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Surging Seas: Sea Level Risk Finder - Cimate Central
Grades
6 to 12
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What is the impact of changes in sea levels? Use this tool to show various effects with different feet of sea level rise. There is plenty of data showing that ...more
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What is the impact of changes in sea levels? Use this tool to show various effects with different feet of sea level rise. There is plenty of data showing that sea levels have already risen eight inches since 1880. Most people are unaware of the areas of the world that are at risk, though hurricanes may make us temporarily aware. This interactive map gives incredible detail by zooming into neighborhoods and understanding the possible changes that can occur with sea level change. Enter a city, zip code, or click on the US map to begin. Use the slider to change the sea level from 1 to 10 feet. Choose various other data such as social vulnerability, population, income, and property values. The application is based upon two independently written, easily accessible, peer-reviewed papers.
In the Classroom
Use this tool to discuss how climate change is affecting sea level, as well as other weather events that have been in the news. Be sure to talk about energy and how it is produced and why all combustion reactions produce carbon dioxide. Research the composition of the atmosphere and why changes in certain gases can cause such a problem. Be sure to have students check out the validity of different sources and sites for accuracy and statistics and data that backs up the viewpoint. Rather than scare students, discuss ways that everyone in the world can create a greener Earth for tomorrow. Challenge students to research and then create multimedia presentation using one of the many TeachersFirst Edge tools reviewed here. Some tool suggestions are (click on the tool name to access the review): Adobe Creative Cloud Express for Education, Vevox, Animatron, Renderforest, and Presentious.You must be registered and logged in to add items to your favorites.
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Native Voices: Native Peoples - Concepts of Health and Illness - U. S. National Library of Health and Medicine
Grades
4 to 12
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Native Voices takes an extensive look at Native Peoples' health and beliefs through pictures and descriptions. Begin with an introductory message from the Director of the National Library...more
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Native Voices takes an extensive look at Native Peoples' health and beliefs through pictures and descriptions. Begin with an introductory message from the Director of the National Library of Medicine. This explains content on the site and the background of the exhibition. Read interviews of health professionals, healers, and other community leaders organized by theme, name, or region. An extensive timeline highlights key events searchable by time period, tribe, or keyword. The resources area provides links to lessons, online activities, suggested reading, and more. Explore the exhibition to view Native American art and stories about healing. This site is a must-visit for anyone interested in learning more about Native American's beliefs in regard to health and healing.
In the Classroom
Bookmark and save this site as a resource for Native American, American History, health, and other units. Read on your interactive whiteboard (or projector) together. Have groups of students read about individual tribes, then enhance learning by challenging students to create a newspaper article using the online tool such as Interactive Two Circle Venn Diagram, to create a visual comparison of tribal beliefs-- or perhaps comparing with "mainstream" beliefs in their own culture.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Pandora - Pandora Media, Inc.
Grades
K to 12
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Pandora is a customizable popular music streaming service based on the Music Genome Project. Enter the name of a musician or group to find a "channel" made up of singe ...more
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Pandora is a customizable popular music streaming service based on the Music Genome Project. Enter the name of a musician or group to find a "channel" made up of singe by that artist/group and other songs that have similar characteristics: lyrics, rhythm, style, etc. The "genome" sorts and matches the musical characteristics of the artist or of a particular song. Register for free (requires email). Then as you listen, click "like" to teach Pandora your preferences. Read more about the Music Genome Project under "About" in the footer of the page. There is a paid version of Pandora, but the few commercials in the free version are tolerable. Pandora also has free apps versions to use on mobile devices, and your account is accessible from all devices.
