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Stories Behind the Songs; Introduction - Jonathan Chase
Grades
8 to 12
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This site is part of the Musicians United for Songs in the Classroom, (M.U.S.I.C.), nonprofit website that promotes the educational use of songs by teachers in all subject areas. Here,...more
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This site is part of the Musicians United for Songs in the Classroom, (M.U.S.I.C.), nonprofit website that promotes the educational use of songs by teachers in all subject areas. Here, the use and study of songs extends beyond traditional general music classrooms. Lyrics are a timeless expression of the human experience that captures the history that shapes our people and culture. The creative process of analyzing and interpreting song lyrics helps students to develop critical thinking and media literacy skills. In each song entry you will find information including artists' commentary, discussion of corresponding songs, referenced and related works for study and comparison, music and lyric resources, and samples of classroom activities. Song lyrics are a powerful teaching tool that engage, excite and motivate young people. Some songs only include lyrics, while others include video an/or audio. All students can learn, but first you must get their attention. This resource is music to their ears.
In the Classroom
Many students' favorite past time, when not texting or social networking, is listening to their iPods. Why not use that venue to hook them into understanding the 'music of poetry?" Stories Behind the Songs; Introduction includes the music, lyrics, song-based lessons, projects, and activities for many popular songs and ballads that express universal themes of poverty, hunger, discrimination, and hope. Students listen to the music and examine the origins and inspiration for contemporary lyrics. Popular songs can be used in a classroom setting to facilitate meaningful discussions on a particular theme or topic. Songs also create an emotional hook and may be used as a springboard to introduce poetry, literature, and historic documents. Students enter the Song Guide by clicking on the song's title to enjoy the full authentic cultural experience the music and lyrics offer. Follow up with asking students to write poems or short essays describing their feelings and impressions of the lyrics, or have them create new poetic verses and images to accompany the music. Challenge students to narrate an image using a tool such as ThingLink, reviewed here.
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Listening and Reading Comprehension - Childtopia
Grades
1 to 5
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This site offers a variety of children's stories that children can listen to while they watch scenes or graphics corresponding to the story. Besides the stories, there are both listening...more
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This site offers a variety of children's stories that children can listen to while they watch scenes or graphics corresponding to the story. Besides the stories, there are both listening and reading comprehension sections for each story. Both the audio and the text are available. As the story is being read, the words are highlighted on the page. Also available is the full screen option for the story. The reading comprehension questions use both aural and text format and also use an interesting illustration to capture the reader/listener's attention. Stories and all activities are also available in Spanish, Catalan, French, and other languages. There are some advertisements on the side. Select the full screen option to avoid them.
In the Classroom
Have students try out this site on individual computers, with head phones, or let them listen in pairs. Before they go to the questions, ask them to list the questions the site might ask them after they have seen the model of one story. Share this link on your class web page, wiki, and/or in a parent newsletter. Share the site with special language teachers at the elementary level.
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Big Count - Mark Robinson
Grades
K to 3
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The Big Count is a simple program that demonstrates numbers created when counting by 1's, 2's, 5's and 10's. Simply choose which one you prefer, click on that number and ...more
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The Big Count is a simple program that demonstrates numbers created when counting by 1's, 2's, 5's and 10's. Simply choose which one you prefer, click on that number and off you go! Although the concept is simple - the possibilities are endless when you use the pause, forward and backwards buttons at the bottom of the screen. Note: Ambleside's interactives are very popular and can be slow to load at certain times of the day.
tag(s): multiplication (222), number sense (98), patterns (88)
In the Classroom
Use on the interactive whiteboard to practice counting multiples of 1, 2,5 and 10. Start the program, then pause at a location and have students find how many times you have counted by the factor to get to the stopping point. Have students turn away from the board and move up a few numbers and have students determine how many numbers you skipped. For very beginning number recognition, have students name the numbers they see when counting by 1s. You could also name numbers in a new language to develop fluency.
