TeachersFirst - Featured Sites: Week of Jan 3, 2016

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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Inquiry Maths - Andrew Blair

Grades
1 to 12
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Inquiry Maths provides a large variety of resources for teaching and encouraging inquiry math practices. Choose from different content options to find complete lesson activities with...more
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Inquiry Maths provides a large variety of resources for teaching and encouraging inquiry math practices. Choose from different content options to find complete lesson activities with everything needed to guide students through the inquiry process such as a lesson outline, lesson and mathematical notes, examples, downloads for use on whiteboards, and even classroom posters. Other links provide background information to understand and research how to teach using inquiry math concepts. The first set of links found on the site is for upper elementary and secondary math. Use the last link on the list to find prompts and resources for primary students. The site was created in the UK, so some of the pronunciations and spellings may differ from those in American English.

tag(s): angles (51), area (52), equations (119), fractions (159), geometric shapes (136), mean (19), median (16), mode (13), number sense (70), perimeter (20)

In the Classroom

Take advantage of the free lessons and materials found on this site for teaching math. Collaborate with colleagues and use this site for professional development as you implement inquiry math into your curriculum. Use prompts and problems from this site for group learning activities and in your math centers. Challenge cooperative learning groups to create videos demonstrating their learning and share them on a site such as TeacherTube reviewed here.
 This resource requires PDF reader software like Adobe Acrobat.

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OmniLibros - Carthage College Center for Children's Literature

Grades
K to 12
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Find recently published (since 2010) English-language children's literature that promotes global understanding through this annotated bibliography. Choose the Indices tab to search...more
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Find recently published (since 2010) English-language children's literature that promotes global understanding through this annotated bibliography. Choose the Indices tab to search by title or grade level. Narrow the search using the keyword search tool. Be sure to check out the Book Map, and find books by country. Click on the marker on the country to view and go to those resources.

tag(s): book lists (161), cross cultural understanding (157), literacy (107), maps (209)

In the Classroom

This site is perfect for finding reading material with settings from all over the world. Encourage students to choose a place that interests them, and then find books set in that location. Use this tool as an anticipatory set or "activator" to introduce a unit or lesson on a projector or interactive whiteboard about setting or geography. Be sure to share a link to this tool on your class website or blog for students to use at home.

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Perfect Pitch - Kennedy Center Artsedge

Grades
3 to 8
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Learn all about the orchestra with this interactive using baseball metaphors. Meet the players by choosing an era from baroque through modern times. Return to Home Plate to navigate...more
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Learn all about the orchestra with this interactive using baseball metaphors. Meet the players by choosing an era from baroque through modern times. Return to Home Plate to navigate throughout activities as you learn about instruments, parts of a composition, and technology. Play Ball assesses your knowledge upon completing activities to find out if you have hit it out of the park!

tag(s): music theory (45), musical instruments (46)

In the Classroom

Share this interactive on a projector or interactive whiteboard as you learn about orchestras together. Create a link on classroom computers for students to explore on their own. Share with your school's music teacher as an interesting activity for music class. This site would be excellent for use before a field trip or a school assembly featuring an orchestra! Have students create an annotated image of musical instruments including text boxes and related links using a tool such as Image Annotator, reviewed here. Image Antatorno can be used for a variety of assignments in any classroom that is integrating technology as a modification.

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Histography - Timeline of History - Matan Stauber

Grades
8 to 12
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Histography is an interactive timeline spanning history from the beginning through 2015 (as of this review), pulling historical events from Wikipedia. Drag the bar across the timeline...more
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Histography is an interactive timeline spanning history from the beginning through 2015 (as of this review), pulling historical events from Wikipedia. Drag the bar across the timeline to any point in history to view stacks of dots representing events. Click any dot to view the event and then go to the link on Wikipedia, if desired. Use the left sidebar to view specific topics such as music or politics throughout history. Be sure to take some time to explore this site by clicking around to find other options such as "Feeling Lucky" or to expand your view using slider bars at the bottom of the graph.

tag(s): timelines (49)

In the Classroom

Explore different time periods together on an interactive whiteboard or projector. Discover different events included on similar dates to help students understand an overall view of events during any period. Share with students as a resource for finding information and events to include with multimedia projects for any event such as the American Revolution, the Iron Age, or events leading up to World Wars.

