Many of us are used to finding information on the web, but most of us are not necessarily skilled in reading web pages critically. What constitutes high-quality, reliable information? And in this age of information overload, point-and-click, rapid-fire tumbling through pages and pages often discourages simply sitting down with a website and fully getting to know what if offers. In an attempt to counter the disadvantages of infoglut, the Adopt-a-Website assignment assumes that less is more.
Description: Find an information-rich website that deals with your teaching interests. Study the site and visit it often over several weeks. Then present the site in class.
Goals: This assignment provides you with the tools to critically evaluate information on the web, as well as the opportunity to become an expert on one website offering information that will enrich your teaching.
Steps
www.streetlaw.org
www.streetlaw.com These two sites, along with findlaw.org, which is linked to streetlaw.com, were adopted by Tom Barse and used in a high school government class. Tom used the sites to teach a moot court unit. Tom says the site has great usability for students, who can find case law easily.
www.americaslibrary.gov Nick Bogdan adopted this site and said it would be most appropriate for middle school. Part of the Library of Congress, the America's Library site also links to relevant sites off the main Library of Congress page. Nick pointed out the American Memory section, which is rich with artifacts.
school.discovery.com DiscoverySchool.com was adopted by Delia DiGiacomo and Becky Fireison, who pointed out the variety of resources, from lesson plans to a feature called "Custom Classroom," which allows teachers to save work they construct through the site. A TV schedule of Discovery Channel programs listed according to grade and linked resources were part of the excellent "For Teachers" section.
www.nationalgeographic.com Heather Gaynor adopted the National Geographic website; she highlighted the division of resources into "For kids," "For parents," and "For teachers," and mentioned Map Machine and Creature Feature as helpful resources.
cvc.cervantes.es/portada.htm Jorge Mendez adopted the Centro Virtual Cervantes, a Spanish language site. Jorge pointed out various features such as exercises for practicing grammar, information on Hispanic culture, and opportunities to practice translation. English speakers can find more information at www.nhccnm.org/press/cervaboutus.html.
www.score.k12.ca.us Beth Kuch adopted the S.C.O.R.E. website, which offers the four main subject areas linked to California State standards. Beth's picks from this site include "Cyberguides" (teacher guides for novels), "Best of S.C.O.R.E." (math lessons), "Ask a Scientist," and "Virtual Projects/Field Trips."
www.nsta.org Judith Lake adopted the National Science Teachers' Association website and talked about the Teachers' GrabBag section on resources. Judith says that the website has a huge amount of high-quality material that is not immediately apparent, but there are lots of free materials and some excellent lesson plans.
americanhistory.si.edu Geoff Molchan adopted the Smithsonian's American History website and highlighted sections such as the virtual exhibitions (a current one involves the restoration of the original Star-Spangled Banner) and teacher materials, which include lesson plans. Geoff feels this site offers excellent resources for students to explore and do research.
www.exploremath.com Kristin Webster adopted the Explore Math website, which she believes is the best site for interactive, discovery-based math activities, paticularly at the high school level. Kristin highlighted sections of the site such as lesson plans, math news, and discussion. She also mentioned that there is an Explore Science website at www.explorescience.com.
first published: 16 february 2002
last revised: 19 april 2002
webspinner: s.d.shattuck