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The Oldest Living Things on the Planet - NPR
Grades
6 to 12
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This clever site uses a time line and photographs to show living things that are older than any of us can imagine. It includes plant and animal species. For example, ...more
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This clever site uses a time line and photographs to show living things that are older than any of us can imagine. It includes plant and animal species. For example, it shows a slide of the Great Basin Bristlecone, a pine tree in California that is more than 4,000 years old! But there is an even older object for readers to start with. The site contains a link to an NPR broadcast, "Hunting For The Oldest Living Things In The World."
In the Classroom
Because of the few words, this is a great site for ESL and/or ELL students in your classes. All viewers will be able to read the dates and learn the names of the oldest objects on earth. Use this site when demonstrating how to make an interactive time line. To show what they have learned from this site, challenge students to create a different type of online graphic to share using Tabblo reviewed here
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Vocabulary Videos and Flashcards for SAT, ACT, and GRE Prep - The VocabAhead Team
Grades
8 to 12
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This online tool features videos and flashcards with definitions and loads of examples of over 1100 words that frequently appear on the SAT, ACT, and GRE. Make it fun and ...more
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This online tool features videos and flashcards with definitions and loads of examples of over 1100 words that frequently appear on the SAT, ACT, and GRE. Make it fun and interactive to learn new words by bringing a fresh perspective to vocabulary instruction and study. Sometimes the mere mention of vocabulary is enough for students to turn a deaf ear, yet the VocabAhead site can put a whole new spin on it.
Teachers and students can access the study room where you can view the videos, flashcards, wordlists, complete multiple-choice quizzes, or join the free membership to create your own wordlists where students may study assigned words and make their own videos, or to regularly receive emails for the word-of-the day video.
You may do nearly everything without registering; however, joining the free membership provides plenty of extra perks. You can create your own personalized lists and focus only on words you need to work on. It does require an email address, so check your school's technology policy before allowing students to join. Create a free Gmail account to use for memberships. 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.
tag(s): vocabulary (325)
In the Classroom
Change the way students learn and study vocabulary by giving it to them the way they want it with interactive videos, flashcards, and self assessment quizzes. Demonstrate with the whole class on the interactive whiteboard or projector and use it that way periodically whenever you have a few teachable moments to fill. Embed it on your class web page for students to access frequently. You may do all of this without registering; however, joining the free membership provides plenty of extra perks. Challenge students to create some of their own vocabulary interactives using a site to narrate a photo, such as ThingLink, reviewed here.
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Story Maker - British Council
Grades
2 to 4
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Students can write their own stories online. First they select the genre (fairy, horror, sci fi) and then select characters to be in the story, places, favorite animals, colors, etc....more
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Students can write their own stories online. First they select the genre (fairy, horror, sci fi) and then select characters to be in the story, places, favorite animals, colors, etc. The story maker then creates the short story. Students can read it there or select the printing option. At the end of the story, you can click to create another story, A dictionary is available on site. This might be useful for ESL and ELL students.
In the Classroom
This activity would work well for individual or pairs of students in a lab or on laptops. Be sure to help your weaker readers and ESL/ELL students by sharing the vocabulary words (names of animals, pets, etc.) prior to using, either on a handout or by projecting on an interactive whiteboard and highlighting them in the text as you come to them. Teach parts of speech as students recognize how the story maker "plugs in" their word choices to create the stories mad-lib style. Share the printables with parents at open house or conferences. Have students record their stories on a podcast and share the podcasts using a site such as PodOmatic (reviewed here). Teach parts of speech as students recognize how the story maker "plugs in" their word choices to create the stories mad-lib style.