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Washington NatureMapping Program - NatureMapping Foundation

Grades
4 to 12
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The Washington NatureMapping Program provides information and programs to support environmental stewardship and the collection of data to inventory and monitor wildlife. Although primarily...more
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The Washington NatureMapping Program provides information and programs to support environmental stewardship and the collection of data to inventory and monitor wildlife. Although primarily geared toward the states of Washington and California, many of the support materials include information of interest for all locations. Choose the Resources link to find educational materials, animal fact sheets, and more. Be sure to check out the Biodiversity Data that includes several modules with information divided into categories such as marine animals, plants, and wildlife.

tag(s): animal homes (56), animals (280), data (147), environment (240)

In the Classroom

If you don't live in a state included in the NatureMapping Program, use this site as a model to begin collecting data on wildlife in your area. You may want to share the video Leapin Lizards! found on the site on your interactive whiteboard or projector to inspire students to do their own field research. Have students create online posters individually or together as a class using a tool such as Web Poster Wizard, reviewed here, or PicLits, reviewed here, to show different animals and habitats in your region.
 This resource requires PDF reader software like Adobe Acrobat.

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Ocenaudio - ocenaudio

Grades
K to 12
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Ocenaudio is easy to use software for editing audio. Download the software to any major operating system such as Windows, Mac, or Linux. Use prompts to navigate the software using ...more
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Ocenaudio is easy to use software for editing audio. Download the software to any major operating system such as Windows, Mac, or Linux. Use prompts to navigate the software using a large variety of audio files. Trim, copy, and paste audio or choose from an assortment of effects. When finished, save the file in the format of your choice. Be sure to see the features link on the site for complete information on the capabilities of the software.

tag(s): editing (92), sound (74)

In the Classroom

Use Ocenaudio in early grades to promote literacy by recording your students and creating an audio portfolio record of their reading. Use this tool with ESL/ELL students to practice fluency and hear themselves speak. Use Ocenaudio to record parents, principals, lunch ladies, librarians, relatives, and bus drivers all telling a favorite class story. During writing time, allow students freedom from the pencil to express their true creative voices. Also, dabble into digital storytelling to create a lesson in adding voice, emotion, and characterization. Record audio interviews at local nursing homes, fire stations, or museums to recollect times such as wars, the Great Depression, Civil Rights Movements, or as a primary source during memorable events. Record world language conversations as a student project. Make music class or the school band a gold recording!

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The Human Eye - Vision Direct

Grades
4 to 12
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Learn how the human eye works using this interactive visual. Roll your cursor over the various parts of the eye diagram to see what its function is and how it ...more
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Learn how the human eye works using this interactive visual. Roll your cursor over the various parts of the eye diagram to see what its function is and how it links to the other parts of the eye. Click the green tab on the left to "Discover How We See." Share this tool by embedding, or by using various social networks.

tag(s): eyes (5), vision (45)

In the Classroom

Share this site on your interactive whiteboard or projector. Compare the parts of the human eye anatomy to other animal eye anatomy. Embed this visual, or put a link to it on your class website. You and your students may also be interested in Seeing, reviewed here, about how we see optical illusions.

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Science Fair Project World - Science Fair Projects

Grades
2 to 8
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Discover hundreds of Science Fair Projects categorized by science discipline and a category for math. Most disciplines have several projects from which to choose. Each experiment has...more
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Discover hundreds of Science Fair Projects categorized by science discipline and a category for math. Most disciplines have several projects from which to choose. Each experiment has Materials Required and Procedures with diagrams/images and complete written instructions. The directions for these hands-on projects are deceptively simple; you will need to think outside the box about what each project might entail.

tag(s): experiments (52), science fairs (19)

In the Classroom

Introduce this tool to students on your interactive whiteboard or projector. Create a link on your class website for students and parents to access at home. Assign a science experiment for students to try at home on a bi-weekly basis; this will help students and parents to be prepared when science fair time comes around. Allow older students to work together in small groups to investigate and complete the experiments. They could physically work together, or do the projects on their own and report the results and findings back to their group. Use a tool such as Simply Circle, reviewed here, to help students keep their group organized and communicating. For younger students use Simply Circle and include their parents to keep them informed about which project is due and when.

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