TeachersFirst - Featured Sites: Week of Sep 24, 2023
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
Latinx Authors and History - CommonLit
Grades
3 to 12
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This eighty-one-piece informational text set shares poems, short stories, memoirs, and informational text that explore the experiences of Latinx, Chicano, and Hispanic individuals and...more
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This eighty-one-piece informational text set shares poems, short stories, memoirs, and informational text that explore the experiences of Latinx, Chicano, and Hispanic individuals and movements. The thumbnail view of each text includes a summary, suggested grade level, type of text, and Lexile level. Some texts are available without registration; however, creating a free account on CommonLit provides members access to all available features, including the teachers' guide, related media, and full access to the included activities. Be sure to watch the short video Show Me to learn how to explore a topic with text sets.
tag(s): differentiation (88), hispanic (31), literature (216), poetry (190), reading comprehension (142), Teacher Utilities (157)
In the Classroom
Learn more about the many valuable features and options provided by CommonLit, reviewed here. Assign and include these informational texts as part of a Hispanic Heritage Month unit, non-fiction lessons, or as part of a poetry unit. Differentiate activities based on student interest and reading abilities using the materials included in this text set. Enhance student learning by challenging students to create a concept map using mindmaps, reviewed here, that shares information and key concepts learned from these activities. Extend student learning by asking them to create an interactive map to learn more about the featured Latinx individuals and movements using StoryMaps, reviewed here. Include images, videos, documents, and more to tell the stories of the featured individuals with StoryMaps.
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Cesar Chavez: Labor Leader and Civil Rights Activist Video - PBS Learning Media
Grades
3 to 8
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This four-minute video teaches students how Cesar Chavez established the United Farm Workers union to advocate for farm workers. In addition, this resource includes a lesson plan that...more
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This four-minute video teaches students how Cesar Chavez established the United Farm Workers union to advocate for farm workers. In addition, this resource includes a lesson plan that integrates the video into a broader topic that features learning about Chavez by examining a primary source document that displays an image of Chavez organizing workers outside of a supermarket in 1969 (click view the lesson plan then click procedure and click the image). Share the link with students through your Google Classroom or on your class website with the provided link. Additional options offer registered users the ability to build a custom lesson that includes the video and other resources added by the teacher.
tag(s): agriculture (47), hispanic (31), migration (45)
In the Classroom
Create a free PBS Learning Media account to add this video and resources to a learning activity. Then, easily add questions related to the video on a slide presentation that includes the video and other resources from PBS or your device. Assign Learning Media lessons to a class you create, to Google Classroom, or get a quick assign code to share with students to access the lessons without signing in. Creating and assigning a task with several learning activities works well with flipped and blended learning activities. Extend learning by asking students to research and learn about other Hispanic leaders. Ask them to share their knowledge by creating interactive images using Genially, reviewed here, explainer videos using moovly, reviewed here, or podcast episodes hosted on Buzzsprout, reviewed here.
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Teaching Central America: Teaching Ideas for Elementary - Teaching for Change
Grades
K to 6
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This resource, Teaching Central America, shares various lessons and guides to support educators in teaching about Central America. Topics include lessons based on Hispanic-themed fiction...more
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This resource, Teaching Central America, shares various lessons and guides to support educators in teaching about Central America. Topics include lessons based on Hispanic-themed fiction and non-fiction picture books, an interactive map, and short biographies of Central American leaders. Use the link below each description to access the included materials; most links lead to a PDF document; however, a couple of lessons require free registration by providing your email to access the materials.
tag(s): book lists (161), central america (18), ecosystems (72), hispanic (31), migration (45)
In the Classroom
Bookmark and save Teaching Central America as a resource for finding multicultural books and lessons to include in your classroom for Hispanic Heritage Month and throughout the year. Organize your saved bookmarks using Padlet, reviewed here. For example, create a column that includes your saved ideas for teaching about Central America, another for the Caribbean, and one for South America. Use Google My Maps, reviewed here, either as a class or with groups of students, to create interactive maps of places students learn about in Central America. Add links to your website or a column to the Padlet for class-created activities, informational articles, and videos that extend learning beyond the resources shared on this site. Some of the teaching materials include correlation to standards.
