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Discover the Forest - Discover the Forest
Grades
K to 8
4 Favorites
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Bring the forest into your classroom with these educational interactives. Match animal tracks, learn how to use a compass, and create leaf rubbings. Download and print the "Book of...more
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Bring the forest into your classroom with these educational interactives. Match animal tracks, learn how to use a compass, and create leaf rubbings. Download and print the "Book of Stuff To Do" outside. Find Educator Resources (including lesson plans) under Get Involved on the top menu. Sound can be turned on or off along the bottom of the site.
In the Classroom
Discover the forest from the classroom. Find nature sounds and create your own nature podcast or audio recording. Use a site such as podOmatic, reviewed here. Collect leaves from around the area to create your own leaf rubbings and posters. Create animal tracks of domestic animals to view the difference in tracks. Take advantage of the Educator Resources and free lesson plans!
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Maps Home Page - David J. Leveson
Grades
4 to 9
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This simple site provides a comprehensive tutorial that can be used for practice or review of map skills. There are sections on latitude, longitude, map scales, topography and more....more
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This simple site provides a comprehensive tutorial that can be used for practice or review of map skills. There are sections on latitude, longitude, map scales, topography and more. Most sections offer quizzes that can either be printed or taken online.
In the Classroom
Use this website as review for map skills. Place the link on your teacher web page for students to review at home or find al alternate presentation, especially if they have been absent. If you have quick learners, you may want to allow them to navigate the tutorial at their own speed, learning more than the "basics" while the rest of the class receives direct instruction.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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July 4th Vocabulary - Myvocabulary.com
Grades
3 to 9
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As part of their extensive site for vocabulary, roots, and more, MyVocabulary.com has added a themed area for the 4th of July. Find interactive vocabulary activities using July 4th...more
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As part of their extensive site for vocabulary, roots, and more, MyVocabulary.com has added a themed area for the 4th of July. Find interactive vocabulary activities using July 4th vocabulary words. You will also find printable crosswords, fill in the blanks and more, all using the same theme words. This and other "themes" available on the site will make vocabulary development fun.
In the Classroom
Share the puzzles on your interactive whiteboard or projector or make them available as links on your teacher public page. Have students (or groups) create their own illustrated dictionaries of terms using a tool such as Bookemon, reviewed here. As you add more vocabulary lists during the year, have them select their favorite 6-10 terms from each list to add to their "book."Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Google for Education - Google
Grades
K to 12
3 Favorites
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Not sure how to use Google's innovative tools for your classroom activities? Follow lessons which include step by step directions with screenshots and self-check quizzes for many tools...more
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Not sure how to use Google's innovative tools for your classroom activities? Follow lessons which include step by step directions with screenshots and self-check quizzes for many tools including Calendar, Classroom, Google Docs, Google Play, Forms, Maps, Sheets, and much more. Choose from one of the many tools along the left side. View all the lessons available to learn about using the tool. Some of the training videos are hosted on YouTube. If your district blocks YouTube, then they may not be viewable.
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In the Classroom
Even those familiar with the Google tools will find information and uses they did not know about. Consider posting a link to your class web page for students to access. Your students are also valuable resources. Be sure to point out students who are able to use tools in unique ways that other students can learn from.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Smithsonian Global Sound - Smithsonian Institution
Grades
1 to 12
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Listen to and learn about traditional music from cultures around the world and through the ages. Browse this amazing collection of downloadable tunes to find musical enrichment to enhance...more
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Listen to and learn about traditional music from cultures around the world and through the ages. Browse this amazing collection of downloadable tunes to find musical enrichment to enhance a unit of study. Full downloads in MP3 or FLAC format are available for purchase but each offering is accompanied by a free audio sample. Note: this site opens rather slowly.Be patient, especially if you are on a dial-up connection.
In the Classroom
Search this site for songs to supplement your unit in a US or World history class. This teacher was able to find a song about the suffrage movement, and was able to teach the beliefs of suffrage through student analysis of the lyrics and tone. Be sure to search - there are literally tons of songs that can be used for a variety of curriculum.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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No, You Can't Take Me - Child Drama
Grades
K to 6
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This site is a lesson idea for a game that teaches confidence, pantomime, and critical thinking. It's also a lot of fun. It can be adapted for use from Kindergarten ...more
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This site is a lesson idea for a game that teaches confidence, pantomime, and critical thinking. It's also a lot of fun. It can be adapted for use from Kindergarten to Middle School - obviously with varying levels of sophistication. It looks more complicated than it is - the creator says he never has trouble making his students understand it.
