Teachers First - Thinking Teachers Teaching Thinkers

We suspect that this very nice introduction to Hanukkah was written for non-practicing Jews. As a result, it works for both Jews and non-Jews. You'll find information on the history of Hanukkah, descriptions and instructions for Hanukkah observances, and other information about Judaism.

tag(s): hanukkah (12), holidays (187)

Here's a really first-rate treatment of the Middle East, its three primary religious subtexts, and the relationship of these to issues like global economics, literature, and history. Users will find a wealth of time-lines, as well as a series of "connecting questions" about issues like the role of women, nation-states, and the impact of stereotypes on international perceptions about this region. Lots of "extended thinking" opportunities here. The video trailers on this site require QuickTime, however all the other available information make this site worth a visit.

tag(s): arab (12), israel (14), middle east (50)

This lesson from the National Park Service series "Teaching with Historic Places" outlines the background for the outbreak of the war with Japan and uses maps and historical photos to teach about the battle of Midway and the island's strategic importance in World War II. This site could be a nice add-on to a study of World War II, Japan, or the geography of the Pacific region.

tag(s): world war 2 (161)

Here's the BBC's collection of profiles on dozens of countries. Written with a decidedly Euro-centric focus, American teachers will find this collection an interesting resource for comparing perspectives on international relations. Well worth a visit for its depth of information.

tag(s): africa (148), asia (116), countries (73), europe (84), north america (15)

This web site from the PBS program by the same name offers a biography of the author and Nobel Peace Prize winner, as well as a teaching guide linked to the program itself. History, social studies, or English teachers may find this content useful in a unit on the holocaust or in a discussion of World War II.

tag(s): holocaust (42), jews (33), nazis (8), world war 2 (161)

The San Diego Zoo's panda pages offer a plethora of photos and other information about China's most reclusive citizens. Besides being undeniably cute, pandas make a great preservation study with some interesting international overtones. It now includes a live webcam stream of the pandas 24 hours a day
This site includes advertising.

tag(s): animals (295), china (81), endangered species (27), species (16)

No matter what you want to measure, you'll find information on how to quantify it here. While some browsing is required, teachers will find applications for this information in science, math, geography, and other subject areas. The reference possibilities are also extensive. Add this one to your toolkit of web reference specialties.

tag(s): measurement (122)

howstuffworks offers an explanation of this high holy day at the start of the Jewish new year, along with a description of customary holiday observances.

tag(s): holidays (187), yom kippur (15)

howstuffworks offers a brief explanation of this Jewish high holy day, along with a description of customary holiday observances.

tag(s): holidays (187)

The Islamic Arts and Architecture Organization offers an almost encyclopedic site on art and design in the Islamic world. The site includes extensive galleries and detailed articles on the various topics presented. Art or art history teachers will find this one an outstanding source of examples of art and craft from this complex culture.

tag(s): crafts (64), middle east (50)

This is an elegantly designed geography site offering vital statistics and more for many, many countries. It's a "just the facts" approach, but there are lots of them. The site includes a novel currency converter feature.

tag(s): demographics (13), maps (220), population (51)

This site from the PBS Nova series chronicles Galileo's life, experiments, and scientific accomplishments. Users will find a detailed time line, articles about Galileo's accomplishments, and a nice series of interactive "experiments" illustrating his fundamental discoveries. Great site for the study of astronomy, inventors, or the Renaissance. Though some resources require Flash, there is a lot to earn from the features that don't.

tag(s): galileo (6), gravity (43), moon (73), renaissance (38), solar system (110)

A detailed look at Mandela's life and the revolution he helped lead. The site contains two biographies, interviews, a timeline, film clips, and a "viewers' and teachers' guide," and more. The site is a well-organized companion to the PBS Frontline documentary of the same name.

tag(s): africa (148), biographies (94), Nelson Mandela (7), racism (79), south africa (13)

This Canadian site offers quick, easy access to vital statistics and rankings for 10 regions and more than 190 countries. This is a handy compilation of stats ranging from the typical like population and life expectancy to the less common such as nuclear arms, and HIV prevalence.

tag(s): atlas (5), countries (73)

This searchable site provides resources for teaching geography and culture. Currently, the page's "expeditions" are limited to Baja California, American Southwest, Southern Africa, Oaxaca Mexico, and Peru.

tag(s): africa (148), mexico (37), peru (5)

This site wins mention for breadth, not depth. It offers hundreds of very brief biographical sketches on famous people, past and present. More importantly, it also provides links - many surprisingly good, to more detailed information on the personalities listed. Students could use this one as a starting point for wider web research on a particular personality.

tag(s): biographies (94)

The Berlin Wall and the Press is a short video (just over 14 minutes) that presents life on both sides of the Berlin Wall including escapes and protests. Find three activities (downloadable in PDF format) to prepare students to analyze the impact of the Berlin Wall. The video is a fascinating presentation with primary sources about the origins of the wall from both western and Soviet perspectives. There are also nine Optional Extension Activities; these cover everything from graffiti art on the wall, to writing personal journals as one of the residents of East Berlin, to researching the unification of Berlin after the wall came down, and even more. Two of the activities help increase student awareness of political unrest in other parts of the world (China's Tiananmen Square Nov. 1989; Tehran, Iran June 2009; Tunis, Tunisia Jan. 2011; and Cairo, Egypt Jan. 2011), asking students to research challenges and criticisms of the press while trying to report on them.

tag(s): china (81), cold war (30), egypt (56), german (49), germany (28), iran (8), politics (118)

National Public Radio offers this index to transcripts and audio files of its recent reporting on the Middle East. Users can read or listen to each report. There are also additional links to middle east resources from NPR and other sources. Great site for "beyond the headlines" information.

tag(s): israel (14), palestine (5)

From the PBS Frontline program by the same name, this teachers' guide expands significantly on the content of the film itself. There are lots of discussion ideas, an Islam timeline, background information on Muslim customs in several different countries, and nice summations of the major tenets and observations of the faith.

tag(s): religions (95)

Part of a far larger site, this section offers lots of instructions on the basics of origami, the Japanese art of paper folding. There are examples galore, along with information on terminology, reading folding instructions, and sources for origami patterns. If you're looking for an art activity that requires very little equipment, try this one.

tag(s): japan (57), origami (15), paper folding (3)