TeachersFirst - Featured Sites: Week of Oct 29, 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
Everything to Learn: Diving Into the Life and Art of Edmonia Lewis - TeachersFirst
Grades
4 to 12
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Everything to Learn: Diving Into the Life and Art of Edmonia Lewis is part of TeachersFirst Help! I Lost My Library/Media Specialist series reviewed here...more
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Everything to Learn: Diving Into the Life and Art of Edmonia Lewis is part of TeachersFirst Help! I Lost My Library/Media Specialist series reviewed here and provides book suggestions and activities that support the study of music through picture books and hands-on activities. Information in this article's Introduction and Background Knowledge sections provides readers with biographical information on this first female American sculptor of African American and Native American descent to rise to fame on the global art stage. Shared activities and books offer resources for learning more about Lewis and lessons for students to learn about and participate in creating sculptures. Additional extension activities include an option to compare and contrast the work of different artists and an idea for students to create a sculpture representing their personal history. Content in this article includes correlations to ISTE and AASL standards.
tag(s): african american (111), artists (78), book lists (161), native americans (91), sculpture (21)
In the Classroom
In addition to taking advantage of the lesson ideas and books shared on this page, find more ideas at the TeachersFirst Special Topics Page, Resources Related to the Visual Arts, reviewed here. If your students cannot visit a museum to view sculptures in person, take a virtual visit through Google Arts and Culture, reviewed here. Begin your exploration at Google Arts and Culture by searching for sculptures, Edmonia Lewis, or visit any museum collections to learn more about sculptures.
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Visualizing History - Clio Visualizing History
Grades
3 to 12
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Cliohistory.org is an educational organization that develops engaging online history projects designed to assist educators through documentaries, websites, and other media. Viewers...more
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Cliohistory.org is an educational organization that develops engaging online history projects designed to assist educators through documentaries, websites, and other media. Viewers learn about various American historical events through virtual history and photography exhibits. A few examples are: Votes for Women, Quilts As a Visual History, Native Americans: Our First Historians, among others. Some exhibits contain ready-made lesson plans, and videos for grades 3-12.
tag(s): history day (40), native americans (91), womens suffrage (44)
In the Classroom
Engage your students in learning about history with interactive maps, multimedia resources, and primary and secondary sources. All students, especially visual learners, will find these resources help them connect with historical events and figures more personally to make history feel more relevant and engaging. Enhance learning by having students create a timeline of historical events using Padlet, reviewed here. Use the exhibits as writing prompts to analyze historical information. Have students explore an exhibit as a resource for a research project, then create a multimedia presentation of their findings using Genially, reviewed here, where students will have a choice for their presentation format.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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National Museum of the American Indian - Smithsonian Institution
Grades
K to 12
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The National Museum of the American Indian contains an expansive collection of Native American artifacts. In addition, the museum's online offerings share photographs, media, and additional...more
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The National Museum of the American Indian contains an expansive collection of Native American artifacts. In addition, the museum's online offerings share photographs, media, and additional resources for educators and students. Browse through the homepage to view current exhibits and events; online events are clearly labeled, and there is a different section with a link to all online resources. Be sure to visit this site section to find links to various topics, including poetry, Native American women, and much more. Select the link from the dropdown box at the top of the page to view materials provided for educators. Included in the resources for educators is Native Knowledge 360 Education Initiative, reviewed here, which offers many teaching resources, including lessons, media, and professional development webinars. If your district blocks YouTube, then the videos may not be viewable.
tag(s): explorers (65), native americans (91), primary sources (117), professional development (394), thanksgiving (24), westward expansion (38)
In the Classroom
Be sure to bookmark this site for use with lessons on Thanksgiving, using primary sources, or when teaching about Native Americans. Consider using curation tools such as Padlet, reviewed here, or Wakelet, reviewed here, to organize resources for easy retrieval. Padlet and Wakelet are also handy when sharing information and resources with students. As you begin your lessons on American Indians, begin with a formative assessment to gauge your students' understanding of the topic. Use an easy online quiz tool such as Baamboozle, reviewed here, to engage students in your learning activities. As you continue in your lessons, continue to motivate and engage students using Wooclap, reviewed here, to review information either in class or as a homework activity. Instead of testing to assess knowledge upon completing your unit, offer students the opportunity to share their understanding of content in various ways. Examples include creating an infographic using Canva Infographic Maker, reviewed here, an explainer video made using Clipchamp, reviewed here, and an interactive map built using Google My Maps, reviewed here.
