Matthew C. Winner
Web Link Bibliography
May 29, 2006
4th Grade Computer Center
Links
This
link list is intended to be ongoing and ever changing as new and better content
sites are created and discovered. I have grouped the links by content area and
suggest that teachers review the sites with their students before allowing
students to work independently.
Selections
were made based on security of website with regards to independent student use,
validity to content area, age-appropriateness, and display of content in
regards to ease of use by a student.
Please
email suggested additions to Mr. Winner.
Math
A+ Math – This site contains a
number of great math games for students. There are a variety of flash card
games for basic math operations review and related games such as Matho
(combining Bingo and Math) and Picture Reveal, which test knowledge of basic
math facts. This site is appropriate for elementary students of all levels K-5
and can be used for addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division facts
review as well as review of square roots, geometry, and time. Teachers can
custom make flash cards to meet the needs of the students.
(http://www.aplusmath.com/)
Date
visited: 05/29/06
Math Arcade – This
site is hosted by Fun Brain and it showcases a variety of math games practicing
skills ranging from math operations using single, double, and triple digit
numbers, completing number sentences, fractions, and many more. When students
enter the page, a prompt asks for their gender and skill level (grade). There
are 25 math games appropriate for each skill level and each include instructions
and review of the math skill practiced. This site is appropriate for students
of all grade levels K-8.
(http://www.funbrain.com/brain/MathBrain/MathBrain.html)
Date
visited: 05/29/06
Create a Graph – This
site allows students to create graphs by entering in data, creating a title and
labels, and assigning values. The site’s intended use is for students in
grades 3+, although students at any level will need to be familiarized with the
program before they can work independently. Students can chose from bar, line,
area, pie, and xy graph, though students should be taught the purpose of each
graph and which works best for displaying a given set of data. Examples are
provided on the website with an explanation of each kind of graph.
(http://nces.ed.gov/nceskids/graphing/)
Date
visited: 05/29/06
Education Place – This
site is a supplement to the Houghton Mifflin math textbook series and can thus be
used with any elementary HM math text. There are eManipulatives, an eGlossary,
eGames, and graphic organizers for student or classroom use to enhance math
lessons. Users can also download flash cards for each unit, among other great
features. Schools do not need to have Houghton Mifflin math texts to access
these great resources!
(http://www.eduplace.com/math/index.html)
Date
visited: 05/29/06
Reading
Grammar Bytes – This
page provides detailed definitions of common grammar terms. Teachers can access
a variety of lesson walk-throughs that explain grammar in kid-friendly terms
and with several examples of each term. Students may then complete any number
of online exercises related to the grammar term or teachers can print the
exercises as handouts. Information is presented on a secondary education level.
(http://www.chompchomp.com/menu.htm)
Date
visited: 05/29/06
Spell Check – This
online activity gives students four words and asks for them to check which word
is spelled incorrectly. After selecting the correct word, the activity
challenges the student to then spell the word correctly. The activity is
intended for elementary students and users can decide between an
“easy” and “difficult” setting. One drawback is that
finding the misspelled word may be easier than figuring out what word the
computer is actually trying to spell.
(http://www.funbrain.com/spell/index.html)
Date visited:
05/29/06
Wacky Web Tales – This
online activity allows students to pick from a variety of story frameworks and
asks that they provide words to complete the story. Similar to Madlibs,
students must provide nouns, verbs, adjectives, etc. in order to complete the
story. The site offers help with parts of speech, providing definitions and
examples. The stories do not, however, catch when a student has entered a word
incorrectly matching part of speech requested. This activity is appropriate for
students in grades 3+.
(http://www.eduplace.com/tales/)
Date visited:
05/29/06
Merriam-Webster’s Word of the
Day
– Find out the word of the day from this popular dictionary company’s
website. The page gives users a definition, part of speech word origin, use in a sentence, and even has an audio clip of the word
pronunciation. This can be a fun way to introduce students to new vocabulary
words and challenge your class to take ownership of those words throughout the
day. The words provided are appropriate for a secondary education level and
above.
(http://www.m-w.com/cgi-bin/mwwod.pl)
Date visited:
05/29/06
Instant Poetry Forms – This
page allows students to explore a variety of poetic forms and create original
works in any of the styles explored. The site teaches the method of writing in
the chosen poetic style and allows users to create an original poem through a
fill-in-the-blank approach. Examples are given at the bottom of each page and
students can print their finished works for all to read. The activities on this
website are intended for students in grades 3+, but teachers can benefit most
by designating specific poetic forms for students to explore.
(http://ettcweb.lr.k12.nj.us/forms/newpoem.htm)
Date visited:
05/29/06
Social
Studies
Fort McHenry – This
is the official website of Fort McHenry. The site features an interactive map
of the historic sites on the grounds at the fort with a description of the
events or background information related to each area. The site also contains
links to historic sites depicting life in the 1800s, clothing, military dress
and practice, currency, and explanation of the monuments built in remembrance
of historic figures of the War of 1812. This site is appropriate for students
in grades 4+ because of the difficulty of the informational text contained on
the site.
(http://www.bcpl.net/~etowner/patriots.html)
Date visited:
05/29/06
The
National Archives Experience – This site allows students to
investigate the Declaration of Independence, the US Constitution, and the Bill
of Rights, and the events leading up to and following their creation. The
National Archives provides downloadable high-resolution images of each
document, transcripts of the text, and links to related articles and websites.
With direction from a teacher, this website is appropriate for students in
grades 3+.
