Awesome Stories
The research behind Awesome Stories is superior. The breadth and depth of the information is truly awesome. Bringing all of the resources together in one place streamlines research and encourages creativity.
Grand Rapids, MI (PRWEB) May 30, 2014
Knowing that teachers and students are facing summer losses of hard-won school-year gains, Awesome Stories offers schools and teachers the opportunity to engage in an innovative new Awesome Stories Summer Reading without cost. This program enables students to engage with stories and primary sources this summer, keeping their notes in their Gold accounts, responding in the fall to their 2014-15 teacher’s choice of assignments showing student accomplishment via scavenger hunt, written report or project.
Two Awesome Stories Summer Reading series are offered: Series 1—100th Anniversary of World War I: 7 Stories of World War I featuring War Horse, Lusitania Sinking, Shenck and Abrams - Free Speech Under Fire, Nicholas and Alexandra, Inglorious Basterds, Spanish Flu Pandemic and Flyboy; and Series 2—The Stories-Behind-the-Stories—7 Summertime Stories in Film featuring 12 Years a Slave, Red Tails, War Horse, Inglorious Basterds, The Impossible, Titanic and Hunger Games.
While the war stories and stories behind the films may seem too enjoyable to advance learning, the research and array of primary sources giving depth to the stories provide a venue for intensive research and learning.
John Norton, Librarian, Creator/editor of a middle grades website, NC commented on this blend of fun and depth at Awesome Stories here: "In the new era of Common Core Standards, when schools are expecting students and teachers to dig deeper into content and inquiry learning, Awesome Stories is a perfect curriculum resource - engaging, well researched, and just flat out fun to read."
Contact membership(at)awesomestories(dot)org with interest in enrolling your district, school, grade or classroom in Awesome Stories Summer Reading Program.
For fifteen years Awesome Stories has been providing deeply researched stories in the context of their authentic artifacts and media. This unusual presentation of legendary and current stories –with evidence that can surprise the reader –has attracted hundreds of thousands of teachers, principals, students, parents and lifelong learners.
"I am so impressed by the website that is envisioning what teaching and learning will look like in the future. The site is at the forefront of educational practices and continues to grow to make all students and teachers digital readers," Noted Annalee Taylor, Curriculum Specialist, Cornelius Elementary, Charlotte Mecklenburg Schools, NC.
Awesome Stories made the big leap to align all its stories to common core and state standards, to create an assignment and grading system and learning tasks already matched to stories and standards, enabling teacher to “flip the classroom” or to orchestrate media-rich authentic learning with ease. Yesterday Awesome Stories launched its GOLD school membership.
Stories are among the most powerful teachers and grounding these stories in evidence enables each learner to do the kind of research, critical thinking, and collaboration needed to meet the objectives of the Common Core standards. Awesome Stories deeply respects teachers’ and learners’ time and interests, and leverages standards to guide achievement of learning objectives.
"The research behind Awesome Stories is superior. The breadth and depth of the information is truly awesome. Bringing all of the resources together in one place streamlines research and encourages creativity," said Linda Homa, Reference Librarian, Public Library for Union County, Lewisburg, PA
For more information on Awesome Stories see our:
“Awesome Stories: A Cure for the Common Core” video (2:08) at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZMYqhPFiJVY
“Intro by founder Carole Bos” video (5:45) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jj4WyaxOPPs
Awesome Stories Info Graphic at http://www.awesomestories.com/images/user/464adb45a1.pdf
Awesome Stories Gold Classroom http://www.awesomestories.com/images/user/128e35347a.pdf
Awesome Stories Summer Reading http://www.awesomestories.com/images/user/af53e78cba.pdf
About Awesome Stories
Awesome Stories, a Story-Driven, Evidence-Based Teaching and Learning Platform serving teachers, librarians, and students, now offers another groundbreaking change in education, with their new story-based digital teaching and learning platform.
Awesome Stories - a native-Internet, story-based, primary-sources website - was a breakthrough in 1999 and has attracted millions of annual visitors. Hundreds of thousands of followers have since realized the value and service Awesome Stories provides.
Now Awesome Stories is a Story-Driven, Evidence-Based Teaching and Learning Platform featuring Awesome Stories-Authored Story Learning Guides to nearly 800 stories contextualized with over 100,000 primary sources, advanced search options and classroom teaching and learning tools. Featuring a wide variety of topics - including biographies, movies, literature, and historic events- each story has links to original materials such as photos, illustrations, videos, news stories, music and first hand accounts within a cohesive, readable, easy-to-navigate format. Each story on the site links to online primary source materials, which are positioned in context, to enhance reading comprehension, understanding and enjoyment.
The website remains a valuable free Story-Driven learning resource to all teachers and learners, while offering new premium memberships, enhanced functionality, and building on its stories. Visit http://www.AwesomeStories.org to subscribe as a free member or for a 30-day free trial of premium individual or classroom membership.
