TeachersFirst - What's Popular
This page shares the 25 resources most frequently marked as Favorites by TeachersFirst Members in the past 60 days. See what tops the list of TeachersFirst's database of well over 15,000+ educator-reviewed web resources. Find out what other teachers are excited about. Not a TeachersFirst member yet? See the time saving benefits of free TeachersFirst membership.
Creative Educator - Tech4Learning
Grades
1 to 12
9 Favorites
0 Comments
Creative Educator offers articles, lesson plans, and resources for many different ways to put creativity into the curriculum. Explore four main topics: Creativity, Digital Storytelling,...more
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Creative Educator offers articles, lesson plans, and resources for many different ways to put creativity into the curriculum. Explore four main topics: Creativity, Digital Storytelling, 21st Century Classrooms, and Project-based Learning. Curriculum related areas such as Literacy, English Language Aquisition, and STEM resources will grab your interest. Find a variety of lessons in Language Arts, Math, Science, and Social Studies to integrate technology and pique students' interest.
This site includes advertising.
This site includes advertising.
tag(s): addition (224), creativity (119)
In the Classroom
Creative Educator, designed for teachers, helps you move past stale worksheets to get inspired! Be sure to look at this site to help you discover ways to integrate technology and creativity into lessons. Work with a partner to make the lessons fit in your situation. Share at staff meetings and offer new ideas. Look for ways to bring a new focus to your gifted students. Give as a resource to students, so they can choose a multimedia product to share the content knowledge they are learning.You must be registered and logged in to add items to your favorites.
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Maptia - A World of Stories - Dorothy Sanders, Dean Fischer, and Johnny Miller
Grades
6 to 12
6 Favorites
0 Comments
Maptia is a bold, beautiful world of thoughtful and inspiring stories told through photographs by photographers, adventurers, and writers. Explore stories categorized by places, themes,...more
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Maptia is a bold, beautiful world of thoughtful and inspiring stories told through photographs by photographers, adventurers, and writers. Explore stories categorized by places, themes, and storytellers. Stories focus on portraying an individual perspective of the location and why it matters on a personal level. Find a collection of inspiring stories by people and organizations who are making a difference in many corners of the world. When browsing through offerings, information includes a short synopsis along with the location featured and an estimate of time to read the story. Create an account to add your stories. Bookmark and save favorites for viewing at any time. Maptia works well for viewing in all browsers, but it is optimized for Chrome and Safari when creating stories.
tag(s): creative writing (169), digital storytelling (154), narrative (19), photography (156)
In the Classroom
Share Maptia on your interactive whiteboard or projector to discover personal stories from anywhere in the world. Share with students as examples of personal narrative writing. Challenge students to create an account and add their own personal stories. To find even more stories like those under Causes see The Lowell Milken Center for Unsung Heros, reviewed here, and follow their ten steps for writing about people who make a difference. Create a class account and bookmark favorites. Share with students through a link on your class web page. Display photographs for use as a creative writing prompt.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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My Spell It - Merriam-Webster
Grades
5 to 12
4 Favorites
0 Comments
For serious lovers of words and their meanings (is there perhaps a future lexicologist in your classroom?), this site offers a wealth of information using examples from 1150 words....more
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For serious lovers of words and their meanings (is there perhaps a future lexicologist in your classroom?), this site offers a wealth of information using examples from 1150 words. Click on Home to get a complete overview of this site. In the "Words From" box, just click on a category: Latin, Slavic Languages, Dutch, Greek, Spanish, and many others. A list of words from that category will appear at the bottom on your screen. Now, click on a word to learn information about that particular word. Click on the "Now You Try" tab to work interactive activities for that word category. Lists of those example words may be printed as well.
Visit the official site for the Scripps National Spelling Bee (reviewed here by TeachersFirst). Check out all the links to learn how to study for the Bee, guidelines, and application deadlines. December is the annual deadline for your school's enrollment in the National Bee. This site will have the exact deadline each year. Click on Study Zone to download the Consolidated Word List (a gigantic compilation of 794 pages of words that have been used from 1950 to the present). Students can test their spelling know-how by clicking on the "Test Your Spell It Knowledge" link on the homepage. Flash is required to enjoy the interactive activities, get it from the TeachersFirst Toolbox page.
