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As of October 2001 we will no longer update this feature. All Premier track items will be kept for one year in this archive. Thank you! Keep students on track with TrackStar! |
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Take a look at the sampling of Premier Tracks below, and then visit the main
TrackStar site to review
the entire collection or
create your own Track. |
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Featured April 13, 1997 Observational Astronomy A self-sufficient mini-unit including sites presenting nebulae, star clusters, galaxies, and comets. Each site visited is accompanied by questions requiring students to synthesize and evaluate what they see and read. Students are challenged to make their own observations, collect and analyze data, and report conclusions. By Andy Fry Using The Internet: Beginner's Guide to Using the Web in the Classroom This track gives teachers and students information about how to use the Internet effectively. It covers topics such as integrating the Internet with instruction, Netiquette, common jargon, history of the Web, finding people's e-mail addresses, and searching effectively. It also includes some examples of appropriate use policies. By Jennifer Holvoet Ancient Egypt for Students This Track is designed for use by students. The goal is for students to learn more about some aspects of Ancient Egypt and to contrast these to similar aspects of today's society. For example, students compare the structure of the Great Pyramid at Giza with the Empire State Building and the Transamerica Pyramid. By Jennifer Holvoet |
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Featured May 21, 1997 Collaborative Projects to Join or Imitate As you make plans for the 97-98 school year, be sure to take this Track to a number of Web-based curriculum projects. Each will allow your students to interact with other learners and experts in a variety of ways. Discover ongoing projects in which your students can participate, like the Monarch Watch, a huge science project involving students in 30 states, or the WorldBand project, which demonstrates that collaborative projects are not just for Language Arts, Science, and Social Studies. By Jennifer Holvoet To BE or not to BE: The Biology of BE-havior Take your students on this Track into the inner-workings of human BEing--the brain. Designed as a complete lesson, each student or group of students is instructed to store parts of this cyber field trip on a disk for later reference. Intended for intermediate elementary and middle school students, To BE or not to BE offers a wide range of sites to get students thinking about how everything that makes them unique individuals is related to their neurophysiological identity. This Track is best viewed by selecting the remote option rather than frames. By Patrice Cuddy The Middle Ages: A Lesson Launch your students on an exciting voyage back to the middle ages. In this Track, students can work in groups to compare aspects of current life in the U.S.to the way things were in medieval times. Health, identification, customs, recreation, religion, art, history, and agriculture are all touched upon, providing an excellent adjunct to traditional classroom activities, especially if you want students to develop a medieval fair as an outcome. Teachers may want to consult the Track Middle Ages-Teacher Resources for more sites on this topic. This Track fits World History Standard 17-NCHS. By Jennifer Holvoet |
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Featured June 30, 1997 The Great War: An interdisciplinary approach incorporating literature, visual arts, and science By taking this Track, students will explore the relationships between literature, visual arts, and science during World War I, to understand how these fields expressed and influenced people's views. by Jackie Snow Plants Lessons, activities, and resources for teaching students about plant life, plant classification, plant structures, and the importance of plants to different cultures. by Jennifer Holvoet School-to-Work connections on the Internet A basic reference guide to some of the online resources for School-to-Work, including the 1996-1997 Occupational Outlook Handbook, the School-to Work Outreach Project, and more. by Mary Werner |
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Featured August 15, 1997 Technology Plans This is a track designed for administrators. It features online technology plans, including examples of state plans, district plans, and plans for individual schools. Some of the plans are from British Columbia. If you are formulating or revising your technology plan, this Track may give you some constructive and innovative ideas. Created by Jennifer Holvoet for school administrators. Microbe World In this track, students gain basic information about microbes through reading and viewing movies. They then apply what they've learned. Using the theory of natural selection, students are asked to explain how a population of bacteria might become resistent to an antibiotic. At the end, students conduct a lab that investigates antibiotic resistence in E.coli. All instructions for this lab are online. Created by Sandy Collins for high school students. Words, Words, Words Get your students excited about language! Ask them to think about how words are added to our language or how certain expressions come about. Why do pictures form in our minds when we hear certain words or expressions? This Web adventure will help your students answer these questions and more, and have fun doing it! Created by Sandy Liechti for middle school students. |
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Featured September 15, 1997 Alternative Assessments and Portfolios This track is designed for professionals looking for information related to fairly assess the progress of students with special needs, students with disability, and bilingual students. Included are several sites dealing with student portfolios, portfolio evaluation and the logistics of maintaining portfolios. Created by Jennifer Holvoet. |
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Featured December 5, 1997 The Colonial Puritain Period 104 Pilgrims on the Mayflower accidentally landed on Cape Cod some 377 years ago. While they were a hardy and godly group of people, they left behind paradoxes that still live today. The picture of the Pilgrims at the first Thanksgiving is revered on the one hand; on the other, there is an eerie connection to the Salem witches. This track tries to reconstruct the life and times of the New England Puritans, from their belief system to their cooking style, to help us better understand the lives of the people from whom we have inherited so much. Created by Patricia Thompson. Influential People of the Civil Rights Movement This track will have locations that contain information on stalwarts of the civil rights movement. Students are asked to analyze information and answer questions regarding each site, one of which is on Elvis Presley! Created by Jared Comfort & Chris Ascher. Starting Points for Teachers of Business (9-12) The sites highlighted by this track provide excellent lesson ideas and places to direct students doing research in the area of business applications. Created by Jennifer Holvoet. Environmental Awareness This track takes students on an exploration of numerous sites that will help create awareness of environmental concerns. One of the sites discusses the importance of human interactions with animals and their environments. Created by Becky Williams & Rochelle Brooks. |
