TeachersFirst - Featured Sites: Week of Aug 23, 2015
Here are this week's features. Clicking the tags in the description area of each listing will present a list of other resources with this topic. | Click here to return to the Featured Sites Archive
Spelling Practice - Interlink Language Centers
Grades
4 to 12tag(s): spelling (165)
In the Classroom
Be sure to include this site on your class webpage for students to access both in and outside of class for further practice. Create a link to this site on classroom computers for students to practice on their own. Share with ESL/ELL students for spelling practice.You must be registered and logged in to add items to your favorites.
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Estimation 2.02 - University of Colorado
Grades
5 to 9tag(s): estimation (47), game based learning (139)
In the Classroom
Estimation 2.02 is perfect for use on your interactive whiteboard (or projector) to introduce and practice estimation skills. Work together to determine best estimates for the different objects found with the games. Be sure to share a link on your class web page for students to practice at home.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Measure Yourself! - Lawrence Hall of Science
Grades
1 to 4tag(s): measurement (179)
In the Classroom
Although very simple, this hands-on activity provides excellent practice with measurement, specifically using centimeters. Introduce this site on your interactive whiteboard or projector. Then have students explore this site independently or in small groups to measure and compare results. Have students create online posters individually or together as a class using a tool such as Web Poster Wizard, reviewed here, or PicLits, reviewed here, showing comparisons of students to various animal parts.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Hash - Today's Talking Points - Joseph Mark & Stephen Phillips
Grades
6 to 12tag(s): news (258), PLN (8), social networking (107), twitter (42)
In the Classroom
Display Hash on your interactive whiteboard to find the latest information on current events. Have students explore a story then create a simple infographic sharing their findings using Easel.ly, reviewed here. Challenge students to use a tool such as Zeemaps, reviewed here. Zeemaps allows students to create audio recordings AND choose a location (on a map) where the story takes place. Students could add items throughout the month or any length of time to follow major events around the world. Looking for more ways to use Twitter in the classroom? Read more about Twitter at TeachersFirst's Twitter for Teachers page.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Drum Lessons.com - Railroad Media
Grades
1 to 12This site includes advertising.
tag(s): multiple intelligences (8), music theory (45), musical instruments (51), musical notation (39)
In the Classroom
Capture students' interest using Drumlessons.com. Pull in your reluctant learners while emphasizing concentration, math concepts in sheet music, and building confidence. Offer as an after school option that will grab your students' interest. Highlight multiple intelligences and make all of your students shine. When your students create a multimedia project and need to add sound without violating copyrights, create your own! Use this site as an example of real world math in practice!Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Google Takeout Tool - Google
Grades
K to 12tag(s): organizational skills (119)
In the Classroom
The Google Takeout Tool is perfect for use when changing email accounts or using multiple accounts. Archive all desired files then upload to your new account when ready.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Scale City - The Road to Proportional Reasoning - Kentucky Educational Television
Grades
5 to 8tag(s): baseball (35), dinosaurs (50), geometric shapes (167), measurement (179), musical instruments (51), painting (62), time (139)
In the Classroom
Be sure to include this site on your class web page for students to access both in and outside of class for further practice. Have students create maps using Animaps, reviewed here, displaying information from roadside attractions found on Scale City. Students can add text, images, and location stops with Animaps!Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Interactives & Simulations: Weather, Climate & Atmosphere Education - UCAR Center for Science Education
Grades
5 to 12tag(s): arctic (46), atmosphere (29), carbon dioxide (15), climate (93), climate change (71), hurricanes (40), solar energy (38), sun (70), trees (29)
In the Classroom
Introduce Interactives & Simulations on an interactive whiteboard or projector then allow students to explore on their own. Be sure to provide a link on your class website or blog for students to explore at home. Have students create an annotated image including text boxes and related links using a tool such as Thinglink, reviewed here, to demonstrate information learned from this site. Alternatively students could create a word cloud of the important terms they learn from this site using a tool such as Wordle, reviewed here, or WordItOut, reviewed here.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Listly Virtual Field Trips - CSISD Tech
Grades
4 to 12tag(s): africa (163), cultures (111), museums (44), rome (25), virtual field trips (55), white house (15)
In the Classroom
Immerse your students in your studies with a close-up in-depth look through virtual field trips. Visit places where time, money, and mileage inhibit your dreams for bringing your students into wondrous worlds. Find ways to visit where your class has never gone before. Find ways to motivate your most reluctant learners. For history teachers who teach ancient Rome, the history of the Islamic religion, ancient China, or just about any other historical topic, this would be a real treat for students. Help them recognize that these cultures were once real people, with skills, and goals. World languages teachers will be able to introduce different cultures from a new perspective. Small groups or individual students can focus on one of the tours. ESL/ELL learners will appreciate the visit. Reach all types of learners through a class visit. Use field trips as a whole class anticipatory guide, a center activity, a home connection, or even as extra credit. Challenge your gifted students to be guides to their own learning. Make your class go global!Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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MinuteEarth YouTube Channel - Henry, Alex, and Peter Reich, Emily Elert, Ever Salazar
Grades
4 to 12This site includes advertising.
tag(s): atmosphere (29), earth (227), moon (76), oceans (165), planets (133), plants (177), video (269), weather (205)
In the Classroom
Share videos on an interactive whiteboard, projector, or as a link on your class website or blog. To share a single video from this site without all the YouTube clutter, use a tool such as TubeChop, reviewed here, and create a shortcut to the TubeChop page directly on the desktop. Have students create an annotated image including text boxes and related links using a tool such as Thinglink, reviewed here, to share information learned from videos. Challenge cooperative learning groups to create videos about your curriculum topics and share them on a site such as TeacherTube, reviewed here.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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SurveyPlanet - SurveyPlanet, LLC
Grades
K to 12This site includes advertising.
tag(s): assessment (118), polls and surveys (55), quiz (84), quizzes (104)
In the Classroom
Use SurveyPlanet for daily quiz questions as a formative assessment or to check for understanding of a previous lesson. Use as an anticipatory guide for introducing new content. Use to check for understanding after a lecture or demonstration. Use a class account to have student groups alternate to create a new poll for the next day. Older students may want to include polls on their student blogs to increase reader engagement. Have students create polls for after a project presentation. Use polls to generate data for math class (graphing), during elections, or for critical thinking activities dealing with the interpretation of statistics. Engage students using "real" data from a survey of issues and current events that matter to them. Use it to serve as a class voting device. Students can use their mobile devices to answer the survey. However, it is best to create them on a laptop or desktop.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Media History Digital Library - Media History Digital Library
Grades
6 to 12tag(s): art history (81), media literacy (66), multimedia (54)
In the Classroom
Use Media History Digital Library in your classroom as a secondary resource to discover the culture and setting of a time period while studying literature or even through history classes. List the clues and details that provide further information. Analyze the article use and its influence on society by using close reading techniques. In a multimedia class, discover the history and progression of cinema, broadcasting, and sound. Use to discover the influence of critical world events such as world wars, depressions, economic influences, an industrial revolution, and more. Analyze the artistic changes throughout time.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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