Visit the official site for the Scripps National Spelling Bee (reviewed here by TeachersFirst). Check out all the links to learn how to study for the Bee, guidelines, and application deadlines. December is the annual deadline for your school's enrollment in the National Bee. This site will have the exact deadline each year. Click on Study Zone to download the Consolidated Word List (a gigantic compilation of 794 pages of words that have been used from 1950 to the present). Students can test their spelling know-how by clicking on the "Test Your Spell It Knowledge" link on the homepage. Flash is required to enjoy the interactive activities, get it from the TeachersFirst Toolbox page.
tag(s): arab (16), arabic (19), french (88), german (63), italian (35), japan (60), japanese (45), spanish (108), spelling (166)
In the Classroom
Share this site (and word lists) on your interactive whiteboard or projector. As they study different word etymologies, have students sort copy/pasted selections from these wordlists into categories by language of origin as a drag-and-drop activity on your whiteboard. If you have students who are competitive spellers, encourage participation by introducing this site to them and their families. You may want to list this site on your class website for students to use both in and out of the classroom.For an interactive cooperative learning project. Have cooperative learning groups explore one of the languages shared at this site. Have the groups create a multimedia project to share their new vocabulary. How about an online book created using Bookemon (reviewed here) or their own drag-and-drop activity for the class to use on the interactive whiteboard?
This resource requires Adobe Flash.
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Inside Story Flashcards - Inside Story, LLC
Grades
2 to 12
12 Favorites
0 Comments
Stunning pictures, audio of each word, and short definitions all make this online vocabulary flashcard site visually stimulating and interesting. As a bonus, you can print all cards....more
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Stunning pictures, audio of each word, and short definitions all make this online vocabulary flashcard site visually stimulating and interesting. As a bonus, you can print all cards. Choose from basic, easy, medium, or hard levels of vocabulary to find and listen to words. Definitions can also be turned off for practice with word recall or guessing what the image represents. When ready to print the cards, choose the print button; then select words for the flashcards (or all). There is a paid portion of the site for other flashcards, but the free printable section contains more than enough words to make this site worth a visit.
tag(s): dictionaries (58), flash cards (45), vocabulary (314), vocabulary development (119)
In the Classroom
Display the site on your interactive whiteboard (or projector), turn off the definition under the flashcard and have students try to guess the meaning of the word. Split students into teams to see who can come up with the most creative sentence using the vocabulary word. Print out cards on card stock to use at a writing center as a resource for writing. Print out cards and have students separate by nouns, verbs, adjectives, etc. Have a word of the day and challenge students to use the word correctly throughout the day in the classroom. Secondary teachers may want to share this site with students preparing for ACT/SAT testing.
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EasyWrite - Deekshith Allamaneni
Grades
K to 12
4 Favorites
0 Comments
EasyWrite is a simple to use writing tool for creating easy to understand content. Just type your text into the text box and begin writing. EasyWrite highlights words not found ...more
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EasyWrite is a simple to use writing tool for creating easy to understand content. Just type your text into the text box and begin writing. EasyWrite highlights words not found in the 1,000 most commonly used words in the English language. At the time of this review, EasyWrite worked best with Chrome or Mozilla FireFox.
tag(s): digital storytelling (154), independent reading (127), process writing (46), vocabulary (314), writers workshop (34)
In the Classroom
Have students use EasyWrite to retell difficult text in an easy to understand way. Retell Shakespeare passages in simple English or breakdown complicated directions into simple terms. EasyWrite is perfect for use with ESL/ELL or special education students. Choose any complex or difficult text and break it into simpler terms for easier understanding. Do this by adding a free browser extension to classroom computers and devices. Use a tool such as Grammarly (for Chrome, Safari, and FireFox), reviewed here, or After the Deadline (for Internet Explorer), reviewed here. Turn the theory of EasyWrite upside down - have students paste their writing projects into EasyWrite. If there are only a few highlighted words, have them develop more interesting and complex writing passages. Have students take a screenshot of their original work to include with a final draft.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Reading Hawk - Clark Ness
Grades
K to 2
4 Favorites
0 Comments
Reading Hawk presents over 500 downloadable books for beginning readers. Choose from three categories: Dolch Sight Word Stories, Reading Hawk Library, and Single Word Stories. Download...more
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Reading Hawk presents over 500 downloadable books for beginning readers. Choose from three categories: Dolch Sight Word Stories, Reading Hawk Library, and Single Word Stories. Download stories in PDF format by reading level or choose individual stories to read online. Some of the stories also include audio to hear each page. (QuickTime is required.)
tag(s): guided reading (47), phonics (69), preK (284), printables (39), sight words (36)
In the Classroom
Learning support teachers, reading specialists, and ESL/ELL teachers can use this site to individualize reading materials for students. Share the stories on your interactive whiteboard or projector. Share this link with your families using your class website or wiki. Send home specific pdfs for students to practice at home.
This resource requires PDF reader software like Adobe Acrobat.
