Instructional+Resources+for+Core+Subjects

History / Social Studies:
Teaching Primary Sources
 * This is an online resource to teach primary sources and context clues. I suggest using this in groups with 5th and 6th graders; although, some content is more graphic (due to the violence of certain historical events as told through eye-witness accounts) and could be at a higher reading level than some students may be ready for.

Famous Speeches from History
 * Listen to and/or read famous speeches from history. The majority of the speeches are from United States history, but there are a few others; although, they are not linked directly to China, India, and Kenya.

Language Arts:
Grammar and Vocabulary: Quizlet
 * Wow! What an incredible site to help students practice vocabulary. I used this all year with my ninth graders, and it really helped them to learn the vocabulary. *Tip: Create your own account and vocabulary lists ahead of time. Use the link to the site for your students. The search feature does not work very well, and providing the direct link is the fastest and easiest way for your students to get to the words. You can print off flashcards, and your students can play games.

Irregular Verbs (Space Invaders Game)
 * This is a fun way for our ESL students to practice irregular verbs.

Steps to Teaching Vocabulary
 * In case you have not had to teach a lot of vocabulary, this step-by-step guide really breaks it down. (I definitely suggest using games and hands-on manipulatives when possible, though.)

Reading:
Literature Map
 * Do you have a student that likes only one author and has no idea what else to read? By typing in an author's name, you will receive a web of other authors that write in similar styles. The authors' names that appear closest to the author you typed in are the most similar; the farther away the name appears, the less similarities there are between authors.

Free Online Texts and Quotes
 * As an English teacher throughout the rest of the year, I could not pass up this website. This is a huge collection of free texts and quotes, so there might be something useful that you find along the way.

Research Websites and Charts
 * This site contains links not only to websites that explain how to research, but also to KWL charts, etc.

Read-Write-Think
 * This widely used website includes graphic organizers, lesson plans, and more.

Writing:
One-Minute Writing Prompts
 * This is a great free-write opportunity for students that provides them with one word that they have to write about for one minute. There is no sign-up required, but at the end the students may write their name and email. *Tip: I suggest using first names only, and it works with a fake email address. They do not necessarily have to post, and you could also use this concept in actual journals on paper versus the online format.

Digital Storytelling: A Migrant Woman's Story
 * If you decide to have students create their own digital stories, this is a great one to show. It is about a woman who was the daughter of a migrant worker and is only 3-4 minutes. This website contains many digital stories, but PREVIEW any before showing, because some include graphic violence, etc.

More Digital Stories: New York Times Collection
 * Again, there are some great stories about regular life, but PREVIEW before showing. Some of these contain adult content.

Animoto.com
 * Students can create short movies that look professional with words, visuals, and music. The movie features are very user-friendly and you may create free educational user accounts. Students need email addresses and need to be linked to your account, or they may create their own log-ins that allow them to create free 30-second videos. This is great for showing comprehension of reading material or introducing themselves.

__Photo Story__: This resource needs to be on the computers that you are using, but students can present on various topics, introduce themselves, or you can teach about citing their sources when they create this movie that allows them to talk, write, and use pictures and images. It is not as flashy as Animoto, but it allows more options for the creator.

"I am Poem" Online Template
 * This template allows students to create an "I Am" poem online instantly by filling in the boxes. Although there is no option to save the poem, they can print it out instantly.

Math:
Online Math Tutorials
 * This is an AMAZING, free website that offers tutorials for many basic math concepts in English and Spanish!!! This could help us with the teaching as well as provide students with a resource to use throughout the school year.

Graphing/Charting
 * With two possible uses, this website is a great tool if you want to chart the progress of your students or if you want to teach your students about graphing and charting.

Math Practice

Math Lessons and Practice
 * Using this site with your students might be a little overwhelming, but this could be a great resource for you. There are step-by-step directions for doing different types of equations, links to other math websites (such as Math.com), and PowerPoints that you can use / revamp for teaching. Watch for pop-ups though.

Resources for All Core Subjects:
Video Tutorials on Classroom Content
 * Many different classroom subjects and concepts are included on this website that offers free videos that are ALL school appropriate (according to their website descriptions).

Review Game Zone.com
 * This website offers practice for many of the core subjects. There are some issues with pop-up ads and incorrect answers, so you may want to preview some of the games and provide a list of possible games for the students ahead of time.

Rubistar Rubric Maker
 * Even though we are not grading students throughout the summer, we can still provide feedback and record growth. This free rubric-making website allows you to customize a rubric to exactly what you need to measure for many different subjects and projects.

Student Interactives for All Subjects
 * Included on this site are crosswords, online quizzes, games, etc. Just choose which subject you want and go from there!