TeachersFirst - Featured Sites: Week of May 24, 2020

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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Education for the Real World - EVERFI

Grades
2 to 12
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EVERFI provides free digital curricula in real-world skills through interactive, game-based lessons. Topics include financial education, STEM and career readiness, social and emotional...more
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EVERFI provides free digital curricula in real-world skills through interactive, game-based lessons. Topics include financial education, STEM and career readiness, social and emotional learning, remote learning, summer learning, and more. Select any topic to view the courses offered with a summary and grade-level suggestions. Each unit is correlated to Common Core Standards and includes features such as videos, games, digital lessons, and teacher guides. Use the teacher dashboard to create classes and enroll students after completing the free registration information. Once registered, use the site's features to assign topics that are available for both online and offline learning.

tag(s): cross cultural understanding (156), financial literacy (91), literacy (106), mental health (33), social and emotional learning (80), STEM (259), Teacher Utilities (146)

In the Classroom

Discover the many free resources on this site to provide individual lessons or complete learning units for your students. As students complete assignments, use the many offerings found at Class Tools, reviewed here, to enhance learning through creating timelines, completing graphic organizers, and more. For activities that include new vocabulary, use a digital game creation site such as Baamboozle, reviewed here, to review and practice new words and terms. Have students show what they know upon completion of any of the activities using Adobe Creative Cloud Express for Education, reviewed here, to create a collage, poster, flyer, or multimedia presentation sharing their knowledge of the subject.
 This resource requires PDF reader software like Adobe Acrobat.

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Coronavirus Lesson Plans and Resources - Share My Lesson

Grades
K to 12
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This collection of coronavirus resources provides an excellent starting point for finding lessons, posters, and ideas for remote teaching for all grade levels. Materials include coronavirus...more
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This collection of coronavirus resources provides an excellent starting point for finding lessons, posters, and ideas for remote teaching for all grade levels. Materials include coronavirus facts, history lessons relating to pandemics, and distance learning tips and hints. Choose any link to view a summary of the content, register to gain free access to all teaching materials.

tag(s): diseases (66), hygiene (9), preK (254)

In the Classroom

Be sure to see the many free resources found on this site for use during health lessons. Add the ideas for implementing remote learning to your toolkit of ideas to use for unexpected school shutdowns due to weather, power failure, or any other unforeseen circumstances. Use Wakelet, reviewed here, to create templates for student lessons and responses, then copy the template and edit to fit the needs of your remote lesson. Incorporate the coronavirus lessons into your current health and science lessons to teach students about the spread of disease. Enhance learning by using Google My Maps, reviewed here, for digital storytelling to demonstrate the flow of diseases across the globe. Ask students to use an animated video creation tool like Powtoon, reviewed here, to share their understanding of the spread of disease. Create your video together with younger students, or ask older students to create videos to demonstrate learning.
 This resource requires PDF reader software like Adobe Acrobat.

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Teacher Self Care: Resources to Help You Make Time for You - TeachersFirst

Grades
K to 12
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Take time to take care of your emotional health with the tips and resources found in this Wakelet collection for educators engaged in remote teaching. Browse through for easy to ...more
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Take time to take care of your emotional health with the tips and resources found in this Wakelet collection for educators engaged in remote teaching. Browse through for easy to do tips that help you step away from the mental stress of dealing with disruptions to your home and school routines. In addition to many self-care tips, be sure to take a look at the links and videos that support the strategies suggested.

tag(s): mental health (33), professional development (388)

In the Classroom

Incorporate the concept of intentional self-care into your remote learning routine. Choose one or two tips to start with, then return to add new ideas every few days. Use these ideas any time you need a stress reliever. Share this advice with students to help them adjust to new remote learning situations or with stressful events in the classroom.

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Twitter Chat: Using Technology to Strengthen Social Emotional Learning - TeachersFirst

Grades
K to 12
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This archived Twitter chat is from February 2019 and will open in Wakelet. The title of this chat is: Using Technology to Strengthen Social Emotional Learning. During this chat, participants...more
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This archived Twitter chat is from February 2019 and will open in Wakelet. The title of this chat is: Using Technology to Strengthen Social Emotional Learning. During this chat, participants will: 1. Define and discuss the main components of social emotional learning 2. Discuss the role of technology in strengthening SEL and 3. Share resources to help educators address the social emotional needs of students.

tag(s): emotions (46), mental health (33), social and emotional learning (80), social skills (22), twitterchatarchive (172)

In the Classroom

Find resources and explore ways to build and strengthen social emotional learning (SEL) within the classroom. Share this chat with your colleagues looking for sites and information related to social emotional learning (SEL).

