Below
is a list of selected Internet sites with valuable online lesson plans for K-12
educators. Many of the plans may
also be adapted for college-level courses.
Almost all of the sites’ sponsors provide lesson plans and resources at
no charge. Also, for exciting new global education opportunities see the
announcements at the end of the
The
American Forum for Global Education
www.globaled.org
Lesson plans are presented with objectives, lists of needed materials (with
links to worksheets, handouts, or reading when needed), and activities.
Topics are numerous, including: money, religion, Greek civilization,
Vietnam, water, women, literacy, and development, to name only a few of the many
that are available. Most lesson plans are appropriate for the high-school level,
but there are several for middle school, and a few for elementary-level
students. The database is
searchable by grade-level or keyword.
The
Choices for the 21st Century Education Program of Brown University
www.choices.edu
Choices
offers downloadable curricular resources for high school educators on
international topics, including terrorism, Iraq, the Middle East, keeping the
peace in an age of conflict, Mexico, Russia’s future, China, US trade policy,
US immigration policy and many more.
CIESE
Online Classroom Projects
http://k12science.stevens-tech.edu/currichome.html
CIESE sponsors and designs interdisciplinary lesson plans and projects that
teachers throughout the world can use to enhance their curriculum through
compelling use of the Internet. Lesson
plans can be found for grades K-12 in topics such as air pollution, ocean
currents, weather, earthquakes, water, human genetics, the sun, asteroids,
population growth, and more. Corresponding
language arts activities and reading lists are also suggested. Each project has a brief description, objective, a list of
required materials, instructions, and links to the National Science Standards
and NCTM Math standards it supports.
CNN
Student News Teacher Resources
http://fyi.cnn.com/fyi/teachers
Each resource involves top stories that are appropriate in vocabulary and
content for junior and senior high school students and is accompanied by a full
lesson plan or a shorter “discussion/activity”.
Browse activities under main headings of world history and
geography, US history and government, science and technology, economics and
mathematics, language, fine arts and media, and health and life skills.
C-SPAN
in the Classroom
www.c-span.org/classroom
C-SPAN in the Classroom is a free membership service that offers information and
resources to assist educators in their use of C-SPAN television and web resources.
Site provides modules and materials on subject areas including Iraq, Turkey,
debate, the US government, campaigns and elections, and other international and
domestic issues and current events.
EDSITEment
of the National Endowment for the Humanities
www.edsitement.neh.gov
EDSITEment’s unique calendar links historical dates with lesson plans.
Using the National Endowment for the Humanities’ lesson plans, as well
as those available through MarcoPolo and National Geographic’s Xpedition,
there are several hundred lesson plans available in art and culture, foreign
language, history and social studies, and literature and language arts.
MarcoPolo:
Internet Content for the Classroom
www.marcopolo-education.org
MarcoPolo’s standards-based lesson plans
cover arts integration,
economics, geography, the humanities, mathematics, reading, language arts and
science. Lesson plans provide a
clear objective and the necessary resources and background information.
National
Geographic and Xpedition
www.nationalgeographic.com/education/lesson_plans
National Geographic divides lesson plans into main categories including
geography, science, social studies, and reading and writing. The lesson plan and activity database can be searched using
keywords, grade-level, or subject. The
Xpedition lesson plans address the US National Geography Standards.
New
York Times Learning Network
www.nytimes.com/learning
The New York Times’ online Learning Network works to integrate the paper’s
outstanding reporting into curriculum. Daily
lesson plans are tied to the lead article published in the paper and come with
suggested activities, other links, and an explanation of how the lesson
satisfies academic content standards. Explore
the Learning Network by subject (American history, civics, math and economics,
fine arts, geography, global history, language arts, science and health, social
studies, and technology) or find lesson plans using a keyword or grade-level
search. Sign up to receive daily
lesson plans by email.
Ohio
State’s Social Studies and Global Education Program presents Online Modules
for Global Educators.
www.coe.ohio-state.edu/mmerryfield and click on “Online
modules for global educators”.
These modules provide over 3,000 resources and web-based connections to five
regions of the world including Africa, East Asia, Latin America, the Middle
East, and Slavic and Eastern Europe. The
resources have been recommended by Title VI national resource centers.
PBS
TeacherSource
www.pbs.org/teachersource
PBS provides over 3,500 lesson plans and activities divided into five main
categories: arts and literature, health and fitness, math, science and
technology, and social studies. Lesson
plans and activities can be searched for using keywords, subject, or grade
level. Many lesson plans meet
national and state education standards. PBS
also sponsors a supplementary selection of lesson plans and activities relevant
to current events that are produced by NewsHour Extra with Jim Lehrer (www.pbs.org/newshour/extra/teachers/).
The
United Nation’s Cyberschoolbus
www.un.org/cyberschoolbus/index.html
Teaching units are available online from the UN’s Cyberschoolbus.
Each unit provides educators with several activities and resources.
The units are most appropriate for students ages 10 to 18. Current unit topics include: peace, cities, human rights,
poverty, health, women’s rights, and the environment.
There is also a link to other divisions of the UN where other valuable
resources for educators can be found.
Other Announcements
1.
Just Released! Planning Curriculum in International Education from
the State of Wisconsin’s Department of Public Instruction.
This is a new resource for educators and administrators who are trying to
“globalize” their schools. This
guide argues that all subjects from art to science, and from agricultural
education to mathematics can become more “global”.
To order this $45 guide call the publication sales office at
1-800-243-8782.
2.
New! Global Education
Checklist from The American Forum for Global Education.
Download this practical assessment tool to see your school’s degree of success
in the realm of global education. www.globaled.org
3.
Join the International Education Week Mailing List
IEWNet has been created to inform educators interested in receiving the latest
news on International Education Week. The
list is administered by the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs of the US
Department of State. To join please
visit: http://lists.state.gov/SCRIPTS/WA-USIAINFO.EXE?SUBED1=iewnet&A=1
and enter your name and email address.
You should receive a confirmation email with further instructions.
4.
Join World727, a Global Educators’ Listserv
This listserv provides educators the opportunity to share resources, pedagogy,
and issues in teaching world cultures, global events, world history, and related
topics. To join please email Dr.
Merry Merryfield at merryfield.1@osu.edu
5.
Join the North Carolina Global Educator Listserv
NC Center for International Understanding is developing a listserv to inform
K-12 educators about opportunities to bring the world into their classrooms.
Email Diane Midness at dmidness@northcarolina.edu to join.
6.
New Ways to See the World!
Visit www.odt.org
for new maps that challenge assumptions of how the world is viewed through
maps.