TeachersFirst Special Topics Collections
TeachersFirst's Special Topics collections help you find just what you and your students need, just in time for an upcoming unit, a holiday, focused research, student-directed exploration, or projects on a curriculum topic or event. You can be comfortable sharing the Special Topic links with students or parents, knowing that TeachersFirst’s Thinking Teachers have selected and reviewed each resource. Find classroom and project suggestions within each review, use the collection to find just what you need for your lessons. Some teachers assign these lists as the core resources for a broader student assignment. Editor’s Choice collections offer "the best of the best" for topics of particular interest. TeachersFirst also offers collections on professional special topics to help you meet particular teaching challenges.
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Measurement Resources - TeachersFirst
Grades
K to 12
1 Favorites
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This collection of reviewed resources from TeachersFirst is selected to help students learn measurement and teachers plan projects and classroom activities so to reinforce concepts...more
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This collection of reviewed resources from TeachersFirst is selected to help students learn measurement and teachers plan projects and classroom activities so to reinforce concepts of both standard and metric measurement. Most are suited to elementary grades, but some of the conversion resources are useful at secondary level.
In the Classroom
Be sure to include some measurement activities during special sporting events such as the Olympics, World Series, or Super Bowl to give special relevance to your measurement "units"!You must be registered and logged in to add items to your favorites.
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Dental Health Resources - TeachersFirst
Grades
K to 12
1 Favorites
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This collection of reviewed resources from TeachersFirst is selected to help teachers, parents, and students learn about dental health. Whether you plan a special unit or lesson on...more
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This collection of reviewed resources from TeachersFirst is selected to help teachers, parents, and students learn about dental health. Whether you plan a special unit or lesson on this topic for Dental Health Month or select from these resources for a related health unit, you will find useful ideas and strategies for students and adults to learn about healthy teeth and mouths.
In the Classroom
Be sure to share these resources with parents and your parent organization via your class or school web page during Dental Health Month (February) and back to school health checks. These resources will also be helpful when teaching lessons on teeth and bones as part of a Human Body unit.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Reading in the Content Areas - TeachersFirst
Grades
K to 12
5 Favorites
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TeachersFirst offers a collection of web resources well suited to teach reading in the content areas, especially in science and social studies classes, but in almost ANY subject area....more
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TeachersFirst offers a collection of web resources well suited to teach reading in the content areas, especially in science and social studies classes, but in almost ANY subject area. See ideas and strategies for teaching reading across the curriculum and find texts to use on the computer, in print, on an interactive whiteboard, or with a projector. Sometimes using web-based texts can be more engaging, and often these are more up-to-date in content.
In the Classroom
Mark this collection as a MUST have for teaching reading to students struggling to apply more than decoding skills. Pay special attention to some of the "In the classroom" tips for unexpected ways to use these sites to teach reading along with other subjects.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Take Our Sons and Daughters to Work Day Resources - TeachersFirst
Grades
K to 12
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This collection of reviewed resources from TeachersFirst is selected to help students explore careers and ways to share what they learn from visiting their parent's work place on Take...more
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This collection of reviewed resources from TeachersFirst is selected to help students explore careers and ways to share what they learn from visiting their parent's work place on Take Your Child to Work Day or any other career visit. Make Take Your Child to Work Day an opportunity to connect the classroom with the real world and for students to share and collaborate about careers visits and educational trips. Make Take You Child to Work Day a meaningful day ON instead of a "day off." Use these ideas to spark discussions about careers and planning for life.
In the Classroom
Share this link on your class web page or wiki as students request leave for TYCTWD. Use the ideas ad resources to assign career-related projects for them to share when they return to class. At other times of the year, use these resources for career day explorations or individual projects as part of a guidance class.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Shakespeare Resources - TeachersFirst
Grades
7 to 12
2 Favorites
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Shakespeare resources abound on the web. These original and reviewed resources are an attempt to collect information on the works most commonly encountered in a K-12 curriculum, using...more
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Shakespeare resources abound on the web. These original and reviewed resources are an attempt to collect information on the works most commonly encountered in a K-12 curriculum, using materials geared to high school and introductory college level students. In addition, TeachersFirst has included links to related sources dealing with the English monarchy and life and customs in Elizabethan England. TeachersFirst's original Shakespeare lessons and activities appear at the top of the list.