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Teach With Movies - TeachWithMovies.com, Inc.

Grades
3 to 12
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Hundreds of teachable movies! That's how many lesson plans or guides you'll find at Teach With Movies. Search one of the numerous categories to locate the movie, documentary, or short...more
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Hundreds of teachable movies! That's how many lesson plans or guides you'll find at Teach With Movies. Search one of the numerous categories to locate the movie, documentary, or short you want. Some of the categories are Subject Matter (and not just math, science, history, etc.), Social-Emotional Learning (themes like Ambition, Coming of Age, and many others), Appropriate Age (three through adult), and Set Up the Sub (found on the top menu under Features), just to name a few. Lessons include a general summary of the film and discussion questions with answers. Most also include a rationale for using the movie, the subjects, topics, and themes, if there is a book - a bit of background and review of it, objectives, possible problems, historical context, and more. Of course, the topics for consideration depend on the film. Sign up for the newsletter to see when there are lesson guides for the newest movies. Whether culminating a unit or introducing one, using these lessons and guides along with the video will help to make a lasting impression about your topic.

tag(s): difficult conversations (58), essays (20), movies (51), questioning (32), social and emotional learning (80), social skills (22), worksheets (70), writing (315)

In the Classroom

Movies offer an entertaining format for history and thematic studies. Use a video to add to the learning experience of students who are visual and auditory learners. Use this site to find videos in a wide range of topics to share on an interactive whiteboard or with a projector. Take advantage of the free lesson plans for classroom use. Preview the lessons before viewing and convert those that can be to a real-time discussion to engage students WHILE they watch a video! Enhance classroom learning and technology use and achieve this by setting up a backchannel chat using GoSoapBox, reviewed here. Alternatively, if you are distance or remote teaching or have a blended classroom, use VideoAnt, reviewed here, to ask questions and have students respond directly on the video.

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Storyberries - Jade Maitre

Grades
K to 5
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Storyberries offers free bedtime stories and poems for kids in an easy to use format for adults. Stories include classics such as The Three Billy Goats Gruff and original compositions...more
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Storyberries offers free bedtime stories and poems for kids in an easy to use format for adults. Stories include classics such as The Three Billy Goats Gruff and original compositions submitted through the site. Browse through the home page to find popular stories or use the links at the top of the page to search by age, topic, or moral taught. One great feature is the ability to find stories by length from five minutes through chapter books. Each story also includes additional questions to use for further discussion.

tag(s): book lists (159), poetry (188), short stories (18), stories and storytelling (40)

In the Classroom

Bookmark Storyberries as an excellent resource for short read alouds or as a source for stories relating to many different emotions and themes. Share a link on your class website or newsletter for parents to use at home. Use this site on your interactive whiteboard or projector as you read aloud for students to follow along; occasionally stop and allow students to read portions of the book. Use this site as a resource for additional reading materials in the classroom by creating a link on classroom computers. Share Storyberries on your classroom website or in your Google Classroom for parent and student use at home during distant learning or extended absences.

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Iris the Dragon - Gayle Grass

Grades
K to 6
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Iris the Dragon offers children's books to educate young children on mental health and wellness. The site has several FREE, downloadable e-books. There are other materials and offerings...more
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Iris the Dragon offers children's books to educate young children on mental health and wellness. The site has several FREE, downloadable e-books. There are other materials and offerings advertised on the site, but no purchase is needed to obtain the free e-Books. Topics include ADHD, Asperger's Syndrome, School Anxiety, Anger, Worry, and more. Raise student awareness and empathy levels for differences in people inside and outside of class. A few e-books are also available in French. Fill in the simple form with your name, books desired, and how you plan to use the books. (No email address is necessary, but can be provided if you want email updates from the website.) There is no "wait" period. E-books are available for immediate use.
This site includes advertising.

tag(s): adhd (28), aspergers (7), autism (13), difficult conversations (58), ebooks (38), empathy (26), french (73), mental health (33), social and emotional learning (80), Special Needs (53)

In the Classroom

Download books from Iris the Dragon for use in mental health lessons or to address specific classroom concerns. Use books as a read-aloud and display on your interactive whiteboard or projector during class meetings. Again, use the books to raise student awareness and empathy levels for differences in people inside and outside of class. Print and laminate books for use in guided reading lessons. Share this site on your class website for students (and parents) to read together at home. You may want to use the books in conjunction with the Empathy video series at Big Ideas Video Series, reviewed here.
 This resource requires PDF reader software like Adobe Acrobat.

