What is Verizon Thinkfinity?
Catherine Giddens
South Carolina Department
of Education
Copyright © 2010 Verizon Foundation. All Rights Reserved. This document may be reproduced and distributed solely for uses that are both (a) educational and
(b) non-commercial. Any reproduction or distribution of this document for any other purpose, including commercial gain, is strictly prohibited.
What is Verizon
Thinkfinity?
The website (www.thinkfinity.org) contains thousands of free lesson plans
and student materials for every core subject, designed by the leading
educational organizations in the United States.
Tens of thousands of FREE
educational resources
Accessible from school or home!
A partnership between the Verizon
Foundation and the nation’s leading
educational organizations
FREE professional development
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Verizon Thinkfinity is affiliated with these organizations:
 ISTE 100 Alliance
 Partnership for 21st Century Skills
 State Educational Technology Directors Association
 National Education Association
 Council of Chief State School Officers
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Verizon Thinkfinity Content Partners:
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How did you become aware of energy issues?
Blah, blah, blah, fossil
fuels, blah, blah, blah,
oil reserves …..
Zzzzz…
Huh?
?!?!?!
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Power Issues – Environment and Economics
Can you generate enough
energy for your town
without running out of
money?
How does the use of an
energy source impact the
quality of life for the people
in the community?
Lesson Plan
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Verizon Thinkfinity
Educational Resources
Learning Objects
 For students
 For teachers
 Online (to be used on the computer)
 Offline (Print-ready)
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Verizon Thinkfinity
Content Partners
Ready to Use
Lesson Plans
(Learning Objects are embedded!)
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Verizon Thinkfinity
Content Partners
Partner-Reviewed
Web Links
(These are Learning Objects, too!)
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Learning Objects
Interactives
Web sites
Video Clips
E-Sheets
Primary Source Documents
Graphic Organizers
Quizzes
Online Manipulatives
Rubrics
Printable Maps
Photographs
Podcasts
Virtual Museums
Audio Clips
Worksheets
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Navigating the
Thinkfinity.org
Homepage
(go to live site)
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Resources to Demo:
--MS>>Highlight these:
• Read Write Think—
• Resume lesson-- http://www.readwritethink.org/classroom-resources/lesson-plans/book-report-alternative-writing295.html
• Interactive:
• http://www.readwritethink.org/files/resources/interactives/resume/
• EdSitement—monthly features and related lessons--poetry keyword search
• Illuminations—home improvement—The Cost of a Great Looking Floor”
http://illuminations.nctm.org/LessonDetail.aspx?ID=L788
Patch Tool Interactive
• Science Net Links—featured PowerUp in PPT-intro. wow
• EconEdlink—keyword search careers –“To Be or Not to Be”
http://www.econedlink.org/lessons/index.php?lid=393&type=educator
• AND
• “Wages and Me” http://www.econedlink.org/lessons/index.php?lid=305&type=educator
• Arts Edge—keyword search Myths
• http://artsedge.kennedy-center.org/educators/lessons/grade-6-8/A_World_of_Myths.aspx
•
Xpeditions—Atlas and sample search off Thinkfinity search “US geography” grades 6-8th—note yellow star for SC
standards for “Migration:Why People Move”
http://www.nationalgeographic.com/xpeditions/lessons/09/g68/tgmigration.html
•
Smithsonian—search term “Civil rights” grades 6th-8th—also note “How to Use this Site” at bottom of home page
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Resources to Demo:
--HS>>Highlight these:
Read Write Think—
Resume lesson-- http://www.readwritethink.org/classroom-resources/lesson-plans/book-report-alternative-writing295.html
Interactive:
http://www.readwritethink.org/files/resources/interactives/resume/
EdSitement—monthly features and related lessons--poetry keyword search
Illuminations—demo search off home page> Compound Interest Calculator—
http://illuminations.nctm.org/ActivityDetail.aspx?ID=172
Science Net Links—featured PowerUp in PPT-intro. Wow
EconEdlink—keyword search careers –“To Be or Not to Be”
http://www.econedlink.org/lessons/index.php?lid=393&type=educator
AND
“Wages and Me” http://www.econedlink.org/lessons/index.php?lid=305&type=educator
Arts Edge—
http://artsedge.kennedy-center.org/educators/lessons/grade-9-12/Southern_Puritanism_Tennessee_Williams.aspx
Xpeditions—Atlas and sample search off Thinkfinity search “geography” grades 9-12—note yellow star for SC
standards
http://www.nationalgeographic.com/xpeditions/lessons/17/g912/greece.html
Smithsonian—search term “Brown vs Board of Education” grades 9-12—also note “How to Use this Site” at bottom of
home page http://americanhistory.si.edu/Brown/resources/six.html
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Librarians
Teaching Research:
http://www.readwritethink.org/files/resources/interactives/factfrenzy/opening.ht
ml
http://www.readwritethink.org/classroom-resources/lesson-plans/creatingquestion-answer-books-353.html
http://www.readwritethink.org/classroom-resources/lesson-plans/wadingthrough-teaching-internet-983.html
http://www.readwritethink.org/classroom-resources/lesson-plans/guidedcomprehension-action-teaching-1028.html
Partner Reviewed Sites:
http://www.readingrockets.org/audience/professionals/librarians
http://www.bibme.org/
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Thinkfinity.org
Homepage
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Thinkfinity.org
Homepage
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Thinkfinity.org
Homepage
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Thinkfinity.org
Homepage
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Thinkfinity.org
Homepage
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Thinkfinity.org
Homepage
Begin search
here with
keyword…
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Contact Information for Free
PD:
Catherine Giddens, SCDE
Office of eLearning
cgiddens@ed.sc.gov
Online course –
Thinkfinity for SC Teachers
40 renewal credits $60
Falll 2013
www.Elearningscpd.com
843-654-4356
Cgiddens on Skype
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