Technology
See more technology integration articles and
ideas in our Technology Integration Center.
Student Broadcasters Capture Headlines from the Hallways Start Your Engines Mr. Cover's Class Reviews: A "Real World" Application for Reading Teaching and Learning Online Professional Development Via E-Mail: All You Need is a Keyboard! Teach Geography
with E-Mail You'e Got E-Mail -- But Can You Make It Really Deliver? ExploraVision Contest Sparks
Students' Imaginations Tracing the Start of the Laptop Revolution in Schools From Beginning to End: Making Memories All Year Through
Voice of Experience: Log On to a Blog Teacher Feature This is SBNN Broadcasting Live...from F. H. Tuttle Middle School The Concept-Mapping Classroom Online Book Club Promotes Student Literacy On the Run Six Online Projects Anyone Can Join Web Wizard: Within These Walls Web Wizard: On the Road to Learning Kids Count Clams to Spur Community Cleanup Web Wizard: Writing for a Worldwide Audience Orphan Train: A Social Studies Project that "Clicked" with Students! Web Wizard: Fun with French Web Wizard: Breaking Down Barriers Web Wizard: Proof Positive Web Wizard: Celebrating Success Web Wizard: Friendly Fairies and Golden Grahams Web Wizard: Open Door to the "Super Store" Learning Geography Through E-Mail Habla Espanol? Do You Speak Spanish? High Schools Introduce Engineering How Busy Is Your Class's Tooth Fairy? Building 'Friendship Through Education' Kids Snap Communities in Internet Project 'Whassup?' in the Classroom Degree Confluence Project: At the Intersection of Geography and Technology Golden Nuggets: Seven Tips for Technology Success Worldwide Internet Math Project a Shoe-in for Success! GeoPals: Global Friends Help Kids Learn About Writing Fund Encourages Educators To Create Their Own Books! Who Wants to Be a TechKnow Genius? A PowerPoint Game for Kids Have Computers Forced Handwriting Out of the Picture? Play a New Stock Market Game-for Teachers Only! An Education World e-Interview with Sherry Turkle: Is Technology Just for Boys? Students Create a Virtual Tour of Their Community Librarians Online! Laptops Change Curriculum --- and Students Training Teachers Who Are Terrorized by Technology! First-Time Computer Buyers: Advice from the Experts You've Got E-Mail --- But Can You Make It *Really* Deliver? Log On and Learn More: Ten On-Line Projects to Enhance Your Curriculum Senior Pals: Bridging the Generation Gap with Technology Learning on the Fly: On-Line Tutorials Teach It All! Quia: The Quintessential Teacher's Helper! Technology, Teachers, and Tiny Tots --- A Great Combination! No HTML Required! Desktop Videoconferencing: Novelty or Legitimate Teaching Tool? Virtual High Schools: The High Schools of the Future? In This School, Technology Nurtures Learning Keyboarding Skills: When Should They Be Taught? Laptop Computers for Every Student! The School of the Future New Keyboard Opens the World of Computers to Young Children Incorporating Technology Into Classroom Curriculum
Students aren't just studying the news in school, they're reporting it! Budding "Walter Cronkites" run the show from choosing topics to scripting, filming and editing. Teachers report that students gain self-confidence from producing their own school news broadcasts.
Merging his life-long love of racing and a classroom of fourth graders, teacher Tom Stock created a winning learning combination.
In response to his students' lack of enthusiasm for and skill with nonfiction, reading teacher Millard Cover introduced "Mr. Cover's Class Reviews," a project in which students become product testers and reviewers and publish their findings online.
Whether you're planning on taking or teaching an online course -- or pursuing an online degree -- you won't want to
miss this Teacher Team article, in which our resident experts talk about their online teaching and learning experiences.
E-mail is a great way for keeping teachers informed about school goings-on. But are you using e-mail as a tool for
providing professional development for your teachers? Ed World's "Principal Files" principals share how they are doing
just that. Tips included.
Next week is National Geography Awareness Week. Are you using the opportunity
to look for an easy way to incorporate technology into your geography
lessons? If so, you might consider one of the excellent collaborative
projects available via e-mail. After all, what better way is there to
learn about the world than by virtually chatting with the people who live
here?
