Stay up-to-date with ELT trends and ideas with articles from experts and teachers in the field.

Articles

<blockquote>&quot;Better than a thousand days of diligent study is one day with a great teacher.&quot;<br />
&mdash;Japanese proverb</blockquote>

<p>The holidays are upon us and students are restless! Their minds are on the festivities, so why not embrace the spirit and get students learning with holiday-themed activities?</p>

<p>Below are a list of upcoming celebrations and events with lesson ideas. These ideas get students to learn about different cultures, traditions, finances, statistics, and history. Spice up those lessons by integrating a web tool or app. Free web tools/apps that have holiday related templates and stickers, include <a href="https://storybird.com/">Storybird</a> (book), <a href="http://www.edu.buncee.com/">Edubuncee</a> (poster), <a href="https://animoto.com/">Animoto</a> (video), <a href="http://www.magisto.com/">Magisto</a> (video), <a href="http://www.toondoo.com/">ToonDoo</a> (comic/book), <a href="http://pic-collage.com/">Pic-Collage</a> (poster/greeting), <a href="https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/chatterpix-kids-by-duck-duck/id734046126?mt=8">Chatterpix Kids app</a> (talking images), <a href="http://www.voki.com/">Voki</a> (talking avatars) and <a href="http://www.makebeliefscomix.com/">Makebeliefs Comixs</a>.</p>

<h3>Thanksgiving</h3>

<p>This is one of the most famous meals throughout history when two cultures came together to celebrate the harvest that arose from their joint efforts. Your students can retell the story in a Storybird or create Buncee presentations about this historical event. Check out our <a href="https://ellii.com/collections/holidays-events/fall-into-autumn">Thanksgiving and holiday</a>&nbsp;collections.&nbsp;</p>

<h3>Black Friday &amp; Cyber Monday</h3>

<p>Two of the most important shopping events take place the day after Thanksgiving and on December 1st, when stores gather to offer sales. Students can learn about math, finance, and marketing.</p>

<p>Get students to create wishlists, then research the best deals for these items. They can share these lists with their parents who will appreciate their children trying to save them money. Students can compare and contrast a store&rsquo;s Black Friday and Cyber Monday deals. They can use <a href="http://piktochart.com/">Piktochart to create infographics</a> that display their findings. You can show students this <a href="http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnfull/20141112/158350-INFO">Black Friday infographic</a> as an example. For more ideas, <a href="http://www.pearltrees.com/shellyterrell/black-friday-cyber-monday/id12998764">check out these bookmarks</a>.</p>

<h3>Christmas, Hanukkah, and Kwanzaa</h3>

<p>Showcase your student&#39;s&nbsp;holiday traditions by getting them to collaborate on a recipe book with traditional meals and drinks that are popular during these celebrations. Your students can include information about the holiday in this recipe book. Create the recipe book with <a href="https://docs.google.com/">Google Docs</a>,&nbsp;<a href="http://issuu.com/">Issuu</a>, or the <a href="http://www.redjumper.net/">Book Creator app</a>.</p>

<p>Invite a guest speaker, author, or class to help your students learn about these holidays. <a href="https://plus.google.com/hangouts">Google HangOuts</a> and <a href="https://www.skype.com/en/">Skype</a> are free video conferencing tools that allow up to 10 people on video. Students can interview guests and authors. They can teach another class famous holiday songs and the actions that go with the lyrics.</p>

<p>Take students on a field trip to learn more about these different holidays after you try <a href="https://ellii.com/collections/holidays-events/december-holidays">ESL Library&#39;s December Holiday</a>&nbsp;collection.&nbsp;In your area, you can find plays, festivals, or other events that are suitable for your students to learn about these holidays hands-on. You can also take a virtual field trip to historic places, countries, and museum exhibits using <a href="https://www.google.com/culturalinstitute/home">Google&rsquo;s World Wonders site</a>. Find more virtual tour sites and activities related to <a href="http://www.pearltrees.com/shellyterrell/field-trips/id11881202">planning field trips here</a>.</p>

<p>Find more ideas, web tools, and apps related to celebrating <a href="http://www.pearltrees.com/shellyterrell/december-holidays/id6846664">Christmas, Hanukkah, and Kwanzaa here</a>.</p>

<p>In what ways do you celebrate the holidays with your students?</p>


20+ Web Tools, Apps, and Activities for Celebrating the Holidays 

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<blockquote>
<p>&ldquo;Sometimes, you have to look back in order to understand the things that lie ahead.&rdquo;<strong> </strong>- Yvonne Woon&nbsp;</p>
</blockquote>

<p>As the end of the year approaches, you might find that your students are driving you crazy. Don&rsquo;t worry! You are not alone in this feeling. Students often get restless towards the end of their classes. After completing their necessary tests and completing the majority of their coursework, they tend to listen less and lose their initial motivation and focus. They anticipate their school break and want to get in plenty of quality time with their friends who they might not see during their time off from school. What can you do to regain their interests and ensure the learning continues?</p>

<p>Below, are a few ideas that will get your students to reflect on their learning and goals from the past year. Some ideas will have your students passing on their learning to future students. Other ideas will take your students outside of the classroom to explore new places, countries, and cultures.</p>

<h3>Invite Guest Speakers</h3>

<p>Just like children begin to tune out their parents when asked to clean their rooms or do other chores, they also tune out their teachers. Right now is a good time to get your students learning from others. You can invite parents, community leaders, celebrities, authors, or professionals to run a workshop, demonstration or other lesson with your students. If you can&rsquo;t find someone locally, try finding an expert virtually. Sylvia Tolisano, for example, had her students share a picture of animal skeletal remains found on the school ground with <a href="http://langwitches.org/blog/2009/12/04/csi-twitter-crime-scene-investigation/">forensic pathologists and biologists on Twitter</a>. Find more ideas and resources in my recent presentation recording, <a href="http://americantesol.com/blogger/?p=6856">Inspire Learners by Inviting Guest Speakers</a>.</p>

<h3>Play Games</h3>

<p>Students can play classroom games to get them moving and learning. Classroom games help students review vocabulary, facts, and content in a fun way. Often, the students do not realize they are learning. Your students can even create their own board games with <a href="http://bogglesworldesl.com/esl_games.htm">templates from Bogglesworld</a>.&nbsp;</p>

<p>You can also get students to play learning games on their mobile phones or on the web.&nbsp;You can also check out <a href="http://www.kindersite.org/">the Kindersite</a> and <a href="http://eltsandbox.weebly.com/">the ELT Sandbox</a> for more free resources, lessons, and games to get your students learning by playing. Try free web tools and apps like <a href="https://getkahoot.com/">Kahoot trivia maker</a>&nbsp;and <a href="http://quizlet.com/">Quizlet</a> to get your students and you creating your own digital games.</p>

<h3>Get Them Moving</h3>

<p>Get your students out of their seats and moving in every class. Find free, quick activities with <a href="https://www.gonoodle.com/">GoNoodle brain breaks</a>. GoNoodle has activities to help students focus, calm down, or get energized. These activities take only a few minutes.</p>

<p>You can also get students moving with icebreakers, warm-ups and fillers. We have hundreds for you to try that take only a few minutes and require very little set-up.</p>

<h3>Take Them on Virtual Field Trips</h3>

<p>What better way to grab your students&rsquo; attention than by taking them outside of the classroom through virtual field trips! Your students can go on historical or cultural tours with <a href="http://www.google.com/culturalinstitute/home?view=grid&amp;hl=en">Google&rsquo;s Cultural Institute that features World Wonders, Historical Moments and Art Projects</a>. Find many <a href="http://www.google.com/culturalinstitute/about/wonders/education/">lesson plans and ideas to get you started here</a>.</p>

<h3>Advice for the Next Class</h3>

<p>Get students to leave tips and advice for the students that will come after them. They can do this through a capsule, letters, or a collaborative video. You could have students leave the advice digitally through <a href="http://voicethread.com/">Voicethread</a>, <a href="http://padlet.com/">Padlet</a>, <a href="http://en.linoit.com/">Linoit</a>, or <a href="http://www.voxopop.com/">Voxopop</a>.</p>

<h3>Reflect</h3>

<p>The end of the year is the perfect time to encourage students to look back at their experiences and learning throughout the year. Reflection gets them to see what they accomplished and determine how they can improve themselves. The following activities will get students to reflect in meaningful ways:</p>

<ul>
	<li><strong>Collages and Scrapbooks</strong> - Students can post memories, important dates, images, quotes, music, and more in digital scrapbooks and collages. With tools like <a href="http://www.buncee.com/">Buncee</a>, <a href="http://www.biteslide.com/">Biteslides</a>, <a href="https://www.smore.com/">Smore</a>, <a href="http://www.glogster.com/">Glogster</a>, and <a href="https://www.pinterest.com/">Pinterest</a> these collages can host their images, stickers, music, and so much more! Students can view each other&rsquo;s digital scrapbooks and leave comments.</li>
	<li><strong>Magazines and newspapers</strong> - As a class create a magazine or newspaper highlighting your class or school&rsquo;s memorable events. Students can add polls, survey results, interviews, images and more. Digital tools like <a href="https://flipboard.com/">Flipboard</a>, <a href="http://www.mixbook.com/">Mixbook</a>, and <a href="http://issuu.com/">Issuu</a> help you create digital magazines and newspapers that can be embedded in blogs or websites.</li>
	<li><strong>Revisit goals</strong> - Get students to recall their initial goals at the beginning of the year.&nbsp;</li>
</ul>

<p>In what ways do you motivate yourself and your students as your classes come to an end?&nbsp;</p>


7+ Ideas & Resources for Wrapping Up the School Year with a Bang!