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Featured January 22, 1998 Learning about Africa This unit challenges students to conduct research, complete hands-on projects, and produce an Africa Day Celebration using this online lesson as a guide. By the end of this unit, students will be able to describe the geographic features, climate, and natural resources in Africa. They will learn about Apartheid and the political issues that have influenced Africa. They will also know about African religion, culture, and economic health. At the end of the project, they will have a chance to experience African culture by conducting an African Day Celebration planned with the facts they've learned throughout the lesson. Created by Jennifer Holvoet. Snapshot of American Culture This track was designed specifically for English as a Second Language (ESL) students. Using Real Audio Player, students have the opportunity to improve their English comprehension skills while learning about important aspects of American culture. Topics covered include: the workplace, New Year's Day, public school teachers, the Declaration of Independence, and Ebonics. Created by Kelly Liebengood. Nigeria This track is a lesson combining history and literature. Students will learn basic facts about Nigerian history, culture, government, art, dance, and proverbs. These history facts can easily accompany a literature lesson about Chinua Achebe's Things Fall Apart, a novel about a Nigerian tribe. A link to a study guide for the novel accompanies the site. The study guide was written by Professor Paul Brians of Washington State University and is excellent for a literature class studying the novel. Created by E.M. Thaler. |
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Featured February 26, 1998 Award Winning Books This track is a reading lesson about finding and reading award-winning books. Students are challenged to choose books from each site, find them in their local library, write summaries about them, write about the authors, and complete various other assignments. This online language arts lesson is useful to students working on writing, reading, and comprehension skills. Created by Krissondra Brauer. |
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Featured April 28, 1998 The Mystery of Beale's Treasure The students will explore all the legends about treasure, particularly Thomas Beale's legend. Further explorations will be treasures in Palenque, Mexico. This is a support Internet exploration for a unit in the Focus series, Wheels and Rockets, 4th grade. Created by Kay Kiner. |
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Featured May 28, 1998 Titanic Exploring the Titanic is an online lesson that explores the history, art, people, and facts about the Titanic. Students of all ages can research, answer questions, and form their own conclusions about the events that led to the sinking of the Titanic. Survivors of the Titanic talk about April 15,1912 and share their experiences of lost loved ones and memories of that night. Students are asked to create their own Titanic timeline, study unique objects of the time period, choose the most interesting facts, compare and contrast experiences of the first and third class passengers, write a ficticious letter to a passenger, and more. Activities challenge students to conduct online research, analyze data, and write their own conclusions. Created by Lisa Argetsinger & Kelli Wooldridge. Hunting Fossils This lesson teaches students about fossil formation and what we can learn from studying fossils. Students can view pictures and read descriptions of fossils found in Kansas. Students can also learn about the Burgess Shale Formation an important scientific find in the collection of ancient fossils because it contains fossils with soft tissues still intact. Also, students can look at scientific data being collected to determine whether there is in fact, life on Mars. Created by Jacqueline Ortgies. River Runs Through It River Runs Through It is a site that explores the Columbia River Basin and its ecosystems. This collection of articles is teacher tested and made for the classroom. Students will learn about the challenges of managing public land while conducting classroom experiments about various scientific concepts. Students will also learn about habitats and choose a wildlife species and design a home for it that contains it's essential living requirements. They will study the hydraulic cycle and other forms of energy such as wind farms and solar energy. Graphs, vivid descriptions, pictures, and activities are included in the site to provide a clear picture of the challenges that natural resource managers face in helping to preserve an area that contains eight percent of the land area of the United States. Created by Elizabeth Rieben, Shelly Davis & John Craig. Cubism-The World of Pablo Picasso Picasso is known for many styles of painting and this lesson allows students to explore one particular style: cubism. Students will learn about Pablo Picasso's life, take a virtual field trip through a museum, and create cubist art of their own. They will learn to color the cubist way and display thier artwork in a Web gallery. Students will explore several sites and answer questions and complete activities about what they've learned. Created by Katharine Mooney. |
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Featured June 28, 1998 Project: Smithsonian, Natural History Museum This is an educational kids' guide to the Smithsonian Natural History Museum. Students will learn about elephants and the history behind the elephant in the rotunda of the museum. They will learn about mammals, early man, birds, bugs, rocks, and earthquakes. They will answer questions from the readings and illustrations, evaluate information, and draw their own conclusions about various issues regarding Natural History. Created by Charles Bryan. Herman Melville's "Bartleby, the Scrivener" This site has the entire text of Herman Melville's "Bartleby, the Scrivener." It includes a literary discussion about Herman Melville's life, his other works, and his relationships with friends and family. Students will also read several positive and negative opinions about the narrator (Bartleby). Activities include answering questions, comparing and contrasting different opinions, and expressing one's own conclusions about the readings through creative writing. Created by Hannah Willems. No matter what shape your fractions are in This lesson contains activities designed for students to explore geometric models of fractions and how they relate to each other. The site contains teacher's notes with activities that can be printed out and completed or completed online using the java version of the lesson. Activities are appropriate for grades 3-6. Created by Cynthia Lanius. Virtual Museum Resources and Schools This resource is a guide for educators who plan to build virtual museums with their students. Through a series of articles and other resources teachers will learn how to build a school museum, build a virtual museum community, conduct a 10 hour staff development course about virtual museum building, and more! Browsers can also view a list of all known school virtual museums and read brief descriptions about them. Created by Jamie McKenzie. |
