America Dreams through the decades 

http://memory.loc.gov/ammem/ndlpedu/lessons/97/dream/index.html

Teacher educators Leni Donlan and Kathleen Ferenz have taken a new twist on the WebQuest model in this Activity. Like all good WebQuests, "American Dreams" challenges students to tackle a complex topic, access rich resources , and work together to synthesize their learning into an informed perspective on the topic. What makes "American Dreams" especially noteworthy is the strategy of using the resources provided by one (very) robust Website: the American Memory sections from the Library of Congress. In this way, Donlan and Ferenz capitalize on the great supporting resources developed by the LoC, thereby cutting down on what the teachers need to develop. Furthermore, by viewing the LoC resources through a WebQuest prism, "American Dreams" turns great information into great learning. Doesn't this sound like what good teachers have always done: take a rich resource, explore it to come up with the most educational aspects and then shape a learning activity for students. )

Ancient China (British Museum) 

http://www.ancientchina.co.uk/menu.html

The site is divided into five 'chapters' which address themes or topics relevant to ancient China. Within each 'chapter' there are three sections: Story (narratives), Explore (pupil controls the order in which they access the information) and Challenge (historical, analytical, mathematical, or observational activities). Main topics include Crafts and Artisans; Geography; Time (how time was kept in ancient China; Tombs and Ancestors; and Writing (nature and uses of writing in ancient China). )

Art Safari 

http://artsafari.moma.org/

This site prompts kids to explore paintings and sculptures from the Museum of Modern Art. A series of questions guides children to write about what they see. Then, kids are encouraged create and submit their own art.

BellSouth's Digital Storyteller 

http://www.knowitall.org/bellsouthdigitalstoryteller/

The BellSouth Digital Storyteller project is an opportunity for students to learn history first hand by interviewing veterans from WWII and Korea. After selecting a topic from the History Curriculum Standards, students identify veterans who have actually experienced the event(s) they are studying. Using video technology, the students interview the veterans, capture footage, edit the story, and record a living memory. During this process, the students put learning into practice while developing communication, research, and technology skills.

Between the Lions Stories (PBS) 

http://pbskids.org/lions/stories.html

Between the Lions consists of Stories, Games, Things to Print, Songs, ideas in Parents & Teachers, a site Map, Newsletter, and Recommended Books. There are at least 70 stories that you can read and watch online. Each story links to related games. You can also print the story. Parents & Teachers includes more information about each episode and its curriculum, and features over 300 literacy tips. You can also use the Episode guide to view a brief summary of the episode and then select the appropriate story based on desired learning goals (http://pbskids.org/lions/about/episodes.html). Between the Lions is produced by WGBH Boston and Sirius Thinking, Ltd., in association with Mississippi Public Broadcasting.

Biography Maker 

http://www.bham.wednet.edu/bio/biomaker.htm

These online lessons explain what a biography should be and walk writers through questioning, learning, synthesis, and story-telling. The site includes embedded links to relevant Internet resources and tips for effective writing.

Blogs in Education 

http://awd.cl.uh.edu/blog/

Created by the Instructional Technology Center at the University of Houston at Clear Lake, this site is designed to provide you some resources if you want to get started using blogs for yourself or with your students. "Options for instructors using blogs: Content-related blog as professional practice, Networking and personal knowledge sharing, Instructional tips for students, Course announcements and readings, Annotated links Knowledge management. Options for students using blogs in your courses include: Reflective or writing journals, Knowledge management, Assignment submission and review, Dialogue for groupwork, E-portfolios, Share course-related resources."

CNN Interactive Learning Resources 

http://literacynet.org/cnnsf/

A major purpose of this Web site is to provide current news stories to students with reading levels that are not high enough to read and understand standard newspaper articles. A variety of interactive learning activities help reinforce and provide greater understanding of what is presented on the screen. Teachers can use the lessons for group activities and students can work at their own pace for individualized learning.

CyberBee 

http://www.cyberbee.com/

We've given a Blue Web'n to different activities on this website, but this site really does deserve a place of honor all its own. This is a great site for teachers looking for more ways to integrate technology into their classroom. Look to the Curriculum Ideas, How Tos, Treasure Hunts, and the fine articles to give you fresh ideas.

International Schools CyberFair 

http://www.globalschoolnet.org/gsh/cf/

This annual global learning project has brought together thousands of international students to showcase the highlights of their local communities with their own Web sites. The event encourages schools to create online curricular content to share what is unique about their place. The program is aimed at teaching schools more about the World Wide Web, demonstrating to educators the value of the Internet in the classroom, facilitating cooperation among students and encouraging positive relationships between schools and their communities.

Journey North 

http://www.learner.org/jnorth/

This annual Internet-based adventure engages students in a global study of wildlife migration and seasonal change. Students predict the arrival of spring from half a world away. From the Annenberg/CPB Math and Science Project.

Kairos: A Journal For Teachers of Writing in Webbed Environments 

http://english.ttu.edu/kairos/

This peer-reviewed resource for college-level writing teachers, researchers and tutors (Technical Writing, Business Writing, Professional Communication, Creative Writing, Composition, and Literature) deals with the challenges of writing in hypertextual environments. "In hypertextual environments, writers are not only learning to strike forcefully in the traditional sense of presenting the correct words in the proper manner, but are also learning to weave a writing space that is more personal than the standard sheet of paper. We are writing differently; we are reading differently; we are learning differently; we are teaching differently. Kairos is a journal that addresses these facts individually and syllogistically."

Merlot 

http://www.merlot.org

Think of Merlot as a Blue Web'n for higher education students, faculty and staff. Enter the Tasting Room to understand how Merlot was developed and how the peer review system works. Then, either browse or search to find the resources you want. A great tool for locating good sites.

Merriam-Webster's WWWebster Dictionary 

http://www.m-w.com/home.htm

Look up a definition, pronunciation, etymology, spelling, or usage point in the on-line version of Merriam-Webster's Collegiate Dictionary, Tenth Edition. A thesaurus can be queried for similar words, hypertext cross references are available, misspellings return suggested spellings, and there are hypertext links to illustrations. Includes links to the Word of the Day and transcripts of the Word for the Wise radio program. (

Picturing a Canadian Life: L.M. Montgomery's Personal Scrapbooks and Book Covers 

http://lmm.confederationcentre.com/

L.M. Montgomery's novels are famous world-wide; most of the titles have remained in print since their first publication and many of them have been translated into other languages. Part of Montgomery's genius lies in her creation of everyday life in turn-of-the-century and early twentieth-century Canada. An avid record-keeper, Montgomery kept personal scrapbooks that included photographs, fabrics, souvenirs and clippings. These collections are housed in four different locations and are fragile. Thus, these rarely-seen materials could not be widely accessible for study or enjoyment except through this digital exhibition. This site is extremely rich and includes a variety of materials including book covers, information about Montgomery's writing, importance of images in her writing, creating your own scrapbooks, changing role of women, chronology, Teacher Tips page

Postcard Geography 2001-2002 

http://www.cyberbee.com/pcg/howto.html

This is not a repeat of last week's Blue Web'n (that was a project with e-postcards). Paper postcards are still the rage! Here is a project that entails students exchanging postcards with other classrooms. Through what is now lovingly referred to as snail mail, these postcards allow cultural exchanges, polish writing and mapping skills. Registration runs from August 15 to September 14, 2001, with mailings happening September 17 until February 15. Other activities will take place in spring.

Stormy Weather 

http://www.educationcentral.org/stormy/

Learn to use the Internet and software tools while doing atmosphere investigations for the middle school and high school, Earth/Space Science Classroom. All activities, especially the Weather Hunt, Storm Sampler and The Perfect Storm Webquest, are designed for use by cooperative groups and culminate in a final shared presentation.

Teaching Tolerance 

http://www.splcenter.org/center/tt/teach.jsp

A project of the Southern Poverty Law Center, Teaching Tolerance encourages people from all walks of life to "fight hate and promote tolerance." For educators, there are curriculum packages that can be ordered at no cost, as well online lesson ideas. For Kids has online activities and games that promote multiculturalism and tolerance.

The F. Scott Fitzgerald Centennial Homepage 

http://www.sc.edu/fitzgerald/index.html

Elegant graphics and a wealth of information make this a valuable Web site for students and scholars of Fitzgerald. Explore the exhaustive bibliographies, interesting quotations, facts, and comments. To quote: "This celebration of F. Scott Fitzgerald is designed to elevate the awareness of one of America's greatest writers and to coordinate all events in 1996 commemorating the 100th anniversary of his birth. The Web Site celebrates his writings, his life, and his relationships with other writers of the 20th century.

The History of Jim Crow 

http://www.jimcrowhistory.org/home.htm

This site was designed by teachers and presents teachers with new historical resources and teaching ideas for the Jim Crow years. At this site, teachers will find historical essays, personal narratives and lesson plans. In addition, the site contains an image gallery, an American literature book list for middle school, high school, and college-level students; and an interactive encyclopedia that offers users access to terms, people, and events relating to the history of Jim Crow.)

The Kid's Philosophy Slam 

http://www.philosophyslam.org/

The Kids Philsophy Slam is a program designed to make philosophy accessible and fun for students of all ages and abilities. This site encourages students to think for themselves and allows them to express their ideas in a variety of formats, such as writing, drawing, painting, or poetry. This contest is for grade levels K-12 and has a special division for special education students.

