Teachers First - Thinking Teachers Teaching Thinkers

Use this farm-themed multiplication interactive to practice skills. Choose a fact family. The scenario and directions are not only printed but spoken as well (audio can be turned off on the main screen). Click on the farm animal that has the correct answer as they move across the screen. Note that this site is popular and can take a while to load during high-traffic times of the school day (11 am to 2 pm Eastern U.S. time).

tag(s): multiples (19), multiplication (122)

Calculate the carbon produced by heating the home you live in, the car that you drive, and your use of air travel. Though originally created for a few southeastern states, choosing a state and entering in your electric information and answering questions can provide an approximate carbon footprint. Additionally, you can choose the electric average as well. Choose the tabs at the top for more information about the problem of climate change and the use of carbon offsets. Please note that the opportunity to pay for carbon offsets with Duke Energy appears at the end of the carbon footprint calculation.
This site includes advertising.

tag(s): climate change (33), environment (230)

The Origami Club makes the art of folding paper child's play. The animated video tutorials and printable directions take the guesswork out of making origami. There is a wide variety of directions for creating animals, creatures, food, holiday gifts, and accessories. The site also includes printable origami paper, links to other origami sites and new designs each month. There are some minor advertisements at this site.

The History Channel provides an interesting summary of the various legends of Valentine's Day from several cultures throughout the world. The information provided dates back to before the Middle Ages and touches upon the ideas of some pagan traditions as well as Roman and Christian theories. This site includes many related articles and videos. NOTE: There are also very factual videos about "the science of love," "kissing," etc. so middle level teachers may want to be sure their students are not too silly/immature to catch sight of these television specials. There are some minor advertisements at this site.

tag(s): valentines day (9)

Discover a new way to present information. Discovery box uses an image of a divided box to place items, pictures, text, links, audio, and video into its sections for display. The "box" looks like a divided crate, containing eight six-sided "cubes" in each of three "layers." Each cube can be a different aspect of the main topic. The concept is based upon the work of Thomas Clarkson, an 18th century British abolitionist, who carried with him a collection of artifacts in order to demonstrate his beliefs to his listeners. See the sample "Thomas Clarkson's Box."

The tool is user-friendly, using drag and drop and visual cues to guide you through the process. Developed for use by teachers from the Eastern Britain region, the Discovery Box tool -- and products created and published by teachers and students using it-- can be seen anywhere on the web. E2BN has created Discovery Box for education, so it does not have the safety and security risks of a general public web tool. Only teachers from the E2BN service area can set up school accounts and "connect" student accounts to a teacher's account. If you are from E2BN's area, your students can submit their work to you for review before publication all within the site's tools, and you can comment back to them confidentially. Teachers using this system have complete approval-control before publication.

Important note: ONLY students from eligible schools can "publish." Classes anywhere can see the published products being shared on the site. Students from anywhere can establish account to create and PREVIEW Discovery boxes of their own. If you create work from a non-E2BN school, the only way for people to see it is to log in and "preview." If you give out the log-in information, you will risk having others change or delete your work, so share it in person on a projector if this is a concern.

No registration is required to use as long as you use stock images. Click on "Case Studies" along the top to view successful school use. View boxes that have been saved by clicking on "Discovery Boxes." View the Teachers Resources for guides, and articles on using Discovery Box to support curriculum and copyright issues.

Standards for the UK are included in the teacher area. There is also a reminder that this tool places images, etc. on the web, so copyright is a concern. Under Fair Use, U.S. educators cannot share copyrighted materials on a generally available web site. As long as you keep the box unpublished, however, you are limiting distribution and are within Fair Use. Be sure to require students to provide the source of any image, sound, etc. as part of the cube. This tool is identical to Museum Box (reviewed here).

tag(s): movies (50), news (130)

Veteran teachers know that a multi-media approach is often the best way to introduce information to students. Museum Box is a tool for collecting, organizing, and sharing digital artifacts such as images, sounds, videos, links, and files around a common theme or topic. The "box" looks like a divided crate, containing eight six-sided "cubes" in each of three "layers." Each cube can be a different aspect of the main topic. The concept is based upon the work of Thomas Clarkson, an 18th century British abolitionist, who carried with him a collection of artifacts in order to demonstrate his beliefs to his listeners. See the sample "Thomas Clarkson's Box."

