TeachersFirst - Featured Sites: Week of Sep 6, 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
Proportion Land - Alabama Public Television
Grades
5 to 9
tag(s): energy (202), ratios (56), simple machines (38)
In the Classroom
Use Proportion Land as an anticipatory set or "activator" to introduce a unit or lesson on a projector or interactive whiteboard. Share with students as a resource for science fair projects. Challenge cooperative learning groups to create videos demonstrating topics found on Proportion Land and share them on a site such as TeacherTube, reviewed here.You must be registered and logged in to add items to your favorites.
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Junior General - juniorgeneral.org
Grades
8 to 12tag(s): battles (19), korea (15), vietnam (36), world war 1 (53), world war 2 (141)
In the Classroom
Choose from the many different options on this site to create battle recreations offering a much better perspective of troop size and battle tactics. Pique student interest in reading the scenarios by having them cut and prepare figures, forests, and more in advance. Using the figures on Junior General takes some advanced planning, so have students start cutting and preparing figures a day or two before beginning the reading. Challenge students to create timelines of the major events of a battle (with music, photos, videos, and more) using Capzles, reviewed here. Have students use Fakebook, reviewed here, to create a "fake" page similar in style to Facebook about a soldier during a battle. Use the scenarios as informational reading to meet Common Core Standards.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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RoboPacker - Eduplace
Grades
1 to 4tag(s): flips (4), geometric shapes (165), rotation (12), slides (64)
In the Classroom
Introduce Robopacker on an interactive whiteboard or projector, and show students how to play. Be sure to emphasize vocabulary and geometric shapes offered on the site. Create a link on classroom computers for students to use as a math center. Share a link on your class website for students to play at home. Challenge students to work through all of the different levels of the game.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Agree or Disagree? - Tim McCaffrey
Grades
5 to 8tag(s): debate (44), logic (239), measurement (158), money (185), problem solving (273), volume (44)
In the Classroom
Although there are only a few activities, this site provides an interesting starting point for creating inquiry-based lessons. Use ideas from this site as examples and have students make their own Agree or Disagree activities. Challenge small groups of students to find (and cite correctly) videos they could use for an activity like the ones presented here. Use a tool like Shotclip, reviewed here, to upload images, video, audio, add effects, and edit the chosen video as desired, if necessary. Once students have finished this project, have students post their videos on TeacherTube, reviewed here, and present them to the class.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Which One Doesn't Belong? - Mary Bourassa
Grades
5 to 12tag(s): critical thinking (112), logic (239), problem solving (273), puzzles (207)
In the Classroom
These puzzles are perfect for use with an interactive whiteboard or projector. Use the puzzles as a warm up for any math class or use for journal writing prompts. Use this site for discussion and debate with your gifted students. Challenge students to create puzzles and have classmates solve. Have cooperative learning groups create online books of their puzzles using a tool such as Bookemon, reviewed here. Have students create an annotated image including text boxes and related links using a tool such as Thinglink, reviewed here.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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The Wonderment - Kidnected World
Grades
3 to 9tag(s): cross cultural understanding (120), enrichment (13), gifted (92), listening (91), problem solving (273), social media (21), social networking (112), social skills (21), speaking (25)
In the Classroom
Wonderment is a problem based learning adventure for each student around the world to communicate and collaborate with other students. This venue allows great lesson ideas for digital citizenship and digital footprints. Begin by choosing a path for the entire class and feature on an interactive whiteboard. Have students work in small groups to choose their best response. Discussions after can focus on creativity, problem solving, and collaboration between the group and others from around the world. In a gifted class, use as a way to challenge kids to break through the "right answer" and find the "best answer." Use this as a model for finding authentic needs in your community. Be sure to share a link to this tool on your class blog, website, or Edmodo account. Use this tool as the answer for the parents who always want more challenge and enrichment for their students at home. Be sure to share at a staff meeting to spread the wonder for other students and adults.Edge Features:
Parent permission advised before posting student work created using this tool
Includes Interaction w general public/ public galleries with unmoderated content
Includes social features, such as "friends," comments, ratings by others
Requires registration/log-in (WITH email)
Multiple users can collaborate on the same project
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Andrew Carnegie's Story - Carnegie Corporation of New York
Grades
7 to 12tag(s): 1900s (37), biographies (90), business (57), railroads (11)
In the Classroom
