DocsTeach

http://docsteach.org/
The National Archives has  been a wonderful place to find  lessons  and this tool  just adds to the amazement.   Teachers can use ready-made activities using primary sources to  explore thousands (really http://docsteach.org/documents  ) of topics.

AND you can make your own activity, too 

Classroom idea: Many books read in English classes lend themselves to  an exploration of the era in which they were written.  Use an activity like http://docsteach.org/activities/7958 to explore a theme.

Google Fusion Tables

Google Fusion Tables http://www.google.com/fusiontables/Home/

When I first saw Google Fusion Tables, I was intimidated , but on further reflection I have come to see fusion tables as a great way to express data geographically, and a great way to provide useful spreadsheet experience to students,

Classroom idea: Students assigned  a book for outside reading could  put  location, image url, and online description pertaining to  setting in book onto shared spreadsheet, which would then be transformed into map of reading.

Fair Use evaluators

Both these tools produce a pdf that records your consideration of  fair use.

http://www.lib.umn.edu/copyright/fairthoughts 

from University of Minnesota


http://librarycopyright.net/fairuse/other.php 

 from Copyright Advisory Network 


 Classroom idea:   Incorporate one of these tools into next class project .