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<blockquote><p>&ldquo;A ship in port is safe, but that is not what ships are built for. Sail out to sea and do new things.&rdquo;</p><p class="attribution">&mdash;Grace Hopper</p></blockquote>

<p>January is when we are most motivated to accomplish goals, and motivation is the key to accomplishing any goal and improving ourselves. Unfortunately, staying motivated throughout the year is tough. Four years ago, I found my answer by developing a Personal/Passionate Learning Network (PLN). What&rsquo;s a PLN? A PLN consists of the people we choose to interact with and derive knowledge from in our various social networks and online learning spaces. Every day, millions share the narratives of their lives through written words, images, music, audio, and video they post on various social networks. These exchanges make us reflect on our beliefs, philosophies, and self-image and often influence our behavior and decisions. Below are events, courses, webinars, conferences, and online projects where you can learn with other language teachers and learners online. Try at least one and see how the experience helps you grow as a teacher. Then revisit us in a few months and let us know how it helped enhance your teaching year.</p>

<h3>Free Online Learning! Courses, Webinars, Sessions, and Conferences</h3>

<p><a href="http://eltchat.org/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">#ELTchat</a>&mdash;Join several language teachers worldwide on Twitter to discuss various topics you get to vote for and suggest. You can also just lurk or look at past archives for great lesson ideas and resources. This ELTON-nominated chat takes place every Wednesday. The times alternate each week at 12:00 p.m. GMT and the following week at 21:00 GMT.</p>

<p><a href="http://evosessions.pbworks.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">EVO Sessions</a>&mdash;For five weeks in January and February, English language teaching experts and teachers in over 100 countries engage in collaborative online discussions or hands-on virtual workshops. Find this year&rsquo;s list of over 15 to choose from with topics such as teaching young learners, with drama, with mobile devices and creating your own digital textbook.</p>

<p><a href="http://30goals.com" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">The 30 Goals Challenge</a>&mdash;We are a community of teachers who suggest 1 to 30 goals related to education to accomplish in a year. You choose to accomplish 1 to 30 of your choice and post a reflection on your blog or at our <a href="https://www.facebook.com/groups/30Goals/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Facebook community</a>. These are short-term goals that can be accomplished in one day, such as thank a student, share a lesson idea, or dare your students. Our theme this year is, Make a Difference. Over 10,000 teachers have joined the challenge since 2010.</p>

<p><a href="https://www.facebook.com/TeachingEnglish.BritishCouncil" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">The Teach English Facebook Community</a> hosts regular Facebook discussions with some incredible language teachers, bloggers, and speakers worldwide.</p>

<p><a href="https://twitter.com/search?q=%23Eltmooc&amp;src=typd" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">#ELTMOOC</a>&mdash;Throughout the year, the incredible <a href="http://twitter.com/fluencymc" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Jason Levine (Fluency MC)</a>, organizes free online courses for teachers. Over 24 instructors provide instruction on listening and pronunciation. Follow the hashtag to see when the next event takes place.</p>

<p><a href="http://www.livebinders.com/play/play/292127?present=true" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Free Friday Webinars</a>&mdash;Every Friday attend a free 30 minute online webinar with Shelly Sanchez Terrell about an ELT topic at 3:00 p.m. CT, 4:00 p.m. ET, 9:00 p.m. GMT, 10:00 p.m. CET, Sat. 8:00 a.m. Sydney, and Sat. 6 a.m. Tokyo. Check your <a href="http://www.timeanddate.com/worldclock/fixedtime.html?msg=1&amp;iso=20140221T16&amp;p1=179&amp;am=30" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">time zone here</a>!&nbsp;</p>

<p>Receive a certificate, find resources, and watch recordings to over 150+ sessions here: <a href="http://www.livebinders.com/play/play/292127?present=true" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">http://bit.ly/ELTLINKs</a>.</p>

<p><a href="http://www.teachingenglish.org.uk/webinars" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Teach English Webinars</a>&mdash;Each month the British Council offers free webinars from various ELT authors, teachers, and trainers. Topics have included online teaching, designing a lesson, and emotional approaches to teaching with technology.</p>

<p><a href="http://www.beltabelgium.com/p/webinars.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">BELTA Sunday Webinars</a>&mdash;Each month attend a free webinar on Sundays, which is sponsored by the Belgium English Language Teachers Association. You can attend free. Topics have included games to mobile learning.</p>

<p><a href="http://www.virtual-round-table.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">The Virtual Round Table Language and Technology Free E-Conference</a>&mdash;Each year Heike Philp and others host this ELTON-nominated conference during March, April, or May. In the past keynotes included ELT allstars like Jeremy Harmer, Lindsay Clandfield, Chuck Sandy, Luke Meddings, Gavin Dudeney, Nik Peachey and Nicky Hockly.</p>

<p><a href="http://theedublogger.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Edublogs Live Events</a>&mdash;Every week, attend a free webinar on various topics. Usually, Jo and Phil Hart host these free webinars that cover effective use of web 2.0 tools or instructional methodologies.</p>

<p><a href="http://live.classroom20.com/index.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Classroom 2.0 Live Events</a>&mdash;Every week, attend a free webinar with an expert in a field or listen to some great authors speak live and ask them questions.</p>

<p>What are your favorite ways to learn online? Did I miss any other great professional development opportunities?</p>

Your Best Year Yet as an ELT Teacher! 20+ Free PD Events & Resources

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<p>&nbsp;</p>

<blockquote>&ldquo;They may forget what you said but they will never forget how you made them feel.&rdquo; &mdash;&nbsp;Carol Buchner</blockquote>

<p>Many of us will be meeting a new set of learners we get to guide and make an impact on this year.</p>

<p>We have the mission to engage our students with the content, and more importantly, inspire them to be continuous learners. We have several methods and tools to choose from to teach content, including the most widely used, coursebooks and worksheets.</p>

<p>These are just one set of tools in our teachers&rsquo; kit of ways to engage learners.</p>

<p>I&rsquo;d like you to consider getting your students to accomplish some of the activities listed.</p>

<p>As educators, we should experiment with various instructional strategies that inspire our learners to explore and make personal connections with the content.</p>

<h3>Share their stories</h3>

<p>Each learner has a story to tell about their experiences and connections to the content. Encourage learners to create movies, comics, books, podcasts, and/or vodcasts of how they interpret the content.</p>

<p>Hundreds&nbsp;of free web tools and mobile apps allow learners to create stories with characters, backgrounds, creative commons music, their own photos/ drawings, and more. Find many digital storytelling tools, apps, examples and ideas listed in this <a href="http://www.livebinders.com/play/play/222323?present=true" target="_bank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow">LiveBinder of digital storytelling resources</a>.</p>

<p>If you don&rsquo;t have access to the Internet, they can always produce digital stories using cell phones, digital cameras, and/or computer programs like iMovie or Windows Movie Maker.</p>

<h3>Publish their work online</h3>

<p>Learners worldwide are sharing their creations and talents on various social tools, like blogs, Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and Youtube.</p>

<p>We have an incredible opportunity to motivate our students to explore the content beyond the classroom walls if we create virtual spaces where our students can publish their work and receive feedback.</p>

<p>Two free educational platforms that many teachers recommend are <a href="http://edmodo.com" target="_bank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow">Edmodo</a> and <a href="http://kidblog.org/home/" target="_bank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow">Kid Blog</a>. Beware of the age requirements and&nbsp;privacy settings of any tool you use. Also, make sure to get parents to sign Acceptable Use Policies (AUPs) where they detail what they will allow to be published. Find many <a href="http://technology4kids.pbworks.com/w/page/31013688/Parent%20Forms" target="_bank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow">AUPs for you to download, edit, and use</a>.</p>

<h3>Organize their ideas in a graphic organizer</h3>

<p>Graphic organizers help break down vast amounts of information into more manageable chunks. They help learners think critically. Learners can use concept maps to explore a theme further and list examples from their experiences. There are 100s of graphic organizers to support any subject matter.</p>

<p>Many free online tools help learners complete multimedia graphic organizers with links, videos, images, and audio. Find many <a href="http://teacherrebootcamp.com/2013/03/29/lets-brainstorm-with-mobile-devices-15-free-apps-for-iosandroid/" target="_bank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow">free mobile brainstorming apps here</a> and <a href="http://www.pearltrees.com/shellyterrell/graphic-writing-organizers/id6566287" target="_bank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow">free tools in this PearlTree,</a> a mindmap of bookmarks.</p>

<h3>Have class time to explore their interests</h3>

<p>Consider ideas like 20% time or <a href="http://www.edutopia.org/blog/20-percent-time-a-j-juliani" target="_bank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow">Genius Hour</a>, where students are given dedicated blocks of class time to design their own projects that explore what they are passionate about.</p>

<h3>Make a global connection</h3>

<p>Tools like Skype and Google HangOuts make it easy to quickly connect with students, authors, and subject matter experts across the globe.</p>

