TeachersFirst - Featured Sites: Week of Feb 22, 2015
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
Marvin and Milo - physics.org
Grades
2 to 7
1 Favorites
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Marvin and Milo demonstrate a simple physics experiment through cartoons, offering a new experiment each month. Try activities from the left menu such as the Sew an Icecube or Spinning...more
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Marvin and Milo demonstrate a simple physics experiment through cartoons, offering a new experiment each month. Try activities from the left menu such as the Sew an Icecube or Spinning Eggs following the easy step by step directions. In addition to the cartoon, each activity includes a list of materials, instructions, and results and explanations. Use the top drop-down menus to view countless topics about physics.
tag(s): comics and cartoons (53), experiments (52), science fairs (19)
In the Classroom
Bookmark this site as an excellent resource for science experiments. Engage students and extend their knowledge with the activities from the site for science fair projects. If you are lucky enough to have a parent helper in your classroom, allow them to come in and complete experiments with your students each month using ideas found on the site. Challenge students to complete experiments at home and share results with the class. Have students create videos using FlexClip, reviewed here, and share the experiment and results using a tool such as SchoolTube, reviewed here.You must be registered and logged in to add items to your favorites.
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Netwars - Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung
Grades
9 to 12
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Immerse yourself in the all-too-real world of cyber warfare through this interactive documentary. While possibly a bit alarmist, this project tells the story of cyber warfare using...more
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Immerse yourself in the all-too-real world of cyber warfare through this interactive documentary. While possibly a bit alarmist, this project tells the story of cyber warfare using several types of media: online video "webdoc," a graphic novel app (device agnostic and free), a fictional eBook/audiobook/paper book, and interview clips from real world experts on cyber security. Unfortunately, the "webdoc" video intro includes an expletive inappropriate for a classroom, so you will want to preview and probably skip the intro if sharing this in a school setting. Check out the Facts section for tips on protecting your own online data and browsing information. Netwars is optimized to work on any device with a modern web browser and an Internet connection. Only the interactive novel has iOS and Android apps
tag(s): game based learning (171), internet safety (113)
In the Classroom
Use portions of this site with more mature students to spark discussion about the real (or unreal?) threats of cybersecurity. Every week, news stories about data breaches and hacking proliferate. Include this site as one of many current events topics in a government or civics class where you talk about the issues facing both the executive and legislative branches -- as well as the constitutionality of some proposed solutions. In a research unit in English class, include this as a site to be evaluated. Is this a reliable source? Does it show bias? Is the threat portrayed substantiated with facts or is it designed to scare the audience? Have student groups write and create a web tour using a tool such as Screencast-o-matic, reviewed here, to make an argument about the site and support their points with examples from the site's visual "text." Challenge gifted students to research other evidence supporting or debunking the facts from this site. Since the site is also available in German, world language teachers may want to share it with more advanced German students for language listening and practice.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Vox - Vox Media
Grades
7 to 12
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Find thoughtful articles written to explain today's news, especially the stories that are most difficult to understand. The article topics vary widely and include offerings from sports,...more
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Find thoughtful articles written to explain today's news, especially the stories that are most difficult to understand. The article topics vary widely and include offerings from sports, politics, pop culture, public policy, world affairs, food, business, health, and many other topics. Just as the news may include tough or adult topics, so may Vox. You might want to preview or direct less mature young people to a specific article instead of allowing them to browse the entire site.
This site includes advertising.
This site includes advertising.
tag(s): news (229)
In the Classroom
Share specific articles from this site -- or a collection of them-- for students to gain experience with informational texts that demystify the headlines they are seeing on the TV screen crawl. Use examples from this site as models for student groups to do research to explain a science or economics topic that has been in the news and share it with peers as a digital poster showing the top ten things they should know about X. Use a tool such as Padlet, reviewed here, to create a "poster" of sticky notes. Not only will your students gain experience reading for understanding, but also choosing the most important things to know from an article. Use this approach for students to research and share articles in health class (such as on new vaccines or discoveries) or on national issues during an election cycle. Be sure to include this link on your class web page for upper grade students to find current events articles (along with a disclaimer that some topics may be controversial).Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Give Me Sport - givemesport.com
Grades
6 to 12
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Give Me Sport is an online magazine offering the most current sports news, opinions, videos, and more. Choose specific sports categories or view articles by what is trending and the...more
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Give Me Sport is an online magazine offering the most current sports news, opinions, videos, and more. Choose specific sports categories or view articles by what is trending and the latest news. Find more global sports information by choosing to view the UK version instead of the US version of the magazine (use the drop down box at the top of the page). This site contains options for comments on all articles that are not moderated. Be sure to preview comments before sharing with students.
This site includes advertising.