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Head Magnet
Grades
3 to 12
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HeadMagnet is a new twist on flashcards. You can create flashcards for any subject that you wish or use cards already available on the site. Once the cards are made, ...more
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HeadMagnet is a new twist on flashcards. You can create flashcards for any subject that you wish or use cards already available on the site. Once the cards are made, there are different study modes to choose - slide show, self-test and normal (type in responses). Study sessions can even be timed. After completing the study session HeadMagnet predicts which items will need more study time, enabling you to spend more time on material that hasn't been learned yet. Study lists can be shared with others, and you can search for already created materials. After completion of a study session, you can access statistics that show your overall memory of the material. You need to register to create your own materials but all items are free. Registration requires and email address. Tip: rather than using your personal or work email, create a free Gmail account to use for memberships. 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.
tag(s): flash cards (47)
In the Classroom
Create flashcards for any subject to review material being learned in class. Use this as a review for vocabulary before tests. As a pre-assessment, create a study list to use on the interactive whiteboard or projector to find out what students already know. Provide this link on your class website for students to use to create flashcards both in and out of your classroom. Learning support teachers may want to show students how to create their own cards. The process of creating the will actually reinforce skills, as well.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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School Library Journal Classroom author visits - Kate Messner
Grades
4 to 12
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Wow! The online School Library Journal has a lot more than book reviews. Can't afford to pay for an author visit? This article has a list of authors who will ...more
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Wow! The online School Library Journal has a lot more than book reviews. Can't afford to pay for an author visit? This article has a list of authors who will skype online with your class for free! The authors write for middle school students (grades 8-12) and teens. The article also has suggestions for what to do before the author "visit" and suggestions for during the author "visit."
In the Classroom
Plan a visit to the library, or have parents check out many of the books by the listed authors you've contacted, and bring them to your classroom. Have students look through the books and decide on one or two they want to read for a literature circle. You can form random groups by pulling popsicle sticks with student names on them out of a jar, and the students then name the book they would like to read. Once four people are reading a book that group is closed, and students will need to choose their alternate. The whole class can enjoy the visit of each author and possibly find even more books they want to read. You may want to skype or e-mail the author ahead of time to ask if students can contact the author more than once about their questions about the book. Maybe they can e-mail the author with preliminary questions. Have students or cooperative learning groups create multimedia presentations about the book that they read together. Have groups compare two of the characters from the stories using a site such as Interactive Two Circle Venn Diagram (reviewed here).
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ABC Fast Phonics - Carol Moore
Grades
K to 2
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This site makes phonics lessons accessible and interesting. This is a great site for ESL and ELL students who may have started learning English in another country using a phonics ...more
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This site makes phonics lessons accessible and interesting. This is a great site for ESL and ELL students who may have started learning English in another country using a phonics based approach. Students learn the names of simple letters, their sounds, blends, and simple words while enjoying the pictures and doing it themselves. Audio is also provided as you click on words and/or speaker icons. Although the principles of phonics are explained on the site, non-readers can simply scroll down to the accompanying pictures and try the various examples and "practice sets." This site is also useful for ESL and ELL students stumped by the seeming non-existence of English pronunciation rules. All primary grade level classrooms would benefit from using this site. Sample topics include long and short vowels, vowel rules, letter blends, common words, letter position, and many others.
tag(s): phonics (71)
In the Classroom
Share this site with teachers struggling with ELL/ESL or speech/language students who are having pronunciation difficulties. New teachers unschooled in phonics may also find this site beneficial. Use this site with your young students to create a learning center (don't forget the headsets).Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Story Jumper - storyjumper.com
Grades
2 to 8
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Story Jumper helps you write and illustrate stories in just seven steps-- then share them online. Begin by selecting a story format and accompanying graphic. Manipulate the text and...more
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Story Jumper helps you write and illustrate stories in just seven steps-- then share them online. Begin by selecting a story format and accompanying graphic. Manipulate the text and add other items to the picture that forms with each addition to the story. You also change the background and upload photos. Add original drawings, as well. When finished with a particular scene, go on to the next page by clicking the arrow. In order to save and share stories online, writers must complete a free registration. Although there is an option to buy the finished story in print format, this is not necessary to use the site. There is a complete guide for the teacher-friendly Classroom Edition offering detailed directions for setting up class accounts, etc.