In the Classroom
Mark this collection in your favorites for teacher planning or share it during your unit on Shakespeare, his plays, or his sonnets.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Red Ribbon Week Resources - TeachersFirst
Grades
K to 12
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This collection of reviewed resources from TeachersFirst is selected to help students learn about drugs and alcohol for Red Ribbon week/month or at any time during the year. Use these...more
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This collection of reviewed resources from TeachersFirst is selected to help students learn about drugs and alcohol for Red Ribbon week/month or at any time during the year. Use these resources to plan events for Red Ribbon week or projects and classroom activities for drug and alcohol prevention. No matter what time of year, you can find information and activities to maintain the anti-drug message in your classroom and school.
In the Classroom
Share these resources among all the teachers in your school as you prepare for Red Ribbon Week. Make this link available on your class web page for projects and more during any drug/alcohol unit.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Hurricane Resources - TeachersFirst
Grades
1 to 12
1 Favorites
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This collection of reviewed resources from TeachersFirst is selected to help teachers and students understand hurricanes and the historic events surrounding major hurricanes. Explore...more
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This collection of reviewed resources from TeachersFirst is selected to help teachers and students understand hurricanes and the historic events surrounding major hurricanes. Explore these resources during a unit on weather or disasters and include related projects and classroom activities. Classrooms in hurricane-prone areas may want to stop to observe anniversaries of local hurricane history or even to conduct local history projects in conjunction with some of these starter resources. Turn frightening natural disasters into positive learning using the background on these helpful sites.
In the Classroom
Use this complete list as a research source for student projects during a unit on weather or choose one or two specific sites to use. These reviews all include ideas for classroom use.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Oil Spill Resources - TeachersFirst
Grades
3 to 12
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This collection of reviewed resources from TeachersFirst is selected to help teachers and students learn about oil spills and the short and long term impact on the environment caused...more
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This collection of reviewed resources from TeachersFirst is selected to help teachers and students learn about oil spills and the short and long term impact on the environment caused by these environmental disasters. As students read and see images of animals, be aware that younger students may have more questions than they can explain.
In the Classroom
Use these resources together with your class to help students find ways they can contribute to a greater good after such a devastating event spreads across the news. Extend the opportunity to teach about persuasive writing (letters to legislators or the editor), careers in environmental science, and more.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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September 11 Resources - TeachersFirst
Grades
2 to 12
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This collection of reviewed resources from TeachersFirst is selected to help students understand the events of September 11, 2001, and to plan lessons or discussions so students can...more
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This collection of reviewed resources from TeachersFirst is selected to help students understand the events of September 11, 2001, and to plan lessons or discussions so students can see the events of September 11 in connection with history, current events, and the challenges and balances of national security. Whether you stop to observe September 11 separately from your regular curriculum or include it through curricular connections to writing and social studies topics, these resources can help today's students imagine the events of a day before their memory but ever present in the American consciousness.
In the Classroom
Include one or more of these sites as your observe September 11 in your classroom or make the link available on your class web site for students who ask about the events of this pivotal day. You will find many specific project or class activity ideas within the reviews themselves.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Study Skills Resources - TeachersFirst
Grades
3 to 12
4 Favorites
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This collection of reviewed resources from TeachersFirst is selected to help students learn their most effective study strategies. The collection includes specific study tools, reading...more
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This collection of reviewed resources from TeachersFirst is selected to help students learn their most effective study strategies. The collection includes specific study tools, reading strategies, review ideas, and notetaking methods that students and teachers can try as lessons in themselves or --even better-- as they go about the regular curriculum. Whether you want to use a graphic organizer, create your own electronic flash cards, or simply learn how to approach a test, there is a resource to help. Learning Support teachers and teachers of gifted will also want to share these alternate ways for students to organize and retain concepts, vocabulary, and more.
