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Big Huge Thesaurus - Big Huge Labs
Grades
1 to 12In the Classroom
Keep this link handy among the resources on your class web page or wiki, and be sure to bring it up on your screen or interactive whiteboard to remind students of the rich tools it offers as you teach grammar, revision, poetry, essay-writing, or even letter and resume writing. With primary grades, share the rhyming words to help teach spelling and phonics! As students share in revising a passage or writing a poem on the interactive whiteboard, have this thesaurus available on another window to model their search for just the right word. Encourage students to look up any new vocabulary or terminology at the start of new science or social studies units so they can gain a broader "sense" of the words themselves through a constellation of synonyms and related words. Help students refine vocabulary by having them rank the various synonyms offered for a certain word, deciding which has the most positive or negative connotations. Offer the writing prompts for student journal or blog posts or creative stories. ESL/ELL students can explore new words with this tool, even practicing the rhyming sounds and noticing their varied spellings. Check out the Big Huge Labs educator account. Easily pre-register students to avoid creating logins, view and download their creations, and view the site advertisement free. You will find information about the Educator Account here.NOTE: If students enter an inappropriate word, they WILL find classroom-inappropriate terms. As with use of any reference, your students need to know your classroom's consequences of such activity. The options are no different from students looking up body parts or pornographic terms in a print dictionary or on Google.
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The Online Guide to Traditional Games - James Masters
Grades
8 to 12In the Classroom
Have students design gameboards or cards, game pieces, and rules to play variations of the games on the site. In your world cultures class, have students play and compare games from different cultures. Use game-creation as the culminating project at the end of a content or research unit or simply as a way to teach writing: both informational (directions) and creative. Have students role-play characters who might play original or historic games by writing character sketches and then performing them. Let the games begin!Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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What Are We Fighting For Over There? - Library of Congress
Grades
10 to 12In the Classroom
Take advantage of this free lesson plan in your classroom during a unit on WWI - the documents are all very revealing and an excellent example for students of reliable primary sources.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Discovery Education Virtual Field Trips - Discovery Education
Grades
K to 12In the Classroom
Immerse your students into your studies with a close-up in-depth look through virtual field trips. Visit places where time, money, and mileage inhibit your dreams for bringing your students into wondrous worlds. Find ways to visit where your class has never gone before. Find ways to motivate your most reluctant learners. ENL/ESL learners will appreciate the visit. Reach all types of learners through a class visit. Use field trips as a whole class anticipatory guide, a center activity, a home connection, or even as extra credit. Challenge your gifted students to be guides in their own learning by choosing topics of interest. Then transform their learning and ask these students to share research findings in a video with discussion questions to go with the research and with links to outside resources using a tool such as Vibby, reviewed here. Be sure students create a script to read from before beginning to produce their own video.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Lincoln Goes to War - National Endowment for the Humanities
Grades
7 to 12In the Classroom
This lesson plan is ready to go and offers step by step instructions! Divide your class into five groups (based on the roles listed above). Allow them time to research and prepare for the debate. Consider having students tape the debate using YouTube or TeacherTube (explained here). Why not have each group (or student) write a blog defending their position (role).Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Ghana - Country Studies - Library of Congress
Grades
8 to 12In the Classroom
Teachers will find these summaries useful for their comprehensive scope, which frequently includes historical and cultural background information. Much of the content is 5 or more years old, so these pages are best used for historical or background information.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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About Checking - Consumer Debit Resource site
Grades
9 to 12In the Classroom
Share the interactive portions on laptops or an interactive whiteboard.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Dimming the Sun - NOVA/WGBH
Grades
6 to 12In the Classroom
Use this site as a starting point for your discussion of global warming and environmental issues or as a research source for student projects. The interactive timeline would display well on a projector or interactive whiteboard to give students the "big picture" they so rarely have on their own.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Martin Luther King Papers Project - Stanford University
Grades
6 to 12In the Classroom
Use this site for research about King. Share the videos on an interactive whiteboard or projector. Have students create their own videos about Martin Luther King, Jr.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections - Dave Leip
Grades
6 to 12In the Classroom
Use some of the interactive maps on a projector or interactive whiteboard or enter into the discussion boards as a class with ONE shared posting and watch the responses as a group.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Nova Roma: On Roman Numberals - Nova Roma
Grades
2 to 10In the Classroom
Use the Roman numeral converter to enter a year (ex. 1500.) Note the Roman Numeral that corresponds to the number. Enter another number (ex. 1499) and note the difference. Share the converter on your projector or interactive whiteboard. Have students determine the rules for using Roman numerals based upon the results. Then have them "predict" the answers while a student game-show host operates the converter for the class.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Wide Angle - PBS
Grades
8 to 12In the Classroom
Use the short clips or longer episodes on this site to show students real-life issues that are affecting people globally. This would be a great way to have students practically apply information they've learned about American government or NGO's in a government class. Have students look at some of the situations and brainstorm solutions from NGO's or international organizations such as the UN. Not only are students getting an understanding or the practical application or learning about the UN, but it also makes them more aware global citizens.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Hidden Pages in Anne Frank's Diary - History