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In the Classroom
In music classes, use Pandora to open discussion about elements and styles of music. Play a channel long enough for students to hear a few selections, then ask them to figure out what the different songs have in common, perhaps besides an artist. Why does the work of another artist show in the same "channel"? While studying lyrics as poetry in an English/Language Arts class, compare lyrics of songs from the same channel. How are they similar? What other song lyrics might you add to this channel?Use a Pandora channel as background during a discussion of certain decades of the 20th century or have students find/create channels that represent an era such as the Civil War period. Have them explain their "mix" and why it is representative. Play a Pandora channel as a writing prompt or during art activities to promote creative expression. During a unit on how to study, be sure to offer Pandora as a customizable way for students to create an auditory "study environment." World language teachers can find artists whose lyrics use the language they are teaching to build listening skills. Elementary teachers and ESL/ELL teachers can use channels with children's songs for vocabulary or other class activities.
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Julian Germain Classrooms Portraits Project - Julian Germain
Grades
7 to 12
5 Favorites
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View portraits of classrooms in many cultures 2004-2012, taken by photographer Julian Germain. The collection is actually from a book. As Archive Magazine reviewer Tom Shakespeare...more
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View portraits of classrooms in many cultures 2004-2012, taken by photographer Julian Germain. The collection is actually from a book. As Archive Magazine reviewer Tom Shakespeare explains, "By presenting different pupils, different schools, different year groups, Germain asks questions about contemporary educational practices and social divisions." The photos are clearly deliberate portraits, not candids, but offer a glimpse into other cultures and a chance to ask questions about why a class ( and classroom) might look the way it does, inviting discussion about what we have in common and how each culture conducts and values education.
In the Classroom
Share these photos as a writing prompt about cultural differences in a world cultures class or as a way to get students thinking before writing an essay about their "dream" school. Use the common experience of school as an entry point into conversation about cross-cultural understanding. Share on a projector or whiteboard as students use powers of observation to notice what might be different about life in another culture and how school reflects a culture's value systems. Have them write a blog post about what they see.If you are beginning the process of integrating technology, have students create blogs sharing their learning and understanding using Webnode, reviewed here. Use this site in art class or even as a media literacy exercise. Have students jot down the words they would use to describe the emotions they see/feel in these images. What message is the photographer conveying about school? Extend the discussion by challenging students to take their own photos to portray "school." Share the photos on a class wiki, blog, or online scrapbook using a tool such as MyScrapNook, reviewed here.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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inklewriter - Joseph Humfrey and Jon Ingold
Grades
4 to 12
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Create interactive, choose your own adventure (branching) style stories with inklewriter. This site is ideal for anyone to create a story and then share with others via a unique URL....more
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Create interactive, choose your own adventure (branching) style stories with inklewriter. This site is ideal for anyone to create a story and then share with others via a unique URL. These stories allow for others to create their own path or choose an existing one. Begin by choosing to read stories or create your own. Type parts of the story including the title, author, beginning, introduction, and add sections as needed. After each paragraph is the option to create different outcomes of the story, offering choices the reader makes. The site contains excellent tutorials for getting started with stories. When finished, share the URL for your story using Twitter or Facebook or copy the URL to share and bookmark as you wish. Of course, your "story" need not be fiction! You could also write an opinion piece with branches for people to ask (click) on questions about facets of your argument! NOTE: When you click to begin writing, you should click SIGN IN and choose to make a new account. Do this before you start writing in order to be able to save. The tool will then save your work as you go along. Although you do not HAVE to sign in before you start, it is risky to sign up later! . Inklewriter has also made it easier for teachers to sign up students WITHOUT student email addresses. Read the directions about how to do this on the landing page by scrolling down and finding "Sign-up and email addresses."
