TeachersFirst - Featured Sites: Week of Feb 28, 2021
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 go to the Featured Sites Archive
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Teaching History with Hamilton - Department of History, Stonehill College
Grades
2 to 12
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Teaching History with Hamilton is a resource for lessons and educational materials based on the musical, Hamilton. Use the dropdown boxes at the top of the page to find support ...more
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Teaching History with Hamilton is a resource for lessons and educational materials based on the musical, Hamilton. Use the dropdown boxes at the top of the page to find support for educators, teens, a kids club, and more. Choose the teachers' portion to find information divided by the age categories of grades K-5, 6-9, 9-12, and college. In addition, this section also includes podcasts, special education tools, Spanish resources, and professional development opportunities. Listen to the original Broadway cast recordings, play games, or read about Hamilton as a teen. The Kids Corner includes coloring pages, crossword puzzles, learning games, and more. Don't forget to check out the other links to find image galleries and much more.
tag(s): 1700s (32), american revolution (75), constitution (90), jefferson (21), washington (25)
In the Classroom
Take advantage of the immensely popular musical, Hamilton, to engage students as they learn about early American History. Include activities found on this site, along with your other resources, on a bookmarking tool such as Symbaloo, reviewed here, for younger students try Padlet, reviewed here. Ask students to share their learning by creating infographics using Canva Infographic Maker, reviewed here. Examples might include an infographic of Hamilton's life, comparisons between Hamilton and Thomas Jefferson, and Hamilton's influence on creating the two-party system in the United States. Extend learning by providing students options for sharing their perspectives on early American History. Have students who love drama and music use the play as inspiration to write and produce their own short play. Ask another group of students to create an interactive timeline of events using one of the timeline creation tools located here. For students who enjoy computer programming and games, encourage them to use Scratch, reviewed here, to design a game using information from their research and learning activities.
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Open Course Library - Washington State Board for Community and Technical Colleges
Grades
10 to 12
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Open Course Library is an impressive collection of free, downloadable course materials. Materials include syllabi, activities, readings, assessments, and more. The course topics cover...more
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Open Course Library is an impressive collection of free, downloadable course materials. Materials include syllabi, activities, readings, assessments, and more. The course topics cover a variety of content in all subject areas. Use the search feature to narrow down available information. Most links lead to course information found on shareable Google Documents.
tag(s): anthropology (11), business (50), careers (138), cells (90), communication (25), french (78), geology (71), literature (223), media literacy (86), nutrition (147), oceans (158), OER (33), psychology (65), sign language (8), spanish (103), speech (78), statistics (119), women (101), writing (294)
In the Classroom
Use these excellent free course materials in a variety of ways. Share courses with students with specific career interests not covered by traditional curriculums such as aerospace or anthropology. Provide students the opportunity to participate in college-level learning experiences without risk by using materials found in the courses on the site. These courses are perfect for use with gifted students to offer them content at a level that challenges them. As students learn from the information found in the courses on this site, ask them to reflect and share their learning through a digital portfolio created with Pathbrite, reviewed here. Students can even include their digital portfolio as part of their college application process at many universities.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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FluentKey - Fluentkey, LLC
Grades
K to 12
2 Favorites
0 Comments
FluentKey turns videos into interactive learning activities to teach foreign language learners (including American Sign Language). This site's videos engage learners through the addition...more
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FluentKey turns videos into interactive learning activities to teach foreign language learners (including American Sign Language). This site's videos engage learners through the addition of captions, quizzes, and games embedded into videos. Take advantage of the large library of videos found on the site, or upload your own videos from YouTube, Facebook, or your computer. After creating your account, add class information and student lists, then assign videos and add quizzes and other interactive content. Students access your assignment using the code created; as students complete each assignment, view responses and class averages to each question on your classroom dashboard. In addition to assigning content to individual students, FluentKey Live is an interactive game for classrooms. Share a video from the site on your interactive whiteboard and ask students to participate on their own devices.