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Featured July 31, 1998 Puerto Rico del pasado al presente This lesson is designed for high school students in a level II Spanish course. Here they will study the culture, geography, arts, history, politics, and music of Puerto Rico. They will listen to music and learn about Puerto Rican dance. They will read about Puerto Rican cuisine. They will even hear the sound of the famous "coqui" which is a very small singing frog that is very prominent in Puerto Rican culture. Each topic includes questions and a small assignment to give students experience in research on the Web, while teaching them about many aspects of Puerto Rican culture and history. By Heather K. Olson Beal. Pearl Harbor: Before and After This track teaches students about the attack on Pearl Harbor in relation to the U.S. annexation. They will learn about the importance of Hawaii, the events of the attack itself, and the immediate U.S. reaction to the attack. The lesson also includes details about the prejudice and crimes against Japanese-Americans. By Alicia M. Bartol. Forensic Science This lesson is a general introduction into several aspects of Forensic Science. Students will learn about DNA fingerprinting and its uses. They will solve teacher-developed mysteries on an interactive site called Mystery Spot. They will visit an actual crime scene, learn about handwriting and forensic science, read about actual cases, study forensic entomology, and more! Finally, they will visit the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Forensics lab to learn about how scientists determine the causes of death of wildlife. Have your students ever thought about a career in Forensic Science? This track will give them a realistic view of what it's all about! By Miller Geach Lakin Ditmore. Topo ... What? Teach your students about ocean topography through research of various types of maps on the Web. Students will study various maps of North America and Canada and participate in group discussions to share opinions about what they see and what they've learned. The lesson is complete with a glossary of terms and questions to facilitate group discussions. By Sam Rohr. |
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Featured August 28, 1998 Anatomy of a Murder: A trip through our nation's legal justice system This is an online lesson about the U.S. legal justice system. Students will study many aspects of our nations judicial system by following a murder case from the discovery of the body through the trial. Students will learn about police procedures, the constitutional rights of the accused, and the judicial process. There are links to teaching worksheets that discuss different aspects of the case, as well as details about other significant Supreme Court decisions and controversial issues. There is also a glossary of legal terms which students can access through highlighted keywords throughout the site. Created by Carol Fedoryk & staff. Fairy Godmother This is an interactive language arts site with artwork, stories, and games that pertain to a fairies and magic theme to entice younger students. Word-find puzzles, a Java-based painting game, and a "Wild Imagination Maker" are a few of the activities at the site. Language arts teachers can use some of the sections for creative writing lessons. Lower elementary school students will enjoy the interactive learning games that accompany the stories. Created by Alaska Momma Inc. staff. Fourteen Days in October This lesson can be used for a history or political science lesson analyzing the Cuban Missile Crisis. The site is organized as a command center where students can learn about different aspects of the crisis by visiting different "rooms." There is a "Crisis Center" which contains a summary of events surrounding the Cuban Missile Crisis. There is a "Briefing Room" which uses RealAudio to describe the events of the crisis. There is a "Recon Room" where students can learn about major participants in the crisis. Lastly, the "Debriefing Room" allows browsers to ask questions and take an online quiz about what they've learned at the site. Created by Kurt Wiersma & Ben Larson. |
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Featured September 28, 1998 The Age of Invention This track teaches students about famous inventors and their miraculous inventions. Here students will explore sites that talk about Thomas Edison, Alexander Graham Bell, George Pullman, the Wright brothers, and others! Each site is accompanied by a unique assignment. Students will explore various sites and write essays, make diagrams, answer questions, and share their ideas. Students will learn about the lives of each of these inventors and how they came to create such important resources as the telephone, the sewing machine, and the airplane! Created by Nancy Callahan. Project-based Trip Across Kansas: This lesson was created in a project-based learning format in which sixth grade students are expected to use their research skills to plan a successful trip across Kansas. There are eight skills that students will use to accomplish this lesson, including: map skills, writing skills, research and study skills, inquiry-based learning, mathematics and problem solving, summarizing key ideas, identifying primary source materials, and identifying real-world applications and connections. Created by Melissa Oakley. Career Unit: This track provides numerous links to help high school students explore careers and occupations of interest. Created by Diana Kiehl. The Crucible: Linking the Salem Witchcraft Trials and McCarthyism: This site is a comprehensive walk through history comparing the Salem Witchcraft Trials of the 1400s with McCarthyism of the 1950s. An appropriate history lesson for the month of October, this site is a detailed history lesson outlining the Salem Trials and addressing various theories as to why they happened. Afterwards, a similar lesson on McCarthyism leads students to a final project incorporating what they've learned from both eras. Created by Karen Sherrill. |
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Featured October 30, 1998 Thanksgiving for All Ages This track is for all ages who would like to add some spice to their Thanksgiving in school and at home. This site is more than just the first Thanksgiving. Learn crafts, activities, and historical facts about the Mayflower and the Pilgrims. The track links to a site about the treaty with the Wampanoag tribe, and many links contain lesson plans for teachers. For more information on the indigenous people in contact with the first European settlers, visit The Native Experience: 1600-1750 from Cal State, Long Beach. Created by Teresia Jones. Pop-Up Books and Cards These sites contain history, exhibits and how-to's about the art of pop-up or movable cards and books. Learn about the centuries-long history of pop-up books, and view some of the oldest pop-up books around. Learn how to make your own three-dimensional art. Even the youngest students can make projects in this track! Created by Mary Ann Hedrick. Frogs, Toads, and Friends These activities are a supplement to Frog and Toad are Friends. In this track, you can learn what frogs are, and read strange but true facts. Learn about toads, and the differences between toads and frogs. Find out what frogs and toads eat, and what tries to eat them! Created J. Jones. Global Learning Network Global learning network projects help children to make real connections in the real world. The basic principle of global learning networks is to connect classrooms in different parts of the world to work on common projects. Each project here is represented in both English and Spanish, such as: "Connecting Math to our Lives/Conectando las matem‡ticas a la vida" and "The Earth: Our Home/La Tierra: Nuestra Casa." Created by PSR*TEC. |
