Featured: 12-10-2013 Women@NASA

Women@NASA includes a collection of 64 videos and essays from women across NASA who contribute to the agency's mission in many different ways.

The stories of these women are meant to illuminate the "vibrant community of dedicated women employees who play a vital role at the agency." These women have conquered almost every conceivable hurdle to pursue their dreams. 

It's NASA's hope the stories at Women@NASA will inspire girls everywhere to "reach for the stars" and explore the variety of opportunities available to them by aspiring to STEM careers.

They hope to encourage young women to enter into STEM majors in college and careers as young professionals by providing the proper resources and the guidance necessary to enter and remain in STEM careers.

 Watch Women at NASA: Dreams

The Women@NASA website was created in response to the Executive Order, signed March 11, 2009, establishing the White House Council on Women and Girls. It was created by the NASA Open Government team to encourage transparency, participation, and collaboration and create a new level of openness and accountability at NASA.

DISCLOSURE OF MATERIAL CONNECTION: http://cmp.ly/0

Featured: 9-16-2013 National Constitution Center

Constitution Day, September 17, commemorates the formation and signing of the US Constitution on that date in 1787.

The National Constitution Center is the first and only nonprofit, nonpartisan institution devoted to the US Constitution. The Center strives to illuminate constitutional ideals and inspire active citizenship through a state-of-the-art museum located on Independence Mall in Philadelphia.

The National Constitution Center website offers innovative, standards-based lesson plans, activities, and other resources to connect the Constitution with your curriculum and bring American history to life for your students.

Give your students a Constitution Hall Pass to explore America’s civic holidays and constitutional history. Created and produced by the National Constitution Center, this webcast and live chat series features the Center’s education staff, distinguished scholars, and even some famous faces who bring America’s democracy and the stories of “We the People” to life.

The Interactive Constitution on the Center’s website makes it possible for students to search the United States Constitution and find relevant passages and explanations.

In To Sign or Not to Sign: The Ultimate Constitution Day Lesson Plan students will examine the role of the people in shaping the US Constitution.

 Watch a photostory describing the highlights of the National Constitution Center in Philadelphia

You can download and view the text and high-resolution images of the Constitution and other historical documents from the National Constitution Center.

DISCLOSURE OF MATERIAL CONNECTION: http://cmp.ly/0

Featured: 9-11-2013 Hunt Institute

The Hunt Institute is a leader in the movement to transform American education, working at the intersection of policy and politics, supporting and empowering state and national policymakers.

Drawing on expertise from every corner, The Hunt Institute works to bring together the best people and resources to sharpen visionary leadership, encourage active dialog, and mobilize strategic action.

The Hunt Institute bases its work on these core beliefs:

• Education is the cornerstone of American democracy and must be available to all citizens. 
• A free PreK-12 education is the birthright of every child and should be of sufficient rigor and relevance to ensure high school graduates are prepared for citizenship, college and work.
• Access to higher education should be available to all citizens at the most affordable price.
• Leaders who are endowed with the public trust have a responsibility to make informed decisions that create and maintain educational standards that are second to none in the world.
• Opportunities for lifelong learning are critical to sustain the nation’s economic health and the prosperity of individuals.

The goal of The Hunt Institute is to "use our unique qualifications to help lead the way to sustainable solutions."

 Go to the Hunt InstituteYou Tube channel

The Hunt Institute was established in 2001, as an affiliated center of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

DISCLOSURE OF MATERIAL CONNECTION: http://cmp.ly/0

Featured: 7-8-2013 Federal Registry for Educational Excellence

Making it easier to find digital teaching and learning resources from the federal government as well as public and private organizations is the purpose of the Federal Registry for Educational Excellence (FREE).

Currently, more than 180,000 learning resources are registered with The Federal Registry for Educational Excellence. Signing up for the FREE RSS feed gets the newest resources delivered to you several times a week.

A new version of FREE, powered by the Learning Registry - an open database for sharing digital learning resources, incorporates a more responsive design for better access from mobile devices.

The new FREE is a work in progress. More and more resources are being correlated to national and state standards and more social features are planned for the site.

FREE is maintained by the Office of Communications and Outreach and the Office of Educational Technology at the US Department of Education in partnership with the Advanced Distributed Learning Initiative.

FREE originated in 1997, in response to a memo from President Bill Clinton. The site was launched a year later. It was redesigned and relaunched for the first time in 2006 and again this year.

The Federal Registry for Educational Excellence is one of the most popular K-12 websites maintained by the US Department of Education because of the many resources being offered by contributing federal agencies.

DISCLOSURE OF MATERIAL CONNECTION: http://cmp.ly/0

Featured: 5-2-2013 Trace Effects [English]

Trace Effects is a collaborative English language video game for learning American English and culture through puzzles, games, and adventures in an interactive world.

This language-learning video game will complement classroom English language instruction through interactive 3D multimedia learning adventures. Trace Effects is intended for players aged 12-16 who are not native English speakers.

The main character, Trace, is a university student from the year 2045 who has accidentally traveled back in time to the present. In order to get back, Trace must complete a challenging mission to change the future for the better by helping six different young people accomplish great things and have a positive impact on the future.

