TeachersFirst - Featured Sites: Week of Oct 23, 2022
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
Wottaread - Wottaread
Grades
4 to 12This site includes advertising.
tag(s): book lists (165), harry potter (9), reading lists (77)
In the Classroom
Share this site with students (consider age-appropriateness) as a resource for encouraging reading and finding books that fit their love of fantasy. Use the suggestions on the website to find books to add to school and classroom libraries. Ask students to use tools found at Class Tools, reviewed here, to compare and contrast characters or book series, create a Fakebook page to create a fictional character profile, or use Qwikslides to create a multimedia presentation quickly. Ask students to make book reviews using Adobe Express for Education, reviewed here, then share their thoughts on your class webpage for peers to use when searching for new reading material.You must be registered and logged in to add items to your favorites.
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War to End All Wars: Looking at World War 1 Through the Eyes of Literature - TeachersFirst
Grades
6 to 12tag(s): 1900s (73), 1910s (7), 1920s (7), europe (83), primary sources (119), veterans (29), world war 1 (79)
In the Classroom
Be sure to see all of the many ideas and activities shared on this site to engage students as they learn about World War 1. Organize and share resources with students using a curation tool such as Netboard, reviewed here. Netboard makes it easy to share links, documents, text, and more into one easily accessible location. Extend learning by asking students to share their knowledge using the tools found at Adobe Creative Cloud Express for Education, reviewed here. Options include tools for creating videos, web pages, and graphics to demonstrate understanding of learning objectives.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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TeachersFirst Reading Treks - Make Learning a Journey - TeachersFirst
Grades
K to 12tag(s): independent reading (86), maps (212), reading comprehension (150), reading lists (77)
In the Classroom
These units are perfect for use with a whole-class novel, literature circles, or individual reading! Ask students to keep a journal about what they are reading and learning. Replace traditional paper and pen journals using an easy virtual journaling tool such as Penzu, reviewed here. With Penzu you can add images or your own artwork as illustrations. If you are conducting literature circles a good tool to use for small group assignments and communication is Asana, reviewed here, or Canvas Free LMS, reviewed here. For students or student groups to share their book with their peers, challenge them to enhance their learning and design an interactive multimedia poster using Genially, reviewed here.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Classic Books - Library of Congress
Grades
K to 12tag(s): book lists (165), independent reading (86), literature (219)
In the Classroom
Share the classics on your interactive whiteboard or projector. Read the stories together as a class and consider converting an excerpt into an interactive text using Active Textbook, reviewed here. You could add to it yearly, with each class taking a chapter or section to "liven up" with media. Or challenge your tech-savvy or gifted students to bring a classic to life with such a project. Share this public domain collection on your class website, blog, or wiki as a good place to find classics (FREE). Create a learning station on your classroom computers using these books.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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CurriConnects - TeachersFirst
Grades
K to 12tag(s): book lists (165), independent reading (86), reading lists (77)
In the Classroom
Share CurriConnects as links on your class web page or wiki or share them with school and local libraries where students can select books to accompany what they are studying. Explore the many ideas TeachersFirst offers for using CurriConnects in your classroom. Be sure to share these lists with ENL/ELL teachers for reading selections to build student vocabulary and understanding of curriculum.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Library of Congress Read.gov - Library of Congress
Grades
K to 12A special feature of the site is an exclusive story, called "The Exquisite Corpse Adventure." The Exquisite Corpse was a game in which someone would start a story, fold over their part, and the next person would add to the story and on it would go until the last person ended the story. For this Exquisite Corpse, Jon Scieszka started the story and passed it on to Katherine Patterson, who passed it on . . . and so it goes for 18 episodes. The entire story took a year to write to the finish.
tag(s): authors (105), digital storytelling (154), writing (323)
In the Classroom
Check out "The Exquisite Corpse Adventure" and have students listen to the stories. As a challenge ask students to look at the differences in writing style for each of the authors. Project a chart about the plot and the writing style on your interactive whiteboard or projector, and have students list the differences and similarities in writing style. Another idea for an activity is to have the students read the poem "If" by Rudyard Kipling (not found on this site) and then have them read the very touching national contest winner letter to the author about his poem found here. Students could then write their own letters to an author of a favorite book or poem. Extend student learning and have students create podcasts to read their letters to the authors using a site such as podOmatic, reviewed here.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Read Kiddo Read - James Patterson
Grades
K to 12tag(s): book lists (165)
In the Classroom
Sign up for Patterson's newsletter (free) to keep updated on news from the youth literature world and get free chapters. This is definitely a site to save on your classroom favorites and also list on your class website. Provide this link for families to use to find summer reading resources.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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AdLit - adlit.org
Grades
4 to 12tag(s): authors (105), independent reading (86), reading strategies (103)
In the Classroom
If you need ideas to get students reading for fun and to help develop their confidence, try this site. Highlight this on your class website so parents can try the activities with their older students. When doing author biographies, share this site with your class using an interactive whiteboard or projector. Be sure to check out the "Classroom Strategies" link for even more literacy ideas.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Adopt-an-Author - Steve Alten
Grades
7 to 12tag(s): authors (105), holocaust (42), independent reading (86)
In the Classroom
Allowing students to choose among these books may encourage them to read. Having students "teach" their book to the rest of the class after they have finished it might be an activity that would urge other students to pick up those books, too. Extend learning by having students share their books creatively: write a blog post as a character using Telescope, reviewed here, make a video using Adobe Express Video Maker, reviewed here, to post on TeacherTube or SchoolTube, or make a podcast "interview" of the main character, played by a classmate using Acast, reviewed here. Bring reading into the 21st century reality of your students and watch the two worlds "mash" together.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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TeenTober - American Library Association
Grades
6 to 12tag(s): creativity (92), posters (43)
In the Classroom
Stir up interest in reading by making these teen appealing activities available to your classes on your teacher web site, bulletin boards, or in class. Be sure to share this annual event with families.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Lesson Plans for Children's Literature - Web English Teacher
Grades
1 to 8tag(s): book lists (165), literature (219), reading lists (77)
In the Classroom
Save this site as a favorite and use it as a resource in a literature class. Before introducing a new book to the class, check this site first for information under the author's heading. There you'll find lesson plans, resources, activities, etc. Great for teachers using a new novel or in need of some fresh ideas on teaching an old lesson.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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On-Lion for Kids! - NY Public Library
Grades
1 to 8tag(s): book lists (165), reading lists (77)
In the Classroom
Post a link for this site on your teacher webpage or in your newsletter. Talk about it with parents at back-to-school night or at parent conferences. Share with your middle school reluctant readers.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Americas Award for Children and Young Adult Literature - CLASP
Grades
3 to 12tag(s): book lists (165), hispanic (34), reading lists (77), spanish (108)
In the Classroom
Take advantage of the free unit plans and classroom activities within the "resources" section of the page. Explore through these resources to find one to add a multicultural perspective to your history or language arts class. Be sure to save the site as a favorite to allow for easy reference later on. Try using Raindrop.io, reviewed here for this purpose.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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TeachersFirst's Reading List Collection - TeachersFirst
Grades
4 to 12tag(s): book lists (165), reading lists (77)
In the Classroom
Try using these lists with your reluctant readers; there are dozens of possibilities.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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