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Native American Heritage Collection - PBS LearningMedia
Grades
3 to 12
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Learn about Indigenous art, history, and culture with the PBS LearningMedia Native American Heritage Collection. This collection of teaching resources includes videos, lesson plans,...more
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Learn about Indigenous art, history, and culture with the PBS LearningMedia Native American Heritage Collection. This collection of teaching resources includes videos, lesson plans, media galleries, learning interactives, and more! Open each resource in this collection and find entire lessons already created for you. Share items quickly with your students with the share to Google Classroom or sharing links. Teachers can use the site's included Lesson Builder to create detailed lesson plans customized just for them. A free account is required to download and save resources.
tag(s): native americans (91)
In the Classroom
Use this collection during Native American Heritage month to dive deeply into studying America's Indigenous people and culture. Teachers can enhance learning by downloading videos and creating interactive questions using tools such as Edpuzzle, reviewed here. Resources from this collection include support materials that you can use with Kami, reviewed here, or upload to your learning management system. Many included resources have comprehension or discussion questions that classes can discuss digitally with tools such as Google's Jamboard, reviewed here.
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Native American Month Resources for Teachers - Library of Congress
Grades
K to 12
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Start your search for Native American Heritage Month lessons and activities with the resources provided by the Library of Congress. This site includes a Teacher's Guide and primary...more
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Start your search for Native American Heritage Month lessons and activities with the resources provided by the Library of Congress. This site includes a Teacher's Guide and primary source resources from the National Archives, National Gallery of Art, and other national institutions. Lesson focus is on many different types of primary sources, including maps, artwork, and music.
tag(s): native americans (91), primary sources (117)
In the Classroom
Bookmark this site to use not only for Native American Heritage Month but as a supplement for any lessons that include activities that teach about Native Americans. Take advantage of the many free primary source Strategy Guides available at Read Write Think, reviewed here, for teaching with primary sources. For example, search for the Inquiry Charts (I-Guide) Strategy Guide to download and use the printout that helps students focus on the content of any primary source. Create an inquiry chart using Google Slides, reviewed here, or Jamboard, reviewed here, for students to complete as a group. Enhance learning through the use of a video add-on tool such as edpuzzle, reviewed here. edpuzzle offers options to add comments and questions into videos to help students focus on important concepts. Extend learning by asking students to share their understanding of Native Americans using a variety of online tools. For example, ask students to use Google My Maps, reviewed here, to create maps sharing information of different tribes found around the United States. Another option is to use Adobe Creative Cloud Express for Education, reviewed here, and offer students options for creating videos Adobe Express Video Maker, or web pages sharing facts and information learned during your unit.
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Native American Heritage Month - Described and Captioned Media Program
Grades
K to 12
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Each November, we celebrate American Indian and Alaska Native Heritage Month. This site provides a series of videos for students to learn about the history and stories of Native Americans....more
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Each November, we celebrate American Indian and Alaska Native Heritage Month. This site provides a series of videos for students to learn about the history and stories of Native Americans. The website features five video series, broken into the categories of A History of Native American Achievement, Native American Culture, Native American Folklore, Native American History, and Celebrate Native American Educators. Each video includes suggested grade level use and links to content standards. Most videos are available as a preview, register for your free account to view videos in full.
