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Evaluation Station - Houghton Mifflin
Grades
5 to 10
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Welcome to Houghton Mifflin's Evaluation Station - an interactive specific, motivating means for students to proofread and revise their written work before submitting it. Here is how...more
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Welcome to Houghton Mifflin's Evaluation Station - an interactive specific, motivating means for students to proofread and revise their written work before submitting it. Here is how it works: students view their written drafts of essays, stories, narratives, research reports, and other assignments while simultaneously clicking on and answering a series of questions. For example: Did you connect your ideas with transition words or phrases? When students are not sure of the answer to any of the questions, they click the "I'm Not Sure" button which guides them through with suggestions and examples. For a new way to motivate revision, try this site.
tag(s): assessment (105), essays (21), narrative (23), writing (364)
In the Classroom
How many times have you provided students with directions for writing an outstanding essay, story, or report, and how many times have you provided them with advice to use a writing process approach that includes a checklist for proofreading and revising? Too often they either do not know how to revise, or they simply choose to skip that step. Project this website on your interactive whiteboard or projector to focus on how to write an outstanding piece, whether it is to compare/contrast, to describe, to explain, or another type of written assignment. Have student partners ask each other the questions as they revise together in a writing conference. This site is especially useful when preparing for the writing portion of high stakes assessments. You will find this site helpful before, during, after, or as a review of the writing expectations. Share the link on your class web page for students to apply the revising tips to their own drafts. They'll have no more excuses for handing in an assignment that doesn't have a strong introduction, body paragraphs with specific supporting evidence, and a conclusion that restates the main idea and leaves the reader with something meaningful.
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Whichbook.net - Opening the Book Ltd.
Grades
7 to 12
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Whichbook is an intuitive way to find books that match students' interests, topic choices, and other elements and serves as a welcome replacement for the traditional way of...more
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Whichbook is an intuitive way to find books that match students' interests, topic choices, and other elements and serves as a welcome replacement for the traditional way of searching the stacks and card catalogs in the library or browsing in bookstores or on the web. Whichbook starts with the individual reader and what they are looking for. It enables students to input criteria that is not limited to the typical title, author, genre search, but includes characteristics such as funny/sad, easy/demanding, and short/long to find books that they consider to be a "good read." Whichbook finds titles that match your preferences. There are millions of possibilities so if you don't like any of the books offered, change your choices and try again! Public libraries have played a key role in creating the database. It is important to note that all of the books are either fiction or poetry, available in paperback, and published since 1995.
tag(s): independent reading (129)
In the Classroom
Trying to motivate reluctant readers to pick up a book or to require independent reading is not always an easy task. Make the task more glamorous by providing your students the link to Whichbook. Demonstrate the site and invite students to try it on your whiteboard to witness the fun they will have discovering books they want and need. Then, provide a direct link on your class web page or wiki to make it easily available. Technology has built-in appeal; therefore, the idea of using it as a method to choose a book offers an imaginative way for promoting reading. As always, while in the classroom or computer lab, caution should be taken to oversee students' use of the website as it is possible to type in characteristics that may not be appropriate for the grade level. As an extension or book report alternative, challenge students to make their own simple graphics categorizing books they have read using the same system, determining where they would fall on each of the different scales. Have them explain why they would label the book that way. Share the student-made graphics and explanations on your class wiki.
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Edge World Question Center - Edge Foundation, Inc.
Grades
11 to 12
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Serious thinkers who love deep questions and concepts can read responses from the world's great thinkers and philosophers to the question, "What scientific concept would improve everybody's...more
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Serious thinkers who love deep questions and concepts can read responses from the world's great thinkers and philosophers to the question, "What scientific concept would improve everybody's cognitive toolkit?" Both vocabulary and concepts discussed here are very sophisticated, so this is not a site to visit casually. Turn up the neurons to read and reread responses from world thought leaders. Ideally, you will want to have a small group of interested thinkers to figure out, argue, and openly ponder the concepts offered. If you enjoy thinking about thinking, philosophy of science, or pondering the impact of today's technology explosion, this site will give you the opportunity to stop and think -- for a long time. Questions and answers from other years are available by clicking on the header logo for the World Question Center. The 2010 question was "How is the Internet changing the way you think?"
