The Best of MarcoPolo II
It's back-to-school time! MarcoPolo is rolling out the red carpet for teachers and students who are stepping into the classroom for the first time, as well as those who are returning for another year of fun and learning. To kick off the school year, the MarcoPolo Content Partners have selected some of their favorite lessons to feature in this month's MarcoGram. Find out what MarcoPolo has in store for you this school year by reading the following tips and suggestions, then scroll down for a list of our favorite lessons and links to Partner-reviewed Web sites for further exploration.

The MarcoGram is created in HTML. If you are unable to properly view the animation, images or hyperlinks, please view the online version at http://www.marcopolo-education.org/MarcoGrams/Sep2003.html.

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© Microsoft Design Gallery Live		1. MarcoPolo's Content Partners have produced seven discipline-specific, standards-based Web sites geared toward K-12 teachers and students. Most lessons developed by the Partners not only correlate to state and national education standards for their discipline, but also provide cross-curricular connections with several other subjects as well. To promote cross-curricular use, MarcoPolo Partner lessons often refer to lessons and resources created by other MarcoPolo Partners. Teachers who use the MarcoPolo Search Engine to search on a specific topic often will find Partner lessons that satisfy state and national standards across several disciplines. Discover ways to combine mathematics and art, or geography and history, in: "Making Mobiles" (6-7) from ARTSEDGE, The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts
		"On the Road With Marco Polo" (3-5) from EDSITEment, National Endowment for the Humanities
© MCI Foundation		2. There are many benefits to using a student-centered, hands-on laboratory setting to present topics in a new light. Students generally gain a deeper understanding by doing rather than watching. Additional benefits include learning how to work in a group, employing deductive reasoning skills and having a greater sense of ownership and accomplishment. Many of the lesson plans developed by the MarcoPolo Partners include hands-on classroom activities. Teachers can use MarcoPolo resources to combine Internet-based research with in-class group work to ensure a greater rate of comprehension, especially in a classroom with different learning styles or multiple intelligences. Use hands-on experiments to increase comprehension in: "Lighting Up the Sea" (3-5) from Xpeditions, National Geographic Society
		"Plasmolysis in Elodea Plant Cells" (9-12) from Science NetLinks, American Association for the Advancement of Science
		3. Combining interactive technology with classroom discussion can be an effective way to help students with varying skill levels learn and synthesize new ideas. With the introduction of computers in the classroom, students have ready access to interactive computer programs that can help them better understand challenging concepts. The MarcoPolo Partners often include some type of interactive computer-based activity in their lesson plans. These programs can help students gain confidence in their ability to understand new concepts -- such as the pros and cons of the bartering system, how drawings supplement the written word, or the geometric properties of lines or shapes. Use the interactive applets in these lessons to engage students' interest: "A Pet for Beans From Jack and the Beanstalk" (K-5) from EconEdLink, National Council on Economic Education
		"Comics in the Classroom as an Introduction to Genre Study" (3-5) from ReadWriteThink, International Reading Association and the National Council of Teachers of English
		"Equivalence" (K-12) from Illuminations, The National Council of Teachers of Mathematics
		"Interactive Geometry Dictionary -- Lines" (K-12) from Illuminations, The National Council of Teachers of Mathematics
		4. E-mail and the Internet provide the means for instant communications -- sometimes even quicker than reaching someone on the telephone! The Internet is home to thousands of online communities that bring together people with similar interests from all over the world. Many of the MarcoPolo Partner lessons encourage students and teachers to build a community of users beyond the classroom walls. Students and teachers can collect different perspectives about their surroundings by using the Internet to exchange information with classrooms in another city or country. Connect to an online community in: "E-Pals Around the World" (6-8) from ReadWriteThink, International Reading Association and the National Council of Teachers of English
		"What's the Problem With Digital TV?" (6-12) from EconEdLink, National Council on Economic Education

Partner-Reviewed Web Sites Use these Partner-reviewed and approved resources to increase comprehension about this month's topic. All Web Sites Reviewed by EDSITEment http://www.marcopolo-education.org/mg/website55.aspx Blue-Ribbon Links Reviewed by Xpeditions http://www.marcopolo-education.org/mg/website56.aspx Curriculum WebLinks Reviewed by ARTSEDGE http://www.marcopolo-education.org/mg/website57.aspx Resource Index Reviewed by Science NetLinks http://www.marcopolo-education.org/mg/website58.aspx Selected Web Resources Reviewed by Illuminations http://www.marcopolo-education.org/mg/website59.aspx Web Resources Gallery Reviewed by ReadWriteThink http://www.marcopolo-education.org/mg/website61.aspx WebLinks Reviewed by EconEdLink http://www.marcopolo-education.org/mg/website60.aspx Search for more lessons and resources MarcoPolo Resources Use this resource from the MarcoPolo Partnership to improve teaching and learning skills.   Plenty of Web sites include links to other sites and resources, but Science NetLinks takes this Internet standard to a whole new level. "Tools" is a new collection of online interactive activities developed and/or reviewed by Science NetLinks. The lengthy list of resources is indexed in a cross-referenced matrix that can be sorted by grade level or science literacy benchmark. Clicking on any tool title takes you to a detailed description of that resource, tips on how to use it in class and links to related Science NetLinks lessons.     Science NetLinks Tools http://www.marcopolo-education.org/mg/resource10.aspx This is your newsletter. What topics or resources would you like to see highlighted in a future MarcoGram? How do you use the MarcoGram in your classroom? Let us know! Contact the MarcoPolo Staff.		Catch up with the MarcoGram August 2003: Building From the Ground Up July 2003: Dust Bowl Days to Victory Days: 1930s to 1945 June 2003: Breaking the Language Barrier Read more back issues Find more MarcoPolo lessons Explore the current list of new Partner lessons by visiting the Teacher Resources section of the MarcoPolo Web site. Find New Partner Lessons Use the MarcoPolo Search Engine to search for lessons by topic, keyword, grade level or Partner. Search MarcoPolo Get trained to use MarcoPolo The MarcoPolo Program has provided professional development to more than 185,000 educators to date. Find out how to bring MarcoPolo training to your school or district by visiting the Professional Development section of the MarcoPolo Web site. Sign up for MarcoPolo Professional Development The MarcoGram is produced by MarcoPolo: Internet Content for the Classroom SUBSCRIBE If you would like to receive the monthly MarcoGram by e-mail, go to http://www.mped.org/mg/subscribe.aspx to subscribe. UNSUBSCRIBE Please go to http://www.mped.org/mg/unsubscribe.aspx if you no longer want to receive the MarcoGram. SHARE THE WEALTH The MarcoPolo Partnership grants permission to reprint and distribute this MarcoGram for use in a training session or classroom, or on Web sites devoted to the field of education or professional development. All Web addresses and links must be maintained in their original form as used in the published MarcoGram.
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