This site includes advertising.
tag(s): independent reading (85), journalism (72), sports (77)
In the Classroom
Offer Give Me Sport as an alternative to reluctant readers for independent reading. Challenge students to find articles and then research additional information for writing projects or biography reports. Have students create an annotated image including text boxes and related links using a tool such as Image Annotator, reviewed here. Have students use Fakebook, reviewed here, to create a "fake" page similar in style to Facebook featuring a sports personality.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Scrim - Basem
Grades
4 to 12
1 Favorites
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Protect your email address and reduce spam with Scrim. Scrim converts your email address into a short, safe link for sharing on Twitter, forums, or any public site. Enter your ...more
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Protect your email address and reduce spam with Scrim. Scrim converts your email address into a short, safe link for sharing on Twitter, forums, or any public site. Enter your email and add a unique ending to the Scrim URL to receive your unique code. Copy and paste the code for use on social networking sites, documents, or forums.
This site includes advertising.
This site includes advertising.
tag(s): internet safety (113)
In the Classroom
Use Scrim whenever sharing your email address on Twitter or other social networking sites to avoid receiving spam. Share with older students as part of your cyber safety lessons.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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A Soft Murmur - Gabriel Martin
Grades
4 to 12
3 Favorites
0 Comments
Are you feeling stressed? Unable to concentrate or complete a task? This tool will generate background sounds to create a positive thinking environment! Choose from a variety of sounds...more
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Are you feeling stressed? Unable to concentrate or complete a task? This tool will generate background sounds to create a positive thinking environment! Choose from a variety of sounds that sooth and relax while promoting creative productivity. These sounds are much better than plain, white noise. Classic sounds for relaxation include thunder, rain, waves, summer night, forest, white noise, and more. Use the slider bar at the top of the page to adjust sound levels as needed.
tag(s): creative writing (122), learning styles (18)
In the Classroom
Be sure to share this link with students (and their parents) looking for less distracting sounds while brainstorming or working. Does your class have silent reading time, or are you reading a book to the class or conducting a science lab? Turn up your speakers and use a background sound as mood music to set the stage for your story. Use the sounds during creative writing exercises. Why not listen to waves or water while studying them?! Play a few minutes of relaxing sounds before a major test. Consider using as background sounds for student presentations. If you talk with students about discovering their own learning styles, offer this site as a suggestion for them to try while prewriting or studying for tests. Emotional support (and autistic support) teachers may want to experiment to see if these sounds can help their students. Some students may find them over stimulating while others may find the sounds very helpful.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Beyond Penguins and Polar Bears - The Ohio State University, College of Ed. and Human Ecology
Grades
K to 12
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What comes to mind when you think of the Arctic? For most it is penguins and polar bears. Learn more about the Arctic with this interesting site. Click on various ...more
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What comes to mind when you think of the Arctic? For most it is penguins and polar bears. Learn more about the Arctic with this interesting site. Click on various topics such as Polar Plants, Icebergs and Glaciers, Keeping Warm, and more. Click on each topic for short information about the Arctic. Each topic includes Professional Learning, In the Field: Scientists at Work, Science and Literacy (see lesson plans), and Across the Curriculum. Be sure to look at the links below each topic. Share this photo gallery with your students. Be sure to also view the links at the top including the Photo Gallery and Stories for Students.
tag(s): animals (280), arctic (40), climate (80), energy (130), habitats (87), plants (144), tundra (14), water (101)
In the Classroom
Include this site with your other materials for teaching biomes, specifically the tundra. Have students create a word cloud of the important terms they learn from these lessons using a tool such as WordItOut, reviewed here, or Word Clouds for Kids, reviewed here. Use this site for students to research and report to the class. Use the information for a Did You Know poster activity using Design Cap Poster Creator, reviewed here or as an introduction to lessons in class. Take advantage of the many free lesson plans! Have student groups explore specific topics and create an interactive book to share with the class. Try Ourboox, reviewed here. Ourboox creates beautiful page-flipping digital books in minutes, and you can embed video, music, animation, games, maps and more.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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MATHCOUNTS Foundation - mathcounts.org
Grades
6 to 9
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The MATHCOUNTS Foundation is a non-profit organization striving to engage middle school students of all ability and interest levels in enjoyable and challenging math programs. This...more
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The MATHCOUNTS Foundation is a non-profit organization striving to engage middle school students of all ability and interest levels in enjoyable and challenging math programs. This site offers a large variety of resources for both students and educators. View programs to find information about The National Math Club, Math Video Challenge, and the MATHCOUNTS competition series. Discover the Solve-a-Thon fundraising program to create fundraising pages for your program and school. Be sure to explore the Resources portion of the site. Find a Problem of the Week including extensive archives, an electronic school handbook featuring 300 problems correlated to NCTM grade 6-8 standards, and MATHCOUNTS minis - a series of short video explanations of MATHCOUNTS problems. This site includes YouTube videos. If your district blocks YouTube, then they may not be viewable.
tag(s): competitions (10), problem solving (226), video (257)
In the Classroom
Be sure to bookmark this site for use throughout the school year. Share with the head of the math department and other math teachers as a valuable resource. Consider creating a fundraising page using the Solve-a-Thon program to raise funds for manipulatives and classroom resources. Include the problem of the week on your class webpage or blog as homework or extra credit. Include links to video explanations of problems on your class webpage to reinforce current learning concepts.
This resource requires PDF reader software like Adobe Acrobat.
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