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In the Classroom
View stories on the site together to understand the components of the site and discuss how different choices in characters and settings lead to different story outcomes. (Be sure to preview stories before sharing, since there is "public"' content.) Watch the tutorials together on your interactive whiteboard (or projector) before students begin to write stories. Use a graphic organizer to "map out" the story before writing. Create a short story together as a class to become familiar using the site. Assign a group of students to create an interactive story each week to share on your classroom website or blog. Have students create a story map before beginning a story on inklewriter; use a tool such as 25 Language Arts Graphic Organizers, reviewed here. Create class stories to teach about literature, geography, reading comprehension, history, science concepts, and more. As a more "serious" approach, use Inklewriter to present opinion pieces where you take a position and allow readers to click on questions about it. They could also click on statements expressing opposing views so you can write counterarguments to their points. This could end up being a powerful way to present an argument and evidence as required by Common Core writing standards. A graphic organizer for planning and organizing evidence is a must! Teachers of gifted could use this for students to develop elaborate fictional or informational pieces. If you work with students who struggle, scaffold with a template for them to organize their thoughts.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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SpeakPipe - Speakpipe.com
Grades
K to 12
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SpeakPipe offers a widget to install on your blog, website, or podcast so readers and listeners can send you an audio message of up to 90 seconds in length. Other ...more
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SpeakPipe offers a widget to install on your blog, website, or podcast so readers and listeners can send you an audio message of up to 90 seconds in length. Other features for the free plan include recieving 30 messages per month, one Widget, and email notification. The message goes to your Speakpipe inbox, and you receive an email notification. You also receive a URL for the message that you could post on the blog or your podcast so others can hear the comments. Visitors click the "leave voicemail" button to access. Next, the visitor records a message for you. Visitors have the option of including their names and email addresses.
In the Classroom
When installed on a school website, SpeakPipe provides a good way for parents to leave voicemail messages. Unless one of you shares the URL, the communication remains confidential. Download messages to your computer as a simple way for students to record their voice responses for use in a multimedia project on your classroom blog. After posting student work on your classroom website or blog, allow students to record information responding or explaining each project. Encourage emerging readers to record their own voices reading a blog post they write. Auditory learners will truly benefit from this tool. Install this on your class blog or wiki so parents who visit can leave audio comments for the class. World language teachers could post an image on a class web site and ask students to record a response in their new language. School library/media centers can invite students so comment about new books listed on the web page.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Talk Typer - 2012 TalkTyper
Grades
K to 12
11 Favorites
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Your spoken words are instantly changed to written text. Just click on the microphone and speak. Follow simple directions and immediately begin to dictate. As soon as speech is ready,...more
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Your spoken words are instantly changed to written text. Just click on the microphone and speak. Follow simple directions and immediately begin to dictate. As soon as speech is ready, it appears in red, and you push ok. Corrections are suggested in red. If your speech is not recognized, there is an alternatives button to help you dictate correctly. You can also click on the speaker button to hear the written words played back to you. Click the blue arrow to move the text down to the larger text box. There you can store several phrases or sentences together. Choose to print, email, or tweet your message. Talk Typer is also available in a variety of languages. Be sure to speak slowly and clearly. This is best used with short phrases or sentences.
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In the Classroom
Talk Typer is a very versatile tool, for students, parents, and teachers alike. Bypass poor typing skills, dysgraphia, dyslexia, and physical disabilities. Use this tool in emails, documents, or anything requiring typed text. Use in your writing class so students can either write or edit their work. Use when you are in a hurry with emails requiring long text. Use for your newsletters or family emails. Share this on your class website and at Back to School Night. Emerging literacy students will enjoy the success they have with their oral language into written word. Improve content and forget about mechanics of writing or typing. Focus in on grammar and mechanics after seeing the recognized mistakes. Include this website on every tool bar and as a favorite on your class web page. ELL students can speak English, play it back, and correct it until it "sounds right" and expresses their ideas correctly.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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TED-ED - Ted.com
Grades
6 to 12
9 Favorites
0 Comments
Find videos recorded by professional educators. These are not just the humdrum lecture type videos you might expect. These are dynamic speakers, energized by their desire to share what...more
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Find videos recorded by professional educators. These are not just the humdrum lecture type videos you might expect. These are dynamic speakers, energized by their desire to share what they've learned and know. The videos are even more appealing because of the professional animators who worked in the background (with the educators) to get the message across to the audience. You can search these videos by "Lessons" (under "Discover") and from there by subject, "Collections," is organized by theme, or by "Exploration." Every video has a "Think" section with multiple choice and open ended questions. If you get a multiple choice answer wrong you will receive a video hint to help you get it correct. Every video has a Dig Deeper section with additional resources for exploring the topic. You can take one of these videos, a video from YouTube, or any other video with a URL and "flip" them to make them your own. You can change the title, put in instructions, discard or keep the questions, create your own questions. In other words, you can make the video your own, to suit your needs. Once you save the video it will have a unique URL so you can track the progress and participation of anyone using it. Don't miss such clever offerings as David Hunter's video about the importance of geography concepts in deciding "How do you decide where to go in a zombie apocalypse?" Ted-Ed is only part of the TED offerings. View the full TED site reviewed here. Be sure to look at the Discover and Create tabs on the top menu.
