Indianapolis in Maps: Now and Then
This kit contains all the documents needed to replicate the activity, "Indianapolis in Maps: Now and Then" which is a 1-2 hr. program that introduces learners to the benefits of maps as tools for discovering a city’s (and its people’s) history. Using map navigation skills, participants will be provided with a list of well-known present day landmarks in Indianapolis. They will locate these sites on a current map of downtown Indianapolis and using the information found here (addresses, street
River City Project
As visitors to River City, students travel back in time, bringing their 21st century skills and technology to address 19th century problems. With funding from the National Science Foundation, we have developed an interactive computer simulation for middle grades science students to learn scientific inquiry and 21st century skills. River City has the look and feel of a video game but contains content developed from National Science Education Standards, National Educational Technology Standards, a
Elementary GLOBE: Magnify That
Students will learn about magnification and how a magnifying lens works. They will examine a variety of different objects, first without a magnifier and then with a magnifier, and compare what they observe. They will practice observing details of these objects with magnifying lens. The purpose of this activity is for students to learn about observation skills and how tools can help people make observations, what "magnification" means, and to learn that scientists use tools, such as magnifying le
Elementary GLOBE: The Colors of the Seasons
Using a color chart, students will make observations outside during each of the four seasons. During each session, they will try to find as many colors as possible and record what they see. As a class, they will make charts describing the colors they find in each season. At the end of the school year, students will compare their results and generate conclusions about variations in colors in nature both within a season and between different seasons. The purpose of this activity is to provide the
Educational Psychology
All things considered, there is a lot to learn about teaching, and much of it comes from educational psychology. Teaching as a career has distinctive features now that did not figure as prominently in its profile a generation ago. The features make it more exciting in some ways, as well as more challenging, than in the past. From a teacher’s point of view, the changes mean learning knowledge and skills—and practicing them—that were less important in
teachers’ repertoires in earlier time
Hurricane Katrina: Tempest in Crescent City
Tempest is a side-scrolling platform game set in New Orleans during the Hurricane Katrina Disaster of 2005. The game's main character is Vivica Water, a young woman from New Orleans who moved to New York after surviving the storm. The game takes place in a dream Vivica has where she searches for her mother and helps her neighbors as the hero she wishes she could have been. Tempest is meant to be a fun adventure game that also addresses meaningful, accurate and difficult historical situations. In
Social Media in Business, Development & Government, Spring 2009
Social media technologies are disrupting power equations between consumers and businesses on one hand and citizens and governments on the other hand, especially in the context of emerging countries. Therefore, it is essential that thinkers and practitioners in the areas of business, development and government understand the use and impact of social media technologies.
Through readings, guest lectures, and case studies, the course will provide students the conceptual understanding of the power a
General Physics I, Summer 2009
This course is the first of a two-part introductory general physics course intended for non-physics majors. Doing well in this course does not require you to be a “genius”, but you will have to think about the physical concepts in order to understand them and you will have to apply these ideas in order to solve computational problems. To accomplish the former, all you really need is your brain (in good working order) and the willingness to use it. To accomplish the latter, you will need s
General Physics II, Spring 2009
This course is the second of a two-part introductory, calculus based, general physics course intended for non-physics majors. The course is designated to train you in a wide variety of problem-solving skills that you will be able to transfer far beyond this physics course. Doing well in this course does not require you to be a “genius”, but you will have to think about the physical concepts in order to understand them and you will have to apply these ideas in order to solve computational p
Beckett, Borges, & Nabokov, Spring 2009
There are a number of goals for this course. By the end of the semester, it is my hope that you will:
* Gain comfort in reading difficult fictional narratives with a careful attention to detail, narrative technique, intertext, and context;
* Reflect on how you read literature and share these reflections with the class;
* Learn to engage in a critical dialogue with your peers and with the scholarship in the field;
* Develop research skills applicable to the study of literature;
Comprehension Activities
FreeReading is an open source instructional program that helps educators teach early literacy. Because it is open source, it represents the collective wisdom of a wide community of teachers and researchers. FreeReading contains Comprehension Activities, a page of activities to address important comprehension skills and strategies.
Writing Activities
FreeReading is an open source instructional program that helps educators teach early literacy. Because it is open source, it represents the collective wisdom of a wide community of teachers and researchers. FreeReading contains Writing Activities, a page of activities to address important writing skills and strategies.
Investigating Community Preparedness
This exercise is appropriate for high school, and some middle school students. It allows the students to look at how their community is preparing for possible disasters and then allows a simulation that demonstrate how difficult handling disasters can be. The exercise involves such skills as: planning, interviewing, writing, public speaking and analysis and problem solving.
What is Inquiry?
Good science education requires both learning scientific concepts and developing scientific thinking skills. Inquiry is an approach to learning that involves a process of exploring the natural or material world, and that leads to asking questions, making discoveries, and testing those discoveries in the search for new understanding. Inquiry, as it relates to science education, should mirror as closely as possible the enterprise of doing real science.
A Brief History of Copyright and Innovation
From the framers of the Constitution, who were worried about books and pamphlets, to present-day stakeholders, who are concerned about DVDs, MP3s, and the Internet, the story of copyright law is an ongoing struggle to balance copyright holders' rights with and the public interest. New technologies constantly challenge that balance.
In this lesson, students will examine the historical relationship between copyright law and technological innovation in the U.S. Working in teams, they will research
Teaching Copyright
As today's tech-savvy teens become increasingly involved with technology and the Internet for learning, work, civic engagement, and entertainment, it is vital to ensure that they understand their legal rights and responsibilities under copyright law and also how the law affects creativity and innovation.
This curriculum is designed to give teachers a comprehensive set of tools to educate students about copyright while incorporating activities that exercise a variety of learning skills. Lesson t
Earth Exploration Toolbook Chapter: Investigating Earthquakes: GIS Mapping and Analysis
This activity describes the technique of preparing latitude-longitude based data so it can be imported into a geographic information system (GIS). The chapter describes the steps to create a map to display data and guides users through some basic geographic analyses. The focus of the chapter's case study is earthquake prediction. Users download and format near real-time and historical earthquake data from the USGS. They import the data into ArcVoyager Special Edition GIS software, and analyze pa
The Geologic Time Scale
This resource presents a table of the Geologic Time Scale. The time scale begins with a brief description of the Precambrian Era, and proceeds through the Cambrian Period starting 544 million years ago and concluding with the Holocene Epoch of today. The time periods are explained and include the dates, scientific names, historical descriptions, and common names. The table is organized by Era, Period or System, and Epoch or Series.
Correlates of Desistance
There is no question that life in America has changed drastically in the past fifty years. Given the importance of examining historical change inherent in the life course perspective, it is important to determine how changes in the social structure over time impact individuals. Therefore, the goals of this data analysis exercise are to examine changes in marriage and employment over the last fifty years. The purposes are to identify the changes that have taken place, and to hypothesize how these
Community Organizing Toolkit Game
The Toolkit is a set of resources that supports face-to-face training for residents and community leaders. The computer-based component (the "Organizing Game") is used to introduce concepts, prompt discussion, and allow residents to practice skills in a safe, non-threatening environment. The initial focus of the Toolkit is teaching Doorknocking, an organizing technique that's particularly effective in moving issues within a local community.
