The Scout Report -- Volume 22, Number 14

The Center for Middle Eastern Studies at the University of Arizona has assembled an impressive array of lesson plans and educational materials on topics related to the geographies and cultures of the Middle East. Organized in alphabetical order, here educators will find such fascinating guides as "100 Years in Mesopotamia: A Century of Conflict in Iraq, 1914-2014," "Afghanistan Through Youth Literature," and "All Roads Lead to Istanbul: 1550 World's Fair Simulation," among many others. The lesson plans are distinctive for their erudition and their appropriately complex treatment of historical and cultural subjects. Many of them feature PowerPoint presentations, primary sources, or other instructional guides to help lead high school and college students through the lessons. [CNH]

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On this page of the Khan Academy's website, readers will find a trove of physics-related resources. Readers may like to start with the excellent 10-minute video, Introduction to Physics. High school students who are struggling through Advanced Placement (AP) Physics 1 or 2, will find a wealth of information and helpful answers to common questions in the sections designed to support those classes. In addition, readers of all kinds will find fascinating material under such topics as one- and two-dimensional motion, fluids, thermodynamics, and light waves, among many others. Finally, the Top Videos section offers much for the imagination of physics lovers of all ages. [CNH]

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The Portland Symphony Orchestra, which is housed in the burgeoning mini metropolis of Portland, Maine, boasts an excellent website with much to offer schools and educators. While many of the resources are designed for local schools (for instance, Maine educators can invite musicians into their classrooms), much on the site can be accessed and utilized from anywhere. The Lesson Plans, for example, can be downloaded and used by teachers around the country. In this section teachers will find excellent guides to teaching such classics as the Winter movement from Vivaldi's The Four Seasons and the "Danse Bacchanale" from Camille Saint-Saens's grand opera, Samson and Delilah. The site also features interviews with the conductor and musicians, news about the symphony, and a discussion on the future of music education. [CNH]

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The open access quarterly journal, Diversity is dedicated to publishing the best of current science on the world's biodiversity. Recent articles have investigated the diversity of life in Urmia Lake National Park in northwest Iran, the tropical landscapes of Queensland, Australia, and the deserts of the United Arab Emirates. With a mix of editorials, studies of unique ecosystems, and broad ranging investigations of global phenomena, the journal presents a variety of excellent information. For example, readers interested in the effects of climate change might like to read "Assessing Climate Change Induced Turnover in Bird Communities Using Climatically Analogous Regions," an entry in the March 2015 issue. Meanwhile, those with a particular fascination for forests might like to peruse "Land and Forest Degradation inside Protected Areas in Latin America" in the December 2013 issue. [CNH]

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The Scholastic publishing company has been publishing education books and other educational materials for schools, students, and teachers since its inception in 1920. It is no surprise, then, that the company's Teacher magazine has a tremendous lot to offer. Freely available online, readers may browse the site for lesson ideas, inspiring stories, and motivating educational visions. In addition to the magazine, readers will find links to numerous other Resources & Tools from Scholastic, such as lesson plans, videos, tools, Common Core ideas, and more. The Teacher to Teacher blog, which can be located under the Strategies & Ideas tab, offers daily ideas from real world teachers on everything from student-led conferences to writing prompts to playful learning in kindergarten. While occasional ads do pop up on this site, the content tends to be worth the inconvenience. [CNH]

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With 3,855 college options to choose from, many students find the search process for the perfect post-secondary institution daunting. The College Board's Big Future College Search program can help students narrow down to their perfect school with a number of intelligent filters, including Test Scores & Selectivity, Type of School, Location, Campus & Housing, Majors & Learning Environment, Sports & Activities, Academic Credit, Paying, Support Services, and Diversity. Users may modify the search according to their own selection criteria. Along the way, they will learn a great deal about what is available and how it matches with their particular desires and proclivities. [CNH]

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For readers who would like to learn the basics of computer science from some of the most qualified professors in the world, without leaving the comfort of their own living rooms, this freely available online course from the Harvard Extension School may be just the ticket. Topics include algorithms, software development, architecture of computers, computer systems, and computers in the real world. The course is designed to encourage critical thinking and problem solving, and it asks students to engage in extensive programming in C, PHP, and JavaScript. Interested readers may like to begin by watching the Course Trailer before navigating to the archived Lecture Videos. From the Archived Course Page, readers may work their way through the course videos and exercises step by step. [CNH]

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The Teaching Professor Blog, which is hosted by Magna Publications' Faculty Focus website and written by Penn State professor emerita, Maryellen Weimer, an expert in learning-centered approaches, is a must read for college teachers of all kinds. Recent posts have covered such topics as the subtler aspects of active learning, the ways in which clear criteria can improve student participation, and what evidence-based practice means (and what it doesn't mean). The posts are well-written, entertaining, and highly informed missives that will help everyone from community college teachers to state and private university professors better connect with their students, and better convey the important ideas they have to teach. [CNH]

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This guide to essay writing, composed by Cambridge University visiting lecturer Vivien Perutz, is helpful indeed. The 24-page monograph is split into two broad sections: structure and organization, first, and then style and clarity. The first section takes readers through the basics of essay structure and introduces six stages of essay writing, including analyzing the question, planning, using the plan to guide research, refining the plan, drafting, and editing. In addition, Perutz introduces key concepts in the style and clarity section, including academic writing style, descriptive writing, argumentative writing, evaluative writing, citing references, and using personal experience, among others. In all, this is a pithy and helpful guide to essay writing that is perfectly designed for advanced high school students and college students. [CNH]