In the Classroom
Choose a video or create your own videos for students to use for review. After students view a video that has the questions, show one that doesn't, and have students generate questions for it. Assign videos for students to view at home or in the computer lab. Use them as a springboard for engaging writing prompts or to spark a discussion connected with a unit of study. Challenge students to do a compare/contrast activity using an online Venn Diagram tool, reviewed here. Most of the videos are less than twenty minutes, which makes it realistic to use them in a one-period class lesson or if you are implementing blended learning or flipped learning in your classroom or school (leaving class time for asking questions and clarifying).Show a video or two with your class and discuss the set up of the lesson. Discuss the difference between basic comprehension questions and open-ended questions. Show your students an inspirational video or two from TED reviewed here. As a class, pick out eight or ten of the TED videos and allow students to sign up to work on one of the videos. Have cooperative learning groups develop a TED Ed video lesson. You will need to proofread all work using a word processor, before allowing students to upload their questions on TED Ed.
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Constitution Day - ConstitutionDay.com
Grades
5 to 12
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Learn about the U.S. Constitution and the amendments. See the documents and short biographies of each of the founding fathers. Click links to images of the Constitution on the right...more
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Learn about the U.S. Constitution and the amendments. See the documents and short biographies of each of the founding fathers. Click links to images of the Constitution on the right side of the home page. Although this site is short on original content, the founding father biographies make it a worthwhile visit when studying the Constitution and figures in American History.
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In the Classroom
Share this site with students as a resource for reading and viewing the Constitution. Use Read Ahead, reviewed here with these articles as a guided reading activity for younger students. Read Ahead is perfect for introducing any reading passage to struggling readers, special education students, and ENL/ESL learners. Along with Read Ahead you may want to use Wordsift, reviewed here to help students identify the most important words used in the text. Challenge students to develop a fake social media presence about one of the founding fathers using Fakebook, reviewed here. This is a great resource for Constitution Day!Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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How to embed almost anything in your website - Amit Agarwal
Grades
K to 12
4 Favorites
0 Comments
This simple blog site offers directions for embedding practically anything in a web site. Directions are included for photos, RSS feeds, YouTube videos and other videos, podcasts, and...more
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This simple blog site offers directions for embedding practically anything in a web site. Directions are included for photos, RSS feeds, YouTube videos and other videos, podcasts, and more.
