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Civics, Family and Community Resources

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Adult Education

Civics, Family and Community Resources

Below, you will find a links to Web resources that can provide students with English practice on work and life skills, which are based on the Florida Adult ESOL Frameworks.

This Web page contains links to other websites. These links are not endorsements of any products or services in such sites, and no information in such site has been endorsed or approved by Seminole State.

Environment and Community Resources

Audio Resources/Listening Practice: Weather
  1. Friday's Weather Report (difficult level; with audio, a quiz and a script)
    http://www.esl-lab.com/weat1/weat1.htm
  2. Adult Learning Activities by the California Distance Learning Project
    http://www.cdlponline.org/
    • Click "Nature."
    • Click the life skills headings to view substantial lists of topics with the following format:
      • Page 1: Reading (with audio and some videos)
      • Page 2: Vocabulary (with audio)
      • Page 3: Spelling Practice
      • Page 4: Follow-up Activity (a matching game)
      • Page 5: Comprehension Questions
    • Scores can be printed or e-mailed.
The Emergency Alert System
  1. Article on the Emergency Alert System (with audio)
    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Emergency_Alert_System
Environment: Maps
  1. Map Symbols (in printable PDF format)
    http://www.seminolestate.edu/adulted/els/media/map-symbols.pdf
  2. USA Label Me! Printouts (maps of U.S. states, regional, time zones, individual states and more)
    http://www.enchantedlearning.com/label/usa.shtml
  3. Label Me! Florida State Map (printable)
    http://www.enchantedlearning.com/usa/label/states/florida/
  4. U.S. Census Bureau State Maps (printable)
    http://quickfacts.census.gov/qfd/printmaps.html
  5. Florida County Selection Map
    http://quickfacts.census.gov/qfd/maps/florida_map.html
  6. Florida Counties Map (click on a square from the map legend to get a list of cities in the highlighted area) http://www.floridacountiesmap.com
  7. Florida Maps (links to city and road maps, highway traffic information and maps with directions)
    http://goflorida.about.com/cs/maps/a/maps_florida.htm
  8. Florida: Facts, Map and State Symbols (printouts)
    http://www.enchantedlearning.com/usa/states/florida/map.GIF
  9. Florida Counties Map
    http://www.mapwatch.com/multi-maps/full/florida-county-map.gif
Environment: Protection
  1. Florida Department of Environmental Protection
    http://www.dep.state.fl.us/waste/misc/sitemap.htm
  2. U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
    http://www.epa.gov
  3. Environmental Kids Club (for foundation, low and high-beginning levels; easy to understand and visually appealing)
    http://www.epa.gov/kids/
  4. EPA Student Center (for low-intermediate level)
    http://www.epa.gov/students/
  5. High School Environmental Center (for high-intermediate level)
    http://www.epa.gov/highschool/
Environment: Saving Energy
  1. Tips on Saving Energy (includes a list of links)
    http://www.energyquest.ca.gov/saving_energy/
  2. U.S. Department of Energy - Energy Savers (a consumer guide to energy efficiency and renewable energy) http://www.eere.energy.gov/
  3. Information on Water Conservation
    http://www.seminolecountyfl.gov/envsrvs/watercon/
Environment: Temperature
  1. Fahrenheit to Celsius Converter 
    http://www.wbuf.noaa.gov/tempfc.htm
  2. Metric Conversion Tables
    http://www.teaching-english-in-japan.net/conversion
Hurricanes: Emergency Shelters and Services (Central Florida)
  1. Emergency Shelters in Seminole County, Florida
    http://www.seminolecountyfl.gov/guide/shelters/sheltersmain.asp
  2. Emergency Shelters in Volusia County, Florida
    http://volusia.org/storm/shelter.htm
  3. Information on Florida Hazards (hurricanes, lightning and drought; from the Florida Division of Emergency Management)
    http://www.floridadisaster.org/index.asp
Hurricanes: Evacuation Routes (Florida)
  1. Florida Hurricane Evacuation Route Maps for All of Florida's 67 Counties
    http://www.floridadisaster.org/publicmapping/index.htm
  2. Seminole County Emergency Management
    http://www.seminolecountyfl.gov/
Hurricanes: Grammar Activities
  1. A Hurricane Quiz (focuses on present tense; simple versus progressive; low-intermediate)
    http://ww2.college-em.qc.ca/prof/epritchard/hurrica2.htm
  2. The Hurricane (past tense)
    http://ww2.college-em.qc.ca/prof/epritchard/hurricpf.htm
  3. Hurricane (past tense and passives)