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The Kennedy Center Dance Collection - The Kennedy Center
Grades
K to 12
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Discover the culture and history of dance worldwide and its importance in telling stories through movement and music using this rich and varied collection of resources. This site contains...more
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Discover the culture and history of dance worldwide and its importance in telling stories through movement and music using this rich and varied collection of resources. This site contains groups, lessons, information from featured artists, and more, covering many dance genres. In addition, media resources feature videos that teach dance, provide information on dance companies worldwide, and visit featured artists.
tag(s): chinese new year (5), cross cultural understanding (160), cultures (131), dance (27), hispanic (31), jazz (16), native americans (92), poetry (190), stories and storytelling (47)
In the Classroom
Take advantage of the many free resources on this site to add dance to music lessons and cultural units and enrich topics featuring people and places worldwide. Each resource includes tags, and the lessons include suggested grade levels, use these links to find additional resources for classroom use. As you include information from this site, use an online whiteboard tool such as Google Jamboard, reviewed here, to engage students in learning. For example, add a link to a video from the site about a featured artist and ask students to share their learning or post questions to explore further. Ask students to share their understanding using one of the many tools found Adobe Creative Cloud Express for Education, reviewed here. For example, ask students to create a website of a featured dance style, while other students create a video sharing dance and cultural information about their chosen group of people or country.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Reading Treks: The Distance Between Us - TeachersFirst
Grades
5 to 9
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Embark on a virtual field trip to follow the journey of Reyna Grande, an undocumented Mexican teen, as she tries to find her identity as both a Mexican and an ...more
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Embark on a virtual field trip to follow the journey of Reyna Grande, an undocumented Mexican teen, as she tries to find her identity as both a Mexican and an American. This Reading Trek provides a robust set of learning activities and extension resources to engage learners in exploring this book through a virtual journey using Google Maps. Use our robust Instructional Guide with students in grades 5-9. Content correlates to Common Core Standards, ISTE Student Standards, National Core Arts Standards for Visual Arts, and National Curriculum Standards for Social Studies. Find the entire collection of Reading Treks here.
tag(s): hispanic (31), identity (29), immigrants (33), mexico (30)
In the Classroom
Take advantage of the many suggested classroom uses for this resource found on the Instructional Guide (PDF). After reading this book and completing the activities found in the Reading Trek, ask students to document their identity using a tool like Odyssey, reviewed here. Use Odyssey to create a map-based story that includes images, text, videos, and photos. Find more ideas for teaching identity at this Discover My Identity Lesson Plan, reviewed here.
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Reading Treks: Esperanza Rising - TeachersFirst
Grades
3 to 6
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TeachersFirst Reading Treks create a virtual field trip of resources about a piece of literature or text using the My Maps feature of Google Maps. This Reading Trek provides inspiration...more
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TeachersFirst Reading Treks create a virtual field trip of resources about a piece of literature or text using the My Maps feature of Google Maps. This Reading Trek provides inspiration and suggestions for using the trade book, Esperanza Rising. Use our robust Instructional Guide with students in grades 3-6. Content correlates to Common Core Standards, National Core Arts Standards for Visual Arts, and National Curriculum Standards for Social Studies. Find the entire selection of Reading Treks here.
tag(s): 1920s (7), 1930s (20), great depression (29), hispanic (31), immigrants (33), racism (78)
In the Classroom
Take advantage of the many suggested classroom uses for this resource found on the Instructional Guide (PDF). This book and the suggested activities work well as part of lessons on racism and living conditions in the 1920s and 1930s on Mexican farms. Consider using the historical information and primary sources from the book to have students create timelines of the important events during the story. Find a variety of free online timeline creation tools located here. Use Google My Maps, reviewed here to create and share custom maps. As students conduct research related to life on Mexican farms during the 1920s and 1930s, use Fiskkit, reviewed here as a collaborative discussion tool. Use Fiskkit to share the link of any online article with students, then the site's tools provide the opportunity to highlight and add comments to areas within the article by users.
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Safe@School - Lesson Plans and Toolkits - USC Rossier
Grades
K to 12
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USC Rossier's online master's in school counseling program provides this extensive collection of resources for helping you to facilitate discussions about race, racism, and diversity...more
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USC Rossier's online master's in school counseling program provides this extensive collection of resources for helping you to facilitate discussions about race, racism, and diversity with students of all ages. Some of the resources are lesson plans, glossaries, toolkits, and others are activities. You don't have to pursue a master's in counseling to use these resources. Unfortunately, a few of the links are broken. Start with the Anti-Racisim Resource Kit, and go from there down the list.
tag(s): african american (110), hispanic (31), racism (78)
In the Classroom
Use these resources throughout the school year, and especially during difficult conversations, including those about racism, come up in class. Review these resources to prepare yourself for spontaneous discussions about race and differences. You may want to start the school year with a community building activity from this list, from Teampedia, reviewed here. Or skim through the list of resources to find one that will fit your lesson and students.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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All About the Holidays - PBS Learning Media
Grades
K to 12
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Learn about the history and significance behind many holidays through this video collection from PBS Learning Media. Begin browsing by choosing from fall, winter, spring, or summer...more
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Learn about the history and significance behind many holidays through this video collection from PBS Learning Media. Begin browsing by choosing from fall, winter, spring, or summer holidays. Each section includes short videos explaining the history of the holiday. Learn about holidays such as Yom Kippur, Oktoberfest, Day of the Dead (Dia de los Muertos), Kwanzaa, Juneteenth, Father's Day, and many others! Each selection also includes links to standards along with additional links to supporting materials such as lesson plans or printable items. Not seeing a holiday you want such as 100 days of school? Use the search bar at the top!