The Library of Congress: Webcasts [Real Player] 

http://www.loc.gov/today/cyberlc/index.php

Over the past six years, the Library of Congress has documented several hundred of the talks, discussions, and conferences that have taken place under its leadership. On this site, visitors have access to all of these talks in their entirety, along with webcasts from the National Book Festival. Visitors can scan through a complete list of all 303 webcasts, or browse a thematic list that organizes the talks into areas such as religion, government, and education.

The Moonlit Road 

http://www.themoonlitroad.com

Take a walk down The Moonlit Road if you want to read or listen to interesting folktales presented at a state-of-the-art Website. Producer Craig Dominey and his team have taken a simple concept and created a quality contribution to the Web community. Beginning with compelling stories of the American South, then adding RealAudio versions read by celebrated stoytellers and appealing graphics, The Moonlit Road can be a satisfying detour for young children and lifelong learners alike. This is a good

Academy of American Poets 

http://www.poets.org/

The Academy of American Poets has put together a superb site that includes, among other features, a listening booth where you can hear poems read by their authors, a number of interesting historic and thematic exhibits, and a list of featured poets. (added 4/14/97 , reviewed 4/22/99 )

Ad*Access Project 

http://scriptorium.lib.duke.edu/adaccess/

"The Ad*Access Project, funded by the Duke Endowment "Library 2000" Fund, presents images and database information for over 7,000 advertisements printed in U.S. and Canadian newspapers and magazines between 1911 and 1955. Ad*Access concentrates on five main subject areas: Radio, Television, Transportation, Beauty and Hygiene, and World War II, providing a coherent view of a number of major campaigns and companies through images preserved in one particular advertising collection available at Duke University."

American Centuries: Views from New England 

http://www.memorialhall.mass.edu/

American Centuries features a digital collection of approximately 1,800 objects from Memorial Hall Museum and Library of Deerfield, MA. Teachers will want to access the excellent curricula for Elementary or Middle School students. Activities include transcribing primary sources and training young eyes to observe artifacts of the past. )

American Writers 

http://www.americanwriters.org/

Created by the cable network C-SPAN to accompany its series of the same name, this website gives information about the featured author, and links to lessons and activities. From the main page (left column), choose classroom. You can either register, or view the lessons as a visitor. In the middle column for resources, you have access to Teachers Resources or Study the Source, which gives questions for critical analysis.

Anagram Server 

http://wordsmith.org/anagram/index.html

"Did you know that parliament is an anagram of partial men? Or, Clint Eastwood an anagram of Old West Action? Someone once said, "All the life's wisdom can be found in anagrams. Anagrams never lie." Here is your chance to discover the wisdom of anagrams." This site provides a fun online tool that creates anagrams from any word or phrase you type.

Arctic Alive 

http://www.arcus.org/arcticalive/index.html

Arctic Alive is a distance-learning environment for learners. Although the actual interaction with researchers has already taken place, teachers can use the background materials on the arctic, earth systems, and climate with students. Lessons, or investigations, often link to activities on other sites. (

ArtsConnectEd 

http://artsconnected.org/

The Minneapolis Institute of Art and the Walker Art Center created this wonderful resource to allow different learning styles to be influenced by art. The art gallery allows visitors to create their own online gallery of their favorite pieces, while the Playground lets users create a variety of different types of artwork. Older students will love the interactive art activity in "Another Look" in the Look and Listen part of the Playground. Explore online or download the Teacher's Guide

Basic Steps to the Research Process 

http://www.crlsresearchguide.org

Some high school teachers will require research projects and assume that you know how to do them. This research guide goes step by step through the process.  One of the best parts is the Tip section. These tip sheets come in handy for quickly locating whichever part of the process a student needs. Tips include: Selecting a research topic; Making source cards; Finding information within sources; Writing a statement of purpose; Brainstorming research questions; Writing a thesis statement; Citing sources; Writing a conclusion, etc.

Celebrating Sondheim 

http://artsedge.kennedy-center.org/exploring/mt/sondheim/artsedge.html

Looking for ways to movement, multiculturalism and logical/mathematical intelligence in lessons? Look to the teaching resources at this ArtsEdge website for Into the Woods, Jr., Sondheim's Into the Woods, and Dancing in the Park with Friends.

Collaborative Writing Projects 

http://www.nelliemuller.com/Collaborative_Projects.htm

Collaborative writing projects for ESL/EFL and mainstream classes using WebQuests. It goes something like this: Choose a topic or teacher may choose one for you. Working in groups, record every thing your group does and add it to your work file. Your work file must be handed back to the teacher at the end of each session. Participating in the project and making mistakes is part of this experience. Add reflections at the end of the project. Good team skills are essential for the success of the project which consists of 3 stages: Work File, Written File, and Oral Presentation. Lots of support along the way make this one a winner. Created and maintained by Nellie Deutsch.

Color, Contrast & Dimension in News Design 

http://www.poynter.org/special/colorproject/colorproject/color.html

The Poynter Institute, a school for journalists, future journalists and teachers of journalists, has created an online tutorial to help designers with the complexities of color and its use in print and online. Imbedded in the tutorial are page design exercises, which let the learner experiment with the use of color in magazines, newspapers, and websites. This tutorial would be a great addition to journalism and web-design classes. Jounalism teachers will also want to check out Poynter's High school Journalism Guide at http://www.poynter.org/centerpiece/highschool/index.htm.

Cyber Newseum 

http://www.newseum.org/cybernewseum/html/index.htm

The Cyber Newseum, the only interactive museum of news, highlights several exhibitions in their online exhibit area. War Stories tells what it is like to a war correspondent, with interview clips from correspondents from World War II, the Korean conflict, Vietnam, Desert Storm, and other international conflicts. Holocaust, the Untold Story examines the role of the press during WWII. The Pulitzer Prize winning political cartoons of 1999 by David Horsey are highlighted. Students can also learn about the roles that the media and news technology played in the space race.

CyberGuides 

http://www.sdcoe.k12.ca.us/SCORE/cyberguide.html

CyberGuides are back! For those of you that missed them, CyberGuides: Teacher Guides and Student Activities, are back after a brief hiatus. The guides were created by California teachers as supplementary, standards-based, web-delivered units of instruction centered on core works of literature. So, all you literature and literacy teachers, check out the newly revised works.

Tools For College Writing 

http://www.cabrillo.edu/services/writingcenter/290/essays.html

This site introduces basic skills of college writing strategies in order to help ESL students, students with learning disabilities, and just plain old students who have a hard time getting their ideas onto paper. Features include dictionary definitions that appear in the lower frame, writing skills tutorial, and audio clips (which didn't work), and information about college culture for new students.

Treasure Island 

http://www.ukoln.ac.uk/treasure/

This site offers "everything you could possibly want to know about Treasure Island. Find out about the author, the characters of the book, tropical islands, pirates, buried treasure and lots more! On top of this you can contribute by sending in your reviews of the book and descriptions of dastardly pirates." Beautiful!

Whale Songs 

http://whales.ot.com

Presented in conjunction with the International Fund for Animal Welfare's research vessel, Song of the Whale, this site shares basic whale information and lesson plans (Action Painting, Journal Writing, and Whale Form and Function).

100words 

http://www.100words.net/

For writers, the challenge is to write every day. See some examples from participants who wrote 100 words (exactly) every day for a month. Some are poems; some are stories. Warning: recent postings contained foul language! The content is suitable for mature students of writing only.

A Guide for Writing Research Papers Based on Modern Language Association (MLA) Documentation 

http://cctc.commnet.edu/mla/index.shtml

This guide takes a comprehensive look at research techniques, proper forms for citation based on MLA form, and much more. From Capital Community-Technical College in Connecticut.

Aardvark's English Forum

http://www.englishforum.com/

Created for teaching English in the UK, this site has a variety of online resources for the English language learner. The student section has good links to many interactive exercises.

Absolute Whootie: Stories to Grow By 

http://www.storiestogrowby.com

This collection of stories and tales from around the world includes a lesson plan and simple questions for each story. You can search the stories or see a complete list with descriptions, age range, and time required to read the story. Children are invited to illustrate selected stories and share their answers to end-of-story questions.

Adventure Learning Foundation 

http://www.questconnect.org

This site takes students and teachers on real and virtual expeditions around the world. Through a collection of original pictures and journal excerpts, visitors can accompany travelers exploring the natural environment, culture, and peoples of different continents. Past expeditions include Alaska and Yukon, Baja California, American Southwest, and Southern Africa. Each expedition is accompanied by a mixture of information, links, and classroom activities.

American Experience: A Midwife's Tale (PBS) 

http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/amex/mwt/index.html

In 1785 Martha Ballard began the diary that she would keep for the next 27 years, until her death. At a time when fewer than half the women in America were literate, Ballard faithfully recorded the weather, her daily household tasks, her midwifery duties, and countless incidents that reveal the turmoil of a new nation. Historian Laurel Thatcher Ulrich discusses the importance of Martha Ballard's diary and what it reveals about 17th century America and women's roles at that time. Based on the Pulitzer Prize-winning book of the same name by Laurel Thatcher Ulrich, "A Midwife's Tale," Teaching Activities may be adapted in the absence of the for-fee film. See also Do History at http://dohistory.org/ for related materials.