In the Classroom
Small grous of students are assigned a room in the house and then choose to be object within the room group (the other groups are the audience) and in acting out the object, they must also convince the teacher why they are useful (or were invented, etc.). Very cute and teaches all sorts of different skills painlessly. One possible adaptation is to use this as a review for different science concepts, such as body systems, instead of simply for an object. Each group could be a body system and would have to tell why they should not be taken away. This could truly check student understanding while building oral communication and drama skills, too.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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National Council for Economics Education - National Council for Economics Education
Grades
3 to 12
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This site offers a collection of economics lessons, some with reproducible handouts, for elementary and secondary students. The lessons vary in the detail they provide, but users can...more
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This site offers a collection of economics lessons, some with reproducible handouts, for elementary and secondary students. The lessons vary in the detail they provide, but users can select by grade level, subject, or standard. This is a great source for hard-to-find lessons on economics for younger students.
In the Classroom
If ever in need of an activity to explain a difficult concept, use this site to help students further explore it. Look at the site before hand and search for a lesson, which can be done by standard, a particularly useful tool. Take advantage of the free activities and plans this site provides!Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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ePals - ePals, Inc.
Grades
2 to 12
4 Favorites
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ePals, a global community, offers students the chance to connect with other students around the world (200+ countries). This site is one of the largest worldwide communities for global...more
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ePals, a global community, offers students the chance to connect with other students around the world (200+ countries). This site is one of the largest worldwide communities for global collaboration. Don't worry about student email accounts as they are no longer needed! Don't worry about the language barrier either, there is a built-in language translation! This content-rich site offers a free "how to" webinar on the Support page on the bottom menu. There are several support videos on YouTube. If you district blocks YouTube they may not be available in you classroom. The program offers teacher to teacher and teacher to student communications, pen pal exchanges, Classroom Collaborative Projects, Spark!Lab Invent It Challenges, and more. In addition, you can click on the Collaborative Projects link to find several ready to use projects (Self Driving Cars, Hamilton, Habitats, Maps, Natural Disasters, Water, and others).
In the Classroom
Navigating this site is rather simple. Simply scroll through the slide show at the top to find your area of interest: Collaboration Projects, Spark!Lab Invent It Challenge, etc. Parts of this site require log-in. Registration does require an email address. A lot of safety features are already put into place at this site. To learn more about the safety features at this site, check out the ePals webinar on YouTube link on the FAQ page.This site offers an amazing assortment of class activities and possibilities. Collaborate with schools in Africa (or 200 other countries) for a geography project. Have your students find ePals to correspond with and practice writing skills in English or in a language you are studying. Get additional ideas for projects, by visiting the "Projects" link or propose one of your own based on ideas from TeachersFirst suggestions you read in other reviews, lesson plans, and articles. After viewing one of the informative videos, challenge your students to study one of the topics available at this site and extend their learning by creating their own videos using Typito, reviewed here. Use a tool such as TeachersTube, to share the video clips, reviewed here.
Edge Features:
Includes an education-only area for teachers and students
Parent permission advised before posting student work created using this tool
Includes social features, such as "friends," comments, ratings by others
Requires registration/log-in (WITH email)
Products can be embedded
Products can be shared by URL
Multiple users can collaborate on the same project
Includes teacher tools for registering and/or monitoring students
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Myth and Truth: Independence Day - ReadWriteThink - Traci Gardner
Grades
3 to 5
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Four significant dates surrounding the Declaration of Independence are examined in this lesson that gets students thinking about why we celebrate the nation's birthday on July 4. With...more
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Four significant dates surrounding the Declaration of Independence are examined in this lesson that gets students thinking about why we celebrate the nation's birthday on July 4. With an emphasis on reading and writing, students investigate the origins and characteristics of myths, develop strategies for spotting bias and missing information, and, in the process, learn a lot about the birth of our Independence Day observance. Handouts, worksheets, and a project rubric are provided along with links to related resources. Aligned to .Common Core Standards.
