Teaching and Learning about Florida
Sites for teachers and students K - 12
The following list contains Web sites that would be of interest to teachers who would like to include information about Florida in their lessons, either through direct access on the Internet or by using downloaded resources.
Census and Other “People” Statistics
U.S. Census Bureau – Provides a downloadable table of Florida and total U.S. population facts.
U.S. Census Chart - comparison of all states on one chart.
Factfinder – a short list of population statistics from the 1990 and 2000 census as well as basic facts about the state and its symbols (flag, flower, tree, bird).
Kids Count – Facts and figures about Florida kids and their health, probably more useful to older students as a research resource.
Florida – U.S. Health Status Comparison Chart. This is just one example of information found at Florida’s Health. (See “Encyclopedic Sites”)
Communications
Newspapers – Not all are fully on-line, but a good place to start your search for that old clipping!
Radio – a comprehensive list of radio stations throughout Florida
Culture
Dr. Edmund Skellings - Did you know Florida had an official Poet Laureate?
Florida Festivals – a comprehensive list of festivals and activities around the state celebrating our culture and history.
Florida Folklife – includes sound files of Voices of Florida, and Music from the Sunshine State.
Seminoles – Interesting text and images of the Seminoles’ history and culture, but without activities for education.
State Art Collection – View the artwork of Florida artists which is displayed in the Capitol Building in Tallahassee
Encyclopedic Web sites and Web Link Lists
The following sites contain large amounts of information covering many aspects of Florida that might be addressed in education.
Exploring Florida – Social Studies resources for students and teachers. Some of the resources include an amazing set of 3D photographs, “Floripedia” the comprehensive encyclopedia, royalties-free music, and “F-CAT” style reading resources with comprehension questions.
Exploring Florida Web Links – Part of the Web site listed above, this page contains links to a comprehensive list of Florida Web sites concerning Native Americans, major historical periods, and many other interesting facets of Florida life.
Florida’s Health – This is a huge Web site that could be used for research on many topics such as Emergency Preparedness, Environmental issues, Making Healthy Choices, etc.
Museums – links to museums throughout Florida, useful for planning field trips or for hunting for virtual tours.
Environment
Citrus – Florida Citrus Growers have produced an 88 page teachers’ guide here for including information about their product in schools. The fun fact quiz is rather lame, but the poster and the other activities might be useful as “sponge” activities for lower grade levels
Environmental Kids Club, Broward County – Also has a lot of fun activities for elementary level students, and includes a list of links to other Environmental sites, although not necessarily based in Florida.
Florida Department of Environmental Protection Kids’ Page. Loaded with activities and information about the environment!
Florida’s Springs – Protecting Nature’s Gems. This site offers lots of information and stunning photos, as well as some audio files discussing the health of our springs. Also available are downloadable activities at four different grade levels (1-2, 3-5, 6-8, 9-12).
Water Matters for Kids – Great information on why water conservation is so important in our state, from Pinellas County
Geography and Geology
50 facts about Florida – this might be an interesting “sponge” activity for middle/high-school students, or even an Internet scavenger hunt, if you printed it out and removed the town names from each fact.
About Home-schooling - Lots of fun activities for kids from Beverly Hernandez. There are downloadable maps, quizzes, and word searches as well as a scavenger hunt to complete on-line.
Enchanted Learning – for elementary age kids, this commercial site offers some nice *free* printable worksheets and fun-fact pages to visit.
Florida Geology – satellite maps of physical features - elevation, lakes and rivers with overlays of county lines. There is also a link to Google Earth.
National Weather Service – Current data on Florida’s weather.
Government
Congress – Information about government in Florida. Look up the senator and state representatives for your district.
Florida House of Representatives – shows pictures and tells the history of all the flags that are known to have flown over Florida.
Kids in the House! – an on-line field trip to Congress for elementary level students. Also includes downloadable worksheets and activities.
History of Florida
America’s Story – Florida. This site has a brief overview of Florida (about 125 words) along with seven short and easy-to-read Florida-related stories, such as The Story of Osceola, Blast Off!, and Happy Birthday Mr. Edison.
Archeology – Office of Cultural, Historical and Information provides information about Letchworth Mounds, created by Native Americans between 1000 and 1700 years ago. Written for adults, but has some interesting photographs.
Florida Courthouses – A photographic archive. Much historical information is written into the descriptions of these majestic old buildings.
Florida Facts and History – A little more in-depth, with nice illustrations. No activities or downloadable worksheets though.
Florida History – Has some printable worksheets and some interesting information in book form with photos and illustrations which can be downloaded for classroom use. (Some parts of this site are still under construction.)
From the Stone Age to the Space Age – a history written for elementary/middle school students with lots of illustrations.
Lighthouses of Florida – cool photographs, drawings and maps
On-Line Sunshine – Includes a tour of the Capitol building, how the legislature works, and a history of Tallahassee, as well as plenty of games and puzzles for middle and elementary students.
Museums and National Park Service
Historical Museum of Southern Florida – has on-line exhibits that include some videos. Titles include: The Spanish Colonization of Florida; The Everglades: Exploitation and Conservation; and South American Music in Miami, among others.
Museum of Natural History – These virtual field trips are terrific! Some titles include: Expedition Florida; Down Like Lead – 14 Florida Shipwrecks: South Florida’s Aquatic Environments; and St Augustine: America’s Ancient City;
National Park Service – Florida page details information about Parks and provides games, reading and classroom activities related to the Everglades.
NASA – Kennedy Space Center (KSC)
Walking on the Moon – another NASA-related site, but such a cool presentation, I couldn’t leave it out!
NASA – Although not really “about” Florida, having KSC in your state is like having an elephant in your living room – hard to ignore! Plenty of information and activities, many of which can be downloaded.
Growing Space – A colorful magazine for kids and teens about agriculture in space.
Ocean and Wildlife
DOACS – lots of links to kid-friendly sites related to Florida’s eco-systems, such as a Honeybee colonization slideshow, and How to Become a Florida Trail walker.
Florida Deep Coast Corals – For older students, a detailed description with awesome photographs of an expedition by NOAA scientists.
Florida Panther – Great Web site for learning about one of our more exotic residents. Includes games and activities for kids.
SeaWorld – Educational resources on-line.
Snakes – Learn about the six venomous snakes that reside in Florida. No kids’ activities, but fairly readable.
References for Teachers
Just Read, Florida! – Bone up on the goals and the initiatives already in place.
Libraries – a comprehensive list of Web sites for libraries throughout Florida.
Sunshine State Standards – a quick link to all those pesky standards.
Comments (0)
You don't have permission to comment on this page.