Learners interact and solve puzzles in a virtual world populated with diverse English-speaking characters. Players take a dynamic journey through the US, traveling to a variety of locations.

Trace Effects exposes young people to American society and explores themes related to entrepreneurship, community activism, empowering women, science and innovation, environmental conservation, and conflict resolution.

Watch the Trace Effects trailer

Trace Effects is produced by the US Department of State.

DISCLOSURE OF MATERIAL CONNECTION: http://cmp.ly/0

Featured: 3/12/2013 Money As You Grow [Economics]

Money as You Grow provides 20 essential, age-appropriate financial lessons and corresponding activities that kids need to know as they grow.



Presented in easy-to-understand language for children and their families, Money as You Grow will help kids acquire the knowledge they need to live fiscally sound lives. The lessons in Money as You Grow are based on more than a year of research, and drawn from dozens of standards, curricula, and academic studies.

Schools and libraries can provide Money as You Grow to families who can then use Money as You Grow to start a dialogue about money and teach kids important lessons about saving, making choices, and avoiding debt. Families can put up a Money as You Grow poster, try the activities in their everyday lives, and check to see if their children know the milestones appropriate to their age groups.



Money as You Grow was developed by the President's Advisory Council on Financial Capability, one of whose key objectives is to find ways to improve the financial capability of young Americans.

DISCLOSURE OF MATERIAL CONNECTION: http://cmp.ly/0

Featured: 2/14/2013 Disaster Hero [Safety]

Disaster Hero is a free online game designed to teach children aged 6-13, parents, and teachers how to prepare for disasters. The overall goals are to ensure that players know what to do before, during, and after a disaster.



Parents and teachers are included in Disaster Hero so that the family and school are familiar with the main concepts of disaster preparedness: make a plan, get a kit, and be informed.

Disaster Hero covers four main topic areas:

1. Basic preparedness steps (get a kit, make a plan, and be informed) to protect the participant and family before, during, and immediately following an emergency.
2. Common disasters (earthquakes, floods, hurricanes, and tornadoes), their associated danger signals, typical effects, common injuries, and appropriate responses.
3. Basic quick-care tips and techniques for common injuries.
4. Basic information about geographic-specific disasters.

There are three levels of difficulty in Disaster Hero: Bronze level is recommended for early readers (grades 1 through 3), Silver is recommended for average readers (grades 4 through 6), and Gold is recommended for advanced readers (grades 7 and 8).



Disaster Hero will work with all major web browsers, but you must have the latest version of Adobe Flash installed. This program is  administered by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security and FEMA.

DISCLOSURE OF MATERIAL CONNECTION: http://cmp.ly/0

Featured: 11/12/2012 Library of Congress Teachers Resources [Standards]

The Library of Congress Teachers Resources provides primary source-based, ready-to-use resources for teachers. Find lesson plans and other materials that meet Common Core standards, state content standards, and the standards of national organizations.

Search the Library of Congress Teachers Resources classroom materials for resources aligned to Common Core, state, or organizational standards. Refine your query by selecting your state, grade level, and subject. Once you’ve found a lesson plan or primary source content that you’d like to use, one click will show you which standards that particular item addresses.

Ready-to-use materials created by teachers provide easy ways to incorporate the LoC’s primary sources into your instruction.
 Classroom materials that align with Common Core state standards include:

• Lesson Plans-Teacher-created lesson plans using LoC primary sources.
• Themed Resources-One-stop access to the best exhibitions, activities, primary sources, and lesson plans on popular curricular themes.
• Primary Source Sets-Sets of selected primary sources on specific topics, available in PDF format, as well as background information, teaching ideas, and tools to guide student analysis.
• Presentations and Activities-Media-rich historical context or interactive opportunities for exploration to both teachers and students.
• Collection Connections-Historical context and ideas for teaching with specific LoC primary source collections.

The Library of Congress Teachers Resources offers classroom materials and professional development to help teachers effectively use primary sources from the LoC's huge digital collections.

DISCLOSURE OF MATERIAL CONNECTION: http://cmp.ly/0

COD - 7/30/2012 - LawForKids [Social Studies]

LawForKids is a web site intended to teach children about the law, created by the Arizona Foundation for Legal Services and Education.

The goals of LawForKids are to educate youth, parents, communities, and schools about youth laws and to encourage law-abiding behavior.

In the Interative section, students can ask or browse questions regarding the law on numerous topics such as bullying, curfew, drinking, driving, school, family, sexual assault, and many more. Law-related videos and cartoons, personal stories, news, and documents can be found at LawForKids.

The Arizona Supreme Court's Juvenile Crime Reduction Fund makes LawForKids possible using surcharges on fines paid by those convicted of breaking the law.

DISCLOSURE OF MATERIAL CONNECTION: http://cmp.ly/0 

COD - 3/6/2012 - Ben's Guide to U.S. Government for Kids [Social Studies]

Ben's Guide to U.S. Government for Kids serves as the educational component of the Government Printing Office (GPO) Access, a service to provide the official online version of legislative and regulatory information.

