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Introduction to Africa - InterKnowledge Corp
Grades
4 to 8This site includes advertising.
tag(s): africa (139)
In the Classroom
The text portions are challenging, so you may want to pair weaker readers with a partner as they research on this site. This is a great find for gifted students. Challenge them to explore unusual topics or do more in-depth investigation related to a "standard" curriculum topic! Save this site as a favorite on classroom computers, and have students look at individually. Have students create a simple infographic sharing their findings using Visme, reviewed here. Instruct students examine the different sections of the site, and then create a "travel brochure" using Sway, reviewed here, for a portion of Africa. Since events and governments change rapidly in Africa, challenge your gifted or more able students to find more recent stories about an African country on Google News and compare recent events to the information on this site. Is the Internet always accurate? Ask students to use a mapping tool such as MapHub, reviewed here, to create a map of local landforms (with text, videos, and pictures included)!You must be registered and logged in to add items to your favorites.
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Seminole Tribune - Seminole Tribune of Florida
Grades
4 to 12This site includes advertising.
tag(s): civil rights (198), cross cultural understanding (155), cultures (132), myths and legends (21), native americans (91)
In the Classroom
Use this site to study the Seminoles as part of a unit on Native Americans. Have students enhance their learning by comparing and contrasting to the Native Americans within your own state or region. Use an online tool such as Interactive Two Circle Venn Diagram, reviewed here. Use this as a resource when discussing civil rights. In language arts class, use it to explore legends.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Mini-Court: Mock Trial Activities - New Jersey State Bar Foundation
Grades
3 to 6tag(s): civil rights (198), courts (19)
In the Classroom
Use Mini-Court lessons and activities as part of your government unit. Incorporate activities into a folk tales unit to "try" characters such as Goldilocks. Next time your students complain that something is "not fair," use the opportunity to learn about how the courts make things "fair." Challenge even your youngest students to come up with "court cases" about famous characters (i.e. Cinderella's stepmother held her hostage, Snow White was poisoned, and many more). Create a timeline together on your interactive whiteboard using Preceden, reviewed here, to show the sequence of events.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Carlisle Indian Industrial School - Dickinson College
Grades
6 to 12tag(s): colonial america (95), cross cultural understanding (155), difficult conversations (58), diversity (38), history day (40), identity (28), native americans (91), westward expansion (38)
In the Classroom
Too often US history survey classes broadly consider Native Americans and their role in the original colonization of North America, or their role in Westward Expansion, without taking the time to understand the differences among nations, or the impact of European settlement on these pre-existing societies. Even if there isn't time for in depth study, consider asking students to study the individual record of one young man or woman approximately their own age who attended the Carlisle Indian School. How old was he when he left home? What skill was she trained in? What happened to him after he left Carlisle? Enhance student learning by having students use Fakebook, reviewed here, to create a "fake" page similar in style to Facebook about the individual they researched. This personal contact with the real life of another student from another time and another culture will reduce the tendency to stereotype Native Americans as they so often are during the study of US History. Of course, the site is also a wonderful resource for in depth research such as a National History Day project. Were the identities of these people stolen? Use the resources Analyzing Before and After Photographs... and the Telling Lives: The Lost Ones Documentary Film to discuss identity and whether or not that was taken from these students.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Texas Law Related Games - Law Focused Education, Inc
Grades
2 to 8tag(s): bill of rights (28), branches of government (62), declaration of independence (15), game based learning (173), presidents (122), safety (71), symbols (15)
In the Classroom
Several games require significant reading, so partner weaker and stronger readers if students work independently. Ypu could also provide a reading guide using Read Ahead, reviewed here an excellent tool for introducing any reading passage to struggling readers, special education students, and ENL/ESL learners. Create a link to specific games on classroom computers as a center to use on President's Day, Constitution Day, or any class day studying U.S. Government. If studying your state's laws, use an online tool such as the Interactive Two Circle Venn Diagram, reviewed here, to compare and contrast differences between your state and Texas.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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The Republia Times - Lucas Pope
Grades
6 to 12tag(s): bias (22), freedom of speech (13), game based learning (173), media literacy (103), newspapers (91), propaganda (9)
In the Classroom
Share this exercise (once) on your interactive whiteboard or projector during a unit on propaganda or while reading a dystopian novel. You can also include it during government/civics units on the power of media and bias. Have students try out editing on individual computers or as a learning station. Enhance student learning by having students use Breaking News Generator, reviewed here, to write imaginary articles that go along with the headlines from two points of view, both positive and negative about the regime. Find headlines from a local paper or the Internet and have students rewrite headlines, changing the feeling of the article from negative to positive or vice versa.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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The National Archives Activities and Games - The British National Archives
Grades
1 to 12Download lessons, Resource Packs, and Podcasts. Be sure to check out the extensive section for students including games, study skill tips and advice, and information on using primary sources. Learn about important people, government officials, and heroes of the past and present such as Charles Dickens and Florence Nightingale. Explore and research famous events/times such as American Civil Rights Movement or Life During War Times. The site was created in the UK, so some of the pronunciations and spellings may differ from American English. A very few resources require Flash, but there is so much more here, that the site is worth your time.