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Featured December 7, 1998 Winter Holidays This month we've compiled a list of holiday links for those of you interested in learning more about the many celebrations taking place this season. We welcome suggestions for additional sites on Chanukah, Ramadan, Winter Solstice, Christmas, Boxing Day, Kwanzaa, Epiphany, Eastern Orthodox Christmas, and other winter holidays. Created by SCR*TEC. Business & Social Responsibility This track is designed to let the student explore and identify the types of social responsibility adopted by major companies. Students will also be able to examine the contribution each company makes to the communities and individuals they serve. Created by Ida Yanez. Minority Americans in WWII This track is designed to inform students about the involvement of minority Americans, including the Japanese- Americans, African- Americans, Jewish-Americans, and women in World War II. This site focuses on the Internment camps of California, the legacy of Tokyo Rose, and the achievement of Jewish-Americans in battle. Created by Chris Anderson and Mindy Powell. Using primary source documents - Civil War This track is designed to demonstrate the difficulty of writing history. The track uses primary source documents and guides the history student in the process of writing history. The hope is that the student will see that decisions are made as to what gets included and what is not included as well as the interpretation of data that is available. Created Bill Polson. K-12 Grant Resources Links for K-12 educators to aid in writing and locating other resources of funding for schools. Learn tips and tricks to writing and getting grants. Learn how to write an adequate proposal and grant, and learn where to find funding sources for your school or organization. Take a look at winning grant proposals for inspiration! Created by Linnie Berkenbile. Gardening Children perform garden experiments to learn about the different aspects of a garden. Learn what plants will attract butterflies to your garden, and discover what animals have been tracking through your furrows! Learn about the contents of soil, rock gardens, and even indoor gardens! Created by Linda Palmer. Algebra 1 - Fun with Linear Equations Here are some fun pages with challenging problems with which to learn and apply your algebra skills! Learn how to do story problems, and play the calendar trick! Created by Imelda Castillo and Kathy Pack . |
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Featured January 28, 1999 Science Fair! This track provides information for both students and teachers on where to find information for science fairs. Learn how to conduct a science fair, where to find supplies, and how to help students construct a display for their project! Created by Brian Bay. Native American Research The purpose of this track is to provide an area to research the different tribal histories of the American Indians. Each student is assigned a different tribe and will have to write an informative paper on the tribal history and culture. Created by Diana Laufenberg. Researching the US Poultry Industry This is a site for use in a high school Animal Science class researching the U.S. Poultry industry. Created by Gene Bomgaars. Exploring the setting of the Outsiders The purpose of this track is to investigate life in the United States during the late 50s and early 60s and then relate it to S.E. Hinton's novel: The Outsiders. Created by Dawn Morden and Patty Burlingame. Geo-Globe Interactive Geography Explore the world with Geo-Globe's selection of interactive games, and find out about strange and familiar features of the planet! Ever wondered which continent has the most countries? Do you know how deep the ocean gets? How plants survive in the tundra? Which waterfall is the highest in the world? If you're curious about world geography, this is the right place to visit! Created by Maya, Deepak, and Kasia for Thinkquest. The Stowaway Lesson This is an online lesson that challenges students to use current data from the Internet to analyze the location, direction, speed, and travel plans of a ship at sea. Students take a closer look at the ocean through the use of oceanographic data from ships and buoys located around the world. Created by the Stevens Institute of Technology for the New Jersey NIE Project. |
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Featured Febraury 26, 1998 Animal Adaptations This track organizes web sites that could be useful to fourth grade students as they research information on animal adaptations. This information will be used to create a HyperStudio presentation. Created by Sharon Sumner. Ancient Rome This track is designed to help seventh grade students to gather information about the many aspects of Ancient Rome. Created by Scott Lewandowski. Problem Solving Solutions Since problem solving is a part of the NCA/QPA requirements, this track will help you find sites for sponge activities, one-day classroom enhancements, additions to your substitute file and on-going projects, all designed to help your students become better problem solvers. Created by Mary Sieczkowski. Penguins This site lets students explore basic facts and information about various penguin species. Created by J. Todd. Missouri History: Make your state history come alive. If you'd like ideas on making your state history lessons come alive, please visit these pages on Missouri that I have created. Created by Sharon Sumner. Oklahoma Land Run Early Oklahoma history, focusing on the Oklahoma land runs and how tribal land use, cattle trails, ranching, and railroads all played a role. Created by Peggy Black. Evaluation Surveys for WWW Sites Since the Internet is not subject to the same type of scrutiny and quality control as print-based resources, it is imperative for the student to have the tools necessary to evaluate WWW sources. Teachers can assist learners in this process by encouraging the students to use rating guides to help them evaluate Internet sites. Created by Margie LeBaron. |
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Featured March 28, 1999 Comparing and Genocide of Jews and Ethnic Cleansing of Ethnic Albanians This track invites students to research the Holocaust and the current conditions in Kosovo. Students are then prompted to compare and contrast the situations to determine the similarities and differences which exist between the situations. Created by K. Convey. Mecca Glen Space Tours This space lesson was created for students in grade 6. Here students will conduct extensive research to answer questions and complete assignments about a chosen topic about space. Students are asked to create a brochure about their planet, a poster, and a model. This online lesson combines multimedia research with hands-on creative activities. Created by Leslie Crawford. Population Students will study demographic data from various sources on the Web. They will then answer questions from the information they gathered in their research. What was the population when you were born? How many people are born everyday in the world? How many people die? This lesson will give students insight into demograpic data about populations around the world. At the end of the lesson, they will take an interactive online quiz to see if they've learned the facts or if they need more population education. Created by Steve Elliot. Performance Tasks/ Webquests Missouri's educational curriculum requires the use of performance-based activities in teaching objectives. These sites feature some excellent examples of such activities. Many of these are called Webquests. Webquests require students to use resources on the Internet for some or all of the information discussed or used in the activity. Created by Sharon Sumner. Composers Students will research "composer" Web sites to complete a class project. They will study a wide variety of music styles - Baroque, Classical, Romantic, 20th Century, Jazz, and more! Created by Velanne Gocken. |