tag(s): writing (367)
In the Classroom
Although the sentences and graphics available appear juvenile, the fact that writers can delete the text and add their own original text, photos, and drawings makes this site flexible enough to use with older students, as well. This activity would work well for individual or pairs of students in a lab or on laptops. Ask your students to visit the site and create an online book with their original writings, drawings, and photos. ESL and ELL students will be able to use the site easily, and will learn appropriate sentence structure and add to their vocabulary by selecting new items to put into the graphic. Older students can also create "little buddy" books for younger students to read and share.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Bombay TV - grapheine.com
Grades
7 to 12
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Grab your student's attention by creating subtitles over old video clips from Bombay. Using humor, teachers can demonstrate how to punctuate dialog and how body language and intonation...more
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Grab your student's attention by creating subtitles over old video clips from Bombay. Using humor, teachers can demonstrate how to punctuate dialog and how body language and intonation enhance communication. There are several movie clips from which to choose. The subtitles can appear as text, or be turned into speech. It is also possible to record your own voiceover. Their second site, Bombay TV 2, lets the viewer drag and drop scenes to create their own unique video sequence. All videos are published on-line and come with an embed code and web address. Teachers and students can share videos by embedding them on websites, by email, or social bookmarks.
tag(s): creative writing (170), india (37), writing (367)
In the Classroom
This site is useful for drama, creative writing, psychology, or even character education and school counseling. Behavior support teachers may also want to use it to help students "read" body language. Introduce this site on your interactive whiteboard or projector. Explore how people communicate emotion in verbal and non-verbal ways. It is also possible to write subtitles in different languages. Foreign language instructors may want to ask students to write subtitles in the language students are studying. Teachers may find this a humorous way to make class announcements, explain concepts, or even announce homework assignments. Have students work collaboratively to create commercials and share them using a tool such as SchoolTube reviewed here. Preview the site before hand and be sure to get permission from your school administrator to share commercials online. When presenting the site do so with cultural sensitivity. Take into consideration that the language used in the movie clips may be the first language of some students or their families.
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Old Man and the Sea - Alexander Petrov
Grades
6 to 12
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The Old Man and the Sea, written by Ernest Hemingway, is one of the cornerstones of the literary canon. This beautifully illustrated animated film version enhances students'...more
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The Old Man and the Sea, written by Ernest Hemingway, is one of the cornerstones of the literary canon. This beautifully illustrated animated film version enhances students' comprehension at all skill levels and helps teachers introduce students to the rich and varied elements of this classic story. The aesthetically pleasing presentation of Hemingway's vivid imagery serves to present the story in an enjoyable and memorable fashion. Additionally, Turkish subtitles are included in a closed captioning option, which can easily be turned on and off by clicking on the CC button located directly below the video.
This site has all the bells and whistles that Google presents in a user-friendly format. Google Videos are ready for full screen view on a projector or interactive whiteboard and are readily available for download, by simply clicking the "Download" button. The strength of this film being a Google-video is the ease and quality of viewing. The play page has a large video player and caters to all of you multi-taskers who want to keep the current video playing, while you also click on the "Related Videos" links to help you discover and search results for more related films. The Grid View Rollover Function sustains uninterrupted viewing while allowing you to move your mouse over multiple thumbnails of the video. Another feature is the ability to jump directly into the video at the point where captions of interest appear, which is extremely handy during class discussions and to review or reference a particular snippet. You can also choose to sign up for a free Google Account which will allow you to browse and play videos directly from the home page.