    http://ww2.college-em.qc.ca/prof/epritchard/hurrpass.htm
Hurricanes: Preparedness
  1. Hurricane Supply Kit (in printable PDF format)
    http://www.seminolestate.edu/adulted/els/media/hurricane-supply-kit.pdf
  2. Are You Ready for a Hurricane? (information in printable PDF format from the American Red Cross, National Weather Service and Federal Emergency Management Agency)
    http://www.seminolestate.edu/adulted/els/media/hurricaneready.pdf
Hurricanes: Sharing Stories and Feelings
  1. Hurricane Survivor Stories (short anecdotes)
    http://www.miamisci.org/hurricane/hurricane.html
  2. Meet a Family That Survived the Storm
    http://www.miamisci.org/hurricane/survivors1.html
Hurricanes: Understanding Hurricanes
  1. National Hurricane Center
    http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/
  2. Climate and Weather Resources (from the University of Central Florida)
    http://library.ucf.edu/GovDocs/climate/default.asp
Weather: Florida
  1. Severe Weather Awareness Week (by state with other informative links)
    http://www.weather.gov/os/severeweather/severewxcal.shtml
  2. Hazardous Weather, a Florida Guide (links to downloads, games and lesson plans on Florida's weather hazards)
    http://www.floridadisaster.org/kids/index2.htm
  3. Weather Information for Central Florida
    http://www.wesh.com/weather/index.html
  4. Weather Information for Central Florida Counties (hurricane videos are available)
    http://www.wftv.com/hurricanes/index.html
Weather: Games
  1. Wild Weather Adventure Game (NASA)
    http://spaceplace.nasa.gov/en/kids/goes/wwa/#
  2. National Aeronautics and Space Administration (word puzzles, quizzes and a board game)
    http://spaceplace.nasa.gov/en/kids/games.shtml
  3. Weather Games
    http://www.weatherwizkids.com/WxGames.htm
  4. Winter Storm Word Search
    http://www.ema.ohio.gov/kids_page/html/storm.htm
  5. Weather Word Search (a timed activity)
    http://www.apples4theteacher.com/word-finds/weather-words.html
Weather: Lightning (Florida)
  1. Lightning Safety
    http://www.lightningsafety.com/
  2. Lightning Safety Rules
    http://weathereye.kgan.com/cadet/lightning/safety_rules.html
  3. Lightning Safety
    http://www.lightningsafety.noaa.gov/
  4. Florida... Lightning Capital of the U.S.
    http://goflorida.about.com/od/floridaweather/a/lightning.htm
  5. Lightning Slide Show (includes amazing pictures)
    http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/32084215/ns/health-picture_stories/displaymode/1247/?beginSlide=1&beginChapter=1&beginTab=1
Weather: Rip Currents
  1. Rip Currents (explore five pages of important information for beachgoers)
    http://science.howstuffworks.com/rip-current.htm
  2. Rip Current Safety Overview (from the National Weather Service)
    http://www.ripcurrents.noaa.gov/overview.shtml
  3. Rip Current Signs and Brochures (from the National Weather Service)
    http://www.ripcurrents.noaa.gov/signs-brochures.shtml
Weather: Safety
  1. Weather Safety (various topics)
    http://www.weatherwizkids.com/WxSafety.htm
Weather: Vocabulary
  1. Weather-Related Links
    http://eleaston.com/weather.html
  2. Weather Vocabulary Practice (audio)
    http://www.esl-lab.com/vocab/v-weather.htm
  3. Weather Vocabulary (words, definitions and example sentences)
    http://www.englishclub.com/vocabulary/weather-vocabulary.htm
  4. Weather Words Puzzlemaker
    http://puzzlemaker.school.discovery.com/
  5. Raindrops Keep Falling on My Head (try reviewing weather vocabulary, grammar structure and pronunciation with these lyrics; in printable PDF format)
    http://www.seminolestate.edu/adulted/els/media/raindrops-keep-falling-on-my-head.pdf
  6. Printable Weather-Related Vocabulary and Preparedness Tips for Hurricane Season
    http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/HAW2/english/intro.shtml
  7. The Orlando Sentinel Weather Page (a great resource for weather vocabulary and reviewing temperature)
    http://www.orlandosentinel.com/news/weather/
  8. Weather Vocabulary (with pictures and example sentences)
    http://www.learnenglish.de/basics/weather.htm
  9. Weather Gap Exercise (with picture clues)
    http://esl.about.com/library/beginner/blweathervocabulary.htm
  10. Weather Report Chart
    http://fds.oup.com/www.oup.com/pdf/elt/products/rbt_iyl_worksheet_2.8.pdf?cc=glo
  11. Weather Vocabulary (a variety of word games)
    http://www.manythings.org/vocabulary/lists/c/words.php?f=weather-2
  12. Weather-Related Phrases - Catchy song reviews: It's _____ outside today (raining, sunny, windy, snowy, cloudy, hot) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SA_zWo5LGF0

