Oakland Schools Digital Learning
February 2023 Newsletter
In this issue you will find:
- resources to teach Black History through art
- links to two different sites with biographies of U.S. Presidents
- two online encyclopedias for elementary students
- a map that links to sites associated with famous English myths and legends
- information about using the Teaching Kids News website
- a Valentine's Day Virtual Room
- an online site where students can create music
- tips and tricks for using Google calendar
- iPad tips
- a tutorial on the nine new features available in Microsoft Forms
- a tutorial to make cardboard ramp walkers
- upcoming virtual field trips from Discovery Streaming as well as a free professional learning opportunity to help you better use Discovery Streaming
- resources from the Michigan Learning Channel for teaching about the Holocaust
- information about the upcoming MACUL Conference
Please reach out if you have questions about any of the information in this newsletter.
~Laura and VinosBlack History Through Art
The Kennedy Center: Blues Journey
The Kennedy Center: Blues Journey look at the “most important American music” of the 20th century delves into the history and musical characteristics of the blues in four narrated audio recordings, complete with classic blues songs. Each recording is ~5 minutes in length.
Oh Freedom! Art and the Civil Rights Movement
Teach Civil Rights by exploring artwork from the collections of the Smithsonian American Art Museum and the Smithsonian National Museum of African-American History and Culture. Following current scholarship, Oh Freedom! expands students understanding of the length and breadth of the Civil Rights movement. Instead of the traditional story of civil rights, which focuses primarily on the events of the 1950s and 1960s, Oh Freedom! presents the movement as a longer, more varied, and ongoing African American struggle for freedom, justice, and equality throughout the course of the twentieth century and into the twenty-first.
Presidents' Day
Biographies of the Presidents from the White House
The White House web site includes short biographies of all the American presidents, suitable for introductory use or to compare presidencies. There are also a few facts about the presidents, presidential "firsts," and the various administration.
American Presidents
American Presidents is a concise, focused site on the American Presidents. Click on any President (including Barack Obama), and you get a thumbnail sketch of that President, as well as a more in depth resource list of primary documents and essays. There is also a multimedia gallery related to each President. You can access audio recordings of either the President himself, or of others reading his words, and there is a link to oral histories related to the presidents. There are narratives about each first lady and timelines that detail significant events in each administration.
Resources for Elementary
World Book Early Learning
World Book Early Learning, brought to Michigan residents for no cost via the Michigan eLibrary, is for students in PreK-3rd grade and features a variety of topics and subjects to span the curriculum and interests including a collection of educational, interactive games; topical videos ideal for use with interactive whiteboards; an Early Learning Basics section, designed for PreK to Kindergarten students where you can find basic building blocks like learning letters, numbers, counting, and classification in one easy-to-navigate section; a guided reading program with digital and print copies of the text that includes lesson plans which provide phonemic building blocks for early learners; and proprietary stories utilizing small bursts of content to begin a young students' journey in using World Book encyclopedia articles.
Young students can interact with content on World Book Early Learning in a variety of ways:
- 14 Content Worlds
- Videos
- Educational and fun games
- Both fiction and nonfiction stories
- Activities, categorized by type, can be done within the paint application online or are available as Print & Do activities.
Early Learning also has full read-aloud capabilities and a For Educators (also called For Grownups) section of the site to help educators get the most out of the site. This is where you will find the Guided Reading Program and access Curriculum Correlations.
World Book Kids
World Book Kids, brought to Michigan residents for no cost via the Michigan eLibrary, Kids is developed especially for elementary-aged users and features an image-driven navigation. Students have access to thousands of easy-to-read articles packed with stunning illustrations, videos, interactive maps, and a wealth of engaging games and activities.
Special features of World Book Kids include:
- World of Animals, a compare and contrast tool to help kids research their favorite animals.
- An uncluttered interface, easy-to-understand content, and useful activities.
- An autocorrect feature to assist young users with direct searches.
- The ability to translate all articles into over 100 languages.
- A Compare Places feature that can be used to explore and compare countries, states, and provinces.
- Hands-on science projects and activities that cater to many different levels and interests.
- Age-appropriate WebQuests provide exploratory print-and-do activities.
- More than 50 challenging games across five subject areas.
- The Important People feature, where students can search and browse through thousands of biographies.
- An atlas, interactive maps, and outline maps and flags.
Resources for Secondary
A Map of Myth, Legend, & Folklore
A Map of Myth, Legend, & Folklore is a website that allows you and your students to explore English myths and legends via a map feature. The interactive map feature ~24 historical sites in England that are associated with a myth or legend. Click on one of the landmarks on the map to read the legend connected to that landmark. When you select a landmark you will also be able to view images and a video about that landmark. An explanation of the source of legend or myth is included in the text about each landmark.
