Sunday, May 9, 2010

Current Events News Videos



News quiz for CNN Student News Video.



Social Media Survey

Have students complete this survey . Discuss the answers and encourage them to talk to their parents about the social media that they use.

Sunday, May 2, 2010

What is a person of character?

We talk about character a lot in school, but what does that really mean? What is a person of character? What traits do they show on a daily basis? The following is designed as a discussion activity with personal reflection at the end.

  • What is a person of character? Create a definition as a group.
  • Can you name any famous people that you would consider to be a person of character? What makes them a person of character?
  • Can you name any real life people that you would consider to be a person of character? What makes them a person of character?
  • For the following activities, you can use this sheet to guide the conversation.
  • Create a T chart and write Trustworthiness at the top with a DO and DON'T column. Have students generate ideas about what you should do to promote trustworthiness and what you shouldn't do.
  • Make a T chart for the other pillars and follow the same instructions as above: respect, responsibility, fairness, caring, citizenship
  • Print out enough copies for your advisory of this character rubric sheet. Have them fill it out individually and then have a discussion about what they need to work on.

Current Events: Oil spill

Oil Spills In The Gulf Of Mexico is a slideshow from TIME Magazine.

The Oil Spill: Wildlife at Risk is a graphic from The New York Times.

Rig Blast Aftermath is an interactive from The Associated Press.

Interactive: Gulf of Mexico oil spill is from MSNBC.

What Happens When An Oil Spill Occurs is an interactive about oil spills in general.

Deepwater Horizon Oil Rig Disaster is a slideshow from MSNBC.

ABC News has several online video reports on the disaster.

CNN also has several video reports.

CBS News also has a page of multimedia on the topic.

Here’s a video from The Wall Street Journal.

The Wall Street Journal also has a good interactive.

Gulf Oil Spill Spreads is a Wall Street Journal slideshow.

Oil set on fire in leak disaster is a simple story from the CBBC Newsround.

A Disastrous Oil Spill is from TIME for Kids.

Officials Dispatched To Gulf As Oil Spill Worries Grow is a slideshow from NPR.

Oil spill spreads in the Gulf of Mexico is a slideshow from the Orlando Sentinel.

USA Today has an interactive on the spill.

Interactive: Burning spilled oil is from The Los Angeles Times.

Tracking the oil spill is a CNN interactive.

Oil spill approaches Louisiana coast is from the Boston Globe’s Big Picture.

Oil Slick, From the Air is an interactive from The Wall Street Journal.

Oil leak in the Gulf of Mexico is a slideshow from USA Today.

Southern US Gulf states prepare for oil disaster is a slideshow from The Telegraph.

CNN has just created a new page just on the Oil Spill.

Oil On The Coast is an MSNBC video.

Gulf Coast Oil Disaster is a special feature from CBS News.

Seafood Harvest Threatened by Oil Spill is an ABC video.

The Gulf of Mexico Oil Spill is the title of an excellent infographic.

Pictures Of The Oil Spill is a slideshow from TIME Magazine.

Tracking The Oil Spill is an interactive from The New York Times.

Oil Spills is a very good CBS News interactive.

Here’s a picture of the oil slick from a NASA satellite.

CNN has a video of one of the first birds affected by the oil.

The BBC has several maps and graphics about the spill.

What’s going on beneath the sea? is a good graphic from NOLA.

Bad Weather Stalls Clean-up is a video from MSNBC.

What’s at stake for the environment? is another MSNBC video.

Gulf Oil Spill Spreads is a Wall Street Journal slideshow.

Oil set on fire in leak disaster is a simple story from the CBBC Newsround.

A Disastrous Oil Spill is from TIME for Kids.

Officials Dispatched To Gulf As Oil Spill Worries Grow is a slideshow from NPR.

Oil spill spreads in the Gulf of Mexico is a slideshow from the Orlando Sentinel.

USA Today has an interactive on the spill.

Interactive: Burning spilled oil is from The Los Angeles Times.

Tracking the oil spill is a CNN interactive.

Oil spill approaches Louisiana coast is from the Boston Globe’s Big Picture.

Oil Slick, From the Air is an interactive from The Wall Street Journal.

Oil leak in the Gulf of Mexico is a slideshow from USA Today.

Southern US Gulf states prepare for oil disaster is a slideshow from The Telegraph.

CNN has just created a new page just on the Oil Spill.

Oil On The Coast is an MSNBC video.

Gulf Coast Oil Disaster is a special feature from CBS News.

Seafood Harvest Threatened by Oil Spill is an ABC video.

The Gulf of Mexico Oil Spill is the title of an excellent infographic.

Pictures Of The Oil Spill is a slideshow from TIME Magazine.

Tracking The Oil Spill is an interactive from The New York Times.

Oil Spills is a very good CBS News interactive.

Here’s a picture of the oil slick from a NASA satellite.

CNN has a video of one of the first birds affected by the oil.

The BBC has several maps and graphics about the spill.

What’s going on beneath the sea? is a good graphic from NOLA.

Bad Weather Stalls Clean-up is a video from MSNBC.

What’s at stake for the environment? is another MSNBC video.

Thanks to Larry Ferlazzo for this extensive resource list!

Sunday, April 11, 2010

Earth Day Pledge

Have your students take an Earth Day Pledge here:





You can also print out the hard copy of the image above here to hang in your rooms.



Earth Day TV




Use Earth Day Television as a resource to learn about global warming, greener living, and much more!

Celebrate Earth Week by watching Life

Share this amazing series on the Discovery Channel with your students and discuss the wonders of life. You can also take some fun quizzes here.