Family and Parenting

Audio Resources/Listening Practice: Family and Parenting
  1. Our Family Roots: Genealogy (audio)
    http://www.esl-lab.com/roots/rootsrd1.htm
  2. Make Reading to Young Children Fun (a video with tips)
    http://video.about.com/childrensbooks/Reading.htm
  3. Family Relationships (audio)
    http://www.esl-lab.com/family1/fam1.htm
  4. Adult Learning Activities by the California Distance Learning Project
    http://www.cdlponline.org/
    • Click "Family."
    • Click "School."
    • Click the life skills headings to view substantial lists of topics with the following format:
      • Page 1: Reading (with audio and some videos)
      • Page 2: Vocabulary (with audio)
      • Page 3: Spelling Practice
      • Page 4: Follow-up Activity (a matching game)
      • Page 5: Comprehension Questions
    • Scores can be printed or e-mailed.
Community Agencies and Services: Local Area Hotlines (Central Florida)
  1. Health and Human Services (links to definitions of abuse, how to report and who is required to report)
    http://www.dcf.state.fl.us/abuse/
  2. Focus Adolescent Services (a list of hotlines, helplines and more)
    http://www.focusas.com/Florida.html
  3. The Howard Phillips Center for Children and Families (short answers to questions about abuse and links to local resources)
    http://www.arnoldpalmerhospital.org/parents/child_health/phillips/hearts_faqs.cfm
  4. Community Justice Division Resource Guide (extensive list of local area resources for hotlines, health services, immigration, food, shelter and more)
    http://www.seminolecountyfl.gov/commsrvs/pdf/Community_Justice_Division_Resource_Guide.pdf
Community Agencies and Services: School Districts (Central Florida)
  1. Seminole County Public Schools
    http://www.scps.k12.fl.us/
  2. Orange County Public Schools
    http://www.ocps.k12.fl.us/
  3. The School District of Osceola County
    http://www.osceola.k12.fl.us/
  4. Volusia District Schools
    http://www.volusia.k12.fl.us/
Community Agencies and Services: Public Library Systems (Central Florida)
  1. Seminole County Library Services
    http://www.seminolecountyfl.gov/lls/library/
  2. Orange County Public Library
    http://www.ocpl.org
  3. Osceola Library System
    http://osceolalibrary.org
Education: Daycare Centers, Evaluation and Accreditation
  1. Florida Department of Children and Families
    http://www.dcf.state.fl.us/childcare/
  2. Five Steps to Choosing Quality Childcare
    http://www.childcareaware.org/en/5steps
  3. Questions for Your Child's School
    https://www.gavindebecker.com/index.php/resources/child_safety/child_safety/
  4. Questions to Ask at a Prospective Daycare
    http://www.saferchild.org/askthe.htm
  5. 10 Signs of a Great Preschool
    http://www.daycarematch.com/articles/art_great_preschool.asp
  6. Evaluating a Daycare
    http://daycare.lifetips.com/cat/56834/evaluating-a-daycare/index.html
Education: Daycare Centers, Locating
  1. Daycare and Childcare Information
    http://www.daycarematch.com
  2. Locate Childcare
    http://metrodaycare.com
  3. Orlando, Florida-Area Daycare
    http://orlando.daycarecrossing.com
Education: Home/School Communication
  1. Florida Comprehensive Assessment Test (FCAT; resources for parents to learn about the test and for students to practice the skills that are tested)
    http://www.fcatexplorer.com
  2. Florida Comprehensive Assessment Test (FCAT; Florida Department of Education reports by grade level and district)
    http://fcat.fldoe.org
  3. Your Child, Your Public Schools (by the the Florida Department of Education)
    http://www.paec.org/your_child_your_public_schools/
  4. What Parents Can Do to Help Their Child at Home and School (30-question quiz)
    http://www.projectappleseed.org/reportcard.html
Education: Involvement in Children's Education, Reading with Children
  1. Resources to Book Lists (book recommendations from children, young adults and teachers; includes award-winning nonfiction books)
    http://www.thinkfinity.org/parent_resource_list.aspx?feature=booklists
  2. Recommended Children's Books About Hurricanes
    http://childrensbooks.about.com/od/toppicks/ss/hurricanes_3.htm
  3. Kidsreads (reviews of books for children)
    http://www.kidsreads.com/reviews/index.asp
  4. Reading is Fundamental
    http://www.rif.org
  5. Tips for Reading Aloud with Preschoolers (by Reading is Fundamental)
    http://www.rif.org/parents/tips/tip.mspx?View=10
  6. Tips for Parents of School-Age Children (by Reading is Fundamental)
    http://www.rif.org/parents/tips/tip.mspx?View=66
  7. How to Nurture a Growing Reader (by Reading is Fundamental)
    http://www.rif.org/parents/tips/tip.mspx?View=6
  8. Practice English with Your Preschool Child
    http://www.sesameworkshop.org/sesamestreet/
  9. Getting Involved in Your Child's Education (NEA)
    http://www.nea.org/home/index.html
  10. Starfall's Learn-to-Read website (stories with audio)
    http://www.starfall.com
  11. Reading Tip Sheets for Parents (one-page reading tip sheets offer easy ways for parents to help kids become successful readers; tips for preschool through third grade are available in eleven languages)
    http://www.colorincolorado.org/guides/readingtips
  12. Reading Logs (free printable reading logs for parents and children to help keep track of the books they've read)
    http://www.countryclipart.com/ReadingLogs/readinglogs.htm
  13. Reading Lists (printable lists of books for infants through grade 12)
    http://www.seminolecountyfl.gov/lls/library/kids/kids_readinglists.html
Education: Scholarships
  1. Florida Academic Counseling and Tracking for Students (FACTS.org, Florida's official online student advising system for high school students, college students and parents; the services provided on this website can help plan and track educational progress)
    http://www.facts.org/cgi-bin/eaglec?MDASTRAN=SW-HMMNE00
  2. State University System of Florida (links to information for students)
    http://www.flbog.org
  3. Office of Student Financial Assistance (links to student loans, scholarships and state grants from the Florida Department of Education)
    http://www.floridastudentfinancialaid.org/osfahomepg.htm
  4. Resources for Grants, Foundations and Scholarships
    http://library.ucf.edu/GovDocs/grants.asp
  5. FinAid!: The Smart Student Guide to Financial Aid (links to scholarships, loans and applications; includes information on scams)
    http://www.finaid.org/
  6. Seminole State College's Financial Aid Information
    http://www.seminolestate.edu/financialaid/scholarships.htm
  7. Free Scholarship Searches
    http://www.college-scholarships.com/free_scholarship_searches.htm
  8. Next Step Transition Information for ESOL Students (plan your next step to transition from the ESOL Program to another educational program)
    http://www.seminolestate.edu/adulted/els/nextstep.htm
  9. Scholarships
    http://www.latinocollegedollars.org
Education: U.S. System
  1. Education in the United States (from Wikipedia)
    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Education_in_the_United_States
  2. Florida Parent Teacher Association (PTA)
    http://www.floridapta.org
  3. School Advisory Councils: SAC Toolbox - The Basics
    http://www.florida-family.net/SAC/
  4. Florida Association of School Advisory Councils, Inc.
    http://florida-family.net/SAC/FLSAC.htm
 Family and Parenting: Vocabulary
  1. Family Members (a scrambled word game)
    http://a4esl.org/q/h/ck/sw-family.html
  2. Family Members (a printable word search)
    http://www.manythings.org/wf/0/family.gif
  3. Extended Family Chart
    http://www.bridgeport.edu/Indexhtml/Centers/Disted/crsmaterials/korn101/word/truef.htm
  4. Vocabulary on Family and Relatives
    http://www.englisch-hilfen.de/en/words/family1.htm
  5. Family (an easy word search)
    http://www.abcteach.com/EasyPuzzles/wordsearches/lcfamily.htm
  6. What Every Parent Should Know (in printable PDF format)
    http://www.seminolestate.edu/adulted/els/media/what-every-parent-should-know.pdf
  7. Booster Seat Information (by state; includes video clips)
    http://www.nhtsa.dot.gov/portal/site/nhtsa/menuitem.9f8c7d6359e0e9bbbf30811060008a0c/

