Human Body and Mind - Interactive Site
I just came across this great site, and I cannot quit playing the interactive games! This Human Body and Mind site is very educational, and interesting. Students would definitely be engaged in the activities, and would be able to have a clear visual of what they are learning in school. The puberty section has a great demo that shows the effects of puberty on both the male and female body. One of my favorite activities was the Senses challenge. It was challenging and engaging. I am also a huge fan of the skeleton Game.

This site fits with the constructively approach, as it allows students to be active in their own learning. I would use this site in a grade 8-11 classroom, in health or science. This site is a great example of technology actually improving learning. It would not be an addition to a lesson, simply to incorporate technology. The technology used in these activities has a purpose. I had so much fun playing around on this site ... you should check it out. Very cool!

National Geographic Xpeditions
This is a really cool interactive geography site. The activities on the Xpeditions website are educational and engaging. They each involve a mission that is interesting and challanging. Students would be hooked by this site. The adaptive dimension is incorperated into each activity. There is an adaptation for younger and older children (or experienced and less experienced). There is also a section of each activity that is for the parents. This section involves discussion questions, and extensions that can be done. I would use this site in a grade 9 or 10 classroom. Students could complete the activities alone or in small groups. This site does not only have activities that are related to geography, it also has many culturual and historical ties. Each activity or mission, has students doing something different. These missions take the constructivist approach to a new level.

I would be tempted to have my students do all of the missions, or atleast quite a few of them. I think I would have to control myself. There are just all so good!! They allow students to put their own spin on the final product, and make it their own. Students would feel ownership, and a sense of accomplishment.

Take the time to check out this site. It is worth it! Look at some of the activites ... they are fantastic!

Eating Disorder Webquest
I just found a fabulous webquest that deals with nutrition and eating disorders. It fits with the constructivist apporach, in that students are active in their learning, and are able to create their own meaning. Dying to Be Thin is a Canadian webquest that includes activities such as making a graphic organizer, creating a biography booklet, and doing a presentation, and visual representation. The expectations are clearly laid out for students, and three rubrics are included. This webquest incorperates technology in a practical way, and involves a meaty challenge.

I would use this webquest in a grade 8, 9 or 10 classroom.
It would fit with the eating disorders unit in grade 8. It could also be incorperated into a phys. ed. unit.
Check it out!

Teen Health Resource
BodyTeen is a great resource site for teens, that deals with nearly every aspect of health and the human body. Teens can get information on anatomy, eating disorders, exercise, nutrition, drugs, gangs, suicide, mental health, pregnancy, rape and sexual assault, STDs, violence, sleep, and many other topics.

I would give this web address to students at the beginning of the year. They would be able to use it as a resource when doing assignments, or they can simply look for information on things that they may be interested in, or are wondering about. One idea that I have is to have students do presentations on each of the main areas that are outlined by the graphics on the main page (the 14 areas). Students could use the information (and search for other information) and create a webpage/ video/ powerpoint/ or other type of class presentation that would be constructive and engaging.

My favorite part of this site is the Amazing Facts section. You can get facts about the brain, nerves, circulatory system, skeleton, senses, skin, muscles, hair, etc.. I love interesting facts, and I usually put one up on the board each morning when I am teaching.

Body Image and Nutrition
This is a great site for adolescents to get information about body image, eating disorders and nutrition. Body Wise is very user friendly, and uses vocabulary that teens can understand. The different categories that are discussed include: Body Image, Eating Disorders, Eating Right, and Staying Fit. Each section is very visually appealing, and has a little cartoon strip to accompany the information. This site also has a resource section that has book suggestions, and website suggestions for teens.

I would have my students use this website as a resource while doing research, and planning presentations. It would also be a great site to use in a webquest. The information is straightforward and to the point. I would also use this as a teachers' resource.

During my internship, I would gather a bunch of great sites for each unit that I taught, and I would post these sites on the school webpage for students to go to so that they could get more information. This would be an example of the type of site I would post for them. They can use it to supplement what they learn in class, and also aid them in doing assignments, or planning presentations.

Keeping Kids Safe Online
The Internet can be a scary place. Teachers and parents must give children the tools that are needed to stay safe on the internet. As an education student, I have had the opportunity to see many presentations on the dangers of the internet. I have been told many times that we must monitor students while they are surfing, and make sure that they are also aware of the dangers, and are able to distinguish between legitimate, and illegitimate sites for research. Cybersmart Kids is a site for kids, that is about staying safe on the internet. I would use this site in my classroom at the beginning of the year, before my students ventured out on the net. Teachers and parents cannot watch children 24/7. Eventually they are going to be alone, and on the computer. I think that all children should be equipped with the knowledge and necessary critical thinking skills that will allow them to be Cybersmart.

This Site has a Cybersmart Quiz, as well as a Teachers' Page that has a lesson plan and great educational sites.

Internet safety is something that many teachers neglect to teach. I feel that it is absolutely necessary.

I Wish I Would Have Known About this Site A Long Time Ago
Wow! I just came across an outstanding, educational and informative site. The World Almanac for Kids is fabulous!!! It has information on everything you would want to know about in the following areas: countries of the world, religion, space/solar system, sports, inventors, animals etc.. It also has a section that is called "Did you know" which I think many kids would enjoy. If I would have known about this site earlier, I would have recommended it to my students in internship. They did culture presentations, and this site would have been a great resource. Even the section on Canada is amazing in itself.

I would use this site as a teacher resource, and I would have my students go on it to research for projects, to research their interests, and just to find out something new. The information from this site could be used to make interactive lesson plans that are interesting and motivational for students. This site is very user friendly, as it is clearly laid out, and basically makes sense. There was so much to learn about, and it was separated into such distinct sections, that I just could not leave this site.

You have to check this out! You will not regret it :-)

Puberty WebQuest!
I came across this WebQuest while working on a project. I think that it is fantastic! It provides a meaty and exciting challenge for students, and is on a topic that young people often have questions about. It is about the physical changes and other aspects of puberty.

I would use this Quest in a grade 8 or 9 classroom, and would have the students do the extension that goes with it. This WebQuest includes many of the multiple intelligences, and promotes higher level thinking. I believe that it also supports the constructavist approach. It is extremely well developed and provides a bunch of great links to other sites on the topic. I would definitely use this WebQuest. Check it out!