(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.

Eyewitness in Haiti is a slideshow from LIFE.

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.

“Understanding The Haiti Earthquake” is an excellent infographic.

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.

TIME Magazine has a special page with resources on the earthquake.

Haiti: World rallies round earthquake victims is an interactive graphic from Agence France Presse.

Haiti’s Earthquake, Close-Up is from Newsweek.

Haiti: One Week Later is from the Denver Post.

Here’s an updated interactive from The Associated Press.

The Sun Sentinel has a special page on the disaster.

The Wall Street Journal has a special page on the quake.

The Miami Herald has numerous slideshows on the earthquake.

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.

MSNBC has a new interactive on the earthquake.

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.

Before and After is a slideshow from The Wall Street Journal.

On The Scene In Haiti is another slideshow from The Wall Street Journal.

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

MSNBC has several heartbreaking videos, but also one showing a successful rescue.

Haiti: Most Haunting Photos is a slideshow from LIFE.

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.

Earthquake Rocks Haiti is a slideshow from MSNBC.

Haiti Rocked is an interactive map showing damage and is from the Wall Street Journal.

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.

Thousands Feared Dead In Haiti is an extensive slideshow from The Wall Street Journal.

The Denver Post has images from the area.

Earthquake In Haiti is from The Big Picture.

Earthquake Devastates Haiti is a series of photos from the Sacramento Bee. The Bee also has Earthquake devastates Haiti, part 2.

Haiti Earthquake is a slideshow from The Associated Press.

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.

Pictures of Devastation is a slideshow from TIME Magazine.

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

Fierce Earthquake Rocks Haiti is a Wall Street Journal slideshow.

Screaming All Around Us is a video from MSNBC.

Earthquake Hits Haiti is a New York Times slideshow.

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

MSNBC has an online video clip titled Quake Hits Haiti.

7.0 Quake Racks Haiti is from CBS News.

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

The Associated Press has a video on the quake.

Haitian Earthquake is a slideshow from MSNBC.

MSNBC also has a video report.

Devastation in Haiti after earthquake is a slideshow from The Miami Herald.

Here’s a list of charities helping victims in Haiti. MSNBC has a video describing relief efforts. Here’s another similar video.

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..

Haiti: Six Months Later is a Wall Street Journal slideshow.

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.

Cholera epidemic hits Haiti is a series of photos from The Sacramento Bee.

Haiti Suffers In Cholera Epidemic is a Wall Street Journal 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.

Haiti: Life Before the Quake is a slideshow from LIFE.

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

MSNBC has an interactive timeline showing Haiti’s history.

The Associated Press has developed an interactive giving background 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.

UNICEF has a number of accessible features about Haiti.

The BBC has a multimedia feature on Haiti.

The Miami Herald has an audio slideshow on the country’s struggles..

Haiti’s Human Wreckage is an audio slideshow from the Miami Herald, again reviewing previous disasters.

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.

When Haiti Was Young is another slideshow from LIFE.

Haiti’s History of Misery is a slideshow from TIME Magazine.

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

Haiti: History of a beleaguered country is an interactive graphic from Agence France Presse.

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

The Associated Press has an interactive on earthquakes.

Understanding Earthquakes is an interactive from CBS News.

Shaking Latin America is an interactive from the Wall Street Journal showing the history of quakes in the region.

What Causes Earthquakes? is an interactive from MSNBC.

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.

Top 10 Deadliest Earthquakes comes from TIME Magazine.

“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.

Feedback is always welcome.

If you found this post useful, you might want to consider subscribing to this blog for free.

You might also want to explore the 400 other “The Best…” lists I’ve compiled.

The United States Senate has declared January 11th to be Human Trafficking Awareness Day, and President Obama has declared the month of January to be National Slavery and Human Trafficking Prevention Month.

Here are my choices for The Best Resources For Learning About Human Trafficking Today (and are accessible to English Language Learners):

Here’s an accessible interactive map and fact sheet about human slavery around the world.

Is there still slavery today? is from the CBBC Newsround.

Here are three videos:

The Veiled Commodity is a short film that deals with slavery’s past and present day issues. You can also see it here.

There Are More Slaves Today Than at Any Time in Human History is an article that would need to be modified for ELL’s.

Sex Slaves In America is a video from MSNBC.

Human Trafficking In America is a huge series by the Kansas City Star.

Human Trafficking is an online video by The World Bank

Sunitha Krishnan fights sex slavery is a TED Talk. It’s generally not accessible to ELL’s, but portions of it might be usable.

CBS News has several videos on human trafficking.

CNN also has multiple videos on the topic.

Products Of Slavery is an amazing online visualization of products throughout the world created through using child or forced labor. It’s a “near fit” to other sites on this list, so I’m adding it here.

Speak Truth To Power is a project of the Robert F. Kennedy Center for Justice and Human Rights that includes a curriculum of seventeen lessons. The lessons include ones on genocide and human trafficking. They would have to be modified for English Language Learners, but they look useful. They include videos but, unfortunately, they’re all on YouTube, which make them inaccessible (online, at least) for most students).

The CNN Freedom Project: Ending Modern Day Slavery” is an excellent multimedia resource on human trafficking.

Global Record on Fighting Slavery is a useful color-coded map from CNN.

How Many Slaves Work For You? is an interactive that helps you determine how many slaves were involved in the products you use. It has some similarities to the Products Of Slavery site.

December 2nd is the International Day for the Abolition of Slavery. ESL Holiday Lessons has a lesson for English Language Learners on the day.

Products Of Slavery is an impressive online visualization of products throughout the world created through using child or forced labor.

Fifteen-Year-Old Tackles Slavery is a video from ABC News:

Students Freeing Modern Slaves is a related website.

Feedback is always welcome.

If you found this post useful, you might want to consider subscribing to this blog for free.

You might also want to explore the 400 other “The Best…” lists I’ve compiled.