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Rhyme Brain - Steve Hanov
Grades
4 to 12
3 Favorites
0 Comments
This dynamite site makes rhyming alright. Save it as a favorite quick pick to have a slick trick for poets to click. The process is simple; just type in a ...more
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This dynamite site makes rhyming alright. Save it as a favorite quick pick to have a slick trick for poets to click. The process is simple; just type in a word and RhymeBrain finds ones that sound similar and sorts them so that the best rhymes appear first. You can also click to alliterate. Some of the choices are a bit of a stretch, so take what it reveals and appeals, without any waste-of-time ordeals. Some of your advanced poetry writers have the options of not only clicking on the link for instantaneously generating a list of rhymes, they can type in two words and then click on alliteration for another organized list. Sophisticated, witty language users may also have fun with the Insult button, which is similar to the British humor of rhyming Cockney slang.
tag(s): poetry (221)
In the Classroom
Demonstrate how simple it is to find a word that rhymes on your projector or interactive whiteboard and then, provide a link to Rhyme Brain on your class web page for your students to have easy access to this tool. Have your students share their created poems on an interactive online poster using Lucidpress, reviewed here, or Canva, reviewed here.It's a real time saver. Use it to fascinate elementary students with the numerous single and multi-syllabic rhyming words and various spelling combinations that are generated. Older students will enjoy the play on words that it quickly reveals, saving them time to do the higher level thinking that the figurative language of poetry requires.
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PhET Interactive Simulations - University of Colorado at Boulder
Grades
5 to 12
3 Favorites
0 Comments
PhET offers free, researched-based interactive activities for teaching science and math concepts. Topics include physics, biology, chemistry, and more. In addition to the interactive,...more
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PhET offers free, researched-based interactive activities for teaching science and math concepts. Topics include physics, biology, chemistry, and more. In addition to the interactive, most items include a video demonstration and teacher-submitted activities. Choose interactives by topic, or iPad or ChromeBook compatible games. Many interactives now support HTML 5 for easy access on any device.
tag(s): circuits (23), electricity (93), energy (210), mass (25), motion (70), waves (22)
In the Classroom
Use these simulations initially in a unit to identify and discuss as a class the basic concepts. After more introduction, the simulations can be used as a lab assignment that generates data to be analyzed. Students can view the simulations and write about the concept or the fundamental principles. This will allow the teacher the opportunity to determine where student misconceptions are present. These activities can also be used as a review or in lieu of standard homework assignments that are repetitious but do not provide concrete or visual representations of the concept. This would be an excellent project for gifted students. Provide them the link to the site and the materials and allow them to learn how to use the simulation and teach it to fellow students.
This resource requires Adobe Flash and PDF reader software like Adobe Acrobat.
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Classroom Strategies - Reading Rockets
Grades
K to 6
9 Favorites
0 Comments
Classroom Strategies contains a vast library of resources for teaching reading skills. Choose from six different literacy strategies to find instructions on using the strategy, templates,...more
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Classroom Strategies contains a vast library of resources for teaching reading skills. Choose from six different literacy strategies to find instructions on using the strategy, templates, examples, children's books to teach the strategy, and much more. The interactive chart also includes information on when and how to use each strategy. Many strategies include a video showing how to use these ideas in the classroom. If your district blocks YouTube, then they may not be viewable. You could always view the videos at home and bring them to class "on a stick" to share. Use a tool such as ClipGrab, reviewed here, to download the videos from YouTube. This site is a must-have for any reading teacher!
tag(s): fluency (25), persuasive writing (55), phonics (69), reading comprehension (127), writing (363)
In the Classroom
Bookmark and save this site as an excellent resource for teaching literacy and reading. Use a tool like 3x3 Links, reviewed here, to be able to organize and locate your bookmarks in a snap! Share strategies as part of your ongoing professional development activities both in school and with your Professional Learning Network (PLN). Use an audio recording tool like Vocaroo, reviewed here, to record a student reading before and after using teaching strategies shared on this site. Share tips for reading strategies with parents using an online portfolio site like Seesaw, reviewed here. Seesaw provides tools for a class blog and sharing student work through images and videos.