In the Classroom
Take advantage of this FREE resource (that is ready to use). If you don't have time to do the entire lesson/mini-unit, find the "pieces" that fit with your curriculum.
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From the Mixed Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler: Discussion Questions - Shmoop
Grades
4 to 8
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Here are many questions that will stimulate in-depth discussions about E. L. Konigsburg's book. Some questions could provide a springboard for a student writing task and offers many...more
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Here are many questions that will stimulate in-depth discussions about E. L. Konigsburg's book. Some questions could provide a springboard for a student writing task and offers many opportunities for extensions such as role play and class presentation.
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This site includes advertising.
In the Classroom
Challenge your students to a discussion using the ideas from Thinkalong, reviewed here. To help students prepare for the discussion, have them write about their opinion(s) for selected questions first. Replace paper and pen and have students create blogs sharing their thoughts and understanding about the book. If you are teaching younger students and looking for an easy way to integrate technology and check for understanding, exchange paper and pen and challenge your students to create a blog using Seesaw, reviewed here. After completing the discussions, challenge older students to choose a question and create a script for the ideas that emerged from the discussion; then strengthen student learning and have them put it into a podcast. Use a tool like Buzzsprout, reviewed here.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Philologus - Richard Shakeshaft
Grades
4 to 12
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This game-creation site is useful for almost any grade level from intermediate up to high school. The teacher creates the game appropriate to what the topic and level is. You ...more
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This game-creation site is useful for almost any grade level from intermediate up to high school. The teacher creates the game appropriate to what the topic and level is. You do have to register, but it is free. Games are as simple as Hangman and go to more complex (but appealing for students) as TV-based game shows such as "Deal or no Deal" and "Who Wants to be a Millionaire." Some of the links and activities require Flash or Quicktime. You can get them from the TeachersFirst Toolbox page.. All of these are great tools for helping students study, as well as figure out how they learn best.
In the Classroom
The games created are interactive, so students can work individually, on teams, or on a class computer using an interactive whiteboard or projector. One of the best learning tools for kids is to have them create their OWN games, and this site allows them to do that easily. Use your own teacher account so you do not need student emails at school. Ideally, students can create games for either learning or review for their fellow classmates. Assign a small group of students to work with different game templates and then act as "host" of the game to quiz the rest of the class: an ideal review or way to present student research information an a topic and keep the "audience" engaged.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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DocsTeach - Digital Vaults - National Archives
Grades
3 to 12
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This site offers digitized National Archives of the U.S. organized according to general category. You can finally explore and share primary source documents interactively through this...more
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This site offers digitized National Archives of the U.S. organized according to general category. You can finally explore and share primary source documents interactively through this site. Start from 13 popular topics for educators. For a more in depth look at each subject and its associated categories, search by Relevance, Title, Date, and Popularity. An added feature at the bottom of the opening page is the "Create Fun & Engaging Activities" tab. Be sure to check out the menu on the left. Especially interesting for students and educators will be the Activity Tools with items like Analyizing Documents, Discussion Topic, Compare and Contrat and several more. Students can also create their own pathways, writing about connections they find between certain archived items. In another section, students can create their own historical posters and movies from the archives. You can create a collection of items from the archives to retrieve or look at later, as well. This feature requires a free membership created by email address.
In the Classroom
Use this site as an anticipatory set for a unit in history or on inventions. Share a collection of images or invention drawings on a projector or whiteboard and ask what the invention will do. Or use the site as the starting point for individual or group projects. After demonstrating on an interactive whiteboard or projector, have students use laptops or lab computers to "collect" resources related to their assigned inventor, decade, or era in American history. Check your school policy regarding accessing student email. If students cannot have their own email accounts, consider using a "class set" of GMail subaccounts (managed by you), explained here. This tells how to set up GMail subaccounts to use for any online membership service. This would provide anonymous interaction within your class. Students can use their log-ins to collect resources.Since the documents are in the public domain (are not copyrighted), students may also download and use the files as part of other projects, such as video compilations, Powerpoint presentations, or multimedia of any sort. To access the resources in non-Flash format, click the small link to "research this record in ARC" in the detailed view of the item. You can then view and Save As for use elsewhere. Be sure you teach students about copying the URL and relevant information from this ARC page to cite the source and give credit in any presentation they make. This site is excellent for enrichment or projects for the gifted, as well. Include it on your teacher web page for students to access both in and out of class for students who are working in History Day projects or other assignments for your class.