Grades
6 to 12In the Classroom
Use this article (includes a video) as a learning center or station during a unit on WWII in a history class or during a study of her book in an English class. This would be a great way to introduce Anne Frank, the exhibit serving to put all students at the same level of understanding of her life. If in need of some sort of assessment to see what students have learned from the site, challenge students to create an online graphic to share using Visme, reviewed here.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Evolution of the Medieval Book - Cornell University Library
Grades
10 to 12In the Classroom
Although this site lends itself to a study of influences that affected European history during the Middle Ages, art students can explore the illuminations and letterforms that appear on the pages of these early manuscripts and books as part of a study of printmaking techniques.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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African American History Timeline - Western Michigan University
Grades
4 to 12In the Classroom
Create small groups of students. From the menu on the left, click African American History. Under Browse Our Online Encyclopedia assign one of the Entries About...(People, Places, etc.) to each small group. Ask students to choose on topic per student in the group from their Entries About. After reading their encyclopedia entry and taking notes with an online tool like Simplenote, reviewed here, have them share the info they learned with their small group. Tell students to be sure to save the URL to share their notes and questions with you and their peers. Simple note allows you to access and update across all devices. If you have the time, you could then mix the groups up and have them share what they learned with the new group, thus giving students a little more knowledge about a huge topic: African American History.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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American Bald Eagle Information - Hope Rutledge
Grades
3 to 12In the Classroom
Use this site as the starting point for individual and group projects. Save it on your desktop as a center or enrichment activity, especially during a unit on American symbols. Note that the images are strictly copyrighted (see the notice at the bottom).Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Voki - Oddcast
Grades
K to 12This site includes advertising.
In the Classroom
Access to a microphone is required to record a voice. There is an option to use text to voice (however, it does not have great sound.) Import audio from a file or use a cell phone instead to capture audio. Only one minute of audio can be recorded so be brief. Students need to carefully think of their narrative before recording. Users must be able to copy and paste html code for use in an external site.Use the controls to create your character's style, click customization to further refine your character, change your background, and add your voice. Keep in mind that animated backgrounds may take longer to load on your site. When done, click publish to view and copy the embed code which can then be used on a blog, wiki, or web pages.
Monitor all aspects of student production and use for appropriateness and copyright. If concerned about using student email, consider creating a class account for students to use. Be sure that students understand not to change the Voki of other students if using a class account. Check your school district policy about using emails or identifying student information on the Internet.
Introduce and share this site on your interactive whiteboard or projector. Use this free site to record a greeting for students that can be seen on the start page of your blog, wiki, or website. Record online assignment information that is spoken by the Voki (always more pleasing to look at than the teacher!). Use this to share homework assignments, a message from you (via a substitute), and more. Use a character that is interesting or matches the assignment you may be leaving. Use Voki to record two different opinions or viewpoints and create a poll of students to view reactions. Use the Voki in Math by posing possible solutions to problems and create a class discussion or poll to determine which one is the actual answer. As students are working on projects, create a Voki that provides hints and tips for students. Allow students to use Voki to provide peer assessment to others. Consider using Voki in place of other assignments such as "What I did this summer vacation..." or "Here is information about me..." Use in any language class to record narratives or translations. Students can create a variety of Voki recordings over time which can show their learning of a language over time. Create classroom newscasts using student(s) on a rotating basis. Use Voki for vocabulary exercises which can be created by students or the teacher. The possibilities for this tool are endless. The quick and engaging nature of this tool offers unlimited uses.
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Truth, War, and Consequences - PBS
Grades
9 to 12In the Classroom
Take advantage of the free lesson plans and classroom activities offered on this site! They not only incorporate the material on the website, but also current events in the Middle East. This is a great resource for a US government or history class.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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E.ggTimer.com - David LeMieux and Ben Lew
Grades
K to 12In the Classroom
What a fabulous alternative to a traditional egg timer. Project the time on an interactive whiteboard or with a projector while students take a test, solve a drag and drop, practice speeches, rotate between learning centers, or during cooperative learning groups. Be sure to turn up the volume for the "time's-up" alert! As you teach basic concepts of time in primary grades, use this timer for students to understand the real concepts of one minute or ten seconds. Show the relationships between minutes, hours, days, weeks, months, etc. You can even use it to teach counting backward from 60!Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Virtual Tours - Egyptvoyager.com
Grades
3 to 12In the Classroom
Use this site as an introduction into the cultures of Egypt. Using the interactive whiteboard or projector, have students complete a KWL chart about Egypt. After watching the panoramic video(s), have students brainstorm the similarities and differences between Egyptian cultures and those of other countries such as the U.S. Have students create an interactive Venn Diagram highlighting their findings, using a site such as Interactive Venn Diagram (reviewed here). If you have access to Google Earth, be sure to look up these same Egyptian locations and zoom in on the surrounding landscape on your projector to see the terrain.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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