Digital Resources
Teaching Kids News
Teaching Kids News (TKN) provides readable, teachable news articles for students in grades 2-8. These current event resources can be used for shared, guided, and/or independent reading lessons. Print them off or use them online, or on your class’s projector or interactive whiteboard. Note: Always read the articles ahead of time to ensure they’re appropriate for everyone in your classroom. While they are generally levelled for elementary students, no two classrooms are alike and only you know what’s best for your students.
There is a Curriculum Connections section at the bottom of each article that includes Writing/Discussion Prompts, Grammar Features, and a Reading Prompt. The site also provides media literacy activities and tips on how to discuss challenging news topics with kids.
Brain Breaks
Valentine's Day Virtual Room
Share the link to the Valentine's Day Virtual Room with your students and they will be able to listen to books about Valentine's Day, learn to draw some Valentine theme characters, learn facts about Valentine's Day, complete a Valentine's Day crossword puzzle and so much more.
Incredibox
Incredibox can be used online or via an app for mobile devices. Users drag and drop icons onto the avatars to make them sing and start to compose their own music. Certain sound combos unlock animated choruses that will enhance students' tunes.
Steve Wick presented the following challenge to his students when he introduced them to the site.
"Visit the Incredibox site or download the app. Create and record your own original beat box and share it in the linked Padlet. Be sure to tell us if you enjoyed creating and what emotions your creation is designed to share."
If you are not a Padlet user, you could have students share their musical creations via your learning management system, Google Classroom, or a shared document.
Google Workspace
Apple
Microsoft 365
Makerspace
Cardboard Ramp Walkers
To make simple ramp walking animals you only need cardboard, sandpaper, markers, scissors, and glue. After watching the video below, you will be able to quickly and easily teach your students how to make their own cardboard ramp walkers - no batteries required! If you have your students make some of these, we would love it if you would share pictures and/or videos of their creations.
Discovery Streaming
Note: Discovery Streaming subscription and login required to access the resources in this section. If you do not know if your school has a subscription please email laura.cummings@oakland.k12.mi.us.
Manufacturing the Future of Aviation Virtual Field Trip - February 8, 2023 at 1pm - Grades 6-12
Join Boeing and Discovery Education for a special tour of three Boeing manufacturing facilities in Renton, WA, Portland, OR, and Salt Lake City, Utah to see what game-changing innovations in aviation look like up close! At each location, students will learn how mechatronics, robotics, and ergonomics are shaping the future of aviation manufacturing and be introduced to skilled STEM professionals who use cutting-edge tech to solve real-world challenges. Learn more and register today!
Behind the Scenes of Country Music's Biggest Night - February 16, 2023 at 1pm - Grades 6-12
Join Discovery for a one-of-a-kind virtual field trip into the exciting inner-workings of Country Music’s biggest night of the year, as students are introduced to a variety of key STEAM professionals working behind-the-scenes at the Country Music Association (CMA) Awards in Nashville, TN. Students will dive into the action with diverse Country Music professionals all working in harmony to create Country Music’s biggest night. Learn more and register today.
Free Professional Learning Series: DEN Workshop
Did you know Discovery offers a free professional learning series for educators? Their spring cohort of Discovery Educator Network (DEN) Workshop kicks off in February! Educators will be able to join this virtual cohort and learn from Discovery Education (DE) staff as well as connect with other educators on best practices in education. You will learn key points on using Discovery Streaming in the classroom. After each session, you will have a task to complete in your classroom and then will have the chance to return the next session to share and reflect with other educators! Learn more and register today.
Michigan Learning Channel
- The US and the Holocaust - a three-part series that tells the story of how the American people grappled with one of the greatest humanitarian crises of the twentieth century, and how this struggle tested the ideals of our democracy.
- A Guide for Michigan Educators Teaching the Holocaust
- Shoah Ambassadors - hear the details of those dark days from those who actually lived them
- Navigating Misinformation - authors Seema Yasmin and Eboo Patel talk about navigating misinformation and building bridges and key aspects of learning about the role of the U.S. in The Holocaust. They are followed by a panel discussion led by Detroit Public TV and the Zekelman Holocaust Center featuring expert voices from across Southeast Michigan.
MACUL Conference - March 16-17, 2023
Registration is now open for the 2023 MACUL Conference to be held on March 16th & 17th at Huntington Place in Detroit. Visit maculconference.org for more information, including pre-conference workshops and a virtual track option.
Oakland Schools Digital Learning Team Information
Oakland Schools Digital Learning Consultants
Laura Cummings
Laura.Cummings@oakland.k12.mi.us
248-209-2283
Vinos Kassab
Vinos.Kassab@oakland.k12.mi.us
248-209-2229
Previous Editions of our Newsletter
Links to all previous editions of the Oakland Schools Digital Learning news can be found on our website.
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