general interest
National Conference of Catholic Bishops/United States Catholic Conference
https://www.usccb.org/This easy-to-navigate site has some excellent features, including daily Scripture readings, a list of bishops, movie reviews, statements and speeches, and a search function that looks in their files and the Internet. All departments have their own link with outlined resources. This is a good place for research involving the universal Church around the world, and for keeping current with the happenings of the Church on a national level.
University of Notre Dame Catholic Archives
http://www.nd.eduThe theology department at Notre Dame is responsible for this site, which includes numerous articles, essays, and online journals on a variety of theological topics. Searchable indexes and links to a variety of sources make this a natural choice for research. Scripture teachers will appreciate the links to various online versions of the Bible and apocryphal texts that include the Gospels of Thomas and Mary. A good number of medieval and modern texts are also included.
The Vatican
https://www.vatican.va/The official site of the Vatican is filled with pictures, audio, and video features! Easy-to-use tabs are given for the Holy Father, the museums, library/secret archives, the Roman curia, and the Vatican City-State. The content is presented in essays and multimedia formats and is available in a variety of languages.
Encyclopedia Brittanica
http://www.britannica.com/This online encyclopedia is an excellent resource for any topic, and that includes religion classes! On the home page, click on religion and there are three options to choose from: news and features, web's best sites, and the encyclopedia. Each option contains an incredible amount of information. The news and features are kept current and explore media and culture. The encyclopedia gives a brief article with links to any element of the study of religion imaginable. Click on Roman Catholicism, and an article on its history appears, with detailed links at the bottom of the page. Comprehensive and current, this site is a must for teacher background and student research.
From Jesus to Christ: The First Christians
https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/shows/religion/This is one of the most comprehensive sites on Christianity that I have ever seen! From PBS 'Frontline', this site looks at Jesus from a historical perspective and from the spiritual dimension of Christ. The site gives the latest research surrounding Jesus and his world. The four Gospels are explored, along with Q, the Gnostics, and the Gospel of Thomas. The first Christians and how the sect spread and became successful are discussed in detail. The home page offers five major categories to choose from, and each of those takes you to subcategories containing a wealth of information. Maps, charts, pictures, and audio excerpts from the program are also included. The teacher's guide is extremely well done, giving suggestions for using the content and site in history, religion, English literature, and psychology classes. This is a must-see!
National Catholic Education Association
https://www.ncea.org//The National Catholic Educational Association (NCEA) is a voluntary association of educators and institutions. It is the largest private professional education organization in the world, representing 150,000 Catholic educators who serve 6,000,000 students in Catholic elementary and secondary schools, in religious education programs, in seminaries, and in colleges and universities.
America Magazine
https://www.americamagazine.org/America, the weekly magazine founded by the Jesuits of America in 1909, is billed on their site as a national Catholic magazine for "thinking Catholics and those who want to know what Catholics are thinking." Known for its provocative articles and editorials, America's web site allows users to download a couple of the current issue's features. An archive of previously published articles and editorials is also available. An overhaul of the site is expected in the next two months. This is a good resource for scholarly thought!
U.S. Catholic Magazine
https://www.uscatholic.org/Claretian Publications publishes the widely read U.S. Catholic. This site allows users to access various articles from current and back issues. The site has a discussion forums piece and links to other publications and Catholic web sites. The articles are well written and easy to use with students.
Belief Net
https://www.beliefnet.com/This is a huge site! Multifaith and independent in nature, Belief Net has a mission to "help people meet their own religious, spiritual, and moral needs by providing information, inspiration, community, stimulation, and products." The site is easy to navigate and is divided into the categories of religion, spirituality, morality, inspiration, culture, news, teens, milestones, and family. Articles, Web site addresses, and multimedia opportunities abound on this very informative site that is suitable for both teachers and students!
Saints and Angels
https://www.catholic.org/saints/This site from Catholic Online claims to be the "largest collection of facts and information" on saints and angels on the Internet. The site contains an exhaustive alphabetized list of information on saints and angels, as well as other lists such as saints of the month, patron saints, ethnic saints. A search function is available on the site, making this a good tool for teacher and student research.
