It is one of the most beloved film franchises of all time, and now Star Wars has been examined and presented as a means to teach world history. A new book entitled Star Wars and History claims that the epic space story parallels many earthly historical events. Star Wars creator George Lucas has denied any intentional links to actual events, but admits that due to the films' overall narrative of good vs. evil and war and rebellion, it would be impossible to avoid any similarities.
Nonetheless, authors Nancy Reagin and Janice Liedl have created an interesting way to present world history to students via a pop-culture phenomenon that is almost universally loved. CNet sat down with Liedl for an interesting look behind the making of the book. Read the interview here.
Your students may soon be following the competition that begins this February in Sochi,Russia. I especially like the skiing events. Learn about the history of the games, both past and present, which originated in Greece, with my informative webquest. There are 10 questions(each with lots of informative text) as well a number of fun facts. Extension activities are also included(and the key).The webquest can be completed in one class period and is geared for upper elementary and middle school...
1. Smile at every student every day; each one needs your positive encouragement!
Kung Hei Fat Choy!
That's Happy New Year in Chinese. 2014 is the Year of the horse. On the Chinese calendar, called Yuan Tan,this new year is 4712. Chinese New year is not always held on the same day each year. It depends on when the second new moon of the winter solstice occurs.This year, Chinese New Year begins on January 31st. It is the beginning of a 15 day...

2013 brought us a slew of tablets, a few interesting wearables and a host of new OSs, so it's only...
As 2014 approaches, I wanted to reflect on my resolutions for the coming year. As a teacher of gifted, I thought it would be beneficial to share my goals and thoughts for the future as well as have other teachers post their resolutions here.
First, a disclosure: Im not that big on New Years resolutions since most people dont keep them, and I believe in allowing goals to come to mind at any time of year and acting on them when inspired. With that said, I still think the New Year...
I find myself bewildered by the public attention that Patrice Wilson's work garners. Starting with Rebecca Black and moving forward, he's had sensation after sensation on YouTube. He has transformed the music video and pop-song landscape by generating millions of views, based on the fact that the work is intentionally cheesy and lacking in artistic integrity.
Despite his distinct formula and trademark, he attracts the same mega-hyped publicity and video views on YouTube...