tag(s): chinese (47), DAT device agnostic tool (167), french (78), german (53), sign language (8), spanish (103), Teacher Utilities (100)
In the Classroom
Use FluentKey to easily differentiate world language lessons for students and allow them to progress at their own speed. Help ESL/ELL students master English using videos and quizzes based on their knowledge level. This is also an excellent tool to provide language learning experiences based on student interests. Even if the language isn't included with the videos on the site, find and upload videos for student use and add quizzes along with additional content. As students become proficient in a new language, encourage them to share their knowledge using a variety of multimedia tools. Annotate images using ThingLink, reviewed here, create an audio recording of conversations, or use PhotoCollage, reviewed here, to create a collage. As students become more proficient in their new language, ask them to record short podcasts with a podcast creation tool like Podcast Generator, reviewed here, and share tips and advice with their fellow students.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Microsoft Translator for Education - Microsoft
Grades
K to 12
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Microsoft Translator provides translation between languages in two ways. First, use this tool to converse with single participants or groups via computer. Begin by choosing "start conversation"...more
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Microsoft Translator provides translation between languages in two ways. First, use this tool to converse with single participants or groups via computer. Begin by choosing "start conversation" and enter your name and language choice. Microsoft Translator provides a code to share with participants to log into the conversation on their device using the Translator website or app. There are two options: click on the conversation option to start a conversation, and then speak or type your words - participants on the other end hear and view text in their desired language. Option 2 is to click on the text option to translate text. Copy and paste text or a webpage URL into the first box and choose "Translate." Translator converts the text into your choice from many different languages. At the time of this review Translator works in 10 languages and 100 people can participate in one conversation.
tag(s): chinese (47), DAT device agnostic tool (167), french (78), german (53), greek (37), hebrew (18), italian (29), japanese (42), Microsoft (54), russian (23), spanish (103)
In the Classroom
Use Translator to greet "other language" speaking students and make them feel welcome in your classroom; encourage conversations between them and your class. Take advantage of Translator to widen your classroom's global viewpoint by sharing conversations with others around the world. Use this site in world language classrooms to have students copy their text to convert into the language being studied (or the reverse). Enhance student learning by having students create presentations about other countries in the native language of the nation using a presentation tool like Canva, reviewed here. Modify your technology presentations to include multimedia. Use a tool such as Genial.ly, reviewed here, to incorporate multimedia like maps, surveys, video, audio, and more.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Text to Speech Reader - WellSource Ltd
Grades
K to 12
1 Favorites
0 Comments
Drag, upload, or paste text files to convert your text to speech instantly. Choose from many voice and language options for replay. Other options allow control over the speed of ...more
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Drag, upload, or paste text files to convert your text to speech instantly. Choose from many voice and language options for replay. Other options allow control over the speed of your speech replay. Use the upload icon to save to your computer.
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This site includes advertising.
tag(s): chinese (47), french (78), german (53), spanish (103), text to speech (17)
In the Classroom
Share with world language learners to hear text spoken in the native language. Use this site with ESL/ELL students to convert small pieces of text to their native language. Use the speed options to slow down speech for students who are language learners. Use this site with students who have difficulty reading, especially when working with more challenging passages and text. Include a link to this site on your class website for students to use when learning new vocabulary in a different language and for your ESL/ELL students to hear something read or pronounced both in and outside of class.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Review Game Zone - reviewgamezone.com
Grades
K to 12
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Review Game Zone provides acollection of educational games in a variety of formats. The more often players provide correct responses, the longer time is allowed for gameplay. Use the...more
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Review Game Zone provides acollection of educational games in a variety of formats. The more often players provide correct responses, the longer time is allowed for gameplay. Use the search feature to find games by topic or type of game. Registration isn't required; however, registration allows teachers to create games for their students. The introductory video resides on YouTube. If your district blocks YouTube, the video may not be viewable.
