(NOTE: With a few exceptions, I’ll probably stop adding many new specific sites to this post since many of the links lead to special pages set up by news organizations that continually add new photos, graphics, and video resources.

I’ve got to say that among all the news organizations, I have been finding that the New York Times photo blog “The Lede” has had the best quality material, along with the most up-to-date. It has excellent multimedia resources along with short text information, and is doing a great job of scouring the web for great stuff.

I wouldn’t say it’s the best place for English Language Learners to go because the lay-out isn’t very attractive (CNN works best for student self-access), but I’d suggest teachers keep on checking The Lede for specific photo galleries and videos that they might want to show in class or specifically ask their students to view.)

I’ve just heard about the earthquake in Haiti, and it sounds terrible. I thought I’d pull together a quick list of related-sites that are accessible to English Language Learners.

I’ll be adding to it but, for now, I’ve divided it into three sections — ones on the earthquake itself, ones that provide general information on the country of Haiti, and a few that provide information on how earthquakes work.

You might also be interested in The Best Websites For Learning About Natural Disasters.

Here are my choices for The Best Sites To Learn About Earthquake In Haiti (I’ve started putting the newest updates on top in each category):

THE EARTHQUAKE IN HAITI

Haiti’s School Problem is an online video from The New York Times.

Among the Ruins, Education Is Also Lost is a slideshow from The New York Times.

GOOD Magazine has been holding a contest for people to design infographics related to the Haiti earthquake.You can see them all here.

Why did so many people die in Haiti’s quake? is an article from the BBC that, with text and infographics, compares the Haiti earthquake with the recent major ones in Italy and China. It’s probably not accessible to English Language Learners on their own, but there is a lot of good information there that’s worth sharing with guidance.


A Tent in Port-au-Prince
is a panoramic view of life inside a tent for a Haitian family. It’s from The New York Times.

Haiti: Three Weeks Later is from The Boston Globes’ Big Picture.

The New York Times has posted a panoramic view inside the devastated Cathedral in Haiti. You can certainly get a sense of the strength of the earthquake by looking at it.

Two new infographics just came out showing which countries are giving how much to help victims of Haiti’s earthquake:

One is from the British newspaper The Guardian and is quite easy to understand.

The other is from GOOD Magazine and looks far cooler, but the information is not particularly accessible (at least to me).Stephen Downes also points out that Canada’s sizable contribution is not included in it.

Major Earthquake Hits Haiti is a collection of all Washington Post photos on the disaster. The Post also has a special page on the quake that’s regularly updated.

Hope for Haiti Event Raises Millions is a Breaking News lesson for ELL’s.

CNN has an incredible 360 degree video from Haiti. I have never seen a 360 degree video before. Thanks to Jerry Swiatek for the tip.

The Big Picture has The Faces of Haiti.

Here’s a good interactive map.

The BBC has a very interesting interactive map and information on relief supplies getting to the island.

The Washington Post shares an infographic, What Caused The Quake.

The New York Times has finally joined most other major news organizations and created a separate page for their multimedia productions on the earthquake, and they’re superb.

The Times has also created a special photo gallery called Haiti’s Earthquake: A Photo Gallery.

Haiti Six Days Later is from The Big Picture.

Haiti Quake Day 6: Steps Toward Normalcy is a video from The New York Times.

The Sun Sentinel has a special page on the disaster.

The Los Angeles Times has several audio slideshows.

Disaster In Haiti is the special CBS News page on the quake.

In Haiti, Slow Relief is a New York Times video.

Crime Rises as Aid Awaits Distribution is a New York Times slideshow.

The New York Times has published an infographic sharing updated statistics on the challenges facing Haiti in light of the earthquake.

USA Today has a useful Interactive map of Haiti and the earthquake zone.

Death Toll Mounts After Haiti Quake is a slideshow from The New York Times.

Earthquake in Haiti: Port-au-Prince is an interactive from The Guardian.

Haiti 48 Hours Later is from the Big Picture.

5 Ways to Teach About Haiti Right Now are lesson plans from The New York Times. Here’s another lesson from the New York Times.

The New York Times has a multimedia interactive map on the damaged areas.

The Telegraph has aerial and satellite images of the destruction.

A Closer Look At The Destruction in Haiti is an interactive from the New York Times.

Haiti Earthquake is a video from The New York Times.

Earthquake In Haiti is from The Big Picture.

Haiti In Ruins is a lesson for English Language Learners from Breaking News English.

Here are before-and-after photos of the Presidential Palace in Haiti.

Major Earthquake Hits Haiti is a slideshow from The Washington Post.

Haiti Earthquake Aftermath is a video from The Washington Post.

Haiti Quake Devastates Capital is a video from The New York Times.

Earthquake Hits Haiti is a New York Times slideshow.

The BBC has a slideshow titled In pictures: Haitian earthquake.

