General Resources
Education Resource Organizations Directory (EROD)
This site is maintained by the U.S. Department of Education to aid students, educators, and parents in locating state, regional, and national organizations that provide information and assistance on education-related topics. Be sure to check out the "What's in This Directory for Me?" link for more information on how to use the Directory.
National Center for Educational Statistics (NCES)--Annual Reports
Compiled by the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), this site provides access to online versions of five popular NCES publications that give a comprehensive overview of the state of education in the US and comparisons to other countries.
The Gateway to Educational Materials (GEM)
This site, sponsored by the U.S. Department of Education, provides links to thousands of educational resources on a variety of web sites, including free sites as well as a small proportion of commercial sites. GEM also includes links to lesson plans, activities, and projects. The site is searchable by two indexes (by keyword or by topic) as well as by a search engine.
International Reading Association
Maintained by this professional membership organization, this web page links to a number of various sites on literacy, including archived articles of the organization's publication, Reading Today, internet sites for teacher/parent resources, lesson plans, information about standards, Web resources for teachers, and more.
MarcoPolo see Thinkfinity
Math and Reading Help
This site, in collaboration with the American Library Association, provides articles and resources on a variety of topics geared toward helping improve reading and math skills of kids of all ages.
Teacher Rules, Roles, and Rights
Sponsored by the National Council on Teacher Quality, this research portal provides information on collective bargaining agreements, personnel policies, salary schedules, and school calendars from 50 of the nation's largest schools districts. This site gives users the opportunity to compare and contrast over 300 distinct provisions in agreements on a full range of topics, including benefits, class sizes, salary differential and pay, evaluation, professional development, leave, and more. A report generator can provide customized reports comparing and contrasting school districts on different measures, or full text of recent agreements and handbooks.
Thinkfinity (formerly MarcoPolo) Verizon Foundation
Provides no-cost, online standards-based Internet content for the K-12 teacher and classroom, including links to top sites in many disciplines, lesson plans, activities, and search engines.
U.S. Department of Education
Provides the full text of current events about education. Also lists the most popular U.S. Department of Education documents and how to obtain them.
Yahoo - Education:K-12:Indices
Thousands of educational sites are organized by this popular Internet directory.
North Carolina Resources
Common Core State Standards--Adopted by NC
Common Core State Standards, K-12 Math & English Language Arts
On June 2, 2010, North Carolina adopted the Common Core State Standards in K-12 Mathematics and K-12 English Language Arts released by the National Governors Association Center for Best Practices and the Council of Chief State School Officers. The Common Core replaces the former NC Standard Course of Study.
Textbook Adoption Service: Public Schools of NC
Textbook Adoption Services
The material on this site provides information about the statewide textbook adoption process in North Carolina. The Textbook Commission has a membership of twenty-three members: teachers, principals, parents, and a local superintendent. The Governor appoints members to serve four-year terms. Textbooks are evaluated using criteria that is based on the North Carolina Standard Course of Study. Adopted textbooks are placed on contract for five years. For more information about specific textbooks adopted, see the North Carolina State Adopted Textbooks.
North Carolina State Adopted Textbooks
North Carolina State Adopted Textbooks
For lists of textbooks adopted for public school use by the North Carolina State Board of Education/Department of Public Instruction, click on the appropriate subject and grade level. (Note: Adobe Acrobat software is required to view the lists of adopted books.)
- In these lists (as well as in the Barton College Library Catalog for these items), the first digit in the number in the Book Code column reflects the intended grade level (for example, 1-51-072 is a math textbook for the first grade, as denoted by the first digit, number 1). For more information on the numbering system for North Carolina Textbooks, see our North Carolina Textbook Codespage.
- To view textbooks in our Textbooks collection in the Curriculum Lab, see our list of textbook holdings from our catalog (however, not all of the textbooks in our catalog are adopted by the State of North Carolina). Please note that because the list is in alphabetical order, Kindergarten level textbooks are found at the end of the list following the holdings for various grades (e.g., Textbooks Grade 1...through Textbooks Grades 9 12...followed by Textbooks Kindergarten.)
