The Internet is a vast resource of exceptional materials brought right to your doorstep. For teachers, the Internet can be a quick way to conduct research, create an activity, learn about real-world applications of academic content and communicate with experts in most fields. You can find lesson plans, games for your students, project ideas and professional development by doing a quick search. However, remember there is no guarantee that the information you find on the Web is reliable, truthful, legal (as in copyright-free) or even available the next time you may need it. Make sure you get the most benefit by learning to evaluate content on the Web.

  • Identify the source of the information you are reading. While it is certainly acceptable to get ideas from a teacher's individual homepage with lesson plans as well as those on a commercial publisher's website, use the information you have learned about creating quality lesson plans to guide you in determining if they are appropriate for your students.

  • Be guided by professional organizations dedicated to education.
    Some of these include:
    The International Reading Association (www.reading.org)
    The National Council of Teachers of Mathematics (www.nctm.org)
    The National Council of Teachers of English (www.ncte.org)
    The National Science Teachers Association (www.nsta.org)
    The National Board for Professional Teaching Standards (www.nbpts.org)


  • Government sites such as the U.S. Department of Education site (www.ed.gov/free), National Aeronautics and Space Administration (www.nasa.gov) and the Centers for Disease Control (www.cdc.gov) have interesting materials appropriate for lesson plans. Florida government sites including the Florida Department of Education (www.fldoe.org) and those listed on the homepage of Teach in Florida (www.teachinflorida.com) also offer substantiated information.

  • Foundations and non-profit organizations such as the Public Broadcast System (PBS) (www.pbs.org/teachersource/search.htm), the Annenberg Foundation (www.learner.org/teacherslab/) and the Eisenhower National Clearinghouse site (www.enc.org) offer additional resources.

  • Universities and colleges offer excellent resources for both background information and strategies, plus ideas for improving your lesson plans. Such sites as the Harvard Teacher Lab (learnweb.harvard.edu/alps/home/index.cfm) and Cornell's Math and Science Gateway (www.tc.cornell.edu/Edu/MathSciGateway) might have just the idea or activity you need to inspire your students.