Sites to See for Sept. 14

HippoCampus
http://www.hippocampus.org/
Free, online resources for students and teachers in a variety of subjects. I played with the Algebra modules and found the explanations to be good and the practice questions helpful—when you get the question wrong, it explains why. Several other subject areas are available. (This coming from someone who can do algebra but can’t explain to you how she got the answer!) If you feel so inclined, you can also create your own HippoCampus resources to share.

Making a Difference - Christian Science Monitor

http://www.csmonitor.com/Specials/making-a-difference
If you feel like the news isn’t terribly uplifting, this series about people who make the world a better place should lift your spirits. Might be good stories to share with your students in those moments when you get to just talk.


Museum Blogs - Museum News and Blog Directory
http://museumblogs.org/
As someone who’s insanely curious about things and gets sparked into finding out more very easily, this collection of art, history, and science museum blogs makes me happy. The people writing for these blogs are professional curious people.


Comics in the Classroom - 100 Tips, Tools and Resources for Teachers
http://www.teachingdegree.org/2009/07/05/comics-in-the-classroom-100-tips-tools-and-resources-for-teachers/
Doing a something a little different and getting our kids’ attention is always a good thing. These sites offer lesson plans, recommendations of comics and graphic novels, and other teacher resources.

Zipcode Zoo
http://zipcodezoo.com
Helps you identify animals, plants, birds, butterflies and more in your area. Includes a "Critter ID Forum," slide shows, videos, an Ask a Biologist podcast, and more.


NowPublic.com: Crowd-Powered Media
http://www.nowpublic.com/
Where ordinary citizens can report the news—I’m always curious what other people call “news.”