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

 

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International Observe the Moon Night - NASA

Grades
K to 12
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Lead up to this annual event in September with resources that teach about the features of the Moon! Find events around the World, create your own event, and find classroom ...more
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Lead up to this annual event in September with resources that teach about the features of the Moon! Find events around the World, create your own event, and find classroom and home activities. Be sure to click on the Resources tab at the top to find Activities and information about Moon phases, Spotting Craters, Ideas for viewing, and more.
This 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.

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The Obsessively Detailed Map of American Literature's Most Epic Road Trips - Richard Kreitner and Steven Melendez

Grades
8 to 12
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Journey across America as described in 12 great literary road trips. This Google map includes every named place (over 1500!) in these books about cross country travel. The earliest...more
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Journey across America as described in 12 great literary road trips. This Google map includes every named place (over 1500!) in these books about cross country travel. The earliest book being Mark Twain's Roughing It and the most recent is Cheryl Strayed's Wild. Click on any title on the map key to view individual routes. Click again on the map points to read passages about the location.

tag(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.

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Kartveli: Innovator in Aviation - Aviation Media LLC

Grades
6 to 12
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Learn about the life and accomplishments of Alexander Kartveli, one of the most important aircraft designers of the world. This site provides information about Kartveli's design accomplishments,...more
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Learn about the life and accomplishments of Alexander Kartveli, one of the most important aircraft designers of the world. This site provides information about Kartveli's design accomplishments, including seed ideas for the space shuttle. Learn about the different aircraft he worked on throughout the years. Be sure to check out the Resources link that includes images, documents, video, lesson plans, and more. If your district blocks YouTube, then the videos may not be viewable.

tag(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.
 This resource requires PDF reader software like Adobe Acrobat.

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4 Numbers Game - 4nums.com

Grades
1 to 8
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The 4 Numbers Game is a classic math game. Use the four numbers provided and basic math (+, -, x, /) to arrive at an answer of 24 as quickly ...more
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The 4 Numbers Game is a classic math game. Use the four numbers provided and basic math (+, -, x, /) to arrive at an answer of 24 as quickly as you can. Play alone or with multi-players. Play with a time limit (or without). Choose the kids game to play without division or multiplication. Be sure to view the How to Play link for complete rules and suggestions. Find new puzzles on the site daily, or follow 4 Numbers via Twitter to receive notifications of the puzzle of the day. This site is also available as an app for both iOs and Android devices.

tag(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.

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Acclaim - Aksel Gongor, MyAcclaim, LLC

Grades
6 to 12
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Organize and annotate videos and files with Acclaim. Acclaim's step-by-step process and prompts makes creating courses, sharing course information, creating folders within courses,...more
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Organize and annotate videos and files with Acclaim. Acclaim's step-by-step process and prompts makes creating courses, sharing course information, creating folders within courses, and adding videos or files almost effortless. The free registration is referred to as a demo. Register with email and create a course, a Course URL will be given. No need to copy it at this time. Clicking on the setting symbol on any course (and even folders) will give you the URL again. Students will need an email to join and access your courses and folders. Folders and courses can be made public or private. When prompted, upload files (including videos you created) from Dropbox, Google Drive, your computer, and others. Do this by "choosing" from a list, or using the "drag and drop" method. Add videos, your own recorded on a webcam, or from Vimeo or YouTube by pasting in their URL. Teachers and students can annotate videos at certain points with comments and questions. These comments and questions will receive a time stamp. If you organize your videos and documents within a course with folders, once students have registered with their email, you will need to go into the folder settings and give them access. Acclaim is 100% web based, and it is mobile friendly for all devices.
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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.

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Pompeii Virtual Tour - Google Maps

Grades
6 to 12
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Can't take a field trip to Pompeii? Use this virtual field trip that includes photos and 360-degree views of this ancient Roman City. Click on slides at the bottom of ...more
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Can't take a field trip to Pompeii? Use this virtual field trip that includes photos and 360-degree views of this ancient Roman City. Click on slides at the bottom of the page to see different areas of the ruins such as the Temple of Isis and street views of the entire archeological area.

tag(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.

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The Griddle - Handcrafted Logical Fun - David Millar

Grades
4 to 12
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The Griddle offers a small selection of math and logic puzzles. Choose from puzzles for younger students including Sudoku and Number Soup. For older students check out a Sudoku or ...more
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The Griddle offers a small selection of math and logic puzzles. Choose from puzzles for younger students including Sudoku and Number Soup. For older students check out a Sudoku or Conflict Graphing puzzle. Click the name of each puzzle to go to the link for the PDF download. Other downloads are multiplication charts in black and white or color with options for including numbers or using blank charts. The Arithmetic Worksheet Generator provides a large number for creating customized worksheets, be sure to read the instructions at the bottom of the page on how to change the type of problems and locations on the worksheet.

tag(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.
 This resource requires PDF reader software like Adobe Acrobat.

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SciShow Kids YouTube Channel - Hank Green

Grades
3 to 9
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SciShow Kids is one of YouTube's premier educational channels featuring answers to many science related questions. SciShow Kids encourages and celebrates audience participation through...more
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SciShow Kids is one of YouTube's premier educational channels featuring answers to many science related questions. SciShow Kids encourages and celebrates audience participation through answering questions in new videos and annotations. Choose from popular videos with diverse topics such as lunar eclipses and weird animal teeth. Be sure to subscribe to receive notifications as new videos are added. If your district blocks YouTube, then they may not be viewable.
This 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.

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Bioman Biology - Brett Baughman

Grades
5 to 10
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Bioman Biology offers engaging interactives and virtual labs for learning biology content based on national standards. Find virtual labs and activities sorted by topics such as cells,...more
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Bioman Biology offers engaging interactives and virtual labs for learning biology content based on national standards. Find virtual labs and activities sorted by topics such as cells, body systems, and ecology. Use the search bar to look for specific content. In addition to the interactives and virtual labs, Bioman Biology offers online multiple choice quizzes over most topics. Optional teacher registration on the site provides the opportunity to assign quizzes and view student scores for games, quizzes, and virtual labs. Registration also has the advantage of students being able to directly submit their scores to you via email. Several activities are also available as downloads at iTunes. Bioman is available as an iOS app and on any device with a modern web browser and Internet access.
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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.

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