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Featured April 30, 1998 Nutrition at Mecca Glen Students will research nutrition and healthy eating habits, and set personal goals for healthy living. Subject integration using technology is as follows: Language: summarizing, note-taking, and editing through research; Math: creation of a database & spreadsheet using data generated through research; interpretation of data; Health: Theme IV - Body Knowledge and Care. Created by Leslie Crawford. Math Games This track contains various math games for students. Try math baseball, power football, shape surveyor, change maker, and fresh baked fractions. All of the games have different ability levels. Created by Jennifer Allwein. Spelling This track contains two sites for students to practice spelling. Try spellaroo and spellcheck, or use the puzzlemaker with your spelling list. Created by Ranjit de Silva. Environmental Awareness: My Perspective The word "environment" means something a little different to everyone. In this lesson you will explore six different sites about various environmental issues and answer questions. Created by Michael Rozalski. Research Paper Writing This track allows students to encounter the different steps and main topics in the writing of a research paper. Each site explored gives you tips and asks thought-provoking questions to help students determine their strengths and weaknesses in writing research papers and find ways to improve. Created by Denise Young. |
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Featured May 28, 1999 Build a Kite Resources for Kite building and appreciation, along with a few explanations of equipment. Students will use basic drafting tools in a controlled exercises in precision pattern making. By drafting plans of kites, they will explore 3 dimensional kinetic artwork, and be encouraged to explore the concepts of proportion, scaling, and aerodynamics. Created by Jeremy Fowler-Lindemulder. Civil War Battles in Missouri This track will allow students the opportunity to learn about some major Civil War Battles in Missouri, specifically in the Kansas City area. Created by Brenda Durkee. Moving West Along the Overland Trails Find out about the journey along one of America's overland trails during the nineteenth century. What was the wagon like; what kinds of supplies were needed; how long did the trip take; and how did the trip really feel? Read stories about the journeys of some of the pioneers who made the trip. Created by Jo Behrens. Hit a Homer with "The Hammer" This track lets the student practice basic math concepts while learning about the baseball great, Hank Aaron. Created by P. Bowles. Evaluating Internet Sites This lesson will give students some criteria for evaluating Web sites. Created by Donald R. Vance. |
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Featured June 30, 1999 The Photography of Lewis W. Hine Lewis W. Hine (1874-1940), American photographer, who was one of the pioneers in the field of social documentary. He began his career in1904 with photographs of immigrants arriving in New York City at Ellis Island; thereafter he photographed the squalid conditions of child laborers in mills, mines, and sweatshops. His photographs were among the first to be regularly featured in magazines, and their powerful effect led directly to the passing of the first child-labor laws. In 1932 Hine published Men at Work, a study of American workingmen, which contains notable photographs of the construction of the Empire State Building in New York City. Created by S. Hollandsworth. Fabulous Frogs and Toads In this TrackStar, you can explore internet sites related to frogs and toads. There are pictures, games, songs, stories to read, and other activities about frogs and toads. Have fun learning! The activities would be good for 2nd or 3rd graders, who often study these animals. Created by Julie Gates. Learning About Electricity A nice, simple track about electricity. Learn about protons and electrons, lightning, static electricity, generating electricity, and how it gets to your home. Also learn about Franklin and his famous kite and key. Created by Ela Kaye Eley. Greek Sculpture A look at the sculpture of ancient Greece. Learn about ancient Greek sports, the goddess Athena Nike, and the great warrior, Achilles. Created by DH. Censor XXX This track provides students with a definition of censorship based on the First Amendment, several books that have been removed from library shelves and required reading lists, and a recent case-study. Censorship touches the lives of all Americans, and this lesson provides a foundation of general knowledge to promote awareness in high school students. Created by Lisa Viebrock. Vietnam Statistics This track provides a compilation of Vietnam War statistics for students to use in comparing and evaluating data. Created by Lee McConnell. Chemical Element Research This track is designed to help students learn about the periodic table and the elements. The students will research different elements and their grouping, uses, who discovered the element, and many other important facts. These sites contain an exhaustive amount of information. Sites #2 & #3 auto load over the questions. Look at the text only site first to write down the questions for these sites. Created by Matt Wofford. Persuasive Writing This track will teach persuasive writing techniques by exploring "up to date" movie, music, restaurant, video game,and automobile reviews. Students will be asked to identify elements of persuasive language, facts and opinions, and finally create their own persuasive review and publish it on the Web. Created by Crystal Gully. |
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Featured July 28, 1999 A History of the Vietnam War This track is intended to be a primer of the Vietnam War for high school juniors in an American History class. It begins with how the U.S. became involved, continues with the war itself, delves into the realm of the groovy, hip, and far out counter-culture movement , and finishes with the lessons we should have learned through postwar legacies. Created by Mike Scally. Rainey's Bridges This track is a brief history of bridges and the Brooklyn Bridge. It covers the engineers, a time line of the Brooklyn Bridge, and general bridge structure. This lesson could be used as an introduction to building model bridges. Created by Tammy Rainey. Population This lesson challenges students to research various sites to find population information. They will search to find answers to questions such as; "What was the population of the world when you were born? What is the current population of the following list of countries? What part of the country has the highest population per square mile?" Students will expand their research skills while learning fun facts about the population around the world. Created by Steve Elliot. Invite an Author In this track, students will explore a variety of Web sites to help them through a simulation in which they invite an author to visit their school. They will learn about literary awards, read book summaries, survey their classmates to find out their book preferences, and much more! This lesson is full of thought-provoking questions, research assignments, and interesting facts about the lives and work of hundreds of authors! Created by Dawn Morden. Shaking and Quaking or Blowing My Top This is a research site for students wanting to learn more about earthquakes, volcanoes, and other natural disasters. They can search FAQs (frequently asked questions), study plate tectonics, visit a volcano, and learn about the Richter Scale. Created by T. Miller. |