In the Classroom
This site is best suited for gifted/highly able senior high students or for teachers seeking an open-ended question to toss into discussion in an AP level class. This is definitely NOT a site to offer for students to explore on their own. Focus on one response and use it repeatedly as an angle to get students thinking. For a longer term approach, keep one of these questions or answers posted in your classroom or on your class web page to constantly prompt students into deeper thinking beyond the simple memorization and application of concepts. One great example to post, use as a writing prompt, or challenge students to use as a central theme for a multimedia presentation: Howard Gardner's suggestion that we ask ourselves,""How Would You Disprove Your Viewpoint?!"Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Google Earth - Tech hints - Louise Maine
Grades
K to 12
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For educators looking for some great links and help with Google Earth (as well as other Google products.) Even though this site was developed for a training in-service, find some ...more
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For educators looking for some great links and help with Google Earth (as well as other Google products.) Even though this site was developed for a training in-service, find some great screenshots, tutorials, and links to great Google Earth examples. Be sure to check out the navigation list on the left for tutorials of other Google products and technology hints. For more information on Google Earth, find our review here. Also, find more support at Google Earth in the Classroom.
tag(s): earth (231), landforms (46), landmarks (27), maps (293)
In the Classroom
Use this resource to learn about and become acquainted with Google Earth. Google Earth is a free application download.Find some great resources and project ideas on this technology hints site. Be sure to check the Google Earth review here for other great ideas. Take your students around the world using the fabulous tool. Create narrated tours for students (or have students create their own). The possibilities are immense with Google Earth.
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Cliff Notes Math Study Guide - Wiley Publishing
Grades
7 to 12
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Understand basic math and algebra, as well as advanced math topics like calculus and statistics. These free CliffsNotes articles can help when you're doing math homework and taking...more
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Understand basic math and algebra, as well as advanced math topics like calculus and statistics. These free CliffsNotes articles can help when you're doing math homework and taking math tests. Articles begin with Algebra 1 and basic math skills and continue through Statistics and Trigonometry. Each article gives a written overview of the topic along with diagrams and charts. Each also contains a link on how to cite the article. Resources also include glossaries for Pre-Agebra, Geometry, and Statistics. Although the site is set up as a supplement to the familiar Cliff Notes books available as study guides, these materials are free and useful as resources in the math classroom. This site does include some unobtrusive advertisements.
tag(s): statistics (124)
In the Classroom
Share this site on your interactive whiteboard or projector as a supplement to resources used in the classroom for learning basic math skills. Use this site in English class as a lesson for citing internet articles. Share the site on your classroom website or blog for students to use as a resource when working at home. Have student groups make an online Stixy (reviewed here) of things they discover about math concepts and later rearrange the items to "explain" their topic to classmates visually.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Knoword - Trevor Blades
Grades
5 to 12
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This site provides a good way to practice vocabulary words. Knoword is a vocabulary game that requires you to think quickly on your feet. You will be given one randomly ...more
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This site provides a good way to practice vocabulary words. Knoword is a vocabulary game that requires you to think quickly on your feet. You will be given one randomly generated dictionary definition along with the first letter of its corresponding word. The object of the game is to fill in the rest of the word. The faster you guess the word the more points and time you'll receive. Don't know the word? Just hit the skip button and a new definition will appear. You can create an account if you want to save your scores. Creating an account does require an email address. Note that you can change which English spellings used (U.S. or Canada/Britain) by clicking the small flag at top right. The speed and variety of words builds general verbal accuity and flexible thinking along with specific vocabulary.