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Write Comics - Write Comics
Grades
K to 12
8 Favorites
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You can make your very own comic right now! At Write Comics, you will be able to create your own comics using the figures, backgrounds, animals, aliens, and dialogue bubbles, ...more
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You can make your very own comic right now! At Write Comics, you will be able to create your own comics using the figures, backgrounds, animals, aliens, and dialogue bubbles, supplied by Write Comics. This site is extremely easy to use. There is no need to sign up or register. Once you click Finish, you will receive a link. Go to your link and print your comic or upload it to your webpage.
In the Classroom
Create a comic to put on your website. Share this tool and the 10 Tips for Writing Good Comics with your students. You might want to use Write Comics to display the vocabulary word of the day, the math puzzle of the week, a concept your students are learning in social studies or science as an example and to engage students. Have students create comic strips for dialog-writing lessons, summarizing, predicting and retelling stories. Use comic strips for literature responses. For pre-reading students, create a comic of pictures and have students tell the story based on the pictures/scenes. It's a good idea to require students to create a rough draft of their comic using Printable Comic Strip Templates, reviewed here. Make a class book of the comics created throughout the year. That book will become the most read classroom book of all in an elementary classroom. Use comics to show sequencing of events. When studying about characterization, create dialog to show (not tell) about a character. World language and ENL/ESL teachers can assign students to create dialog strips as an alternate to traditional written assessments. Have students share all of their comics on your interactive whiteboard or projector.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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QuickRubric - Clever Prototypes, LLC
Grades
K to 12
5 Favorites
0 Comments
Develop rubrics to assess what you expect students to learn with Quick Rubric. Registration is free and allows for saving the rubric. Click Create a Rubric and add a title, ...more
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Develop rubrics to assess what you expect students to learn with Quick Rubric. Registration is free and allows for saving the rubric. Click Create a Rubric and add a title, brief description, and the maximum and minimum scores. Describe your indicators, add descriptors, and even include standards. At any time during the formation of the rubric add columns and rows. Save and share via URL or printing. The ability to copy and modify a rubric from your account is a great time-saver.
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In the Classroom
Use this online tool to create original rubrics before introducing a new project. Be sure to review the rubric with your students on a projector or interactive whiteboard, to be certain that they understand your expectations. As you approach the project deadlines, consider reviewing the rubric again having students mark or highlight key terms in the rubric that will help them get a better evaluation. Have a question and answer period at this time. Rubrics can be created for any task or project. For example, prepare rubrics for silent reading time, science labs, skills tasks in physical education, and all presentations. Visit Rubrics to the Rescue to see examples of topics and wording.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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The Case Files - The Franklin Institute
Grades
4 to 12
1 Favorites
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This wonderfully informative website provides numerous "case files" about many famous people from the world of science and technology. There are five major areas including computing,...more
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This wonderfully informative website provides numerous "case files" about many famous people from the world of science and technology. There are five major areas including computing, transportation, cosmic inquiry, energy, and communications. Click the names of the famous people to learn more about their specific inventions and/or contributions to science and technology. The downloadable PDF also includes images of artifacts from each scientist's life: diaries, writings, and more. Numerous famous scientists and inventors are included (Alexander Graham Bell, William Jennings, Marie Curie, Albert Einstein, Henry Ford, Catherine Gibbon, and many others).
In the Classroom
Why not use this website as a resource for "case file" research projects. Assign each student (or groups of students) a different person to investigate. Weaker readers may need a partner with strong reading skills. Then have the students present a multimedia presentation about their "case file." Some tool suggestions are (click on the tool name to access the review): Adobe Creative Cloud Express for Education, Vevox, Animatron, Renderforest, and Microsoft PowerPoint Online. Or have a day when students actually portray their scientist and interact with others "in character."Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Name That State - U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
Grades
4 to 6
1 Favorites
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Use this interactive site as a review game for recognizing and locating each of the fifty states. The game provides instant feedback and the opportunity to rethink an incorrect response....more
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Use this interactive site as a review game for recognizing and locating each of the fifty states. The game provides instant feedback and the opportunity to rethink an incorrect response. Great for independent practice.