American Folklore 

http://www.americanfolklore.net/

This site makes folktales from different U.S. states easy to find. Contains retellings of American folktales, Native American myths and legends, tall tales, weather folklore and ghost stories from each and every one of the 50 United States. You can read about all sorts of famous characters like Paul Bunyan, Pecos Bill, Jesse James, Davy Crockett, Daniel Boone, and many more. The target audiences are storytellers, teachers, folklore fans and students needing state folklore for school projects. Does not support keyword search; but does have categories and a story index (http://www.americanfolklore.net/sindex.html). The site is updated regularly. Created by Sandra E. Schlosser.

American Journalism Review 

http://www.ajr.org/

The American Journalism Review comes out six times a year. The print magazine is available here for the general public in an electronic format, and contains articles ranging from the changing media landscape in the United States and to discussions about whether newsrooms should use the names of illegal immigrants in their reporting on various events. Visitors can browse the archives of this publication all the way back to 1991. 

An Inquirer's Guide To The Universe 

http://www.fi.edu/planets/planets.html

This site hosts a helpful list of current space science resources and ideas for how they could be used in learning activities. For example, students can explore the links, use the space story studio to post an original story, and look at other stories in the space story portfolio.

Bananafish (J.D. Salinger Home page) 

http://www.salinger.org/

What really kills me, if you want to know the truth, about Stephen Foskett's homespun page on J.D. Salinger, is that he doesn't spin you some yarn about how Salinger should come out of hiding. Chrissakes, only phonies are even innerested in the autobiographical crud. Foskett and his Webby friends chew the fat about the books, the missing stories, The lost stories, magazine appearances, biographies and criticism, rumored appearances, and A bit of JDS online.

Bartlett's Familiar Quotations 

http://www.columbia.edu/acis/bartleby/bartlett/

An online version of this classic from the Bartleby Project allows rapid searching for quotes. This on-line version is even better than the actual tome.(

Beast Within: An Interdisciplinary Unit 

http://www.cyberlearning-world.com/nhhs/html/beast.htm

This multidiscipline unit involves a study of the darker side of human nature as explored by the literature and history of 20th century man. The 9th grade US Government course calls for an examination of authoritarian government as compared with a democratic system. To achieve this goal, we examine the human rights abuses of such regimes as Nazi Germany, Iraq under Saddam Hussein, Cuba under Fidel Castro, and China under the Communist Party.

Bembo's Zoo

http://www.bemboszoo.com/

A flashy site (Flash plugin required) for artists and creative thinkers. Turn your high school computer lab students loose trying to figure out how they did it. Beginning animators may get some wonderful ideas, all surrounding the basic alphabet.

Book Adventure

http://www.bookadventure.org/

This website houses a free motivational reading program for children in grades K-8. Reviews help children pick a book to read, either from a library or bookstore. After the book is read, children can take a quiz online, with the incentive or rewards after quizzes are completed. Parents can monitor their child's activities and find resources for reading challenges in their families. Teachers can access the articles that may help them increase parental involvement. This website was developed by Sylvan Learning Centers.

Booklist

http://www.ala.org/booklist/index.html

American Library Association's Booklist magazine of reviews is now online and includes Reviews of Books for Adults, Reviews of Books for Youth, Reviews of Audiovisual Media, Reviews of Reference Materials, Booklist Editors' Choice '95, Best Books Lists, and more.

Calliope, Muse of Eloquence

http://fayette.k12.in.us/~cbeard/calliope

To better understand certain words in the English language, knowledge of Greek, Roman and Norse mythology can help. Calliope integrates worksheets and interactive quizzes to help students explore the roots of words found in mythology, and expand their personal vocabulary.

Care For Animals

http://www.avma.org/careforanimals/default.asp

This site, presented by the American Veterinary Medical Association, is an excellent site for helping young children learn about caring for pets. 'Animated Journeys' is easy to navigate and contains areas such as 'Selecting a Pet' and 'Pet Health.' 'Pet Stories' contains stories written by children and children can use an online form to submit their own pet stories.'Kids Corner' contains a mix of activities about animals. (

Charlotte's Web

http://www2.lhric.org/pocantico/charlotte/index.htm

If your students love the book, Charlotte's Web, this site provides creative supplemental resources, a mystery quotes quiz, trivia crossword puzzles, and links to other Charlotte's Web sites. Created by Mrs. Taverna's 1998-1999 Second Grade, at Pocantico Hills School in Sleepy Hollow, New York.

Chaucer Metapage

http://www.unc.edu/depts/chaucer/index.html

For teachers and students trying to understand Chaucer, or for those trying to get a feel for life in 14th and 15th Century England, visit this site to read about Chaucer's work, hear the work read aloud, and figure out the meanings of Olde English words found in his work.

Child Labor in America 1908-1912

http://www.historyplace.com/unitedstates/childlabor/index.html

Although the focus is somewhat narrow, the content is compelling. High quality photographs of children dwarfed by the adult work world speak volumes about their lives and the world that surrounds them. Explore the expressions on the children's faces and the evocative background settings. Don't miss the about page or the link to the 1997 International Conference on Child Labor report at the UNICEF web site. The site could be used with students of many grade levels for social studies and language arts. , reviewed 6/11/99 )

Children's Literature Activities for the Classroom

http://www.marcias-lesson-links.com/

This site features hundreds of links to children's literature activity and lesson sites.

Children's Literature Web Guide

http://www.acs.ucalgary.ca/~dkbrown/

David K. Brown of the University of Calgary has done a fine job pulling together this hotlist site. The care that he's put into the interface and commentary make this a useful starting point for those looking for more information about best books lists, authors' websites, and reviews of what's on the Internet related to children's literature.

Common Errors in English

http://www.wsu.edu/~brians/errors/

Students and teachers will enjoy browsing Professor Paul Brians' alphabetically sorted list of common errors in English. The page also links to non-errors, commonly misspelled words, suggestions, and more.

Communication Skills Writing Program

http://www.engl.niu.edu/comskills/

This Northern Illinois University website contains good resources for instructors, students and tutors. Editor's Grammar and Mechanics tutors students on editing terminology and punctuation and allows students to quiz themselves. The use of quotations and plagiarism are also covered.

Complete Works of Shakespeare

http://the-tech.mit.edu/Shakespeare/works.html

This comprehensive resource for English teachers, students and Shakespeare enthusiasts includes a Shakespeare discussion area, Shakespeare Internet resources, chronological and alphabetical listing of plays, familiar quotations, and glossary.

CurriculumUnits.com

http://www.curriculumunits.com/units.htm

Teachers at Shawsheen Technical High School have been busy creating ways to integrate technology into the curriculum and have taken the time to put together a website to share their ideas with you. The three units created so far fit into the curriculum for high school English, mathematics, and science. The Crucible offers background information and assignments that seek to enlighten readers of the Arthur Miller play. Galileo has students explore the life and times of Galileo, as well as examine his theories in a lab setting. The Excellent Adventure has students virtually travel from Philadelphia to Orlando, estimating costs of travel and learning local literary and historical background in each stop along the way.

Cyber English Syllaweb

http://mbhs.bergtraum.k12.ny.us/cybereng/log.html

Here are some online English assignments that use technologies as tools and topics. The site includes a booklist of literature with technology themes. Created by English teacher Ted Nellen.

Daily Grammar

http://www.dailygrammar.com/

Generously posted by veteran English teacher Bill Johanson from Canyon View Junior High, Daily Grammar provides simple and clear lessons on the basics of English grammar. Set up in modules of five examples and a follow-up quiz, the simplicity of the approach and the explanations make this a great site for students to use themselves when they feel they need self-paced remediation or enrichment.

Decoding Visual Language Elements in News Content

http://www.katebrigham.com/thesis/demo.htm

An interactive activity to illustrate some of the essential concepts and a method for building visual and media literacy skills by exploring the role that visual language elements play in shaping news content. A nice teaser to get students interested in the topic. Click on the gray box labelled "Decoding Visual Content" then click on the boxes on the right twice to start the activity. We wish there was more! (added 6/27/07 , reviewed 6/27/07 )

Electronic Reference Formats Recommended by APA

http://www.apastyle.org/elecref.html

When in doubt, go to the source. The APA, one of the major style guides for academic writing, has revised their guidelines for electronic citations. Keep up with the latest information for citing all your electronic sources, including electronic databases. Having these resources online sure beats buying a book every time something changes.

Extreme Survival

http://tlc.discovery.com/convergence/extremesurvival/extremesurvival.html

This site, created by The Learning Channel, can be used as both a resource and as a 'jumping off place' for assignments in subject areas such as writing and reading. For example, students can read survival stories from around the world and then write and share their own story. This site presents interesting and engaging accounts of escape and survival. Students can also have fun with a survival quiz.

Fake Out! The Definition Guessing Game

http://www.eduplace.com/dictionary/

In this game, kids guess and submit word definitions. Part of Houghton Mifflin's

Free Worksheets

http://www.freeworksheets.com

This site offers free educational worksheets in a variety of subject areas including math, phonics, language arts, reading, science, social studies, and much more.

