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Rooh it: Instant Web Highlighter - RoohIt, Inc
Grades
4 to 12tag(s): browser (6), note taking (33)
In the Classroom
Consider using this tool as a way to direct students to specific points of web pages. Include directions in your notes. Assign specific tasks, such as pre-reading questions using the notes feature. Even without "sharing" a URL, use this resource to keep track of specific points for discussion later. Have students use this tool for research papers and other projects. Share current events with others, highlighting specific points. Simply paste the highlighted URLs into a word doc to save and reopen later. Use this resource as an organizational tool for content found on the web. Have students annotate their own pages including their own pre-reading questions, main idea sentences, or summaries using highlighting and notes on a text-based page. Have them explicate poetry, annotate motifs in online literary works, point out fallacies in arguments used in blog posts, or highlight evidence of bias in web page content. They can "turn in" their assignments to you or share them with classmates by URL.Keep a word document with the URLs to your annotated pages and notes about what they are if you plan to assign them to students. If you plan to use this as a TEACHER only, there are no safety/security concerns at all. Be sure to check with your IT department about installing bookmarklets and using this site on district computers. No registration is required. Encourage students to use this responsibly and not highlight information considered inappropriate for school.
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Famous Scientists - famousscientists.org
Grades
6 to 12This site includes advertising.
tag(s): inventors and inventions (71), scientists (63)
In the Classroom
The reading level of this site is rather challenging. Have weaker readers work together with stronger ones. While discussing scientists and inventors, use this site as a resource for gathering information. Have small groups of students research scientists from the same time period. Have them research their contributions including reactions of others to their discovery or invention. Research why these inventions were particularly important and the scientific knowledge that changed as a result. Have them present their findings to the class by creating a multimedia presentation using one of the many TeachersFirst Edge tools reviewed here. Some tool suggestions are (click on the tool name to access the review): Adobe Creative Cloud Express for Education, Vevox, Animatron, Renderforest, and Microsoft PowerPoint Online. Then, if you would like to take your students critical thinking up a notch and extend their learning, you could have the small groups compare the different inventions and decide how and why the earlier inventions had to come before a later invention could be developed. For this you might want to have students use a collaborative graphic organizer like Canva Edu, reviewed here, and have them report out their thoughts and discoveries to the class.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Turtlediary - Learning Games for Kids - Turtlediary.com
Grades
K to 3This site includes advertising.
tag(s): addition (128), alphabet (51), alphabetical order (8), colors (64), counting (60), dinosaurs (40), gravity (41), human body (93), life cycles (22), map skills (56), phonics (50), preK (258), puzzles (143), subtraction (109)
In the Classroom
Use this site as a resource for learning games, videos, and read-aloud books. Demonstrate the activities on your interactive whiteboard; then create a link on classroom computers for students to try on their own. Share this link with parents on your classroom website or newsletter as a resource for practicing math and reading skills at home. Use videos from the site to introduce science lessons and concepts.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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The Scoop on Current Events - TeachersFirst
Grades
K to 6tag(s): news (229), newspapers (91)
In the Classroom
Use these ideas during major news years, such as election season, or as a general introduction to current events. During Newspapers in Education month, extend your discussions to include both print and online news media using the lesson discussion questions included here. Incorporate current events stories as one of many types of informational texts you use to teach comprehension and other reading skills.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Writing Prompts - Luke Neff
Grades
4 to 12tag(s): creative writing (119), expository writing (31), persuasive writing (55), writers workshop (31), writing (317), writing prompts (58)
In the Classroom
These prompts are perfect for writing in journals as quick writes or having your students develop into a full story or essay. There are plenty of unusual ideas to get even the most reluctant writer moving. Once completed, have students submit their story to the class using Google Docs, reviewed here. The class can then collaborate by proof reading and suggesting ideas for others' stories. Just because these are "writing" prompts does not mean you can't use them for ENL/ELL or speech/language students to prompt them to TALK and use oral language. World language teachers can also use these to promote conversation/oral language. To get started, project one in class; after that make the link available on your class web page.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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GETeach - Josh Williams
Grades
2 to 12tag(s): data (147), earth (184), latitude (10), longitude (9), map skills (56), maps (207), plate tectonics (20)
In the Classroom
Use side by side Google Earth to teach geography or simply give location context to class readings or current events, especially on an interactive whiteboard or projector. Keep the earth's "big picture" open on one side as you zoom in to investigate on the other. Or arrange side by side comparisons. Example: compare the peaks scaled by Lewis and Clark or volcanoes that rise in the Aleutians. Compare various locations for global warming, compare of volcano activity, or a history of immigration. Compare historic maps from different time periods to show how countries and boundaries change. Turn layers on and off from Choose an Earth or onscreen options to look at population centers and transportation systems. Teach the concept of scale/proportion using a visual experience on an interactive whiteboard with the scale and measurement tools. Use one window to show human geography and the other window to show items from the CIA Factbook for comparison. Have students hypothesize connections between geographic features and statistics about human development.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Recyclebank - Recyclebank, subsidiary of Recycle Rewards, Inc.