So you want to do a classroom project on-line? Don't even think about hitting that Send button until you read
this article in which author and educator Judi Harris shares what it takes to create a valuable on-line project.
From household helpers to intricate medical technology, the Toshiba/NSTA
ExploraVision Awards program has inspired student research teams to develop
some amazing creations.
In 1990, fifth graders at a private school in Australia were introduced to laptops, and their learning was never the same. Author Bob Johnstone talks about the first laptop school, the response it received, and integrating laptop learning.
Experienced educators share how they enrich their classes with projects and activities that take students from the beginning of the school year to the end -- while creating memories that last a lifetime. Included: Ideas for time capsules, memory books, welcome letters, more.
Emerging online communication tools have the potential to unleash a new level of creative thought in the classroom. Educator Brenda Dyck shares her recent experiences with an online journaling tool called a blog. Included: Blogging resources.
Raeann Edwards' gifted students reuse refuse in "Junk Drawer Wars!"
Armed with newly acquired research and technical skills, 13 middle school students from South Burlington, Vermont, produce a weekly live news show that has become their school's "must-see TV." Video of an SBBN news broadcast!
By providing a framework that allows users to focus on topics, and a structure that permits them to easily convert diagrams to outlines and back again, Inspiration and Kidspiration simplify the task of organizing thoughts into effective project plans.
Are you looking for new ways to encourage students to read and write with greater effort and enthusiasm? Students in Kentucky have demonstrated both since the Literary Book Club -- an online forum that offers students a real audience and incentive -- was formed.
Carol Goodrow promotes running and fitness among young people via the Web!
Looking for something to jump-start students during the post-holiday blahs? Education World has found six teacher-created collaborative projects sure to engage kids and teachers.
Sheree Rensel's site is a gallery of masterpieces created by special students!
Annette Lamb and Larry Johnson help educators teach and learn with technology!
Students in one Maine school count clams instead of Cuisenaire rods and enter data into PDAs instead of notebooks. But they arent just learning how to use technology to count clams, theyre learning that what they do in school can benefit the entire community.
David Leahy's students put more into publishing for an online audience!
Two 4th grade teachers ride the rails of the "Orphan Train" as they use technology to add vitality to their social studies curriculum. Included: Links to lessons and resources you can use to develop your own Orphan Train project!
Catherine Murphy's Web site offers practical help for French teachers and students!
Scott Saylors' Web site connects students, parents, teachers, and technology!
Karen Ingram's Web site shows the powerful combination of fun and learning.
Rhonda Caudill Henson's third graders work harder to make their writing Web-ready!
Shannon Graham's "smart cookies" share their written work online!
Sharon Sumner's site is a guide to educational resources on the Net!
A month ago, some students in Bellingham, Washington, werent even sure where to find Arizona on a map of the United States. Now they can find Australia, Korea, and even Azerbaijan on a map of the world, thanks to an e-mail activity initiated by their schools library media specialist.
Tracy Jackson's foreign language curriculum includes an hour and a half a week in the computer lab and another hour or so a week in the classroom, integrating Spanish words and phrases into her regular cross-curricular units. The highlight of the Spanish curriculum for Jackson's students, however, is the bilingual book project, in which they learn Spanish words and phrases and write and illustrate books containing those words. The students publish the books (in house!) and post them online. So far, these first graders at Maine's Wiscasset Primary School have written three "best-sellers" -- and a fourth is on the way!
With fewer engineers graduating from college and the need for technically savvy people growing, some faculty members from Southern Methodist University are bringing engineering to high schools. The program, called the Infinity Project, includes an introductory engineering course that allows high school students to experience the creative side of engineering.
First graders from around the world will keep track of their missing baby teeth as part of an Internet Tooth Tally Project sponsored by Wilburn Year Round Elementary School in Raleigh, North Carolina. The students will also practice their computation, graphing, and map-reading skills as they participate in the project.
As a response to the attacks of September 11th, a consortium called Friendship Through Education has been established to promote communication among students across the globe. As children engage in its online projects, the collaboration fosters sharing, and -- it is hoped -- a greater understanding of people and cultures.