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OK2Ask: Digital Storytelling Pt. 3 - TeachersFirst
Grades
1 to 12
2 Favorites
0 Comments
This recording of an OK2Ask online professional learning session from August 2018, opens in Adobe Connect. Using digital storytelling as a formative assessment across subject areas,...more
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This recording of an OK2Ask online professional learning session from August 2018, opens in Adobe Connect. Using digital storytelling as a formative assessment across subject areas, you can meet curricular objectives while engaging learners in cross-curricular writing. Come to this TeachersFirst OK2Ask webinar to explore free options for creating digital stories with your students. Building on our winter and spring sessions, learn how to successfully create a well planned digital storytelling project for your class and create a sample project. Attendance at the previous sessions is not required for participation in this session. Participants will: 1. Explore rubrics for Digital Storytelling assessment; 2. Understand what to look for when choosing a Tech Tool for Digital Storytelling; and 3. Create a project sample to share with students. This session is for teachers at ALL technology comfort levels.
tag(s): digital storytelling (154)
In the Classroom
The archive of this teacher-friendly, hands-on webinar will empower and inspire you to use learning technology in the classroom and for professional productivity. As appropriate, specific classroom examples and ideas have been shared. View the session with a few of your teaching colleagues to find and share new ideas. Find additional information and links to tools at the session resource page. Learn more about OK2Ask and upcoming sessions here.
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OK2Ask: Google MANIA - Google Slides Tips & Tricks - TeachersFirst
Grades
1 to 12
2 Favorites
0 Comments
This recording of an OK2Ask online professional learning session from July 2018, opens in Adobe Connect. Ever wonder what else you can do with Google Slides? Using some of the ...more
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This recording of an OK2Ask online professional learning session from July 2018, opens in Adobe Connect. Ever wonder what else you can do with Google Slides? Using some of the built-in features of the tool can come in handy and help you in the classroom. Come to this session to learn a few cool tricks that will take your use of the tool to the next level. Learn a few productivity tips that will make a difference for you and your students. Change a few small things and increase the visual impact of the slides you create. Participants will: 1. Learn classroom hacks for the use of Google slides; 2. Understand productivity tips for Google slides; and 3. Understand the built-in features of Google Slides. This session is appropriate for teachers at all technology levels.
tag(s): Google (33)
In the Classroom
The archive of this teacher-friendly, hands-on webinar will empower and inspire you to use learning technology in the classroom and for professional productivity. As appropriate, specific classroom examples and ideas have been shared. View the session with a few of your teaching colleagues to find and share new ideas. Find additional information and links to tools at the session resource page. Learn more about OK2Ask and upcoming sessions here.
This resource requires Adobe Flash.
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Memorize Now - Brad Haugaard
Grades
2 to 12
2 Favorites
0 Comments
This site allows students to enter texts of varying lengths which they would like to memorize, but it can also be much more. Working like a sort of reverse cloze ...more
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This site allows students to enter texts of varying lengths which they would like to memorize, but it can also be much more. Working like a sort of reverse cloze test, the site erases more and more of the text as the student works through it. A blank remains, marking the spot for each word that has been removed. Alternatively, students can also select "letters" to see the first word of every sentence in the item. Two ways of entering the text passage allow students to copy items from a spread sheet (like vocabulary words) instead of retyping or entering each word. This site also allows you to create flashcards to use for practice. This is a great tool to help students study and understand how they learn best!
tag(s): vocabulary (314)
In the Classroom
This site does far more than aid memorization. Reading teachers can also use it to teach comprehension skills, such as using context clues to determine meaning in a paragraph. Paste in the paragraph (perhaps a passage from a non-fiction science or social studies article) and use this tool on your interactive whiteboard for students to "figure out" the missing words. Do the same with world language texts to reverse match using subject verb agreement and to analyze missing content using inflected endings. In science class, use this site to remove clues from a paragraph explaining a concepts or terms, subtracting information and having students fill it back in as they review for test and quizzes. Learning support teachers will love this option! Enter passage students write that include new vocabulary words, letting students challenge each other by subtracting portions. Speech and language teachers can use this tool to provide practice with expressive language.For work with memorization, use this site with popular song lyrics in class. Listen to the song first and give the students the lyrics to be memorized. Or, go to YouLyrics (if district policy allows) to get the song and see a video of it and then have the students use this site to help them memorize the lyrics. ESL, ELL, and students of other languages will enjoy memorizing songs which helps them improve their vocabulary and accent. Use this site in a group by projecting the screen on a whiteboard or projector and systematically show fewer and fewer words on the screen. Have teams of students compete against each other by writing the text as quickly as possible on two boards in the classroom. Share this link on your class website for students to use both in and out of the class to memorize new information. Share it as a personal study skills tool, as well.
