Larry Ferlazzo’s Websites of the Day…

The Starbucks Love Project lets you watch some great performances of “All You Need Is Love” from around the world, and offers you the opportunity to contribute your own. In addition, you can make a “love drawing,” too, which is a lot easier and more accessible to our students.

This is somehow connected to a campaign to fight AIDS in Africa, though I’m a little unclear how.

Thanks to the Innovative Interactivity blog for the tip.

Gimundo, which has the sub-heading “Good News…Served Daily,” provides only positive and upbeat news stories and videos. I wouldn’t make it the primary source of news for either my students or me, and, I have to admit, the idea of just sharing positive stories doesn’t feel right to me — I guess I prefer the real world.

However, I have to admit many of the stories are engaging, and are accessible to Intermediate English Language Learners.

I’ve placed the link on my website in the News section.

State Of The Unions is a very accessible infographic showing a lot of information about labor unions in the United States today.

It’s also a bit sad to see.

It would be very useful for students, particularly in Social Studies classes.

The United States Census Bureau does its every-ten-year census in 2010, and much of the allocation of public funds and resources is based on the results. Lower-income communities are often “short-changed” because many people don’t respond to Census questions for a variety of reasons.

The Sacramento Bee ran an excellent article today titled Capital-area activists seek full census count of Franklin Boulevard’s Latinos. The graphics that accompany the article are even better, especially one highlighting Sacramento’s Hard-To-Count Census Tracts.

It got me thinking…

The Census Bureau itself has a lot educational materials for us in schools, but I have to admit that I’m less than impressed with most of them. It does, however, have a simple and accessible Census Fact Sheet that I like.

We’re in the middle of a neighborhood research unit (I explain it in detail in my upcoming book, English Language Learners: Teaching Strategies That Work, and I’ll post about it here one of these days). It culminates with their writing a persuasive essay explaining why they like living in their neighborhood.

I’m thinking that an interesting follow-up to that would be for students to do a little more analysis into why their neighborhood is considered “hard-to-count,” read a little more about the Census and what benefits could come in to make their neighborhood even better if more people responded, and develop their own version of a persuasive essay/poster to share in the community.

If you’re interesting in trying to do something similar, you can find which neighborhoods in your area are considered “hard to count” here.

Here are new additions to The Best Sites To Learn About The Vancouver Winter Olympics:

‘Welcome to the Downtown Eastside’ is a slideshow from The New York Times that shows the “hidden” side of the Winter Olympics.

Tim Learns About The Olympics is a short story that provides audio support for the text. Thanks to Michelle Henry for the tip.

Here’s an Interactive graphic showing the venues for the 2010 Winter Olympic Games.

Here’s interactive showing the medals athletes will win.

Unusual Buildings is a slideshow of seventeen … unusual buildings around the world.

I’m adding it to The Best Images Of Weird, Cool & Neat-Looking Buildings (& Ways To Design Your Own).

Here are the newest additions to The Best Sites To Learn About Valentine’s Day:

Check-out this Valentine’s Day slideshow of Cute Animals In Love.

Breaking News English has several St. Valentine’s Day activities.

ESL Holiday Lessons also has tons of info and exercises.

The United States Bureau of Labor Statistics has a feature on African American History Month where they “provide an economic snapshot of African Americans in the United States today.”

It’s quite accessible, and even provides audio support for the text.

I’m adding it to The Best Websites To Teach & Learn About African-American History.

February is African-American History Month in the United States, and I wanted to remind readers that I have a The Best Sites To Teach About African-American History list.

I’ve verified links, and added new ones, so it’s all up-to-date.

February 11th will be the twentieth anniversary of Nelson Mandela’s release from prison in South Africa.

We have a six week unit on Mandela in our mainstream ninth grade class, and I have an extensive collection of useful links at The Best Sites For Learning About Nelson Mandela. I’m sure new resources will be created with the anniversary, and I’ll add them to the list.

Pandas from The National Zoo and the Atlanta Zoo were sent back to China today. I thought it might be a good occasion for a quick “The Best…” list of sites about pandas that are accessible to English Language Learners.

Here are my choices for The Best Sites To Learn About Pandas:

U.S. Zoos Send Pandas To China is a Wall Street Journal slideshow about today’s events.

Meet The Pandas is an interactive site from Animal Planet.

Interactive map of giant panda habitat comes from The World Wildlife Fund.

Check out the Creature Features segment on pandas from National Geographic For Kids.

National Zoo’s Panda Express is a video on the pandas’ return. It’s from CBS News.

New highways threaten giant pandas is a Breaking News lesson for ELL’s.

Students can send a Panda eCard from the National Zoo, email it to themselves or a friend, and then post the url address of their creation on a student/teacher website.

Learn about pandas at the San Diego Zoo.

Bye-Bye, Panda is a slideshow from TIME Magazine.

Giant pandas head to China is a series of photos from the Sacramento Bee.

Feedback is always welcome.

If you found this post useful, you might want to consider subscribing to this blog for free and exploring over 400 other “The Best…” lists.

Here are the latest additions to The Best Sites To Learn About The Vancouver Winter Olympics:

A WEBQUEST ABOUT THE 2010 WINTER GAMES IN CANADA comes via Michelle Henry’s excellent website.

The Associated Press has an excellent site on the Olympics.