For the Internet project Communities Around the World, kindergarten and first-grade students from four states took pictures in their hometowns, created PowerPoint presentations about their communities, and used e-mail to share those presentations with one another.
Teacher Brenda Dyck shares her experiences using online surveying tools to gather feedback from students and parents. Students share reactions to lessons and classroom practices as well as their feelings about school and themselves. Parents offer input from their perspectives too.
When Webmaster Alex Jarrett bought a global positioning system years ago, he didn't know that it would lead him on an online adventure! He set out on a trek to locate the point where a line of latitude and longitude met (called a confluence) and took pictures that he published on the Internet. This was the foundation of the Degree Confluence Project, an organized sampling of the world that is growing by leaps and bounds. With more than 11,000 confluences to be found, the project isn't about to run out of new goals for its participants. A confluence is within 49 miles of your classroom!
Dr. Bruce Whitehead is the principal of Hellgate Intermediate School and an associate professor at the University of Montana. He designed and implemented a model for classroom technology centers that earned him the National Distinguished Principals Award from the National Association of Elementary School Principals. In this article, Whitehead shares "seven golden nuggets" -- seven tips to help ensure the success of your school's technology implementation plans. This article is reprinted by permission of Bruce Whitehead.
Students across the United States and the world joined fifth-grade students from Connecticut to count the number of metal eyelets on their shoes. The collected data is being compared, graphed, and calculated!
When Barbara Soto discovered a listserv whose members are active, community-minded senior citizens, an idea occurred to her. Why not combine their knowledge and commitment with her students' need for the influence of mature adults? What started as an e-mail correspondence project has blossomed into a win-win outreach program called GeoPals!
Twenty grants to publish the works of educators -- or of their students! Included: Links to e-publishing partners!
Teacher Jennifer Wagner talks about how she got hooked on technology and shares the lessons she's learned -- and the lessons she's created -- with you. Included: Two terrific PowerPoint activities to use in your classroom!
Computers have demoted the second of the three Rs, some educators say. Instead of teaching the loops and swirls of cursive letters, teachers point students to the letter r on the keyboard. Not all educators and handwriting experts agree on whether or why handwriting skills may be declining, however. Some place the blame on teachers or school budgets or book publishers.
Do you need a break from soggy bathing suits and sandy sneakers? Why not spend a little time on the stock market this summer? Join the MainXed Teacher Stock Market Tournament! If you've ever considered using an online stock simulation game in your classroom -- but aren't sure you know enough -- this tournament is designed to teach you the game and the ins and outs of the stock market in a non-threatening environment. You could win big prizes too!
Sherry Turkle, one of the co-chairs of the American Association of University Women's 15-member Commission on Technology, Gender, and Teacher Education, shares her thoughts on issues arising from the commission's recent report. See the Education World story about that report, Educating Girls in the New Computer Age: A Report on Equity in Technology.
Two elementary educators in Newington, Connecticut, found a way to allow their high-achieving students to go beyond the curriculum and make a terrific resource to share with other classes. The project became "Newington: Highlights of History," a PowerPoint presentation and oral tour of the heritage of their town.
With so much of the world's information online, today's librarian has been transformed into a media specialist with a specialty in online
information access -- a cyber-librarian or "cybrarian"! Included: The best resources to aid cybrarians in their quest to make
information accessible to all!
At one Bloomfield, Connecticut, middle school, all the students have laptops, and life is going smoothly, thanks in part due to a large dose
of teacher preparation. Besides requiring special training, life with laptops also comes with special problems.
This week, we asked Education World's Tech Team to share with us the questions they hear most frequently from technology novices. Everybody
---technology neophytes and experienced hackers--- stands to learn something from the Tech Team's responses to such commonly asked
questions as "How do I find time for technology?" "How do I manage student computer use?" "What about Internet safety?" and "What if I
break the computer?"
"Which computer should I buy?" Every tech coordinator and Webmaster hears that question from time to time --- or more often than that! This
week, Education World's "Tech Team" debuts, providing the best advice they can muster for teachers considering that first-time purchase. Even
technical people might find new ideas about how to answer that oft-asked question!
