I’m a theme park fanatic, and one of my favorite rides, the Jurassic Park River Adventure at Islands of Adventure, starts with a booming voice saying, “Time, the ever-flowing river…” It’s ironic, isn’t it? Even while hurtling past animatronic dinosaurs, we’re reminded of how precious time is. Every day, we’re handed the same 24 hours to juggle teaching, planning, grading—and maybe even a moment to breathe.
But what if we could reclaim some of that time?
That’s where eMediaVA comes in! It empowers you to create engaging lessons in minutes or enhance your existing favorites in mere moments. To show you how, here are five scenarios featuring teachers like you using eMediaVA to streamline their planning:
1. Bell Ringers and Warm-Ups
Mr. Clark, an eighth-grade science teacher, needs an engaging anticipatory set for his lesson on adaptations. He turns to eMediaVA, types “adaptation” into the search bar, and filters by grades 5-9. To keep it quick, he narrows it down to videos and interactives. Two standout resources catch his eye:
- Adaptations Video: Animal Adaptations: Jaguar Jaws
- Adaptation Interactive: Important Marine Adaptations
In just two minutes, Mr. Clark has two days’ worth of engaging warm-ups. He’s ready to go!
2. Supplementing Lesson Plans
Mrs. Duluth, an eleventh-grade civics and government teacher, wants to add more primary sources to her lesson on how protest shapes citizenship and democracy. She searches eMediaVA for “protest,” selects her SOLs, and filters by documents and texts. A few clicks later, she finds this gem:
- Primary Sources: Activism and Protest | Uncovering America
Her students are now analyzing powerful paintings and images of protest throughout American history.
3. Assessment Alternatives
Mr. Green, a ninth-grade English teacher, is looking for a creative way to assess students’ ability to analyze themes through music. He types “music” into eMediaVA’s search bar and selects his SOL. He finds this perfect resource:
He downloads the video and uploads it to Edpuzzle to create an engaging, interactive assessment.
4. Cross-Curricular Connections
Mrs. Allen, a fifth-grade teacher, is combining history and science in a lesson about Lewis and Clark’s expedition through the Rocky Mountains. She starts by searching for a Lewis and Clark interactive and strikes gold with this resource:
- Interactive: Interactive Lewis and Clark Trail
She then searches for a video on the formation of the Rocky Mountains and easily finds:
With eMediaVA, her students explore geography, history, and geology—all in one seamless lesson!
5. Teacher-Centered Tools
Ms. Creedy, a new first-grade math teacher, is building a collection of backup lessons in case technology fails. She searches eMediaVA for her SOLs and the term “lesson plans,” discovering options like:
With an easy-to-use search bar and a wealth of resources, eMediaVA helps Ms. Creedy feel prepared for anything.
With eMediaVA, you can reclaim your schedule and create impactful lessons—no T-Rex required!
Kristen Strickland is an ITRT in Chesapeake Public Schools and an eMediaVA Ambassador.