TeachersFirst Special Topics Collections
Jump-start your work with TeachersFirst's Special Topics collections. Save time and take advantage of these ready-to-go collections that will help you find what you and your students need, just in time for an upcoming unit, a holiday, focused research, student-directed exploration, or projects on a curriculum topic or event. Each Special Topic page is a curated list of resources related to the stated topic. Each collection includes up to 30 resources, providing enough variety to find sites that define the topic.
You can be comfortable sharing the Special Topic links with students or parents, knowing that TeachersFirst has selected and reviewed each resource.
Find classroom and project suggestions within each review, use the collection to find what you need for your lessons. Some teachers assign these lists as the core resources for a broader student assignment. Editor’s Choice collections offer "the best of the best" for topics of particular interest. TeachersFirst also offers collections on professional special topics to help you meet particular teaching challenges.
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Self-Care for Educators - TeachersFirst
Grades
K to 12
View this collection of resources offering nurturing to the nurturers and acknowledging the unique challenges faced by those who dedicate their lives to shaping young minds. In the...more
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View this collection of resources offering nurturing to the nurturers and acknowledging the unique challenges faced by those who dedicate their lives to shaping young minds. In the demanding world of education, where giving is constant and burnout is common, these carefully curated tools and resources are designed to help educators replenish their own wells of resilience and compassion. This collection recognizes that teacher well-being directly impacts student success, from podcasts to meditation to puzzles for brain breaks. Find practical approaches to physical, emotional, and professional self-care that can be seamlessly integrated into even the busiest educator's schedule.
tag(s): social and emotional learning (102)
In the Classroom
Save these sites for when you need more motivation. Find ways to nurture yourself with self-care. Share these resources with your colleagues, perhaps during staff meetings or in-service training.Ancient Roman Empire Resources - TeachersFirst
Grades
K to 12The Roman Empire, one of history's most expansive and enduring civilizations, shaped the course of Western civilization for over a millennium. This curated collection of resources offers...more
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The Roman Empire, one of history's most expansive and enduring civilizations, shaped the course of Western civilization for over a millennium. This curated collection of resources offers a deep dive into the complex tapestry of Roman history and culture. From the mythical founding of Rome to the fall of Constantinople, these materials cover the empire's rise to power, its technological and architectural innovations, its system of law and government, and its lasting impact on language, art, and philosophy. As your class is learning about Ancient Rome and the Roman Empire, share resources from this collection.
In the Classroom
Help your students learn more about ancient Rome. This list includes resources for all grades. Read each resource's Classroom Use section to learn ways to incorporate the information in your lessons.Ancient China Resources - TeachersFirst
Grades
K to 12Treat your students to an eye-opening journey through the foundational eras of Chinese civilization with our extensive collection of resources on the Shang, Zhou, Qin, and Han dynasties....more
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Treat your students to an eye-opening journey through the foundational eras of Chinese civilization with our extensive collection of resources on the Shang, Zhou, Qin, and Han dynasties. This curated list offers a rich tapestry of materials spanning nearly two millennia of China's formative history, from the bronze-working Shang (circa 1600-1046 BCE) to the culturally influential Han (202 BCE-220 CE). Delve into the extensive galleries of art, technology, and archaeological discoveries along the Silk Road. Whether you're a student researching Chinese history or an educator crafting engaging lessons related to the roots of East Asian civilization, this collection provides a window into the political, social, and cultural developments that shaped one of the world's oldest continuous civilizations.