<p>When I was teaching 4 to 6 year-olds in Germany, we <a href="http://teacherrebootcamp.com/2010/08/22/learning-beyond-walls-21-skype-resources/" target="_bank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow">Skyped with a boy in the UK</a> who taught us origami and we created a <a href="http://teacherrebootcamp.com/2009/08/01/getting-children-involved-with-edtech/" target="_bank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow">digital story on Voicethread with children in Turkey</a>.</p>

<p>Most companies are global so it is important our students learn how to interact with peers worldwide. Check out the <a href="http://teacherrebootcamp.com/2012/03/18/goal-7-make-a-global-connection-30goalsedu/" target="_bank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow">various ideas listed here</a>.</p>

<h3>Play</h3>

<p>Learners of all ages enjoy play. Play helps us explore content hands-on.</p>

<p>One activity I use with students of all ages is I Spy with my Mobile Device. I preteach the content, then students are given about 5 minutes to take a close-up picture that represents what they learn.</p>

<p>For example, if you teach geometry shapes, a student might take a close-up shot of a chapstick tube. The student would then show another peer the picture. The peer would have to guess what geometric shape is represented and identify the object. Find various <a href="http://pinterest.com/shellyterrell/kids-classroom-games-for-learning/" target="_bank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow">games for young learners bookmarked here</a>.</p>

<h3>Establish connections with their peers</h3>

<p>The first days of school are important for helping our students begin to build relationships with their classmates.</p>

<p>Icebreakers, team building, and getting-to-know-you activities make it easier for students to talk to and learn about each other. These activities help prevent bullying and the creation of cliques, because it is difficult to be consistently mean to a friend versus a stranger. These activities promote a classroom culture of trust and respect.</p>

<p>Many language learners fail to contribute to discussions because they fear making mistakes in front of strangers. When the students get to know each other, they begin to feel more confident making mistakes.</p>

<p>Find <a href="http://teacherrebootcamp.com/2012/08/03/10-getting-to-know-you-activities-for-teens-adults/" target="_bank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow">getting-to-know-you activities for teens and adults here</a> and <a href="http://teacherrebootcamp.com/2012/08/20/10-getting-to-know-you-activities-for-kids/" target="_bank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow">those for children here</a>. You can find <a href="http://pinterest.com/shellyterrell/icebreakers/" target="_bank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow">various icebreaker activities here</a>.</p>

<h3>More resources</h3>

<ul>
	<li><a href="http://teacherrebootcamp.com/2011/08/23/surviving-the-1st-month-of-school-20-tips-resources/" target="_bank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow">Surviving the 1st Month of School: 20+ Tips &amp; Resources</a></li>
</ul>

<p>What other ideas do you have?</p>


7 Activities for Engaging Students This School Year

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<blockquote>&ldquo;<em>I believe there&#39;s a hero in all of us, that keeps us honest, gives us strength, makes us noble, and finally allows us to die with pride.</em>&rdquo;<br />
&mdash;May Parker, Spider-Man 2</blockquote>

<p>With summer comes movie blockbusters and you can bet one of those blockbusters will be about one of our favorite superheroes. People love superheroes, because we can all find a superhero we identify with and therefore, this is a great topic to explore with your students.</p>

<p>Learning about superheroes helps empower our kids that deal daily with peer pressure, bullying, and other stresses. Superheroes motivate us because they are brave and courageous during the most stressful situations. They give us hope when we most need it.</p>

<p>The following lesson ideas, web tools, materials and apps will inspire your learners to enjoy reading and writing about various superheroes.</p>

<h2>Host a Superhero Day or Party</h2>

<p>Set-up a day, week, or event dedicated to superheroes. If you work with young learners, have them dress up as their favorite superheroes or have them bring in a toy that represents their favorite superhero.</p>

<p>Sit in a circle and have children demonstrate their superpowers (Total Physical Response learning), tell the group the superhero&rsquo;s catch phrase, confess a weakness, give a reason why this is the favorite superhero, and play games.</p>

<p>You can play games like Superhero charades and guess the superhero through the drawing of clues. You can have a superhero playlist of music the class listens to all day.</p>

<p>Your teens can contribute to a Superhero playlist if you use tools that have a collaboration option, like <a href="http://spotify.com">Spotify</a>&nbsp;or&nbsp;<a href="http://youtube.com">Youtube</a>. If you work with teens, your superhero day can consist of them sharing comics and presenting about their favorite superheroes.</p>

<h2>Read Superhero Stories</h2>

<p>When you choose your reading list, include stories, novels, and comics about superheroes. You can ask your students for suggestions. You might also ask learners to suggest books that show the non-typical hero. The Diary of a Wimpy Kid is a popular book about a boy who represents the non-typical hero.</p>

<p>You can also find several graphic novels with superheros. This type of novel is great for language learners because there are visuals to accompany difficult vocabulary and plots.</p>

<p>You can teach your students about the hero&rsquo;s journey and have them create a mindmap, animated video, or infographic of their favorite superhero&rsquo;s hero journey. The following are a few recommended resources for superhero stories for children:</p>

<ul>
	<li>You Can Do Anything Daddy by Michael Rex</li>
	<li>Superhero School by Aaron Reynolds</li>
	<li>Superhero Max by Lawrence David</li>
	<li><a href="http://learnenglishkids.britishcouncil.org/en/short-stories/superhero-high">Superhero High</a>&mdash;a free&nbsp;interactive ebook by the British Council with free printable activities and online games</li>
</ul>

<h2>Create Superhero Songs and Music Videos</h2>

<p>Have your teens work in pairs or groups to create music videos or movie previews about their favorite superheroes. They can use free mobile phone apps to create special effects like Quo Movie Fx, Creature Fx, and Action Movie FX. These record clips with explosions, ghosts, dinosaurs, etc. super imposed to an actual recorded scene.</p>

<p>With these apps they can literally make their house looklike it&rsquo;s exploding or being swallowed by an earthquake.&nbsp;Your students can use a video editor like iMovie, Windows Movie Maker, or a free app like VidEditor to piece together their movie.</p>

<p>For young learners you might try songs like <a href="http://learnenglishkids.britishcouncil.org/en/songs/amazing-superheroes">Amazing Superheroes</a>&nbsp;from the British Council, or <a href="https://genkienglish.net/teaching/curriculum/level-1-adventure/lesson-5-superhero/">I&rsquo;m a superhero! I can&hellip;</a>&nbsp;by Genki English.&nbsp;These come with interactive online exercises to learn the lyrics and vocabulary.</p>

<h2>Use Toys and Stuff Animals as Superheroes</h2>

<p>Have very young learners bring in their toys and pretend these toys are superheroes. They can name what powers they have by repeating the phrase, &#39;I&#39;m a superhero, I can...&rdquo; and have their stuff animals perform the movement.</p>

<p>Use these <a href="https://bogglesworldesl.com/superhero_flashcards.htm">Superhero Ability Cards</a>&nbsp;to demonstrate verbs like jump, fly, rescue, climb, capture, and punch. Children can play a game after they learn the vocabulary where they pick up a card from the deck and have the toy perform the action. They can even do this as a charades activity where their peers guess what the action is.</p>

<p>After they learn the vocabulary, they can also work in pairs or groups and pretend their toys are saving another toy or they can work as a team to save other toys.</p>

<h2>Invent and Create Superhero Gear</h2>

<p>Remember how Batman has a team that designs his gear and vehicles? Walk into class, describe a new hero or have a card deck of superheroes you assign to each group, and tell the students they have to work in groups to create that superhero&rsquo;s gear and vehicle.</p>

<p>Have students work in pairs and design the gear and what it does. The gear should align to the mission of the superhero. They will have to research common enemies and know some history of battles to create the right gear.</p>

<p>Preteach vocabulary dealing with materials and actions related to gear. For example, they might learn words like titanium, steel, lasers, and so forth. Give them a chart where on one side they list the material and the other side they list it&rsquo;s elements.</p>

<p>They can draw the gear with apps like <a href="http://educreations.com">Educreations</a>&nbsp;or&nbsp;<a href="http://www.abcya.com/animate.htm">ABCYA Animate</a>. Another option is for the groups to create an infographic with free tools like <a href="http://piktochart.com">Piktochart</a>&nbsp;and <a href="http://thinglink.com">Thinglink</a> where they create labeled drawings of the gear and vehicle. With <a href="http://thinglink.com">Thinglink</a> (which also has a free iPad app) students can link to research for each material.</p>

<p>Have them explain why they chose the gear, what it does, and how it helps support their superhero&rsquo;s mission.</p>

<h2>Invent a New Superhero to Solve a Problem</h2>

<p>Divide students in pairs or groups and give them each a problem they need to create a superhero to tackle. Possible problems include pollution, bullying, sexting, name calling, bad grades, etc.</p>


<h2>Invent an App for a Superhero</h2>

<p>Tell your students the modern superhero now needs an app. Have students use tools&nbsp;like <a href="http://educreations.com">Educreations</a>, or create an infographic to talk about an app for either a current superhero or one they have already created. Watch a series video examples of <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R3Q24CSS0FQ&amp;list=PLD482F70A9023ED2E">student invented apps</a>. They can work in groups or pairs.</p>