tag(s): 100thday (8), back to school (63), chinese new year (5), christmas (36), cinco de mayo (10), easter (10), elections (81), fathers day (11), fire prevention (16), flag day (5), halloween (31), hanukkah (12), hispanic (31), holidays (172), july 4th (12), Juneteenth (22), kwanzaa (12), labor day (5), martin luther king (41), mothers day (13), new years (5), pi (25), presidents (125), rosh hashanah (9), st patricks day (11), thanksgiving (24), valentines day (12), veterans (25), womens suffrage (44), yom kippur (9)
In the Classroom
Bookmark this site to use as a resource for teaching material during holidays throughout the year. For each holiday use a bookmarking site such as Wakelet, reviewed here, to organize and share lesson materials, videos, and game sites for your students. Instead of worksheets or written reports, enhance student learning by asking them to create infographics sharing information about any holiday. Canva Infographic Maker, reviewed here, is a very easy to use tool that includes pre-made templates. Don't keep student learning to yourself, share their knowledge through holiday podcasts for your entire school and community to hear. Spotify for Podcastors (was Anchor), reviewed here, features many kid-friendly tools to get you started with creating and sharing podcasts.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Kid World Citizen - Becky Morales
Grades
K to 6
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Kid World Citizen offers a large variety of resources to encourage kids to become global learners and thinkers. Explore categories such as books, food, and art to find international...more
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Kid World Citizen offers a large variety of resources to encourage kids to become global learners and thinkers. Explore categories such as books, food, and art to find international learning activities. Look for topics on specific countries using the map search. Be sure to check out the For Fun area with links to movies, music, games, and toys.
This site includes advertising.
This site includes advertising.
tag(s): back to school (63), chinese new year (5), christmas (36), cross cultural understanding (160), earth day (60), hanukkah (12), hispanic (31), holidays (172), italy (16), Juneteenth (22), mexico (30), native americans (92), ramadan (10), thanksgiving (24)
In the Classroom
Bookmark this site for use throughout the year when teaching about countries, holidays, and for cross-cultural literature resources. Choose a country to explore each month using resources found on the site. Learn about your students' backgrounds to find countries and regions to explore using activities on the site. Use an online tool such as Interactive Two Circle Venn Diagram, reviewed here, to compare and contrast your culture with that of a different country.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Classroom Materials - Primary Source Sets - Library of Congress
Grades
4 to 12
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This collection of primary sources from the Library of Congress is organized around key topics and themes in American History. View Primary Source Set titles in alphabetical order from...more
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This collection of primary sources from the Library of Congress is organized around key topics and themes in American History. View Primary Source Set titles in alphabetical order from Abraham Lincoln through Women's Suffrage. Choose any topic to view Teacher's Guides and analysis tools including graphic organizers for students. Sort information to find materials meeting Common Core Standards, State Standards, or national organization standards.
tag(s): 20th century (61), authors (104), black history (129), civil war (135), constitution (87), evaluating sources (27), hispanic (31), history day (39), immigration (65), jefferson (18), lincoln (62), new deal (5), primary sources (118), Research (84), segregation (18), thanksgiving (24), veterans (25), washington (27), westward expansion (38), womens suffrage (44), wright brothers (15)
In the Classroom
When introducing a new unit, show students photos from the era (on the left menu) and have them describe what they see and what period they think it is. Find plenty of questions and activities (including a blank analysis organizer for students) in the Teacher's Guides. Also look at Library of Congress: for Teachers, reviewed here. Encourage your students to use this tool for projects. Challenge students to find a photo (legally permitted for reproduction), and then narrate the photo as if it is a news report. Have students create a multimedia presentation using Google Slides, reviewed here. Google Slides allows you to narrate a picture (choose Insert from the top menu, then audio) modifying student learning. Include this site on your class webpage for students and parents to access as a reference.
