
	May 2009 \| Thinkfinity Newsletter

Teachers, We Appreciate You!

During Teacher Appreciation Week, the Verizon Foundation and its Thinkfinity.org Content Partners celebrate the energy and passion of teachers everywhere as you work tirelessly to educate, inspire and prepare your students to become the world's next generation of scientists and artists, politicians and thinkers, inventors and leaders. This week and every week, we honor and thank you for all that you do!

Your Health and You

Thinkfinity has hundreds of outstanding resources to help teach your students about germs and viruses.

Featured Resources

Epidemiology 1: What's My Hypothesis? This lesson discusses how descriptive epidemiological clues can be used to make educated guesses as to what might be the cause of a disease.
Germs and the Body This lesson explores germs, where they exist, how they can get into the body, and how the body defends itself against them.
Antibiotic Attack This lesson and fun interactive teach how the human body is affected when harmful germs get inside it, and how antibiotics can help someone get better.
Geographic Diffusion of Disease: The Flu Pandemic of 1918-19 This resource ties in geography, history and biology as it explores the spatial diffusion of the influenza pandemic of 1918-19.

	WHAT'S NEW

	ASIAN PACIFIC AMERICAN HERITAGE MONTH Celebrate Asian Pacific American Heritage Month with some of our favorite resources to help teach and recognize the contributions of Asian Pacific Americans. The Impact of the Transcontinental Railroad The Transcontinental Railroad brought tremendous changes, and the consequences of this new technology were profound. Thinkfinity has dozens of resources from across the disciplines to help bring this information to your students. A More Perfect Union: Japanese Americans and the U.S. Constitution from Smithsonian's History Explorer More than 800 artifacts from the Smithsonian's collection, plus classroom activities, curator's statements, historical overviews and more! Online Printable Maps of Asia from Xpeditions Maps of Asia ready to print at your fingertips from National Geographic Xpeditions' Atlas! Asian Pacific American Heritage Month Feature from EDSITEment Take a trip to Asia with a host of original EDSITEment lesson plans and reviewed Internet resources. Art of the Explosion from ARTSEDGE Science and art explode in this chronicle of Chinese artist Cai Guo-Qiang's Tornado: Explosion Project for the Kennedy Center. Students will learn about the science necessary to design, build and ignite fireworks displays, as well as the artistry inherent in using pyrotechnics to create unique works. More Asian Pacific American Heritage Month Resources MEMORIAL DAY Thinkfinity joins the nation in remembrance of those who have died while in military service to the country. The Price of Freedom: Americans at War from Smithsonian's History Explorer The Museum's Price of Freedom collection search includes hundreds of artifacts related to America's military history. Be sure to check out The Price of Freedom: Americans at War teacher's manual for creative and engaging strategies to help students learn how wars have been defining moments in both the history of the nation and the lives of individual Americans. United We Stand from Smithsonian's History Explorer This resource explores a campaign during World War II by the nation's magazines to promote national unity and rally support for the war. Students will analyze magazine covers, a timeline and news video clips to understand the importance of the home front during the Second World War. LEARNING BEYOND THE CLASSROOM Check out the extra-curricular resources available from our Partners that are perfect for summer learning. Learning Beyond the Classroom from ReadWriteThink ReadWriteThink has a vast collection of resources to help keep children and teens reading and writing all summer long. Summer Science Fun from Science NetLinks Computer games and activities, hands-on science projects and even book suggestions are all included in Science NetLinks' collection of summer resources. Great Math Games for Summer from Illuminations Students of all ages can strengthen their math skills with these great games! 31 Days to Better Reading from the Literacy Network Fun-filled literacy building activities for K-3 students.

	PRESIDENT'S MESSAGE

	The Verizon Foundation recognizes the energy and passion of teachers everywhere for your inspired effort to impart knowledge and teach skills that will help students innovate, collaborate and thrive. Read more.

	NEWS & EVENTS

	Thinkfinity Webcast Verizon Business CIO Dr. Judy Spitz joined Thinkfinity Partners at the NCTM Annual Meeting to discuss how teachers can prepare students for success beyond the classroom. View the Webcast, "What Counts for Competitiveness: Preparing Students for Success Beyond the Classroom," and don't miss the discussion! New National Law Enforcement Museum received a $1.5 million grant from Verizon Foundation to fund innovative technology and education programs. Read more. Thinkfinity at NECC Be sure to visit Thinkfinity and its Partners at our exhibit booth (#2004) at NECC. Also, don't miss our Spotlight session at 12:30 on June 30 in room 206. Stay tuned to Thinkfinity.org for a complete list of our activities! Learn more about the Verizon Foundation and its philanthropic work.

	PARTNER NEWS & EVENTS

	ReadWriteThink Calendar May is chock full of Reading and Language Arts events. Be sure to check these out: 10th Birthday of Get Caught Reading Month Teacher Appreciation Week - May 4-10 Children's Book Week - May 11-17 National Spelling Bee - May 26-28 Volunteer in Adult & Family Literacy Programs Are you or your students looking to volunteer in an adult or family literacy program? There are many rewarding opportunities available and the Thinkfinity Literacy Network has a collection of self-paced online courses, print resources, podcasts and Web links designed to help you make your decision and help you determine what role you'd like to play. You can even hear from volunteers to learn what they do and what their involvement has meant for them. Learn more here!

	TRAINING UPDATES

	Thinkfinity Trainers - Rostered participants of training sessions now receive access to a mini-poster of Thinkfinity's 21st Century Kid, illustrated by renowned author, illustrator and former educator, Peter Reynolds of FableVision. For more information on how to access the poster, visit the Training Updates section of the Trainer Toolbox. Have questions about rostering your participants or any of the other data collection steps? Register for our FREE Webinar, "How to Manage Your Training Data."