Here are links to some useful resources that schools can use to bring news and current affairs into their classrooms:

1) Newsthink – Newsthink is a free fortnightly email which explores current headlines in the news and provides teachers with activities, videos, photos and discussion triggers to use within the current curriculum. The content of each newsletter varies depending on the world’s current affairs. Newsthink is a resource primarily designed for Key stages 3 and 4 but could also be used for older secondary students.

2) First News – This popular newspaper for children also has a fantastic website. You can read articles, watch weekly news bulletins and take part in surveys and competitions.

3) BBC Newsround – The BBC’s popular news programme for children has its own dedicated site which is regularly updated and has some fantastic content for younger news readers. You can also watch the news and take part in other games and activities. Don’t forget to look at their e-safety special features and their accessible reader (which is great for sharing the headlines on an interactive whiteboard each day).

Are you aware of any other good news resources for children. Share them in the comments…

Teachable.net provide over 3,000 teaching resources which are all adaptable and easy to use. The site requires registration and offers hundreds of free resources. Although the other content requires payment, all of the resources are checked for quality by a group of editors and moderators.

www.teachable.net

You can also contribute to the site. Contributors are given credits which allow them to download other resources for free. Alternatively, you can opt to receive cash payments, receiving 50% of all download income for your contributed files.

Action for Happiness is a movement for positive social change. The project aims to bring together people from all walks of life who want to play a part in creating a happier society for everyone.

Their site has lots of ideas to encourage happier living, as well as information about groups and events that you can take part in. There are also lots of resources that might be useful for PSHE teachers.

www.actionforhappiness.org

Find out more in the Youtube video above or visit their site at www.actionforhappiness.org.

The Royal Wedding takes place next Friday and lots of schools are taking part in different activities to celebrate the occasion. Here are links to some ideas and resources which might be useful to you:

• The ‘Kings and Queens‘ theme on Teaching Ideas has lots of royal resources, including some wedding banners, dress design sheets and invitation templates.

• The official Royal Wedding site has lots of background information which may be useful.
• The Royal Channel on Youtube has some related videos and you will also be able to watch a live stream of the wedding as it happens!

Click here to view the embedded video.

• Woodlands Junior School has lots of great information about the Royal Family for primary children.
• Lots of other teaching resource sites have relevant resources, including:
  • Twinkl
  • TES Resources
  • Pencil Street
  • Instant Display
  • Topic Resources
  • My Chalkface
  • Teachers TV (only available until 29th April 2011)
• The BBC and ITV have set up their Royal Wedding sites in preparation for the big day.
• The Street Party site has tips for setting up a street party. Could you have a playground party in the week before / after the wedding?
• The Royal Parks site has an interactive map which shows the route of the Royal Wedding Procession.

• MSN have a huge collection of news and resources about the royal wedding.
• Purple Mash have lots of royal-themed apps including the Royal Webcam Experience, Royal Wedding Writing and Royal Wedding News.

Will your school be taking part in any Royal Wedding celebrations?

Ideas to Inspire now has over 1500 ideas! The site shares different collaborative presentations and documents which have been created by teachers from all around the world. Some of the latest additions include:

• Ways to use QR codes in the classroom
• Ways to use Google Forms in the classroom
• Books to Engage Boys
• Ideas for Literacy Homework and Maths Homework
• A list of Creative Curriculum Topics

Thanks to everyone who has started and contributed to these wonderful documents. Which one is your favourite?

I’m always coming across new ideas, links and resources on Twitter. Here are some of the things that I’ve found recently:

• Kevin McLaughlin has set up a new group and site for educators to share ideas for using games and related technology to enhance teaching and learning. You can also get involved via Twitter.
• Ian Usher shared an interactive site which reviews the news from 2010.
• Terry Freedman has written 10 tips to help teachers plan the use of technology in their lessons.
• Danny Nicholson shared Grabbabeast… another fantastic avatar builder.

• The Smart Exchange now provides free Smart Notebook 10 files from accredited publishers (shared by Helene Podmore).
• Here is a great online jigsaw builder using images from the Getty Museum in Los Angeles (suggested by Colleen Young).
• A new site has been set up by Simon Haughton, where teachers are sharing their favourite ICT Tips.
• Class Jump offers free websites for teachers, educators and students too (shared by Brendan Jones).
• Google Body is a detailed 3D model of the human body. You can peel back anatomical layers, zoom in, click to identify anatomy, or search for muscles, organs, bones and more (shared by Kevin McLaughlin).
• Colport Teaching recommended ‘Dangle’… a live action film that you can use with KS1 and KS2 pupils.

• Keisa Williams suggested Incompetech as a place where you can find royalty free music.
• James recommended this booklet which shares ideas for using parachutes in PE lessons.
• James Michie and many other contributors have published the first EdJournal with lots of interesting articles for teachers.
• Learning in Hand has a list of recommended iOS apps for your iPods / iPads (shared by Tony Vincent).
• John Schu shared this page which has various animal sounds.

Have you discovered any great new resources on Twitter recently? Share it in the comments…

Media Smart is a non profit media literacy programme for school children aged 6 to 11 years old, focused on advertising.

They develop and provide educational materials to primary schools that teach children to think critically about advertising in the context of their daily lives. The materials use real examples of advertising to teach core media literacy skills.

A brand new online teaching pack for primary schools about online and digital advertising has recently been launched, where you can find teaching materials, activity sheets and digital adverts for use in your lessons. Take a look!

The Mouseclub is a free website which offers free games and activities for children as well as ideas for parents and teachers to help support their child and pupils. The site has just been re-designed and re-launched in time for Christmas to provide children aged 3 – 7 and their parents with fun, free activities over the festive season, to keep the kids entertained whilst learning.

There are lots of free downloadables and lesson plans for teachers and the site also offers extra features for those who register, along with educational software which can be purchased in the shop.

Christmas is now only a few weeks away and there are lots of great resources for teachers online:

• Twinkl have lots of Christmas resources which you can download and print (or have them printed for you!).

www.twinkl.co.uk

• Lots of downloadable PDF Christmas resources are also available from Teacher’s Pet.

www.tpet.co.uk

• 2Simple have produced an advent calendar which is full of ideas for using the wonderful Purple Mash at Christmas time.

www.2simpletalk.com/?p=3020

• FilmClub have collected a list of festive films that are a bit different from the usual White Christmas. Schools might want to watch some of these as the starting point for lessons or just for fun during the festive season! You can also get involved in the creation of a digital Christmas card by entering their competition.

www.filmclub.org

This is just a small selection of the fantastic free resources that are available online. Don’t forget to visit our Christmas Teaching Theme too!

Post Image – Christmas Tree – Boston

What are your favourite Christmas resources?

Our new Christmas Teaching Theme has recently been published and it is rapidly becoming the most popular section on Teaching Ideas! This theme is the biggest one yet and it includes a wide range of teaching ideas, resources, display material, videos, photos, jokes, apps, games and links… all related to Christmas. Visit the theme at www.teachingideas.co.uk/themes/christmas.

If you have any Christmas ideas or resources that you are able to share, please email them to me and I will try to put them on the theme page as soon as possible. Thank you.

I will not be publishing a new theme in January as I want to be able to spend some time re-organising the current theme resources. However, I’m looking forward to the next theme in February… stay tuned to the Teaching Ideas Twitter and Facebook pages later this month to find out what it is!