Helpful tips for teachers from teachers!-
Here are some resources to help you prepare yourself and your classroom for the school year.

New Posting: December 1

The Students for the Exploration and Development of Space
SEDS, is launching an ISS model building competition. SEDS is an international student run space organization. We would like to present a competition also on an international level in partnership with the Interplanetary Society. It is a celebration of the International Year of Astronomy.The contest is posted here: http://seds.org/functions/projects/isscontest.php

The annual SunWise with SHADE Poster Contest is back!
Students in grades K-8 can help raise awareness about sun safety and win prizes by entering the 2010 poster contest. The annual contest is a joint effort by the SHADE Foundation of America, WeatherBug Schools and the Environmental Protection Agency to teach children ways to protect their skin and eyes from excessive sun exposure.

The contest due date is April 7, 2010, and starting this year, there will be two age categories for poster entries—kindergarten through third grade, and fourth through eighth grade. Winning posters will receive state and national prizes, with the overall national winner in the 4th-8th grade category receiving a family trip to Disney World and a WeatherBug Tracking Station for his/her school with lifetime access to WeatherBug Achieve.
Students in both categories should submit hand-drawn posters on an 8.5 x 11 inch piece of paper. Entries should be original, creative, show ways to prevent skin cancer and raise sun safety awareness and be attached to an official entry form found at http://www.shadefoundation.org/programs/poster-contest. Once the state-winning posters are announced, the public will be able to take part in online voting to decide the national winner.

Travel
Student Group Tour Magazine
Teachers, music directors, administrators, and coaches: Check out the magazine for ideas and destinations that support curriculum. Subscribe free to this student travel publication (an online version of the magazine is also available).

Reading

NEA's Read Across America Program
Download free audio books read by kids-monthly (Loads best on PC)
http://www.kidthing.com/nea/

Writing
Poetry Out Loud is a program organized by the Arkansas Arts Council in partnership with the National Endowment for the Arts and the Poetry Foundation which encourages the nation’s youth to learn about great poetry through memorization and performance. Through this program, students are given assistance in developing strong public speaking skills and in building self-confidence. All statewide high schools are invited to participate in the contest. more>

Comic Strips Created by You
MakeBeliefsComix.com is a Web site that lets students write and illustrate their own comic strips online and e-mail them to family and friends. It’s available in seven languages.

Science
Posters, Classroom Activities, & More
This site offers 9 posters for downloading and printing: The Human Genome, Earth Anatomy, Climate Change Records, Scale and Size, Cosmic Evolution, The Science of Change, Vernal Pool Life, The Sphere of Life, and Electromagnetic Spectrum. It also includes materials on such topics as glaciers, earth system science, and the Science Olympiad. From Wright Center for Science Education, Tufts University.

Math
Feed the Pig (Free Kit)
Financial literacy program for 4-6 grades. From the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants and Advertising Council developed with input from the Teacher Advisory Board though the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics.

Mint Resources
The United States Mint has many free educational resources, including a teachers’ guide for navigating the H.I.P. Pocket Change resources, teacher content updated monthly, fun activities, and coin-centric classroom lesson plans covering social studies, language arts, math, and science.

Social Studies/Civics
Our Courts
This site was designed to reinvigorate civics learning inside and outside the classroom. Our Courts features free lesson plans, interactive modules, and games, one of which introduces students to the process of judicial reasoning and allows them to make decisions in the Supreme Court. Spearheaded by Justice Sandra Day O’Connor.

Technology
Ecybermission
Ecybermission is a free, Web-based science, math, and technology competition for students in grades six through nine. Compete for regional and national awards while working to solve problems in your community. From the U.S. Army.

Health & Well-Being
Tips for Teachers Cards
These 6x8-inch laminated cards provide ready information about behaviors that threaten the health and well-being of students. Cards are available for these four topics:
Recognizing Child Abuse and Neglect
Bullying Intervention
Teen Depression and Suicide
ADD/ADHD in the Classroom
From American Public University.

Art
Free-Loan Teaching Resources
The National Gallery of Art offers the free loan of teaching materials that meet national K-12 standards in the visual arts. The packets/slides, CD-ROMs, DVDs, and videos examine a variety of artists, subjects, techniques, and styles. Many programs contain suggestions for related activities and questions designed to stimulate discussion of the art, artists, and cultural and historical issues.

Share your great finds with other teachers! Recommendations will be reviewed and/or approved by NEA/AEA
Send to ldimond@nea.org