Funschool.com

http://www.funschool.com

This commercial site offers loads of Java-based educational games for kids from preschool to sixth grade. Advertising is a bit intrusive, so take a look before you send kids here. (added 8/17/98 , reviewed 3/22/99 )

Global Connections: Putting World Events in Context

http://www.pbs.org/globalconnections

Global Connections: Putting World Events in Context, produced by public broadcasting station WGBH, is a new Web site designed to provide the background information needed to understand events occurring in the Middle East. Users can view this site either through a timeline containing events that span the past 100 years or by looking at single themes such as economics or religion. This site was designed particularly for educators and contains lesson plans, activities, and connecting questions which pose higher-level inquiries. (added 9/13/02 , reviewed 9/13/02 )

Graphic Design from the 1920's and 1930's

http://www.travelbrochuregraphics.com

Trying to set the scene for the writings of F. Scott Fitzgerald or the rise of Adolph Hitler? This is an online gallery created to share a collection of 1920s and 1930s travel-related ephemera (printed matter of passing interest).

Great American Speeches

http://www.pbs.org/greatspeeches/

Eighty years worth of great speeches are captured here, as well as some interesting exercises for students of speech and American History. The Critics Corner features Richard Nixon's Checkers' Speech, as well as background information, and links within the speech to explain the context of specific words or terms used in the speech. If you watch excerpts of Presidential speeches on tape, you should have students try Could You Be A Politician, where they get a chance to read from a mock teleprompter while looking honest, sincere, and trustworthy. Some trick! Several more activities to liven high school and college classrooms. (added 4/15/00 )

Guide to Grammar and Writing

http://ccc.commnet.edu/grammar/

The home page consists of several headings. Each heading has an extensive dropdown menu of items. Headings include: Words & Sentences; Paragraphs; Essays & Research Papers; Ask Grammar, Quizzes, Search Devices; and Peripherals & PowerPoints. The INDEX is huge and includes references to both the Guide to Grammar and Writing and Principles of Composition. It does not include references to the Interactive Quizzes or to the Grammarlogs (posted responses to ASK GRAMMAR queries). Frequently Asked Questions page and the Guide's Search Engine will also help you find help on grammatical issues, tips on composition, and advice on English usage. The Guide to Grammar and Writing is sponsored by the Capital Community College Foundation.

Have a Cow, Dude! 

http://www.10acresbackyard.com/

At this site, find out more about milk production and the life of a dairy cow. Check out "The Girls" (milk producing cows), pick one that catches your fancy, and register to receive updates by mail, or check back to the website to see how your cow is doing (if she's had a calf or was a top milk producer.)

Hezzie Goes to War: World War I through the Eyes of a Mid-Missourian 

http://coas.missouri.edu/anthromuseum/pattrickwwi

For students who communicate with servicemen abroad, parallels can be drawn between current world conflicts and conflicts of the past. This website gives some insight into one soldier's experiences during World War I.E A past Blue Web'n pick, Letters from an Iowa Soldier in the Civil War at http://www.ucsc.edu/civil-war-letters/home.html, can provide a view from another time.

EDSITEment 

http://edsitement.neh.gov

EDSITEment offers a treasure trove for teachers, students, and parents searching for high-quality material on the Internet in the subject areas of literature and language arts, foreign languages, art and culture, and history and social studies. All websites linked to EDSITEment have been reviewed for content, design, and educational impact in the classroom. The site includes over 100 links to the top humanities sites and online lesson plans (K-12) which integrate EDSITEment resources to promote active learning. From the National Endowment for the Humanities, the Council of the Great City Schools, MCI and the National Trust for the Humanities.

English Online 

http://english.unitecnology.ac.nz/

This site is a vast professional development resource for teachers of English in New Zealand and worldwide. Educators will find over 150 fully resourced and downloadable teaching units, professional readings, selected links and discussion forums.

ESL Cyber Listening Lab 

http://www.esl-lab.com/

This website provides a multimedia experience for those seeking to learn the English language. The focus on the site is most definitely on developing users' listening skills, and it provides dozens of helpful audio features that quizzes students on topics such as renting an apartment, understanding credit cards, and making doctor's appointments. Along with these more practical skills, another section of quizzes deals with subjects that students might encounter in other situations, such as the TOEFL or more advanced conversations.

Hero's Journey 

http://www.mcli.dist.maricopa.edu/smc/journey/

The purpose of this web site is to create an environment where anyone can create a story using the mythical hero structure described by Joseph Campbell. The site includes an extensive reference section, ideas and examples, and a "StoryTool" for creating original Hero's Journey stories. Hero's Journey is a project of the Maricopa Center for Learning & Instruction (MCLI) and the South Mountain Community College Storytelling Institute.

Jake and the Migration of the Monarch 

http://www.monarchpublishers.com

Monarch Publishers' author and artist (public school board members) website features their new children's book Jake and the Migration of the Monarch. It is a wonderful story about a young boy and his loving mother, exploring the marvels of the monarch butterfly migration. Their website is full of fun activities for children, wonderful music and songs, beautiful artwork. Very educational and includes teacher and parent guides for art, music, science, math, drama, dance, social studies, Spanish, and language arts.

Mount Rushmore: American Experience 

http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/amex/rushmore/

This online exhibit chronicles the planning, design, implementation and minutiae of Mount Rushmore, the U.S. monument commemorating four presidents. Between January 1, 2002 and May 24, 2002, American Experience is holding an essay contest with this topic question: "If the Park Service ever were to add an inscription to Mount Rushmore, what do you think it should say?" There is also an activity for students to design a memorial commemorating the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks. These activities, as well as activities in the disciplines of civics, history, economics, and geography can be found under Teacher's Guide.

Only a Matter of Opinion? 

http://library.advanced.org/50084/

Editorials, columns, and editorial cartoons are classified as opinion pieces. Only a Matter of Opinion? introduces opinion pieces, encouraging all to write and to draw their own after instruction and research.

Poetry Express 

http://www.poetryexpress.org/

15 Poems You Can Write Now is a great resource for teachers looking for poetry activities. Most of the activities had good examples for students, while leaving room for creativity spirit.EThe area for Sharing gives ideas for conversation starters when talking about poetry, the first steps of criticism (at its most positive).

Project Gutenberg 

http://promo.net./pg/

THE collection of electronic texts. A good starting point for students to create their own hypertext version of the classics. (If you want to view/download novels or plays, make sure you have plenty of memory allotted to your browser.)

Rings of Passion - explore five universal emotions in world art 

http://cgi.pbs.org/ringsofpassion/

What makes this Web site so useful to teachers and students is the way its images prompt students to compare and contrast. Dividing artworks by theme (awe, love, anguish, joy, triumph) shows commonality of spirit. Once you look at the expertly chosen images (by J. Carter Brown of the National Gallery), however, you see a multicultural interpretation of the theme. Those who have found interdisciplinary activities and units rewarding because of all the connections students make have a friend in Rings of Passion. Another fine PBS arts site, it combines evocative images, insightful text, and a handy way to jump students into higher level thinking. Finally, if you act quickly, you can even curate your own online exhibit.

Roget's Thesaurus 

http://www.thesaurus.com/

This site has a nice interface & arranges words according to the ideas represented as in a printed Roget's.

Skillswise (BBC) 

http://www.bbc.co.uk/skillswise/

Skillswise aims to help adults improve their reading, writing and maths skills. Factsheets, worksheets, quizzes and games to help improve skills. Includes a teacher page (http://www.bbc.co.uk/skillswise/tutors/) and an alphabetic listing of all content (http://www.bbc.co.uk/skillswise/help/using/a-z.shtml). Clean interface. Also includes lesson plans http://www.bbc.co.uk/skillswise/tutors/lessonplans/), tracking tools, and a relatively robust Message Board (http://www.bbc.co.uk/dna/mbsw). Aligned to UK standards.

Space Place 

http://spaceplace.nasa.gov/

In both English and Spanish, the Space Place includes activities and information related to the exploration of outer space, as well as Earth from space. Dr. Marc's amazing facts tie space science into their everyday lives. Toward the bottom of the page, you will find the teacher's section with lesson ideas.

Storyline Online (BookPALS) 

http://www.bookpals.net/storyline/index.html

The Screen Actors Guild Foundation is proud to bring you Storyline Online, an on-line streaming video program featuring SAG members reading childrens books aloud. As of 2004, there were 10 stories available. 

Super Science Fair Projects 

http://www.super-science-fair-projects.com

Super Science Fair Projects guides middle school, jr. high and high school students through the intricacies of science fair projects; also includes a parents guide and a teacher's resource page. With the aid of a timeline and step-by-step outline, the student is guided through the process of showing how to keep a science log, choose a category and topic,  research a project, complete all six steps of the scientific method, write a project report and abstract, make a display board and give an oral presentation of the project. Students learn how judges evaluate a project. A click on the "Secret Files" links to projects, topics, ideas and experiments as well as additional resources.

The Online Journalism Review 

http://ojr.usc.edu/

The Online Journalism Review is a Web-based journal produced at the Annenberg School for Communication at the University of Southern California. This site covers a full range of journalistic issues in all media, but with a particular emphasis on the Internet. A great resource for Journalism students at high schools or colleges. OJR's Guide to Online Reporter Resources is a great place to start students that want to do journalism research online.

