News from the Curriculum Resource Center

While the CRC has many fabulous teaching aids available for check-out, there is also a multitude of teaching resources available on the World Wide Web.  Since so many great links cross my screen daily, I have started logging the best ones on a site I call Web Links to Great Teacher Resources. One can either browse through the list or sort by content area.  Links are added daily, so clink in often.

Hooray for Groundhog’s Day!  Any holiday dedicated to the wisdom of this lowly rodent must be fun.  We have a groundhog puppet and children’s trade books available for checkout, and teacher resources are available online.  See Education World, Teacher Planet, Facts & Factoids from Cornell University.

We have children’s books in languages beside English. Many titles are available in Spanish, while smaller selection is available in French, German, Japanese, Korean, Russian, Swahili and Chinese. In the catalog use the phrase “Spanish language materials” and limit to the CRC.

Yes, picture books can and should be used to make curriculum connections with middle school and high school students.  Check out the book “Picture That! From Mendel to Normandy:  Picture Books and Ideas, Curriculum, and Concepts for ‘Tweens and Teens”  This new 2009 title has 62 lessons that you can use to teach science, social studies, language arts and more.  Our copy is found in the Ready Reference (orange dot) Collection at CURR REF 373.13352 M141p.

Many wonderful books celebrate the accomplishments of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr and the Civil Rights Movement for children are available in the CRC.  Resources for teaching about Dr. King are also found on line from Thinkfinity, Read Write Think, and Project Look Sharp.

2010 marks the 100th year of Bowling Green State University and will be celebrated across campus with various Centennial celebrations.  Curious about what life was like in 1910?  Check out these children’s titles from the CRC:  The Big Burn by Jeanette Ingold, Mind’s Eye by Paul Fleischman,  Journey to the River Sea by Eva Ibbostson, and Faraway Summerby Johanna Hurwitz.

January 9 is the next testing date for the Praxis.  The PPST and 23 different subject assessments will be offered.  Over the winter break is a perfect study time and to help get organized  check out our Praxis study guides.  You’ll find a link to our study guides here.  Here are a few general test taking tips from McGraw-Hill’s Praxis I & II:

“Right before a big test, stay away from people who bring you down by preying on your stress and anxiety.  You don’t need them pulling you down with … Continue Reading