Government and Community Resources

Audio Resources/Listening Practice: Government
  1. Adult Learning Activities (from the California Distance Learning Project)
    http://www.cdlponline.org/
    • Click on "Law and Government"
    • Click on life skills headings to view substantial lists of topics with the following format:
      • Page 1: Reading (with audio and some videos)
      • Page 2: Vocabulary (with audio)
      • Page 3: Spelling Practice
      • Page 4: Follow-up Activity (a matching game)
      • Page 5: Comprehension Questions
    • Scores can be printed or e-mailed.
Community Agencies and Services: Government Agencies
  1. State of Florida Agencies (a list of links)
    http://www.myflorida.com/directory/
  2. Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles
    http://www.hsmv.state.fl.us/
  3. Social Security Online
    http://www.ssa.gov/
Community Agencies and Services: Health Department
  1. Florida Department of Health (links to local-area agencies)
    http://www.doh.state.fl.us/
Community Agencies and Services: Law Enforcement
  1. Florida Municipal Police Departments
    http://myfloridalegal.com/pages.nsf/4492d797dc0bd92f85256cb80055fb97/
    641c132b9db85d4785256cc9007a3aa7!OpenDocument
  2. Florida Victim Services Directory (links by regions)
    http://myfloridalegal.com/directory
Community Agencies and Services: U.S Post Office
  1. United States Postal Service
    http://www.usps.com/
  2. United States Postal Service Shipping and Mailing 
    http://www.usps.com/all/shippingandmailing/welcome.htm
  3. United States Postal Service Options for Receiving Mail
    http://www.usps.com/all/optionsforreceivingmail/welcome.htm
  4. United States Postage Rate Calculator (domestic and international)
    http://postcalc.usps.gov
  5. Zip Code Lookup
    http://zip4.usps.com/zip4/welcome.jsp
  6. United States Postal Money Orders
    http://www.usps.com/money/welcome.htm
Community Agencies and Services: U.S. Library of Congress
  1. America's Story (from the U.S. Library of Congress; meet amazing Americans and explore the states and other topics with short articles)
    http://www.americaslibrary.gov
  2. The Library of Congress
    http://www.loc.gov/index.html