In the Classroom
Make learning how to learn part of your class routine at any grade level and in any subject. Feature one or more new study strategy each month and share this entire list as a link from your class web page for students and parents to access both in and out of school.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Poetry Month Editor's Choice Resources - TeachersFirst
Grades
K to 12
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This collection of reviewed resources from TeachersFirst is selected by our editors from the hundreds of reviewed poetry resources and creative tools listed on TeachersFirst. Now April...more
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This collection of reviewed resources from TeachersFirst is selected by our editors from the hundreds of reviewed poetry resources and creative tools listed on TeachersFirst. Now April can be Poetry Month in any classroom. Even if you teach science or math, there is a place for poetry in your curriculum. Poetry is as brief and economical as a number sentence, but with feelings or messages between the words. Why not throw some poetry lines amid your chemical or algebraic equations to connect with verbal/linguistic learners and spark a new way of seeing any subject? Take time to plan a "poetry break" using these ideas from the TeachersFirst Editors.
In the Classroom
Make Poetry Month a participatory experience. Have students compose a limerick explaining a science term or historic figure. Have students collect a list of words from your current unit. Then offer extra credit for a poetic interpretation to be shared as a daily "poetry break" during April. Use one of the tools featured here to share poetic visions of biology, geometry, and more during April. Cover a classroom wall with white paper for "curriculum poetry" during April. Encourage students to share poetry graffiti (classroom appropriate, of course). Or, replace the papered wall for an online bulletin board like Padlet, reviewed here. For more poetic ideas check out the "In the classroom" suggestions included in each review.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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D Day Resources - TeachersFirst
Grades
6 to 12
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This collection of reviewed resources from TeachersFirst is selected to help teachers and students honor D Day and the important events of World War II through related projects and...more
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This collection of reviewed resources from TeachersFirst is selected to help teachers and students honor D Day and the important events of World War II through related projects and classroom activities. Whether you focus on D Day for one class or spend an entire unit on World War II, the ideas included within the "In the Classroom" portion of reviews will launch discussions and meaningful projects for student-centered learning. Take your classes through the longest day to understand World War II.
In the Classroom
Share this collection as the basis of a research project on D Day or as one of several for World War II. Choose from various project options in the reviews.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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US Census Resources - TeachersFirst
Grades
2 to 12
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This collection of reviewed resources from TeachersFirst is selected to help teachers and students learn about the United States census and to plan related projects and classroom activities...more
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This collection of reviewed resources from TeachersFirst is selected to help teachers and students learn about the United States census and to plan related projects and classroom activities for both math and social studies classes at all levels. The census gives us a new lens to view geography, economics, history, current events, pop culture, and-- of course-- math!
In the Classroom
Whether you spend one class or an entire unit on the census, the ideas included within the "In the Classroom" portion of reviews will launch discussions and meaningful projects for student-centered learning. Consider other census connections, such as using a data or graphing resource to collect and manipulate data from a school mini-census, learning math skills at the same time.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Comics and Cartoons Resources - TeachersFirst
Grades
3 to 12
3 Favorites
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This collection of reviewed resources from TeachersFirst is selected to help teachers and students learn about and create comics in any subject area. Comics have become mainstream in...more
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This collection of reviewed resources from TeachersFirst is selected to help teachers and students learn about and create comics in any subject area. Comics have become mainstream in "graphic novels" and can express or explain major concepts, portray the underlying tensions behind an issue, or simply help students remember terms and definitions. The storytelling potential of comics goes back to cave drawings and can be as simple as a stick figure or as elaborate as a photograph annotated with voice bubbles. Explore these resources for tools and ideas to "draw" comics into your classroom as a tool for learning. Many of these resources trace the history and technique of various comics, providing an interesting area of study or examples for student-made comics.