This site has all the bells and whistles that Google presents in a user-friendly format. Google Videos are ready for full screen view on a projector or interactive whiteboard and are readily available for download, by simply clicking the "Download" button. The strength of this film being a Google-video is the ease and quality of viewing. The play page has a large video player and caters to all of you multi-taskers who want to keep the current video playing, while you also click on the "Related Videos" links to help you discover and search results for more related films. The Grid View Rollover Function sustains uninterrupted viewing while allowing you to move your mouse over multiple thumbnails of the video. Another feature is the ability to jump directly into the video at the point where captions of interest appear, which is extremely handy during class discussions and to review or reference a particular snippet. You can also choose to sign up for a free Google Account which will allow you to browse and play videos directly from the home page.
tag(s): literature (275)
In the Classroom
This resource may be used in several different ways, depending upon the teacher's needs and goals. Although no curriculum packet or guide is provided, this site is a good resource to enhance the study of The Old Man in the Sea, as well as to meet the needs of the Turkish speaking population. This animated film adapted version can serve as a starting point to acquaint students with Hemingway's well-known literary work and introduce imagery and other significant literary elements. It can also be used as an extension activity that lends itself to oral and written expression, or as a supplementary aid to understanding the text. The subtitles are valuable for bilingual-Turkish speaking, ELL, and ESL students. Use your imagination to spark interesting discussions about the passages that might be difficult to understand in the text, develop a compare-contrast learning activity by using an online tool such as Interactive Two Circle Venn Diagram (reviewed here), study the literary elements of the story, or interpret the artistic value.
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Lexipedia (Beta) - Vantage Linguistics
Grades
2 to 12
1 Favorites
0 Comments
Lexipedia is "Where Words Have Meaning." Type in a word and see what happens! This site creates a web of related words. Each color represents a different part of speech ...more
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Lexipedia is "Where Words Have Meaning." Type in a word and see what happens! This site creates a web of related words. Each color represents a different part of speech or relationship to the original word - nouns, verbs, synonyms, antonyms and even fuzzynyms! Words become more than isolated strings of letters and part of a greater web of language.
tag(s): antonyms (26), dictionaries (57), mean (25), synonyms (38), vocabulary (325), vocabulary development (125)
In the Classroom
Explore this site on interactive whiteboard or projector to show students how to improve writing with descriptive words. Consider allowing students to share a favorite word of the day for 30 seconds on your interactive whiteboard at the start of class. Use this in a word study unit by covering up the original word.Students will then try to discover the word based on the word relationships found around the word. Build understanding of parts of speech through this tool every time you look up a word. Reinforce these concepts for visual learners continuously by using the same colors every time you highlight on your interactive whiteboard. World language teachers can also type in words to demonstrate and expand vocabulary in Spanish, French, German, Dutch, and Italian. Special ed teachers, especially those in speech/language will love this tool to help students SEE relationships between words. Encourage your language-delayed students to look up words and build "word sense" even when they are familiar with the word's meaning. Make this site available as a reference on classroom computers and on your class web page.
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Interactive Maps in Flash - Enrique Alonso
Grades
3 to 12
1 Favorites
0 Comments
Interactive Maps in Flash: Educational Games in Flash for Learning Geography is exactly what the title states. What the title doesn't state is that there are three different...more
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Interactive Maps in Flash: Educational Games in Flash for Learning Geography is exactly what the title states. What the title doesn't state is that there are three different levels of activities, a "Puzzle"(like a jigsaw) where beginners can match shapes to learn where countries are located, another is titled "What's in a Name" where you select the country or capital where the dot is on the map from a pull down list, and last "Where is?" a country or capital name is put up by the program and you have to click on it on the map. This activity can be viewed in several different languages.
This is a very comprehensive map program. Do you want your students to learn continents, major water bodies? Do they need to learn countries and their states or provinces? No, problem. They are all represented here.
This is a very comprehensive map program. Do you want your students to learn continents, major water bodies? Do they need to learn countries and their states or provinces? No, problem. They are all represented here.