tag(s): dickens (8), great britain (16), heroes (24), industrial revolution (20), medieval (31), victorian (16), world war 1 (73), world war 2 (151)
In the Classroom
Keep this site in mind as an easy place to find games and lessons related to British history (and even some world history topics). Use this site as an anticipatory set or "activator" to introduce a unit or lesson on a projector or interactive whiteboard. Present the same time period, such as World War II, from a British and American point of view using this site and similar primary source images from U.S. collections like this one or this one. Have students create timelines using Timeline JS, reviewed here. Timeline JS offers the option to upload and add photos, videos, audio, Tweets, and Google Maps making it interactive. Have students use Fakebook, reviewed here, to create a "fake" page similar in style to Facebook about a British resident during any time periods involved with these activities. Take advantage of the ready to go lesson plans, interactives, podcasts, and videos. Literature teachers will also want to explore and share the information about British authors.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Wordsmyth - Wordsmyth
Grades
K to 12This site includes advertising.
tag(s): crosswords (19), dictionaries (48), preK (258), quizzes (89), spelling (95), thesaurus (22), vocabulary (236), vocabulary development (89), word study (58)
In the Classroom
Capture your students with the power of words at all levels. Keep this link on your toolbar as a quick reference for easy access to improve reading comprehension and writing word variety. When starting a new content area unit, challenge your gifted students with advanced vocabulary words. In your school library, make this handy reference available for everyone as a bookmark and on your online reference page. In primary grades or with ELL students, bookmark the WILD section for easy access. Share vocabulary words with young students on your interactive whiteboard or projector. Share the word of the day with your students at all levels and explore together. Create your own glossary page for up to 10 teaching units. Provide support for struggling readers or ESL/ELL students by showing them how to access and use this site. Encourage word games such as Scrabble, Upwords, or crossword puzzles, with Wordsmyth as a partner! Share this site on your class website for gifted students to explore at home (or in class) and find new challenging vocabulary to stretch their minds!Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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100Reporters - 100 Reporters
Grades
8 to 12This site includes advertising.