<h2>More Resources</h2>

<ul>
	<li><a href="http://pear.ly/b-MI5">My bookmarks of various superhero games and lessons updated regularly</a></li>
	<li><a href="https://learnenglishkids.britishcouncil.org/games/style-hero">Style-a-hero</a>&mdash;a game by the British Council for designing your own superhero&nbsp;</li>
	<li><a href="http://marvel.com/games/play/31/create_your_own_superhero">Create Your Own Super Hero</a>&mdash;games and activities from Marvel for creating your own superhero&nbsp;</li>
	<li><a href="https://www.onestopenglish.com/grammar/grammarman/552373.article">Grammar Man</a>&mdash;a comic strip by Brian Boyd about a superhero who tackles grammar</li>
	<li><a href="http://www.comicmaster.org.uk/">Comic Master</a>&mdash;a free tool for creating&nbsp;custom comic strips and illustrations</li>
	<li><a href="http://www.openculture.com/2012/07/the_mathematics_of_spiderman_and_the_physics_of_superheroes.html">The Mathematics of Spiderman</a> and the <a href="http://www.openculture.com/2012/07/the_mathematics_of_spiderman_and_the_physics_of_superheroes.html">Physics of Superheroes</a>&mdash;free videos from the University of Emory</li>
</ul>


I’m Invincible! Resources, Apps & Lesson Ideas About Superheroes

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<blockquote>&ldquo;Our chief want is someone who will inspire us to be what we know we could be.&rdquo; ~ Ralph Waldo Emerson</blockquote>

<p>Today&rsquo;s post celebrates the innovative ways teachers are motivating their English language learners. We are describing different ways to teach English that will astound your students. We offer you a peek at what other teachers are doing with their language learners and the results. We hope these ideas inspire you to be creative with a lesson or two even if you don&rsquo;t choose to use these methods throughout the year.</p>

<h3>Teaching English through Rap</h3>

<p>Jason Levine, <a href="https://twitter.com/FluencyMC">also known as Fluency MC</a>, uses rap songs to teach learners collocations and vocabulary. He raps about grammar and structures and provides the pdfs with lyrics. He has <a href="http://www.youtube.com/user/collolearn?feature=watch">several videos</a> created that you can use with your learners in case you aren&rsquo;t the type of teacher who raps. Here is <a href="http://www.youtube.com/user/collolearn?feature=watch">a recorded presentation</a> in which he explains his method, how he started, and the results.&nbsp;</p>

<h3>Teaching English through Lip Dubs</h3>

<p><a href="https://twitter.com/chucksandy">Chuck Sandy</a> has his university students in Japan create Lip Dub videos of famous songs. You can <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UEZniP5I-vo">check out one of these videos here</a>. In a lip dub, students learn the lyrics to a song then record a video in which they mouth the words to the lyrics as the music plays. The students lip sync in the video. The students seem to be having a lot of fun and it helps with team building.&nbsp;</p>

<h3>Teaching English through Karaoke</h3>

<p><a href="http://gret.wordpress.com/2010/12/12/divingintoaskypingadventure/">Greta Sandler</a> had her 5th graders in Argentina karaoke on Singing Fridays. They use this time to sing English songs they have created, teach others English songs through Skype, and sing famous English songs they have prepared and memorized throughout the week.&nbsp;One of our favorite tools for language learners is <a href="http://lyricstraining.com/">Lyrics Training</a>.</p>

<h3>Teaching English through a Geolocation Game</h3>

<p>Paul Driver has invented <a href="http://digitaldebris.info/spywalk">SpyWalk</a>, a location-based urban game. Language learners play in teams with mobile devices and live GPS tracking to complete missions. The project was recently nominated for an ELTon.</p>

<h3>Teaching English through Memes</h3>

<p>Nina Jeroncic, who is based in Slovenia, recommends teaching with Internet language or memes. According to <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Meme">wikipedia</a>, memes are ideas, behavior, or language spread throughout a culture. Here is a <a href="https://lancelot.adobeconnect.com/_a875817169/p4nco5930jt/">recorded presentation in which Nina explains various tools and lesson ideas</a>. She uses examples like YOLO, the Grumpy Cat, and more. Her ideas would be great to motivate teens and university students.</p>

<h3>Teaching English by Creating Apps</h3>

<p>Ozge Karaoglu, a young learner teacher in Turkey, has her 5 to 7 year-old students create the content for mobile apps. They have created a children&rsquo;s dictionary, games, and stories that integrate their voice, imagination, and drawings. Find the <a href="https://play.google.com/store/apps/developer?id=Terakki+Vakf%C4%B1+Okullar%C4%B1&amp;hl=en">free Android apps here</a> and the <a href="http://ozgekaraoglu.edublogs.org/">IOS apps listed on her blog</a>. Ozge&rsquo;s kids&rsquo; apps were recently nominated for an ELTon and have won various awards.</p>

<h3>Teaching English in Virtual Worlds</h3>

<p>Language learners of all ages are immersing themselves in virtual worlds to learn English. They create an avatar that travels through a virtual world like <a href="http://secondlife.com">Second Life</a> and they can interact with others and objects. Language Labs is one of the more well-known virtual schools that teach English to adults.&nbsp;</p>

<h3>Teaching English through Magic</h3>

<p>Get your students to learn English by teaching them magic tricks, having them create magic potions, and getting them to write in invisible ink.</p>

<h3>Do you have more innovative ideas to add to this list?</h3>

<p>Comment below!</p>


Not Your Ordinary English! 8 Creative Ideas for Teaching Language Learners

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<blockquote>
<p>&quot;Magic is believing in yourself. If you can do that, you can make anything happen.&quot;</p>

<p class="attribution">&mdash;Johann Wolfgang von Goethe</p>
</blockquote>

<p>Many teachers deal with a learner motivation problem. Sometimes, we have tried doing our best to inspire our learners to explore the topic and be excited about learning. If you feel you are running out options in your bag of tricks, then this post is for you.</p>

<p>Below are a list of 10 ideas to motivate your learners by using magic. Many of our learners enjoy the supernatural and are wowed by spells, optical illusions, and tricks. Try one of these ideas to bring a bit of magic and motivation to your class of language learners.</p>

<h2>Magic Potions</h2>

<p>For this lesson, learners create magic potions they can drink. They imagine what their potions do by completing creative writing tasks.</p>

<ol>
	<li>Tell your students they are good wizards or witches and will be creating their own spells to help their peers. You might want to introduce by drinking a fizzy drink and telling them what spell it has cast on you. Make sure it is a positive effect like smiling non-stop for an hour or laughing straight for 5 minutes, etc. (You are practicing verbs)</li>
	<li>Pair the students. Each pair consults in English for about 5 minutes. They must tell each other what kind of good spell they&rsquo;d like the other to create. Have them brainstorm options then write these down. Here&rsquo;s a <a href="https://docs.google.com/document/d/1dPpTwNW-AN1LrFZdEsihjv9GZnJpCoBwlUhFQZ5tyno/edit?usp=sharing">free hand-out you can copy and adapt</a>.</li>
	<li>Then have your students create a magic potion following one of the recipes below. They can drink each other&rsquo;s and imagine the spell has been cast.<br />
	- Recipe for a <a href="http://www.thegunnysack.com/2011/07/magic-potion-rainbow-drink-tutorial.html">magical rainbow colored drink kids can drink</a>. Comes with labels and visual instructions.<br />
	- Magic <a href="http://notjustcute.com/2011/06/06/magic-potions-and-fizzing-formulas-getting-kids-attention-with-chemistry-3/">baking soda potion</a> with visual instructions. (don&rsquo;t drink)</li>
</ol>

<p>After drinking the potions, have the students use a digital storytelling tool&nbsp;to tell a story or create a comic about drinking the magic potion and what happened next. They can use tools like <a href="http://storybird.com/">Storybird</a>&nbsp;or <a href="http://littlebirdtales.com">LittleBirdTales</a>. Your students do not have to register to create comics at <a href="http://writecomics.com/">WriteComics</a>, <a href="http://chogger.com/creator">Chogger</a>, and <a href="http://makebeliefscomix.com/">MakeBeliefs</a>.</p>

<p>Alternatively, your students could use one of the digital storytelling tools to create a magic potion book where they include a picture of the potion, list the ingredients (can be made up) and list what the spell does. Stress positive spells so students aren&rsquo;t tempted to create mean spells. This is a great way to also teach citizenship.</p>

<h2>Magic Tricks</h2>

<p>Teach your learners a magic trick as a class. You will need to get each of them the supplies. There are simple magic tricks like <a href="http://magic.about.com/od/Easy-Magic-Tricks-for-Kids/ss/Easy-Magic-Trick-Money-Bill-Smile.htm">making a bill smile</a> or you can <a href="http://magic.about.com/od/Easy-Magic-Tricks-for-Kids/tp/Magic-Tricks-For-Kids.htm">choose from one of these easy and cheap tricks</a>.</p>

<p>Another option is to have your kids choose a magic trick to teach the class to do. You can put in a list of tricks with the website url printed on a paper strip. Put these strips in a bag and the student pulls out the trick they must demonstrate.</p>

<p>You can have them demonstrate this on Youtube, create a how-to video using <a href="http://www.educreations.com/">Educreations</a>, or demonstrate through a class live presentation. Check out this video of how <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GbdOt_e4o3Q&amp;list=LLCC3RDxws3dOmIWWoMS9lrA">YL teacher, Barbi Bujtas, teaches her language learners with magic tricks</a>.</p>