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InsertLearning - Ben Pedersen and Karin Hogen
Grades
6 to 12
2 Favorites
0 Comments
InsertLearning is an extension for Chrome Browsers that allows you to turn any website into an interactive lesson. Install the extension on Chrome, then click on the icon to use ...more
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InsertLearning is an extension for Chrome Browsers that allows you to turn any website into an interactive lesson. Install the extension on Chrome, then click on the icon to use on any webpage. InsertLearning's pop-up offers features to add questions, highlights, comments, and even add a sticky note with an embedded video into selected portions of the webpage. Add a discussion for students to share their perspectives and respond to conversation prompts. When finished, share with students using Google Classroom. The free pricing option offers five lessons with an unlimited number of students.
tag(s): brainstorming (26), flips (7), note taking (43), reading comprehension (127), reading strategies (54), vocabulary (314)
In the Classroom
Install InsertLearning for use with online newspapers, magazines, and primary sources. Create quizzes to share with students through Google Classroom. Differentiate learning by using this browser extension to create different prompts for groups of students. Use InsertLearning to help ESL/ELL and special education students understand difficult material by highlighting and defining vocabulary found in websites. Take advantage of the instant feedback received from student responses to provide interventions on the spot. Use InsertLearning in a blended classroom as a flipped learning experience or as an introduction to any new unit.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Freepik - Alejandro Blanes, Pablo Blanes, and Joaquin Cuenca
Grades
K to 12
3 Favorites
0 Comments
Use this search engine for graphic resources from around the web. Search for graphics in many file formats such as vector, icons, and photos for use with your websites, presentations,...more
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Use this search engine for graphic resources from around the web. Search for graphics in many file formats such as vector, icons, and photos for use with your websites, presentations, and any other graphic needs. In addition to graphics, Freepik offers templates for flyers, posters, and brochures. Many resources offer options for customizing text and color. Each item includes details for editing and downloading, including information on crediting the author. Note: As with most clipart search engines, there are graphics on this site that are not appropriate for children. TeachersFirst suggests that an adult looks for appropriate graphics to distribute to students.
This site includes advertising.
This site includes advertising.
tag(s): clip art (9), graphic design (38), images (283), vectors (23)
In the Classroom
These graphics and templates are free to download and use (with appropriate credit). This site is great if you need some clever clipart to jazz up student handouts, classroom bulletin boards, or PowerPoint/Keynote presentations. Special Ed, speech/language, or ESL/ELL teachers may find these images helpful when working with non-readers or non-verbal students. There is also web clipart that you can use for your blog, class webpage, or wiki.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Baamboozle - baamboozle.com
Grades
K to 12
4 Favorites
0 Comments
Baamboozle is a quick and easy-to-use tool for playing and creating games. It doesn't require registration to play. Choose the "Play games now" link to go to all games saved ...more
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Baamboozle is a quick and easy-to-use tool for playing and creating games. It doesn't require registration to play. Choose the "Play games now" link to go to all games saved on Baamboozle. Scroll through to view games, or search for a term. Divide the group into two teams and begin play. Each team chooses a number from the game board and answers the question. Check for accuracy; then, Baamboozle keeps track of scores. Use games found on the site, or create games on any device. Registration with email is necessary to create your own games.
tag(s): DAT device agnostic tool (177), flash cards (45), game based learning (137), preK (284)
In the Classroom
Save Baamboozle in your bag of tricks for a quick review of any content. Have students create games to share with the class when reviewing for quizzes and tests. Bring excitement to professional development by creating a Baamboozle with materials you are sharing. Be sure to provide a link to Baamboozle games on your class website for students to play at home.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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National Women's History Museum - National Women's History Museum
Grades
K to 12
3 Favorites
0 Comments
The National Women's History Museum site includes a rich collection of resources. Although the collection is certainly deep on issues related to women's suffrage, there is also information...more
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The National Women's History Museum site includes a rich collection of resources. Although the collection is certainly deep on issues related to women's suffrage, there is also information on women in World War II, women and education, women and the Progressive movement, and women spies. There are good photographs of artifacts from the women's movement, and a nice collection of lesson plans, grouped by grade level.
tag(s): jamestown (10), women (96), womens suffrage (26), world war 2 (139)
In the Classroom
Of course, the site would be useful to students doing research on the women's movement in general, or on the role of women during several important historical eras. In the "educational resources" section, there is a collection of quotations from women that would be great for creating displays for women's history month. Challenge students to create a poster for one of the women quoted using a tool such as Adobe Spark, reviewed here. There is also a group of quizzes that could be adapted for classroom use. The section focused on the women of Jamestown includes the stories of Native American women as well as the role of early European settler women and could supplement the usual Thanksgiving lessons on the new American colonies. There are also free lesson plans and classroom activities that teachers should take advantage of!Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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SheHeroes - sheheroes.org
Grades
2 to 10
2 Favorites
0 Comments
SheHeroes is a non-profit organization dedicated to empowering girls from ages 8-14 to dream big and pursue any interests regardless of gender. Articles feature well-known and everyday...more
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SheHeroes is a non-profit organization dedicated to empowering girls from ages 8-14 to dream big and pursue any interests regardless of gender. Articles feature well-known and everyday females that serve as inspiration for young girls. Choose the Features link to browse articles by categories such as engineering and sports. The video link offers several short videos of prominent women discussing how they have grown in their careers. Each includes a link to discussion questions for further exploration. If your district blocks YouTube, the videos may not be viewable. You could always view them at home and bring them to class "on a stick" to share. Use a tool such as Online-Convert, reviewed here, to download the videos from YouTube.