So you want to do a classroom project on-line? Don't even think about hitting that *Send* button until you read this article! Author and
educator Judi Harris has strong opinions about what it takes to create a valuable on-line project --- and this week she shares her thoughts with
Education World. Included: Ten tips for completing telecollaborative projects successfully and a link to a story that includes ten projects
that might get Harris's stamp of approval!
Looking for ways to introduce technology into your classroom without losing valuable teaching time? Look no further! Education World has
found ten terrific on-line projects to incorporate into your curriculum.
An emotional meeting of senior citizens and their fourth-grade e-pals was the culminating event of a project initiated by teacher Jim Flack at
North Elementary School in Lancaster, Ohio. Included: Comments from the kids and senior citizens!
Are you ready to get serious about Office or Hyperstudio? Do you need an overview of the practical aspects of the product? Perhaps you just need
a quick refresher on FileMaker Pro for a database you want to create. You may be ready to learn HTML or employ more visuals on a school Web
page. On-line tutorials allow you to train yourself or your staff --- no fees, no long-term commitment, no messy manuals! Included: Free on-line
tutorials for Adobe Acrobat, Windows 95, Power Point, JAVA, Photoshop, and many, many more!
Want to motivate your students with reviews that are fun and interactive? Don't have the time you need to create such activities?
Lack the technology background to create those activities on-line? Quia to the rescue! With this Web site, teachers can build on-line games and
quizzes with their own content. Included: What can Quia do for you?
Technology is not necessarily reserved for the fully literate --- little kids can benefit from it too! Young students are enjoying activities
that their teachers have gathered from on-line resources. And more and more sites with a munchkin flair are popping up each day. From Barney to
Big Bird --- your young students will find their heroes on the Net, and you will find a few heroic helpers! Included: Sites for early childhood
educators *and* for kids!
Education World takes you on a tour of a handful of great sites that
provide simple forms for creating Web-based classroom pages, activities,
quizzes, and much more. And, best of all, there's no HTML coding
required!
Teacher Hazel Jobe offers Education World readers an introduction to videoconferencing technology. Where can you get the technology? How can you use it in the classroom? Enjoy how-tos and tips from a videoconferencing pro.
Join a class composed of students from different states and countries chatting and learning together yet never leaving their homes! Virtual courses, virtual student lounges, virtual yearbooks, and virtual graduations; is this the education of the future?
At East Rock Magnet School in New Haven, kids' enthusiasm for learning shines in their eyes -- thanks in part to technology!
With an enormous computer presence in schools, the question is no longer whether to teach keyboarding but when to teach it.
Beside every eighth grader's seat at Kent Center School sits a padded backpack. And inside each backpack is a laptop computer -- provided and paid for by the school!
Most educators and observers agree that the future school will go electronic with a capital E!
The letters are in alphabetical order, and the big keys of My First Keyboard are perfect for preschoolers small hands. Also, when should children be taught keyboarding skills and techniques?
Does Technology Scare You? You're not alone. Millions of people have never sat at a computer much less surfed the Internet. But while some people may be able to avoid the use of technology in their daily lives, for educators, it's unavoidable.
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You've reached the end of another grading period, and what could be more daunting than the task of composing insightful, original, and unique comments about every child in your class? The following positive statements will help you tailor your comments to specific children and highlight their strengths.
You can also use our statements to indicate a need for improvement. Turn the words around a bit, and you will transform each into a goal for a child to work toward. Sam cooperates consistently with others becomes Sam needs to cooperate more consistently with others, and Sally uses vivid language in writing may instead read With practice, Sally will learn to use vivid language in her writing. Make Jan seeks new challenges into a request for parental support by changing it to read Please encourage Jan to seek new challenges.
Whether you are tweaking statements from this page or creating original ones, check out our Report Card Thesaurus [see bottom of the page] that contains a list of appropriate adjectives and adverbs. There you will find the right words to keep your comments fresh and accurate.
We have organized our 125 report card comments by category. Read the entire list or click one of the category links below to jump to that list.
AttitudeBehaviorCharacterCommunication SkillsGroup WorkInterests and TalentsParticipationSocial SkillsTime ManagementWork Habits
Attitude
The student:
is an enthusiastic learner who seems to enjoy school.
exhibits a positive outlook and attitude in the classroom.
appears well rested and ready for each day's activities.
shows enthusiasm for classroom activities.
shows initiative and looks for new ways to get involved.
uses instincts to deal with matters independently and in a positive way.
strives to reach their full potential.
is committed to doing their best.
seeks new challenges.
takes responsibility for their learning.