Holidays

Holidays: Calendar
  1. A Printable Monthly Calendar (with one fact per day)
    http://www.teachercreated.com/free/
  2. Leap Year
    http://www.timeanddate.com/date/leapyear.html
Holidays: Information
  1. BlackDog Loves Holidays (links to information and games related to major U.S. holidays)
    http://www.blackdog.net/holiday.html
  2. Holidays and Special Days Center
    http://www.education-world.com/holidays/
  3. Learning American Holidays Through Greeting Cards (a lesson plan; scroll down for the handout)
    http://iteslj.org/Lessons/Chien-GreetingCards.html
  4. Earth Calendar (a day book of holidays and celebrations around the world)
    http://www.earthcalendar.net
  5. Compare Holidays! (areas for brainstorming and writing a summary)
    http://www.abcteach.com/free/h/holidays_venn.pdf
  6. American Holidays (with brief explanations and informational links)
    http://www.usa.gov/citizens/holidays.shtml
  7. EL Civics for ESL Students (PowerPoint slides on various American holidays; includes a list of links)
    http://www.elcivics.com/esl_powerpoint_lessons.html
Holidays: Martin Luther King Jr. Day (the third Monday in January)
  1. Holiday Celebrating the Birth and Life of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
    http://www.holidays.net/mlk/
  2. The Official website of the King Center in Atlanta, Ga. (with audio)
    http://www.thekingcenter.org/
  3. The History of Martin Luther King, Jr. Day
    http://www.infoplease.com/spot/mlkhistory1.html
  4. Biographical Information on Martin Luther King, Jr. (with reproducible questions on the reading)
    http://www.abcteach.com/Reading/comps2/mlk1.pdf
  5. Speeches about Dr. King (search "Martin Luther King")
    http://www.history.com/media.do
  6. I Have a Dream (audio recording)
    http://www.hpol.org/record.php?id=72
  7. Photos of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
    http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/mlk/photogallery/
    1956-62/thumbs.html
  8. "I have a Dream" (video recording)
    http://earthstation1.com/Civil_Rights/MLK/MLK630828Video.ram
Holidays: Valentine's Day (February 14)
  1. Printable Word Puzzles (for all levels)
    http://www.kidsdomain.com/holiday/val/word.html
  2. Valentine's Day (high-intermediate reading from The History Channel)
    http://www.historychannel.com/exhibits/valentine
  3. The History of Valentine's Day (check out the "Dating Through the Ages" game and other listings in the menu)
    http://www.historychannel.com/exhibits/valentine/
  4. Valentine's Day History and Traditions
    http://www.pictureframes.co.uk/pages/saint_valentine.htm
  5. St. Valentine's Day (a printable article with questions and an answer key)
    http://www.abcteach.com/free/v/valentinesday_history.pdf
Holidays: Presidents Day (the third Monday in February)
  1. The History of Presidents Day (links to a lesson plan, presidential biographies and more)
    http://www.patriotism.org/presidents_day/
  2. Information on Presidents Day
    http://www.calendar-updates.com/info/holidays/us/president.aspx
Holidays: St. Patrick's Day (March 17)
  1. The History of St. Patrick's Day
    http://www.alphabet-soup.net/hol/sphist.html
Holidays: Memorial Day (the last Monday in May)
  1. Memorial Day (high-intermediate level)
    http://www.calendar-updates.com/info/holidays/us/memorial.aspx
  2. Memorial Day (a historical background)
    http://www.patriotism.org/memorial_day/
  3. Memorial Day (Wikipedia article with links)
    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Memorial_Day
Holidays: Independence Day (July 4)
  1. Celebrating July Fourth With Fireworks, Music, Picnics and Parades (VOA News; with Audio)
    http://www.voanews.com/specialenglish/archive/2006-07/2006-07-02-voa3.cfm
  2. Fourth of July (from the History Channel)
    http://www.history.com/minisites/fourthofjuly/
  3. An Explanation of Independence Day (includes many links)
    http://www.holidayinsights.com/july4/
  4. A Simple Explanation of Independence Day (foundation and low-beginner levels; includes a U.S. state word search and picnic vocabulary list)
    http://www.kidsturncentral.com/holidays/july4.htm
  5. American Symbols with Brief Explanations (a colorful site with history, flag etiquette and an apple pie recipe)
    http://www.amcham.ru/independence/history.html
  6. An ESL Fourth of July Lesson (with worksheets, recipes, a puzzle, a PowerPoint presentation and video)
    http://www.elcivics.com/esl_fourth_of_july.html
  7. Independence Day
    http://www.calendar-updates.com/info/holidays/us/independence.aspx
  8. Independence Day (high-intermediate level)
    http://www.calendar-updates.com/Holidays/US/independence.htm
Holidays: Labor Day (the first Monday in September)
  1. The History of Labor Day (from the U.S. Department of Labor)
    http://www.dol.gov/opa/aboutdol/laborday.htm
  2. Labor Day
    http://wilstar.com/holidays/laborday.htm
  3. Why Do We Celebrate Labor Day?
    http://people.howstuffworks.com/question459.htm
Holidays: Halloween (October 31)