tag(s): careers (146), women (96), womens suffrage (26)
In the Classroom
Use SheHeroes as part of your Career Day or career unit resources. Add a link on classroom computers for students (male and female) to explore on their own. Take advantage of the further discussion questions to encourage students to think about the obstacles faced by women in business and society. Ask a prominent local business woman to speak to your class and discuss obstacles she has faced and how she was able to overcome those issues. Although the site is dedicated to girls from ages 8-14, share with both boys and girls from ages 8 and up as part of any unit on gender inequalites.
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Expresso - Mikhail Panko
Grades
6 to 12
1 Favorites
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Expresso is a tool to improve and analyze writing through providing data to enhance your writing style. Paste your work into Expresso to analyze your sample. Expresso's analysis provides...more
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Expresso is a tool to improve and analyze writing through providing data to enhance your writing style. Paste your work into Expresso to analyze your sample. Expresso's analysis provides a significant amount of data including the number of weak verbs in your writing, frequently used words, and readability statistics. Take full advantage of the power of this site by exploring how to use the sections in the metrics information menu and the site's tutorial.
tag(s): editing (75), grammar (210), proofreading (25), spelling (166), writing (363)
In the Classroom
Share this site on an interactive whiteboard or projector and demonstrate how to use it with your students. Instead of having students turn in a final draft of writing assignments, ask them to paste their writing project into Expresso and make improvements before turning it in for grading. Ask students to submit their original work along with the final project and highlight changes made using Microsoft Word or Google Docs. After making changes, ask students to post their work on Comments4Kids, reviewed here. This site offers interactive peer feedback of student writing under specific guidelines to promote positive interactions. Ongoing use of Expresso helps students identify common writing errors made. After using this site for some time, have students create a podcast using a site such as Podcast Generator, reviewed here, to share tips and helpful information for improving writing.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Human Anatomy Online - MyHealthScore.com
Grades
4 to 12
3 Favorites
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Human Anatomy Online is so packed with information, students could spend hours maneuvering through the text. This site provides detailed information about the entire body as well as...more
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Human Anatomy Online is so packed with information, students could spend hours maneuvering through the text. This site provides detailed information about the entire body as well as common procedures and interesting facts. The simple, colorful visual aids make it very easy to understand the make-up of all of the systems as well as many of the body processes such as reproduction, muscle strength, cardiovascular health and much more. Be careful to keep students focused on the area of concentration. Otherwise, they could become overwhelmed with the quantity of information and get off track. Great for research projects and health units. Make sure to check out the fantastic tutorials, animations and description index.
There are some minor advertisements at this website.
There are some minor advertisements at this website.
tag(s): body systems (58), brain (66), heart (40), human body (133), olympics (52), respiration (17)
In the Classroom
This site gives wonderful opportunities for visual, interactive lessons and enrichment. Include an in-class activity based on this site in your unit on body systems and/or list the link on your teacher web page for students to review before the unit test. If you have an interactive whiteboard, consider using the site as the unit introduction, as well. Share this site during the Olympic games to learn more about the muscles and systems required for the various sports. Have cooperative learning groups investigate a specific body system and complete a multimedia project. Have groups create online books using a tool such as Bookemon, reviewed here.
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Timer-Tab - brillout.com
Grades
K to 12
9 Favorites
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Timer-Tab is an easy to use online alarm clock, timer, and/or stopwatch. Click on any of the functions, set your time, and get started. The alarm clock and countdown move ...more
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Timer-Tab is an easy to use online alarm clock, timer, and/or stopwatch. Click on any of the functions, set your time, and get started. The alarm clock and countdown move in increments of hours, minutes, and seconds. The countdown and stopwatch also have a pause feature. One especially handy feature is that the time displays on the browser time so you can see it as you navigate other web sites.
