FREEBIES

Face Science Head-On
Send students to You Innovate: 21st Century, a new Web site aimed at getting middle school students excited about science, technology, engineering, and math. Sponsored by Scholastic and the National Governors Association, the site features interactive games including the Extreme Museum, science brain-teasers, and Career Sim, a graphic novel that shows students the many options for careers in science and engineering.
Here’s How: Go online to www.youinnovate21.net

Free Whiteboard Lessons
Teachers who use interactive whiteboards consider them their best T.A. For even more classroom lessons, SMART and Scholastic have created co-branded lesson plans specifically designed for the SMART Notebook lesson-building software. New lesson plans will be posted regularly, and there are plenty of other helpful links for both new and experienced whiteboard users. Starting January 17th, check back to see some great ideas and suggestions from SMART for your classroom!
Here’s How: Click on www.scholastic.com/interactivewhiteboards for great lessons and activities.

Are You KPC About Being NIFOC?
If you’re not up on the latest Internet lingo, your students could be texting circles around you. NetLingo is a free Web site that helps teachers and parents translate the cryptic acronyms and symbols kids use, including the “50 Internet Acronyms Parents Need to Know” and the “List of Acronyms and Text Shorthand.”
Here’s How: Become net smart at www.netlingo.com

Fun Tools for Emerging Readers
Reading Is Fundamental (RIF) has launched a free educational Web site to help parents and caregivers develop the language skills of infants, toddlers, and preschoolers. RIF’s Leading to Reading is a fun and interactive online resource featuring stories, games, music, and other engaging activities for adults to experience together with young children.
Here’s How: Visit www.rif.org

Teaching Tolerance History
The Anti-Bias Classroom (ABCs) offers activities and resources about the winding road toward, and away from, integrated schooling in the U.S. Revisiting historical milestones in tolerance, the ABCs of School Integration provides an overview of the past, present, and future state of equality in the classroom.
For More Information: For activities and resources, see www.tolerance.org

Getting Kids Into the Game of Giving
It’s a league in which anyone can play; there is no bench, and everyone wins. It’s called The LEAGUE and to play in it, schools sign up to plan service learning events, track points, reward team members, and more. Teams score points for each item they deliver to community agencies, and the points are converted into dollar values, demonstrating the economic impact kids can have on their communities and the power of teamwork. There’s also access to over 1,200 lesson plans on giving, service, and civic engagement.
Here’s How: Get kids involved at www.theleague.org

ePals Axes Subscription Fees
Encourage kids and fellow educators to utilize technology in the classroom. The ePals Internet learning community is now offering its e-mailing, blogging, and literacy products free to classrooms.
Here’s How: Check it out at www.epalscorp.com

Free Tips on Water Conservation
The Explorations Into Water Teaching Curriculum provides hands-on outdoor activities and classroom demonstrations that help upper elementary students better understand scientific concepts. The curriculum integrates science with art and teaches data gathering, observation and inference, and analysis of physical matter.
Here’s How: Start your exploration at www.rainbird.com/iuow/community/curriculum.htm

COOL CONTESTS

Get Crafty...With Recycling!
Turn items destined for the trash into teaching treasure by entering this year's Get Crafty Contest, sponsored by Elmer's Products, Inc. From egg cartons to cardboard, soda cans to plastic bags, show us how you combine recycled items with artistic inspiration to teach valuable skills in the classroom.

To Enter: Send a clear, high-quality photo of your craft (or the actual craft) to Get Crafty Contest, P.O. Box 713, Instructor Magazine, NY, NY 10013. Include a description of 100 words or less explaining how your craft helps to teach and why it deserves to win.

Deadline: May 31, 2008

Learn About Ben Franklin
Sign up for author Carmella Van Vleet’s Franklin-centric classroom project, “Where have you been, Ben?,” for a chance to win one of five copies of her book Amazing Ben Franklin Inventions You Can Build Yourself.
Deadline: February 1, 2008
For More Information: Visit www.carmellavanvleet.com and click on the “Where have you been, Ben?” link. Hit the contact button and mention “Instructor Contest” in your message. Winners will be chosen at random.

Think Green and Win Prizes
Invite students to create a science fair project focused on the environment and living green, then include an explanation of why their project will get girls interested in math and science. One grand prize winner and ten finalists will have their living green environmental project published and win neat Beacon Street Girls prizes!
Deadline: April 15, 2008
For More Information: Visit www.sallyridescience.com/for_girls/contest/save_the_planet

Climate Change Challenge
Have a winning lesson on global warming? Send it to the Climate Change Lesson Plan Contest for a chance to win cash prizes and Scholastic Book Club Bonus Points! Your lesson plan can adress climate change directly or use it as a central theme in teaching standard skills in your subject area. For example, math teachers could teach about fractions using temperature fluctuation data.
Deadline: Contest runs January 21–April 30, 2008.
For More Information: Send up to five lessons to www.teacherspayteachers.com/contest

Become the Magic Tree House Educator of the Year
Do you use Mary Pope Osborne’s time-traveling Magic Tree House books in your classrooom? Write a paragraph describing how you use the series and you could win a trip to the 2008 IRA
conference in Atlanta, lunch with Mary Pope Osborne, and $500 in Random House children’s books.
Deadline: January 14, 2008
For More Information: Visit www.randomhouse.com/teachers/magicth

GREAT GRANTS

Stay Safe on the Road and Beyond
The Allstate Foundation makes grants to nonprofit organizations, including public K–12 schools, for projects that promote safe communities. Applicants should present initiatives that guard against gangs, teach tolerance, and engage students in financial literacy. Grants range from $5,000 to $25,000.
Deadline: Ongoing
Contact: www.allstate.com/foundation

Make a Technology Wish List
Hankering for a digital camera or an interactive whiteboard? Every teacher has the power to earn funding at www
.digitalwish.com. Like a wedding registry, teachers make their technology wishes public and tell their story, so that anyone can make a donation to their classroom’s cart. Registered teachers will automatically qualify for 43 new technology grants from Olympus and Tool Factory, including a Mobile Digital Camera Lab. Grants are then awarded to the teachers with the best all-around class profile and lesson plans.
Deadline: Ongoing
Here’s How: Share your photo essay at www.digitalwish.com.

Go From Cupcakes to Carrot Sticks
The U.S. Potato Board has teamed up with the Child Nutrition Foundation of the School Nutrition Association to launch its first-ever School Wellness Grant Program. Ten grants of $2,500 each will be awarded to public elementary schools in the United States for equipment and/or educational programs that help move children toward healthier diets and improve their overall fitness and wellness.
Deadline: April 15, 2008
Here's How: www.healthypotato.com

Stock Your Library Shelves
Low-income schools may be eligible to receive free publisher-donated, brand-new books through the First Book National Book Bank program.
Deadline: Rolling
Here’s How: Read up at http://register.firstbook.org/#book_bank