(NOTE: Instead of creating a new post for each Super Bowl, I’m just updating and revising this original post every year)

Friday is one of the days my Intermediate English class spends a period in the computer lab, and I thought it would be a good opportunity for them to spend a few minutes learning about the Super Bowl (which is being played on Sunday).

Here are my picks for The Best Sites Where ELL’s Can Learn About The Super Bowl:

The great site ELLO (which is on The Best Listening Sites For English Language Learners list) has a number of Super Bowl-related online activities on their page called Super Bowl Sunday.

ESL Pod also has a short report on Super Bowl Sunday, though it doesn’t have audio.

The New York Times has a neat feature that talks about the ads played during the game. You can see some of the most famous ones at the site.

Super Bowl Entertainment is a slideshow from TIME Magazine about the history of half-time shows during the Super Bowl.

Brainpop has an excellent introduction to American Football. However, you have to have a subscription or sign-up for a free trial in order to view it.

CNBC has a slideshow on the economic effects of the Super Bowl.

MSNBC has a slideshow on Fans Enjoying The Super Bowl.

MSNBC also has a slideshow on the Super Bowl Rings that players in the game receive.

MSNBC shows some of the most famous Super Bowl commercials from past games.

Also from The Wall Street Journal, a Super Bowl Ad Poll. Watch the ads from today’s game and vote for which ones you think were the best.

MSNBC shares the Ten Worst Super Bowl Ads.

Here’s a slideshow of fans enjoying various Super Bowls over the years.

Here’s a website full of lesson plans — Using Super Bowl Ads In The Classroom.

5 Ways to Teach the Super Bowl are some excellent lesson ideas from The New York Times.

etrade’s “Talking Baby” commercials during the Super Bowl are famous annual events. Now you and your students can create their own talking babies by either using the text-to-speech feature or recording their own voices. Their creations can be posted on a student/teacher website.

Super Bowl Stadiums is a slideshow from TIME Magazine about…all the stadiums that have hosted Super Bowls.

The Making Of The Super Bowl Footballs is a slideshow from TIME Magazine.

Here’s an infographic comparing the costs of the Super Bowl with what it will take to help Haiti.

Sean Banville has a listening exercise for ELL’s on the game.

TIME has videos of what they think are the Top Ten Moments In Super Bowl History.

Here’s another interactive showing 25 of the most memorable commercials from the game.

TIME Magazine picks The Best and Worst Super Bowl Commercials 2010.

TIME also picks Top 10 Superbowl Ads of the Decade.

The Wall Street Journal also has a collection of Super Bowl Ads 2010.

The NFL has a very complete multimedia history of the Super Bowl.

CBS News has a simple, though not quite up-to-date, interactive on previous Super Bowls.

The Associated Press has a good interactive on the game and its history.

Super Bowl Legends is a slideshow from TIME magazine.

Super Bowl’s Most Memorable Ads is a Wall Street Journal video.

Here’s a video about Animal Planet’s “Puppy Bowl.”

Both the Wall Street Journal and MSNBC have collections of ads from 2011′s Super Bowl. Viewers can vote on which ones they like best.

If the links on my “The Best..” list aren’t enough for you, Cybrary Man’s Football Page will certainly satisfy your appetite.

If you found this post useful, you might want to look at previous “The Best…” lists and also consider subscribing to this blog for free.

Chinese New Year will begin on January 23, 2012 and marks the start of the Year of the Dragon.

All, or at least most, of the links in this “The Best…” list are also included in The Best Sites For Learning About New Year Celebrations.

I just thought it would be helpful to teachers and others to put all of the Chinese New Year ones in its own separate list, too.  It makes it a little more simple for my students when we have a lesson on the holiday. You can see a schedule of when the New Year begins in every year here.

2009 was the Year of the Ox, 2010 is the Year of the Tiger, and 2011 is Year of the Rabbit.

You might also be interested in The Best Sites For Learning About China.