Other NC Resources
Education Law in North Carolina (ELNC)
Summarizes laws applicable to public education in North Carolina; provides hyperlinks to North Carolina statutes, North Carolina caselaw, federal statutes and regulations, and State Board of Education policies, etc.
LEARN North Carolina
A statewide network of educators dedicated to improving K-12 education in North Carolina, using the Internet to promote collaboration within the education community. Contains lesson plans, Internet links, professional development opportunities, forums, etc.
NC WiseOwl
Sponsored by the Instructional Technology Division of the NC Department of Public Instruction, this site primarily provides access to a variety of reference and article resources geared to the K-12 public school community in North Carolina. While those resources are password protected within NC WiseOwl, most of them are available via NCLIVE to the Barton community (see our Other Online Resources by Title page for access to specific resources, which are listed alphabetically by resource title). There are a few additional resources such as selected web sites that are freely accessible without a password through NC WiseOwl.
Public Schools of North Carolina (NC Department of Public Instruction / NC State Board of Education)
Contains the NC Standard Course of Study, as well as teaching materials, resources, and information on employment and licensure in North Carolina.
Children's Literature
Caldecott Medal Books in Hackney Library's Collection
A catalog listing of holdings of Caldecott Medal books in Hackney Library's Curriculum Lab juvenile collection. For more information on availability status and other information, click on the title link to see a particular Caldecott record. (The Caldecott Medal was named in honor of nineteenth-century English illustrator Randolph Caldecott. It is awarded annually by the Association for Library Service to Children, a division of the American Library Association, to the artist of the most distinguished American picture book for children.)
Newbery Medal Books in Hackney Library's Collection
A catalog listing of holdings of Newbery Medal books in Hackney Library's Curriculum Lab juvenile collection. For more information on availability status and other information, click on the title link to see a particular Newbery record. (The Newbery Medal was named for eighteenth-century British bookseller John Newbery. It is awarded annually by the Association for Library Service to Children, a division of the American Library Association, to the author of the most distinguished contribution to American literature for children.)
Newbery Honor Books in Hackney Library's Collection
A catalog listing of holdings of Newbery Honor books in Hackney Library's Curriculum Lab juvenile collection. For more information on availability status and other information, click on the title link to see a particular Newbery Honor book record.
Pura Belpré Award Books in Hackney Library's Collection
A catalog listing of holdings of Pura Belpré Award books in Hackney Library's Curriculum Lab juvenile and young adult collections. For more information on availability status and other information, click on the title link to see a particular Belpré Award book record. (Established in 1996, the award is presented to a Latino/Latina writer and illustrator whose work best portrays, affirms, and celebrates the Latino cultural experience in an outstanding work of literature for children and youth. It is co-sponsored by the Association for Library Service to Children (ALSC), a division of the American Library Association (ALA), and the National Association to Promote Library and Information Services to Latinos and the Spanish-Speaking (REFORMA), an ALA affiliate. It has been given every other year since 1996. Beginning with the 2009 award, it will be given annually. The award is named after Pura Belpré, the first Latina librarian at the New York Public Library. As a children's librarian, storyteller, and author, she enriched the lives of Puerto Rican children in the U.S.A. through her pioneering work of preserving and disseminating Puerto Rican folklore.)
Pura Belpré Honor Books in Hackney Library's Collection
A catalog listing of holdings of selected Pura Belpré Honor books in Hackney Library's Curriculum Lab juvenile and young adult collections. For more information on availability status and other information, click on the title link to see a particular Belpré Honor book record.
Coretta Scott King Award Books in Hackney Library's Collection
A catalog listing of holdings of Coretta Scott King Award books in Hackney Library's Curriculum Lab juvenile and other collections. For more information on the availability status and other information, click on the title link to see a particular Coretta Scott King Award book record. (The Coretta Scott King Book Awards are presented annually by the Coretta Scott King Task Force of the Ethnic Multicultural Information Exchange Round Table of the American Library Association (ALA). The Awards were established in the late 1960s, and 2009 is the 40th anniversary of their beginning. The award (or awards) is given to an African American author and an African American illustrator for an outstandingly inspirational and educational contribution. The books promote understanding and appreciation of the culture of all peoples and their contribution to the realization of the American dream. The Award is further designed to commemorate the life and works of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and to honor Mrs. Coretta Scott King for her courage and determination to continue the work for peace and world brotherhood.)
