Big Math and Fries from Illuminations

Want a math lesson that your kids will love as much as an order of French fries? Resisting this lesson will be hard to do! In Big Math and Fries, algebra teacher Michael Weingarden challenges his students to see if they can eat fast food and maintain the Zone Diet. In this lesson, students perform a variety of calculations, including percents and conversions. Pick up an order of fun learning here.

TIMELY TOPICS

Black History Month

Just in time for Black History Month, Verizon Thinkfinity has new lesson plans, teacher resources and student activities to bring the stories of African-American history to life. From W.E.B. Du Bois and Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. to African Americans in WWI, the Harlem Renaissance and the Blues, we have all the Black History Month resources you need right here.

Let the Games Begin!

The 2010 Winter Olympic Games in Vancouver, Canada, present a world of learning opportunities for your students. Study the science behind the sports–the physics of a snowboarder's flips, the engineering of a luger’s sled, or the biochemical makeup of a speedskater's pre-race meal.
Explore the economics of hosting a world-wide sporting event–is it worth $10 billion? And ready your writers for Sports Poetry in Motion. These are just a few of the lessons and activities in Verizon Thinkfinity’s Olympics Feature.

Valentine's Day Activities

Valentine's Day is the perfect day for students to practice their skills using poetic devices. This package of English language arts classroom activities, lessons and resources will help get your kids started with fun and creative ideas you'll all love. Check it out!

President's Day

For President’s Day, we’ve gathered some great resources to help you honor two of our greatest Presidents and teach about the American Presidency. Check out our materials for George Washington and Abraham Lincoln, and find unparalleled resources about the Presidency from Smithsonian’s History Explorer.

National Engineers Week

February 14 - 20 marks National Engineers Week. Engineers use their imagination and skills to invent, design and build things that we all use every day. Encourage the engineering minds in all of your students with Science NetLinks' feature and a collection of well designed lessons from Verizon's Thinkfinity partners.

Celebrate America Saves Week

February 21- 28, 2010, is America Saves Week and EconEdLink has lessons that build good savings habits at all age levels.
From This Little Piggybank Went to Market  to The Five Stages of Investing, you'll find interactives, lessons and other fun teaching tools that guarantee America Saves Week will be a success in your classroom. Use these great resources to make it a worthwhile week for your students.

NEW - FREE Instructional Videos from Verizon Thinkfinity

Want to learn more about Verizon Thinkfinity but only have 5 minutes to spare? NO PROBLEM!
The Verizon Thinkfinity Professional Development team has developed a handful of short training videos. No login or registration is required, so check them out now. Be sure to bookmark the page and check back often for new videos.

Looking for more than just a snippet? Verizon Thinkfinity also offers FREE Webinars ranging in length from 30-60 minutes - sign up today!

VERIZON THINKFINITY PARTNER NEWS

Illuminations Summer Institute 2010

Math teachers, are you looking for a great professional development opportunity? Applications are now being accepted for the 2010 Illuminations Summer Institute (ISI). ISI brings together extraordinary teachers who will receive professional development seminars and guidance on lesson development from National Council of Teachers of Mathematics (NCTM) staff. Participants receive a stipend of $1,000 upon completion of four lessons.
Up to six educators from grades pre-K to 6 will be invited. Applicants must be current NCTM members and must have experience as a classroom teacher. The lessons developed will be expected to be at the pre-K to 6 grade level. The online application deadline is Thursday, May 6, 2010. Apply today by clicking here!

VERIZON FOUNDATION NEWS

Join us at the
Celebration of Teaching
and Learning 2010 Conference

The Verizon Foundation is a proud sponsor of the Celebration of Teaching and Learning. Verizon Thinkfinity and its partners are conducting six In the Classroom Sessions, plus a Featured Speaker session. Get all the details and join us March 5–6 in New York City. This is one conference you don’t want to miss!