SRI&ETTC

Heritage Documentation Programs offers a virtual field trip takes you through the experience of  Ellis Island in a 360-degree tour.  This tour is excellent for students as they learn about the history of the arrivals and see where many of our families came through when making their way to America from other countries. Each screen offers information and history on each page, with primary source images and files from immigrants, as well as videos to watch and mesh models of architectural features to examine. We suggest you explore the toolbar, which offers thumbnail views and site fly-throughs of the entire complex. No matter where you click, there is historical information on the right-hand side.  When you are done with one "slide" you click "next" and it brings you to more information and media including data about the immigrants. To frame the conversation with students, try the five-part video series on this page that includes some essential questions to dri...

Mathematical manipulatives such as Algebra tiles allow students to practice algebraic thinking.  These tiles have been proven to provide concrete models that can help students develop concepts related to integers, algebraic expressions, equations, and polynomials.  For students new to solving equations, solving for x is abstract. In elementary school, we use number lines to understand integers. Similarly, algebra tiles make solving equations, combining like terms, or factoring polynomials a visual and more kinesthetic process. This virtual option from @DidaxEducation   allows you to use Algebra tiles regardless of where the student may be, provided they have access to the internet. Some teachers actually prefer the virtual tiles to having plastic pieces or cardstock bits that need to be managed, organized, and cleaned after each use. The National Council of Teachers of Mathematics  @NCTM also has a virtual option with a little more explanation on how to use them an...

Challenge your students to draw isometric hearts for a Valentine's themed STEAM activity. We also love these origami hearts folded in three different ways from Emma at Gathering Beauty.  Please visit her site for the templates and directions.    For the Littles, we have these Valentine's cards with yarn and cardboard shared by @DarcyGrimesNC and if you really want to get making, dig out the wood, hammer, and nails, and some threads to create these beautiful string art woodblocks. In West Orange, @BevTindall had a "Hearts and Crafts," idea that involved paper quilling. There are so many STEAM and STEM-based choices for us to use, depending on what we have on hand in our MakerSpaces.  It isn't "Heart" to get started... and we hope you share your 2022 ideas with us! 

"How do we make Energy from Air? Cesar, Alejandro, Maynor explored that topic and the Sustainable Development Goal #7 (Affordable and Clean Energy). @AshleyShunk393 was one of many teachers who took their science fairs online! The main goal of a virtual science fair is to give students a way to showcase and share their science projects in an approach that adds more audience to the experience and extends the communication about their work. Take a moment and learn how to host a Virtual Science Fair in Wakelet. Students do not need accounts, you can create your own collection and invite students to be contributors. They can embed their own text and screen recorded videos from Flipgrid and links to their work.  @techieteacherZA   from   Steyn City School has a wonderful explanation of how they managed the process  in 2020, but you can look at some later efforts by searching Science Fair 2021 in the top search bar of Wakelet, to find more recent samples. 

Using 360 Cities, we can take a virtual field trip to the  Coral Reef in Panglao, Philippines . Thanks to the 4K video we can zoom in to catch a closer look, look up to see the sun shining down on the ocean water, and look down to see the reef below.  Created by Alexey Kormylyev, t here are multiple view options in the immersive video, which allow students to explore the reef in different ways.  Virtual field trips are a fantastic way to show students in the classroom different places they would never have a chance to visit. Keep them engaged and excited in class when they see the variety of areas they can visit.

International Children’s Digital Library , provides free books in the public domain for children that can be read online with the ICDL Reader.  The focus of this site is on forming a global community and exhibiting tolerance and respect for diverse cultures, languages, and ideas. Easy for students to use, they click on the book list, and a huge list of books are available with descriptions. Books are sorted by language, color, shape, format, genre character, and true vs. make-believe. Hopefully, we will see accessibility features available in the future! 

National Geographic, has released an innovative educational tool that allows classrooms to connect with real-life explorers, scientists, researchers, and storytellers from all over the globe. This tool is called “Explorer Classroom”. https://www.nationalgeographic.org/tickets/explorer-classroom/ This interactive program is completely free!  Explorer Classroom includes hosted events for ages 4-8 on Mondays at 11am, and events for ages 9-14 on Thursdays at 10am & 2pm. During these events, students can interact live with the hosts, asking questions and more.  Past event recordings are open and free to the public. Join ocean explorers, Asha de Vos and Erin Spencer aboard the OceanXplorer–the most advanced ocean exploration vessel ever built.