Behavior
The student:
cooperates consistently with the teacher and other students.
transitions easily between classroom activities without distraction.
is courteous and shows good manners in the classroom.
follows classroom rules.
conducts themselves with maturity.
responds appropriately when corrected.
remains focused on the activity at hand.
resists the urge to be distracted by other students.
is kind and helpful to everyone in the classroom.
sets an example of excellence in behavior and cooperation.
Character
The student:
shows respect for teachers and peers.
treats school property and the belongings of others with care and respect.
is honest and trustworthy in dealings with others.
displays good citizenship by assisting other students.
joins in school community projects.
is concerned about the feelings of peers.
faithfully performs classroom tasks.
can be depended on to do what they are asked to do.
seeks responsibilities and follows through.
is thoughtful in interactions with others.
is kind, respectful and helpful when interacting with his/her peers
is respectful of other students in our classroom and the school community
demonstrates responsibility daily by caring for the materials in our classroom carefully and thoughtfully
takes his/her classroom jobs seriously and demonstrates responsibility when completing them
is always honest and can be counted on to recount information when asked
is considerate when interacting with his/her teachers
demonstrates his/her manners on a daily basis and is always respectful
has incredible self-discipline and always gets his/her work done in a timely manner
can be counted on to be one of the first students to begin working on the task that is given
perseveres when faced with difficulty by asking questions and trying his/her best
does not give up when facing a task that is difficult and always does his/her best
is such a caring boy/girl and demonstrates concern for his/her peers
demonstrates his/her caring nature when helping his/her peers when they need the assistance
is a model citizen in our classroom
is demonstrates his/her citizenship in our classroom by helping to keep it clean and taking care of the materials in it
can always be counted on to cooperate with his/her peers
is able to cooperate and work well with any of the other students in the class
is exceptionally organized and takes care of his/her things
is always enthusiastic when completing his/her work
is agreeable and polite when working with others
is thoughtful and kind in his/her interactions with others
is creative when problem solving
is very hardworking and always completes all of his/her work
is patient and kind when working with his/her peers who need extra assistance
trustworthy and can always be counted on to step in and help where needed
Communication Skills
The student:
has a well-developed vocabulary.
chooses words with care.
expresses ideas clearly, both verbally and through writing.
has a vibrant imagination and excels in creative writing.
has found their voice through poetry writing.
uses vivid language in writing.
writes clearly and with purpose.
writes with depth and insight.
can make a logical and persuasive argument.
listens to the comments and ideas of others without interrupting.
Group Work
The student:
offers constructive suggestions to peers to enhance their work.
accepts the recommendations of peers and acts on them when appropriate.
is sensitive to the thoughts and opinions of others in the group.
takes on various roles in the work group as needed or assigned.
welcomes leadership roles in groups.
shows fairness in distributing group tasks.
plans and carries out group activities carefully.
works democratically with peers.
encourages other members of the group.
helps to keep the work group focused and on task.
Interests and Talents
The student:
has a well-developed sense of humor.
holds many varied interests.
has a keen interest that has been shared with the class.
displays and talks about personal items from home when they relate to topics of study.
provides background knowledge about topics of particular interest to them.
has an impressive understanding and depth of knowledge about their interests.
seeks additional information independently about classroom topics that pique interest.
reads extensively for enjoyment.
frequently discusses concepts about which they have read.
is a gifted performer.
is a talented artist.
has a flair for dramatic reading and acting.
enjoys sharing their musical talent with the class.
Participation
The student:
listens attentively to the responses of others.
follows directions.
takes an active role in discussions.
enhances group discussion through insightful comments.
shares personal experiences and opinions with peers.
responds to what has been read or discussed in class and as homework.
asks for clarification when needed.
regularly volunteers to assist in classroom activities.
remains an active learner throughout the school day.
Social Skills
The student:
makes friends quickly in the classroom.
is well-liked by classmates.
handles disagreements with peers appropriately.
treats other students with fairness and understanding.
is a valued member of the class.
has compassion for peers and others.
seems comfortable in new situations.
enjoys conversation with friends during free periods.
chooses to spend free time with friends.