7.0 Quake Racks Haiti is from CBS News.

CNN has a special page on the quake, including multiple videos.

Here’s a list of charities helping victims in Haiti.

The Red Cross has information on how to help victims of the earthquake.

CBS News has a video of the quake’s aftermath.

Huge earthquake devastates Haiti has short, accessible text from the CBBC Newsround.

Strong Earthquake Hits Haiti is a slideshow from Yahoo News.

The Atlantic shares several articles (Should We Call It ‘Looting’?) wondering if racism is involved in the use of the word “looting” in Haiti.Several of the pieces they share are quite good, though would have to be modified for English Language Learners. I particularly liked a short post from the Chicago Tribune, titled Are the ‘looters’ in Haiti really that much different from you and me? The writer asks:

What wouldn’t you do if members of your family were dying? If you thought you could save them with a little humanitarian freelance redistribution of resources?

As several of the writers mention, this brings back memories of Katrina. In fact, in our ninth-grade mainstream English classes, we give students the assignment to respond to the famous two pictures of an African-American man “looting” a grocery store, and a white couple “finding” food in a grocery store..

Small steps forward is a series of images from the Los Angeles Times.

Haiti Island’s Departure Gate is a New York Times slideshow.

Haiti: Six Months On is an interactive from The Guardian.

Choosing To Stay: Fighting To Rebuild is a slideshow from The New York Times.

Seeking Shelter is a really exceptional interactive from The New York Times on Haiti six months after the earthquake.

Many Haitians still in tent cities 7 months after devastating quake is the title of a Washington Post slideshow.

Toll in Haiti’s cholera outbreak now above 150 is a video from CNN.

Haiti, ten months later is the title of a series of photos from The Boston Globe’s Big Picture.

INFORMATION ABOUT THE COUNTRY

A Look At Haitian Art is a slideshow from The Wall Street Journal.

CNN has an excellent interactive giving basic information and history on Haiti.

Haiti Fast Facts comes from CBS News.

Poverty in Haiti is a New York Times slideshow.

Haiti’s Twin Crises is an audio slideshow from The New York Times.

The BBC has a multimedia feature on Haiti.

Here’s a very accessible graphic providing information on Haiti.

Here’s a slideshow on Haiti’s history.

Haiti’s Legacy of Environmental Disaster is a video from The New York Times.

Here’s a useful report on Haitian Immigrants In The United States.

Just about everything in the media is highlighting the horror of the earthquake, and the misery of Haiti’s past. Here are two sites where teachers can find important and positive aspects of the Haitian tradition that can help students understand it’s important past:

Haiti in Ink and Tears: A Literary Sampler is from The New York Times.

Haiti: A Poor Country With A Rich Culture is from National Public Radio.

Teaching About Haiti comes from Teaching For Change.

Did you know that Chicago was founded by a Haitian?  People from Chicago probably know this, but it was news to me and I think it’s pretty neat.

Here’s a reprint from a newsletter from the Smithsonian:

Honoring Haiti
After going ashore in New Orleans following an injury at sea, Haitian sailor Jean Baptiste Pointe Du Sable made his way north to avoid being captured as a slave. He established himself as an accomplished trader, and then built the first permanent home in an area around Lake Michigan called Eschikagou. This trading post was later renamed Chicago. In 1968 Du Sable was officially declared the Founder of Chicago and a stamp with his image was issued for the 150th birthday of the city. As Haiti recovers from the devastating losses caused by the earthquake, we hope you will take a moment to realize the impact this small island nation has had in so many places around the world.

Haiti’s Hidden Treasures is a video from The Wall Street Journal showing clips taken in Haiti eighty years ago of musicians in that country (when the U.S. was an occupying force).

How Haiti Saved America is an article that appeared in the Boston Globe. It recounts the role Haiti played in our country’s early history. It’s not accessible to English Language Learners, but the information is important enough for a teacher to modify portions of it. It helps provide some context for the U.S. — Haiti relationship.

GENERAL INFORMATION ABOUT EARTHQUAKES
Understanding Earthquakes
is an interactive from CBS News.

Measuring the Magnitude of Earthquakes is an interactive from CNN.

How Earthquakes happen is an interactive from the BBC.

Why Earthquakes Happen is an interactive from The Guardian.

Here’s an Interactive Earthquake Primer.

The BBC has a very well-done interactive titled Earthquake rescue: How survivors are found.

“Experience The Haiti Earthquake” is an impressive interactive from the Canadian organization, Inside Disaster. It lets you virtually “experience” the quake through the eyes of a survivor, a journalist, or an aid worker.

5 Years After Massive Earthquake, Where Is Haiti Now? is from The Root.

What Does Haiti Have to Show for $13 Billion in Earthquake Aid? is from NBC News.

Feedback is always welcome.

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