Issue link: https://digital.copcomm.com/i/45838
Resources and Opportunities Free resources for teachers and students Adolescent Literacy Features classroom strategies for explicit vocabulary instruction, professional development to improve adolescent literacy, student motivation and engagement, cogni- tive strategies toolkit, and key liter- acy component: writing. Visit to view video interviews with authors and professional development web- casts. Planetquest educator resources An award-winning site from NASA offers student experiments, activity guides, and many other teaching/learning tools about astronomy, and the earth and beyond. For more information, visit http://planetquest.jpl.nasa.gov/. EXCITE! - Excellence in Curriculum Innovation through Teaching Epidemiology and the Science of Public Health - EXCITE! is a collec- tion of teaching and reference materials developed by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to introduce and excite youth from kindergarten through 12th grade about the knowledge and skills utilized by public health pro- fessionals. The information pre- sented in EXCITE! includes such academic subjects as life sciences, epidemiology, mathematics, social studies, language arts, and health education. Topics applicable to all levels of instruction include elementary sta- tistical concepts, scientific method of inquiry, and outbreak investiga- tion. For more information, visit www.cdc.gov/excite/. 20 indoor movement activities Physical activity throughout the school day is necessary for children to reenergize themselves and to be able to maintain focus on their school work. Many teachers notice fewer behavior problems when chil- dren are provided with many oppor- tunities to move. To help you get your students moving for their health - and yours, visit . The Poetry Foundation Provides resources for parents and teachers to cultivate in chil- dren a lifelong love of poetry. For more information, visit Philadelphia Zoo announces K-12 contest to help save orangutans from extinction In a ground- Engineers go for it! Lesson plans by grade level, class activities, outreach programs, and information about path-breaking engineers and educators who are making a difference. There are fea- tures like "Where an interest in snakes can lead." Visit . SenTeacher.org Provides free teaching and learn- ing resources for students with spe- cial needs and learning disabilities. Many resources here may also be of use to educators of primary and elementary students. For more information, visit . Agriculture in the Classroom Resource Directory An online searchable database that lists hundreds of educational resources designed to help educa- tors locate high quality classroom materials and information to increase agricultural literacy among their Pre-K through 12th grade students. Visit DoSomething.org Using the power of online to get teens to do good stuff offline. There are videos, online projects, polls, event calendars, and other forums designed to get students involved and participating in service proj- ects. Just select from the options (What Cause? Who With? Where? How Long?) at and hit search. breaking ini- tiative, the Philadelphia Zoo has launched the UNLESS contest aimed at engaging K-12 classrooms throughout the Delaware Valley region in a unique way to help save orangutans from extinction. Classes who participate in the Zoo's UNLESS contest will be eligi- ble for a free orangutan-focused field trip to the Zoo, and will also be able to compete for between $250 and $2,500 in prizes (Grades K-5) or for between $500 and $5,000 in prizes (Grades 6-12). Grades K-5 can compete in the UNLESS contest by creating com- pelling artwork that tells the con- servation story of the endangered October is Disability History and Awareness Month in Delaware The Governor's Advisory Council for Exceptional Citizens is sponsor- ing a poster contest for students to promote the theme of Disability History and Awareness Month. This contest is open to all K-12 public school students. Entries must be postmarked by October 31, 2011. Winners will be notified on November 23. Winners will receive prizes, and will be invited to a luncheon with Lt. Gov. Matt Denn and other Delaware dignitaries. The poster specifications, rules and application form are all at . orangutan, and by leading school- wide campaigns designed to raise awareness about the connection between orangutans and palm oil. Grades 6-12 can compete in the UNLESS contest by developing either a palm-oil focused multi- media project or an "action station display" that shows the connection between palm oil and orangutans. Grades 6-12 must also incorporate their projects into school-wide awareness-raising campaigns. The contest application deadline is October 28, 2011. Final award results will be announced in March 2012. Additional contest informa- tion and contest application can be found at (in the Teachers' Lounge section of the website). For more information, feel free to also contact Being an American essay contest focus- es on Constitution Students and their teachers can win up to $1,000 in the Bill of Rights Institute's "Being an American" essay contest. This year's contest is sponsored by the History Channel. Students are asked to share their thoughts on the Constitution by answering the following question: "How does the Constitution estab- lish and maintain a culture of liber- ty?" The top three student winners Items described on this page are not always endorsed by the Association, but are provided for your information. 22 October 2011 DSEA ACTION! from each of the five geographical regions will be awarded cash prizes of $1,000 (First Place), $500 (Second Place), and $250 (Third Place). Teacher sponsors for each student winner will also receive a cash prize of $100. The deadline for submissions is December 15, 2011 at 11:59 p.m. PST. All essays must be submitted at . Winners will be announced in February 2012. For more information on contest details, go to . www.dsea.org www.philadelphiazoo.org www.poetryfoundation.org/ children/. www.adlit.org/webcasts/ @phillyzoo.org. education http://teachers.egfi- k12. org www.senteacher.org/ www.agclass room.org/. DoSomething.org www.gacec.delaware.gov www.BillofRightsInstitute.org/ Submit Institute.org/Contest www.BillofRights word press/leah-davies/movement- games/ http://teachers.net/gazette/