  1. Pumpkins for All Seasons (Voice of America - Special English, 24 October 2006; includes transcript and audio)
    http://www.voanews.com/specialenglish/archive/2006-10/2006-10-24-voa1.cfm
  2. Pumpkins: Not Just for Halloween (Voice of America - Special English, 31 October 2005; includes transcript and audio)
    http://www.voanews.com/specialenglish/archive/2005-10/2005-10-31-voa2.cfm
  3. How Halloween Works (American Traditions)
    http://people.howstuffworks.com/halloween8.htm
  4. Halloween (high-intermediate-level reading; from the History Channel)
    http://www.historychannel.com/exhibits/halloween/
  5. Thirteen Spooky Halloween Safety Suggestions
    http://www.kidsdomain.com/holiday/halloween/safety.html
  6. Halloween Word Find Puzzles
    http://www.kidsdomain.com/holiday/halloween/word.html
  7. Halloween Puzzles
    http://www.blackdog.net/holiday/halloween/slide/index.html
Holidays: Veterans Day (November 11)
  1. Veterans Day - November 11 (contains a list of links, including a teacher resource guide, history, photo gallery and more; from the Department of Veterans Affairs)
    http://www1.va.gov/opa/vetsday/
  2. A Brief Explanation of Veterans Day (includes a lesson plan and links; from Miami-Dade County Public Schools)
    http://www.patriotism.org/veterans_day/
  3. Veterans Day (a reproducible article with comprehension questions)
    http://www.abcteach.com/free/r/rc_veteransday_elem.pdf
Holidays: Thanksgiving (Fourth Thursday in November)
  1. Behind the Turkey: The Story of Thanksgiving (Voice of America - Special English, 20 November 2005; transcript and audio) http://www.voanews.com/specialenglish/archive/2005-11/2005-11-20-voa5.cfm
  2. Cranberries: A Little Fruit with Growing Appeal (Voice of America - Special English, 06 December, 2005; transcript and audio) http://www.voanews.com/specialenglish/archive/2005-12/2005-12-06-voa1.cfm
  3. Thanksgiving Day: Filled with Family Traditions and, Oh Yes, Food
    http://www.voanews.com/specialenglish/archive/2006-11/2006-11-19-voa3.cfm
  4. Thanksgiving Day Special (listen to a podcast on the holiday and do practice activities)
    http://www.uscitizenpod.blogspot.com/2007/11/thanksgiving-day-special.html
  5. ESL Podcast 91: Thanksgiving (Listen to the dialog in slow and fast modes)
    http://www.eslpod.com/website/show_podcast.php?issue_id=113
  6. The Thanksgiving Story (an article and quiz)
    http://wilstar.com/holidays/thankstr.htm
  7. Thanksgiving Word Search (online)
    http://wilstar.com/holidays/puzzles/thankspuz.htm
  8. Thanksgiving Word Puzzles (word searches and crosswords by degree of difficulty)
    http://www.kidsdomain.com/holiday/thanks/word.html
  9. Thanksgiving Dinner Logic (create a printable family tree)
    http://www.edhelper.com/Thanksgiving_Logic68.htm
  10. The True Story of Thanksgiving (in printable PDF format)
    http://www.seminolestate.edu/adulted/els/media/The-True-Story-of-Thanksgiving.pdf
  11. The Official Site of Plimoth Plantation (an award-winning site with learning activities, virtual colony tour and historical information) http://www.plimoth.org/
  12. Thanksgiving and Christmas: Holiday Traditions (listening exercises with audio)
    http://www.esl-lab.com/tradition/traditionrd1.htm
Holidays: Christmas (December 25)
  1. Spirit of the Season: Christmas Music and Traditions in America (Voice of America, Special English, 18 December 2005; transcript and audio)
    http://www.voanews.com/specialenglish/archive/2005-12/2005-12-18-voa3.cfm
  2. Special Story for Christmas: "The Gift of the Magi" (Voice of America - Special English, 23 December 2005; includes transcript and audio)
    http://www.voanews.com/specialenglish/archive/2005-12/2005-12-22-voa2.cfm
  3. How Christmas Works (an article with a long list of links on Christmas traditions)
    http://people.howstuffworks.com/christmas.htm
  4. The History and Legend of Christmas Characters
    http://www.stcharleschristmas.com/christmashistory.htm
  5. Christmas Quizzes, Word Searchers, Puzzles, Crosswords, Printables and More
    http://www.isabelperez.com/xmas.htm
  6. Christmas World Traditions (from the History Channel)
    http://www.historychannel.com/exhibits/holidays/christmas/world.html
  7. The Real Story of Christmas (from the History Channel)
    http://www.historychannel.com/exhibits/holidays/christmas/real.html
  8. Christmas Traditions Quiz
    http://a4esl.org/q/h/vc-traditions-lb.html
  9. The History of the Christmas Tree 
    http://www.christmas-tree.com/where.html
  10. Christmas Vocabulary List (in printable PDF format)
    http://www.seminolestate.edu/adulted/els/media/christmas-vocabulary-list.pdf
  11. Christmas is Coming! (listening exercises with audio)
    http://www.esl-lab.com/santa/santard1.htm
  12. The Christmas Gift (listening exercises with audio)
    http://www.esl-lab.com/gift/giftrd1.htm
  13. Christmas Day (listening activity with script and audio)
    http://www.dailyesl.com/christmas.htm
  14. Thanksgiving and Christmas: Holiday Traditions (listening exercises with audio)
    http://www.esl-lab.com/tradition/traditionrd1.htm