Time Management
The student:
tackles classroom assignments, tasks, and group work in an organized manner.
uses class time wisely.
arrives on time for school (and/or class) every day.
is well-prepared for class each day.
works at an appropriate pace, neither too quickly or slowly.
completes assignments in the time allotted.
paces work on long-term assignments.
sets achievable goals with respect to time.
completes make-up work in a timely fashion.
Work Habits
The student:
is a conscientious, hard-working student.
works independently.
is a self-motivated student.
consistently completes homework assignments.
puts forth their best effort into homework assignments.
exceeds expectations with the quality of their work.
readily grasps new concepts and ideas.
generates neat and careful work.
checks work thoroughly before submitting it.
stays on task with little supervision.
displays self-discipline.
avoids careless errors through attention to detail.
uses free minutes of class time constructively.
creates impressive home projects.
Related: Needs Improvement Report Card Comments for even more comments!
Student Certificates!
Recognize positive attitudes and achievements with personalized student award certificates!
Report Card Thesaurus
Looking for some great adverbs and adjectives to bring to life the comments that you put on report cards? Go beyond the stale and repetitive With this list, your notes will always be creative and unique.
Adjectives
attentive, capable, careful, cheerful, confident, cooperative, courteous, creative, dynamic, eager, energetic, generous, hard-working, helpful, honest, imaginative, independent, industrious, motivated, organized, outgoing, pleasant, polite, resourceful, sincere, unique
Adverbs
always, commonly, consistently, daily, frequently, monthly, never, occasionally, often, rarely, regularly, typically, usually, weekly
Copyright© 2022 Education World
Back to Geography Lesson Plan
Where Did Foods Originate?
(Foods of the New World and Old World)
Subjects
Arts & Humanities
--Language Arts
Educational Technology
Science
--Agriculture
Social Studies
--Economics
--Geography
--History
----U.S. History
----World History
--Regions/Cultures
Grade
K-2
3-5
6-8
9-12
Advanced
Brief Description
Students explore how New World explorers helped change the Old World's diet (and vice versa).
Objectives
Students will
learn about changes that occurred in the New World and Old World as a result of early exploration.
use library and Internet sources to research food origins. (Older students only.)
create a bulletin-board map illustrating the many foods that were shared as a result of exploration.
Keywords
Columbus, explorers, origin, food, timeline, plants, map, New World, Old World, colonies, colonial, crops, media literacy, products, consumer
Materials Needed:
library and/or Internet access (older students only)
outline map of the world (You might print the map on a transparency; then use an overhead projector to project and trace a large outline map of the world onto white paper on a bulletin board.)
magazines (optional)
Lesson Plan
The early explorers to the Americas were exposed to many things they had never seen before. Besides strange people and animals, they were exposed to many foods that were unknown in the Old World. In this lesson, you might post an outline map of the continents on a bulletin board. Have students use library and/or Internet resources (provided below) to research some of the edible items the first explorers saw for the first time in the New World. On the bulletin board, draw an arrow from the New World (the Americas) to the Old World (Europe, Asia, Africa) and post around it drawings or images (from magazines or clip art) of products discovered in the New World and taken back to the Old World.
Soon, the explorers would introduce plants/foods from the Old World to the Americas. You might draw a second arrow on the board -- from the Old World to the New World -- and post appropriate drawings or images around it.
Adapt the Lesson for Younger Students
Younger students will not have the ability to research foods that originated in the New and Old World. You might adapt the lesson by sharing some of the food items in the Food Lists section below. Have students collect or draw pictures of those items for the bulletin board display.
Resources
In addition to library resources, students might use the following Internet sites as they research the geographic origins of some foods:
Curry, Spice, and All Things Nice: Food Origins
The Food Timeline
Native Foods of the Americas
A Harvest Gathered: Food in the New World
We Are What We Eat Timeline (Note: This resource is an archived resource; the original page is no longer live and updated.)