In the Classroom
One idea is to have students compete against each other as partners when they finish early with their work, or you can include this as one station that students rotate through. Another idea is to split the class in half and make the competition somewhat like a jeopardy game, allowing student teams to select which level (or category) they want for different points. Everyone gets a review when this is posted via your classroom projector or interactive whiteboard. List this link on your class website for students to use for practice at home (before the big test).
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Bestsellers - Shmoop Editors
Grades
4 to 12
1 Favorites
0 Comments
Bestsellers is a credible, academic resource that utilizes innovative internet based features that appeal to today's youth culture, discussing best selling literature. Do you...more
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Bestsellers is a credible, academic resource that utilizes innovative internet based features that appeal to today's youth culture, discussing best selling literature. Do you want to assign a book whose title will grab your students' attention just by the mere mention of it, like the books found on Oprah's Picks and other most read lists? Have you steered away from those books because of the lack of teaching resources, such as study guides and questions? Bestsellers, part of the larger Shmoop site written by Ph.D. and Masters students at Stanford, Harvard, UC Berkeley (and other top universities), does all of that and more. Students and teachers can access lively learning guides organized by summaries, themes, quotes, study questions, character analysis, and links to best of the web options. The pages are written in a clever, witty voice designed to appeal to students and teachers, not at all like the familiar style found in most book synopsis and reviews, and all the information is properly cited. The only complaint you might have is the limited number of books to choose from, but don't worry; books are continually being added, so check back often. Since books for both younger and older audiences share this site, you may want to preview what your students can find for other age groups.
"Bestsellers" is free to use. Additionally, there is an option to create a free account which allows the advantage of using the tools like the online dictionary, "Stickies," and sharing on social networks. Creating an account requires an email address. 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. 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.
"Bestsellers" is free to use. Additionally, there is an option to create a free account which allows the advantage of using the tools like the online dictionary, "Stickies," and sharing on social networks. Creating an account requires an email address. 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. 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.
tag(s): book reports (37), literature (275), novels (23)
In the Classroom
Are you looking for a way to motivate your reluctant readers to pick up a book, or do you have some book hungry students who sneak to read their own book while you are teaching a lesson? The "Bestsellers" site provides a wealth of internet-based material for navigating the twists and turns of the plots and characters in books like Harry Potter and the Twilight series. The online learning guides have a table of contents that gives a quick view of what is included in each tab, which enables you to quickly find what you want without opening each section. This site provides more information than the standard textbook teacher's edition, and provides brilliant connections between some of the literary classics. There are photos, videos, and links galore. You might want to include a link to this site on your class web page, or if you prefer to control the amount of information that you want students to have before actually reading the book, then bookmark it in your favorites and dole out the information at your discretion.If looking for a different instructional method, share one of the slide shows on a projector or interactive whiteboard as you introduce a unit or allow students to use portions of the slide shows as part of their own presentations on a specific author or book on the bestsellers list.
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Shake, Rattle, and Slide - University of Illinois Extension
Grades
3 to 9
3 Favorites
0 Comments
This interactive site focuses on showing and telling students about volcanoes, earthquakes, and glaciers. The text information is also available as audio; many fun activities reinforce...more
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This interactive site focuses on showing and telling students about volcanoes, earthquakes, and glaciers. The text information is also available as audio; many fun activities reinforce the information given on the introductory sites. Because of the dual presentation (oral and written), the site is easy for ESL/ELL students to use as well. One especially interesting activity involves showing students the history of the geologic earth and asks them to imagine squeezing all the earth's history into one day.