tag(s): media literacy (103), persuasive writing (55)
In the Classroom
In discussions of current events, find great news articles that get to the heart of the story. Compare them with other news outlets to discuss how money and the viewpoints of business owners can cloud the actual reporting. Be sure to discuss how to find parent websites by investigating the shortened address (url) of sites as well as the advertisements found on pages. Compare and contrast news stories found on a variety of news pages. Use an online tool such as Interactive Two Circle Venn Diagram (reviewed here) to compare two news stories. In world language or world cultures classes, discover what the "hot topics" are by looking at news stories from the region being studied. In writing classes, use these articles compared with those on the same topic from other sources for students to collect supporting evidence to use in essay writing.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Presidential Classroom - Miller Center, University of Virgina
Grades
6 to 12tag(s): jefferson (18), kennedy (19), lincoln (60), presidents (122), space (214), vietnam (35), washington (25), white house (15)
In the Classroom
If your students do Presidential biographies or projects, this is a perfect site to share. Have students explore the exhibits while doing research on presidents and historical events. Enhance student learning by having students create an annotated image including text boxes and related links using a tool such as Google Drawings, reviewed here. Google Drawings allows you to annotate an image with links to videos, text, websites, and more. Not familiar with Google Drawings? Watch an archived OK2Ask session to learn how to use: OK2Ask Google Drawings, here. Have students use Fakebook,reviewed here, to create a "fake" page similar in style to Facebook about a president.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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International Human Development Insights - United Nations Development Programme
Grades
9 to 12tag(s): population (48)
In the Classroom
Student groups or the full class can view data and graphs of various indicators and brainstorm questions to understand the data. What factors exist in various countries or areas of the World? What conditions need to change to reverse troubling trends and to create greater equality of individuals in the World? Break these questions down into major focus topics to be researched and presented by members of the class. Since this site can be viewed in numerous languages, use this tool in a world language class. Gain understanding of the factors that influence places you read about in the news and faraway cultures. In government or civics classes, talk about how public policies affect or reflect development data. In math classes, use this site to see how statistics can be applied to decision making and international issues.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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ProcessOn - ProcessOn.com
Grades
7 to 12tag(s): charts and graphs (169), concept mapping (17), graphic organizers (50), venn diagrams (15)
In the Classroom
Use this site to create your own charts or diagrams to share on your projector or interactive whiteboard. Challenge students to create their own charts using this tool. Create charts for literature that you are reading in class, pinpointing the plot, conflict/resolution, and more. Create a diagram to highlight important dates in an individual's life or even dates in a war. Students could use this site for a project on any topic: science, government, history, literature, and many others. Have students create study guides using this site. Share or embed the BEST maps on your class website. One of the best aspects of this site is that students can collaborate online for group projects. Learning Support teachers can encourage small groups to create study guides together, reinforcing their knowledge as they discuss and work together.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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American Lung Association - American Lung Association
Grades
6 to 12This site includes advertising.
tag(s): air (105), coal (6), electricity (59), natural resources (38), nuclear energy (19), pollution (51)
In the Classroom
Be sure to check out the Power Plant Impacts Page. View the source data linked below the images. Students can brainstorm why the map looks this way and what kind of impacts there are from power plants. Students can research as teams the issues from various power plants and effects on air quality and human health. Share findings with others by creating traditional projects (bulletin board or flyers) or multimedia presentations of the information. Use one of the many TeachersFirst Edge multimedia tools. Compare the air quality of the United States with that of other countries. What factors and government influences contribute to the differences that we see?Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Japan Tsunami Video - Dr. Dave House of Fun
Grades
6 to 12This site includes advertising.
tag(s): natural disasters (17), tsunamis (15)
In the Classroom
Use this resource when discussing natural disasters such as Tsunamis. Share this short video on your projector or interactive whiteboard. Students can make observations individually or as a class and brainstorm particular items that they noticed. Use this information to discuss the formation and impact of a Tsunami. How do early warning systems work? Ask students to not just make observations of what they see, but draw inferences about the people and reactions of this and other natural disasters. Why are the people all standing on the hill to watch? Research various Tsunamis throughout history and their effects and locations. How did different government and non-government organizations handle these disasters?Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Toporopa: Geography of Europe - Toporopa
Grades
4 to 12This site includes advertising.