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In the Classroom
If you have students creating projects using online tools, embedding is often the best way for them to collect projects all in one place. Often the tools are not clear about how to manage the details of embedding, to this reference is very helpful. If your students create ME-portfolios to showcase their work to colleges or potential employers, embedding is a must. Link to this site from your class web page of general resources to help today's tech-savvy students learn how to embed from various applications. Provide this link on your class website, wiki or blog for students (and parents) to access at school and at home. Teachers can create a class wiki or web site using embedding, even in school-subscription web site services. Share your elementary class's creative projects by embedding them on your class site so parents can see their great work. This site wil help you learn how.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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IconBug.com - ClipArt Free - IconBug 2011
Grades
K to 12
2 Favorites
0 Comments
Looking for some new free clipart to add to projects, presentations, and websites? With over 10,000 images and a keyword search function, IconBug makes locating and using clipart easy....more
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Looking for some new free clipart to add to projects, presentations, and websites? With over 10,000 images and a keyword search function, IconBug makes locating and using clipart easy. Simply click on the image to download. With Mac, the image automatically downloads as a PNG. With a PC, you need to choose to save the image. Either way, it is easy to use and there is no need to worry about image copyright. Each image page specifically tells you whether icons/clip art are free for personal use, for commercial use, or both. Note that many do require that you give credit via link back to their site.
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In the Classroom
Share this link with your students so they have safe images to use in projects beyond the standard images in their computer software. If you worry that students will spend far too much time making up their minds, download a smaller collection, including the links to give proper credit, to share locally as part of a project assignment. Use clipart to spice up your activity sheets and rubrics. Use clipart images in learning support, speech and language, or life skills classrooms to teach words using images. This method could also be applied for students learning a new language. World language teachers can create a presentation of pictures and speak the words in the world language to help students learn. An extension of this type of activity could also be helpful with ENL/ESL students in your classroom. The handy icons here would also work well for sharing link collections visually using a tool such as Symbaloo, reviewed here.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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The Lost Museum - American Social History Productions
Grades
8 to 12
2 Favorites
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The Lost Museum is a 3-D re-creation of P.T. Barnum's American Museum. This pre-eminent cultural institution of 19th century America was mysteriously destroyed by fire on July 13, 1865....more
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The Lost Museum is a 3-D re-creation of P.T. Barnum's American Museum. This pre-eminent cultural institution of 19th century America was mysteriously destroyed by fire on July 13, 1865. Roam freely among the four digitally re-created rooms. Move your mouse left and right or up and down when arrows indicate, to move around the room. Click"hot spots" indicated by a question mark "?" to access some of the vast number of items and exhibits Barnum displayed in his museum. Animations and close-up views reveal much of what the contemporary visitor to the museum might have experienced. An archive link appears beneath the museum window when viewing an item that has related documents in the Archive for viewing. Be sure to visit the classroom portion of the site for further materials and resources providing background on the social, cultural, and political history of antebellum and Civil War America. This interactive emphasizes issues of race, gender, reform, immigration, sectionalism, and popular culture. Several teaching activities are available with titles such as Fame and Fortune: The Marketing of Celebrity and The Debate Over Women's Roles in Public. This site mentions that it is not optimized for use on a Safari browser. You also must enable your pop-up windows.
In the Classroom
View this site on your interactive whiteboard and use the teaching activities as a supplement to information in the museum. Divide students into groups to complete the different activities. Have groups share their information usingScreencast-o-matic, reviewed here, or Screencastify (Chrome app), reviewed here, to make narrated recordings about information they find on this site.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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40 Interesting Ways to Use QR Codes in the Classroom - Tom Barrett
Grades
3 to 12
1 Favorites
0 Comments
Find ideas for using QR codes in the classroom. This slideshow is a must-see to get many unique ideas for using QR codes. Examples include adding QR codes to worksheets ...more
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Find ideas for using QR codes in the classroom. This slideshow is a must-see to get many unique ideas for using QR codes. Examples include adding QR codes to worksheets for students to check answers or to go to a video explanation for completing the worksheet. Another idea: print a QR code on a sticker and place into textbooks for students to access additional content. Add to displays or bulletin boards to make them interactive. There are many great ideas shared on this site. It is definitely worth a visit for anyone using or wanting to use QR codes in their classroom. Of course, you do need to have devices that can read the QR codes; smart phones and iTouches work well.