Coretta Scott King Honor Books in Hackney Library's Collection
A catalog listing of holdings of selected Coretta Scott King Honor books in Hackney Library's Curriculum Lab juvenile collection. For more information on the availability status and other information, click on the title link to see a particular Coretta Scott King Honor book record.
Children's Literature Web Guide
Resources for the promotion of children's literature. Includes awards, recommended lists, lesson plans, and book reviews.
Storyplace: The Children's Digital Library
This site was created by the Public Library of Charlotte/Mecklenburg County. It offers online stories and activities for preschoolers and elementary age children. It requires the free Macromedia Flash 4.0 plugin.
Association for Library Service to Children (ALSC)
Affiliated with the American Library Association. Provides evaluation and selection of book and non-book materials and techniques for improving library services to children from preschool through eighth grade.
Children's Search Engines/Directories/Portals
Start Squad
Start Squad is a portal for children, parents, librarians, and teachers seeking age-appropriate Web sites selected and organized by professionally trained librarians. Made possible by a partnership of the State Library of North Carolina and the North Carolina Library Association (NCLA), this project is supported with federal Library Services and Technology Act (LSTA) funds administered by the State Library of North Carolina, a division of the Department of Cultural Resources.
Ask for Kids
Ask for Kids (formerly Ask Jeeves for Kids) is designed to be a fun destination site focused on learning and "edutainment," for kids that uses natural-language technology to allow them to ask questions, such as "Why is the sky blue?" or "What's it like to live in space?". The service combines human editorial judgment with filtering technology to enable kids to find both relevant and appropriate answers on the Web.
Yahooligans: The Web Guide for Kids
Yahooligans! is a browsable, searchable directory of Internet sites for kids. Each site has been carefully checked by an experienced educator to ensure the content and links are appropriate for kids aged 7-12. In addition to the directory, it also has features like Games, Sports and News pages, Movies, a Reference section, Parents' and Teachers' Guides, and more.
ALA/ALSC Great Web Sites for Kids
Hundreds of good web sites for kids are categorized in this directory by subject area (animals, literature and languages, the arts, etc.) and they are also searchable by key word. Web sites are further characterized by audience-appropriateness (pre-K, elementary, middle school, and parents/teachers/caregivers). It is maintained by the Association for Library Service to Children, a division of the American Library Association.
Kids Search EBSCOhost
Deaf Education
Class Act: Promoting Access for Deaf and Hard-of-Hearing Students
This site's goal is to improve existing teaching practice by enhancing access to instruction for deaf and hard-of-hearing students mainstreamed in postsecondary classrooms. Sections featured include challenges--and strategies for dealing with them--facing faculty members working in inclusion classrooms, a discussion board for teachers, links to videotapes with comments of students facing access issues, and links to videotapes of faculty discussing their experiences teaching in mainstreamed classes. The site is sponsored by Rochester Institute of Technology's National Technical Institute for the Deaf.
Deaf Library
This extensive site offers links to schools, ADA information, organizations, bibliographies, resources for deaf children and their parents, assistive technology, and more.
National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders (NIDCD)
Part of the National Institutes of Health, this government body conducts and supports research in the areas of normal and disordered processes, including hearing. The site has links to health information, research, clinical trials, and other links relating to deafness and loss of hearing.
English
Web English Teacher
Geared primarily to middle and high school levels, this award-winning site created by English teacher Carla Beard provides access to a variety of English/Language Arts online teaching resources. Other resources available include drama, ESL/TESOL, grammar, poetry, folklore, mythology, speech, debate, journalism, Shakespeare, and critical thinking, among others.
ESL and Bilingual Education
Carolina TESOL
Professional association of North and South Carolina ESL educators.