tag(s): earth (231), earthquakes (50), glaciers (16), plate tectonics (25), volcanoes (65), weather (198)
In the Classroom
Use this site as an anticipatory set or "activator" to introduce a unit or lesson on geology and/or natural disasters on a projector or interactive whiteboard. When a disaster is in the news, use this site as the starting point for individual or group projects in response to their curiosity about the news event. Have ESL/ELL students use this to introduce other students to some possible disasters that occur in their parts of the world. Another option would be to divide students into cooperative learning groups to explore the site. Have them create presentations on different parts of the information found in the site and its activities. Use the information they find as a jumping off place for doing further research on areas that interest them.To show what they have learned from this site, challenge students to create an online graphic to share using Tabblo reviewed here
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Memorize.com - Memorize.com
Grades
1 to 12
1 Favorites
0 Comments
Sometimes you just need to memorize certain facts and Memorize.com provides the easy to use resources to get the job done. The format of this site is simple and easily ...more
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Sometimes you just need to memorize certain facts and Memorize.com provides the easy to use resources to get the job done. The format of this site is simple and easily accessible to all. Choose pre-made flash cards or create your own. If you choose to create your own, you can create an account or let the system create one for you. Options to switch between flashcard, multiple choice, and matching formats are provided. Diagrams and explanatory text can also be included with your choices.
tag(s): flash cards (47)
In the Classroom
Join the site or let them create an account for you -- but be sure you remember that username, etc. so you can access it again! (email required). Read through the various options or use their "wizards" to create materials.Create materials for review and practice with basic information, terms, and more. Students can collect and save rows or information they missed to aid with their learning. Ask your students to create their own flashcards or memory set to review before a test or quiz. Have students make practice materials for each other, as well. Learning support teachers will find their students enjoy reviewing more if they are creating something themselves, and the process of MAKING the cards is actually a review in itself.
Share this link on your website for parents to review with their student. This format is very flexible and can be used to create materials for everything from math to Social Studies.
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Taj Mahal Virtual Tour - Virtual Travel
Grades
6 to 12
0 Favorites
0 Comments
Ready for a little get-away? Take the virtual tour of the Taj Mahal! Created by the Arm Chair Travel Co., and described by the New York Times as "Thrilling, Sumptuous, ...more
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Ready for a little get-away? Take the virtual tour of the Taj Mahal! Created by the Arm Chair Travel Co., and described by the New York Times as "Thrilling, Sumptuous, Exotic, ... with astonishing detail" this site is a very thorough trip through the beautiful Taj Mahal and its grounds. This site is so extensive and the visuals so gorgeous, it has to be seen to be believed. For example, click on the top of the Mausoleum to see a panoramic view of the city, or click on an interior view for a 360? inspection of The Cenotaphs.
This site has "Downloadable Assets for Schools," and can be toured in English, French, Japanese, Hindi, or the Indian Native Language. There is inline text for the hearing impaired. The Taj Mahal tour includes 360? panoramas, videos, narration, maps, music, text, and visits to areas that are off-limits to the public. Ancillary materials can be found at the bottom of the first page, and at the bottom of the tour page. A few of the titles are: Arches of the Taj Mahal, Calligrapy and Inscriptions, Islamic architecture, and The History of the Taj Mahal.
This site has "Downloadable Assets for Schools," and can be toured in English, French, Japanese, Hindi, or the Indian Native Language. There is inline text for the hearing impaired. The Taj Mahal tour includes 360? panoramas, videos, narration, maps, music, text, and visits to areas that are off-limits to the public. Ancillary materials can be found at the bottom of the first page, and at the bottom of the tour page. A few of the titles are: Arches of the Taj Mahal, Calligrapy and Inscriptions, Islamic architecture, and The History of the Taj Mahal.
tag(s): india (37)
In the Classroom
Make world cultures or the study of India a visual experience using this site. Some English language learners can listen in their native language, and then listen and read in English summarizing the information they learned in English.Views of the Taj Mahal can be projected and navigated on an interactive whiteboard or projector. Before viewing, student groups can come up with impressions and questions about what they are going to see and annotate the images with the interactive feature of the whiteboard. Challenge small groups to focus on one area of the Taj Mahal and report to rest of the class. Using the interactive whiteboard students can simultaneously navigate the Taj Mahal tour and one of the ancillary sites. Older students can annotate the two views using an online tool such as Fine Tuna, reviewed here.
