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Snip-Its
Condensing the classics
Getting teenagers interested in reading classic literature can often be a troublesome task. That’s where 60-Second Recap can help.
On the Web site www.60secondrecap.com, Jenny Sawyer, a freelance book reviewer with an English degree, presents one-minute videos aimed at helping students understand and enjoy classics such as Animal Farm, Hamlet and Wuthering Heights. A series of up to 10 videos is dedicated to each book’s theme, plot, characters, symbols and why, exactly, a teacher might assign the book.
The videos on the site are meant to take the place of study guides such as CliffsNotes. The Web site also features an interactive section, Club Recap, where students can upload their own videos and discuss selections with one another, as well as a resource section with videos on literary terms and how to write better papers.
Math hors d’oeuvres
Middle school students can now learn difficult math concepts through bite-size “Math Snacks,” thanks to researchers at New Mexico State University. The animations and mini-games, which the university developed in cooperation with the U.S. Department of Education through a National Science Foundation grant, are designed to be used as homework or as introductions to new topics.
Visit www.mathsnacks.com for fun and educational math morsels, including the animated videos Bad Date, which discusses proportions and ratios using the visualization of the number of words spoken on a series of dates, and Atlantean Dodgeball, which addresses ratio errors made by a “coach” during a dodgeball tournament. The mini-game Pearl Diver helps students better understand the number line.
Lassoing loose change
Having trouble finding spare dollars for an innovative classroom project? Try searching Grant Wrangler (www.grantwrangler.com). The site features grants and awards for a variety of subjects, such as the arts and humanities; science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM); and health and physical education. There are even listings that benefit libraries.
The grants and awards featured on the site are not just for educators; many benefit students directly as well. Are your students interested in film? Have them apply for the Young Minds Digital Times Film Competition, from which they could earn $200 and a trip to the 2011 South by Southwest Film Festival in Austin. Educators and schools with the most student entries in the competition could also each win $1,000.
The grant and award listings on the site include links to Web sites with further information.
©2010 Jupiterimages Corporation
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