LIFE WITHOUT THE BILL OF RIGHTS?

I know that some students seem to think that learning about the Constitution can be boring.  However, it does not have to be boring.  It can be fun with this interactive game from the Bill of Rights Institute. The game is titled Life Without the Bill of Rights? It is a click-and-explore activity that puts your students in control, asking them to consider how life would change without some of our most cherished freedoms. Players are invited to understand the significance of their rights including freedom of religion, speech, and press, freedom from unreasonable search and seizure, and the rights of private property. This is a fun one that can be done in large or small group on the SMARTboard.  Check it out. http://billofrightsinstitute.org/teach/freeresources/constitutionday/

The Bill Of Rights Institute also provides a really good graphic organizer that can be used as a guide for this activity.  It can be found on the link provided above.

PEARL HARBOR

Today is the 69th anniversary of the bombing of Pearl Harbor.  Below is a wonderful multimedia map and time line provided by National Geographic that includes photos, footage, firsthand accounts, and narration on this historic event.  This activity will bring the attack on Pearl Harbor in Oahu, Hawaii, to life—moment by moment, target by target. You will need to click the orange arrows in the bottom right corner to move from item to item and make sure your sound is turned on.  I think that this is a great way  to present this historical event to our students.

http://www.nationalgeographic.com/pearlharbor/ax/frameset.html 

GOOGLE
EBOOKS

This is just so exciting.  On Monday of this week something big happened – Google announced the Google ebookstore.  Google eBooks, (which is different from Google Books), is designed to provide access to ebooks through a wide variety of ebook reading platforms such as the Nook, an ipad, and a tablet.  Most of the books in the ebookstore require purchase, but there is a nice list of classic titles that are available for free. You can check out the list by clicking on the link below. Also, take some time to watch the promotional video for the ebookstore.  It provides a clear explanation of the benefits.

http://books.google.com/ebooks?hl=en&as_coll=1040&uid=2278874564547928826&source=gbs_slider_bookshelves_1040_webstore_home