National Black Catholic Congress
https://www.nbccongress.org/The National Black Catholic Congress, comprised of member organizations, represents African American Roman Catholics, working in collaboration with National Roman Catholic organizations. This site is commited to the evangelization, freedom, and growth of African Americans as full participants in church and society. Publications, prayers, and updates on Blessed Mother Josephine Bakhita, are available on the site, as well as information on programs and future congresses. This is an excellent resource for teachers and students.
Movie Theme Index
http://www.textweek.com/movies/themeindex.htmThis site from Jenee Woodard is an incredible resource for anyone interested in using movies in their ministry! The user can easily find a list of themes that correspond to biblical and theological topics with the scripture index, the movie concordance, and the art concordance. A search function also makes this a user-friendly site. Excellent!
In the Mix
http://www.pbs.org/inthemix/This interactive site corresponds with the PBS television show, "In the Mix" and gives sound background and research on relevant topics such as alcohol, self-esteem, careers, depression, smoking, body image, sports, violence, teen immigrants, and gun control. The shows can be found in the drop-down menu. Excellent site for classroom use!
About Face
https://www.about-face.org/About-Face is a media literacy organization focused on the impact the mass media have on the physical, mental, and emotional well-being of women and girls. By encouraging critical thinking about the media, and personal empowerment, About-Face works to engender positive body image in girls and women of all ages, sizes, races, and backgrounds. Not only does this site have numerous facts and statistics, it also includes a gallery of worst offenders for media images of women, complete with comments on each ad. One link suggests ways to contact the offending companies to complain; another makes an effort to highlight companies that do a good job of advertising without demeaning or objectifying women. This is an awesome resource for teachers, students, and parents!
Center for Media Literacy
https://www.medialit.org/The Center for Media Literacy, a nonprofit agency out of Los Angeles, encourages the use of critical-thinking skills in accessing, analyzing, evaluating, and creating media. This site has incredible resources for teacher and student use. The "learn" link includes articles on the connections between media and violence and values. The links included on the site are some of the best out there.
Teachers Without Borders
http://twbglobal.org/Teachers Without Borders provides educational aid in our global information age. This Web site furthers the mission of developing and supporting the teaching and learning process "in order to unclog the flow of ideas for communities, across geographic or political borders." The goal is to connect education efforts already in place and increase long-term and local support rather than sporadic, short-lived interventions. Great for teacher background and support, this site includes a great search function, incredible links, and research.
Dying to be Thin
https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/thinPBS's NOVA presented the documentary "Dying to Be Thin" in December 2000. It was an exploration of the struggle facing millions of young women who are afflicted with eating disorders such as anorexia and bulimia. The corresponding Web site provides great student and teacher resources, links, and streaming video of the documentary.
Tolerance.Org
https://www.tolerance.org/Tolerance.org is a Web project of the Southern Poverty Law Center, a national nonprofit civil rights organization that promotes tolerance and diversity and combats hate and discrimination through education, investigation, and litigation. This easy-to-navigate site includes classroom tutorials for features, activities for students, and a guide to the best tolerance-related sites on the Web. Three teacher-only forums offer pen-pal classrooms and private "teacher's-room" discussions. You may also order materials from the site.
Chicken Soup for the Soul
https://www.chickensoup.com/This Web site from the Chicken Soup for the Soul series includes an archive of featured stories that can work well in the classroom. The site also provides information on how to submit stories for inclusion in future projects.
Reverend Fun
http://www.reverendfun.comThis site is filled with funny cartoons based on the Scriptures and church Tradition. An archive with over three years' worth of cartoons and a cartoon of the day feature is available on the site. Students will enjoy these clever funnies!
Quia
https://www.quia.com/Create a free account and you can make quizzes, activities, and Web pages, as well as explore over 600,000 ideas on this site! Categorized by subject, the site is easy to navigate and explore. Although there is not a specific religion or theology strand, many ideas are easily adapted in the other subject areas, particularly English, history, and current events. An awesome resource.
BITESIZE for Religious Education
https://www.bbc.co.uk/schools/gcsebitesize/rs/This site is filled with bite-size pieces of information on various religious education topics. The revision feature leads the learner through an outline and summary of the content. A test feature is an option as well. Topics include death, God, human relationships, discrimination, sanctity of life, war and peace. This is a great resource for comparative religion courses!