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This site includes advertising.
tag(s): atmosphere (26), drugs and alcohol (28), financial literacy (104), game based learning (162), grammar (157), human body (110), literature (223), medicine (59), painting (55), photography (140), poetry (195), space (221), spanish (103), spelling (113), weather (188)
In the Classroom
Share a link to review games on your class website for student practice at home. Include a link to games on classroom computers for use as a center. Create your own games to personalize review materials for students. Due to a large number of advertisements on the site, you may want to share this site on your interactive whiteboard with younger students before assigning for independent use.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Epic! For Educators - Suren Markosian and Kevin Donahue
Grades
K to 5
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1 Comments
Epic! offers thousands of high-quality free books for educators teaching grades K-7. Create an account using your education email to begin. Add up to 30 student profiles to your account...more
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Epic! offers thousands of high-quality free books for educators teaching grades K-7. Create an account using your education email to begin. Add up to 30 student profiles to your account to receive personalized recommendations based on reading ability and interests. Students can access books on any device and educators receive feedback including time spent reading, page flips, and books read. Students earn badges and rewards as they reach milestones. Resources include classroom posters, lesson plans, teacher tips, presentations, and letters to parents in PDF format. Find educational videos by Smithsonian, Blue Wonders, Animal Wonders, and Encyclopedia Britannica. Epic! also offers titles in Spanish. Tutorial videos reside on YouTube as do some of the educational videos. If your district blocks YouTube, the videos may not be viewable.
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This site includes advertising.
tag(s): classroom management (143), DAT device agnostic tool (167), ebooks (34), independent reading (106), movies (56), reading lists (69), video (248)
In the Classroom
Create your free educator account and share with students as part of your independent reading activities. Adjust reading preferences and profiles as students increase skills or change interest in reading materials. Be sure to share with parents to use at home. What a wonderful, engaging way to keep students accountable for reading at home and for remote learning.
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Comments
Wendy, OK, Grades: 2 - 4
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The Vocabulary Trainer - LanguageCourse S.L.
Grades
3 to 12
3 Favorites
0 Comments
Create a world language learning plan with the Vocabulary Trainer. Use dropdown boxes to select your native language and a language to learn or practice. Other options include different...more
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Create a world language learning plan with the Vocabulary Trainer. Use dropdown boxes to select your native language and a language to learn or practice. Other options include different course levels and options such as business vocabulary. Tools in the program allow you to set up a personalized learning plan, including time set aside for learning and days of the week to practice.
tag(s): arabic (15), chinese (47), french (78), german (53), greek (37), hebrew (18), italian (29), japanese (42), spanish (103)
In the Classroom
This site would be very handy in world language classes and when working with ESL/ELL students. Use this site as a learning station or center. Include this site as a resource when students are preparing a project about another culture. If you have students in world language, world cultures, or even language arts classes who need enrichment - send them to this site to learn the basics of a new language or to look for roots that show in English. Self-motivated advanced students or those planning a semester abroad can learn language basics on their own here. Be sure to include this site for "Children of the World Day" or family heritage day activities.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Ba Ba Dum - Aleksandra MizieliA...
Grades
K to 12
2 Favorites
1 Comments
Use these interactives to learn up to thirteen new languages (English, French, German, Italian, Polish, Spanish, Portuguese, Arabic, Chinese, Lithuanian, and more). Choose from various...more
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Use these interactives to learn up to thirteen new languages (English, French, German, Italian, Polish, Spanish, Portuguese, Arabic, Chinese, Lithuanian, and more). Choose from various options: match images to a spoken word, fill in the blanks, or multiple choice. Audio options are available for non-readers. No registration is required. Registration allows you to save your progress and compete to earn the highest scores in each activity.
