Teachers First - Thinking Teachers Teaching Thinkers

This is a wonderful compilation site of news from all over the world. Users can read the home page or search news of a specific geographic region. An excellent plus here is the ability to choose to read the news in a variety of languages. World Photos today, multimedia, global weather, and sports are just a few of the many attractive sections that add to this site's appeal.

tag(s): news (229)

This unit plan gives students the opportunity to get feedback on their writing from a totally impartial source. Students research and write position papers on a variety of topics, working step by step from to thesis statement to writing. The students then email their papers via e-mail to other schools and students for feedback. The students' final papers are posted to the school's web site for global access.

While this site does give a template of lessons for students to follow as a guide, teachers have a wide range of flexibility with it. Topics can be about anything of your choosing; the length of time given to the lesson and the type and amount of feedback is controlled. While this project started within the subject of Social Studies, this unit can be used in conjunction with any subject.

tag(s): writing (325)

SHOW your students the changes in U.S. presidential politics and policy over time using this "tag cloud" of word frequencies from presidential speeches (and a few before we even HAD a president) 1776-2007. If you have never seen a tag cloud, it is simply a way of using the relative size of words to show the frequency with which that word appears. Slide the slider across the timeline at the top of the tag cloud to see words appear, shrink, disappear, etc from the language of U.S. leaders over time. Note the introduction of new terms (terrorism) and when they appear. What a marvelous way to build perspective on history and awareness of the importance of rhetoric in the role of a leader.

tag(s): debate (42), elections (82), politics (118), speech (69), speeches (23)

This unique webquest takes students to different sites to research their parts in the trial. They learn law definitions and even investigate the motivation of the character of George in the novel "Of Mice and Men." Especially good for lower level students, this site broadens the students' look beyond just the novel, bringing it into the contemporary world of students who believe they are "law savvy."

Students love to debate, and this gives them opportunity to do it within a specific format similar to the US justice system. Learning what a bailiff and a court reporter do, as well as a judge, public defender, etc. will be an eye-opening experience for many students. They likely will remember the project much better for having been active participants.

tag(s): branches of government (65), civil rights (209), debate (42), literature (222)

This is a companion site to a PBS series on the forces world wide that are affecting global population. There is a wealth of information here on historical trends in population growth, the impact of population on the environment, and the continuing imbalance between the rich and the poor in the world. Although there are still flash-enabled slide shows illustrating global population growth over history, they are few. Don't miss the Teachers Guide in the right menu. The teacher's guide gives further information about using the resources in the classroom.

tag(s): demographics (13), environment (252), population (51)

A companion to an independent film focusing on the conditions facing workers who make blue jeans for the Western market, this site provides information about "sweatshops" in China and other developing countries. There is specific information about the sources for several well-known jeans manufacturers, and stories of the young workers in these factories and their brutal working conditions.

The site would be useful in an economics class during a discussion of the emerging global economy. In addition, it would be a good supplement to a discussion of China in general, or as part of a comparison with 19th century sweatshop labor in the United States and the development of the labor union movement. There are also links to other web-based sources on human rights, China, and the global economy.

tag(s): china (81)

This is a New York Times lesson plan focused on a recent article about the personal lives of Presidential candidates. The lesson plan asks students to look at the extent to which candidates and their personal pasts will influence voters' willingness to support them, and focuses on the fact that several candidates have had messy divorces.

The lesson plan starts with the familiar "read the story and discuss" format, but there are a number of good essential questions and extension activities provided that could be tailored into a strong classroom plan. The lesson plans have cross-curricular suggestions, and are tied to standards.

tag(s): elections (82), presidents (135)

Although this site is no longer maintained, most links are working. This site provides information about Iraq and the war. There are information guides, quizzes, pictures and more. The BBC keeps this page very up-to-date. This site does a good job explaining the war and views of the war to children. Remember this site was created in Britain, so the comments and language are not American. This may surprise younger students at first but will provide a new angle. Though some of the activities require Flash, there is still a lot to be learned at this site.

tag(s): iraq (26)

By signing up for a free membership, high school students have an opportunity to enter a network of students from around the world. Even without a membership, students can find basic information about countries of the world, articles relevant to international youth, and opportunities to learn about projects being undertaken by youth to support social justice and humanitarian concerns. Be sure to click Youth Resources on the top menu to find Action Guides for global problems to solve and Commit to Act. A membership to the offerings of this site is a wonderful open door to tolerance and world awareness for young people around the globe. After signing up, members can also have a classroom platform for use in developing collaborative projects, and see sections for educators.

tag(s): collaboration (93), cross cultural understanding (173), environment (252), Problem Based Learning (12), service projects (17), sustainability (50)

This site provides an audio file of an NPR interview with author Kyle Ward ("History in the Making") about the changing interpretation of the Mexican-American War as reflected in history text books beginning just after the War up until the present. This discussion illustrates that "history" is often a reflection of the historical context in which it is written. There are also links to three more interviews on the same general topic.