The Reading Matrix 

http://www.readingmatrix.com/

The Reading Matrix, was designed to create a place where both teachers and other interested persons could come together to find resources about reading and writing. Most of the resources are geared towards the language needs of ESL and international students, but there is really something for everyone. The Archives are a good place to start, as users will have the opportunity to look through subject-oriented resources for English-language learners that range from dictionaries, grammar quizzes, and speaking and listening practice.

The Teachers Corner 

http://www.theteacherscorner.net/seasonal/backtoschool/index.htm

This site contains a wide range of lesson plans and activities, organized by subject area, for primary and middle school students. This link will take you to a variety of Back to School activities organized by grade level.

TV411 

http://www.tv411.org/index.shtml

Not just for adults! TV411: tune in to learning, is based on a television series for adults who want to strengthen their basic reading, writing, and math skills . The "Improve Your" menu consists of Flash-based tutorials produced by The Adult Literacy Media Alliance (ALMA). This section contains practical things such as Parts of a Newspaper, Reading Maps, Filling Out a Job Application, Writing a Complaint Letter, Finding New Ways to Say Something, What Makes a Compound Word?, Words with Multiple Meanings, How to Set Up a Budget, Using Percentages, Explore Nutrition with Your Child, Time Management, and lots more life skills!

Understanding the Kosovo Conflict: A lesson in Media Literacy 

http://www.lhric.org/war/lesson.html

New York educators Katerina Ceman and Mrinalini Rajwar developed this site to look at bias in the media and in government rhetoric. The lessons require critial reading and thinking, and is a good example of how the Internet can support rich learning activities.

Vintage Books Reading Group Center 

http://www.randomhouse.com/vintage/read/

"Reading groups are a popular way for book lovers to get together to talk about books. Groups are formed in a variety of ways--through bookstores, organizations, and also privately with friends. Vintage Books has designed Reading Group Guides to enhance a group's reading and discussion of a book. They include a description of each book, questions, discussion topics, author biography, and sometimes a note from the author to assist the group in having a stimulating and interesting discussion." Most of the works are contemporary fiction best suited to adult groups or Advanced Placement English students.

Visual Thesaurus 

http://www.visualthesaurus.com/desktop/index.jsp

The Visual Thesaurus is an intersting way to explore English language synonyms. Words show up as a "spatial map of linguistic associations," with clickable words that encourage you to follow threads. The site uses Java and works best on newer systems.

Westward, Ho 

http://www.cyberbee.com/wwho/

Westward Ho is now taking registrations.E The wagon train leaves in January, so pack your wagon and start heading to Independence, MO, the starting point for the journey. If you want your class to participate in this trip, which will be filled with thrills and perhaps chills, register at http://www.cyberbee.com/wwho/wwho_reg2.html.

Aesop's Fables Online Exhibit 

AesopFables.com

John R. Long has created a Website that will be valuable to a variety of people. Although Aesop's Fables have been online as e-texts for quite a while (i.e., even before 1994), the clean and quick interface of this Aesop's Fables Online Exhibit make it an enjoyable site to visit. Long has gone beyond HTML so that you can browse through the 650+ fables and fairy tales here-in (it includes many by Ambrose Bierce) or conduct a word search (or even view a java timeline panorama). This is a fine example of the more powerful contribution a skilled Net citizen can make. One way to integrate this Website is as a support for looking at key themes. For example, a search of the word "truth" turned up The Apes and the Two Travelers, a short and clear morality play on the cost of telling the truth. Teachers could use the site to enhance discussions on literary themes, students could access appropriate fables as introductions to essays, and parents could add the wisdom of these tales to those inevitable discussions on morality.

Big Six 

http://big6.com

Big6 is a systematic approach to information problem solving useful whenever an individual has an information-oriented problem. This Big6 website includes lesson plans, curriculum, a directory of schools and districts implementing the Big 6, tools that help to teach the Big 6, and directions for joining the electronic discussion group

Carol Hurst's Children's Literature Site 

http://www.carolhurst.com/

Teachers and librarians will appreciate this rich collection of reviews, curriculum ideas, and activities. Reviews are organized by title, author, type of book, and grade level, and educators can also look for ideas based on curriculum areas or themes. There's plenty here to help educators integrate literature into their curriculum.

In Search of Stellaluna's Family 

http://projects.edtech.sandi.net/chavez/batquest/batquest.html

In this WebQuest, third graders research bats and write a letter to Stellaluna telling her why she is so special. 3rd Grade teacher Danice Von Feldt developed this WebQuest in both Spanish and English, and the site includes a simple evaluation rubric and extension activities.

Paradigm Online Writing Assistant 

http://www.powa.org/

Developed by Professor Chuck Guilford of Boise State University, Paradigm helps students think about what goes into a writing before they ever start to draft. There are sections on discovering what to write, organizing, revising and editing your writing. Also several types of essays are addressed: thesis/support, argumentative, exploratory, and informal. There is enough content for teachers to send students to Paradigm for online guidance, or teachers might want to use the resource to guide their own classroom instruction. Prof. Guilford has done an excellent job of summarizing much of the research on the process approach to writing.

Scholastic's Harry Potter page 

http://www.scholastic.com/harrypotter/index.htm

This summer, I noticed that Harry Potter was a New York Bestseller (unprecedented for a children's book), and I ordered a copy to read to my 6-year old. Though my child usually has little patience with long chapter books, Harry won us over, and we're now reading book number three. Though the real thrill is in reading the book, Scholastic's site shares author information, discussion guides, and a reading circle

SparkNotes 

http://www.thespark.com/sparknotes/

Created by Harvard University students and alumni, SparkNotes isa collection of free online study guides to approximately 100 literature classics Each SparkNote contains sections on context, characters, overall summary, chapter-by-chapter summary and commentary, study questions, and a message board for collaborative learning.

High School Journalism 

http://www.highschooljournalism.org/

Sponsored by The American Society of Newspaper Editors and The Radio and Television News Directors Foundation, to help scholastic journalism grow where it does not exist and flourish where it does. This site is geared toward teen journalists, their teachers and guidance counselors. Content includes skills-building exercises, sample lesson plans, a spotlight on high school newspapers across the country, interaction with professional journalists, updates on scholastic press freedom issues, a database of journalism scholarships and links to university journalism programs.

History and Politics Out Loud 

http://www.hpol.org/

Hear some of the voices of US History: Franklin D. Roosevelt, John F. Kennedy, Martin Luther King, Jr, Richard Nixon and more. HPOL is a searchable, browsable site that houses audio files in the public domain that are relevant to American history and politics.

Home of the Macbeth and Hamlet Pages 

http://www.falconedlink.com/falcon/

These pages were a homespun creation of Rodger Burnich (a teacher at Westhill High School in Stamford, Connecticut) and summarize in a contemporary, chatty translation the five acts of these two Shakespeare classics. There are the occasional typos and some Shakespeareans will take issue with some of Burnich's readings, but the pages could be a helpful guide to new readers of the plays. With this resource, teachers might give students the activity of doing another "translation" into the lingo of "surf dudes," "valley girls," or "hip hoppers."

Indigenous Australia 

http://www.dreamtime.net.au/

Hear the tales of the indigenous peoples of Australia, and better understand the role of storytelling as well as other areas of cultural heritage. Students can access a dictionary of terms that may be new to them, and the "How do I find...?" area can help them find the information on specific topics, such as medicines and land ownership. Although the tales are recorded in English, it is important for students to understand the concept of indigenous language

Internet Classics Archive 

http://classics.mit.edu/index.html

This site features 441 works of classical literature by 59 authors, including Aesop, Aeschylus, Homer, Ovid and Plato. Visitors can read classic works in their entirety, participate in discussions of the works and bone up on the authors themselves.

Justin's Drama and Theatre Links 

http://www.theatrelinks.com/

Justin Cash of Australia has created a mammoth directory of theatre links including: history, practitioners, genres, styles, online plays, playwrights, classroom resources, education institutions, arts organizations, set/lighting/costume designs and more. As with any hotlist, teachers of younger students should always check links for suitability before having students access them. (\

Knowing Poe (Maryland Public Television) 

http://knowingpoe.thinkport.org/

The Literature, Life, and Times of Edgar Allan Poe... In Baltimore and Beyond. Through the activities on this site, you can introduce learners (or, be introduced, yourself) to the literature, life, and times of one of America's foremost writers.  (http://knowingpoe.thinkport.org/classconn/)

Learning Vocabulary Can Be Fun 

http://www.vocabulary.co.il

Interactive games with multi-level and multi-subject choices to help students learn vocabulary words. Over 100 topics with 4,500+ words. Games include: Hangman, Word Search, Language Match Game, Vocabulary Quiz. A "homegrown site" created and maintained by Jacob Richman. Requires Flash

Lewis Carroll Scrapbook (Library of Congress) 

http://international.loc.gov/intldl/carrollhtml/lchome.html

The Lewis Carroll Scrapbook at the Library of Congress is an original scrapbook that was kept by Charles Lutwidge Dodgson. Better known as Lewis Carroll, the Victorian-era children's author of Alice's Adventures in Wonderland (1865) and Through the Looking-Glass (1871), Dodgson was a lecturer in mathematics at the University of Oxford.  A timeline, authored by Edward Wakeling, former chairman of the Lewis Carroll Society, helps to place materials found in the scrapbook in their proper context. Search by Keyword, Author, Title, Subject; or simply browse page by page through the Scrapbook.