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Voices of Youth - UNICEF

Grades
6 to 12
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Voices of Youth is UNICEF's online home for young people to know more, learn more, and do more about our world. Read articles and blogs and share thoughts and opinions ...more
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Voices of Youth is UNICEF's online home for young people to know more, learn more, and do more about our world. Read articles and blogs and share thoughts and opinions with others around the world on global topics. Topics include poverty, education, human rights, health issues, and much more. Choose from links on the home page to find information on specific topics. Scroll through the page to read the latest posts. Click on tags at the bottom of each article to find related articles. Easily view the site in French or Spanish using links provided at the top of each page. Create your own posts or add comments after registration on the site; use email or use a Facebook or Twitter account to register. Some of the videos are hosted on YouTube. If your school blocks YouTube, they may not be viewable.

tag(s): disabilities (29), environment (238), hiv/aids (16), inequalities (23), mental health (33), school violence (10), sustainability (44)

In the Classroom

This site is an excellent resource to bookmark and use throughout the year when discussing current events, specific countries or geographic areas, or for non-fiction reading. Find informational texts that matter to your students. Spark informational writing, as well. Allow students to browse the site to find interesting articles. Have students enhance their learning by creating magazine covers of information found on this site using Magazine Cover Maker, reviewed here. Elevate learning by challenging students to create a newspaper article using articles found on this site as a model by using the Newspaper Clipping Generator, reviewed here. World language teachers will find this useful when viewing articles in French or Spanish to practice translation skills. If you have a blended learning classroom or are teaching remotely you may want to try adding the reading to Fiskkit, reviewed here, to annotate and analyze text and measure reading activity through sharing and commenting on texts. For the videos you could use VideoAnt, reviewed here, to ask questions and have students respond directly on the video.

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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 and/or audio. All students can learn, but first you must get their attention. This resource is music to their ears.

tag(s): lyrics (15), media literacy (102), poetry (188)

In the Classroom

Many students' favorite past time, when not texting or social networking, is listening to their music. 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. Enhance learning by challenging students to label their image by using Image Annotator, reviewed here.

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Crawford the Cat - Perennial Pictures Film Cooperation

Grades
K to 2
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Crawford the Cat is a website that teaches young children about health issues like brushing your teeth and social skills like working together. There are numerous 5-minute videos teaching...more
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Crawford the Cat is a website that teaches young children about health issues like brushing your teeth and social skills like working together. There are numerous 5-minute videos teaching students about good table manners, trying new food, exercise, colds and flu, and several other health/science topics. The site includes videos, audio interactive books, printables and interactive games.

tag(s): audio books (23), dental health (15), hygiene (9), preK (254), social skills (22)

In the Classroom

This site works really well with an interactive whiteboard or projector. Students can view the videos on the board and then play the games on the interactive board. The printables can be used by an entire class or for individual students who need skills reinforcement, and the books can be used as a center. The students have the choice of having the books read to them or reading on their own, so the site addresses the abilities of all students. During times of remote or distance learning, put a link to this site on your class web page for parents and students to use at home, with directions for what you want them to do, of course. Then ask students to create a video response about what they learned using Flip, reviewed here.
 This resource requires PDF reader software like Adobe Acrobat.

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Kid's Health - The Nemours Foundation's Center for Children's Health Media

Grades
3 to 12
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Divided into parts For Parents, For Kids, For Teens, and For Educators Kid's Health presents health issues in an attractive, frank, and appealing format. The younger kid's section features...more
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Divided into parts For Parents, For Kids, For Teens, and For Educators Kid's Health presents health issues in an attractive, frank, and appealing format. The younger kid's section features topics like How the Body Works, Staying Safe, Feelings, and several more. In addition, some of the pages are available in Spanish. Other sections include health issues for grown ups and a glossary, the latter of which is available in Spanish. Video clips include health-related topics featuring well-known athletes. The teen section provides answers to multiple teen questions about health including sexual issues, drug and alcohol concerns, food and fitness, your body, your mind, and hot topics. The parents' section has regular health topics about raising a child.

tag(s): body systems (40), difficult conversations (58), emotions (46), fitness (49), sexuality (15)

In the Classroom

Health teachers will want to share this site on their teacher web page or in class as part of sex ed units and study of disease. Younger students wondering about illnesses such as cancer will also be able to find good information, written at a level they can understand.

This site contains open discussion of topics. We suggest that you preview it to be sure it is in compliance with your school's policies. Some portions discuss topics that will cause great giggles among less mature students, so preview and set the tone before trungin students loose.

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