Internet activities that address and support your curriculum do not have to be hard to find or create. The more elaborate the harder they are but many can be simple additions to your classroom. They can be a center or LMC choice.

 

How to Find Them

Just searching for the topic rarely works. You will find too much stuff. It is better to find a "clearing house" that has already organized and screened the activities. Here are 3 sites that are helpful:

Apple Learning Exchange - http://www.apple.com/ali

 

Education World - http://www.education-world.com

 

Mountain View Elementary Internet Activities - http://mountain.adams12.org/InternetCenters/NetCenterMenu.html

Activities that you find at these sites will probably be elaborate but using them may not be. Read the descriptions carefully. Explore the web sites to see if they are right for you and your class. You may find parts of them you want to use but parts you don't .

 

How to Make One, Quick and Easy

First, telling an elementary student to just "browse" a site rarely works. It isn't enough direction for them. They don't really know what to do. They will quickly ask, "What am I supposed to do?"

Next, decide on the standard, concept, objective, topic etc. you are trying to address. With out this you are lost. Be specific. Be realistic. Are you trying to just enrich some learnings or actually teach a specific part? Maybe you just want to provide some motivating reading for them on the topic.

Third, search for the content. Find a site or sites that have the content you want the students to obtain. This is the part that isn't really quick. You have to not only find the sites but be willing to spend the time to fully explore them. Some look great on the outside buy have little (or too much) on the inside. Try to narrow your choices to 1 or 2 sites for a simple activity.

Finally, customize the experience for your students by creating your own directions for experiencing the site. Create questions or writing prompts, check offs, directions to use certain activities or games that are there.

 

---