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Featured August 27, 1999 Are you Credit Wise? This track offers very useful information about credit terms, credit history, types of credit cards, how a young person can start to build good credit, and how to make good decisions about using credit wisely. Created by Trish Dalecki. Not to Trot - Food Borne Illnesses This track guides you through food borne illnesses in general and some specific bacterial poisonings. You will learn what causes food poisoning and other information about prevention and control of food poisoning and food borne illnesses. As you study, you will show what you have learned by doing some interesting assignments. Created by Jane Nusz. Beautiful Clouds in the Sky This track was designed to enable students to identify and to appreciate three different types of clouds: cumulus, stratus, and cirrus. It includes many beautiful photographs of clouds and suggestions for related activities and games. Created by Alyssa Nam. A Feather in Your Cap! Students will find some fascinating information about the reasons for the founding of the Audubon Society as well as pictures and specific information about egrets and snowy egrets. Created by Beverly James. Sunspots Using this track will allow students to explore the solar cycle, graph the solar cycle since the 1700s, and learn a technique to safely observe sunspots. There are also some great pictures of the sun! Created by Gladys Jones . Apples This track is simply all about apples. Students can explore the history of apples, how they were brought to this country, where and how they are grown, what varieties there are, and how we use them. Created by Amy Locke. |
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Featured September 24, 1999 This Spider Web's on the World Wide Web! This wonderful track offers lots of information about spiders and their webs. It was designed for use by elementary teachers planning to incorporate a thematic unit about Spiders into their lesson plans. Read a Native American legend or see the giant spider at Nazca. Learn about the different types of webs and how to collect one, examine spider body parts, see what the dangerous brown recluse looks like, and learn what to do in case one ever bites you! Created by Jennifer Walts. Top News Stories Around the World This track contains links to several English version newspapers from around the world. What are the top news stories as reported in each newspaper? What does this indicate about the newspaper and the people it serves? Students will be asked to answer these questions and more as they examine news from around the world. Created by Joe O'Brien. Kudzu-Friend or Foe This delightful track is devoted to the invasive alien plant species kudzu, which "covers Dixie like the dew." You'll find history, description, lots of pictures, poetry, recipes, and even "gardening tips." Created by Pat Bowles. Comparing our school with one in Argentina Students will explore the Web site of Colegio Los Robles (in Spanish) to determine ways their own school is similar or different to this one. Created by Molly Burr . Study of "The Raven" for Halloween This unusual track brings together an excellent history of Halloween customs, the biography of Poe, "The Raven," a rhyming dictionary, and a site about ravens for a fascinating study of the famous poem. Created by Angie Simonton. |
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Featured October 29, 1999 The Thanksgiving Story Learn the real story of Thanksgiving, read about the Pilgrims' journey on the Mayflower, and see pictures and facts about the Macy's Parade. Then play some holiday games. Created by Cynthia Brown. Science: Simple Machines Are Interesting This lesson introduces students to simple machines. Students will explore various sites to learn what simple machines are, how they work, and how they are helpful in our daily lives. Some authors say there are four simple machines while others say six. Read about why that is. See how simple machines can be linked together to make a compound machine. Created by Richard Esmark King. Executive Orders The purpose of this Track is to examine the presidential use of executive orders. Students will examine a historical table of executive orders to determine which presidents issued the most executive orders, which presidents issued the least, and what assumptions can be made from these statistics. They will study the Y2K problem, the division of power in our political system, and how executive orders affect our political system. Created by Georgia Hough. Phun with Projectile Motion This lesson teaches various aspects of projectile motion. Students will visit four sites that contain interactive online activities designed to give them a better understanding of projectile motion. Students will exercise their problem-solving skills to complete this challenging lesson. Spice up your physics class with this exciting track! Created by Bill Griffiths. The Battle of Little Big Horn This American History lesson is designed to help students achieve a better understanding of the conflicts and events surrounding the battle of Little Big Horn. They will learn about General Custer, Sitting Bull, Crazy Horse, and other major participants in the battle. They will also compare descriptions of the battle from the perspectives of the New York media and the Sioux Indians. They will also study illustrations of the battle and determine how the illustrations of the battle differ in perspective. Created by Aaron Yuskis. |
| Featured November 24, 1999 The Thanksgiving Story Learn the real story of Thanksgiving, read about the Pilgrims' journey on the Mayflower, and see pictures and facts about the Macy's Parade. Then play some holiday games. Created by Cynthia Brown Science: Simple Machines Are Interesting This lesson introduces students to simple machines. Students will explore various sites to learn what simple machines are, how they work, and how they are helpful in our daily lives. Some authors say there are four simple machines while others say six. Read about why that is. See how simple machines can be linked together to make a compound machine. Created by Richard Esmark King. Executive Orders The purpose of this Track is to examine the presidential use of executive orders. Students will examine a historical table of executive orders to determine which presidents issued the most executive orders, which presidents issued the least, and what assumptions can be made from these statistics. They will study the Y2K problem, the division of power in our political system, and how executive orders affect our political system. Created by Georgia Hough. Phun with Projectile Motion This lesson teaches various aspects of projectile motion. Students will visit four sites that contain interactive online activities designed to give them a better understanding of projectile motion. Students will exercise their problem-solving skills to complete this challenging lesson. Spice up your physics class with this exciting track! Created by Bill Griffiths. The Battle of Little Big Horn This American History lesson is designed to help students achieve a better understanding of the conflicts and events surrounding the battle of Little Big Horn. They will learn about General Custer, Sitting Bull, Crazy Horse, and other major participants in the battle. They will also compare descriptions of the battle from the perspectives of the New York media and the Sioux Indians. They will also study illustrations of the battle and determine how the illustrations of the battle differ in perspective. Created by Aaron Yuskis. |