tag(s): test prep (96), vocabulary (325)
In the Classroom
Introduce this site on your interactive whiteboard or projector. Then have students explore this site independently or in small groups. Put this on classroom computers or on a whiteboard at the side of the classroom for students to use as a center. This game would be great for students preparing to take SATs. Another activity is to have a team competition. Divide your class into three or four groups and give each group a laptop. Have them work together to see how many words they can type. Before you begin be sure that you change the language to English US because it defaults to English Canada/Britain. Have a team tournament for high scores throughout the year. Gifted students -- even very young ones-- will love this challenge.Tip: rather than using your personal or work email, create a free Gmail account to use for memberships (if you decide to register). If you plan to have students register individually, you may want to create your own Gmail account with up to 20 subaccounts for each group of students (by code name or number) within your classes. Here is a blog post that tells how to set up GMail subaccounts to use for any online membership service.
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Motivator - Big Huge Labs
Grades
K to 12
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Create your own motivational posters easily and simply. Choose a random picture (one from Flickr or Facebook) or use one already on your computer. Choose colors and other options as...more
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Create your own motivational posters easily and simply. Choose a random picture (one from Flickr or Facebook) or use one already on your computer. Choose colors and other options as well as the type of text to be used. Enter your text and preview the result. Once complete, save to Flickr, your computer, or print. Remember you can use a saved image in PowerPoint shows and on a class wiki, as well as blogs and other sites.
This site includes advertising.
This site includes advertising.
tag(s): collages (17), images (273), photography (162), posters (38)
In the Classroom
Make sure students are aware of copyright laws. Use this site to encourage proper use of photographs that students have the authorization to use. Model including appropriate photo credits on the posters. Check out the Big Huge Labs educator account. Easily pre-register students to avoid creating logins, view and download their creations, and view the site advertisement free. You will find information about the Educator Account here.Younger students can use this tool together as a whole-class activity or simply enjoy the posters their teacher creates. Have students create a picture about a unit topic with a caption using new terms learned. For example, create posters about predators and prey or classifications of animals. Students can create a poster of a study skill or learning activity that helps them learn. Create a caption that explains how the student learns the best. Every subject area can use this resource to create interesting presentation posters for display or as springboards to talk about what was learned. For example, in Biology, students could create a poster about a cell part with a clever caption about the importance of the job. In Literature or History, students can create posters about the perspectives of others in the story or at that time of history. Rather than a traditional research project, have cooperative learning groups use this site to show their knowledge in any subject area. Ask students to apply concepts such as constitutional rights by illustrating them in poster images with captions. Teachers can create bulletin board images, as well. Have a classroom motivation poster competition to start off the school year! Share the winners on your class wiki or in a PowerPoint presentation at back to school night/open house. As special occasions approach, have students bring in or take a digital picture they can make into a poster as a family gift with their own inspirational saying. Create a portfolio of 6 word stories, utilizing a powerful picture and 6 words to demonstrate the concept that was learned. Assign students the task of placing their project on a blog with a larger explanation of their understanding of the concept used in the picture.
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JFK 50 - John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum
Grades
7 to 12
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This web site honors the legacy of President John F. Kennedy in recognition of the fifty years that have passed since his inauguration on January 20, 1961, when he first ...more
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This web site honors the legacy of President John F. Kennedy in recognition of the fifty years that have passed since his inauguration on January 20, 1961, when he first captured the hearts of Americans and memorialized a moment in history with his words, "Ask not what this country can do for you, but what you can do for your country." JFK50 is filled with cutting-edge multimedia that inspires and invites students to explore the themes of public service, civil rights, leadership, and more to discover how relevant they remain to social and political issues today.
tag(s): kennedy (27), presidents (132)
In the Classroom
Use this website as your online destination for teaching, researching, and starting a conversation about the primary people, changes, speeches, and events of the John F. Kennedy era. Do not miss the links at the upper left corner of the home page for the Legacy Gallery, Downloads and Resources, and "History Now" which provides an interactive timeline that links today's date to details of what transpired during JFK's presidency. Highlight the ideals articulated fifty years ago to serve as a springboard for today's students to become actively involved in public service by projecting the authentic broadcast reports, videos, newspaper accounts, and other media on your classroom whiteboard or projector. Team up with colleagues in other departments to engage in interdisciplinary learning projects. You may want to have students collaborate to put a new spin on a research report. Challenge them to create a newspaper article about the domestic affairs, foreign policies and diplomacy, the arts, or any of the other extensive topics found on JFK50 by using the Newspaper Clipping Generator. Polish it off by having students create magazine covers that reflect the content of their articles, essays, or reports by using Magazine Cover Maker reviewed here.
