Utah State Board of Education Strengthens Currency of Classroom Curriculum with bigchalk

Utah State Board of Education Strengthens Currency of Classroom Curriculum with bigchalk

bigchalk ClassMate First Digital Resource Endorsed by Utah State Board of Education

BERWYN, Pa., June 17, 2002 — bigchalk, the leading K-12 online education network, today announced that the Utah State Board of Education has recommended the use of bigchalk ClassMate™ Earth Science and bigchalk ClassMate United States History as supplemental curriculum for its more than 136 senior high schools and 131 middle schools. bigchalk ClassMate is the first digital resource to be endorsed by the Utah State Board of Education, and was selected because of its engaging, standards-based content that brings currency to traditional core curriculum materials.

"The Utah State Board of Education's decision demonstrates the growing trend for states to tap Internet-delivered resources to enrich traditional curriculum materials, add currency to content, and address a variety of learning styles," says Jack Lynch, chief executive officer of bigchalk. "Because bigchalk's standards-based digital content crosses all subject areas and can be used as either core or supplemental curriculum materials, it's an ideal resource to meet each state's specific requirements."

ClassMate Earth Science and ClassMate United States History provide comprehensive and cohesive content, organized for easy use online, to meet the needs of the earth science and social studies/history curriculum. ClassMate United States History contains 136 lessons separated into 11 modules of study —spanning pre-history to the present. ClassMate Earth Science contains 75 lessons organized into six modules of study. Both products feature key readings, primary and secondary source materials, relevant Web links, lesson plans, and assessment and correlation tools. They also employ graphics, animation and a pop-up glossary to motivate students and help them grasp concepts more easily.

"A growing number of states are selecting bigchalk's advanced ClassMate curriculum product as either core or supplemental curriculum," comments Jake Schlumpf, vice president and general manager of bigchalk's Classroom Products Division. "Already, the Utah State Board of Education, the Kentucky Department of Education's State Textbook Commission and the Georgia Department of Education/State Board of Education have recommended bigchalk ClassMate curriculum products for use in their districts and numerous other states are currently in the evaluation process."

Utah schools and districts can purchase bigchalk ClassMate Earth Science and bigchalk ClassMate United States History using state textbook funds for Approved Instructional Materials (AIMs).

About bigchalk, The Education Network™
bigchalk, the digital learning source for education, harnesses the power of online content to create engaging learning environments that promote student achievement. The company offers up-to-date online reference databases, standards-based digital curriculum and easy-to-use tools for preparing lessons. Librarians, students and teachers in more than 43,000 schools across the country receive the resources they need from bigchalk.

bigchalk's online reference databases, such as bigchalk Library™, facilitate student inquiry and learning. The company's easy-to-use tools for preparing lessons, such as bigchalk Integrated Classroom™, help teachers motivate and inspire their students. Its online curriculum resources, delivered through products such as ClassMate, provide educators with standards-based content for classroom instruction. And its award-winning Web site — recipient of both the Software & Information Industry Association's (SIIA) coveted Codie Award in the category of Best Educational Web Site for Kids and Gold Award 2001 by Curriculum Administrator magazine — offers a host of educational resources including study activities for students, informational resources for parents, and online lesson plans for teachers.

For more information on bigchalk's library and classroom resources, educators can call 800.860.9228 and speak with a bigchalk representative or visit the company's Web site at www.bigchalk.com.

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bigchalk Integrated Classroom, bigchalk Library and bigchalk ClassMate are trademarks of bigchalk.com




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