tag(s): arabic (15), chinese (47), french (78), german (53), italian (29), portuguese (18), spanish (103)
In the Classroom
Use your interactive whiteboard (or projector) to introduce this site in your world language class, ESL/ELL class, or young elementary classroom. Make a shortcut to Ba Ba Dum on classroom computers for use as a center in a language class or world cultures. Use this tool with young students just learning the English language to build up their vocabulary. The website offers audio options on many of the interactives, making this site ideal for non-readers (even kindergartners). Share this site with your gifted students looking for individual challenge. Why not learn Lithuanian or Chinese? Be sure to share a link to this site on your class website or blog for students (and possibly parents) to use at home. Have cooperative learning groups create online picture or ABC books featuring a different language using a tool such as Bookemon, reviewed here.Comments
Buena practica de vocabularioClaudia, TX, Grades: 1 - 7
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Imendi - David Filip
Grades
3 to 12
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Practice and learn basic words and vocabulary in Spanish, French, Italian, Arabic, Portuguese, German, Czech, and Russian. Imendi is a flashcard activity featuring various languages...more
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Practice and learn basic words and vocabulary in Spanish, French, Italian, Arabic, Portuguese, German, Czech, and Russian. Imendi is a flashcard activity featuring various languages in a drag and drop format. Choose your language to begin. You can choose between a random lesson or select a lesson topic from the dropdown menu on the upper left corner of the page. The upper left is also where you can choose to look at different vocaulary lists or use the "all words" option. Match new language terms to the English word then quickly view results and start over with a new set of cards. These are quick and easy reviews. Use the non-English speaking option to translate from any included language back to English.
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This site includes advertising.
tag(s): arabic (15), french (78), german (53), italian (29), portuguese (18), russian (23), spanish (103)
In the Classroom
Use this tool with your ESL/ELL students. If you teach world languages, this site is a great review of various languages. Looking for some enrichment for your gifted students? Share this site and help them to learn a new language (or at least several key vocabulary words). Have students compare the words for the same thing across various languages to notice relationships among the languages. Make simple posters of words for different themes, such as foods, in several different languages using a tool such as Web Poster Wizard, reviewed here. Be sure to include this site on your class web page for students to access both in and outside of class for further practice. Have students try out this site on individual computers, or as a learning center.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Lingo Hut - lingohut.com
Grades
4 to 12
1 Favorites
0 Comments
Set your sights high to learn world languages! Find both visual and audio lessons. Choose a language from Chinese, Dutch, Japanese, Polish, Russian, or Spanish. A list of tutorials...more
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Set your sights high to learn world languages! Find both visual and audio lessons. Choose a language from Chinese, Dutch, Japanese, Polish, Russian, or Spanish. A list of tutorials appears including the tutorial's author and short description of lessons. Learn colors, counting, days of the week, common phrases, or more challenging language skills. Practice speaking using the microphone tab and say words on your own. Click on the links in the tabs of the tutorials to try the interactives: matching games, flashcards, and tic tac toe.
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This site includes advertising.
tag(s): chinese (47), japanese (42), russian (23), spanish (103)
In the Classroom
This is a wonderful site to use with students to get a taste of other languages, including during study of world geography or cultures. Assign different tutorials that complement classroom activities. Share this site on your class website or blog as a resource for practice at home. Use this site on your interactive whiteboard to introduce and review world language terms. Obviously this site has many uses in the world language classroom. But this tool could also be used as enrichment for students or even an after-school club! Your verbal-linguistic gifted students would also enjoy learning and comparing basics in several languages. If you have ESL/ELL students who speak one of these languages, invite others to learn basics to converse with and respect their peers.
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Tv411 En Espanol - Adult Literacy Media Alliance
Grades
4 to 12
3 Favorites
0 Comments
TV411 En Espanol offers lessons covering several math, social studies, and science topics, all in Spanish. All lessons are offered in video and slide format beginning with an introduction...more
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TV411 En Espanol offers lessons covering several math, social studies, and science topics, all in Spanish. All lessons are offered in video and slide format beginning with an introduction to the activity. Some videos have questions for students to answer and receive feedback. Choose a topic to view videos offered along with a short description. Each video includes links to related web lessons (slide format) and some offer related print downloads.
