Artificial Intelligence: Natural Language Processing
This course is designed to introduce students to the fundamental concepts and ideas in natural language processing (NLP), and to get them up to speed with current research in the area. It develops an in-depth understanding of both the algorithms available for the processing of linguistic information and the underlying computational properties of natural languages. Wordlevel, syntactic, and semantic processing from both a linguistic and an algorithmic perspective are considered. The focus is on m
Boston's Arnold Arboretum: A Place for Study and Recreation
provides readings, maps, and lesson ideas about the first arboretum in the U.S., which opened to the public in the 1880s. This site, though focused on a place devoted to the study of trees, can help students learn how 19th-century urban conditions influenced the development of parks and how to research the history of parks in their own communities.
21H.224 Law and Society in US History (MIT)
As events of the last few years have shown, the Supreme Court has played a crucial role in American political life. There is practically no issue of social significance in the American past that did not at some point end up in the nation's courtrooms, yet much of the workings of the constitution remain obscure. This subject is designed to introduce students to the main themes and events of American constitutional law since 1787. It introduces terms and concepts of law and legal history, focusing
Let's Talk Politics: Berkeley Repertory Theatre
Acclaimed British playwright David Edgar takes aim at American politics with his two-play cycle, Continental Divide, at Berkeley Repertory Theatre. This Educator Guide explores the history of political activism and political theatre in the UK and the US.
Home, Sweet Home: headRush
SPARK explores the work of theatrical performance group headRush. This Educator Guide is about the exploration and history of experimental, political theater and performance art.
Forbidden Territory: Traveling Jewish Theatre
SPARK visits the ensemble of the Traveling Jewish Theatre in a bold and moving play about the Middle East conflict called Blood Relative. This Educator Guide addresses collaborative theatre, political theatre, and the history of the Palestinian-Israeli conflict.
FSA/OWI Color Photographs Collection, 1939-1945
This site presents 1,600 color photos -- rural and small-town life, migrant labor, the Great Depression, railroads, military training, aircraft manufacturing, and mobilizing for World War II. A special feature, Collection Connections, provides ideas for learning about women in the war effort, New Deal work programs, farm workers, relief programs, and military training.
American Life Histories: Manuscripts from the Federal Writers' Project, 1936-1940
This site presents 2,900 life histories from 300 writers from 24 states. These histories describe individuals' families, incomes, occupations, political views, religions, diets, and observations.
Governor John Anderson Interview
John Anderson Jr. was governor of Kansas from January 9, 1961 to January 11, 1965. Dr. Bob Beatty, professor of political science at Washburn University, conducted this interview as part of the Kansas Governors Recorded History and Documentary Project, 2005. In these excerpts, Governor Anderson explains his support for the death penalty during his tenure in office and the major changes he helped bring about in the Kansas public education system. Video and a complete transcript of the interview i
Globalism: Report from the Front Lines of Oil and Global Warming
Ben Namakin, an environmental educator from Micronesia, runs The Green Road, a mobile environmental awareness program focusing on upland watershed, mangroves, coral reefs, and waste and pollution. Using photography and film footage to talk about his experiences, Namakin will address global warming, environmental racism, and the influence of oil companies on political decision-making. He will particularly focus on how these consequences affect the cultures and lifestyles of Pacific Islanders. In
Global Competition: How We Can Win
6th Annual Berkeley in Silicon Valley Symposium
In his recent best selling book, The World is Flat: A Brief History of the Twenty-first Century, Pulitzer Prize-winning author Thomas Friedman writes that the lowering of trade and political barriers and profound technological advances in global connectivity have enabled a "flat world" where it is possible to do business or almost anything else instantaneously and with billions of people. According to Dean Richard Newton, it is perhaps ironic that
Using a Colorimetric Test to Measure pH
This laboratory exercise, appropriate for grades 5-12, engages students to use a Colorimetric test to measure pH and gain an understanding of pH and its importance to life in an aquatic ecosystem. In addition to the lab lesson plan, the site includes New Jersey Science Standards, objectives, background, vocabulary, extension ideas, and references.
Algae Experiments
The material found at this site provides original, multidisciplinary, inquiry-based ideas to help enrich science teaching using the world famous Great Salt Lake as a springboard theme. During the lesson students will have the opportunity to view two types of algae (fresh water and Great Salt Lake species) under 400x magnification with a compound microscope. Students will make observations and record their observations on a recording sheet where they will describe what they see through drawing a
Is synchronous computer mediated collaborative problem-solving "justified" only when by distance? Te
Synchronous collaborative problem solving is usually examined for its learning potential, while it is often studied under experimental conditions. The present research aims at exploring synchronous computer mediated collaborative problem solving in real school context, with collocated students, in every day practice. This paper focus on teachers and the possibility offered to improve or empower their teaching approaches exploiting collaborative settings with minimum technological support. The an
Cooperative Learning In Technical Courses: Procedures, Pitfalls, and Payoffs
This report features procedures for implementing cooperative learning in courses that stress quantitative problem solving. The objectives of the report are to offer ideas for using cooperative learning effectively in technical courses, to give advance warning of the problems that might arise when CL is implemented, and to provide assurances that the eventual benefits to both instructors and students justify the perseverance required to confront and overcome the problems encountered.
Ziploc Gardening
Developed for third grade. This activity is fairly straightforward and simple. Each student will grow one to three plants from various beans that are placed in a bag. As the plants grow, students will observe how the appearances change daily, and then again over a longer period of time, such as two weeks.
Biology In Elementary Schools is a Saint Michael's College student project. The teaching ideas on this page have been found, refined, and developed by students in a college-level course on the
Wiggley Worms
Developed for second grade. Each group of students will be constructing their own worm ecosystem in a 2 liter soda bottle. They will be combining soil, gravel and sand in the bottle and then adding a bunch of worms to the material. The students will be planting a seed within the soil to observe how the plant shall grow over time. We will have six 2 liter soda bottles with worms and six 2 liter bottles without worms. The students will be examining how the worms affect the growing of the seed.
Bi
Who's Eating Who?
Developed for second grade. First the teacher will explain the 5 trophic levels of a food chain to the students using the hand out with the sample food chain (Figure 1). Then once they have learned about trophic levels, autotrophs, and heterotrophs, each student can begin looking through the magazines and cutting out pictures of animals to create their own food chain. Once each student has completed his or her food chain, you can have them share them with the group.
Biology In Elementary School
Water Around and Around Again
Developed for third grade. Students will explore the water cycle by creating a miniature environment in a large plastic container. Students will make two different set-ups that will yield similar yet different results.
Biology In Elementary Schools is a Saint Michael's College student project. The teaching ideas on this page have been found, refined, and developed by students in a college-level course on the teaching of biology at the elementary level. Unless otherwise noted, the lesson plans h
Underwater vision
Developed for second grade. Students will use skills in hypothesizing, making educated guesses, and prior knowledge to access what kind of light will work best when taking pictures underwater. The students will be asked to look at a piece of fabric portraying an ocean scene with water and fish. After looking at the fabric with white light, students will be asked to look at the same fabric using three colored filters (red, green, and blue) and three different colors of light (red, green, and blue
