FOCAL AREA Podcast: See You in the Classroom: Recording 1

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Resource Blog #5 (Cross-Curricular)

Website: https://theideaofamerica.org/

The website that I found for my final resource blog is called “The Idea of America”. This website can be used for teachers or students, but right off from the start I did notice that it does cost money for users. This is an instant drawback for current teachers and for a future teacher like me, but it only cost $99 for a year subscription and the possibility of sharing between co-teachers or teachers within close grade levels takes some of the burden of the expense away. Being that I believe this resource would be really helpful, I decided to share it and write about the benefits I believe that it could have for the literacy in the social studies classroom. This website specifically aims to get students talking and intentionally participating in the “great American debates” that have been around since the formation of our country. A huge highlight of resource is the fact that it includes so many different mediums and text for students to get engaged with and connect with as they gain more information to back up their points of view and develop their opinions. I believe that this is what makes this resource so unique and great for middle schoolers. The website also talks about the 21^st century forward nature of their texts and resources, which makes me even more inclined to use this site as I teach.

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