<h2>Optical Illusions</h2>

<p>Optical illusions are a great way to teach students about shape, light, patterns, colors, and vision. Here are some free resources:</p>

<ul>
	<li><a href="https://designpress.com/inspiration/optical-illusions-for-kids/">25 Brilliant Optical Illusions For Kids</a></li>
	<li><a href="https://kids.niehs.nih.gov/games/riddles/illusions/index.htm">Tons of optical illusions</a> to use as discussion starters or to get them thinking at the beginning of class.</li>
</ul>

<h2>Magical Music, Reads, &amp; Films</h2>

<p>These are some of my favorite books and films with magic. You can throw a party where the students dress up like a magical creature, witch, or wizard; make magic potions; teach others magic tricks; dance or karaoke to their favorite magical tunes: and watch a film or listen to you read a story to them.</p>

<h3>Stories</h3>

<ul>
	<li><a href="http://roomonthebroom.com/activities/">Room on the Broom</a> by Julia Donaldson</li>
	<li><a href="http://www.magickeys.com/books/invis-allig/index.html#pictop">Invisible Alligators</a> by Hayes Roberts</li>
	<li><a href="http://learnenglishkids.britishcouncil.org/en/short-stories/ali-and-the-magic-carpet">Ali and the Magic Carpet</a>&nbsp;by Sue Clarke</li>
	<li><a href="http://www.scholastic.com/teachers/unit/harry-potter-everything-you-need">Harry Potter</a>&nbsp;by J.K. Rowling</li>
	<li><a href="http://learnenglishkids.britishcouncil.org/en/short-stories/jack-and-the-beanstalk">Jack and the Beanstalk</a>&nbsp;</li>
</ul>

<h3>Film Ideas</h3>

<p><em>(Please review &amp; get permission from parents before showing any film or clip)</em></p>

<ul>
	<li>Harry Potter (2001-2011)</li>
	<li>The Never Ending Story (1984)</li>
	<li>How to Train Your Dragon (2010)</li>
	<li>The Pagemaster (1994)</li>
	<li>Aladdin (1992)</li>
	<li>Jumanji (1995)</li>
	<li>Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory (1971)</li>
	<li>Casper the Friendly Ghost (1995)</li>
	<li>Puff the Magic Dragon (1978)</li>
</ul>

<h3>Music</h3>

<ul>
	<li><a href="http://learnenglishkids.britishcouncil.org/en/songs/abracadabra">Abracadabra</a> by the British Council Learn English</li>
	<li><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oBS4bMIAu20">I&rsquo;ve Got the Magic in Me</a> by B.O.B</li>
	<li><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U5-5a9VrDWs">Do You Believe in Magic?</a> by Aly and AJ&nbsp;</li>
	<li><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oZONGRYmGjg">Captain&rsquo;s Magic Buttons</a> by The Wiggles</li>
	<li><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U0PI2djoA10">Puff the Magic Dragon</a>&nbsp;(song and video story)</li>
</ul>

<h3>Magical Apps</h3>

<p>Magic can be found on mobile devices. Try any of the free apps below with your learners.</p>

<ul>
	<li><a href="https://apps.apple.com/us/app/max-the-magic-marker-remastered/id1256928610">Max and the Magic Marker</a>- Draw interactive objects.</li>
	<li><a href="https://www.minilabstudios.com/apps/arties-magic-pencil/">Artie&#39;s Magic Pencil</a>- kids learn the fundamentals of drawing</li>
	<li><a href="https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/spellcraft-school-of-magic/id471396267?mt=8">SpellCraft School of Magic</a>- role-playing game where the student goes to school and makes magic potions</li>
	<li><a href="https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=upworksolutions.themagictricks&amp;hl=en_US&amp;gl=US">Learn Magic Tricks</a> - Video tutorials and reveals for easy magic tricks</li>
</ul>

<h3>More Great Websites and Resources</h3>

<p>Find more ideas and safe jokes to share with students using these websites:</p>

<ul>
	<li><a href="http://bogglesworldesl.com/potionbook.htm">Boggles World Curriculum: Magic Potions</a>- Lots of fantastic ideas, free hand-outs, listening activities, a story and more!</li>
	<li><a href="http://bogglesworldesl.com/spellbook.htm">Boggles World Curriculum: Spell Book</a>- Lots of fantastic ideas, free hand-outs, a story and more!</li>
	<li><a href="http://whattheteacherwants.blogspot.com/2011/10/halloween-party-time-and-witches-brew.html">Witches Brew Curriculum</a></li>
	<li><a href="http://www.teachbymagic.com/">Teach by Magic</a>- A site full of videos and ideas so you can teach with magic year round</li>
	<li>Have students <a href="http://www.alexslemonade.org/files/schools/k8/Invisible%20Ink%20Lemon%20Juice%20(K-6).pdf">create messages in invisible ink</a></li>
</ul>

<p>What other ideas do you have?</p>


Magic Mayhem! 10+ Ideas & Resources to Motivate Using Magic

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<blockquote>
<p>&quot;Laughter is more than just a pleasurable activity...When people laugh together, they tend to talk and touch more and to make eye contact more frequently&quot;</p>

<p class="attribution">&mdash;Gretchen Rubin</p>
</blockquote>

<p>April Fool&rsquo;s Day is around the corner and it&rsquo;s a great time to get your students laughing while learning. Laughter is healthy and gets us to relieve the stress of language learning.</p>

<p>Many of these lessons deal with studying the language in jokes. Jokes are cultural. They play on words, take critical thinking skills to decipher, and enhance the classroom atmosphere. Many will make your students roll their eyes but they will still smile.</p>

<p>Try a few of these ideas and let us know how much your students enjoyed them!</p>

<h2>Joke Mingle</h2>

<p>You can have students bring in jokes for any topic, grammar, or vocabulary you teach. Have them bring in jokes about food, with a phrasal verb, that play on a word, that include a gesture, are their favorites. Remember to have a discussion beforehand to keep it clean!</p>

<ul>
	<li>Students memorize at least one of the jokes.</li>
	<li>Put students in pairs facing each other.</li>
	<li>Give them 30 seconds to a minute to tell their jokes.</li>
	<li>Blow the whistle. They must tell their jokes to different students.</li>
	<li>Create a checklist for them to carry around and check off every time they hear a joke:<br />
	✓ Was it funny?<br />
	✓ Did you get it?<br />
	✓ Have you heard this joke before?</li>
</ul>

<h2>My Favorite Joke</h2>

<p>Have students present their favorite jokes to the class then discuss where they first heard the joke, who told them the joke, and why they think the joke is so funny.</p>

<h2>Corniest Joke Contest</h2>

<p>One of the ways to get your students laughing is to have them tell corny jokes. Have them bring in at least 5 and host a contest for the one that gets the most eye rolls.</p>

<h2>Jokes Across Cultures</h2>

<p>Have a discussion with your students about various types of jokes. Brainstorm on a cognitive map the different types of jokes they come up with such as knock, knock jokes, the chicken crossed the road joke, how many (profession) does it take to screw a lightbulb, etc.</p>

<p>You can use a tool like <a href="http://popplet.com/">Popplet</a> to create a collaborative mindmap. Pair or group learners and have them search for an example of each to include in the mindmap.</p>

<p>Poll your students to see if their countries share similar joke styles. My students in Germany had never heard of knock-knock jokes but they had heard of the <em>how many does it take to screw a lightbulb</em> joke.</p>

<p>Have students create a comic that illustrates the meaning behind the jokes they found. Your students do not have to register to create comics at <a href="http://writecomics.com/">WriteComics</a>, <a href="http://chogger.com/creator">Chogger</a>, and <a href="http://makebeliefscomix.com/">MakeBeliefs</a>.</p>

<h2>Research a Joke</h2>

<p>With a mindmapping tool like <a href="http://popplet.com/">Popplet</a>, students include the origins, history, vocabulary, grammar, of a joke. They present their joke research to the class.</p>

<h2>Mobile Joke Telling: Why Did the Chicken Cross the Road?</h2>

<p>Put students in a circle. Tell them a few of the chicken crossed the road jokes. Then ask them to think of reasons why the chicken crossed the road.</p>

<p>Using the audio recording feature of a cell phone, record the first student asking, &ldquo;Why did the chicken cross the road?&rdquo; Student B gives a clever answer, then repeats, &ldquo;Why did the chicken cross the road?&rdquo; Student C gives a clever answer and continues the cycle.</p>

<h2>Jigsaw Jokes</h2>

<p>Cut jokes and their punchlines into strips. Distribute each slip to different students. You can have them grab the paper strips from a bag.</p>

<p>The students with the joke search for the student with the matching punchline. Instruct them to read their jokes aloud each time they approach someone.</p>

<p>When a pair finds each other have them work together to figure out the meaning. After everyone finds their partners, have them read the joke aloud to the class.</p>

<p>Then have a class vote on the funniest joke, the corniest joke, and the most difficult joke to understand (and why).</p>

<h2>Some Digital Tools and Ideas</h2>

<p>Your student will love having their jokes told by colorful characters using the <a href="http://voki.com/">Voki</a> speaking tool.</p>