Winter Olympics For Kids is a nice site developed by teachers and students at Pocantico Hills School in New York.

To have a little fun, and to cultivate some interest  — especially from my young male students — I thought a “The Best…” list on “cool” cars might be engaging.

I’m planning on having my English Language Learner students look through these accessible sites, identify which ones they found particularly intriguing, and explain why — in writing and verbally.  In addition, they can design their own cars and describe them.  The sites are listed in two separate sections — the photos, and the design sites.

It’s just a light exercise to do some day, probably after a day of taking standardized tests…

Here are my picks for The Best Sites For Learning About “Cool” Cars (& Designing Your Own!):

IMAGES OF COOL CARS:

Here’s a Time Magazine slideshow about The Plane That Drives.

Discovery has both a slideshow and a video about a flying car.

MSNBC has a video about an underwater car.

Breaking News English has an activity about the same car, and provides audio support for the text.

Ten Things You Should Know About The World’s Cheapest Car is a slideshow from TIME Magazine.

MSNBC has video about the Nano, the world’s cheapest car that sells for $2,000.

Not really a car, but I’m including a slideshow about motorcycles from Time Magazine — The Evolution of Harley-Davidson.

Here are three accessible resources on the new U.S. Presidential limousine:

You can see photos and a diagram of the new limousine created for Obama, and it’s pretty impressive, indeed.

Here’s another interactive graphic about the limousine.

Breaking News English has a good online lesson on the new Presidential limousine that will be unveiled on Inauguration Day.

The Shape Of Alternative Power is a slideshow from The New York Times featuring some pretty cool-looking cars not powered by gasoline.

Take a look at this slideshow of the all-electric Tesla Roadster.

Flash In The Pan is a New York Times slideshow of the recent New York Auto Show.

Here’s a CNBC slideshow of the 2009 Detroit Auto Show.

Here’s a CNN slideshow of the latest “concept cars” — cars the auto companies have on the drawing board for the far-future.

CNN also has a slideshow of cars that have been in science fiction movies. The site also lets you rank them and compare your choices with those of others.

Cars Of The Future is another engaging slideshow.

Here’s an online exhibit of Lowrider cars.

Forbes Magazine has a slideshow showing the world’s most expensive cars.

Which Cars Are Most Expensive? is another slideshow.

Here’s an audio slideshow from the San Jose Mercury News about the Tesla, the electric roadster.

I don’t know if I would call the cars in this next slideshow “cool,” but they are Very, Very, Very Small Cars.

The Boston Globe’s The Big Picture has a series of images of Formula One racing cars.

Take a look at 12 Of The World’s Strangest Vehicles.

Here are 15 of the World’s Strangest Limousines.

CNN has a video about flying cars.

Eye-Popping Car Designs is a slideshow from LIFE Magazine.

Here are some Insanely Decorated Cars.

Check-out 12 Cool and Unusual Limousines.

DESIGNING YOUR OWN COOL CARS:

Create A Ride lets you design your own race car.  Boys in particular will love it.  You can save your design with a special number, but it doesn’t provide you with a unique url address.  So to access it again you just have to go to the site and type in the the number.  Students can learn some vocabulary and write about their car.

It’s not a car, but Create the Honda lets you design the motorcycle of your dreams. Be sure to click on “Europe” to get to the English version of the site

In a related application, users can create their own Race-Car Driver and have him/her “say” a message using the site’s text-to-speech feature.

As always, feedback is welcome.

If you found this post useful, you might want to look at all the previous over 200 “The Best…” lists and also consider subscribing to this blog for free.

United Nations Environment Program has created quite a few infographics on environmental issues around the world. They are designed well, and contain an enormous amount of information. Much of it would be accessible to Intemediate ELL’s.

I’m adding the link to The Best Sites To Introduce Environmental Issues Into The Classroom.

Thanks to Cool Infographics for the tip.

Saint Valentine’s Day is a truly exceptional interactive book for English Language Learners. It’s another wonderful resource created by Frenchfrog’s Little English Pond.

I’m adding it to The Best Sites To Learn About Valentine’s Day, and it’s certainly one of the best, if not the best, link that’s there.

Here are some new exceptional resources that I’ve added to The Best Sites To Learn About The Earthquake In Haiti:

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’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).

Here are some additions to The Best Sites Where ELL’s Can Learn About The Super Bowl:

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.

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

In fact, Cybrary Man’s overall collection of 20,000 educational links is so good I’m adding his main link to The Best Collections Of Educational Links.

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

I’m adding it to The Best Sites Where ELL’s Can Learn About The Super Bowl.

The Origins of 10 Winter Olympic Sports is a pretty interesting post from Mental Floss.

I’m adding it to The Best Sites To Learn About The Vancouver Winter Olympics.

Thanks to Interesting Pile blog for the tip.

Today was Groundhog Day, and the world’s most famous groundhog, Punxsutawney Phil, predicted that we will have six more weeks of winter.

Here are some resources about the event that I’m adding to The Best Resources For Groundhog Day:

Seeing His Shadow is a slideshow from The Wall Street Journal.

Groundhog Day is a video from CNN.

MSNBC has another video of the event, plus an article.

The real deal behind Punxsutawney Phil is another MSNBC article that gives a good history behind the tradition.

Groundhog: Don’t Shoot The Messenger is a video from The Wall Street Journal.