In the Classroom
Share these resources with your students to learn about Ancient China. Share a link to this collection on your school web page and in your school newsletter (or email). Find resources to incorporate into your lessons.Ancient Egypt Resources - TeachersFirst
Grades
K to 12Step into the world of pharaohs, pyramids, and hieroglyphs with our collection of Ancient Egyptian resources. The resources offer a great selection of materials spanning over 3,000...more
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Step into the world of pharaohs, pyramids, and hieroglyphs with our collection of Ancient Egyptian resources. The resources offer a great selection of materials spanning over 3,000 years of one of the world's most enduring and influential civilizations. From the banks of the life-giving Nile to the enigmatic chambers of the Great Pyramids, our diverse array of educational content brings the wonders of Ancient Egypt to life. Explore high-resolution images of intricate tomb paintings and interactive maps tracing the kingdom's expansion and cultural influence. Our collection features resources on daily life in ancient Egyptian society, the complexities of their writing system, and the technological marvels that enabled the construction of their awe-inspiring monuments. Whether your students are embarking on a school project or you are looking for extension activities for your lessons and options for differentiation, these resources provide a gateway to understanding the rich tapestry of Ancient Egyptian history, culture, and lasting legacy.
tag(s): egypt (56)
In the Classroom
Help your students learn more about ancient Egypt. This list includes resources for cooperative learning groups. Read each resource's Classroom Use section to learn ways to incorporate the information in your lessons.Ancient Greece Resources - TeachersFirst
Grades
K to 12Ancient Greece, a civilization that flourished from the 8th to 4th centuries BCE, has left an indelible mark on Western culture. This collection of resources offers a thorough look...more
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Ancient Greece, a civilization that flourished from the 8th to 4th centuries BCE, has left an indelible mark on Western culture. This collection of resources offers a thorough look into the rich tapestry of Greek history, philosophy, art, and daily life. From the epic tales of Homer to the enduring wisdom of Socrates, from the architectural marvels of the Parthenon to the birth of democracy in Athens, these curated materials provide students with a gateway to explore one of the most influential civilizations in human history. Discover many resources to share in your lessons.
In the Classroom
Share these resources with your students to learn about Ancient Greece. Share a link to this collection on your school web page and in your school newsletter (or email). Find resources to incorporate into your lessons.Resources related to Ancient Mesopotamian Civilizations - TeachersFirst
Grades
K to 12Discover a collection of educational materials about ancient Mesopotamian Civilizations and the cultures that flourished between the Tigris and Euphrates rivers, including the Sumerians,...more
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Discover a collection of educational materials about ancient Mesopotamian Civilizations and the cultures that flourished between the Tigris and Euphrates rivers, including the Sumerians, Akkadians, Babylonians, and Assyrians. From interactive timelines that trace the rise and fall of these empires to high-resolution images of archaeological artifacts, our resources bring the ancient world to life. This collection features primary sources and multimedia presentations on daily life in ancient cities like Ur and Nineveh. Share these resources with your students to aid in understanding the foundational civilizations that laid the groundwork for human progress in law, science, literature, and government.
tag(s): mesopotamia (32)
In the Classroom
Help your students learn more about ancient Mesopotamian Civilizations. This list includes resources for cooperative learning groups. Read each resource's Classroom Use section to learn ways to incorporate the information in your lessons.Escape Room Resources - TeachersFirst
Grades
K to 12Looking to add some mystery and excitement to your classroom? Digital escape rooms combine critical thinking, problem-solving, and immersive storytelling into engaging educational experiences....more
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Looking to add some mystery and excitement to your classroom? Digital escape rooms combine critical thinking, problem-solving, and immersive storytelling into engaging educational experiences. We've curated a collection of free tools and resources that make it easy to both play and create digital escape rooms for any subject area or grade level. Whether you're new to educational escape rooms or a seasoned puzzle master, you'll find everything from ready-to-use templates and step-by-step creation guides to inspiring examples that showcase creative ways to transform your curriculum into thrilling digital adventures.
tag(s): digital escapes (15), game based learning (205), mysteries (23)
In the Classroom
Share these tools on your class website or blog for students to use both in and out of the classroom. Use these tools to differentiate and reach all students at the various levels. Challenge your students to create their own escape games to review content or for acceleration options.Reference Materials - TeachersFirst
Grades
K to 12A collection of reference materials is an invaluable asset for students at all educational levels. Reference materials are helpful to all students, especially our multilingual learners....more
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A collection of reference materials is an invaluable asset for students at all educational levels. Reference materials are helpful to all students, especially our multilingual learners. These materials serve as foundational tools for research, fact-checking, and expanding knowledge across various disciplines. Digital reference tools have revolutionized access to information, offering features like full-text search, multimedia content, translation, and other accessibility features. By leveraging these diverse reference materials, students can enhance their research skills, verify information accuracy, and develop a deeper understanding of their subjects, ultimately fostering academic success and lifelong learning habits.