tag(s): countries (70), europe (75), maps (207), rivers (14), volcanoes (56)
In the Classroom
Create a link on classroom computers for students to explore these interactives. This site could be used in world cultures, world geography, world languages, science, government, and many other subjects. Have students try the games and then research further information. For example, after finding all European countries that have a reigning monarch, have students find further information on the monarchies. Challenge the students to use a tool like Slides, reviewed here to share their findings.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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CurriConnects Booklist: By the People - TeachersFirst
Grades
K to 12tag(s): book lists (162), branches of government (62), congress (39), constitution (88), presidents (122)
In the Classroom
Encourage students to select independent reading from this list as part of a citizenship unit, as a focus for Constitution Day, or in a civics/government class.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Advanced Energy Legislation Tracker - Colorado State University's Center for the New Energy Economy
Grades
9 to 12tag(s): debate (37), energy (130), environment (238), persuasive writing (55), politics (113), solar energy (34)
In the Classroom
Use this resource in an Energy or Environmental unit or as an applied way to study civics and government. Students can search their State and compare to other States. Discuss the different bills being proposed and how they would affect consumers or businesses. As a project idea, assign student groups the task of creating a bill that they would like to see adopted by their State. Challenge students to share their bill and ideas by using Prezi (reviewed here) to create a presentation. Consider making this an authentic experience in civics by having students compose persuasive letters with their suggestions (with the link to their presentation) to send to legislators. The many bills shared on this site would also provide excellent topics for debate or persuasive writing in English classes.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Quest - Alex Warren
Grades
5 to 12tag(s): interactive stories (22), process writing (38)
In the Classroom
Challenge students to create games when studying process writing of essays. Instead of writing a dry essay, create an object of entertainment with an interactive story. Use steps of the game to provide supporting evidence for the essay. Create simple text games to show the typical patterns of stories. Have a contest to see which group of students in your class can imagine the best game scenario. In science class, have student groups create games that follow the life of a plant or animal where players collect all the needed nutrients or conditions the plant/animal needs to survive. In civics/government class, have students create a game around getting elected, passing a bill, or ending Washington gridlock! Don't have time to have your students actually CREATE a game? Create your own "review" game for your students to use to prepare for the big test. This would be ideal if it is a unit that you teach yearly; you can reuse your game! Share some of the ready-made games on your interactive whiteboard or projector. Share this link with parents on your class website. Students may enjoy the challenge of creating a game during summer break.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Climate Commons - Earth Journalism Network
Grades
9 to 12tag(s): climate (81), climate change (88)
In the Classroom
Use the data and geotagged stories to understand more about climate change. Create multimedia (podcast, video, blog, wiki, etc.) or conventional products (poster or bulletin board) to explain the basics of climate change. Click on different dots on the map to view specific stories that are being published there. Compare the tone and substance of the different articles found in each of the areas. Are there certain regions that are more skeptical (or less) about this issue? Have students select a story to research in terms of its local implications at that location, such as a story about fracking in the Marcellus Shale region. Civics/government classes can use this site to trace political issues, news, and related policy initiatives related to climate change.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Phrase.it - phrase.it
Grades
7 to 12tag(s): bulletin boards (14), comics and cartoons (54), communication (133), images (256)
In the Classroom
The possibilities are limited only by your imagination. Teach parts of speech and grammar by having students write captions using colorful adjectives, adverbs, or specific sentence structures on a random photo. Make classroom signs and reminders. Caption the homework directions on your teacher web page. Ask your students to create captions for class photos for all sorts of reasons. Use this site for back to school fun. Post a photo of yourself with a caption on your class website introducing yourself to the class during the summer. Challenge each student to find/share a photo of themselves either the first week of school (or even prior to school). You will want parental permission before posting any student photos on your class website. Use photos or digital drawings from your classroom, such as pictures taken during any hands-on activity. Have students draw in a paint program, save the file, and then add a caption. Spice up research projects about historic figures or important scientists. Have literary characters "talk" as part of a project. In a government class, add captions to photos explaining politicians' major platform planks during election campaigns. Caption the steps for math problem solving. Make visual vocabulary/terminology sentences with an appropriate character using the term in context (a beaker explaining how it is different from a flask?). Students could also take pictures of themselves doing a lab and then caption the pictures to explain the concepts. Share the class captions on your class web page or wiki. Leave directions to your class (for when a substitute is there). Use at back to school night to grab parent attention to important announcements. Have students make talking photos of themselves as a visual tour of their new classroom for parents attending back to school night. World language classes can create images explaining and using new vocabulary. Use the site's random photo offerings for clever caption contests in your new language. Have gifted students create Phase.it pictures to explain new knowledge they gain in going beyond the basics. For example, as the class studies plate tectonics, they could make a collection of volcano images "explaining" their own history or describing the Ring of Fire. Gifted students of all ages can make simple Phrase.it images to share their own thought provoking questions about curriculum content, such as "Which figure of speech would Shakespeare be willing to give up?" Be sure to include these thought provokers on a class wiki or blog for others to respond! (No need to single out the "thinker" by mentioning who created it if it would cause ridicule.)Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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