Government

Government: U.S. Constitution
  1. The National Archives (view important documents like the U.S. Constitution)
    http://www.archives.gov/exhibits/charters/
  2. United States Constitution (from Cornell University Law School; includes the Preamble, articles and amendments)
    http://www.law.cornell.edu/constitution/
  3. The Constitution Online (includes various links to related topics)
    http://www.usconstitution.net/index.html
  4. American History Series: The Heart and Spirit of the Constitution (Voice of America News; includes text and audio)
    http://www.voanews.com/specialenglish/archive/2008-03/2008-03-26-voa1.cfm
  5. The U.S. Constitution was Written in: 1776? 1787? 1904? (Voice of America News; includes text and audio)
    http://www1.voanews.com/english/news/american-life/only-in-america/a-13-2009-09-08-voa21-68793822.html
  6. Schoolhouse Rock: The Preamble (video)
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aNb9AoY5XXE
  7. Barney Fife and the Preamble to the Constitution (funny television character tries to recite the Preamble; video)
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oBuPQgV8yBM  

 

Government: U.S. Federal, Judicial Branch
  1. Jury Duty in the U.S. (select the incorrect part of the sentence)
    http://www.eslpartyland.com/quiz%20center/quiz.htm
  2. The American Jury (links to lessons and resources about the jury system)
    http://www.crfc.org/americanjury/about.html
Government: U.S. Federal, Legislative Branch
  1. The Legislative Process: How Bills Become Laws or Not
    http://usgovinfo.about.com/library/weekly/aa010899.htm
  2. The United States Congress and Legislative Agencies
    http://thomas.loc.gov/links/#info
  3. Federal Legislative Branch (the U.S. government's official Web portal)
    http://www.firstgov.gov/Agencies/Federal/Legislative.shtml
Government: U.S. Federal, Voting and Elections
  1. USA Elections (an interactive crossword)
    http://www.abcteach.com/wordpuzzles/onlinepuzzles/election.html
  2. A Directory of U.S. Political Parties (information and links for many parties)
    http://politics1.com/parties.htm
  3. Political Issues and Debates (links to different topics and viewpoints)
    http://politics1.com/issues.htm
  4. Voting and Elections (various links to voting topics and contact information for elected officials, such as the president, U.S. representatives, senators, governors, and other state and local officials)
    http://www.firstgov.gov/Citizen/Topics/Voting.shtml
  5. Election Day (a brief explanation; low-intermediate level)
    http://www3.kumc.edu/diversity/other/election.html
  6. Election Day (an explanation of the Electoral College; high-intermediate level)
    http://www.calendar-updates.com/Holidays/US/election.htm
Government: Local Government
  1. Cities and States (government resources and historical interest sites)
    http://www.usacitylink.com/usa/
  2. Florida Government Information and Related Resources (from the University of Central Florida)
    http://library.ucf.edu/GovDocs/florida.asp
  3. The Premier Federal, State and Local Government Site on the Internet
    http://govengine.com/
Government: State Government
  1. State and Territorial Governments (the U.S. government's official Web portal)
    http://www.firstgov.gov/Agencies/State_and_Territories.shtml
  2. A List of Links on Interesting Facts for Each of the States in the U.S.
    http://www.50states.com
  3. State and Local Government on the Net (a directory of official state, county and city government websites)
    http://www.statelocalgov.net

U.S. Citizenship

Citizenship: Information Resources
  1. U.S. Citizenship (information and links)
    http://www.uscis.gov/citizenshiptest
  2. U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services 
    http://www.uscis.gov/graphics/index.htm
  3. The White House (information on immigration issues)
    http://www.whitehouse.gov/infocus/immigration/
  4. U.S. Government websites for the Three Branches of U.S. Government
    http://usgovinfo.about.com/blindex.htm
  5. The United States Constitution
    http://usgovinfo.about.com/blconst.htm
  6. Voter Information (a list of links)
    http://usgovinfo.about.com/blpres2000e.htm
  7. Florida Voter Registration Application
    http://election.dos.state.fl.us/voter-registration/voter-reg.shtml
Citizenship: Study Resources
  1. Study Materials for the New Naturalization Test (includes questions, vocabulary lists and flash cards)
    http://www.uscis.gov/newtest
  2. 100 Questions from the INS Study Guide (answers included)
    http://www.joneslibrary.org/esl/info/100questions.html
  3. Welcome to Citizenship Quizzes 1-10 (self-check quizzes)
    http://aenet.esuhsd.org/Citizenship_lessons/quizzes/quiz.html
  4. Preparing for the U.S. Citizenship Interview (learn about U.S. history, government, and the questions asked during the interview; includes practice tests and printouts)
    http://aenet.esuhsd.org/Citizenship_lessons/Citizen/index.html
  5. EL Civics for ESL Students (PowerPoint slides with U.S. citizenship questions and answers)
    http://www.elcivics.com/esl_powerpoint_lessons.html