tag(s): Research (87)
In the Classroom
Find new tools to try in your classroom when creating projects. Each review includes ideas for classroom use. Read the details of each tool and find the ones that will make using reference materials easier to manage and engage your students.Simulation Resources - TeachersFirst
Grades
K to 12Educational simulations offer immersive learning experiences that bridge the gap between theory and practice for students across various disciplines. These resources allow students...more
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Educational simulations offer immersive learning experiences that bridge the gap between theory and practice for students across various disciplines. These resources allow students to explore, experiment, and problem-solve in risk-free settings. Science simulations enable virtual lab experiments, while historical simulations transport students to pivotal moments in time, and language simulations create authentic conversational scenarios. By providing immediate feedback and encouraging active learning, simulations help students develop critical thinking skills, improve decision-making abilities, and gain deeper insights into various topics. Simulations offer great differentiation options for students who may need extra support.
tag(s): game based learning (205), simulations (19)
In the Classroom
Find new tools, strategies, and simulation games for your students. Use these tools to differentiate and reach all students at the various levels. Challenge your students to create their own simulations. Share this list on your class website for families to try at home; perfect for a snow day or during the hot days of summer. This list includes resources for elementary and secondary students.Do Now Resources - TeachersFirst
Grades
K to 12View this collection of tools to use for Do Now activities as students enter your classroom. Do Now activities (also called entrance tickets) are essential instructional strategies...more
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View this collection of tools to use for Do Now activities as students enter your classroom. Do Now activities (also called entrance tickets) are essential instructional strategies that help educators kickstart lessons, assess prior knowledge, and engage students from the moment they enter the classroom. These brief, focused tasks set the tone for learning and provide valuable formative assessment data. Resources for Do Now and entrance tickets span a wide range of formats, from simple question prompts to games to interactive digital tools. Many of these resources offer features like randomized question generation, multimedia integration, and real-time data visualization, enabling teachers to gauge class understanding and adjust instruction accordingly quickly. By leveraging these diverse resources, educators can create consistent routines that maximize instructional time, promote student accountability, and provide a smooth transition into the day's main learning objectives.
tag(s): assessment (147), Formative Assessment (74)
In the Classroom
Help your students to show what they know using these engaging resources for quick formative assessment. Share these resources with your colleagues and school parents by emailing the page or sharing the link from your school web page and in your school newsletter.Game-Based Learning for Multilingual Students - TeachersFirst
Grades
K to 12Dive into this dynamic collection of resources designed to revolutionize language acquisition and content mastery for multilingual learners with games! This collection includes educational...more
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Dive into this dynamic collection of resources designed to revolutionize language acquisition and content mastery for multilingual learners with games! This collection includes educational games, interactive simulations, and immersive digital experiences tailored to support multilingual students' academic journey. By leveraging the power of gamification, these resources create a learning environment where language barriers dissolve and understanding flourishes across multiple subjects. Games in this collection include some that are ready-to-go and others that you can design yourself. View all of our resources tagged for multilingual learners.
tag(s): game based learning (205), gamification (83), multilingual (77)
In the Classroom
Find new tools, strategies, and games for your multilingual students. Use these tools to differentiate and reach all students at the various levels. Challenge your students to create their games to review content or for acceleration options. Share this list on your class website for families to use at home. This list includes resources for elementary and secondary students.Media Clips for Student Projects - TeachersFirst
Grades
K to 12This curation offers a variety of resources, such as videos, audio clips, stock images, and project templates across various subjects and disciplines. Whether students are working on...more
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This curation offers a variety of resources, such as videos, audio clips, stock images, and project templates across various subjects and disciplines. Whether students are working on a presentation, multimedia project, or research paper, this extensive collection provides the building blocks you need to bring the ideas to life. From historical footage to scientific visualizations, these resources are intended to inspire creativity, deepen understanding, and elevate the quality of your students' academic work.