In the Classroom
Choose a comic creator tool for students to use in your class to reinforce curriculum concepts. With younger students or those who need examples, create the first comic(s) together on interactive whiteboard or projector as a closure activity to reinforce concepts before a test. Gradually allow students to create their own comics (or collections of comics) to tell stories, review concepts, or make political comments. More techno-savvy students will appreciate the variety of tool options offered here.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Women's History Month Resources - TeachersFirst
Grades
K to 12
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This collection of reviewed resources from TeachersFirst is selected to help teachers and students learn about Women's History and to plan related projects and classroom activities....more
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This collection of reviewed resources from TeachersFirst is selected to help teachers and students learn about Women's History and to plan related projects and classroom activities. Whether you spend one class or an entire unit on Women's History, the ideas included within the "In the Classroom" portion of reviews will launch discussions and meaningful projects for student-centered learning.
In the Classroom
Use the resources in this collection as a supplement to classroom activities during a Women's History unit. The resources on this site can be used for webquests, learning centers, lesson plans & the like!Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur Resources - TeachersFirst
Grades
K to 12
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Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur fall early in the school year and provide an opportunity to promote multi-cultural and religious understanding. These resources will help acquaint students...more
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Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur fall early in the school year and provide an opportunity to promote multi-cultural and religious understanding. These resources will help acquaint students and teachers who may not know much about the Jewish High Holy Days with the history and cultural traditions of these holidays.
In the Classroom
Use the resources on this site to supplement a classroom during a lesson or unit on these prominent Jewish holidays. The resources listed here can be used as webquests, learning centers, lesson plans & the like!Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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National Hispanic Heritage Month Resources - TeachersFirst
Grades
K to 12
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This collection of reviewed resources from TeachersFirst is selected to help teachers and students celebrate National Hispanic Heritage month and the important contributions of those...more
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This collection of reviewed resources from TeachersFirst is selected to help teachers and students celebrate National Hispanic Heritage month and the important contributions of those whose heritage traces to Spain, Mexico, the Caribbean, and Central and South America through related projects and classroom activities.
In the Classroom
Use the resources in the collection to supplement classroom material during a unit on Hispanic Heritage. The resources listed here can be used for webquests, learning centers, lesson plans & the like!Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Fire Prevention and Safety Resources - TeachersFirst
Grades
K to 12
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Whether you teach about fire safety during National Fire Prevention Week each fall or as part of a general unit on safety, this collection of reviewed resources from TeachersFirst is...more
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Whether you teach about fire safety during National Fire Prevention Week each fall or as part of a general unit on safety, this collection of reviewed resources from TeachersFirst is selected to help teachers and students understand the basics of fire safety and planning for emergencies.
In the Classroom
Use the resources on this site to help prepare and teach peers and students about Fire Safety. Share the link on your teacher web page to allow students to access the resources both in and out of the classroom!Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Dinosaur Resources - TeachersFirst
Grades
K to 12
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Kids "dig" dinosaurs, whether they learn about them in science class while studying paleontology and geology or simply explore dinosaurs as a personal favorite topic. Dinosaurs are...more
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Kids "dig" dinosaurs, whether they learn about them in science class while studying paleontology and geology or simply explore dinosaurs as a personal favorite topic. Dinosaurs are an elementary school perennial, but even high school students enjoy digging into fossils and geologic time. This collection of reviewed resources from TeachersFirst features a wide range of lesson ideas and research sources for students of all ages. So spend some "geologic time" as you try some of the project ideas or make this collection available to your dino-maniacs.
In the Classroom
Use the resources on this site to supplement a unit about paleontology, fossils, or dinosaurs. In addition, the resources listed can be used for WebQuests, learning centers, lesson plans & the like! This is an excellent resource for Earth Science teachers.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Constitution Day Resources - TeachersFirst
Grades
K to 12
2 Favorites
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This collection of reviewed resources from TeachersFirst is selected to help teachers and students learn about the United States Constitution and to plan projects and classroom activities...more
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This collection of reviewed resources from TeachersFirst is selected to help teachers and students learn about the United States Constitution and to plan projects and classroom activities so students can experience the Constitution as a "living document." Whether you spend one class in celebration of Constitution Day or an entire unit on the Constitution, the ideas included in the "In the Classroom" portion of reviews will launch discussions and projects your students will not forget.
In the Classroom
Use the resources in this collection to supplement a unit on the American Constitution. The resources on this site could be used for webquests, learning centers, lesson plans & the like. American History teachers will love this one!Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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