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DK's Clip Art - Dorling Kindersley Limited
Grades
K to 12
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DK's free clip art can be used any way you choose - for school projects or just for fun! There are over fifty categories of downloadable photos and they are ...more
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DK's free clip art can be used any way you choose - for school projects or just for fun! There are over fifty categories of downloadable photos and they are not just your ordinary categories we are all familiar with. There are some really unique options such as Castles, Ancient Rome, Crystals and Gems, and many more. The photos are beautiful and you will love all of the choices. One especially handy tool is a search by school subject. There is also a tool to create a project right on the site. Note that the site requires that you give appropriate credit for the images. Watch the video to learn how to make simple projects using the images.
In the Classroom
Use this refreshing, extensive collection of clip art anytime you need an image to project on your whiteboard or to include in an assignment or presentation. Click on any category to reveal numerous photos. Click on the individual picture to see the full image, which you may download to your PC or Mac, label, and print. Directions are simple to follow. Be sure to bookmark this site in your Favorites and provide a link to it on your class web page to make it easily accessible to students. When doing research projects, have students use this site to narrate pictures on their topic using a site such as Thinglink, reviewed here.
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Wedoist - Wedoist
Grades
4 to 12
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Wedoist is an easy, free project manager. Do you have groups working on projects? Do they need to plan out their work and who will do what? Your students need ...more
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Wedoist is an easy, free project manager. Do you have groups working on projects? Do they need to plan out their work and who will do what? Your students need to know about time management skills. Wedoist will help you teach them. At Wedoist you'll find a simple, free task manager. It has a built in calendar and you can create sub-projects and sub-tasks easily. The free account is for groups of three or less. Be aware: this site is still operating, however support staff is no longer available.
tag(s): classroom management (148), organizational skills (128), time (141)
In the Classroom
When older students sign up for an account, be sure to tell them to use their code or acronym instead of their real name. For younger students you can create an account and as many groups as you need. Invite students to the group they will be working with. Older students can sign up for the program and create their own project and invite their group members. Have the students agree on tasks and who will complete them and post it on Wedoist. Use this site to help students organize for individual or collaborative research projects. Take the "time" to actually teach about time management skills, one of the most sought-after skills listed by today's employers.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Einztein - Einztein
Grades
8 to 12
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Einztein serves as a universal campus from which online learners can easily explore free online courses delivered by any combination of text, audio, video, and other media. Most are...more
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Einztein serves as a universal campus from which online learners can easily explore free online courses delivered by any combination of text, audio, video, and other media. Most are higher education level, but there are also a few listings for middle and high school course levels. Einztein serves as a searchable catalog of curated courses offered by providers as diverse as Stanford University and The British Museum. To find a course, enter a term in the search box and click "search" - or browse the selection of subjects. You can also filter your search results by course provider, subject, and media type. Finally, try clicking some of the related subject tags that you see to further refine your search. Your search results will consist of course suggestions. You can browse the course descriptions, check out which courses received a good rating, and link out for a closer look. Each course link includes labels to show documents, video, or audio that may be included. Registration isn't necessary; however, the site is undergoing beta testing for a new social learning network and registration is required to be included in those tools.
tag(s): chinese (50), climate (92), genetics (95), psychology (64)
In the Classroom
This site is perfect for gifted learners or academic enrichment based on individual interests. Students can choose a course to enroll in, then present information in the form of a multimedia report. Challenge students (independently or collaboratively) to create an online book using a site such as Mixbook (reviewed here.