Students are fascinated with the concept that their history text books might be wrong, or biased. Although the interview doesn't mention it, this discussion was also well illustrated in James Loewen's "Lies My Teacher Told Me." The seven minute interview might be quite useful in helping advanced students understand that history isn't static, and that any account of a historical "fact" should be considered in light of its context and the political perspective of the times.

tag(s): mexico (37)

The CIA home pages explain briefly what the CIA does. Sites of interest for children include information about the Spy Dogs, Games, Codes and Coding, and an article about pigeons. The "Who We Are and What We Do" pages require a sophisticated vocabulary and high reading level (9+). Be sure to check out the Parents and Teachers for lesson plans.

tag(s): branches of government (65)

This lesson plan provides a framework for discussing immigration from multiple points of view. Check out the left menu for materials you will need, and there are links to a partial transcript of a NewsHour segment that features the voices of immigrants from different countries. There is a good set of essential questions for discussion related to the issue of immigration. The focus of the lesson is that life experiences shape attitudes toward immigration, and that there are many points of view. Students are encouraged to role play a point of view different from their own. Finally, there is a quick quiz (and Key) that could be used to establish prior knowledge about immigration. On a topic that can be highly emotional, this lesson simply lays out the viewpoints, rather than taking sides.

tag(s): immigration (68), migration (45)

This site has many interactive ways to learn about the history of U.S. elections: interactive maps, discussion boards, predictions, polling data, and much more. Some of the tools (the discussion Forum) may invite less mature students to enter into discussion boards inappropriately. Even so, it is an interesting and useful resource for students studying the history of U.S. elections or political parties.

tag(s): elections (82), politics (118)

This site is affiliated with the PBS NewsHour with Jim Lehrer, and presents a lesson plan focused on Supreme Court nominations and the ongoing balance of power in the US government. There are excellent discussion guides, a link to streaming video from the NewsHour, with an accompanying transcript that can be distributed, and a PDF version of a Chicago Tribune article on the issue. There is a nice vocabulary list. There is a good handout on the process of nominating a Supreme Court judge and a worksheet that accompanies it.

tag(s): supreme court (27)

This site, connected to the PBS NewsHour with Jim Lehrer, looks at efforts and rationale for reform at the United Nations. There is an overview of the history of the United Nations, including a nice PDF handout for students. The second part focuses on some of the organizational challenges faced by the UN and asks whether the UN is addressing the issues it was designed for.

tag(s): united nations (6)

Take action against global warming and depletion of the ozone layer. Start by using this site's CO2 calculator to estimate your personal impact on the environment and check out the things you can do in your home and travels to improve your behavior. Note: this site is the companion to the documentary An Inconvenient Truth and gets a large amount of traffic, making it very slow to operate at peak times. You may want to use it as a whole-class activity or at-home enrichment if it is running slowly for you at the time you choose to use it.

tag(s): energy (133), environment (252), ozone (7)

NOVA provides a wide array of information on global dimming, a crisis due to the masking effect of pollution on the true impact of global warming. See interactive timelines of global change, some creative pollution solutions, and more. There is a complete teacher's guide, including hands-on classroom activities and extensive related links. This site is a companion to the PBS television broadcast. Though a few links still require Flash, there is so much more information at this site that it is worth a visit

tag(s): climate (84), climate change (99), earth (184), earth day (60), pollution (52), sun (71)

This is the starting page for a collection of articles and lesson plans to accompany the series "How Art Made the World." The programs and lessons examine the use of art to communicate - whether about religion, politics, even advertising - as societies and cultures have developed. Each lesson includes web links to examples, but surprisingly, the site itself lacks much of the visual impact one might expect to find.

tag(s): images (263), propaganda (8)

Secondary world cultures and government teachers will find a rich resource in Brown University's Choices program - lessons based on current international political situations. Each offers background and alternatives, then asks students to formulate effective responses and support their conclusions.

tag(s): air (102), politics (118)

The Arctic National Wildlife Refuge is a site for both animals and controversy, as this site demonstrates. NRDC's site is a well-done treatment of an important national resource, but with a point of view. As such, teachers may find it useful in studying both the science of the Arctic and the government and political issues surrounding how we use our natural resources.

tag(s): arctic (40)