In the Classroom
Choose one of the ideas suggested in the slideshow as a starting point for using QR codes. Try additional ideas one at a time. Share the slideshow with other teachers and split up the ideas for each to become an "expert" in one of the strategies. Share your experiences as you learn together. Challenge your students to dream up other uses for the codes. As a service project, students could create a QR code school "tour" or add QR codes for students to use while waiting in the cafeteria line to access nutrition information about today's menu.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Cropp.me - imagga
Grades
4 to 12
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Crop and resize your images using this online tool. Upload your images and select the desired size. There are several predefined sizes to choose from: an avatar image, gallery thumbnail,...more
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Crop and resize your images using this online tool. Upload your images and select the desired size. There are several predefined sizes to choose from: an avatar image, gallery thumbnail, Facebook timeline cover image, or you can select a custom size (width and height) for your particular purpose. Crop up to 5 images simultaneously. The site detects the most interesting part of each image to use when cropping. Adjust the placement as needed. When finished, select images to keep and download to your computer.
In the Classroom
Quickly and easily crop pictures and images to any desired size for use in projects and presentations. Share with students to use with projects and presentations for making images uniform in size.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Playfic - Andy Baio and Cooper McHatton
Grades
4 to 12
4 Favorites
0 Comments
Create interactive, text-based games with this simple tool. Perhaps you remember a text-based game called "Adventure" from back in the early days of computers. Be sure to use the tutorial...more
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Create interactive, text-based games with this simple tool. Perhaps you remember a text-based game called "Adventure" from back in the early days of computers. Be sure to use the tutorial on the home page that also teaches you how to navigate the stories themselves. By clicking on the "About Us," you can view the "cheat sheet" that will certainly make your first creative attempt at Playfic more enjoyable. Experiment with Playfic games created by others and time yourself. if you get stuck, you can look at the source code. Create your own Playfic for any topic that interests you, whether it's fiction or not. Note that there is no moderation on games created by others, so preview before sharing with young people.
In the Classroom
"Gamification" of learning is a hot topic in 21st century learning. Use this simple tool to make it happen. Use for any digital storytelling: fact or fiction. In social studies, have students create an interactive game based on life during the Depression or any historic era. Have them create a "Where in the world is ..." for geography. World language students could make a simple game (in the language they are studying) about daily life. Gifted students will love creating games on their favorite topics, so make this a research-and-create-a-game approach for independent projects. Science students could make a game about what might happen in certain weather or life as a fossil. Have your language arts students create mystery or survival stories or even a different ending to a story you've read together. Warning: all stories are PUBLIC and your students will be able to view other's stories. You'll either want to have a class account or monitor this closely.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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PDFescape - Red Software
Grades
K to 12
9 Favorites
0 Comments
Use this site to be able to edit PDF documents. It is free and easy to use. Upload your PDF document or link to an existing online PDF. Add additional ...more
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Use this site to be able to edit PDF documents. It is free and easy to use. Upload your PDF document or link to an existing online PDF. Add additional text or free hand writing. Create drawings or add images. You can create PDFs, edit PDFs, fill-out existing PDFs, save/print PDFs, and more. When finished, download the final product. No sign up is required to use most features. If you must complete entry forms, applications, or other PDF forms, this tool can be a lifesaver.
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In the Classroom
Use to alter documents that may have been saved as a PDF in the past. Save this site in your professional resources. If you work with students who request college recommendations or need to fill out forms for scholarships or jobs, be sure to share this tool with them!Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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CurriConnects Book List: Immigrants and Immigration - TeachersFirst
Grades
K to 12
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Use this CurriConnects list to find books about immigrants, immigration, and the American immigrant experience. Include this list while studying Ellis Island, periods of immigration,...more
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Use this CurriConnects list to find books about immigrants, immigration, and the American immigrant experience. Include this list while studying Ellis Island, periods of immigration, or multiculturalism in the U.S. CurriConnects thematic book lists include ISBN numbers for ordering or searching, interest grade levels, ESL levels and Lexiles'® to match with student independent reading levels to challenge, not frustrate. Don't miss other CurriConnects themes being added regularly.