Lil' Fingers Storybooks 

http://www.lilfingers.com/

Lil' Fingers is a storybook site for toddler age children with games, storybooks and coloring pages. Our FREE toddler stories, activities and holiday sections are designed with bright colors and big buttons for little fingers to click on. Our content is designed with young children in mind using large buttons for little fingers; animation, bright colors; quick loading pages; and short stories. Created and maintained by David Lumerman.

Listen & Write 

http://www.bbc.co.uk/schoolradio/english/listenandwrite.shtml

This interactive site, created by the BBC (British Broadcasting Corporation), lets students hear poetry, then create their own. Rap, Wonderwords (helped by The Saurus), and Similes are covered in an entertaining manner. Low and High tech versions are available.

Literacy Volunteer Connection 

http://www.literacyvolunteer.com

This site has great resources for any type of literacy program you may be involved in, whether for adults or children. Find materials to present to parents about the importance of reading. Articles include All about Reading, Literacy at Home, and a host of other articles with tips for literacy tutors. Second Lanugage Literacy focuses on resources for naitve Spanish speakers.

Little Planet Times 

http://littleplanettimes.com/

"Dateline, Little Planet. Yesterday, in the meadow at the edge of the Old Forest, two friends were pulled apart just before they were going to fight. And what the two friends were ready to fight over was ..." You'll have to visit this site to find out what made Porky and Dorky so mad. This original web site encourages kids to read and write with The Little Planet Times, a newspaper created by and for kids. Top stories creatively present monthly themes, like conflict resolution.

Mark Twain from The Mining Company 

http://marktwain.miningco.com/

This site includes links to online resources by and about Mark Twain, plus weekly feature articles, an events calendar, and more. (added 5/16/97 , reviewed 3/22/99 )

Mind's Eye Monster Exchange 

http://www.monsterexchange.org/

Take your students on an amazing journey of imagination! In this project, a student in one classroom draws a monster, writes a detailed description of the creation, then e-mails the composition to a student in another classroom. Next, the student who receives the description draws the monster based on the description. Then both the original and the duplicate drawings are posted in the Mind's Eye Monster Galleries for comparison.

Mondo Times 

http://www.mondotimes.com/

Mondo Times is a web site devoted to mass media around the world. This service provides access to over 13,000 media outlets available online, organized by location and topic. Links to media in every country can be found in the left column on the main page.

Mr. William Shakespeare and the Internet 

http://daphne.palomar.edu/shakespeare/

Shakespeare has been dead nearly 400 years, but thanks (in part) to Web sites like this, his popularity has never been greater. Created by Terry Gray, "Mr. William Shakespeare" is an annotated, scholarly guide to William Shakespeare, his works, life, and times. Features of this outstanding site are a Shakespearean Timeline, Works (synopses of plays, study guides, canons and more), Criticism, Critical Resources, a bibliography, and even a Shakespeare Biography Quiz.

My Hero 

http://myhero.com/

MY HERO illuminates the "unsung" heroes in the cities, towns, and countries where we live. Submit a description of your hero or browse other submissions.

Narnia.com 

http://www.narnia.com/

Visit Narnia, the land created by C.S. Lewis in his seven book series, The Chronicles of Narnia. Created by HarperCollins Publishers, Inc., the site includes interactive maps, illustrations, and character sketches. Readers can take a short quiz after reading each of the first six books (offline). The Illustrating Narnia section contains information about various illustrators of the books, from Pauline Baynes to Chris Van Allsburg. 

On Line English Grammar 

http://www.edunet.com/english/grammar/index.html

This Website provides definitions and examples on the parts of speech. The pages are well designed and load time is good. This could be a good supplement or even key resource if you are teaching grammar and/or English as a Second Language and don't have adequate materials.

Open Court Resources.com 

http://www.opencourtresources.com

Hundreds of free teacher created resources aligned with the Open Court Reading program.

PlainTrain: Plain Language Online Training 

http://www.web.net/~plain/PlainTrain

Have you ever looked at a student's written work and thought "What is this student trying to say?" "Plain language is an approach to communication that begins with the needs of the reader." This website explains how to identify the reader, organize ideas, use appropriate words, create simple sentences, and build effective paragraphs. Testing written work is considered a necessity.

Press Freedom Survey 2000 

http://www.freedomhouse.org/pfs2000/

How free is the press in countries around the world? Why should you care? Part of information literacy is to know the veracity of the source of information. If newspapers or other media you access on the web are controlled by their government, you should know that. Consult the map on the main page to get a quick view of free, partly free, and not free media countries. Access reports from the individual countries to get a more detailed picture. Freedomhouse is a non-profit, non-partisan organization that has compiled these reports since 1972.

Project Bartleby (Columbia University) 

http://www.cc.columbia.edu/acis/bartleby/

Home of great literary Websites on such people as Emily Dickinson, W. E. B. Du Bois, Robert Frost, John Keats, Herman Melville, Edna St. Vincent Millay, and Gertrude Stein, this site includes full text of writings for these authors.

Purdue University Online Writing Lab 

http://owl.english.purdue.edu/

As a young English teacher, did you ever look with envy at the file cabinets of your elder colleagues? The wonderful handouts that must exist in there! Well, Purdue University's OWL (Online Writing Lab) has posted a hugely comprehensive set of handouts online that can support writers (and teachers of writing!). From the ubiquitous and boring (Sound-Alike Words: Their/There/They're; It's/ Its, etc.) to the more subtle and specialized (Business Letters: Subordinating Negatives in Good News and Neutral Messages), this Web site has it all. Such a wealth of handouts online will allow you to individualize how you work with your students.

Quote Search 

http://www.starlingtech.com/quotes/

A great online search engine for fun and clever quotations. A search for "love" turned up 16 quotations, among them this from former Vice President Dan Quayle: "I love California, I practically grew up in Phoenix."

Renaissance Secrets 

http://www.open2.net/renaissance2/doing/doing.html

A joint offering of the BBC and Open University, this website explores four mysteries from a historian's point of view. Although built to support a television series on the BBC, teachers can use this site to explore conspiracy, medicine and inventions in Renaissance Europe. Use this site to trigger a discussion of overlooked careers and standards in historical research. (added 4/29/02 , reviewed 4/29/02 )

Robert Frost - The Complete Works to December 1920 

http://www.columbia.edu/acis/bartleby/frost/

Another great Project Bartleby site from Columbia University, this Web site offers the full text of Frost's classic early works: A Boy's Will, North of Boston, Mountain Interval, and additional poems. AU format audio files are downloadable for such classics as "After Apple-picking" and "Birches." (added 5/23/96 , reviewed 4/9/99 )

Roget's Thesaurus Search Form 

http://humanities.uchicago.edu/forms_unrest/ROGET.html

This hypertext thesaurus interface provides point-and-click client access to Roget's on the Web.

Shape Books 

http://www.shapebooks.com/

Shape Books allow kids, parents and teachers to make shape books, skill books, poems, notes and more. Pick a shape, type in your words and print. Subscriptions are Teach With Movies 

http://www.teachwithmovies.org

AtE times, movies are appropriate teaching tools. This site gives you some discussion questionsE (and perhaps essay topics) for more than 200 movies. Search by keyword or browse theE alphabetically, by culture, or by character development issues. Descriptions includeE benefits, possible problems or issues raised by the movie, and background. Check out the list of Movies Not Recommended as Teaching Tools. (added

TeacherViews 

http://www.eduplace.com/tview/index.html

Written by grade K-8 teachers, TeacherViews describe favorite classroom books and related classroom activities. Part of Houghton Mifflin's Education Place.

The Atlantic Monthly Poetry Pages 

http://www.theatlantic.com/atlantic/atlweb/poetry/poetpage.htm

These pages are "a new multimedia feature devoted to poets and poetry, both classic and contemporary. This area will be updated regularly, with new readings by poets featured in each issue of the magazine, as well as poetry and essays from The Atlantic's archive." This is a great resource to expose people to a collection of the current definition of great poetry.

The Concord Review 

http://www.tcr.org/

Read exemplary essays by high school students of history. This Web site is an online representation of the quarterly journal The Concord Review. Twenty complete essays (averaging 5000 words) are posted here. They could serve as models for the Advanced Placement or International Baccalaureate crowd or as resource material for students writing on similar topics.

The Legacy Project 

http://www.legacy-project.org/index.html

Explore the relationship between tragedy, war, genocide, and the visual arts. This very powerful site is meant for only mature students of the arts and history, dealing with the topic of loss in cultures around the world.