Introduce this site on your interactive whiteboard or projector. Then have students explore this site independently or in small groups. Include this resource with a study of the 19th Century, famous businessmen, or philanthropy. Have students create maps of libraries in your state funded by the Carnegie Foundation using Animaps, reviewed here. Students can add text, images, and location stops! Have students use Fakebook, reviewed here, to create a "fake" page similar in style to Facebook about Andrew Carnegie and his peers. Use this site as a starting point to compare Andrew Carnegie to current businessmen and philanthropists such as Bill Gates and Warren Buffet.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Star Wars in the Classroom - EDventure Quest Learning LLC
Grades
5 to 12tag(s): heroes (24), literary devices (11), literature (274), movies (72), myths and legends (25), planets (127), psychology (66), religions (68), robotics (24), themes (12)
In the Classroom
Appeal to students through the movies they love using Star Wars in the Classroom. Collaborate with teachers to create a cross-curricular Star Wars unit. Use resources from this site with gifted students or for independent learners. The lessons and units at this site lend themselves to having students make multimedia presentations about what they learned. Use one of the many TeachersFirst Edge Tools, reviewed here. Have students use Fakebook, reviewed here, to create a "fake" page similar in style to Facebook about a Star Wars character.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Primary Source Sets - Library of Congress
Grades
4 to 12tag(s): 20th century (53), authors (121), black history (61), civil war (145), constitution (87), hispanic (17), jefferson (20), lincoln (86), new deal (6), primary sources (93), segregation (15), thanksgiving (37), veterans (21), washington (36), westward expansion (29), womens suffrage (26), wright brothers (25)
In the Classroom
When introducing a new unit, show students photos from the era 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 Voicethread, reviewed here. This tool allows users to narrate a picture. Include this site on your class webpage for students and parents to access as a reference.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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TextProject YouTube Channel - TextProject, Inc
Grades
K to 9tag(s): commoncore (95), literacy (106), professional development (156), reading comprehension (119), reading strategies (49), video (276)
In the Classroom
Share individual videos with parents to help them understand different reading strategies. Embed a video of the week on your class website or blog for parents. Share with colleagues as part of your ongoing professional development.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Ratatype - Typing Speed Test - Ratatype
Grades
2 to 12tag(s): keyboarding (37)
In the Classroom
Share this site on your classroom computer, teacher web page, or in a class newsletter for students to practice keyboarding outside of class or at home. Be sure to demonstrate how the typing test works on an interactive whiteboard or projector before students take tests on their own. Challenge students to improve speed and accuracy through the different levels of certificates.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Changing Planet - NBC Universal Media, LLC
Grades
4 to 12This site includes advertising.
tag(s): arctic (45), climate change (64), diseases (69), glaciers (15), mountains (14), oceans (150), scientific method (67), statistics (124), STEM (153), temperature (31), trees (29), tundra (14), water (130)
In the Classroom
Place the URL to Changing Planet on your classroom website or blog for students to explore the videos on their own. Flip your instruction and assign the videos to your scientists to watch before class. Flipping will maximize classroom time. Encourage budding scientists to investigate climate change. Use this site as a springboard for individual or group projects that connect to our world today. Have students create presentations to share what they learned using a tool such as Powtoon, reviewed here. Build student's background knowledge by watching the videos, and reviewing nonfiction reading strategies with students before reading the transcripts. Use the videos on Changing Planet to help struggling readers with the content on the cue cards. Encourage your scientists to tackle the topic of climate for a science fair experiment or graduation project.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Technology Integration Matrix - Florida Center for Instructional Technology
Grades
K to 12tag(s): rubrics (32)
In the Classroom
Use the matrix to evaluate how you use technology in your classroom. Share with administrators and peers as part of your ongoing professional development. View videos to understand different ways to incorporate technology in your classroom.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Freemake Video Converter - Ellora Assets Corporation
Grades
K to 12tag(s): conversions (24), images (274), movies (72), multimedia (63), slides (64), video (276)
In the Classroom
Share with students for use with any multimedia or presentation project. Use this tool to backup videos on your YouTube channel. Bookmark and save this video converter for use as an alternative to Keepvid, reviewed here. This tool and Keepvid are both used to download and save videos at home that you wish to show to students, especially if they are blocked at school. If you want to use the video at school, you may need to save the conversion to a USB stick, if a CD drive isn't available.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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