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Internet Shakespeare - Michael Best and Roberta Livingstone-University of Victoria
Grades
7 to 12
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This Web site is an online library of The Internet Shakespeare Editions and more, with a goal to inspire a love of Shakespeare's works in a world-wide audience. Here you ...more
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This Web site is an online library of The Internet Shakespeare Editions and more, with a goal to inspire a love of Shakespeare's works in a world-wide audience. Here you will find high standard multimedia materials, including thousands of searchable pages devoted to the politics, society, and history of Shakespeare's world. There are biographical details of his life, as well as one of the Web's largest collections of online texts of his plays, poems, and related resources.
Be aware: at the time of this review, a few of the links were no longer active. What remains is quite worthwhile, however.
Be aware: at the time of this review, a few of the links were no longer active. What remains is quite worthwhile, however.
tag(s): elizabethan (16), england (58), plays (36), shakespeare (133), sonnets (6)
In the Classroom
Be sure to bookmark this website in your favorites for your study of Shakespeare. Post a link to it on your class page to give students access to the literary works at home. Not only will they be able to have an entire copy of Shakespeare's works on hand, they will also be able to click on links for summaries, analysis, and assistance with nearly everything they will need to know about his life and writing. This is a great resource for you and your students to refer to for review, research projects, or just for reading the text, both in and out of your classroom. Are you looking for more Shakespeare sources and ideas? Save yourself plenty of time by visting TeachersFirst Shakespeare Resources reviewed here, where you will find almost everything you are looking for within this rich collection of valuable materials.
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Google Treks - Dr. Alice Christie
Grades
K to 12
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GoogleTreks allows teachers and students to synthesize information in one easy-to-use Google Map that places text, pictures, audio files, video files, and much more in one central location....more
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GoogleTreks allows teachers and students to synthesize information in one easy-to-use Google Map that places text, pictures, audio files, video files, and much more in one central location. This site offers possibilities for exploration in all subject areas for all grades. The site is organized by both subject and grade-level tasks. Currently there are only a few examples to follow; however, they offer a variety of material and ideas for creating your own Google Trek or for students to create their own. After choosing a pre-made GoogleTrek, you are directed to a Google Map with different tasks and links.
There is an excellent tutorial for creating your own GoogleTrek that includes step-by-step directions with pictures. After creating a GoogleTrek, it can be posted to the site for others to use. Also included is a rubric that can be downloaded in pdf form. More information on Google Maps can be found at the TeachersFirst review. You can also view the maps in Google Earth. To learn more about Google Earth, see the TeachersFirst review (here).
There is an excellent tutorial for creating your own GoogleTrek that includes step-by-step directions with pictures. After creating a GoogleTrek, it can be posted to the site for others to use. Also included is a rubric that can be downloaded in pdf form. More information on Google Maps can be found at the TeachersFirst review. You can also view the maps in Google Earth. To learn more about Google Earth, see the TeachersFirst review (here).
tag(s): maps (293)
In the Classroom
Introduce this site on your interactive whiteboard or projector. Then have students explore independently or in small groups. Older students can create their own GoogleTrek after viewing examples for any subject. To post the GoogleTrek, you must email the creator (directions are explicitly explained on the "Posting Your Own GoogleTrek" link. Have students create GoogleTrek's about Christmas Around the World, routes of explorers, famous landmarks, and important inventions. While presenting a GoogleTrek, have students identify points displayed on paper maps located at their seats.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Psykopaint - Mathieu
Grades
3 to 12
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Turn a photograph into a painting without all the mess. Psykopaint is an on-line painting program that is easy to use. You do not need to be artistic to transform ...more
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Turn a photograph into a painting without all the mess. Psykopaint is an on-line painting program that is easy to use. You do not need to be artistic to transform a personal or stock photo into artwork reminiscent of impressionism, cubism, or tile mosaics. Adjust any image's color intensity, value, and hue. There are also transparency layers and effects that are fun to play with. When a masterpiece is complete, simply save it to the desktop and it is available for a wide range of uses. Users may submit work to the Psykopaint gallery through a Facebook account, but no Facebook account is needed for creating and saving an image. There is also a blank canvas: a free form drawing option that does not require photography. This site may or may not be fully accessible inside your school filtering. You will want to check all portions that you plan to use in class.
