World Wonders
Each week, look through the texts offered you in class or the links on this World Wonders page. Find a text of interest to you. Reading and Writing work together. By reading good texts, you learn models of good writing as well as learn concepts from them. By writing texts, you learn how to think like a writer and a reader.
Below are links to the Weekly Paper, a biweekly reading/writing assignment. Please know that I do my best to screen and evaluate these sites for their content. If you encounter anything on these web sites you think is inappropriate, please inform me immediately. If you need help reading one of the types of texts you find here, please see the Assignment Help list at right. If you want a Weekly Paper Think Sheet, download at right. Directions are also linked at right.
Links:
0. E-Field Trips:
http://www.efieldtrips.org/ Choose a different online field trip to explore the world. What did you want to learn? What did you learn? How will you use the information?
1. This I Believe: http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=4538138
Write about the core beliefs that guide your daily life. Each Monday, NPR airs these personal statements from listeners to create a picture of the complexity of the American spirit. Acclaimed journalist Edward R. Murrow originally hosted a radio program with this title in the 1950s. He said the program sought "to point to the common meeting grounds of beliefs, which is the essence of brotherhood and the floor of our civilization."
2. Smithsonian Photo/History of the Day http://today.smithsonianmag.com/photo/
Click on a picture of the day with a history fact; thoughtfully write a connection between the two (thinking skill). You may need to click to 2007 to find a picture and history fact.
3. Leaders and Success: http://www.investors.com/editorial/IBDArticles.asp?artsec=21&issue=20080205
Investor's Business Daily once ran a daily column to examine why one person---an athlete, an inventor, a businessperson, or social leader---becomes successful. Four of the articles are still available; the link above takes you to the story of Sam McCracken who was raised on a Montana reservation.
Who did you choose? How did the person become successful? How will this information help you?
4. Inventor of the Week: http://web.mit.edu/invent/i-main.html
MIT (Massachusetts Institute of Technology) profiles a different inventor, from the past or present. Browse the Archives to search for information on an inventor or invention of your choice. Explain how the invention helped the world.
5. The History of US (Webisodes): http://www.pbs.org/wnet/historyofus/menu.html
America represents freedom, and many have given the ultimate sacrifice, to die for that freedom. This history tells the stories of all of us, as we struggle to make this country “A more perfect union.” What did you learn about Americans?
6. Teens and Their Money: http://www.fool.com/teens/teens.htm
Written expecially for teens, discover how to make a million, how to work the stock market, or how to get more money from your parents. What did you discover, and how will you use the information?
7. New York Times' "Portraits of Grief":
http://www.nytimes.com/pages/national/portraits/index.html
Here you can honor the lives of those who lost their lives on September 11. Learn their stories, and share their memories.
8. Daily Cartoon: http://www.kingfeatures.com/features/comics/zits/about.htm
Zits, my favorite cartoon in the paper, humorously describes the relationships between adults and teens. Other comic strips are featured on the left sidebar. Read a comic and explain how it relates to the world and to your life.
9. Poetry 180: http://www.loc.gov/poetry/180/p180-list.html
The Library of Congress established this poetry site for high school students. Enjoy and write about these poems and how they connect to your life or your world.
10. LIFE's Picture of the Day: http://www.life.com/Life/pictday/980324.html
Images of life. (Note: always click the "previous" link or you will be taken out of the site.)
Explain why you chose the picture and how it connects to your life.
11. Daily Word: http://www.m-w.com/cgi-bin/mwwod.pl
Want an excellent vocabulary word for your list? Here's the place to go—and you get the history behind the word too. Explain in words and pictures your interesting word.
12. Daily History: http://memory.loc.gov/ammem/today/today.html
In the Library of Congress's American Memory Project, each day represents a new page for that day to explain an important person or historical event related that date. Additional links enourage further study. Look for an image, a story, and an important piece of information about America. What effect did the item you chose have on America?
13. Biography.com http://www.biography.com/
Interested in Michael Jordan? Mohammed Ali? Albert Einstein? Go to Biography.com and type in the name of someone that has always interested you. Why did you choose the person and how does the person's life connect to your life?
14. Kidsspace http://csmonitor.com/homeforum/kidspace.html
Articles for kids to read, archived in center of page. Click a link on a topic that interests you. Topics include current articles and histories. Explain your topic.
15. TED (Technology, Entertainment, Design) Talks http://www.ted.com/
"Inspired talks by the world's greatest thinkers and doers." Click a link on a topic that interests you. Watch the video and take notes: What's it mean? Is it important? How does it fit in the world? in your life? Who should know about this? How could you explain this, or part of this, to others?
16. Digital Library for Earth System Education http://www.dlese.org/library/index.jsp
Type in a word for a list of possible resources. What are you interested in?
Examples:
Mountains:
http://www.mountain.org/education/index.html
An online guide about mountains
http://www.wvgs.wvnet.edu/www/geology/geolf001.htm
Explains four types of mountains--and how they are formed.
http://www.aip.org/radio/html/mountains_flowing.html
Explalns how mountains are like molasses--flowing downward!
Native Americans :
http://www.wocmag.org/2001/summer/guest.html
Guest Editorial on scientists asking elders for help
Protecting Native Waters
http://www.nhc.rtp.nc.us/tserve/nattrans/ntecoindian.htm
History of Native Americans and the Land
http://www.yellowstonegeographic.com/history/index/index.asp
Yellowstone Park and the Bannock and Shoshone Tribes
http://seagrant.uaf.edu/news/01ASJ/12.07.01mountain-change.html
Arctic mountain changes from a mountain climber scientist
Explain your connection to the topic.
Reflect Curiosity and Wonder