(http://www.archives.gov/national-archives-experience/charters/constitution.html)
Date visited:
05/29/06
Liberty! The American Revolution – This
site is maintained by PBS in support of their Liberty! television special. Activities on
the site allow students to explore the aspects of daily life in the colonies,
differences between American and British soldiers, and information regarding
events taking place around the world at the time of the Revolutionary War. In
addition, there are historic fictional newspaper articles addressing the events
surrounding the Revolution. The information on the site is appropriate for students grades 3+.
(http://www.pbs.org/ktca/liberty/)
Date visited:
05/29/06
The
National Geographic Online presents the Underground Railroad – On
this site, students can explore any number of facets in relation to the
Underground Railroad from the journey of a slave in search for freedom to the
restraint devices used by the slave owners to discipline and control their
slaves. There is a timeline of events from the very beginning signs of slavery
in America in the 1500s to the abolishment of slavery in 1865. One of the most
interesting features of the site is an interactive story in which students must
read along and make decisions about what to do from a runaway slave’s
point-of-view to guide him or her to safety. This website is appropriate for
grades 3+.
(http://www.nationalgeographic.com/features/99/railroad/index.html)
Date visited:
05/29/06
Science
Missouri Botanical Gardens – This
website is great for research about the earth’s biomes and ecosystems. It
takes a detailed look at biomes of the world, freshwater ecosystems, and marine
ecosystems and allows students to explore what animals and plants inhabit each
biome, the weather and annual rainfall of each area, a brief description of
life in the biomes, and a map of the ecosystem locations throughout the world.
The site is appropriate for grades 3+.
(http://www.mbgnet.net/)
Date visited:
05/29/06
E-Patrol – This interactive site
allows students a chance to explore a variety of endanged species from each
continent, read about each animal, and sign on as an honorary member of the
international club for kids who care about the earth. Students can also explore
ways to be energy-efficient around the home and take online quizzes regarding
being earth-safe. The site is appropriate for grades 3+.
(http://www.epatrol.org/)
Date visited:
05/29/06
EcoKids – This
site features games, activities, printable pages, and information about
wildlife, science and nature, energy, and environmental issues. It is a great
place for students to read current information regarding the policies being
passed to protect our environment in addition to reading and practicing ways
they can help locally. Most of the information is transmitted through
educational games, but there is a section for articles and texts explaining the
background information behind these environmental issues.
(http://www.ecokids.ca/pub/fun_n_games/index.cfm)
Date visited:
05/29/06
Astro For Kids – This
website is created by Astronomy Magazine and teaches students about our
planets, constellations, navigation based on the stars, and seasonal positions
of the sun, and it explains everything in kid-friendly terms. The site also
contains a number of great astronomy-based projects that can be done in the
classroom or at home. The text is appropriate for students in grades 3+.
(http://www.astronomy.com/asy/default.aspx?c=a&id=1091)
Date visited:
05/29/06
The Rock
Cycle
– This site explains the difference between sedimentary, metamorphic, and
igneous rocks. It also explains in detail how each is created and
interconnected. Though the page is limited to a graphic and descriptive text,
the material is useful and there is a link to information about plate
tectonics. The information is appropriate for students in grades 4+.
(http://www.cotf.edu/ete/modules/msese/earthsysflr/rock.html)
Date visited:
05/29/06
Health
Kids Help for Kids – This
site offers students a great number of resources regarding health issues from
how the body works to staying healthy, making positive choices to knowing what
to do in difficult situations. The “Staying Healthy” and
“Dealing with Feelings” sections can serve as great jump-off points
for class discussions or can be used for class research and gathering
information. The site is appropriate for students in grades 3+, but teachers
should monitor where their students explore to avoid subject matter they may
not be ready for yet, such as diseases and puberty.
(http://www.kidshealth.org/kid/)
Date visited:
05/29/06
Learn About Chemicals Around Your House – This
site is created by the US Environmental Protection Agency in order to teacher
students about being safe around household chemicals. Students explore
different rooms of the house looking for unsafe chemicals. In each room there
are five chemicals with explanations as to why they are unsafe. This site is
appropriate for grades 3+.
(http://www.epa.gov/kidshometour/)
Date visited:
05/29/06
Related
Arts
The San Francisco Symphony
Kid’s Page – This is the homepage of the San Francisco Symphony
Orchestra. The site is designed to teach students all about music, from the
different music families to learning about pitch and rhythm. The site is
completely interactive and allows students to compose songs using a variety of
orchestra instruments. The site is appropriate for all elementary grades.
(http://www.sfskids.org/templates/splash.asp)
Date visited:
05/29/06
Miscellaneous
Kids Click – This
is, in my opinion, the best kid safe search engine out there! The site is
developed and maintained by librarians for student use and ever site is
personally assessed and evaluated before students can access it. It can be used
at any grade level and provides information regarding reading level and grade appropriateness
for each link generated.
(http://www.kidsclick.org/)
Date visited:
05/29/06
Fun Brain – This
site offers a number of great educational games to students for grade levels
K-8. Users can find games based on subject and read through a description of
the skills practiced in the game and the game’s intended audience. Skill
level for most games can be set on “easy” or
“difficult”. The site also offers a number of great resources to
teachers and parents.
(http://www.funbrain.com/showcase.html)
Date visited:
05/29/06
Brain POP – Although Brain POP is a
subscription site, they offer a number of trial activities in the subjects of
Science, Social Studies, Math, English, Health, and Technology. The material is
appropriate for all ages of students from K-8 based on the content being
researched. The site offers information on the research topic, related
activities, timelines, and graphs, images, and a wide variety of topics covered
through a fun and kid-friendly approach.
(http://www.brainpop.com/)
Date visited:
05/29/06