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Zinn Education Project - Zinn Education Project
Grades
6 to 12
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The Zinn Education Project provides teaching resources as a part of its effort to offer an alternative to traditional methods of teaching history. Inspired by the work of Howard Zinn,...more
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The Zinn Education Project provides teaching resources as a part of its effort to offer an alternative to traditional methods of teaching history. Inspired by the work of Howard Zinn, the site and its resources come from a clearly progressive point of view and focus heavily on issues of social justice. Understand there is a political agenda here. The website offers both lesson plans and other teaching materials and a bibliography of related books and other non-web-based resources. In order to access the teaching materials, you must register on the site.
tag(s): african american (110), bias (26), black history (129), civil rights (197), hispanic (31), racism (78), women (140)
In the Classroom
If you are looking for additional teaching materials that focus on issues of social justice, racism, or which provide information from a progressive point of view, you can search by time period or theme (i.e., African American, Mexico, Hispanic, Latinx, LGBT, War and Anti-War, Civil Rights, Racism, and many more). The teaching materials are in PDF format you can download once you log in. Language arts teachers will find the articles here great for nonfiction reading and terrific as discussion starters!
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Daria -World Music for Children - World Music by Daria
Grades
K to 5
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World Music for Children, though a commercial site, shares some simple treasures of music: song lyrics, audio files, and music-related craft projects to engage children with music at...more
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World Music for Children, though a commercial site, shares some simple treasures of music: song lyrics, audio files, and music-related craft projects to engage children with music at school or at home. Steer clear of the items for sale, and you will find songs to play for Martin Luther King Day, Hispanic Heritage Month, Native American Heritage month, Cinco de Mayo and more. This review directs you to the Teacher section where you can also find directions and photos to make simple percussion instruments from all over the world. The site is simple, but the options for making music are many. PDF files of song lyrics are available.
This site includes advertising.
This site includes advertising.
tag(s): hispanic (31), martin luther king (41), musical instruments (47), native americans (92), songs (44), sound (73)
In the Classroom
Turn up your speakers and try the limbo. Make simple instruments as part of your cultural heritage celebrations. Enhance learning by recording your class (or with older children - small groups) singing one of the simple songs using a simple tool such as Acast, reviewed here, or your computer's own recording software; then share the link to the recording on your class web page for younger students to sing along at home. During units on sound in elementary science class, make some of the instruments to explore how sound is created and transmitted. PE teachers can teach lessons using the song/dance options, such as the limbo. World language classes and world cultures classes may even find some of the ethnic instruments from other parts of the world interesting, despite the more juvenile appearance of this site.
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Salsa - Georgia Public Broadcasting
Grades
K to 12
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This Spanish language program features TV segments of popular children's stories in Spanish. The TV episodes include puppets, animation, live action and music characteristic of Hispanic...more
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This Spanish language program features TV segments of popular children's stories in Spanish. The TV episodes include puppets, animation, live action and music characteristic of Hispanic culture. Besides transcripts, the website includes an intro, vocabulary, and more. In some episodes, the action is translated into sign language for the hearing impaired, as well! Complete transcripts in Spanish and English allow the instructor to pre-teach vocabulary and set up the situation before showing the video. One of the main advantages of using this program in a mixed language class is that the Spanish-speaking students suddenly become the authorities in the classroom; they can assist the instructor with the episodes and activities.
tag(s): hispanic (31), preK (261), resources (88), spanish (106)
In the Classroom
Use these episodes to supplement regular Spanish language classes or as enrichment for elementary classes wishing to learn a language. Encourage your Spanish-speaking class members to assist with pronunciation, episode summaries, songs, etc. Provide this link on your class website for students to use both in and out of the classroom; the activities and stories help with Spanish language comprehension. After introducing your students to this program you may want to set up stations with different stories from this list for students to rotate through. Share the stories on your interactive whiteboard or projector as a model for world language students, then extend student learning by challenging students to create their own stories. Use a tool like FlexClip, reviewed here, to record them and share them. FlexClip is designed to allow you to create short animated or explainer videos to share on YouTube and other social media sites. Then, share on a site such as TeacherTube, reviewed here.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Cinco de Mayo Words - Myvocabulary.com
Grades
4 to 10
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As part of their extensive site for vocabulary, roots, and more, MyVocabulary.com has added a themed area for Cinco de Mayo. Find interactive vocabulary activities using Cinco de Mayo...more
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As part of their extensive site for vocabulary, roots, and more, MyVocabulary.com has added a themed area for Cinco de Mayo. Find interactive vocabulary activities using Cinco de Mayo vocabulary words. You will also find printable crosswords, fill in the blanks and more, all using the same theme words. This and other "themes" available on the site will make vocabulary development fun.
tag(s): cinco de mayo (10)
In the Classroom
Use this site to reinforce and support vocabulary as you study Cinco de Mayo. Share the word puzzles on an interactive whiteboard or projector. Have students create their own word activities from the same vocabulary list, such as matching or ranking challenges for their peers to try on the interactive whiteboard.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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