tag(s): classroom management (152), counting (111), time (138)
In the Classroom
There are many uses for this practical online tool. At the beginning of the school year, display on your interactive whiteboard or projector to time or countdown any classroom activity. That will get the students in the habit of checking how much time they have left. Use this tool for students to practice speeches, or to limit time for a quiz or spelling test. Use the countdown feature for timing the rotations from center to center. Use the timer for reading fluency exercises or physical education warm-ups. Employ the count-down as a clever classroom management tool on your computer screen when you want the class to settle down for directions or to transition to the next subject. Students may even want to use this tool for themselves. Have a timer tab open in your web browser as you display web sites on a projector or web based activities on an interactive whiteboard so students know how much more time they have to read the site or complete the activity. Have kindergarten students practice counting along with the watch!Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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We Do Listen Foundation - We Do Listen Foundation
Grades
K to 3
2 Favorites
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Songs, audio books, lesson plans, songs, and more abound at this fabulous site for young children! At We Do Listen you will find activities to build character traits (such as...more
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Songs, audio books, lesson plans, songs, and more abound at this fabulous site for young children! At We Do Listen you will find activities to build character traits (such as honesty) and social skills (such as anti-bullying). There are many audio books, with text included. Choose the lessons link to find printable lessons to accompany each book to teach character traits and social skills. There is also online coloring and a place to write and color your own story! Download song videos to your computer for use at any time. Choose the color and print your own book to color on paper, computer, and create stick and paper puppets.
This site includes advertising.
This site includes advertising.
tag(s): bullying (51), ebooks (39), preK (284), social skills (22)
In the Classroom
All primary classrooms should take advantage of this wonderful tool. Share the interactive books and songs on your projector and interactive whiteboard. Use the songs, stories, and lesson plans to teach about various character traits: honesty, anti-bullying, good sportsmanship, courage, and more. Use these stories during class meetings to discuss issues happening in your own classroom. Share a link to the site with parents as a resource for use at home. Shera the songs with your PE teacher to reinforce the concepts during movement activities.
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News English Lessons - Sean Banville
Grades
4 to 12
6 Favorites
0 Comments
This site, created by Australian Sean Banville of "Breaking News English" (reviewed here), has high interest, "easier" news for students to read and...more
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This site, created by Australian Sean Banville of "Breaking News English" (reviewed here), has high interest, "easier" news for students to read and many teaching materials to go with them. Though the look of the site is cluttered with advertising and plain text, the content is worthwhile. Developed for ESL/ELL students and teachers, the site would also work well in a subject area, learning support, or reading classroom. There are MANY articles "ready to go," including mp3 audio files to listen to the articles. At the time of this review there were 200+ new additions! Each article includes several types of activities such as "online gap fill" (a Cloze reading activity), vocabulary flashcards, and hangman, and matching. A full script is available in pdf form. There is also an online, interactive quiz for students. The articles, and a lot more activities, can be downloaded and printed, too.
This site includes advertising.
This site includes advertising.
In the Classroom
The articles are short and interesting, a perfect match for non-fiction reading comprehension. With so many different activities to choose from, it will be easy for the classroom teacher to differentiate. There is an mp3 audio version of each article so students can listen as they read. Assign small groups of students to present the news each week, using the interactive whiteboard to show others the country and city from which the article originated. Make the newscasting experience even more real by having students read scripts of these news stories or their own original stories using a Easyprompter, reviewed here. Students can then go to another news source such as 4 News Wall, reviewed here, to see what else is happening in the news. For a project, have the small groups create a "talking map" using a site such as Zeemaps, reviewed here. This site allows students to create audio recordings AND choose a location (where their article/story took place). What a fabulous way to share the article with the rest of the class!Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Tar Heel Reader - University of North Caroline
Grades
K to 12
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Find free on-line books perfect for emergent readers. The author of the site, the Center for Literacy and Disabilities studies at the University of North Carolina, wants to provide...more
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Find free on-line books perfect for emergent readers. The author of the site, the Center for Literacy and Disabilities studies at the University of North Carolina, wants to provide free resources to give everyone an opportunity to learn to read and write. All books are free and available for download as slideshows using PowerPoint, Impress, or Flash. Book topics include biographies, fairy tales, history, science, math, nursery rhymes, poetry, food, and more! All stories have speech enabling, can come in as many as fourteen different languages, and are compatible with touch screens. Since a wide range of age groups use this site, they have a rating system to suggest what is suitable for younger readers. Tar Heel Reader is also a great way to write books. Upload images from your computer or Flicker, add text, create, and share student stories with an authentic audience of readers. Tar Heel Reader is a great way to engage students with reading material, increase class participation, and create inclusive instruction for those with illiteracy or learning disabilities.