<ul>
	<li>With <a href="http://blabberize.com/">Babblerize</a> your students can take a picture of an animal, pet, or object to tell their joke. It looks funny because a fake mouth is created.</li>
	<li>Your students can illustrate their jokes with 2 characters at <a href="http://goanimate.com/">GoAnimate</a>. They can also create reactions to the joke, like the character laughing a lot or saying something like, &ldquo;Argggghhhh!&rdquo;</li>
	<li>If you&rsquo;re using mobile devices, check out apps like <a href="https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/sock-puppets/id394504903">Sock Puppets</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/puppet-pals-pocket/id395844666?mt=8">Puppet Pals</a>.</li>
</ul>

<h2>A Laughing Diary</h2>

<ul>
	<li>Have students keep a small notebook with them.</li>
	<li>Instruct them to write down the details of every time they laugh.</li>
	<li>After a week have them share the details and have a discussion about what makes us laugh. The class can see if any similar incidences make them laugh.</li>
	<li>Do this with a class from another country and compare to see if upbringing or culture might influence the outcomes.</li>
</ul>

<h2>More Great Websites and Resources</h2>

<p>Find more ideas and safe jokes to share with students using these websites:</p>

<ul>
	<li>My <a href="http://www.pearltrees.com/shellyterrell/teaching-english-jokes/id6912440">bookmarks of Joke sites and lesson ideas</a></li>
	<li><a href="http://manythings.org/jokes">Many Things- Jokes for English Language Learners</a></li>
	<li><a href="http://theoatmeal.com/djtaf">Dumb Jokes That are Funny</a></li>
	<li><a href="http://lessonstream.org/2011/10/04/chickens-crossing/">Lesson plan: Chicken Crossing</a> by Lesson Stream</li>
	<li><a href="http://lessonstream.org/2007/11/09/the-train-tunnel-joke">Lesson plan: The Train Tunnel Joke</a> by Lesson Stream</li>
</ul>


Let’s Laugh! 10+ Resources Activities for Inspiring Laughter in Your Class

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<p>Valentine&rsquo;s Day is celebrated worldwide. The holiday is named after the martyr, St. Valentinus, who often performed secret weddings for soldiers for which he was imprisoned.</p>

<p>Lovers worldwide celebrate the holiday by giving each other gifts to show how much they care about each other. It is a time when children eat candy hearts and send heartfelt messages to each other.</p>

<p>It is the holiday of romance, but in the classroom we can teach various themes including relationships, kindness, and various kinds of love, such as love of a pet, family, one&rsquo;s self, or hobby.</p>

<p>Be sure to check out our&nbsp;<a href="https://ellii.com/collections/holidays-events/love-relationships">Valentine&#39;s Day &amp; Love</a> collection for lessons and resources on&nbsp;love, dating, marriage, and relationships. Below are a few more activities with these themes in mind.</p>

<blockquote>
<p>&quot;Life&#39;s greatest happiness is to be convinced we are&nbsp;loved.&quot;<br />
&mdash;Victor Hugo</p>
</blockquote>

<h2>Heart, Love, and Romance Idioms</h2>

<p>Valentine&rsquo;s Day is a perfect excuse to teach idioms. Your students will enjoy learning about various idioms related to love, such as, &ldquo;falling in love,&rdquo; or &ldquo;head over heels.&quot; Try this <a href="https://ellii.com/resource_categories/107/resources/2145">Love Idioms Poster</a> from our Visual Learning section.</p>

<p>Here are some more ideas:</p>

<ul>
	<li>Use this <a href="http://grammar.net/loveidioms">Love Around the Clock</a>&nbsp;infographic from Grammar.net to teach various idioms like, &ldquo;Pop the question,&rdquo; and &ldquo;Get back together.&rdquo;</li>
</ul>

<ul>
	<li>After learning some idioms, have students choose a few to explain in a comic, with tools like&nbsp;<a href="http://www.makebeliefscomix.com/">Make Beliefs Comix</a>&nbsp;or&nbsp;<a href="http://www.creaza.com/">Creaza</a>.&nbsp;</li>
</ul>

<h2>Heart Candy Activities</h2>

<p>Ever receive a box of candy hearts with their short but lovely messages? Try any of these activities:</p>

<h3>Charades</h3>

<p>Each student picks a candy heart and has to act out the message for their classmates. When someone guesses the message the actor gets to eat the candy heart. This could help motivate shy students to play.</p>

<h3>Guess the Drawing</h3>

<p>Each student picks a candy heart and has to draw&nbsp;out the message for their classmates to guess. Have students pick out three to five of the messages and create written or digital stories using these messages. They can use tools like <a href="http://storybird.com/">Storybird</a>&nbsp;or <a href="http://animoto.com/">Animoto</a>.</p>

<h3>Video Dialogues</h3>

<p>Students pick out four&nbsp;to six of the messages and create a video dialogue between two or more fictitious characters using a digital storytelling tool,&nbsp;like&nbsp;<a href="http://www.xtranormal.com/">Xtranormal</a>.</p>

<p>If you want them to use their mobile devices, then try the free dialogue apps,&nbsp;<a href="https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/puppet-pals-pocket/id395844666?mt=8">PuppetPals</a>&nbsp;and <a href="http://outfit7.com/apps/talking-news/">Talking Ben and Tom News Reporter</a>.</p>

<h3>Create a Comic</h3>

<p>Students pick out four to six of the messages and create a digital comic of the conversation.</p>

<h2>Explore Love in Art</h2>

<p>Take a famous piece of art like <a href="http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3338/3311447615_7bf0850881_z.jpg">Marc Chagall&rsquo;s Dream Village</a>. This painting represents Chagall courting his wife. Break students into pairs and have them write down at least three scenes or visual symbols they observe in the painting. Have them guess what each of these scenes or visual symbols represents, then share their ideas with the rest of the class.</p>

<h2>Explore Love in Poetry</h2>

<p>Valentine&rsquo;s Day is a perfect time for students to explore the language of love in sonnets, haikus, limericks, etc. Try these ideas:</p>

<ul>
	<li>Break students into pairs and give them a few poems to explore then have them create a comic or multimedia presentation where they recite the poem and add visuals that highlight the meaning. Use tools like <a href="http://animoto.com/">Animoto</a>&nbsp;or&nbsp;<a href="http://photopeach.com/">Photopeach</a>.</li>
	<li>With <a href="http://photopeach.com/">Photopeach</a> they can create a multimedia, interactive quiz about the poem that their classmates have to answer.</li>
	<li>Have students create their own love poetry with this <a href="http://play.magneticpoetry.com/poem/original/kit/">cool online magnetic poetry tool</a>. The words are there. They just put them together to create a poem, then can take a screenshot and post in a blog or wiki.</li>
</ul>

<h2>Analyze Love Quotes</h2>

<p>Collect a list of love quotes like Einstein&rsquo;s, &quot;Gravitation is not responsible for people falling in love,&rdquo; and cut them into strips. Have the quote in one strip and on another strip list the author and a few clues.</p>

<p>Give each student a strip. Instruct students to walk around the room to find their partners. Then give them 5 minutes to discuss the meaning of the quotes, whether they agree with the author, and name an example to support their stance.</p>

<p>They will present their quotes and ideas to the rest of their peers when you regroup as a class.</p>

<h2>Analyze Pick Up Lines</h2>

<p>Take famous <a href="http://www.librarything.com/topic/53846">pick up lines</a> and have students create dialogues in which they have to create clever comebacks like <a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-cMr1QVpdBzw/T_XGK2_qLvI/AAAAAAAAAzo/lA6hHw8DUN8/s1600/anti-pickup-lines.png">in this funny post</a>. They can use the previously named dialogue tools and comic strip tools.</p>

<h2>Create Valentine&rsquo;s Day Messages &amp; Send to Friends &amp; Family</h2>

<p>Have your students create handmade crafts, cards, or origami where they insert kind messages for their family members or classmates. When sending these creations to their classmates, make sure they send nice messages to everyone so no one is singled out. You may want to check the messages for any grammar errors before they send these out.</p>

<ul>
	<li>Find out how to make <a href="http://www.en.origami-club.com/valentine/index.html">origami hearts, boxes, and more</a>!</li>
	<li>Use mobile apps, such as <a href="http://www.fotobabble.com/s/mobile">Fotobabble</a>&nbsp;or <a href="http://animoto.com/features">Animoto</a>, to send Valentine&rsquo;s Day messages. These are free and have templates related to the holiday.</li>
</ul>

<h2>More Great Websites and Resources</h2>

<ul>
	<li><a href="http://cybraryman.com/valentine.html">Valentine&rsquo;s Day Sites and Activities</a> by Cybraryman</li>
	<li><a href="http://larryferlazzo.edublogs.org/2009/01/08/the-best-sites-to-learn-about-valentines-day">Best Sites to Learn About Valentine&rsquo;s Day</a> by Larry Ferlazzo</li>
	<li><a href="http://www.esolcourses.com/topics/valentines-day.html">Valentine&rsquo;s Day Resources</a> by ESOL Courses</li>
</ul>


14+ Activities & Resources for Celebrating Valentine’s Day

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Teaching with Ellii

<p>ESL Library&rsquo;s teaching theme for January is&nbsp;<a href="https://ellii.com/collections/8/lessons">Innovation</a>.</p>