U.S. Concepts of Time and Money

Audio Resources/Listening Practice: Money
  1. Adult Learning Activities (by the California Distance Learning Project)
    http://www.cdlponline.org/
    • Click "Money."
    • Click life skills headings to view substantial lists of topics with the following format:
      • Page 1: Reading (with audio and some videos)
      • Page 2: Vocabulary (with audio)
      • Page 3: Spelling Practice
      • Page 4: Follow-up activity (a matching game)
      • Page 5: Comprehension Questions
    • Scores can be printed or e-mailed.
Identity Theft
  1. Tips to Reduce Your Chances of Becoming a Victim of Identity Theft (in printable PDF format)
    http://www.seminolestate.edu/adulted/els/media/your-personal-data-is-like-gold.pdf
  2. Social Security Identity Theft Information
    http://www.ssa.gov/pubs/idtheft.htm
  3. Privacy Rights Clearinghouse (a nonprofit consumer information and advocacy organization)
    http://www.privacyrights.org/identity.htm
  4. Types of Identity Theft
    http://computer.howstuffworks.com/identity-theft1.htm
  5. Identity Theft Victims' Guide
    http://www.privacyrights.org/fs/fs17a.htm
  6. Fight Identity Theft
    http://www.fightidentitytheft.com/
  7. Protect Yourself from Fraudulent E-mails (from PayPal)
    https://www.paypal.com/cgi-bin/webscr?cmd=xpt/general/SecuritySpoof-outside
  8. Equifax (a credit-reporting agency)
    http://www.equifax.com/
  9. Experian (a credit-reporting agency)
    http://www.experian.com/
  10. Transunion (a credit-reporting agency)
    http://www.transunion.com/index.jsp
  11. Free Annual Credit Report Online
    https://www.annualcreditreport.com/cra/index.jsp
Measurements
  1. Fahrenheit to Celsius Converter
    http://www.wbuf.noaa.gov/tempfc.htm
  2. Metric Conversion Tables
    http://www.teaching-english-in-japan.net/conversion
Money: Banking
  1. Money-Related Vocabulary (includes pictures and audio)
    http://www.languageguide.org/im/money/eng/
  2. Banking Vocabulary and Definitions
    http://www.englishclub.com/business-english/vocabulary_banking.htm
  3. Money-Related Vocabulary and Definitions (high-intermediate level)
    http://www.englishclub.com/business-english/vocabulary_money.htm
  4. Currency Exchange Rates
    http://www.x-rates.com/
  5. Currency Converter
    http://finance.yahoo.com/currency
  6. Counting Coins
    http://www.coe.uh.edu/archive/math/math_lessons/mathles3/pen1.htm
Money: Credit Cards
  1. Choosing a Credit Card (an article from The Federal Reserve Board)
    http://www.federalreserve.gov/pubs/shop/default.htm
  2. A List of Five Teaching Guides (includes "How Credit Cards Work"; from the Electric Money series on PBS)
    http://www.pbs.org/opb/electricmoney/teaching_guide/teaching_guide.htm
  3. Information on Credit Cards
    http://www.credit-cards-info.com/
Money: Financial Responsibilities
  1. Financial Jargon (a list of terms and definitions)
    http://money.howstuffworks.com/credit-card8.htm
Numbers
  1. Numbers (with audio)
    http://www.languageguide.org/im/num/eng/
  2. Numbers (worksheets and flash cards)
    http://www.first-school.ws/theme/numbers_preschool_printables.htm
  3. Numbers (with audio)
    http://www.literacycenter.net/lessonview_en.htm
Time: Calendar
  1. Seasons, Months and Days of the Week (with audio)
    http://www.languageguide.org/txt/time/eng/
  2. I Can Make a Calendar (printable templates)
    http://www.enchantedlearning.com/calendar/icanmake/
  3. Writing the Date
    http://www.englishclub.com/vocabulary/time-date.htm
  4. Days of the Week (a vocabulary list with abbreviations)
    http://www.englishclub.com/vocabulary/time-days-of-week.htm
  5. Months of the Year (includes vocabulary, abbreviations, the number of days, and seasons in North America)
    http://www.englishclub.com/vocabulary/time-months-of-year.htm
  6. Free Monthly Calendars (in printable PDF format with one trivia item for each day)
    http://www.teachercreated.com/free/
Time: Telling Time
  1. Telling Time (quiz with audio)
    http://www.esl-lab.com/time.htm
  2. Bang on Time
    http://www.oswego.org/ocsd-web/games/BangOnTime/clockwordres.html
  3. Stop the Clock 1
    http://www.oswego.org/ocsd-web/games/StopTheClock/sthecR.html
  4. Stop the Clock 2
    http://www.oswego.org/ocsd-web/games/StopTheClock/sthec4.html
  5. U.S. Time Zones (official U.S. time zones; click a U.S. time zone on the map to get a running clock with the current time) http://nist.time.gov/
  6. U.S. Time Zones (links to maps and state names)
    http://www.timetemperature.com/tzus/time_zone.shtml
  7. Daylight Savings Time
    http://www.timetemperature.com/tzus/daylight_saving_time.shtml
  8. U.S. Time Zones (a printable activity)
    http://www.enchantedlearning.com/usa/label/timezones
  9. Stopwatch (various online formats for countdown clocks)
    http://www.online-stopwatch.com
  10. Class Timer (an online timer with audio)
    http://www.vickiblackwell.com/timer.html

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