It’s one of the best four letter words out there-FREE-especially when you’re on a tight budget. Maine Educator found a few freebies!
Shakespeare Library
Tales from Shakespeare by Charles and Mary Lamb (Grades 3-8)
Downloadable audio files of Tales from Shakespeare, prose retellings of nineteen plays. A good introduction for young readers to the study of Shakespeare.
Renaissance Faire Homepage (Grades 6-12)
This site is preparation for participation in renaissance fairs. Learn about costumes, food, and games and how to talk like an Elizabethan.
The Shakespeare Mystery (Grades 9-12)
Who was William Shakespeare? This site examines arguments that “Shakespeare” was really Edward de Vere, 17th earl of Oxford and links to another arguing for Christopher Marlowe.
Butterflies-Learning Resources
Butterfly World Field Trip (Grades PreK-3)
Students will go along on the trip, through this 9-minute video available on PBS Learning Media, and learn about metamorphosis, examine live butterflies, float with butterflies in a rainforest cave, and see a museum collection of the most beautiful butterflies in the world. Supporting lesson plans, assessments and activities are all available to accompany the video.
The Children’s Butterfly Site (Grades K-2, 3-5)
Photo galleries, coloring pages (Monarch life cycle), life cycle of butterflies and moths, FAQs, and links to teaching and learning tools.
Butterflies and Moths of North America (Grades 6-8, 9-12)
Includes an image gallery that can be filtered by stage (egg, caterpillar, pupa, adult), view (dorsal or ventral), species, or family. Users can search by common name or scientific name. Links to ID tools butterflies, moths, and caterpillars.
Extra History—YouTube
Extra History
This YouTube channel features videos on events and figures in ancient and world history of approximately 1-25 minutes. Videos feature maps, animation, images of contemporary art, and some humor. Currently, 191 videos span Ancient Rome to the Berlin Airlift. New episodes appear every Saturday.
Rome: The Punic Wars
This series of four videos (total approximately 45:00) that provide an overview of the first two wars between Rome and Carthage (264-241 BC and 214-148 BC).
Suleiman the Magnificent (1494 -1566)
These episodes explore the longest-reigning sultan of the Ottoman Empire. His story is told in six episodes (approx. 1 hour). The resource provides a final critique.
