ESL etc.

The Choices Program has just published a free lesson on the Gulf oil spill based on political cartoons. I love using political cartoons with students, as they are often very efficient ways to understand complex issues. The lesson includes a handout on analyzing political cartoons, a slideshow of the eight cartoons, and links to a [...]

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Teach UNICEF is a new website that shares a bunch of UNICEF teaching materials by topic and grade level. Topics include child labor, armed conflict, poverty and sanitation, to name a few. Most topics offer materials for grades 6-8 and 9-12, and some include K-2 or 3-5. You can also browse by media type. I [...]

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Two quick links, both from Larry Ferlazzo: War Games: Seeing Iraq Through the Eyes of Children is a powerful video slideshow depicting some of the games Iraqi children are now playing, after years of violence. And Larry has also put together a great list of sites to learn about the Gulf oil spill. Drill, baby, [...]

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March 31st was Cesar Chavez’s birthday, and Larry Ferlazzo updated his list of the Best Sites for Learning about Cesar Chavez. His list includes a lot of great stuff, including readings, audio and video clips. One that caught my eye is something from the Smithsonian on the banning of the short-handled hoe. I have to [...]

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Drop the Weapons is a collection of audio and video clips aimed at convincing young people not to carry guns and knives. The speech in these clips is very natural, making it a nice change from scripted recordings. Some of the videos are “choose your own adventures” where viewers interact by choosing what to do [...]

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Dancing Rabbit is an intentional community in northeast Missouri that is dedicated to living sustainably. They eat (and grow) local, organic food, practice natural building techniques, and host educational seminars. I stayed there for three weeks a couple of years ago and loved it. It is truly something worth supporting. Their website also features past [...]

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Af-flu-en-za n. 1. The bloated, sluggish and unfulfilled feeling that results from efforts to keep up with the Joneses. 2. An epidemic of stress, overwork, waste and indebtedness caused by dogged pursuit of the American Dream. 3. An unsustainable addiction to economic growth. 4. A television program that could change your life. Affluenza is a [...]

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Here are a bunch of quick links that I have been meaning to post for a while: Strange Maps is a great blog that features, well, strange maps. The pictures are really interesting, and the accompanying text is usually informative. A Road Map to Success and Bridge to Nowhere: a Map of Golden Gate Jumpers [...]

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A while ago, I wrote about The Story of Stuff, a great animated short about consumption. A reader just shared a link to a version with Japanese subtitles, which could definitely be useful for folks teaching in Japan. Enjoy! (Thanks Jason!)

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ACT Responsible is a Swiss non-profit that attempts to use the talents of advertisers to address environmental sustainability and social responsibility. Their gallery is full of images and short videos that could be great visual prompts for activities on a wide variety of issues. For starters, check out highlights in The Best Adverts to Save [...]

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