Poverty Net
https://www.worldbank.org/en/topic/povertyThis site is filled with resources and support for persons "working to understand and alleviate poverty." Reports, studies, and access to current statistics can easily be found on this site. Available in Spanish, French, and Italian versions as well as English. This is another great resource for justice teachers and students.
Catholic Colleges Online
https://www.catholiccollegesonline.org/The National Catholic College Admission Association offers this Web site as a gateway to Catholic colleges and universities online. Helpful information includes a list of test deadlines, required courses, and suggestions for your high schoolers. One can find advice on what to look for in a college, answers to financial aid questions, as well as links to other helpful sites. You may search for colleges by geography, size, or field of study. The site is well organized with a lot of helpful information that is easy to find, and it includes an impressive collection of links.
Multiple Intelligences Survey
https://surfaquarium.com/MI/index.htmHoward Gardner's theory of mulitiple intelligences can be instrumental in planning activities for students. The survey on this site has questions, a graph, and a key that explains the preferences, helping you learn more about your individual styles and those of your students. Easily adapted and excellent for adult or student use.
Salt of the Earth
http://salt.claretianpubs.org/Published by the Claretians, this online resource for social justice is excellent for articles, links, and keeping up with news stories directly related to justice issues. Particularly excellent features include the archives, the idea exchange, and "Stat House" where current statistics are posted. Incredible resource for teachers and students.
Praying Each Day
http://www.prayingeachday.org/reflect.htmlFrom the De La Salle Christian Brothers in Britain, this site boasts reflections and prayers for each day of the year, an extensive listing of links by category, a search engine, and a scripture locator. Excellent resource.
Interview with God
https://www.theinterviewwithgod.com/popup-frame.htmlIn a beautifully designed flash presentation, questions are posed to God. The responses will touch you and give you pause to ponder. A wonderful experience to share with colleagues and young people.
Gutenberg Bible Online
http://www.gutenbergdigital.de/gudi/eframes/index.htmIf you are interested in the history of publishing or the history of Bibles, check out this great site with the entire Gutenberg Bible online--all 1,282 pages! The "model book" gives handwritten directions (with English translation) for painting each of the illuminations in the Bible. Appropriate for any age-group, this is truly a fascinating Web site.
Odyssey of Life
https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/odyssey/How did we get here? The evolution and creation debate continues as technology advances. This site, created to support the PBS miniseries of the same name, features excellent photographs and interviews, including one with Lennart Nilsson who published his photographs in the 1965 issue of Life magazine. Excellent resource for teachers and students.
Spirituality and Health
https://spiritualityhealth.com/A goldmine of resources, articles, links, self-tests, and discussions on spirituality and health. Easy to navigate and filled with dynamic and engaging content, both students and teachers will find great material on this site.
Writing the Journey
https://www.writingthejourney.com/index.htmJournaling is a great way to bring the mind, heart, and hands together. This Web site features some great resources and an online workshop that could be used by students who are journaling in classes. Teachers can also easily adapt ideas from this site for their journaling assignments.
Inside the Teenage Brain
https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/shows/teenbrain/Why do teenagers behave the way they do? This Web site from the PBS show Frontline, explores the latest research that is finding new explanations for adolescent behavior and explores how the new discoveries can change the way we parent, teach, or perhaps even understand, our teenagers. Features include articles, links, and an interactive model of the brain that shows the different parts and their functions.
Search Institute
https://www.search-institute.org/This site provides practical research, tools and resources to promote healthy, caring and responsible young people.
United States Conference of Catholic Bishops
https://www.usccb.org/This link goes to the website for the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops.
Flag Day History
http://www.usflag.org/flag.day.htmlThis link gives a history of the celebration of Flay Day.
Forgiveness Day
https://www.forgivenessalliance.org/day.htmlThe Worldwide Forgiveness Alliance is a non-profit, tax exempt educational foundation dedicated to evoking the healing power of forgiveness worldwide. As an essential part of that mission they seek to establish the first global holiday, International forgiveness Day, celebrated on the first Sunday of every August. This site provides articles on forgiveness and ideas for celebrating Forgiveness Day.
International Friendship Day
http://www.friendship.com.au/friendday.htmlThis is a Web site dedicated to the celebration of friendship. It includes ideas for people of all ages to show their appreciation for their friends.