Food Lists Our research uncovered the Old and New World foods below. Students might find many of those and add them to the bulletin board display. Notice that some items appear on both lists -- beans, for example. There are many varieties of beans, some with New World origins and others with their origins in the Old World. In our research, we found sources that indicate onions originated in the New and sources that indicate onions originated in the Old World. Students might create a special question mark symbol to post next to any item for which contradictory sources can be found
Note: The Food Timeline is a resource that documents many Old World products. This resource sets up a number of contradictions. For example:
Many sources note that tomatoes originated in the New World; The Food Timeline indicates that tomatoes were introduced to the New World in 1781.
The Food Timeline indicates that strawberries and raspberries were available in the 1st century in Europe; other sources identify them as New World commodities.
Foods That Originated in the New World: artichokes, avocados, beans (kidney and lima), black walnuts, blueberries, cacao (cocoa/chocolate), cashews, cassava, chestnuts, corn (maize), crab apples, cranberries, gourds, hickory nuts, onions, papayas, peanuts, pecans, peppers (bell peppers, chili peppers), pineapples, plums, potatoes, pumpkins, raspberries, squash, strawberries, sunflowers, sweet potatoes, tobacco, tomatoes, turkey, vanilla, wild cherries, wild rice.
Foods That Originated in the Old World: apples, bananas, beans (some varieties), beets, broccoli, carrots, cattle (beef), cauliflower, celery, cheese, cherries, chickens, chickpeas, cinnamon, coffee, cows, cucumbers, eggplant, garlic, ginger, grapes, honey (honey bees), lemons, lettuce, limes, mangos, oats, okra, olives, onions, oranges, pasta, peaches, pears, peas, pigs, radishes, rice, sheep, spinach, tea, watermelon, wheat, yams.
Extension Activities
Home-school connection. Have students and their parents search their food cupboards at home; ask each student to bring in two food items whose origin can be traced to a specific place (foreign if possible, domestic if not). Labels from those products will be sufficient, especially if the products are in breakable containers. Place those labels/items around a world map; use yarn to connect each label to the location of its origin on the map.
Media literacy. Because students will research many sources, have them list the sources for the information they find about each food item. Have them place an asterisk or checkmark next to the food item each time they find that item in a different source. If students find a food in multiple sources, they might consider it "verified"; those foods they find in only one source might require additional research to verify.
Assessment
Invite students to agree or disagree with the following statement:The early explorers were surprised by many of the foods they saw in the New World.
Have students write a paragraph in support of their opinion.
Lesson Plan Source
Education World
Submitted By
Gary Hopkins
National Standards
LANGUAGE ARTS: EnglishGRADES K - 12NL-ENG.K-12.2 Reading for UnderstandingNL-ENG.K-12.8 Developing Research SkillsNL-ENG.K-12.9 Multicultural UnderstandingNL-ENG.K-12.12 Applying Language Skills
SOCIAL SCIENCES: EconomicsGRADES K - 4NSS-EC.K-4.1 Productive ResourcesNSS-EC.K-4.6 Gain from TradeGRADES 5 - 8NSS-EC.5-8.1 Productive ResourcesNSS-EC.5-8.6 Gain from TradeGRADES 9 - 12NSS-EC.9-12.1 Productive ResourcesNSS-EC.9-12.6 Gain from Trade
SOCIAL SCIENCES: GeographyGRADES K - 12NSS-G.K-12.1 The World in Spatial TermsNSS-G.K-12.2 Places and Regions
SOCIAL SCIENCES: U.S. HistoryGRADES K - 4NSS-USH.K-4.1 Living and Working together in Families and Communities, Now and Long AgoNSS-USH.K-4.3 The History of the United States: Democratic Principles and Values and the People from Many Cultures Who Contributed to Its Cultural, Economic, and Political HeritageNSS-USH.K-4.4 The History of Peoples of Many Cultures Around the WorldGRADES 5 - 12NSS-USH.5-12.1 Era 1: Three Worlds Meet (Beginnings to 1620)NSS-USH.5-12.2 Era 2: Colonization and Settlement (1585-1763)NSS-WH.5-12.6 Global Expansion and Encounter, 1450-1770
TECHNOLOGYGRADES K - 12NT.K-12.1 Basic Operations and ConceptsNT.K-12.5 Technology Research Tools
Find many more great geography lesson ideas and resources in Education World's Geography Center.