tag(s): images (273), multimedia (63), painting (66), photography (162)
In the Classroom
Users need to know how to select and upload a photograph from a computer. Be sure to take advantage of the helpful on-line tutorials. Enjoy spending some time experimenting with the site before introducing it to your class. The on-line gallery takes submissions and lets users view artwork. This is only accessible with a Facebook account. Many schools block Facebook entirely, so check first. Facebook accounts DO require a valid email address. One option is to register for a class Facebook account using a free class gmail account. It is essential that permissible use and consequences are set before introducing the site. Get parent permission before posting any student work on the sharing site. Downloading drawings allows "local control." Without a Facebook account it is possible to view the work of others but not, comment, rate and submit artwork. Preview artwork in the user's gallery before having your class accesses it. Students will also need to know how to cite the original source of a photograph. Psykopaint is a wonderful alternative to hand drawn pictures. Students can liven up reports, stories, websites, and podcasts with manipulated photographs. Model how to use this site on your projector or interactive whiteboard and then give students at least one full class session to experiment. Create your own set of pictures in advance and limit students to the class set so they do not search and find pictures inappropriate for the classroom. Have students take photographs of historic landmarks or important buildings in their town and then use Psykopaint to transform them into illustrations. Help students use these images to create an online, multimedia, town history infographic using Piktochart, reviewed here. Consider scanning or photographing student artwork and then use this site to edit their creation. Let students photograph themselves acting out scenes for a story they wrote then transform them into painterly illustrations. Have students create a multimedia presentation using Thinglink, reviewed here. This site allows users to narrate a picture. The artwork students can create on this site will spice up any published projects.Edge Features:
Parent permission advised before posting student work created using this tool
Includes Interaction w general public/ public galleries with unmoderated content
Includes social features, such as "friends," comments, ratings by others
Requires registration/log-in (WITH email)
Products can be embedded
Products can be shared by URL
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Interactive Folio-Romeo and Juliet - Daniel Fischlin-Canadian Adaptations of Shakespeare Project
Grades
9 to 12
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Read and explore Shakespeare's complete script of Romeo and Julieton your computer screen with this interactive, media rich edition. Take the mystery out of Elizabethan/Shakespearean...more
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Read and explore Shakespeare's complete script of Romeo and Julieton your computer screen with this interactive, media rich edition. Take the mystery out of Elizabethan/Shakespearean English by greatly enhancing students' understanding and enjoyment of the tragedy of two "star-crossed lovers" of Verona by simply clicking on underlined words and phrases for multiple interpretations of the vocabulary in context, including images, video, and audio. You can even have entire pages (or the entire story) read aloud as an audio book. What a brilliant way to increase reading comprehension. Also, enter the Resource section to find a synopsis of the plot, character descriptions, and other critical facts about the play.
tag(s): elizabethan (16), romeo and juliet (6), shakespeare (133)
In the Classroom
Students could work independently or in pairs on a set of class computers while having everything right at their fingertips for reading, visualizing, and fully understanding the dialogue, stage directions, plot, and setting of Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet. Provide a direct link to the Interactive Folio on your class web page or wiki for students to complete independent reading assignments. Project this site on your interactive whiteboard or projector for a whole class look at specific lines; everything is organized and easily navigated and retrieved by act, scene, or page number. After students' initial reading, use the Resource section, as a study guide and teaching tool. Create a class wiki for students to use to discuss various acts or scenes. To learn more about wikis, check out the TeachersFirst's Wiki Walk-Through.
This resource requires Adobe Flash and PDF reader software like Adobe Acrobat.
