TeachersFirst - Featured Sites: Week of Sep 13, 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
International Observe the Moon Night - NASA
Grades
K to 12This site includes advertising.
tag(s): moon (73)
In the Classroom
Use the activities the week before your viewing event to learn about the moon. Use other classes for cross-curricular events. Read books that center on viewing the Moon. Read passages from a variety of sources that reference the Moon, focusing on how the Moon is portrayed in the passages. Research the role of the Moon and other celestial bodies on culture and superstitions. Encourage students to create art or write stories and poems that portray the Moon. Encourage students to draw a picture of the Moon they view during Observe the Moon night. Consider creating a night event for your school or community for the night and share the event using your school website, blog, Twitter or Facebook.You must be registered and logged in to add items to your favorites.
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The Obsessively Detailed Map of American Literature's Most Epic Road Trips - Richard Kreitner and Steven Melendez
Grades
8 to 12tag(s): authors (105), literature (218), maps (207), mark twain (8), setting (4)
In the Classroom
If your class is reading any of these 12 books, this site is an excellent resource for visualizing the trip described in the book. Share with students before reading as an overview of the journey they are about to take. Use this site when helping students discover books to read, let them explore the various road trips to find one that might interest them. Use this map as inspiration for sharing locations from other works of literature. For the next book share, have students create maps for books they are reading using MapHub, reviewed here. Students can add icons, text, images, and location stops! Challenge students to include images (cited correctly) on MapHub for the books they will share.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Kartveli: Innovator in Aviation - Aviation Media LLC
Grades
6 to 12tag(s): aircraft (16), aviation (39), design (80), engineering (126)
In the Classroom
Introduce this site on an interactive whiteboard or projector as part of a career or technology unit. Then have students explore this site independently or in small groups. This is a great find for gifted students to discover lesser known pioneers in the aviation field. Have students use Fakebook, reviewed here, to create a "fake" page similar in style to Facebook about Alexander Kartveli or his peers.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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4 Numbers Game - 4nums.com
Grades
1 to 8tag(s): addition (127), DAT device agnostic tool (147), division (97), equations (118), mental math (19), multiplication (121), problem solving (224), subtraction (108)
In the Classroom
Share the 4 Numbers Game on an interactive whiteboard or projector to demonstrate how to play, and then create a link to 4 Numbers on classroom computers. Challenge students to begin playing without time limits. As they become more skilled, start using the clock and have them try to beat it. Have students take a screenshot of any game. Next they can upload the screenshot image and add voice bubbles to explain what they learned. Use a tool such as Phrase.it, reviewed here. If you do not know how to convert a screenshot into an image file, take a picture of the screen using a digital camera, then upload the file to your computer. Be sure to share a link to the 4 Numbers Game on your class website or blog for play at home.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Acclaim - Aksel Gongor, MyAcclaim, LLC
Grades
6 to 12This site includes advertising.
tag(s): teaching strategies (42), video (263)
In the Classroom
Acclaim is a terrific tool for any teacher who likes to show and discuss certain aspects of videos in class. No more talking over the video or pausing to ask a question or make a comment. Use Acclaim in class to pause and have the discussion questions visible from the video. This works exceptionally well if you're in a blended classroom or want to flip a lesson and have students watch the video from home and be prepared to discuss in class, or if you use stations in your classroom. Students can also put in questions for clarification at the time they are watching. Share Acclaim with research groups for uploading documents and videos they are thinking of using in presentations and projects. Physical education teachers will find Acclaim useful to pause and review certain aspects of a game or exercise you've recorded. Share the URL via email or post to your website or blog.Edge Features:
Includes an education-only area for teachers and students
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)
Premium version (not free) includes additional features or storage
Products can be shared by URL
Multiple users can collaborate on the same project
Includes teacher tools for registering and/or monitoring students
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Pompeii Virtual Tour - Google Maps
Grades
6 to 12tag(s): romans (36), virtual field trips (100), volcanoes (54)
In the Classroom
In the age of shrinking opportunities for field trips, jump right in! This site is perfect for use on an interactive whiteboard as you explore this well-preserved example of ancient Roman life. Enhance learning by having students use Fakebook, reviewed here to create a "fake" page similar in style to Facebook about a day in the life of an inhabitant of Pompeii. As an alternative, enhance learning by having students create blogs using a tool like edublog, reviewed here to reflect what they have learned about ancient Pompeii and Roman life.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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The Griddle - Handcrafted Logical Fun - David Millar
Grades
4 to 12tag(s): logic (163), problem solving (224), sudoku (10), worksheets (70)
In the Classroom
Use the puzzles found on The Griddle as part of math centers, for homework, or as part of any logic and problem-solving unit. Create and differentiate worksheets using the Worksheet Generator.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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SciShow Kids YouTube Channel - Hank Green
Grades
3 to 9This site includes advertising.
tag(s): animals (289), moon (73), space (217), sun (71), video (263)
In the Classroom
Flip your classroom and use a video as homework. Have students take notes on the material and write down questions they still have and topics that confuse them. That activity can uncover misconceptions. Show the video to the class, and then discuss the concept at length. For more advanced classes, provide time for students to choose a video to view and research the underlying concept. To share a single video from this site without all the YouTube clutter, use a tool such as View Pure, reviewed here, and create a shortcut to the View Pure page directly on the desktop. Students can create a mini-lesson that can be shared with the class or on a blog, wiki, or your class website.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Bioman Biology - Brett Baughman
Grades
5 to 10This site includes advertising.
tag(s): body systems (41), cells (83), classification (22), dna (43), ecology (102), evolution (88), game based learning (181), genetics (81), human body (94), meiosis (8), photosynthesis (21), respiration (10), scientific method (48)
In the Classroom
Introduce this site to your class on an interactive whiteboard or projector to review and reinforce concepts. If you are lucky enough to have access to iPads for your students, you could have the activities downloaded as apps to use for stations or early finishers. Be sure to include this site on your class webpage for students to access both in and outside of class for further practice. Have students create animated movies online using Adobe Express Video Maker, reviewed here to demonstrate biology concepts. Use an online flashcard maker, like Cram, reviewed here, to review concepts before quizzes and tests.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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