In the Classroom
Allow students to select books at their own level to understand immigrants and how their own ancestors may have felt upon arriving in the U.S. Perhaps have them write a blog post as if they had just arrived. Have students meet in literature circles as they discuss these books or hold an immigration day where students share the experiences they have read and how immigrants contribute to the many cultures in the U.S.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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CurriConnects Book List: Slavery - TeachersFirst
Grades
K to 12
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This CurriConnects list features books about slavery. This is a great match for student independent reading during units about the Civil War at any grade level. CurriConnects thematic...more
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This CurriConnects list features books about slavery. This is a great match for student independent reading during units about the Civil War at any grade level. CurriConnects thematic book lists include ISBN numbers for ordering or searching, interest grade levels, ESL levels and Lexiles'''® to match with student independent reading levels to challenge, not frustrate. Don't miss other CurriConnects themes being added regularly.
In the Classroom
As you study the Civil War and slavery, let students select books from this collection of fiction and historical fiction. As we honor and move beyond the 150th anniversary of many Civil War events, what better way for students to make a more personal connection to the people who lived during those tumultuous times.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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In Their Footsteps: Walking the Picket Line - Brett Kelley
Grades
6 to 12
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This blog follows the journey of Brett Kelley (Curator at the National Civil War Museum in Harrisburg, PA) as he spent two weeks recreating the life of a Civil War ...more
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This blog follows the journey of Brett Kelley (Curator at the National Civil War Museum in Harrisburg, PA) as he spent two weeks recreating the life of a Civil War Picket Soldier. Daily posts include handwritten documents, images, and links to Brett's YouTube channel with videos from his time as a soldier. The blog displays in reverse chronological order, most recent first (as all blogs do). you will Scroll all the way to the bottom and work your way up to read entries in the order they occur. Another option is to choose "week 1" from the categories at the right of the blog and scroll to the bottom to begin, then choose "week 2" to finish.
In the Classroom
Include this journal as part of your Civil War unit. Have students read this along with diaries and journals of actual Civil War soldiers. Compare and contrast his experience with those of the soldiers. Share one entry per day and have students create their own blog posts in response with possible questions they may have, how they would feel in the same situation, etc. If you are beginning the process of integrating technology, have students create blogs sharing their learning and understanding using Tumblr, reviewed here. For a more major project, create a blog as a class, having students take turns playing the role of one civil war soldier and adding to the blog daily.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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The Mind is a Metaphor - Brad Pasanek
Grades
7 to 12
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The Mind is a Metaphor is something like a dictionary for finding metaphors. There are over ten thousand of them. Though many are mental metaphors, there are some that don't ...more
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The Mind is a Metaphor is something like a dictionary for finding metaphors. There are over ten thousand of them. Though many are mental metaphors, there are some that don't relate to the mind. This site originally started with an "expanded eighteenth century" list, but now has metaphors from as late as the 1990's. Search for a metaphor by literary period, author, genre, gender, and several others. You may also enjoy the creator's blog with his interpretations of his favorite metaphors at Blog for The Mind is a Metaphor.
In the Classroom
High school AP literature and history teachers or IB capstone classes will especially love this site. Share a metaphor a day as students are entering the class or on your class web site. Allow a student to choose one as today's Metaphor Master! Discuss the meaning together or use it as a quick writing prompt. Use the time period to discuss the historical context of the metaphor. Use these in your own presentations or require students to create a presentation explaining the metaphors you assign. Younger students just beginning to study metaphors can benefit from trying to interpret the metaphors as a group and presenting them to the class. Challenge students to try to create their own metaphors. Develop a class Metaphor Wiki for students to share metaphors. Not familiar with wikis? Check out the TeachersFirst Wiki Walk-Through.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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