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ImageBase - davidniblack.com
Grades
K to 12
4 Favorites
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Find copyright-safe, creative commons attribution, public domain images to use in the classroom and in projects. Be sure to credit the photographer David Niblack when using the photos....more
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Find copyright-safe, creative commons attribution, public domain images to use in the classroom and in projects. Be sure to credit the photographer David Niblack when using the photos. Click on an album such as "People," "Objects," or "Nature." Click on each picture to bring up a larger image. Right click (or ctrl click on a Mac) to save the image to your computer. Change easily to a larger full size image. Note that ads do appear along the side of this resource. Search photo tags using the search function of the site.
tag(s): images (273), photography (162)
In the Classroom
ImageBase provides a great place for students to find pictures that can be used to communicate information. Find pictures about a particular topic. Keep this site as a reference on your class web page for any time students are creating wikis, blogs, or electronic projects where they need images. Create collages, projects, and more with these high quality pictures. Use images as blog prompts or illustrations in student projects. Have your students create an online "scrapbook" using Smilebox, reviewed here. Find images of locations you are studying in world cultures or geography class. Find images to use in student online projects using Bookemon, reviewed here, or UtellStory, reviewed here.
This resource requires Adobe Flash.
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Wolfram Alpha - Wolfram Alpha LLC
Grades
6 to 12
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Looking for a great search tool for quantitative information? Use Wolfram Alpha to find responses in a whole new way. Use the power of Wolfram Alpha to get to the ...more
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Looking for a great search tool for quantitative information? Use Wolfram Alpha to find responses in a whole new way. Use the power of Wolfram Alpha to get to the heart of computational and mathematical data with corresponding information and explanations. You must be exact in the wording of your query since Wolfram Alpha may not know what to do with your request. Wolfram alpha is peer reviewed vs. user generated and should be considered a valuable resource. To better understand this entirely different approach, watch the "Take the Tour" video available by clicking on "About." Browse the examples to notice the subtleties. To see the vast differences between Wolfram Alpha and Google using Goofram, reviewed here.
tag(s): resources (112), search engines (64)
In the Classroom
Experiment together with your students to understand how Wolfphram Alpha works. For example, type in two cities (such as New York and Melbourne Australia.) Results from the search can include: distance between in various units, flight path on a map of the world, time to travel (as a person, light beam, or sound wave), portion of circumference of the Earth, population, elevation, and time zones. Use this site to not only get numerical answers but the computations behind them. Compare this to Google which provides great search results, but sends you mostly to another site for the math. Use Wolfram Alpha to uncover and connect a vast amount of factual scientific, mathematical, socio-economic, biographical, cultural, and linguistic data. View National Mortality Rates and follow these numbers down to view chances at specific heights and weights. Use to examine DNA sequences, various biochemical reactions and equations, and investigate particle physics. Wolfram Alpha can handle tough advanced math problems, not only providing the answer but walking step by step through the solution. Practice different queries for students to learn how to be more exact in searching. Be sure to compare Wolfram Alpha and Google side by side to determine the advantages for each.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Exploratree - Futurelab
Grades
4 to 12
4 Favorites
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Exploratree is a free online library of thinking guides where you can choose a graphic organizer/mind map and fill it in. Or, you can create your own thinking guide. There ...more
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Exploratree is a free online library of thinking guides where you can choose a graphic organizer/mind map and fill it in. Or, you can create your own thinking guide. There are many highly interactive features: printing, emailing, and collaborating with others in real time. The home page has several videos that show you how to use the features of the site, and it has many ideas for how to use Exploratree in your classroom.
tag(s): brain (71), brainstorming (25), graphic organizers (43)
In the Classroom
Play with the tools and toolbars to create a mind map; use toolbars to collaborate, publish, or print diagrams. Creating the organizers is of easy to medium difficulty depending upon how elaborate your organizer is. You and your students must be registered and logged in to share, or comment on each other's thinking guide. Note: to use the collaboration feature, collaborators need individual email accounts to gain access. You can also export the mind maps in pdf format, text, or as an image (gif).Make sure your students use a code name or number when registering. Be sure to save their names/numbers, for when they "forget."