<blockquote>
<p>&ldquo;Everybody is a genius. But if you judge a fish by its ability to climb a tree, it will spend its whole life believing that it is&nbsp;stupid.&rdquo;</p>

<p class="attribution">&mdash;Albert Einstein</p>
</blockquote>

<p>There are those lessons in which our learners come out feeling empowered, as if they have the ability and skills to make a positive impact in the world. These are the lessons in which you leave with an extra jump in your step and it feels great to be a teacher. These are the kind of lessons I live for, the ones in which I feel my students have left with more than knowledge. They have left my class feeling passionate and excited about learning. They have left wanting to create with their&nbsp;knowledge.</p>

<p>This semester try one of the lesson ideas below to get your students feeling innovative&mdash;creating and exploring while they are learning. Then revisit us and let us know how your students responded and&nbsp;reacted.</p>

<h1>Idea #1</h1>

<h4>Advertising This Tool</h4>

<p>Break students into pairs or small groups. Begin this lesson by giving the groups an everyday object like a pen, water bottle, or paperclip. Tell the groups that each object does so much more than what we see. For example, the pen might write secret messages that self destruct. The students can imagine all kinds of possibilities. Then the groups have to create short advertisements to market these new inventions. Here&rsquo;s <a href="http://innovativeproductandmarketingcompetition2011.wordpress.com/" target="_blank">a lesson plan for this project</a> by a language teacher in India. Here are the <a href="http://www.youtube.com/user/ipm201112?feature=watch" target="_blank">commercials her students came up with that also showcase their inventions</a>. I liked this one where they <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XH6LFbfNv70&amp;list=UUz0pKncdmZXq2vVL2HWKM0A&amp;index=6" target="_blank">invented a new kind of&nbsp;chalkduster</a>.</p>

<h1>Idea #2</h1>

<h4>An Innovation Day</h4>

<p>Have a day in which students are able to create an invention with the help of a mentor. Then give students a chance to showcase their inventions for the community. This idea was inspired by this article, <a href="http://www.good.is/posts/why-every-school-needs-an-innovation-day/" target="_blank">Why Every School Needs an Innovation&nbsp;Day</a>.</p>

<h1>Idea #3</h1>

<h4>Recycled Invention</h4>

<p>Have families, businesses, and the community donate recycled machine parts from cell phones, computers, appliances, and so forth. Spread out these parts on a table, and supply students with glue guns, duct tape, and other supplies to help them create robots or inventions with the recycled materials. Then have students take a photo of their invention and use an app like <a href="http://voicethread.com/" target="_blank">Voicethread</a> to describe their invention. When I worked at a museum, this was an ongoing free project for kids and they loved working with their hands to build with the recycled machinery. They were very creative and loved describing their&nbsp;invention.</p>

<h1>Idea #4</h1>

<h4>Create an App</h4>

<p>Various online tools make it easy for students to create free apps on Google Play. Have students work in pairs or small groups to design an app or you can have your class work with an app developer to create an app. You can try any of these following free app developers: <a href="http://www.webmobi.com/" target="_blank">WebMobi</a>, <a href="http://appshed.com/" target="_blank">AppShed</a>, or&nbsp;<a href="http://mobile.conduit.com/" target="_blank">Conduit</a>.</p>

<h1>Idea #5</h1>

<h4>Solve a Real-World Problem</h4>

<p>Have students brainstorm problems within their community or facing the world. Then students can work in small groups to come up with ideas to solve that problem. You can find a list of <a href="http://prezi.com/z1vfhc7q5xuz/dare-to-believe-problem-based-learning-with-icts/" target="_blank">problem based lesson plans here</a> and discover kids that are coming up with solutions to fix problems worldwide&nbsp;<a href="http://prezi.com/z1vfhc7q5xuz/dare-to-believe-problem-based-learning-with-icts/" target="_blank">in this presentation</a>. <a href="http://www.randomkid.org/" target="_blank">RandomKid</a> is a database dedicated to getting kids to solve world&nbsp;problems.</p>

<h1>Idea #6</h1>

<h4>Life Would Be Easier if&hellip;</h4>

<p>Have a roundtable discussion in which each student talks about what they wish someone would invent to make life&nbsp;easier.</p>

<ul>
	<li>Before the discussion, have students brainstorm problems they deal with daily or what irks them. They can work in pairs and create a mindmap of these problems or jot them in a chart. Try <a href="http://popplet.com/" target="_blank">Popplet</a>, <a href="http://www.twiddla.com/home.aspx" target="_blank">Twiddla</a>, and <a href="https://www.lucidchart.com/" target="_blank">LucidChart</a> to get your students brainstorming with graphic&nbsp;organizers.</li>
	<li>After they come up with problems, it&rsquo;ll be easier for them to jot down possible&nbsp;solutions.</li>
	<li>After they come up with solutions, they will be ready to come up with inventions that will solve these problems. Have them draw a model of this invention and describe&nbsp;it.</li>
</ul>

<h1>Idea #7</h1>

<h4>Interview an Inventor</h4>

<p>Students enjoy learning from creative types. Try finding an inventor in your community who will visit your students live. Have your learners prepare questions for this inventor. You might try Skyping or having a Google HangOut with an inventor you see&nbsp;online.</p>

<h1>Idea #8</h1>

<h4>Develop a Game</h4>

<p>Free <a href="http://scratch.mit.edu/" target="_blank">online tools like Scratch</a> allow students to create their own interactive games and stories that others can play. Have your students develop a game then have others play the game. You can give them a checklist of requirements for the game and assess them with a rubric. Your students can also map and image games with <a href="http://www.purposegames.com/" target="_blank">Purpose Games</a> and various <a href="http://www.classtools.net/" target="_blank">arcade games and QR games with&nbsp;ClassTools</a>.</p>

<h1>Idea #9</h1>

<h4>Discover an Animal, Insect, Species, or&nbsp;Planet</h4>

<p>Many sites and apps inspire kids to describe a creature from their imagination. Below are a list of great webtools and apps to get your students creating their own animals, monsters, bugs, and&nbsp;more.</p>

<ul>
	<li><a href="http://www.nightzookeeper.com/" target="_blank">Night Zookeeper</a> &ndash; Students listen to stories from the Night Zookeeper, play creative games, then create animals for the Zookeeper to take care of. You can find several <a href="http://www.nightzookeeper.com/teachers/" target="_blank">lesson plans for teachers on the website</a>. There is a <a href="https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/night-zookeeper-drawing-torch/id573502313?mt=8" target="_blank">free app for the iPad</a> where the students can draw their animal and describe&nbsp;it.</li>
	<li><a href="http://www.moshimonsters.com/" target="_blank">MoshiMonsters</a> &ndash; This is a game where students invent a monster, create its home, and then take care of the&nbsp;monster.</li>
	<li><a href="http://learnenglishkids.britishcouncil.org/en/make-your-own/make-your-monster" target="_blank">Make a Monster</a> &ndash; Students create a monster with various physical feature options. Then the monster comes to life, dances, and sings a funny song. I have used this activity for students to create a monster then they have to describe the planet their monster comes from. We usually end the lesson <a href="http://www.instructables.com/id/Oobleck/" target="_blank">making Oobleck</a> in different colors and the students pretending the Oobleck is their planet. You can also have students use Playdoh instead to create their planets. The students also write stories featuring their monsters and the planets they live on. You might try <a href="http://littlebirdtales.com/" target="_blank">Little Bird Tales</a> or <a href="http://zooburst.com/" target="_blank">Zooburst</a> to create these stories&nbsp;online.</li>
	<li><a href="http://learnenglishkids.britishcouncil.org/en/make-your-own/make-dangerous-animal" target="_blank">Make a dangerous animal</a> &ndash; Students create a dangerous animal by choosing from various body part options. Have them create a story featuring their dangerous animals. You might try <a href="http://littlebirdtales.com/" target="_blank">Little Bird Tales</a> or <a href="http://zooburst.com/" target="_blank">Zooburst</a> to create these stories&nbsp;online.</li>
</ul>

<h1>More Great Websites &amp;&nbsp;Resources</h1>

<p>Find more ideas of how to effectively teach about innovation by visiting the resources&nbsp;below:</p>

<ul>
	<li><a href="http://www.inventivekids.com/" target="_blank">Inventive Kids</a> &ndash; Great way to discover the latest inventions by kids and find tips to inspire kids to be&nbsp;inventors</li>
	<li><a href="http://inventorspot.com/" target="_blank">Inventor Spot</a> &ndash; Resources for inventors including a database of recent&nbsp;inventions</li>
	<li><a href="http://www.kidinventorsday.com/teachers_guides.htm" target="_blank">Kid Inventors Lesson Plan&nbsp;Ideas</a></li>
	<li><a href="http://www.ellentv.com/categories/kid-inventors/" target="_blank">Kid Inventors: Video Interviews by Ellen&nbsp;Degeneres</a></li>
	<li><a href="http://www.kidzworld.com/article/1010-kid-inventors-in-history#" target="_blank">Kid Inventors in&nbsp;History</a></li>
</ul>

<p>What other ideas do you&nbsp;have?</p>

<p>To see more of Shelly&rsquo;s tips for online resources for teaching English, <a href="https://ellii.com/blog/authors/shelly-terrell">check out her&nbsp;feed</a>!</p>