In the Classroom
Use this site as a review activity for students at the end of a unit on US geography. Teachers can have the class complete it together on the interactive whiteboard OR as a learning center or station. Include this link on your class website (or wiki) for students to practice both in and out of the classroom.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Literature of the U.S. Civil War - Yale University
Grades
4 to 8
2 Favorites
0 Comments
This unit investigates the Civil War through children's literature, using multiple approaches to learning including reading, writing, dramatization, and music. ...more
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This unit investigates the Civil War through children's literature, using multiple approaches to learning including reading, writing, dramatization, and music.
In the Classroom
Take advantage of the free lesson plans that are offered on this site about the Civil War. The unit plan offers varying approaches, such as small and large group work varying on what is more efficient in your classroom. This lesson plan is worth sorting through the large amount of text - be patient!Older students can keep a blog sharing their learning and understanding using Telegra.ph, reviewed here. With Telegra.ph you just click on an icon to upload images from your computer, add a YouTube or Vimeo, or Twitter links. This blog creator requires no registration. If you are teaching younger students and looking for an easy way to integrate technology and check for understanding, challenge your students to create a blog using Seesaw, reviewed here.
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Spezify (beta) - Spezify
Grades
K to 12
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Get an overview of any web search visually using Spezify. Spezify is a search engine that provides both visual and verbal results for the search terms you enter. It pulls ...more
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Get an overview of any web search visually using Spezify. Spezify is a search engine that provides both visual and verbal results for the search terms you enter. It pulls in images from Flickr and anywhere on the web as well as print excerpts, and (coming soon) video. Click on the image or text box you wish to read just as you click on text in search results lists. Visually display the "big picture" on any topic. Searching "edison inventions" brings up pictures and articles for visual learners, ELL/ESL students, or non-readers to get the gist of the topic at a quick glance. Spezify also suggests possible additional search terms and related topics across the top of the page as white text within the narrow black stripe. If you click the plus sign (+) next to one of these terms, it will add that term to your search, narrowing the results. If you click on the word itself, Spezify will search that term instead (not adding it to your previous search). There does not appear to be any specific ranking (as Google has) or sorting of the results by reputation, popularity, etc. No "about" information is provided to explain how Spezify determines which results show first. The tool is still in beta and provides a way for you to provide feedback, as well. NOTE: as with any online image search, you should be careful what you enter as search terms, since Spezify will pull up images without any "filter."
In the Classroom
Use Spezify on an interactive whiteboard or projector as you introduce a new topic in science or social studies or when the class asks "What is ____?" . With very young students or non-readers, use Spezify to help them find information they can understand and to inspire them to try to read some of the short text excerpts alongside the images. Activate students' prior knowledge as they recognize the images and remark, "I didn't know Edison was the one who invented that!" Visually show the "big picture" on any topic. As you teach research skills, try a comparison of Spezify results with Google results for both functionality of the search engine and reputability of the results. NOTE: Preview any search terms you plan to display in class if the terms could possibly bring up inappropriate images. You may need to adjust your terms. Of course your students know what they are supposed to do if something inappropriate comes up when using a search themselves, right? If you have not discussed this, now is the time!Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Prints and Photographs On Line - Library of Congress
Grades
1 to 12
1 Favorites
0 Comments
Welcome to the Library of Congress' photo archive. This site offers a searchable database containing thousands of photos all almost any subject. History and social studies teachers...more
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Welcome to the Library of Congress' photo archive. This site offers a searchable database containing thousands of photos all almost any subject. History and social studies teachers will find this a rich resource for "what was life like then?" images, old maps, and other printed matter. Note that not all of these images are guaranteed "copyright free," but this collection was established largely for educational and research uses, so most images are freely usable in that context.
In the Classroom
Use the images on this site to create a "picture walk" in your classroom, introducing any number of the topics hosted. Select 10-15 of the more powerful and diverse images, hanging them up in different locations around your classroom. Have students rotate around the classroom every 30-45 seconds, jotting down what they observe and infer about each image until the entire class has completed the circuit. After the class is back in their seats, have a class discussion based on what they observed and what this says about historical events. A great way to get students thinking about the content in a way that's more personal and lecture-less!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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