Here are my choices for The Best Resources For Chinese New Year:

Read this British Council talking story about the Chinese New Year.

The History Channel has an excellent site on the Chinese New Year.

PBS Kids has a series of Chinese New Year games students can play.

Watch a slideshow of a Chinese New Year parade in San Francisco.

Send a Chinese New Year’s eCard from Blue Mountain or a New Year’s greeting from American Greetings. You can post links to student-created cards on teacher/student webpages.

Chinese New Year Resources From Topmarks has a number of accessible materials available.

Here are some new Chinese New Year resources for ELL’s from the British Council:

Listen to, and read, a song about Chinese New Year.

Apples 4 The Teacher has a nice interactive that students can use to learn what animal is influencing their life because of the year you were born.

Here are images and videos from the San Francisco Chronicle about a Chinese New Year mini-parade in Chinatown.

EL Civics has developed a Chinese New Year Lesson specifically for English Language Learners.

A New York Times slideshow and a video on the Chinese New Year celebration.

The S.F. Chronicle has a special page filled with slideshows and videos about present and past Chinese New Year celebrations.

The Lunar New Year is the title of a series of photos from The Sacramento Bee.

The Boston Globe’s Big Picture has a great group of photos on Chinese New Year: Welcoming The Ox.

Year Of The Ox is the title of a Wall Street Journal slideshow.

TIME Magazine also has a Chinese New Year slideshow.

MSNBC has a video showing global celebrations of the Chinese New Year.

Ushering In The Year Of The Ox is a slideshow from Radio Free Asia.

ESL Holiday Lessons has an online lesson on the holiday designed for English Language Learners.

Chinese New Year is the simple title of a variety of listening exercises from ELLO.

The Great Race is an accessible talking story from the British Council.

The Kent ICT Website has a number of New Year materials.

Chinese New Year Photos comes from CBS News.

Tigers, Penguins Celebrate New Year is a video from CBS.

Building new memories for the Lunar New Year is a CNN video.

Chinese New Year is another CNN video.

Year Of The Tiger is a slideshow from The Wall Street Journal.

Year Of The Tiger is a slideshow from Reuters.

The Orange County Register has a slideshow of an elementary school celebration of the Year of the Tiger.

Year of the tiger: Chinese lunar new year celebrations around the world in pictures is from The Telegraph.

Welcoming the Year of the Tiger is from the Boston Globe’s Big Picture.

Here’s a Chinese New Year game for English Language Learners.

Here Comes The Rabbit is a slideshow from The Wall Street Journal.

Chinese Lunar New Year, the Year of the Rabbit is a series of photos from The Sacramento Bee.

Chinese New Year 2011 is from The Big Picture.

This is from The Atlantic:

In 2011, February l7th “is observed as the Lantern Festival – the 15th and final day of Chinese Lunar New Year festivities. The holiday is the most important annual celebration in China, when the nation largely shuts down as families gather together for reunions and feasts. More than 2.5 billion passenger trips by air, rail, bus or sea are taken around the holiday, according to the Chinese government. The Lantern Festival, or Yuan Xiao Jie, will complete the welcoming of the Year of the Rabbit – from the Chinese zodiac, indicating a year of caution and calm, with a quiet underlying strength and determination.”

The Atlantic has some great pictures, as does the Wall Street Journal.

The San Francisco Chronicle has plenty of photos from the city’s Year of the Rabbit parade.

The Year Of The Dragon is a TIME slideshow.

In pictures: Chinese New Year is from The BBC.

Chinese New Year Celebrations in Los Angeles is a slideshow from the L.A. Times.

Year of the Dragon is a slideshow from The LA Times.

Lunar New Year 2012 is a Boston Globe slideshow.

Chinese Lunar New Year 2012 is a photo gallery from The Atlantic.

MSNBC has a similar slideshow.

Here’s a New York Times video about the Year of the Dragon:

If you found this post useful, you might want to look at previous “The Best…” lists and also consider subscribing to this blog for free.You