Grades
4 to 12This site includes advertising.
tag(s): earth (184), earth day (60), environment (238), recycling (45), sustainability (43)
In the Classroom
With the Common Core State Standards push for nonfiction reading, this site is a natural for any time of the year. Recyclebank will appeal to students who are environmentally conscious, but its intrinsic value is in teaching all students to think about how they can recycle in their everyday life. The advertising comes along with the prizes, so be sure to discuss where to click (or not). If your students have access to email, have them register with the website and start a class competition to see how many points students can earn individually or as a class. Conclude the competition by having students discuss (no matter who won the competition) how acting in greener ways allows everyone to win. There will be future "Green Schools" program competitions. This is a yearly competition where school groups design a green plan for their school that wins up to $2500.00. Posted on the website are the accepted projects where members from all over the country can award points to your school. For every 250 points donated to your school initiative, you earn $1.00. Promote Recyclebank to get as many people involved as possible. Ask them to donate their points to your school. Use this as an opportunity to teach students about grassroots movements and the difference that one bright idea and a few motivated people can make in the world. Why not plan an Earth Day project using this site?Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Zinn Education Project - Zinn Education Project
Grades
6 to 12tag(s): african american (111), bias (22), black history (128), civil rights (198), hispanic (28), racism (76), women (138)
In the Classroom
If you are looking for additional teaching materials that focus on issues of social justice, racism, or which provide information from a progressive point of view, you can search by time period or theme (i.e., African American, Mexico, Hispanic, Latinx, LGBT, War and Anti-War, Civil Rights, Racism, and many more). The teaching materials are in PDF format you can download once you log in. Language arts teachers will find the articles here great for nonfiction reading and terrific as discussion starters!Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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What Speed Do you Read? - Staples.com
Grades
3 to 12This site includes advertising.
tag(s): independent reading (86), reading comprehension (142)
In the Classroom
Race to read, with Staples simple Speed reading test. Offer your students and parents an easy way to track reading fluency. Use this tool to open discussion about the reasons why we sometimes need to slow down and how practice can build fluency. Offer contests, use in portfolios, or just plain have fun reading! Begin by using on the interactive whiteboard and reading aloud and modeling good reading behaviors. Help students discover the skills of great comprehension. Have students graph the family results. Test your principal and other teachers. Use this website to prove reading takes practice. For another reading speed builder, try Easy Prompter, reviewed here.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Science Video Animation - Russell Kightley media
Grades
6 to 12This site includes advertising.
tag(s): atoms (42), cells (81), colors (64), diseases (67), dna (44), earth (184), electricity (59), energy (130), engineering (120), geometric shapes (136), light (51), machines (14), molecules (42), solar system (109), sun (70), vision (45), waves (15)
In the Classroom
Use the simulations to help explain topics and concepts in class. Language arts teachers can use this site as a source for nonfiction reading comprehension. Science and language arts teachers can use the site as a learning center for students who need enrichment. Find great animations to help visualize various topics from different viruses to diesel engines, the Doppler Effect, to the garden sundial, and the vertical sundial to name just a few. Check the readability of the animations you want students to use on their own by using the The Readability Test Tool reviewed here.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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World of Reading - Ann Arbor District Library
Grades
2 to 12tag(s): independent reading (86), literature (218), reading lists (79)
In the Classroom
After checking with your administration about submission policies, have your class submit group or individual reviews of books they are reading. Also, students can check to see if books they've read have a review. If not, have them write one. Bookmark the site on a classroom computer so students who finish work early can look for a new book to read. Put a link to this site on your teacher page for parents and students for access at home.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Tesla - Master of Lightning - PBS
Grades
4 to 12tag(s): electricity (59), energy (130), industrial revolution (20), inventors and inventions (71), motion (49), radio (20)
In the Classroom
Add intrigue and mystery, to your science unit on electricity, motion, or inventors as you study the life and accomplishments of Nikola Tesla. Excellent lesson plans include a concrete understanding of potential energy, mechanical energy to electrical energy. Use on an interactive white board to begin your unit or create a "Who Dunnit" with electricity or radio. Follow the structure of ideas presented to create an online "famous scientist" wiki, blog or PowerPoint to add to your class website. Use a Socratic seminar to debate which scientist should get credit for the induction motor, radio, and even the Industrial Revolution. Use the readings for older students, advanced readers, or gifted students, as they are far above the reading level of elementary and early middle school students. In language arts, writing topics could include "What a shock electricity is in my life" and "Will the true inventor of electricity please stand up?" The ideas and resources are electrifying!Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Open Source Shakespeare - Eric Johnson, Bernini Communications LLC