tag(s): commoncore (75), native americans (91)
In the Classroom
Include these videos as part of your studies of American Indians and their heritage. Engage students by making the videos interactive using Edpuzzle, reviewed here, to add both teacher and student comments. Use Google My Maps, reviewed here, for extending learning when students create virtual field trips sharing locations and information found during their research of American Indians. Have students create interactive timelines using Timeline Infographic Templates, reviewed here, for younger students, or Timeline JS, reviewed here, for older students who can include music, photos, videos, maps, comments, and more.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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The Molly of Denali Podcast - PBS Kids
Grades
2 to 6
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Follow the adventures of Molly of Denali, an Alaskan native girl, as she attempts to discover the identity of the mysterious creature who stole her birthday cake. Shared over nine ...more
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Follow the adventures of Molly of Denali, an Alaskan native girl, as she attempts to discover the identity of the mysterious creature who stole her birthday cake. Shared over nine different episodes, listeners discover the ways of life in Alaska as she solves the mystery. Podcasts run just under 15 minutes per episode. Listen to all podcasts directly on the website or from most podcast apps. After landing on the site there will be a menu in the middleof the page listing all the podcasts. You can also access the podcasts from the Video tab at the bottom of the menu.
tag(s): alaska (20), native americans (91), podcasts (77)
In the Classroom
Molly of Denali is perfect for including with any lessons or units on Alaska or Native Americans. Listen to podcasts together as a class pausing throughout the episode as needed to identify important information such as different modes of transportation used in Alaska, weather and climate indicators, and geographic locations referenced. Before beginning your unit, engage students by asking them to brainstorm what they know about Alaska or Native Americans using Padlet, reviewed here, where you can add columns for wildlife, transportation, weather, etc. Build upon students' knowledge and address misconceptions based on your brainstorming activities. Consider creating activities within a learning management system such as Actively Learn, reviewed here. Add videos and articles based on your students' ability levels and comprehension. Enhance learning further using Symbaloo, reviewed here, to share bookmarks for further learning and additional activities. To differentiate learning, create two or more Symbaloo's based upon student interest and/or ability levels. Extend learning by participating in a virtual field trip. Choose from several different options found at Gez.la, reviewed here, and then ask students to to choose and create their own podcasts featuring any destination using Molly of Denali as a model. Spotify for Podcastors (was Anchor), reviewed here, is one of several free podcasting services suitable for classroom use.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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American Bald Eagle Foundation - Bald Eagle Foundation
Grades
1 to 12
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Visit the Bald Eagle Foundation, in Haines Alaska, dedicated to the preservation of this national symbol. Discover eagle facts and incredible image galleries. Read more about the museum...more
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Visit the Bald Eagle Foundation, in Haines Alaska, dedicated to the preservation of this national symbol. Discover eagle facts and incredible image galleries. Read more about the museum and preserve in Haines, Alaska. Be sure to click Discover on the top menu to find information about the Resident Birds, Natural History Museum, Programs, and the Bald Eagle Festival.
This site includes advertising.
This site includes advertising.
tag(s): endangered species (27), extinction (3)
In the Classroom
Study the bald eagle and its current status as no longer endangered. Use as a research site for bald eagle information. Consider showing one of the videos from the YouTube channel for the American Eagle Foundation. If you do not wish to show all scenes in the video use a program like Clipchamp, reviewed here to show only the portions of the video you want your students to see. Look for an animal in your area, and research it. Do a Problem Based Learning Project on creating dioramas and information for creating public awareness. Create a festival to promote the preservation of the species. Have students create commercials and posters to meet speaking and listening standards. For online posters use a program like Adobe Creative Cloud Express for Education, reviewed here. Create a public blog for an ongoing research watch using Webnode, reviewed here.