9 Activities to Get Your Learners Thinking Like Inventors

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<p>One of the best topics to teach as a language teacher is food. Language learners will use vocabulary and phrases related to food during their travels or while hosting guests from other countries.</p>

<p>Moreover, teachers can teach math, instructions, health, poverty, culture, etiquette, and more while teaching about food.</p>

<p>The activity ideas and resources below will help you have a successful food unit.&nbsp;Be sure to also check out ESL Library&#39;s&nbsp;<a href="https://ellii.com/collections/everyday-topics/food-dining">Food &amp; Dining</a>&nbsp;collection.</p>

<blockquote>
<p>&quot;One cannot think well, love well, sleep well, if one has not dined well.&quot;</p>

<p class="attribution">&mdash;Virginia Woolf</p>
</blockquote>

<h2>Activities and Ideas</h2>

<h3>Food Vocabulary</h3>

<ul>
	<li>Group students and have them design a restaurant menu using a multimedia tool like <a href="http://edu.glogster.com/" target="_blank">Glogster</a>. They will pick the restaurant theme and design the menu with images of the food and prices. Show them a variety of menus collected from restaurants or have them look at online examples.</li>
	<li><a href="http://www.readwritethink.org/classroom-resources/lesson-plans/cooking-descriptive-language-designing-842.html" target="_blank">Read, Write, Web </a>has created a free tool for students to learn about restaurants and design menus.</li>
	<li>Check out these <a href="https://ellii.com/flashcard_genres/13/flashcard_categories">Food &amp; Drink</a>&nbsp;flashcards.</li>
</ul>

<h3>Food and Culture</h3>

<p>Students can learn about various cultures and traditions by studying various cuisines and the food within an area. Here are a few lesson ideas:</p>

<ul>
	<li>Have students teach the class a food tradition or custom. This can be one they are familiar with, like making tea, or it can be one they research.</li>
	<li>Pair or group students and have them research the food manners or etiquette in a country. The students then role play in front of the class what they learned. You can have them use a multimedia tool like <a href="http://voicethread.com/" target="_blank">Voicethread</a> to share these etiquette rules through images, audio, and doodling.</li>
	<li>Pair or group students and have them plan a trip to a different country. They must come up with a list of restaurants they would like to visit and detail what they would order. Students then role play being at the restaurant and ordering the menu items.</li>
</ul>

<h2>Recipes</h2>

<p>Recipes offer students a way to learn vocabulary in chunks through performing tasks and following instructions. Students learn about portion sizes, cooking tasks, ingredients, and cookware. Moreover, students are rewarded for their efforts by being able to taste what they cooked. Here are a few lesson ideas:</p>

<ul>
	<li><a href="https://education.skype.com/">Skype</a> a local or famous chef, a student from a cooking school, a cookbook writer, or other food expert and have them teach the class how to prepare something simple</li>
	<li>Assign a project where students work in pairs or groups to teach the class how to cook a chosen recipe</li>
	<li>Have students create a short how-to video in which they teach others how to cook a meal or perform a cooking task like boiling an egg or chopping onions. They can upload these to Youtube. You can find several examples of these videos to show your students by doing a search on Youtube.</li>
	<li>Have students use a multimedia scrapbooking tool like <a href="http://www.mixbook.com/edu">Mixbook</a> to share a few of their favorite recipes accompanied by pictures and memories.</li>
	<li>Create a class recipe ebook on Google Docs or <a href="http://www.boomwriter.com/#SchoolParentsInfo">BoomWriter</a> in which each student submits a recipe and shows step by step instructions through pictures.</li>
</ul>

<h2>Digital Dialogues About Food</h2>

<p>Students can create a video dialogue between 2 or more fictitious characters using digital storytelling tools like <a href="http://goanimate4schools.com/public_animations/history">GoAnimate</a>&nbsp;or&nbsp;<a href="http://www.xtranormal.com/">Xtranormal</a>. Students can also create a digital comic of a conversation involving food with tools like <a href="http://www.makebeliefscomix.com/">Make Beliefs Comix</a>&nbsp;and <a href="http://www.creaza.com/">Creaza</a>.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Here are a few ideas of dialogues students can create:</p>

<ul>
	<li>A conversation between a waiter and customer</li>
	<li>A customer complaining about the food</li>
	<li>A conversation between a couple on a date at a restaurant</li>
	<li>Parents with noisy children</li>
	<li>Students ordering food in a school cafeteria</li>
	<li>A conversation between two food critics who disagree</li>
	<li>A food fight</li>
	<li>People critiquing the food at a party or event</li>
	<li>Friends ordering at a food court</li>
	<li>A vegetarian and a non-vegetarian ordering food</li>
	<li>Friends shopping at the grocery store</li>
	<li>Friends shopping at a farmer&rsquo;s market</li>
</ul>

<h2>More Great Websites and Resources</h2>

<ul>
	<li><a href="http://www.teachingenglish.org.uk/teaching-kids/food">Games, lesson ideas, and resources for teaching children about food</a> by Teaching English</li>
	<li><a href="http://www.jhsph.edu/research/centers-and-institutes/teaching-the-food-system/">Food Curriculum for Teens and Adults</a> by Johns Hopkins</li>
	<li><a href="http://www.foodtimeline.org/food2.html">Food History Lesson Plans</a></li>
	<li><a href="http://www.teachervision.fen.com/foods/teacher-resources/6621.html">100s of Food Lesson Plans for K-12</a></li>
</ul>

<p>&nbsp;</p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>


15+ Yummy Activities and Resources for Teaching About Food

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<blockquote>&quot;Study the past if you would define the future.&quot; ~ Confucius</blockquote>

<p>Teaching students about historical events can get them excited about learning. The trick is to bring history to life and make it more tangible than a textbook offers. Students need to experience history, not just read about it. One way students can get a perspective about a historical event is to create a timeline. Timelines act as graphic organizers that help learners categorize, sequence, and analyze the events and people that create that particular history. Timelines also help learners to chunk difficult language and summarize in their own words how they understand the history they read about.</p>

<h2>Timeline Tools</h2>

<p>Below are various free multimedia online tools that your students can use to create timelines of any historical event.</p>

<p><a href="http://www.tiki-toki.com/">Tiki-Toki</a>&nbsp;- Create multimedia timelines on the web with text, images (Flickr supported), and video (choose from YouTube or Vimeo).</p>

<p><a href="http://www.timetoast.com/">Timetoast</a>- This is embeddable in a blog or wiki and allows students to add text and images. This tool is very simple to use and allows for longer descriptions when clicked.</p>

<p><a href="http://timerime.com/">TimeRime</a>&nbsp;- Another embeddable timeline that supports events with text, images, music, and more. Has zooming features and other cool features for educators.</p>

<p><a href="http://timeglider.com/?tab=free">Timeglider</a>&nbsp;- Create multimedia timelines with text, links, and images to accompany dates and events. It has zooming features, allows embedding, and the ability to create legends.</p>

<p><a href="http://www.thinglink.com/">Thinglink</a>&nbsp;- This is more a multimedia poster but students can add an image of a historical event then create dates that are linked to multimedia resources.</p>

<h2>A Few Activities and Ideas</h2>

<p>Creating a multimedia timeline is just part of the process of bringing that historical event to life, but students can experience more while researching and collecting resources to include in their timeline. Below are a few tips and ideas to ensure your learners get the most out of the process.</p>

<h3>Interviews</h3>

<ul>
	<li>Students can interview someone who is tied to the event. They can interview someone from a museum or a relative or conduct a Skype interview with a person located somewhere else.</li>
</ul>

<h3>Primary Resources</h3>

<ul>
	<li>Students can include video or audio excerpts of people who experienced the event. Find primary resources on sites like <a href="http://www.history.com/">History.com</a>, the <a href="http://www.loc.gov/index.html">Library of Congress</a>, <a href="http://www.scholastic.com/scholastic_thanksgiving/">Scholastic</a>, and <a href="http://storycorps.org/">StoryCorps audio interviews</a>.</li>
	<li>Students can add primary writing excerpts and quotes to their timeline such as images or PDFs of handwritten letters, poetry, newspaper articles and diary entries. In this post, Richard Byrne lists <a href="http://www.freetech4teachers.com/2011/10/9-sources-for-historical-images.html#.UJtmneOe_pQ">9 websites to find all types of primary resources</a>.</li>
</ul>

<h3>Digital Reenactments of Events</h3>

<ul>
	<li>Students can create a digital comic of the event using&nbsp;<a href="http://www.creaza.com/">Creaza</a>.</li>
	<li>Students can create a talking avatar with <a href="http://www.voki.com/">Voki</a>. It has a library of historical figures to choose from. Students can use their voices to make the avatar speak or type in the text.</li>
</ul>

<h3>Geography of the Events</h3>

<ul>
	<li>Students can include links to virtual tours of the event. Find a good list of historical virtual tours in this article, <a href="http://thwt.org/index.php/presentations-multimedia/virtual-tours">Teaching History with Technology: Virtual Tours</a>.</li>
	<li>Students can include links to maps or images of what the area looked like when the event took place. Find <a href="http://www.davidrumsey.com/">historical maps here</a>, <a href="http://www.timemaps.com/">interactive maps with timelines here</a>, and <a href="http://www.the-map-as-history.com/">animated historical maps here</a>.</li>
</ul>

<p>What other ideas do you have?</p>


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Shelly Terrell