Click here to return to this week's World of Learning lesson plan page.
Updated 10/11/12
Having a tough time finding the right words to come up with "areas for improvement" comments on your students' report cards? Check out our helpful suggestions to find just the right one!
The following statements will help you tailor your comments to specific children and highlight their areas for improvement.
Be sure to check out our 125 Report Card Comments for positive comments!
Needs Improvement- all topics
is a hard worker, but has difficulty staying on task.
has a difficult time staying on task and completing his/her work.
needs to be more respectful and courteous to his/her classmates.
needs to listen to directions fully so that he/she can learn to work more independently.
is not demonstrating responsibility and needs to be consistently reminded of how to perform daily classroom tasks.
works well alone, but needs to learn how to work better cooperatively with peers.
does not have a positive attitude about school and the work that needs to be completed.
struggles with completing his/her work in a timely manner.
gives up easily when something is difficult and needs extensive encouragement to attempt the task.
gets along with his/her classmates well, but is very disruptive during full group instruction.
has a difficult time using the materials in the classroom in a respectful and appropriate manner.
has a difficult time concentrating and gets distracted easily.
is having a difficult time with math. Going over _____ at home would help considerably.
is having a very difficult time understanding math concepts for his/her grade level. He/she would benefit from extra assistance.
could benefit from spending time reading with an adult every day.
is enthusiastic, but is not understanding ____. Additional work on these topics would be incredibly helpful.
is having difficulty concentrating during math lessons and is not learning the material that is being taught because of that.
understands math concepts when using manipulatives, but is having a difficult time learning to ____ without them.
is a very enthusiastic reader. He/she needs to continue to work on _____ to make him/her a better reader.
needs to practice reading at home every day to help make him/her a stronger reader.
needs to practice his/her sight words so that he/she knows them on sight and can spell them.
needs to work on his/her spelling. Practicing at home would be very beneficial.
can read words fluently, but has a difficult time with comprehension. Reading with ______ every day would be helpful.
could benefit from working on his/her handwriting. Slowing down and taking more time would help with this.
is having difficulty writing stories. Encouraging him/her to tell stories at home would help with this.
has a difficult time knowing when it is appropriate to share his/her thoughts. We are working on learning when it is a good time to share and when it is a good time to listen.
needs to work on his/her time management skills. _______is able to complete his/her work, but spends too much time on other tasks and rarely completes his/her work.
needs reminders about the daily classroom routine. Talking through the classroom routine at home would be helpful.
is having a difficult time remembering the difference between short and long vowel sounds. Practicing these at home would be very helpful.
is struggling with reading. He/she does not seem to enjoy it and does not want to do it. Choosing books that he/she like and reading them with him/her at home will help build a love of reading.
frequently turns in incomplete homework or does not hand in any homework. Encouraging _______to complete his/her homework would be very helpful.
does not take pride in his/her work. We are working to help him/her feel good about what he/she accomplishes.
does not actively participate in small group activities. Active participation would be beneficial.
has a difficult time remembering to go back and check his/her work. Because of this, there are often spelling and grammar mistakes in his/her work.
does not much effort into his/her writing. As a result, his/her work is often messy and incomplete.
is struggling to understand new concepts in science. Paying closer attention to the class discussions and the readings that we are doing would be beneficial.
is reading significantly below grade level. Intervention is required.
does not write a clear beginning, middle and end when writing a story. We are working to identify the parts of the stories that he/she is writing.
is struggling to use new reading strategies to help him/her read higher level books.
is wonderful at writing creative stories, but needs to work on writing nonfiction and using facts.
has a difficult time understanding how to solve word problems.
needs to slow down and go back and check his/her work to make sure that all answers are correct.
is not completing math work that is on grade level. Intervention is required.
is struggling to understand place value.
is very enthusiastic about math, but struggles to understand basic concepts.
has a difficult time remembering the value of different coins and how to count them. Practicing this at home would be helpful.
would benefit from practicing math facts at home.
is very engaged during whole group math instruction, but struggles to work independently.
is able to correctly answer word problems, but is unable to explain how he/she got the answer.
is having a difficult time comparing numbers.
Related: 125 Report Card Comments for positive comments!
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