The tool is user-friendly, using drag and drop and visual cues to guide you through the process. Developed for use by teachers from the Eastern Britain region, the Museum Box tool -- and products created and published by teachers and students using it-- can be seen anywhere on the web. E2BN has created Museum Box for education, so it does not have the safety and security risks of a general public web tool. Only teachers from the E2BN service area can set up school accounts and "connect" student accounts to a teacher's account. If you are from E2BN's area, your students can submit their work to you for review before publication all within the site's tools, and you can comment back to them confidentially. Teachers using this system have complete approval-control before publication.

Important note: ONLY students from eligible schools can "publish." Classes anywhere can see the published products being shared on the site. Students from anywhere can establish account to create and PREVIEW museum boxes of their own. If you create work from a non-E2BN school, the only way for people to see it is to log in and "preview." If you give out the log-in information, you will risk having others change or delete your work, so share it in person on a projector if this is a concern.

Standards for the UK are included in the teacher area. There is also a reminder that this tool places images, etc. on the web, so copyright is a concern. Under Fair Use, U.S. educators cannot share copyrighted materials on a generally-available web site. As long as you keep the box unpublished, however, you are limiting distribution and are within Fair Use. Be sure to require students to provide the source of any image, sound, etc. as part of the cube. This tool is identical to Discovery Box (reviewed here).

tag(s): museums (30)

Students are always fascinated by the mysteries of the past, and wondering how those in ancient history managed feats of construction that would be difficult even today. Perhaps nothing sparks student interest more than the phrase, "no one knows". This site seeks to explore several "mysterious places" in the world--places whose origins or purposes are lost to antiquity. In addition, the sponsors of the site hope to raise money to ensure these monuments are not endangered in the future. Currently, the featured locations include Easter Island, Stonehenge, the dwellings of the Tellem people of Mali, West Africa, and the Mayan cities of Mexico (still under construction). Each section contains stunning photography, and a variety of resources on the history and mystery of the site. A section entitled "educator link" promises lesson plans and other teachers' resources, but is not finished. The site offers great potential, some of which has already been realized. It's worth checking out now, and perhaps in the future when more of its resources are up and running. This site requires Flash. You can get it from the TeachersFirst Toolbox page.

tag(s): africa (169), easter (16), mayans (7), mysteries (19)

This highly creative website offers e-cards and interactive games and activities created by Miles Cooley. He created 120 e-cards and activities for Yahoo between the ages of eleven and fifteen. Key pals (pen pals) will appreciate this free e-card site for musical, lively cards. Not only will you find an assortment of cards, but click on the games link for simple interactive word searches and various other puzzles. Games and cards abound, representing all of life's holidays and special events. Games and activities include "Pumpkin Patch Match," "Dress the Turkey," "Make Your Own Easter Egg," and many others. Preview the activities ahead of time for age appropriateness. Some activities are geared towards younger students while other activities are more appropriate for teenagers. Many of the activities require Flash. You can get it from the TeachersFirst Toolbox page.

tag(s): holidays (103), puzzles (146)

This wonderful site has an extensive list of free video clips about various mathematical and economics topics. Topics include investing, budgeting, credit, averaging, coordinates, home ownership, international currency, everyday math for parents, and many other topics. Users can open them with Windows Media or Real Player (the listings tell which one is needed). Get them from the TeachersFirst Toolbox page.. This site MUST have a high speed connection! It can be slow to load during "peak" times (11 a.m. to 2 pm Eastern time in the U.S.). Be patient while clips download, even on a peppy network. While the videos are downloading, you may not think anything is happening. TURN OFF your pop-up blocker (including the ones built into the Google and Yahoo toolbars) so you can see the video pop-up windows.

tag(s): coordinates (18), money (137)

This wonderful site has an extensive list of free video clips of favorite children's books, author interviews, and author documentaries. Users can open them with Windows Media or Real Player (the listings tell which one is needed). Some clips offer both options. Get the plug ins from the TeachersFirst Toolbox page..This site MUST have a high speed connection! It can be slow to load during "peak" times (11 a.m. to 2 pm Eastern time in the U.S.). Be patient while clips download, even on a peppy network. While the videos are downloading, you may not think anything is happening. TURN OFF your pop-up blocker (including the ones built into the Google and Yahoo toolbars) so you can see the video pop-up windows.