| Featured January 25, 2000 Mouse Trap Power Following the links in this track will lead the student through the process of building a mouse trap powered car. This concept involves the designing, building, testing, and competing with other students' cars. As the student progresses through this unit, it will become apparent to him or her that specific design concepts must be considered in order to achieve the success they seek. The links are arranged in the order of presentation beginning with the overview and planning and proceeding on through final assessment. Created by Barry Pedley. Keeping Those Teeth Healthy! This track will help children become more aware of the need for dental health, and steps that they may take to keep that smile happy and healthy! Learn about the different kinds of teeth, how to brush and floss, and what kinds of foods are good for your dental health. Also learn what to do if your tooth gets knocked out! Created by Sandra K. Dulaban. Advertising the Super Bowl How much do Super Bowl ads cost, and why so much? What are this year's ads going to look like, and how are they different from last year's? Discover facts about and evaluating advertising during the Super Bowl. Created by "the Mets". Dust Bowl - Dorothea Lange Photos This track is designed to give the student some skill in analyzing primary source documents and at the same time give a taste of what life in the Dust Bowl would have been like. Created by Bill Polson. Dr. Know - Medical Careers Explore the extensive world of careers related to the medical profession. This track allows students to learn of the variety of careers available, what steps they need to take to enter these careers, and even offers a personality test to see what kind of career is right for them. Created by Mandy Woodford. |
| Featured February 24, 2000 Exploring the setting of The Outsiders The purpose of this track is to investigate life in the United States during the late '50s and early '60s and then relate it to S.E. Hinton's novel The Outsiders. You will learn about S.E. Hinton, her perspectives, and why she writes the way she does. You'll also learn about pop icons of the '50s and '60s, and about Oklahoma, where the Outsiders takes place. Created by Dawn Morden and Patty Burlingame. Preventing School Violence This track permits students to assume the roles of investigative journalists and concerned citizens attempting to create a safe school climate. Students will research causes, preventive measures, and policies relative to school violence. Once research has been completed, students will develop a school policy using persuasive argument and present the policy to the class in three forms: written, oral, and multimedia slide show. Students will learn how to frame a convincing should give students practice in research and in effective means of oral and written communication resulting in policy or government changes. The finished product is a group-written document stating the school's policy on school violence. Created by Sallie Ferguson. Georgia O'Keeffe This track contains information about the famous American artist, Georgia O'Keeffe. The sites here teach biographical information and include images and activities for students about Georgia O'Keeffe. Learn about Georgia's beloved Southwest, her girlhood dreams, her painting style, and her unique way of looking at things. Created by Kate Naparstek. Sight singing Intervals This lesson helps students learn about, recognize and sight-sing common musical intervals. Complete ear test training and test your ability to recognize different pitches. Learning basic intervals improves a choral students' sight-singing ability and allow rehearsals to focus on the finer musical aspects of a piece. Created by W. Williams. |
| Featured March 24, 2000 El Guernica This lesson introduces Spanish students to the famous work of Picasso. The track will include a picture of the work, the symbolism portrayed in the work, the history of the work, and a biographical sketch of the author, Picasso. Created by Shannon Seider. This lesson contains various activities designed to study the book, "A Day No Pigs Would Die" by Robert Newton Peck. Students begin with a study of Vermont, the setting for the novel. They will then study the characters' lifestyles, interests, and careers. Each topic is accompanied by a student activity to test what they've learned. Created by Barbara Bergner. Turtles This lesson will guide students through different Web sites that explore turtles. It is designed to help teachers and students to find Web sites relevant to the study of terrestrial and aquatic turtles. Created by Anne-Marie Sherwood. Spanish Whole Numbers and Fractions Use Spanish to do math problems. The problems are real-life applications, such as manipulating the size of recipes, and finding the distance between towns. Created by Lorrie Beall. Romeo & Juliet and Teen Suicide A look at teen suicide and how it relates to Shakespeare's Romeo & Juliet. This should be a resource used after students have read the work, as they will be expected to consider the work as a whole. Created by Jason Young. |
| Featured April 26, 2000 Ancient Egyptian Fun and Games This site contains games based on Ancient Egypt. Help out King Tut in Hatshepsut's Revenge, a game specifically designed to accompany social studies curriculum for 6th grade. Learn about hieroglyphics, pyramids, gods & goddesses, and festivals. Play crossword puzzles and complete Egyptian word searches. Students can also examine a virtual mummy, and discuss famous curses of the mummies! Created by Kathleen Fields. Rocks Around the World What do the Washington Monument, the Statue of Liberty, Mount Rushmore, Stonehenge, and the Easter Island statues all have in common? They are all made out of some sort of rock or mineral! This track is designed to supplement a unit on rocks and minerals. It is a search activity that has students looking for monuments all around the world and what they are made out of. Created by Angela McDonnell. Etymology and Math This track integrates entomology with math so that students will grasp the practical application of math in nature. This track also uses interactive activities such as storytelling, art, cooking, and group work. The track can be used as a whole half day lesson or you may pick and choose an activity on the track. Created by Ellen Stephens. Seat Belt Laws This track is designed to help high school students track a bill through the legislature. Learn why people don't wear seat-belts, how often seat belts save lives in case of an accident, and what the arguments are against seat belt laws. What states already have seat belt laws? Do these laws violate the Bill of Rights? Find the facts and decide for yourself. Created by Alicia C., Allison R., and Sadie R. Business Expansion in the Former Soviet Union The company you work for is thinking of expanding its business into new markets. One of the regions of the world your company is considering is the Former Soviet Union. Your supervisor has just given you the assignment of travelling to one of the republics in the Former Soviet Union to research whether the company should pursue development of its business there. The company's decision to locate there, or not, will be based solely on your findings. Created by Jeremy Kopkas.
