TeachersFirst - Featured Sites: Week of Apr 20, 2014

Here are this week's features. Clicking the tags in the description area of each listing will present a list of other resources with this topic. | Click here to return to the Featured Sites Archive

 

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Golden Gate and San Francisco Bay Bridge Construction 1934-1936 - The Virtual Museum of the City of San Francisco

Grades
6 to 12
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This collection of photographs of the construction of both the Golden Gate and the San Francisco Bay Bridge during the mid-1930s helps illustrate what a massive undertaking these projects...more
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This collection of photographs of the construction of both the Golden Gate and the San Francisco Bay Bridge during the mid-1930s helps illustrate what a massive undertaking these projects were. San Francisco's Golden Gate Bridge is one of the United States' iconic landmarks. It's come to symbolize the vitality of the US West Coast and of the building projects that sprang from the later years of the Great Depression. There are both individual photographs, relevant documents, and a PowerPoint presentation overview of the construction of the Golden Gate. The articles accompanying the photos include extensive data about the structure and the challenges in accomplishing the construction.
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tag(s): bridges (11), california (16), engineering (117), great depression (28)

In the Classroom

These are great primary source images and documents for the study of 1930s construction projects related to the rebuilding of the US during the final years of the Great Depression. Share the PowerPoint and photographs on your interactive whiteboard. Have students create a multimedia presentation using Presentious, reviewed here. This tool allows narrating and adding text to a picture. To find Creative Commons images (with credit, of course), try Wikimedia Commons, reviewed here. Use the photos as part of a physics or technology unit about bridges. Include this as one of several structures for students to research and analyze using their new-found concepts.

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Dropmark - Oak Studios, LLC

Grades
K to 12
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Dropmark is a tool for collaborating, curating, and presenting files, links, and text. Create your account and choose the basic (free) plan offering 250 MB of storage. Begin by dropping...more
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Dropmark is a tool for collaborating, curating, and presenting files, links, and text. Create your account and choose the basic (free) plan offering 250 MB of storage. Begin by dropping and dragging images or files from your computer onto your Dropmark collection. Add links to URLs and online media by choosing the + button and adding link information. Once complete, adjust privacy settings as desired and share using your unique URL. If you prefer, save your collection to your computer in ZIP format using the download link. You can also collaborate with others "in the cloud" by sharing files and links.
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tag(s): bookmarks (47), curation (35), organizational skills (90), social networking (68)

In the Classroom

Use Dropmark to create a bank of resources to use for each content unit within your subject or classroom. Student can then download and use the raw materials you provide to make their own projects or to learn independently. Create a separate class account for students to curate their own lists or bookmarks and resources. Use this tool to compile web treasure hunts to learn or introduce any topic within your content area. Collect links to informational texts for students to read "closely" a la CCSS. With younger students, create links of audio books for children to view and listen to or simple interactives teaching colors, numbers and more. Have students create their own Dropmark as a place to store links for a project. Share a link to your Dropmarks on your class webpage. Save pictures of class activities with a Dropmark collections then share with parents.

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Mathademics! YouTube Channel - Dan Rezac

Grades
4 to 10
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Mathademics! is an excellent YouTube Channel with many helpful math tutorials for upper elementary and middle school. Browse the video list of available videos. Browse through playlists...more
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Mathademics! is an excellent YouTube Channel with many helpful math tutorials for upper elementary and middle school. Browse the video list of available videos. Browse through playlists of topics including Fractions and Decimals, Algebra and Functions, and Number Sense. The videos are under 5 minutes, making them a quick and easy addition to any math classroom or study session. The videos are hosted on YouTube. If YouTube is blocked at your school, the videos may not be viewable.
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tag(s): area (52), conversions (36), decimals (84), equations (119), fractions (159), integers (22), mean (19), multiples (15), number sense (70), percent (58)

In the Classroom

Share these videos on your interactive whiteboard or projector. FLIP your classroom and have students view the videos at home to discuss and apply the next day in class. (This is a great option if YouTube is blocked in your school.) Use the videos to introduce or practice any math topic and assign others in the series for homework. Be sure to provide this link on your class website for students (and their families) to access at home for additional Math practice.

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Tynker - Krishna Vedati

Grades
3 to 8
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Learn computer coding using simple and easy activities, lesson plans, and an interface sure to please all ages! Sign up for your free account and once your dashboard is displayed ...more
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Learn computer coding using simple and easy activities, lesson plans, and an interface sure to please all ages! Sign up for your free account and once your dashboard is displayed choose from several helpful videos to get started. To find the Hour of Code click Courses from the left menu and find several including Lesson Plans and Teacher Guides. Learn to code by dropping blocks of commands into sequence on the left side of the screen and seeing the results along the right. The lessons provide step by step instructions, missions, and other materials to learn to code. Teachers can create a class and add students to the class. Click on student view of each lesson to see the tools and student tasks. Follow the instructions along the right panel. Note the tools that are along the top including undo and redo! This tool also features a question bar along the top. Note: This free portion of the resource offers four Coding Courses, weekly STEM Projects, Hour of Code Activities, Project Templates, Coding Tools (Block & Text), Unlimited Student Accounts, Student Progress Metrics, and Professional Development. Sign up for a free account by selecting Teacher and using Google, your email, Apple, Microsoft.
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tag(s): animation (61), coding (87), computational thinking (41), computers (105), critical thinking (112), design (82), game based learning (171), gamification (74), problem solving (225), STEM (259)

In the Classroom

Use this tool to learn basic coding skills. Students will quickly catch on to this program when allowed to "tinker" and see what they can make. Provide a simple assignment with defined rules/tasks to learn the tools. Younger students may familiarize themselves more easily working with a partner. Be sure to recommend that students "ask three before me" (the teacher). Have students use an online storyboard to write down what they plan to do/draw/say with their creation, and to help you keep tabs on students and their progress. For enhancing learning and technology use create a digital storyboard with Story Map, reviewed here, or Storyboard Generator, reviewed here. When finished with these Tynker lessons, move to other free tools such as Scratch, reviewed here. Teachers of even very young gifted students can turn them loose with these challenges when they have already mastered math or science curriculum. Have them create a creature they can explain to the class or share with gifted peers in other classrooms.

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