tag(s): interviews (13)

If you teach The Good Earth or any other book/story by Pearl Buck, you will find this website a good one for students to explore. An intriguing woman, Buck has several places in the eastern United States that are dedicated to her-- one of which is her birthplace in Hillsboro, West Virginia. The links at the bottom of the page take you around the site easily. (You might want to turn off the music that plays on each page by going to the music control at the bottom of the page and clicking the off button!) The site includes a short biographical sketch as well as many pictures and links to other sites with pictures. Students seem very curious about Buck, and this website has a little bit of everything about her. It is not an in-depth site, but rather an overview, which gives most students all they want to know. For those students who want more, the links will take them further onto the web to investigate more information about the author and her personal life.

tag(s): earth (175)

This informative and resourceful website provides information about numerous holidays collected into six different calendar pages. The pages are created by Woodlands Junior School, a British school well known for their online interactive activities, many created by students and teachers together! Although this website was created for use in the United Kingdom, it provides a great deal of knowledge about holidays celebrated in many countries throughout the world. Be aware that there are some links within these pages that do not seem to work, but most do. The content seems to be updated in time for new calendar years, at least on some of the calendars. Some of the specific topics include New Years, Valentine's Day, St. Patrick's Day, Easter, Christmas, and other holidays. Use this website to help your students gain a better understanding of numerous holidays in other cultures. This website provides information about the history of holidays, how the holidays are celebrated and much more.

tag(s): calendars (17), christmas (53), easter (16), holidays (103), st patricks day (15), valentines day (9)

This site has it all - creative music, interactive activities, printable worksheets and other educational fun! Specific activities include jokes, riddles, tongue twisters, clock and time activities, trivia, Easter customs, games, interactive language arts games and puzzles, printable worksheets, mazes, coloring fun and more! Be aware: this site does have some minor advertising.

tag(s): easter (16), holidays (103)

Although this site is not aesthetically pleasing, they do a wonderful job providing a wealth of information on Easter. There are numerous crafts, songs, science lessons, math lessons, games, drama fun, and more! Activities are divided into several sections: Art, Easter Songs, Games, Science, & Math, Group Time Games, and Dramatic Play. This site is a must-have in any classroom of young children. Be aware: this site does includes some advertisements.

tag(s): easter (16), preK (99)

This site provides a great deal of Easter activities. There is information on dying Easter eggs, coloring pages, crafts, online games, recipes, puzzles and more. They also offer numerous educational worksheets including math, writing and other challenging pages.

tag(s): easter (16), eggs (6)

This site provides interactive, fun and educational online games. Activities include matching, riddles, reading fun, and more. Some activities require FLASH. You can get it from the TeachersFirst Toolbox page.

tag(s): easter (16)

This website provides interactive games (mazes, word searches and more), plus reproducible worksheets, crafts, clipart, and other forms of Easter fun! Check out the yearly "Hunt" published about 4-weeks prior to Easter. There is a lot of "good stuff" here for elementary students.

tag(s): easter (16)

If you are looking for some Easter fun in your classroom, look no further than this website. There are crafts, activities and recipes. Word searches are provided in English, Spanish and French. Educational activities include alphabet recognition, matching, addition and more. Be aware: this site has some rather large advertisements than can be very distracting.

tag(s): easter (16)

Ancient mysteries can be a sure-fire way to get students excited about history. The gigantic statues on Easter Island are one of those mysteries. This site, associated with a NOVA episode, provides a lot of engaging information about the statues. There are shockwave-enabled exercises that challenge students to try and virtually move one of the statues, to compare the weight of the statues with other ancient monoliths, and an interactive map of the island. Understanding the amazing skills and abilities of these "primitive" people can give students insight into the development of technology over time. This site requires Shockwave. You can get it from the TeachersFirst Toolbox page.

tag(s): easter (16)

This site features art and cultural information of native Americans, focusing especially on the Eastern Woodlands region. There is information on , Birds & Feathers, Clay & Pottery, Leather & Clothes, Metalwork, Plants & Trees, Porcupine Quills, Stonework & Tools, and Weaving & Cordage. Some of the text passages may be a bit lengthy, but there are also interactive ways for students to get a "hands on" feel, such as with the beadwork interactive game. The sections under Special Features are certain to make the culture come alive for elementary and middle school students.