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| Featured May 23, 2000 The Physics-Sports Connection This is a track design to help my students see the connections between physics and some sports. Many times there is more to sports than we realize. Hopefully this will be a great way to apply physics to something the students are already interested in. Created by Stephanie Beiser. Samurai Tales Learn about Samurai way of life in mediaeval Japan. What was the Samurai class and why was it important? Learn Samurai sayings and how they relate to the spirit of bushido. Read the Samurai code and learn how it related to life in Japan at that time. Created by Marie Buckland. Drunk Driving and the Law This Track allows the student to research the various laws and statistics that relate to drunk driving in the United States. Learn what Blood Alcohol Conent (BAC) is, why police are interested in it, and what your state has to say about it. Learn the laws of your state, when your license can be revoked, how many drunk driving accidents occur, what DUI is, and whether related crimes are felonies where you live. Created by Joni Bartell. Buy Low Sell High Welcome to the world of the NYSE!! Not sure what that is? Well, this Track will introduce you to the exciting New York Stock Exchange where fortunes are made and lost every business day. While you are here, you will learn the definitions of words you hear often on the news, you'll discover how to read the stock ticker and the stock pages and finally, have a chance to spend $100,000 on the NYSE for yourself. Before you start, make sure you have the worksheet you need to complete this track. Good luck investors, and have fun! Created by A.J. Griffin. Listen The Track addresses teaching listening comprehension to kindergarteners. The sites contain literature and allow for listening to stories. Students will be expected to find details, draw conclusions, make inferences, and identify relationships. The sites should allow for verbal participation as well as higher order thinking skills being used to interpret story information. Created by Robbie Trent. |
| Featured June 26, 2000 Ponyboy Deals With Loss In this lesson, students who have read The Outsiders will investigate the topic of grief and apply what they know to determine how Ponyboy deals with the loss of Johnny and Dally. They will also explore, in a broader context, the losses and gains of teenagers in general. Created by Debbie Lazalier. Fossils: Fun & Informative This Track will give students a general idea of why fossils are important to study. It also helps students discover how to start their own fossil explorations. Created by Geoff Day. U.S. Constitution This Track is designed to help students learn the principles of the U.S. Constitution. The Track will allow for a study of the document and an understanding of its elements. Created by Stephanie Moore. Seeking Planets Students will use their communication and artistic skills as they learn about each of the nine planets. Each student will need a worksheet picturing the nine planets, crayons, and a lap board or clip board. Created by Katie Johnson. Learn to search the Web: Foreign Foods The Track addresses teaching listening comprehension to kindergarteners. Students will find the answers to three similar questions using different search engines to learn the similarities and differences between search engines. Created by Jeremy Kopkas. |
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Featured July 28, 2000 From
the Mixed Up Files |
| Featured August 25, 2000 Titanic River Journey back in time to the tiny, sleepy village of Edgar Lee Master's Spoon River. Then board the time machine agian and go to the era of the glitttering, luxury liner Titanic. What could these two very different stops have in common? After visiting both, you will write epitaphs for the voyagers of the fateful ship using the style and content of Masters in his great Spoon River Anthology. Created by Genie Segura. Hidden Treasure -- Search for the Lost Dutchman's Mine in Arizona Study an ancient legend, learn to read topographical maps, and become familiar with Arizona's Superstition Mountain Range. Created by Stephanie Quimby-Greene. Statistics in Presidential Elections The students will research presidential elections of the past in order to understand and analyze the history of voting patterns in past elections. Created by Elizabeth Lindsay. WWW Resources: Word Problems Here are six interesting WWW resources for teachers and students to utilize in perfecting their word-problem skills! Created by Amy McLeod. Pumpkin Fall Fun! This track includes some fun activities for the children to enjoy. Created by DeRoxolyn Hall. |
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Featured September 29, 2000 Good
Math Web Sites
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Featured October 31, 2000 Featured November 30, 2000 Chanukah: December 21st - 28th Ramadan: Begins on November 27th - December 25th Winter Solstice: December 21st Christmas: December 25th Boxing Day: December 26th Kwanzaa: December 26th - January 1st Epiphany and Eastern Orthodox Christmas: January 6th or 7th
Winter Holidays: General
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Featured January 19, 2001 O'Brien's
The Things They Carried See
and Learn: Gain an appreciation of art |
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Featured February 28, 2001 Celebrating
Women in History Romeo
and Juliet |
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Featured March 30, 2001
Dialect
Diversity Fun
with Numbers |
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Featured April 30, 2001 Some
multiplication a day really pays!
Choosing the college or university that's right for you! Sound
Adventures |
| Featured May 21, 2001 See standards applicable to these Tracks. Ups
and Downs of the Stock Market Fun
with Numbers |
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Featured June 29, 2001 Foundations
of American Government Cells and
Their Organelles Nathaniel
Hawthorne, Relationships, and Some Elements of Rappacinni's Daughter Graphing
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| Featured July
27, 2001 See standards applicable to these Tracks. Ancient
Egypt--A Brief Look Harrison's
Algebra Help Senegal
at a glance |
| Featured August
31, 2001 See standards applicable to these Tracks. On
Solid Ground? Environmental
Awareness Persuasive
Writing Through Reviews |
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Featured September 28, 2001 Talking
to Children about Acts of Terrorism Eleanor
Roosevelt World
Population Activities Unresolved
Problems of the Modern World: Terrorism |
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© 2000 High Plains Regional Technology
in Education Consortium
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1997, 1998, 1999, 2000 South Central Regional Technology in Education Consortium