tag(s): bacteria (23), heat (15), nutrition (147), photosynthesis (31), spanish (103), water (129)
In the Classroom
This resource is perfect for the blended learning classroom or for distant learning. Include a link to videos on your class website or blog for students to view at home. Use the Share button located near the bottom of the page to share the link via email or other social media sharing sites such as Facebook and Twitter. This site would be excellent to use with Spanish speaking students for help with explaining concepts. In Spanish class, enhance student learning by showing videos and then challenge your students to make their own videos using Biteable, reviewed here, for any topic. Share the videos using a tool such as TeacherTube, reviewed here.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Duolingo - Duolingo
Grades
1 to 12
1 Favorites
0 Comments
Duolingo is a free, online language learning class. Sign up with email. Make a selection from Spanish, French, Portuguese, Italian, Japanese, Arabic, and many others. Earn points on...more
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Duolingo is a free, online language learning class. Sign up with email. Make a selection from Spanish, French, Portuguese, Italian, Japanese, Arabic, and many others. Earn points on different levels as you work towards mastery. Practice provides both seeing and hearing the words. Your responses require choosing the English translation and also spelling the words in the "new" language. Put your knowledge to work in the immersion section and translate a document or even upload a document of your own. Check the vocabulary you have learned and your progress toward mastery. Track your weekly progress. The discussion section answers individual questions. Learn how Duolingo is offered for free by watching the "See how we do it" video. There are free iOS and Android apps for Duolingo. The video is hosted on YouTube. If your district blocks YouTube, the video may not be viewable.
tag(s): arabic (15), chinese (47), DAT device agnostic tool (167), french (78), game based learning (162), german (53), hebrew (18), italian (29), japanese (42), OER (33), Online Learning (15), portuguese (18), russian (23), spanish (103)
In the Classroom
Use Duolingo in your world language classes as another form of practice and enrichment. Have students sign up to compete against each other in a fun game of language mastery. Have world language students use the immersion tool to help read and translate authentic text. For an ELL/ESL classroom, provide extra, specific practice in beginning English. ESL/ELL students can also use the immersion section to check their own written documents and connect with other ESL/ELL students. Offer this site as a supplement when you study cultures from around the world. Gifted students are sure to enjoy the challenge of learning some language phrases. Is your class remote learning? Duolingo has a guide just for that! Scroll down the home page and find Duolingo for Schools, then click Bring Duolingo to Your Classroom. Find the Guide for using Duolingo at home at the top right of the page.
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Surface Languages - Moonface
Grades
3 to 12
1 Favorites
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Surface Languages is free site to learn basic survival words and phrases on a variety of topics in 37 different languages. Learn phrases in Afrikaans, Slovak, Arabic, Spanish, Bosnian,...more
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Surface Languages is free site to learn basic survival words and phrases on a variety of topics in 37 different languages. Learn phrases in Afrikaans, Slovak, Arabic, Spanish, Bosnian, Swahili, Bulgarian, Swedish, Catalan, Turkish, Chinese, Ukrainian, Croatian, Urdu, Czech, Welsh, Danish, Yiddish, Dutch, Estonian, Finnish, French, German, Greek, Hebrew, Hindi, Hungarian, Italian, Latin, Latvian, Lithuanian, Maltese, Norwegian, Polish, Portuguese, Romanian, and Russian. Phrases are organized into topics so use is simple. In addition to reading and hearing the words and phrases pronounced, the site has the capability of creating flash cards for each lesson. You choose yes or no to indicate if the card has the correct meaning. It also offers multiple choice items to test listening skills for the language and translating from English to the target language.
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tag(s): arabic (15), chinese (47), cultures (106), french (78), german (53), greek (37), hebrew (18), italian (29), latin (20), phrases (5), portuguese (18), russian (23), spanish (103)
In the Classroom
This site would be very handy in introduction (and level 1) world language classes. Use this site as a learning station or center. Use this site as a reference for checking meanings of foreign words and phrases. Use this site when students are preparing a project about another culture. If you have students in world language, world culture, or even language arts classes who need enrichment - send them to this site to learn the basics of a new language or look for roots that show in English. self-motivated gifted students or those planning a semester abroad can learn language basics on their own here. Be sure to include this site during "Children of the World Day" or family heritage day activities.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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