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Navajo Code Talkers - Navajo Code Talkers Foundation
Grades
6 to 12
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The Navajo Code Talkers Foundation site tells the story of young Navajo men who transmitted secret communications on the battlefields of World War II. Their unbreakable code played...more
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The Navajo Code Talkers Foundation site tells the story of young Navajo men who transmitted secret communications on the battlefields of World War II. Their unbreakable code played a pivotal role in saving countless lives and hastening the war's end. Choose the link to the "Code Talkers" to read their story from beginning, through the battles, and coming home. Learn more about the code in that portion of the site by scrolling over words to view the translation and understand more about the only unbroken code in modern military history. Meet several of the code talkers through their bio and photos available on the site.
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This site includes advertising.
tag(s): cryptography (5), native americans (91), world war 2 (150)
In the Classroom
Share this site with your students on your interactive whiteboard (or projector) during your World War II unit or a unit on Native Americans. This would be a great link to share during Native American Heritage Month. Enhance student learning by replacing pencil and paper and use an online tool such as the Interactive Two Circle Venn Diagram, reviewed here, to create a visual comparison of the Code Talkers vs other World War II battle units or cryptographers. Put a link to Fun Facts For Kids on station computors or your website for your students to learn even more.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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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 (28), martin luther king (43), musical instruments (47), native americans (91), songs (44), sound (74)
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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Alaskan Malamute - American Kennel Club
Grades
4 to 12
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While not all sled dogs are malamutes, the American Kennel Club's page about this breed explains why they are so well suited to life in the Arctic. The information includes ...more
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While not all sled dogs are malamutes, the American Kennel Club's page about this breed explains why they are so well suited to life in the Arctic. The information includes both physical descriptions and show standards.
In the Classroom
During the Iditarod season, introduce this site to your class. Post to your webpage for students check out at home and share with their parents.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Iditarod Home Page - Iditarod
Grades
4 to 12
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The home page for the annual Iditarod sled dog race offers all manner of information on the race, the dogs, and the mushers. There's also information on the Junior Iditarod, ...more
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The home page for the annual Iditarod sled dog race offers all manner of information on the race, the dogs, and the mushers. There's also information on the Junior Iditarod, and extensive information for teachers and students. This site is useful even during "non-race" seasons.
In the Classroom
Introduce this site to your students on a whiteboard or projector during your Alaska studies or during the time frame of this event. Then post this on your webpage for students to look through at home, after they've caught up with work in class, or at computers for "rainy day recess."Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Northern Alaska Environmental Center
Grades
6 to 12
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This conservationist (and proud of it) site offers lots of detail on the size and fragility of the Alaskan environment and the potential impact of extensive intrusion into that environment....more
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This conservationist (and proud of it) site offers lots of detail on the size and fragility of the Alaskan environment and the potential impact of extensive intrusion into that environment. Useful information for any discussion on the management of natural resources, or for background on the state itself.
tag(s): alaska (20), arctic (40), ecosystems (74), oil (24)
In the Classroom
Use your whiteboard or projector to introduce this site to your class when studying or researching Alaska. Also, review the "Programs" section and at the bottom find a link to Adventure Borealis which has varied information, not just about the "northern lights." Allow students or small groups to chose a section or program they are interestd in reading. You may want to use Read Ahead, reviewed here with these articles as a guided reading activity for younger students. Read Ahead is perfect for introducing any reading passage to struggling readers, special education students, and ENL/ESL learners.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Alaska - Alaska.gov
Grades
4 to 12
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Find basic facts about the state of Alaska. Especially helpful is the information included here, about the state's history, tourism,...more
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Find basic facts about the state of Alaska. Especially helpful is the information included here, about the state's history, tourism, parks, arts & culture, and much more.
In the Classroom
Share this site with students researching information for state reports. Rather than having students create traditional reports, replace these by making them online! Use PicLits, reviewed here. Take student learning a step further by modifing their learning and having students use a tool such as Zeemaps, reviewed here. This tool allows students to create audio recordings AND choose a location on a map (Alaska) where the report takes place. Explore the site with students when learning about different states, ask students to tell what they know then compare to information provided on the site.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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