tag(s): creating media (14), Research (87)
In the Classroom
Find new tools to try in your classroom to use when creating projects. Each review includes classroom use ideas. Read the details of each tool and find the ones that will make your tasks easier to manage and engage your students.Game-Based Learning for Littles - TeachersFirst
Grades
K to 4This collection combines various educational games, playful simulations, and engaging digital experiences tailored specifically for kindergarten through second-grade students. By harnessing...more
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This collection combines various educational games, playful simulations, and engaging digital experiences tailored specifically for kindergarten through second-grade students. By harnessing children's natural enthusiasm for play, these resources transform early learning into an adventure, making foundational skills in literacy, numeracy, and critical thinking feel like exciting discoveries rather than academic tasks. Games are a great way to level the playing field for students needing extra help. Our collection of game-based resources provides an innovative approach to laying a strong educational foundation to inspire a lifelong love of learning.
tag(s): critical thinking (127), game based learning (205), gamification (83), preK (271)
In the Classroom
Share these tools on your class website or blog for students to use both in and out of the classroom. Use these tools to differentiate and reach all students at the various levels. Challenge your students to create their own games to review content or acceleration options.AI for Lesson Planning - TeachersFirst
Grades
K to 12View this collection of artificial intelligence tools designed to transform the way you create and deliver engaging learning experiences. Harness the power of AI to streamline the lesson...more
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View this collection of artificial intelligence tools designed to transform the way you create and deliver engaging learning experiences. Harness the power of AI to streamline the lesson planning process, offering intelligent assistance in curriculum development, personalized learning pathways, and resource curation. From AI-driven content generators that suggest creative activities to adaptive assessment tools that provide real-time insights into student progress, these resources assist teachers as they craft dynamic, data-informed lessons that cater to diverse learning needs. Some of the tools can also help educators create more diversified lessons with differentiation options (from reading levels to choice boards) and translation into many languages in mere seconds.
tag(s): artificial intelligence (177), differentiation (84)
In the Classroom
Use this collection to save time doing many tasks as you plan your lessons from start to finish. Bookmark this site to find new ways to deliver and differentiate content and lower the time required in planning using the power of AI!AI for Creating Projects - TeachersFirst
Grades
K to 12This collection of artificial intelligence tools is designed to enhance your and your students' project creation process. Use these tools to streamline workflow, boost creativity, and...more
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This collection of artificial intelligence tools is designed to enhance your and your students' project creation process. Use these tools to streamline workflow, boost creativity, and explore new possibilities in projects. From image creators to music makers, these tools can help your students utilize the latest advancements in artificial intelligence. Many of these tools also include translation features, making them suitable for multilingual learners.
tag(s): artificial intelligence (177), creating media (14), Project Based Learning (23)
In the Classroom
AI is ever-changing, and the tools evolve and change every day. Use the tools in this collection to stay informed and learn about new tools that you (and your students) can use to create projects. AI creation tools save you time and can allow you to personalize the projects and differentiate for all needs. Share this collection with colleagues looking for ways to use AI to create projects.Citizen Science Resources - TeachersFirst
Grades
K to 12Citizen science is a quickly growing way for regular people to participate in scientific research. Citizen scientists help move science forward by gathering and sharing data, making...more
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Citizen science is a quickly growing way for regular people to participate in scientific research. Citizen scientists help move science forward by gathering and sharing data, making observations, and teaming up with professional scientists. It also opens the scientific process to more people and helps everyone better understand and appreciate scientific discovery. Citizen science offers students many opportunities to participate in hands-on, real-world science projects. Students can observe wildlife, track weather patterns, and identify celestial bodies. Students learn that science is for everyone, not just scientists, as the students develop critical thinking and observation skills. Skim this collection of resources to learn how students can meaningfully contribute to community citizen science projects and activities.