Center for Applied Linguistics
Another useful ESL site. It includes the National Standards for Pre-K-12 limited English proficient students.
ESLgold: English Study and Learning Materials
This site provides over a thousand pages of free information and resources for both teachers and students. All materials are organized by skill and level for quick and easy access, including English language practice in speaking, listening, reading, writing, grammar, and vocabulary. Also available are lesson plans, handouts, vocabulary quizzes, grammar and pronunciation exercises, games, and activities. In addition to its own content, the site links to other respected language learning web sites.
Learn English
This web site is designed to help English as a Second Language students learn English.
National Clearinghouse for English Language Acquisition (NCELA)
Formerly the National Clearinghouse for Bilingual Education (NCBE), this is a useful site for ESL and foreign language teachers. The section titled "Online Library" contains many useful full-text documents on second language teaching.
Online Directory of ESL Resources
Although this site's page-design leaves something to be desired, it provides links to a wealth of resources, searchable by keywords or by scrolling down and selecting from categories such as lesson plans, online activities, sites for ESL students, etc.
TESOL
Homepage for the TESOL (Teachers of English to Speakers of Other Languages) organization. It includes their catalog of publications and selected articles from TESOL journals.
History
Learning Disabilities
LD Online
LD OnLine, a national educational service of public television station WETA in Washington, D.C, is the leading information service in the field of learning disabilities, serving more than 200,000 parents, teachers, and other professionals each month. Launched in 1996, it features thousands of helpful articles on learning disabilities and ADHD, monthly columns by noted experts in the field, a free and confidential question and answer service, active bulletin boards, and a Yellow Pages referral directory of professionals, schools, and products. LD OnLine is often the first destination for parents and educators seeking information on how to help children and adults with learning disabilities.
Literature
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Poet's Corner Gale Cengage Learning
Gale Cengage Learning has assembled a free collection of activities and information to complement classroom topics relating to poetry. Links to poetry activities, biographies of poets, other web pages relating to poetry, the text and intepretation of selected poems, a quiz about poets and poetry, and a poetry timeline are all found in the sidebar under "Poet's Corner" on the lower left of the page.
Mathematics
E-Standards: Principles and Standards for School Mathematics
Provides online access to the Principles and Standards for School Mathematics, a resource guide for all who make decisions affecting mathematics education of students in preK through 12th grade. Sponsored by the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics.
Illuminations
Also sponsored by the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics, assists teachers by providing standards-based lesson plans, video vignettes of mathematics teaching and learning, and categorized and reviewed mathematics web resources.
Praxis
LearningExpress Library LearningExpress
LearningExpress Library provides interactive online learning practice tests and tutorial course series designed to provide practice for academic or licensing tests, including the PRAXIS 1 and graduate exams such as the GRE, GMAT, LSAT, MCAT, and more. Users receive immediate scoring, complete answer explanations, and an individualized analysis of results. Scroll down to find the link by category to the practice test you want to take. Please Note: You must create your own username and password in order to access this resource; this allows you to access your individual test data and return to complete unfinished tests for up to 30 days in the "My Account" section.
Study Guide Zone: Praxis Exam Review
This free site gives an overview of what to expect on the PRAXIS test, as well as links to sample questions and answers for the PRAXIS tests on writing, reading, and math. Although one link for PRAXIS Practice Questions takes you to a commercial site for a fee-based prep course, the other links provide free information and sample questions and answers.
Resources for Teachers
Library of Congress Teachers Page
Lesson plans and online activities using resources at the Library of Congress including activities involving the American Memory Project.
NCLOR (North Carolina Learning Object Repository)
The North Carolina Learning Object Repository (NCLOR) collects documents, audio/video clips, simulations, learning modules, assessments, NCLIVE PBS streaming videos, and more--virtually any type of learning resource that can be digitized and processed. K-20 teachers from around the state can sign up for an NCLOR username/password and then search the LOR, find materials appropriate to the classes they are teaching, use them as is or modify them to suit their needs, plus contribute new material for use by all. These materials can also be embedded within Learning Management Systems (such as Blackboard, Moodle, etc.), so that students may also have access without the need for passwords.
