Have cooperative learning groups explore this site together and create a multimedia presentation. Challenge groups to create online posters using a tool such as Web Poster Wizard (<a href="/single.cfm?id=7332">reviewed here</a>).

Technology Heads-up!
  • Find interactive ABC's, colors, etc.
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  • Donec rutrum congue leo eget malesuada. Mauris blandit aliquet elit, eget tincidunt nibh pulvinar a. Curabitur aliquet quam id dui posuere blandit. Mauris blandit aliquet elit, eget tincidunt nibh pulvinar a.
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Tag(s): periodic table, fire, elements,

Physics Classroom

8-11 0 favorites 0 promising practices http://www.physicsclassroom.com Last updated: Fri, 08/27/2021 - 11:48 share

How It Works

This collection of high school physics tutorials can be used to introduce or review basic concepts while providing real-life applications. Topics include Newton’s laws, Vectors and Projectiles, Work and Energy, Momentum and Collisions, and much more! QuickTime movie animations show projectiles, collisions, and roller coasters in motion so that changes in acceleration, energy, and velocity can be seen as the action progresses. Add this link to your class web site and keep available on a classroom computer. Created by The Physics Classroom and Mathsoft Engineering & Education, Inc. QuickTime required.

In the Classroom
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  • Find interactive ABC's, colors, etc.
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  • Donec rutrum congue leo eget malesuada. Mauris blandit aliquet elit, eget tincidunt nibh pulvinar a. Curabitur aliquet quam id dui posuere blandit. Mauris blandit aliquet elit, eget tincidunt nibh pulvinar a.
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Tag(s): tutorials, vectors, tutorials, vectors,

Literature Network

8-11 0 favorites 0 promising practices http://www.online-literature.com/ Last updated: Fri, 08/27/2021 - 11:48 share

How It Works

This searchable resource offers an incredible collection of literary works including hundreds of full books, short stories, and poems with related biographical information about the authors. Other features include a database of quotations and a carefully monitored literature forum - appropriate for teachers or serious high school literature students. Visitors can even sign up for a free "Sonnet a Day" newsletter that will provide some Shakespearean enlightenment in the form of a daily email.

In the Classroom

Use the quizzes on this site to test what students already know or are learning amidst a unit. Quizzes can be found within each author’s heading, and relate to each major piece of work of the author. If letting students complete the quizzes online, make sure to save the site as a favorite on classroom computers, making it easier for them to navigate there.

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  • Donec rutrum congue leo eget malesuada. Mauris blandit aliquet elit, eget tincidunt nibh pulvinar a. Curabitur aliquet quam id dui posuere blandit. Mauris blandit aliquet elit, eget tincidunt nibh pulvinar a.
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Tag(s): authors, literature, quotations, sonnets, authors, literature, quotations, sonnets,

Theban Mapping Project

8-11 0 favorites 0 promising practices http://www.thebanmappingproject.com/ Last updated: Fri, 08/27/2021 - 11:48 share

How It Works

This virtual archaeological experience provides visitors with an up close and personal introduction to the Valley of the Kings. From the digs at Thebes, where students can zoom into the atlas and explore tombs by watching movies, to interactive diagrams and revealing thumbnail shots, the experience of revealing the secrets of an ancient culture is impressively simulated. Other features of the site include interactive maps that can be used to measure distance and elevation, printable tomb maps in PDF format, an exhaustive archaeological and image database, and a comprehensive timeline and glossary.

In the Classroom

This is an extensive resource, so provide your students with a plan of attack before turning them loose. Created by the Theban Mapping Project at the American University in Cairo.

Technology Heads-up!
  • Find interactive ABC's, colors, etc.
  • Donec rutrum congue leo eget malesuada. Mauris blandit aliquet elit, eget tincidunt nibh pulvinar a. Curabitur aliquet quam id dui posuere blandit. Mauris blandit aliquet elit, eget tincidunt nibh pulvinar a.
  • Donec rutrum congue leo eget malesuada. Mauris blandit aliquet elit, eget tincidunt nibh pulvinar a. Curabitur aliquet quam id dui posuere blandit. Mauris blandit aliquet elit, eget tincidunt nibh pulvinar a.
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Tag(s): pyramids, egypt,

Graphic Witness

8-11 0 favorites 0 promising practices http://graphicwitness.org/ineye/index2.htm Last updated: Fri, 08/27/2021 - 11:48 share

How It Works

Visual arts and social commentary come together in this site that looks at human history through the lens of artists and illustrators. Topics include graphic arts in wartime, 19th century news illustrations, 9-11 aftermath, and art under duress. Use this site to provoke discussion, guide reflective writing, or inspire personal artistic expression. These compelling images would make very effective anticipatory sets when projected in the classroom.

In the Classroom

Use the images to create a visual discovery activity in your classroom - for example, use the collection of drawings to teach the events of 9/11 to your students. Share the images on the interactive whiteboard or projector, with students filling out reflections about each image. Reflections should focus on what they observe, infer and predict about each image. After showing a few of the more powerful images, have a class discussion as to what students wrote in their reflections. Going back to each image - what did we learn? What can we assume? What does this picture tell us about this event? You would be surprised about the emotional impact students learn, in addition to the content. This would be a good activity to do as a review, when students are able to use the information on class to project about the images. A great resource for a US history course.

Technology Heads-up!
  • Find interactive ABC's, colors, etc.
  • Donec rutrum congue leo eget malesuada. Mauris blandit aliquet elit, eget tincidunt nibh pulvinar a. Curabitur aliquet quam id dui posuere blandit. Mauris blandit aliquet elit, eget tincidunt nibh pulvinar a.
  • Donec rutrum congue leo eget malesuada. Mauris blandit aliquet elit, eget tincidunt nibh pulvinar a. Curabitur aliquet quam id dui posuere blandit. Mauris blandit aliquet elit, eget tincidunt nibh pulvinar a.
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Muslims, Islam and Iraq

— University of Georgia

8-11 0 favorites 0 promising practices http://www.uga.edu/islam/iraq.html Last updated: Fri, 08/27/2021 - 11:48 share

How It Works

Help your students gain an accurate cultural understanding of the people of Iraq with this comprehensive resource that presents scholarly unbiased information. Topics include breaking news, an interactive map of Iraq, the modern history of Islam, Muslim sects, underlying causes of the crisis, the Muslim response to the war, and so much more. Because of the overwhelming amount of information on this site, make sure that you provide some direction for your students. Use this source as a starting point for independent research projects, web quests, or current events analysis

In the Classroom

There is a TON of information on this site, so be sure to know what you are looking for if entering. One aspect that is extremely helpful are all the maps provided. Save and download some of the maps to use in presentation about the current or historical events in Iraq. Students are often confused about the geography of the Middle East, so the image can help them organize their thoughts. This sight would also be useful for any students completing a research project or paper on Iraq. Definitely useful for a government or World history classroom.

Technology Heads-up!
  • Find interactive ABC's, colors, etc.
  • Donec rutrum congue leo eget malesuada. Mauris blandit aliquet elit, eget tincidunt nibh pulvinar a. Curabitur aliquet quam id dui posuere blandit. Mauris blandit aliquet elit, eget tincidunt nibh pulvinar a.
  • Donec rutrum congue leo eget malesuada. Mauris blandit aliquet elit, eget tincidunt nibh pulvinar a. Curabitur aliquet quam id dui posuere blandit. Mauris blandit aliquet elit, eget tincidunt nibh pulvinar a.
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Tag(s): iraq,