The Official Roald Dahl Website 

http://www.roalddahl.com

This creative site (Flash required), created by the Roald Dahl Foundation) is not for the feint of bandwidth (use this only on a network connection, otherwise you might be waiting a long time for the site to load). Roald Dahl was a very creative children's author and this site brings to life classics such as Willie Wonka and the Chocolate Factory, Mathilda, and James and the Giant Peach. Teachers will enjoy the lessons and classroom activities available for download. The activity on Collecting Words lists as examples the words Dahl collected for beautiful and angry or rude or nasty, and asks students to collect words for big, rich and funny. (added 2/16/01 )

The World of Beatrix Potter 

http://www.peterrabbit.co.uk

Step into the world of Beatrix Potter and all of her characters. This graphic/audio intense site features fun online activities and reading for children. (added 12/14/99 , reviewed 4/5/06 )

Traditional Grammar: An Interactive Book 

http://www.learnnc.org/bestweb/grammar

Do you know the difference between a demonstrative and descriptive adjective? When do you use affect and effect? This website can help writers of all ages clean up their act. Use specific sections for just in time learning, or review the entire site and quiz yourself on what you've learned

Underground Railroad 

http://www.undergroundrailroad.org/

This website supports the mission of the National Underground Railroad Freedom Center in Cincinatti. The section on Slavery's Past is interesting. One feature (Places) is a clickable map showing locations of railroad stops. Another is the People section that contains stories of the work of people involved in the abolitionist movement and the Underground Railroad. Students can add locations or stories to both of these areas. Freedom Today will pose various questions to visitors of this website and allow them to respond

University of Victoria's Writer's Guide on The Essay 

http://web.uvic.ca/wguide/Pages/EssaysToc.html

This Website provides short introduction on what essays are and various types of essays. It also guides the writer through the writing process with a series of brief articles. 

Vandergrift's Children's Literature Page 

http://scils.rutgers.edu/%7Ekvander/ChildrenLit/index.html

This site informs those who care about children and their literature about the best and the latest on the constellation of topics that will enable them to bring the literature and children together most successfully.

Virtual Presentation Assistant 

http://www.ukans.edu/cwis/units/coms2/vpa/vpa.htm

The Virtual Presentation Assistant is an online tutorial for improving your public speaking skills. Topics include selecting and researching your topic, analyzing your audience, supporting your points, using visual aids, public speaking Web links, and more.

Vocabulary University 

http://www.vocabulary.com

This site offers "free vocabulary puzzles to enhance vocabulary mastery. Exercises are endorsed by teachers to enrich classroom curriculum and to help prepare for the SSAT, GED, SAT and ACT."

Voice of the Shuttle: Web Page for Humanities Research 

http://vos.ucsb.edu/

This comprehensive hotlist includes general humanities resources, anthropology, archaeology, architecture, area & regional studies, art, classical studies, history, legal studies, linguistics, literature, minority studies, music & dance, philosophy, photography, politics & government, religious studies, science, technology, culture, technology of writing, women's studies, gender theory, & more. Includes links to teaching resources.

Webtime Stories 

http://www.kn.pacbell.com/wired/webtime/

Webtime Stories is an annotated hotlist of online stories, book and author resources, and online activites for people who love children's literature.

Weedpatch Camp 

http://www.weedpatchcamp.com/

This site is a wonderful 'companion' to John Steinbeck's Grapes of Wrath. While writing the book, John Steinbeck visited Bakersfield, California and based his book on Arvin Federal Government Camp which he portrayed as "Weedpatch Camp." This site includes  history and pictures of the camp as well as personal reminiscences and music of the time.

What Did You Do in the War, Grandma? 

http://www.stg.brown.edu/projects/WWII_Women/

This oral history project of Rhode Island Women during World War II was written by students in the Honors English Program at South Kingstown High School. Judi Scott and Linda P. Wood (in partnership with Brown University) have done a nice job of providing online articles and resource links about oral history as well as the time period. Others can use the site for its interesting content, but also show it to students as an excellent model. Like this site and the Foxfire series from Appalachia, you can look to your own communities to uncover the interesting stories behind the lives of seemingly ordinary people.

Where Do Languages Come From? 

http://www.exploratorium.edu/exploring/language/

The Exploratorium produced this series of exercises to demonstrate similarities and differences between words of several languages. Great for tying geography lessons into language arts curriculum. These activities, like Be a Word Historian, are created to be completed either online or offline.

Where's That From? 

http://www.intuitive.com/origins/

The site introduction explains "In this game you'll be presented with 10 randomly selected word origin or word definition puzzles to solve; in each case the word or phrase is highlighted in bold, and a number of possible explanations for its origin will be presented. You need to choose the correct answer to score a point for that question. Beware: the false answers will often also seem quite plausible, and some of the true answers are hard to believe, but we have documentation!" - The terms used tend to be more interesting than the usual Greek and Roman roots routine, but we found ourselves guessing, more than making educated guesses.

Who Dunnit? 

http://www.cyberbee.com/whodunnit/crime.html

Learn to be a sleuth by exploring the world of the forensic scientist. Elementary and Middle School students can learn to take fingerprints, analyze unidentified powders, and other techniques to solve "The Case of the Barefoot Burglar."

William Shakespeare's Hamlet 

http://www.lausd.k12.ca.us/lausd/resources/shakespeare/hamletmain.html

Designed for use with 12th grade English classes, this unit by teacher Joel Littauer provides students with practice in analyzing Shakespeare's drama, Hamlet, as well as discussing major characters and the impact the protagonist has on the minor characters. Includes a teacher's guide and relevant Web links.

World Wide Words 

http://www.worldwidewords.org/

Michael Quinion must never sleep. He has developed a rich resource for lovers of words at this site, where you can find out past history of common words, catch the latest creations used in the press, or check usage. Divided into categories like "The Word Hoard," "Articles," and "Newsworthy Words," the site is a playground of our evolving language. What makes it even better is that there's a fun bloke named Michael ready to play with you. Teachers might use this as a resource for getting students to see the changing nature of the words around them.

Writing Argumentative Essays 

http://www.eslplanet.com/teachertools/argueweb/frntpage.htm

Bill Daly, of the Victoria University of Technology (Australia) has provided a service to new writing teachers, high school students, and parents trying to help their children piece together an effective argumentative essay. Love 'em or hate 'em, clearly structured persuasive essays can help many advancing writers to shape their opinions. Daly uses a sound approach with good examples to provide lots of support so that even independent learners could work their way through his guides.

Writing Fix 

http://www.writingfix.com

Writing Fix is a non-profit site for writers and teachers...."where getting your daily writing "fix" is considered much more important than fixing your writing." (added 9/28/05 , reviewed 9/28/05 )

Chapter One 

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/style/books/features/recent.htm

Chapter One service makes first chapters, tables of contents, and other excerpts of books (including Newberry) on selected special interest topics available for browsing. Browse free -- there is no obligation to buy -- or you can order on-line.

AFRO-Americ@ Kids Zone 

http://www.afro.com/children/children.html

Numerous games, short myths, brain teasers for the younger set. Not all specific to African American culture; but fun nevertheless. Also includes brief information on some countries on the content of Africa. Very attractive and colorful. Some activities require Shockwave and/or Flash.

American Verse Project 

http://www.hti.umich.edu/english/amverse/

The University of Michigan Humanities Text Initiative has taken on the task of posting American poetry from the 19th Century. Emphasis is placed on accuracy of the texts. The list of posted authors is currently small, but those that are listed comprise some of the key voices (William Cullen Bryant, Emily Dickinson, Paul Laurence Dunbar, Ralph Waldo Emerson, Edna St. Vincent Millay,). Once fully developed, this Web site will be a prized reference for teachers and scholars of American literature.

Anagram Hall of Fame 

http://www.wordsmith.org/anagram/hof.html

Another simple but fun page that can spice up a language arts classroom. Anagrams are words made from the rearranged letters of other words, for example: Information Superhighway = Yow! Hi ho, I'm surfing Arpanet!

Anthology of Middle English Literature (1350-1485) 

http://www.luminarium.org/medlit/

This elegant site features the selected works of Medieval authors including Geoffrey Chaucer and William Langland. You can read The Canterbury Tales in its entirely, listen to audio excerpts, read famous quotes, learn about Chaucer's life, and more.

Banned Books On-line 

http://digital.library.upenn.edu/books/banned-books.html

Headings such as "Unfit for Schools and Minors" and "Suppressed or Censored by Legal Authorities" provide links to online texts as well as other censorship resources.

BearTime 

http://www.BearTime.com/

Stories, links, pictures of two adventurous teddy bears, John and El. Obviously, the folks who wrote these stories have a lot of love for the bears...they travel with them to different locales across the U.S. The proof is in the photos illustrating the tales. This website includes a coloring section (on paper, not the computer) and an invitation to send in a scanned photo of your bear (new bear pals for John and El).

Candlelight Stories 

http://www.candlelightstories.com

This site offers illustrated stories, games, animations and information for kids, teachers, writers, illustrators and families. Professional services such as messaging and resume posting are available. People can get their stories and art published on Candlelight.

Creative Writing Process 

http://www.nzcal.com/hp/adk/index.php

Created by a teacher in Canada, Mr. Kirby, this is a no-frills approach that covers all of the steps including: brainstorming, mapping, outlines, editing, references, reproducible worksheets, and more. It walks students through the entire process using one main example and several related examples. It even includes some word processing tips.

Diamond Ranch 

http://www.cowboyhalloffame.org/diamondr/index.html

This site by the National Cowboy and Western Heritage Museum contains colorful characters and a variety of activities for young children including songs, games, reading and coloring. Cowboy Jack and Dusty Trails teach and entertain as children enjoy a visual ride through the museum and interact with cowboys from the Diamond R Ranch to learn the code cowboys live by....honesty, integrity and plain hard work.