** This site does contain some materials NOT suitable for all classrooms. Be sure to read the "rating" system, and contribute your own opinions (as the ratings are only as reliable as the pool of contributing voters). Books rated 'E' are meant for everyone but a 'C' means to use caution as it may not be proper material for some. Determine what titles are suitable and save them to the favorites file for students to access.
** This site does contain some materials NOT suitable for all classrooms. Be sure to read the "rating" system, and contribute your own opinions (as the ratings are only as reliable as the pool of contributing voters). Books rated 'E' are meant for everyone but a 'C' means to use caution as it may not be proper material for some. Determine what titles are suitable and save them to the favorites file for students to access.
tag(s): literacy (105)
In the Classroom
Increase your big book collection ten fold by projecting Tar Heel Readers onto an interactive whiteboard or projector. Use interactive shared reading lessons to strengthen student recognition of common sight words, concepts of print, decoding skills, and use syntax cues and unlock the meaning of text. Ask students to circle known sight words, count the number of words in a sentence, trace capital letters, or point to the first letter of a word during a choral read. Help ESL/ELL students by creating books out of photos from class field trips, events, or experiments. Integrate text that uses key vocabulary words and creates reading materials that are both relevant to grade level curricular standards and match your student's readability level. All books you publish on the web site are public domain and available to all other users. Be sure to get parent permission before publishing student books on-line. In order to create a book, users will need to register. Unfortunately, this requires users to email gb@cs.unc.edu to request of an invitation code. With this code, simply create a username, submit your name, and email address. Set up a single teacher account and have all the students use that login to avoid safety concerns. Be sure to include this site on your class web page for students to access both in and outside of class for further reading practice.
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The Teacher Toolkit - The Region 13 Educator Certification Program (ECP)
Grades
K to 12
4 Favorites
0 Comments
Find many strategies and techniques to keep your class engaged and interested! Many of the strategies are also helpful in adult meetings. View the short video on the home page ...more
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Find many strategies and techniques to keep your class engaged and interested! Many of the strategies are also helpful in adult meetings. View the short video on the home page to get a good overview of what to find and how to navigate this site. See the Strategies and Techniques, or Tools, by clicking on the button. Not only will all the tools be displayed, but on the left find a menu with categories to make it easier to find what you are looking for. There are Opening and Closing Activities, Checks for Understanding, Reading Strategies, and more. There is no sign in to see all the activities. However, by joining the site, you will be able to take and save notes for the different tools of interest. Each tool has an overview of how and when to use it, variations of the tool, and templates (downloaded in Word) for participants to use. Some tools have accompanying videos to show the tool in action. The video clips require Flash, the rest of the site does not.
tag(s): back to school (60), classroom management (152), reading strategies (54)
In the Classroom
Keep lessons engaging and interactive with these Tools. For instance use the Quiz, Quiz, Trade activity to get students up and to interact with questions for review before a test. To structure a meaningful discussion try the 5-3-1 activity. Use the Gallery Walk to review and get students discussing the unit or topic just finished. With the Gallery Walk, student groups could create posters (maybe a picture summary of something just read in class) and walk around observing and taking notes from others' posters. There are dozens more for you to try at The Teacher Toolkit.
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Cartoons for the Classroom - The Association for American Editorial Cartoonists
Grades
6 to 12
3 Favorites
0 Comments
A picture is worth a thousand words, and editorial cartoonists have been boiling down the foibles of politicians and public figures throughout history. One needs only to know about...more
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A picture is worth a thousand words, and editorial cartoonists have been boiling down the foibles of politicians and public figures throughout history. One needs only to know about Thomas Nast and his cartoons of Boss Tweed during the 19th century to know that cartoons have a deep impact on political discourse. Cartoons for the Classroom offers over 250 one-page downloadable lessons featuring two or three political cartoons related to current events and several questions for discussion that relate to those cartoons. Alternatively, download the cartoons alone along with space to "draw" your own conclusions. Click on "Welcome" on the top left of the list to go to the home page and "Today's Political Cartoon."
tag(s): comics and cartoons (62), politics (98), satire (5)
In the Classroom
These one-page discussion starters could help students keep up with current political issues, provide an opening or closing activity, or serve as an enrichment activity for students who move through other assignments more quickly. Available either with or without guiding questions, and covering a wide range of relevant and timely topics, they are perfect to keep as a Plan B or for an emergency substitute teacher activity. Elsewhere on the site are links to other information about political cartooning through history; most of these links connect to outside sites so be sure and preview carefully. In Art class, create a "political" option during a line drawing unit for current events enthusiasts to draw their own political cartoons. Include these cartoons during a unit on humor and satire in an English/Language Arts class or gifted program.
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