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Dr Grammar - University of Northern Iowa (James HiDuke and Tom Peterson)
Grades
4 to 12
2 Favorites
0 Comments
Dr. Grammar Rx provides writers of various abilities with guidance on grammar, formatting, word origin and much more. Although this site is rather "plain vanilla" it is very useful....more
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Dr. Grammar Rx provides writers of various abilities with guidance on grammar, formatting, word origin and much more. Although this site is rather "plain vanilla" it is very useful. This extremely large writing resource details common writing errors and links to other sites for topics like style, formatting, ESL/ELL issues, etc...
tag(s): grammar (214), plagiarism (36), punctuation (43), verbs (41)
In the Classroom
Have students struggling with citations? Clauses, commas, capitalization posing problems? Send them to Dr. Grammar! Teachers can refer to Dr. Grammar using a projector or interactive whiteboard for in class use and demonstration or can encourage independent student use during composition. Have pairs of students research a specific area of this site and create an electronic "poster" or word graphic using tools such as Piclits (reviewed here) or Typogenerator (reviewed here). This is also a great addition to a teacher website, wiki, or blog for students to use both in and out of class. Be sure to save this site on your computer's favorites.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Visual Thesaurus Vocab Grabber - Thinkmap,Inc.
Grades
3 to 12
2 Favorites
0 Comments
The Visual Thesaurus VocabGrabber is a captivating interactive resource which can be used from elementary school to the college level for improving vocabulary in the context of your...more
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The Visual Thesaurus VocabGrabber is a captivating interactive resource which can be used from elementary school to the college level for improving vocabulary in the context of your selected content. The on line VocabGrabber tool quickly extracts vocabulary from a text within seconds to help teachers and students generate a list of the key vocabulary and see how those words are used in context. Additionally, by clicking on a word, the part of speech is revealed and students can listen to the correct pronunciation. The format is easy to use: simply copy text from any document or online source, (such as passages of literature found on the Gutenberg Project free website), paste the copied text into the box, and click the Grab Vocabulary button! In just seconds, an interactive concept map of vocabulary words and phrases appears. Can't find an online version of the text? No worries...type the text directly into the text box and voila! The words are "grabbed" or organized in comparison to the frequency of these words in standard written English. VocabGrabber can be used with any type of text: a newspaper article, a book chapter, a speech, or a historical document.
There are additional features if you choose to subscribe, particularly the Visual Thesaurus interactive word maps, which can be saved and printed, and an online edition in multiple languages for English-speaking students learning other languages and ESL/ELL students.
Caution! Before purchasing a subscription, see if the free portion of the website satisfies your needs or take advantage of the 14-day risk-free trial to see all the features in action. When a school subscription is purchased, student workbooks and Teachers' Guide with lesson plans are included.
There are additional features if you choose to subscribe, particularly the Visual Thesaurus interactive word maps, which can be saved and printed, and an online edition in multiple languages for English-speaking students learning other languages and ESL/ELL students.
Caution! Before purchasing a subscription, see if the free portion of the website satisfies your needs or take advantage of the 14-day risk-free trial to see all the features in action. When a school subscription is purchased, student workbooks and Teachers' Guide with lesson plans are included.
tag(s): maps (293), reading comprehension (119), synonyms (38), vocabulary (325), writing (367)
In the Classroom
Teachers and students can use the VocabGrabber on an interactive whiteboard, projector, or individual computers to highlight vocabulary specific to a literary work or curricular subject area, to improve reading comprehension by choosing key concepts and literary terms, and to build background knowledge for a given text. As an added benefit, have students click on the VocabGrabber when typing their own assignments such as a poem or an essay, to avoid repeating the same word. They simply type in a word and generate a list of synonyms and more descriptive words. VocabGrabber enables students to see how words are used in context, instead of memorizing word lists. Additionally, VocabGrabber is extremely helpful for students preparing for standardized tests. Be sure to include this site on your class web page for students to access both in and outside of class for further practice.
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