Have students create graphic organizers in cooperative groups as a study guide for unit content, to collect information for a group research project, or show examples of an important concept. In science classes, have groups generate visual illustrations of processes such as photosynthesis. In literature, generate story maps or diagram the relationships between characters. In social studies, illustrate different factors that lead to a war or economic meltdown. Share and compare the organizers on an interactive whiteboard or projector in class and allow classmates to suggest changes. Use student-made organizers as an informal formative assessment part way through any unit.
Edge Features:
Parent permission advised before posting student work created using this tool
Includes social features, such as "friends," comments, ratings by others
Requires registration/log-in (WITH email)
Products can be embedded
Products can be shared by URL
Multiple users can collaborate on the same project
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Homestyler - Autodesk
Grades
5 to 12
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Homestyler is a free online interior design planner. Users choose a layout plan, add details such as doors, windows, and furnishings, and then decide on color schemes for interior decorating....more
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Homestyler is a free online interior design planner. Users choose a layout plan, add details such as doors, windows, and furnishings, and then decide on color schemes for interior decorating. Designs are viewable in both a 2D and 3D format. This is a free online program that requires no downloading. Registration does require an email address. This site may or may not be fully accessible inside your school filtering. Check to make sure all portions of this site are available when using your school's network. Homestyler does have a retail component that suggests certain name brands for appliances, and building supplies but the 3D designing capability outshines this form of advertising.
tag(s): architecture (85), area (68), design (82), volume (44)
In the Classroom
Users click and drag design components onto the main layout page. The free draw tool is a bit trickier to control but is similar to drawing tools in other programs. The perimeter measurement scrolls alongside the line you are drawing. The interface for such a complicated concept is intuitive. Students will need explicit instructions on how to operate this program.Use an interactive whiteboard or projector to share the tutorial presentation and demonstrate how to use the design tools. Divide students into cooperative learning groups to explore the site. Consider this resource to help math students visualize how to compute the surface area of three-dimensional shapes and understand how area and volume change with scale. Social Studies and History teachers can ask students to re-create the interior of an early American home, Greek Temple or even their own classroom. With guidance, this could be a wonderful tool to help younger students understand interior mapping skills. Classrooms focusing on "real-world learning" may find this a valuable resource tool to help students create design plans for an alternative environment.
Edge Features:
Includes Interaction w general public/ public galleries with unmoderated content
Includes social features, such as "friends," comments, ratings by others
Requires registration/log-in (WITH email)
Products can be shared by URL
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Just Free Books - justfreebooks.info
Grades
2 to 12
3 Favorites
0 Comments
This site is an aggregator for most of the known digital libraries including Gutenberg, Google Books, Wikibooks, and archive.org. Entering search terms like "children's books," for...more
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This site is an aggregator for most of the known digital libraries including Gutenberg, Google Books, Wikibooks, and archive.org. Entering search terms like "children's books," for example, leads to a list of links that offer free online reads. Other features include books in other formats including those that upload to many different players including PDF, TXT, MS Reader, MS Word and ODT, RTF, Palm Reader eBooks, Html, Epub, Kindle, Mobipocket, Isilo, Audio books, Plucker, and more. Besides searching in "only English," you can also select Spanish, French, and/or Portuguese to search for books in those languages. In addition to the digital collection, there are also featured, donated books.
tag(s): literature (276)
In the Classroom
Offer this site to students who wish to use digital devices to read. Keep in mind that many of the selections are older, in the public domain due to the expiration of copyright. ESL and SPED students may benefit from being able to hear or see books in a different way. Use these texts as language to analyze or manipulate on your interactive whiteboard to teach reading comprehension skills, parts of speech, transition words, vocabulary study, and writing style. Allow students to copy/paste text into the whiteboard software so they can "work with words" from literary works instead of worksheets.
This resource requires PDF reader software like Adobe Acrobat.
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