Eating Disorders - A WebQuest for 7th and 8th Grade 

http://www.mathrocks.net/webquests/ED_Webquest/index.htm

This webquest for middle school students opens with a scenario where a student has died from an eating disorder. The task at hand is to get a better understanding of the different types of eating disorders, their causes and their symptoms, and to then share that information with other middle school students. This webquest provides a good opportunity for students to work in teams and to then share important knowledge with their peers.

EducETH Reading List 

http://educeth.ethz.ch/english/readinglist/

This reading list covers books that can be read with upper secondary classes. Each book and author includes well-organized hotlinks, comments by teachers and students, and more. 

ElectraGuide 

http://www.ozline.com/electraguide/

This website began as an experiment in using JavaScript to prompt student achievement. It doesn't pretend to be a full introduction to writing persuasive essays. ElectraGuide is a tool that helps students: find a topic, create a thesis, and generate an outline. Choose Topic-O-Rama if you weren't assigned a topic or don't have a good one in mind. If you already have a topic, try Thesis Builder to help you create the most important sentence in your persuasive essay. Once you've got a thesis statement, use the Outliner option in Thesis Builder to generate the framework for your essay. Click links at the top of the page to begin.

Electric Postcard 

http://postcards.www.media.mit.edu/Postcards/Welcome.html

Use this web site to "send" someone a virtual picture postcard, complete with a customized message.

Englishcompanion.com 

http://www.englishcompanion.com

Created by teacher/author Jim Burke, this site is designed to help English teachers find materials and ideas they can use in the classroom. Included are links to daily poems, words, and history; literary and grant resources; links to English conversation sites; and tools for teachers.

Favorite Teenage Angst Books 

http://www.grouchy.com/angst/

A collection of brief book reviews of young adult novels, " You know the kind . . . about teenagers who feel awkward, about nerds who triumph over snobs, about first kisses, about hating school and fighting with your parents, about acne. "

Fluency Through Fables 

http://www.comenius.com/fables/

Each month, The Comenius Group provides a fable ("The Donkey and the Grasshopper," "The Tortoise and the Hare") and a variety of exercises (Vocabulary Matching Exercises, True or False Comprehension Exercises, Vocabulary Completion Exercises, Written Discussion Exercises) to assist students of English.

Franklin Institute Literature Hotlist 

http://sln.fi.edu/tfi/hotlists/literature.html

This hotlist is heavy on children's literature.

Handbook for Storytellers 

http://falcon.jmu.edu/~ramseyil/storyhandbook.htm

This handbook is filled with practical advice for storytellers on choosing, learning, and telling a story. The site also includes background information, a list of references, and more. This site is part of the Internet School Library Media Center (ISLMC) Children's Literature and Language Arts page by Inez Ramsey of James Madison University.

Instant Poetry Forms 

http://ettcweb.lr.k12.nj.us/forms/Poetry.htm

Instant Poetry Forms consists of more than sixty interactive literacy activities. Students can point, click and add words to the frame of a poem. With a quick click on the button below the form, the writer's words are magically added, completing each line. At that point, poets are invited to export their draft into a word processor for further revision and editing, (choose font, clip art, a border, etc.) An interactive poetry form finder on the website categorizes the forms by topic (or language skill) to help literacy teachers find just the right form for the mini-lesson of the moment. An interesting, fun tool.

Learn New Poetry Forms 

http://www.faximum.com/aha.d/newform.htm

Ghazal, haiku, renga, sijo, and tanka forms are explained and commented upon by "Webmistress" Jane Reichhold and members of the AHA! POETRY circle. The word choice and content is more appropriate for upper level students. )

Literary Research Tools on the Net 

http://andromeda.rutgers.edu/~jlynch/Lit/

An incredibly comprehensive collection of Web sites related to literature & the humanities. Includes Syllabi and Other Course Materials for Literature Courses. Compiled and maintained at the University of Pennyslvania. Maintained by Jack Lynch of Rutgers -- Newark. )

Nobel Channel 

http://www.nobelchannel.com

Based on Nobel Prize achievements, this site offers resources and historical references with compelling interactive media. Included is an Interactive Learning Studio of lesson plans based on the Nobel Prize themes: Peace, Physics, Chemistry, and Literature. Exercises contain multimedia elements, references, resources, and Teacher Bulletin Boards. )

On Assignment 

http://mac1.ocps.k12.fl.us/sch/edo/asgn.html

This weekly web-based assignment is designed to demonstrate how technology can be integrated with curriculum . Geared toward elementary students, the simple activities tackle a variety of topics and include pre-thinking and post-thinking questions and extensions.

Phonics Link 

http://www.sdcoe.k12.ca.us/score/Phonics_Link/phonics.html

Phonics Link was created to help elementary educators stay informed about the newest research, resources and classroom ideas in phoneme awareness and phonics. Teachers are invited to respond with lesson plans, questions and comments about book club selections. )

Platitudes with Attitudes 

http://www.millennium.scps.k12.fl.us/staffpages/ShawR/platitude/

Platitudes with Attitudes get students to examine local sayings and then to "prove them" using the scientific method. A unique blend of history, language arts and science! Basically you: 1) assign or have students choose sayings; 2) research the etymology of their sayings; 3) use the scientific method to either prove or disprove the saying; 4) post a web page showing students work. Comes complete with lessons, discussion board, chats, Education Standards, and updates. )

Principles of Composition 

http://ccc.commnet.edu/grammar/composition/composition.htm

Part of the Guide to Grammar and Writing (http://ccc.commnet.edu/grammar/), this site offers three headings: 1) The Writing Process; 2) Structural Considerations; and 3) Patterns of Composition. Under each heading is a dropdown menu . Press down on your mouse, scroll thru the list to the desired topic, let go, and you will be taken to that section. Hosted by Capital Community College Foundation.

Reconstructions (MIT) 

http://web.mit.edu/cms/reconstructions/front.html

A site launched by members of the MIT Comparative Media Studies community in the emotional, intense, and confusing days following the events of 11 September 2001. re:constructions is an on-line resource and study guide, designed to spark discussions and reflections about the media's role in covering the events of 11 September 2001 and their aftermath. See http://web.mit.edu/cms/reconstructions/education/ for classroom activities and discussions. )

Richard Lederer's Verbivore Page 

http://pw1.netcom.com/~rlederer/index.htm

Sir Richard, nobleman of student blooper fame, has a Web site at which he welcomes visitors: "Welcome to the web site woven for wordaholics, logolepts, and verbivores. Carnivores eat meat; herbivores eat plants and vegetables; verbivores devour words. If you are heels over head (as well as head over heels) in love with words, tarry here awhile to graze or, perhaps, feast on the English language. Ours is the only language in which you drive in a parkway and park in a driveway and night falls but never breaks and day breaks but never falls." Find some fun teasers for English classes and more Blooper histories. )

Snigglets Page 

http://www.ithaca.edu/shp/shp99/rknight1/humor/sniglets.txt

This low tech text only page carries a huge collection of "sniglets" -- "Any word [or combination of words] that doesn't appear in the dictionary, but should." Perhaps an example will illustrate better: TILE COMET (tyl kom' it)n. - "Any streamer of toilet paper attached to your heel as you emerge from a public restroom." This page could be a great springboard/fun with language activity.

Something Fishy 

http://www.siec.k12.in.us/~west/proj/owl

Get your feet wet with this ocean resource that integrates Edward Lear's book, "The Owl and the Pussycat," with Internet activities for K-3 students. Includes links to other online resources. )

The Positive Press - Good News Everyday 

http://www.positivepress.com/

Sponsored by the nonprofit Athens Institute, this Website offers links to other online news sources (Washington Post, CNN, LA Times, Newsday, etc.). The difference is captured in their title: only articles that highlight positive acts, information, or stories get featured. You can use these stories to compare and contrast to "normal" news purveyors. )

The Science Poetry Center 

http://www.mcn.org/ed/cur/cw/Science_Poetry/Poetry.html

This page is a place for students to post their own science poetry (having to do with Nature or Natural Science, including Life, Earth, Physical and Environmental Science topics).

Wild World of Words 

http://www.ash.udel.edu/ash/challenge/word.html

This site offers a set of Web-based word puzzles for a variety of skills and levels. )

Windows to the Future 

http://www.mcn.org/ed/cur/ssp/men/

Designed and implemented by Mendocino teachers, this Integrated Language Arts and Technology course merges vocational education, college preparatory education, collaborative teaching, and learning. Unique features include intergenerational modeling of continuous learning, student empowerment, specialization, and technology to overcome rural isolation. )

Word Play 

http://www.wolinskyweb.net/word.htm

Word Play links to fun word sites that could be used for enrichment, recreation, or reference. )

World Treasures (National Library of Australia) 

http://www.nla.gov.au/worldtreasures/

Have students explore the contributions of world cultures in this online exhibit. Lessons in the teacher's section supports the online materials. Each treasure lists the museum that houses it; an interesting supplemental activity would have students uncover how foreign museums ended up with another culture's treasure. )

Young Writers' Clubhouse 

http://www.realkids.com/club.shtml

Children's author Deborah Morris hosts the Young Writers' Clubhouse where budding authors get advice and can enter a contest every three months. A monthly Web Chat and E-mail link make this author of the Real Kids, Real Adventures series accessible to her fans.