Hosted by "Benjamin Franklin", Ben's Guide to U.S. Government for Kids provides learning tools for K-12 teachers, students, and parents. These resources teach how the US government works, how to use the primary source materials of GPO Access, and how citizens can use GPO Access to carry out civic responsibilities.

Ben's Guide also provides locator services to US Government sites that have been developed for kids.

The materials on Ben's Guide to U.S. Government for Kids are in the public domain and may be used without restriction unless otherwise indicated.

Ben's Guide is a service of the Superintendent of Documents, U.S. Government Printing Office (GPO).

DISCLOSURE OF MATERIAL CONNECTION: http://cmp.ly/0

COD - 2/23/2012 - NIEHS Kids' Pages [Science]

NIEHS Kids' Pages is an informational and educational resource for all ages to learn about environmental health.

NIEHS Kids' Pages is a government website designed to teach children about the connections between their health and the environment; to encourage children to pursue careers in health, science, and the environment; and to assist children in learning to read and master mathematics and science.

NIEHS Kids' Pages is organized into a few main sections with sub-categories in each:

• Discover and Explore-environment and healthy living, recycling, pollution, the natural world, and how science works
• Scientific Kids-kids' viewpoint, experiments, activities, and quizzes
• Fun & Games-games and puzzles, coloring activities, songs, jokes, illusions, and riddles and brainteasers

What's that Word is a glossary of relevant vocabulary. There is also a Parents & Teachers area with lesson plans and activities, fact sheets, links, and more.

NIEHS Kids' Pages is produced by The National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS) which is part of the National Institutes of Health.

DISCLOSURE OF MATERIAL CONNECTION: http://cmp.ly/0

COD - 1/24/2012 - Social Studies for Kids [Social studies]

Social Studies for Kids is a resource for students and teachers of social studies covering history, geography, economics, cultures, current events, holidays, religions, languages, archaeology, and more.

The Social Studies for Kids site includes

• A forum on social studies topics.
• Fun facts such as Paul Revere never finished his ride.
• Glossaries for both US and world history.
• A free weekly newsletter.

The home page features Current Events topics, This Week in History, and a Geography item.

The author of Social Studies for Kids is David White, the former About.com Guide for Social Studies for Kids.

DISCLOSURE OF MATERIAL CONNECTION: http://cmp.ly/0

Catch of The Day - BAM! Body and Mind - 8/23/2011

BAM! Body and Mind is a site designed for kids 9-13 years old to provide the information they need to make healthy lifestyle choices.

The site is focused on topics that BAM! has learned are important to kids — such as stress and physical fitness. The site uses kid-friendly language, graphics, games, quizzes, and other interactive features.

Some features of BAM! Body and Mind:

• KABAM is a comic creator that helps kids resolve conflicts and stressful situations with the help of the cartoon BAM! bunch
• An exercise personality quiz that leads to a custom activity list for each user
• The BAM! Game Room includes interactive games to help kids learn about issues like bullying, advertising, peer pressure, and more

BAM! can also be useful to teachers, providing them with interactive, educational, and fun activities linked to the national education standards for science and health.

BAM! Body and Mind is from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), an agency of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

DISCLOSURE OF MATERIAL CONNECTION: http://cmp.ly/0

Catch of the Day - Ready Kids - 12/17/2010

Ready Kids® is a website designed to help parents and teachers educate children in grades 4-5 (ages 9-11) about emergencies and how they can help their family to be prepared.

The Ready Kids website features age-appropriate, step-by-step instructions on the role kids can play in their family's effort to be better prepared for emergencies.

Ready Kids has four principle modules:

• Create a Kit - how to build an emergency supply kit that includes everything a family needs.
• Make a Plan - help your family figure out the best ways to stay in touch at all times.
• Know the Facts - an overview of the most common terms, as well as websites you can visit for more information.
• Graduate from Readiness U! - get all the answers right on this quiz to graduate.

Ready Kids is part of FEMA's national public service advertising campaign, Ready, designed to educate and empower Americans to prepare for and respond to emergencies.

DISCLOSURE OF MATERIAL CONNECTION: http://cmp.ly/0

Catch of the Day - The Center on Congress - 9/15/2010

 

The Center on Congress at Indiana University explains the work and role of the US Congress in a variety of ways, including web articles, brochures, teaching materials, conferences, books, television spots, videos and interactive learning programs for students.

The goal of The Center on Congress is to "help improve the public's understanding of Congress and to improve civic engagement, especially among our young people, as a way to strengthen our basic institutions of government."

The interactive learning modules offered by The Center on Congress include …

• How a Member Decides to Vote
• The Role of Congress
• The Dynamic Legislative Process
• The Many Roles of a Member of Congress
• The Importance of Civic Participation

Featured projects of the The Center on Congress are Teaching with Primary Resources, Virtual Congress, Oceana: A Virtual Democracy, and a Kid's Website.

View the The Center on Congress brochure.

The Center on Congress at Indiana University was established in January 1999. It developed out of former US Congressman Lee Hamilton's belief in the need to improve broad public understanding of Congress.

DISCLOSURE OF MATERIAL CONNECTION: http://cmp.ly/0