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For readers who love short films, this website, which features Academy Award winning short films spanning several decades, will present itself as a welcome discovery. Here readers will find films ranging from comic to tragic, from the 2014 Dutch heart warmer, Helium, to the comically bizarre Franz Kafka's It's a Wonderful Life from 1995. In addition, anyone who loves the irreverent, antic comedy of the eccentric Steven Wright will find 26 minutes of delight waiting for them in the 1988 extended comedy sketch that is The Appointments of Dennis Jennings. Here Wright is at the height of his powers as he sees a hilariously unethical and incompetent psychiatrist, played by Rowan Atkinson. With over a dozen Academy Award winning shorts to watch, this site can provide hours of entertainment. [CNH]

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This online exhibition from the American Antiquarian Society (AAS) takes readers deep into the workings of American food production between the years 1850 and 1900. Here readers may scout chromolithographs, trade catalogues, trade cards, and product labels to better understand the rapidly changing world of agricultural practices in the late nineteenth century, as well as the shifting technologies that led to innovations in manufacturing, transport, refrigeration, and other game changers. After reading the erudite introduction on the home page, readers may like to browse through sections dedicated to Farming, Seed Catalogues, Manufacturing, Trade Cards, Shopping, and Food Labels. Each section is packed with excellent overviews paired with original source materials. [CNH]

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These digital collections from the Lehigh University Digital Library cover a wide range of subjects, mostly related to the past and present of America's Rust Belt. For example, Beyond Steel: An Archive of Lehigh Valley Industry and Culture elucidates the industrial boom and bust cycle that took place around Allentown, Pennsylvania in the late 19th through the early 20th centuries. Here readers will find an excellent Introduction, as well as sections on Business & Technology, Society & Culture, and Community Services, among others. Articles by librarians and historians contextualize the primary materials, such as photographs and company documents. Other equally developed collections on the site include Lehigh Valley Geology, Illuminated Manuscripts, The Problem of the Planets, and a number of others. [CNH]

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The Map Room is a weblog about maps, curated and composed by map connoisseur Jonathan Crowe. Readers will find frequently updated posts on everything from the use of maps in fantasy novels to election maps to multilingual maps of India. Entries are short - usually less than 100 words - and packed with links to fascinating and informative sites from around the web. After readers have scrolled down the page and taken in all the latest from Mr. Crowe, they may like to explore the categories of Archives, Fantasy Maps, Publications, and Reviews. Archives date back to 2003 and include hundreds of entries. They can be scouted by month or by subject (Antique Maps, Environment, GPS, Transit, and about two dozen other). There is also an excellent tag function, where readers can find everything from NASA to 3D Printing to refugees. [CNH]

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The Age of Aerospace, which was created in a joint effort between The Discovery Channel and the Boeing Company, presents readers with five forty-minute documentary episodes about the development of flying technology. The first episode ("What Can't We Do?") begins with the escapades of Bill Boeing, Donald Douglas, and other innovators, who created the airplane industry. "Miracle Planes," the second episode in the series, tells the story of how advances in air technology led to the Allied victory in World War II. Next, the third episode chronicles the beginnings of the jet age, while episode four takes readers into the space with the story of Project Apollo. The final episode presents the Boeing 787, "The Dreamliner," which acts as a symbol for the sorts of innovation currently underway in the world of jets. [CNH]

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One end of the National Mall is anchored by the Washington Monument, an immense and beautiful obelisk that has been mostly closed to the public since it was damaged by an earthquake in 2011. The Washington Monument re-opens May 12, 2016, but, in advance of that event, this website created by the Roy Rosenzweig Center for History and New Media at George Mason University with funding provided by the National Endowment from the Humanities, allows for an investigation of the Monument's history, as well as a look at other structures lining the National Mall. The website may be experienced in many different ways. One of these allows visitors to begin with a map of 345 historical events related to the mall and plotted geographically. Another pathway is Explorations - almost an FAQ - with materials organized to answer questions such as, "Has anyone ever lived on the Mall?"; "Was the Mall ever used for farmland?"; and "Were there any alternate designs for the Washington Monument?" Start with the People section to learn about the connections between people and the National Mall, including Marian Anderson, Daniel Burnham, and Thomas Jefferson. There's also a search function, and a quick search on Washington Monument provides a list of 36 information items, including background on the 2011 earthquake and Benjamin Henry Latrobe's never-built 1799 design for the Monument. [DS]

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Story Builder is designed to make writing fun for students. Users can name up to 10 different characters. They may then enter text from each character, building a story. At the end, they may set their story to music and watch it all play out on the screen. To use the Story Builder, simply select "Get Started." Then enter character names in the boxes on the left hand side of the screen. From there, you may enter the text for each character. Next, choose from seven different styles of music. Once you have selected music, the story will begin to play, accompanied by the soundtrack. Students may also give the story a title and get a short link, which can then be shared. The program is best used with elementary and middle school students. [CNH]

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Engaging students and teachers outside of the classroom is one of the most effective - and challenging - practices for increasing learning outcomes. Remind makes the process simple and safe. With the educational app, teachers can send one-way messages to parents and teachers without revealing their own personal contact information and without ever knowing the contact info of families and students. Signing up takes less than a minute. Educators may then add up to 10 different classes for free. From there, students and parents send a text message to a particular number with a message that includes a class code. Once parents have signed up, educators can be in touch with them as much as needed to keep everyone informed and working together. [CNH]

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