The North Carolina Learning Object Repository (NLCOR) is a collaborative effort between the Community Colleges, UNC system, DPI, NC Virtual Public School, and Independent Colleges and Universities. When you enter the site, choose which type of educator you are (K-12, NC University [state or independent colleges and universities], etc.).
NCLIVE Education and Teacher Resources
Maintained by NCLIVE, this page includes access to NCLIVE indexes for finding articles suitable for use by children and youth, and by educators on education topics, as well as links to non-NCLIVE web sites pertinent to North Carolina teachers, such as the NC Standard Course of Study (North Carolina Curriculum), NC Teacher Academy, etc.
Newbies: Ideas and Help for New Teachers, Those Teaching Something New, and Their Mentorsformerly New Teacher Resources)
This page on the Teachersfirst.com site provides links to a variety of resources for student- and first-year, and substitute teachers.
Science
North Carolina NASA Educator Resource Center
The center is a joint effort of UNC-Charlotte's J. Murrey Atkins Library, its Center for Mathematics, Science, and Technology Education, and NASA's Langley Research Center in Hampton, VA. Housed at UNC-Charlotte's J. Murrey Atkins Library, the center provides inservice and preservice workshops in addition to serving as a preview and distribution center for NASA materials suitable for classroom use. These materials can provide a springboard for classroom discussions in life science, physical science, astronomy, earth science, environmental, mathematics, and career education. Materials are evaluated and assigned a grade level by a task force composed of educators representing the kindergarten through post-secondary levels.
Physics and Astronomy Reference
A portion of the physlink.com site, the Physics and Astronomy Reference section is especially helpful to middle school and older students and educators, as well as fans of the physical sciences. A variety of information is listed, including physical constants, astronomy data, unite conversions, an interactive periodic table, all of which are hyperlinked to provide additional information. The site also offers links to additional resources, some of which are specifically for educators.
The Whyfiles: Science Behind the News
Published by the National Institute for Science Education, the theme of this site is "science behind the news," as the subtitle suggests. Readable articles for junior high and high school students on current topics in science.
Software
Educational Software Directory.net
This annotated directory of educational software and technology resources also provides sometimes hard-to-find reviews of educational software, and more.
Lesson Plans and Activities on the Internet
Best of History Web Sites
This online directory to more than 700 of the best history-related web sites includes links to pages organized in categories such as Prehistory, US History, Early Modern Europe, WWII, Art History, Maps, Ancient/Biblical History. Links include historical societies, search engines, online exhibits, multimedia sources, and publisher sites. Links to "Lesson Plans/Activities" and "Teaching with Technology" are also provided.
The Gateway to Educational Materials (GEM)
This site, sponsored by the U.S. Department of Education, provides links to thousands of educational resources on a variety of web sites, including free sites as well as a small proportion of commercial sites. GEM also includes links to lesson plans, activities, and projects. The site is searchable by two indexes (by keyword or by topic) as well as by a search engine.
Internet Projects Registry
Sponsored by Global SchoolNet Foundation, a nonprofit educational organization, this site is a clearinghouse for collaborative online learning projects from across the globe. The huge site is searchable by student age level, project date, curriculum area, technologies used, and project level.
Lesson Plans Library
A subsection of the DiscoverySchool.com site, this page provides access to lesson plans and support materials, including some that feature printable worksheets, as well as resources that help teachers integrate online instruction with classroom instruction.
New York Times on the Web Learning Network
To access web-based lesson plans tied in to New York Times articles, click on the "Lesson Plans" link on the right-hand sidebar. The site also provides links to subject-specific collections of educational Web sites helpful to teachers in tying activities to current news topics.
Breaking News English.com
This EFL/ESL lesson plan site features ready-to-use lesson plans for use with EFL/ESL students. Each lesson plan (with both "easier" and "harder" versions) has a current affairs focus, contains a news article, listening (MP3 file), communication activities, pair work, discussion, reading and vocabulary exercises. Classroom handouts are reproducible in Word and PDF.