tag(s): citizen science (27), environment (252)
In the Classroom
Share these resources with your students to learn about many citizen science opportunities. Share a link to this collection on your school web page and in your school newsletter (or email). Find resources to incorporate into your lessons to encourage students to get involved in citizen science activities.Brain Breaks for Students - TeachersFirst
Grades
K to 12Regular brain breaks are a simple but powerful way to boost student focus, engagement, and retention in the classroom. These short periods of physical activity or mental rest re-energize...more
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Regular brain breaks are a simple but powerful way to boost student focus, engagement, and retention in the classroom. These short periods of physical activity or mental rest re-energize young minds when they start feeling tired or restless. Brain breaks improve how students think by increasing blood flow and brain connections. They also provide a much-needed reset when students feel overwhelmed or have checked out of the lesson. This collection highlights brain-break ideas, exercises, and activities that easily fit into lessons. Discover ways to get students moving, laughing, reflecting, and re-centering their attention. Using these resources will create a more active and focused learning environment in your classroom.
In the Classroom
Find new tools to try in your classroom for brain breaks. Each review includes classroom use ideas. Read the details of each tool and find the ones that will work for you and your students.Copyright and Fair Use Resources - TeachersFirst
Grades
1 to 12Understanding copyright is essential for students living in today's digital world. Copyright protects original creative works, allowing the creators to control how their material is...more
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Understanding copyright is essential for students living in today's digital world. Copyright protects original creative works, allowing the creators to control how their material is used and shared. In the classroom, respecting copyright shows students why intellectual property rights and using content ethically matter. By teaching copyright principles, educators prepare students with the necessary knowledge for future courses, careers, and participation in our copyright-respecting world. This collection provided valuable resources for teaching students and staff the basics of copyright. The resources allow for discussions around plagiarism, piracy, and Internet ethics. It includes guidelines on fair use, how to credit sources appropriately, and updated copyright laws and policies.
tag(s): copyright (44)
In the Classroom
Use these resources to model and teach ethical use of electronic media or to find copyright-safe raw materials for student projects. Be sure to share these resources with students for them to access any time they have a project to do.Change Makers - Women in STEM - TeachersFirst
Grades
K to 12From laying the foundations of computer programming to making groundbreaking discoveries in physics and space exploration, women have left an indelible mark across STEM disciplines....more
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From laying the foundations of computer programming to making groundbreaking discoveries in physics and space exploration, women have left an indelible mark across STEM disciplines. Pioneers like Ada Lovelace wrote the first computer algorithm in the 1800s, while others like Marie Curie, the first woman to win a Nobel Prize, advanced our understanding of radiation. Their breakthroughs and tireless pursuit of knowledge have profoundly impacted humanity. Use this curated list of reviewed resources to help your students see the vital role women have had in the past, present, and future in the field of STEM.
tag(s): STEM (297), women (151), womenchangemaker (37)
In the Classroom
Share these resources with your students to learn about many women in STEM who changed the world. Share a link to this collection on your school web page and in your school newsletter (or email). Find resources to incorporate into your lessons to encourage girls to pursue learning paths in STEM and realize their potential.Change Makers - Women for Freedom - TeachersFirst
Grades
K to 12The decades-long battle for women's suffrage and the Civil Rights movement were both pivotal chapters in the broader struggle to extend equal rights to all Americans. Trailblazers like...more
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The decades-long battle for women's suffrage and the Civil Rights movement were both pivotal chapters in the broader struggle to extend equal rights to all Americans. Trailblazers like Susan B. Anthony, Elizabeth Cady Stanton, and Ida B. Wells traveled tirelessly, enduring harassment and jail to demand the ballot for women. Countless women played indispensable roles in fueling and sustaining the Civil Rights movement of the 1950s and 1960s. Through her unshakable advocacy of nonviolent resistance, Diane Nash helped desegregate lunch counters and public spaces across the South. Share these true change-makers with your students through this collection of reviewed resources.
tag(s): civil rights (209), women (151), womenchangemaker (37), womens suffrage (52)