Called "Off the Wall," the focus of this content is to connect 12 common chemical elements to the real world the first time students are introduced to the Periodic Table of Elements. This strategy deeply engages students in the subject so they are motivated to study. For example, carbon is introduced through a story on a rare, large, pink diamond. The pink color is not due to a trace element but rather, the configuration of the carbon atoms in the tetrahedrons.
First, while state social studies standards vary, there are many common content areas. Our site is unique in that we develop original content solely for K-12 students, teachers and parents, often through on-site visits and interviews at events. We focus on those common content areas. For example, in 2018, we were present at the 25th anniversary of the Vietnam Women's Memorial, located steps from the black granite wall at the Vietnam Memorial on the National Mall. It was an honor meeting many amazing women who served in Vietnam as nurses and recreational therapists. We are proud to give voice to their stories of sacrifice as they cared for soldiers. We are committed to deeply engaging students in History and provide a forum on our learning platform for them to share and discuss. Finally, many of our History articles have a foundation in a book that is reviewed as part of the article.
Redwood Learn is deeply aligned to proven principles of learning and literacy. As informational, primary source text, articles support indirect internalization of vocabulary. In addition, comprehension is supported through Story Maps, Review and Inquiry Questions, the Writing Practice App and the Writing Progress app. Finally, the site gives voice to students by providing them a platform to share and discuss content.
Redwood Learn articles on weather and climate help students gain understanding of basic weather data that is relevant to their daily lives. The unit features both historical and current articles on the importance of weather forecasting. Weather played a critical role in the timing of D-Day during World War II. That story is told through an interview with a professor of meteorology and a book written in 1970 by James Stagg, General Dwight D. Eisenhower's chief meteorologist. The unit features the most recent hurricane with learning activities and daily stories as the hurricane approached its landfall in the United States. In addition, rare weather events, such as the Aug. 10, 2020 derecho in the Midwest, are covered.
Redwood Learn (previously Student News Net) has a philosophy that Black History should be a focus not just for one month a year but during every month. With a foundation on the life of Rosa Parks, our Black History unit contains compelling content and video from authors and museum curators. For example, in 2018, we hosted a Symposium featuring Douglas Brinkley, Rosa's definitive biographer, discussing his 2000 book about her life. In addition, we take readers inside the Rosa Parks bus with video featuring a curator discussing the importance of the bus as an iconic symbol of the Civil Rights Movement.
Redwood Learning and the Redwood Learn Platform is published by Redwood Educational Technologies