Grades
9 to 12tag(s): literature (218), OER (43), plays (27), shakespeare (93), sonnets (5)
In the Classroom
Use this inclusive resource as you prepare to teach any of Shakespeare's classics. By making a direct link available from your class web page, you are opening the door for your students to have easy access and help when preparing for AP tests and other exams, as well as an ongoing method to guide independent reading and understanding for the many complexities in Shakespeare's literary works. The electronic text enables you to project it on your whiteboard, perhaps for a class reading where you could assign students parts to read aloud, or for students to highlight and "mark-up" evidence of literary techniques, or to critique or interact with the words in a variety of ways. One neat feature is that you can choose to place any two sonnets on a single page to view them side by side. This opens a world of opportunity for comparing and contrasting. You may want to enhance learning and use a Venn Diagram tool, reviewed here. Mark this collection in your favorites to use for planning during any of your units on Shakespeare. In a class where textbooks might be in short supply, or if there is a piece that you want to draw everyone's attention to, this is an excellent site to ensure everyone has access, just as long as they have internet access.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Forensics - Nancy Clark
Grades
7 to 12This site includes advertising.
tag(s): forensics (13)
In the Classroom
Whether teaching a course that is purely forensic science or seeking a hook to capture student interest in science through the topic of forensics, this resource is extremely useful. Why do all that searching for yourself? Nancy Clark has taken the time and done all the work. Science and language arts teachers can team up together to use this site. Most students love a compelling mystery and the chance to solve it! There is nonfiction reading here that will fit both curricula. The science teacher can answer questions about DNA, fingerprinting, etc., and the language arts teacher can help students with strategies for reading nonfiction. First, try something short like a video clip, and if you like it, dig deeper and incorporate more into your lessons. The lessons here would integrate nicely into biology or chemistry. Looking for more? Try this TeachersFirst Exclusive unit for more science inquiry lessons using forensics.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Lingt Language - Lingt
Grades
4 to 12tag(s): listening (73), pronunciation (33), Teacher Utilities (150), vocabulary (236)
In the Classroom
No matter whether you are a world language teacher, an ESL/ELL teacher, or a language arts teacher who has ESL/ELL students in your class, you will love using this program. Use Lingt for reading practice, commenting on or interpreting an image or video, dictation, and anything else your students need. Students do not have to register. Give them the URL for the class; they complete the assignment and submit. They will then be asked for their name and email. For younger students, have them use an acronym, such as the first two letters of their last name and the first three letters of their first name, and a gmail account you have set up for them. You may want to create your own Gmail account with up to 20 subaccounts for each group of students. This link about email registration, here, explains how to do this. You can see which students have completed the assignments and view them from your home page. You can leave text or voice feedback on the assignment.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Reading Rockets - WETA Washington D.C.
Grades
1 to 6This site includes advertising.
tag(s): authors (105), book lists (162), dyslexia (11), literacy (110), literature (218), parents (58), phonics (50), reading comprehension (142), reading lists (79), reading strategies (98), speech (66), spelling (95)
In the Classroom
Reading Rockets is a fantastic resource for teachers, librarians, parents, and principals. Be sure to sign up for the newsletter for the latest information, blogs, thoughts, and ideas for teaching reading. Use this website as a resource for your classroom, library, or even with you school action committees. Provide a link to this site on your class webpage. Install widgets for reading, and find the latest apps to support literacy. Join reading blogs, and add widgets to make your reading strategies complete. If your district blocks YouTube, the videos may not be viewable.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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iSL Collective - Adam and Peter Laszlo
Grades
1 to 12tag(s): alphabet (51), grammar (133), paragraph writing (15), pronunciation (33), vocabulary development (89), worksheets (70)
In the Classroom
Check back often to see new materials available here, listed under "Newest" or "ESL Worksheets of the Day."Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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The Successful Web Reader - Neal Bastek-Content Developer-Colorado State
Grades
7 to 12tag(s): reading comprehension (142), reading strategies (98)
In the Classroom
Reading is a cross curricular activity. Every teacher, not only English, language arts, and reading teachers, should teach or review these strategies with students before asking them to find information and read on the Web. The Successful Web Reader provides teacher and student-friendly, practical tips and information to aid "critical linking" and path following, effective scanning, avoiding distractions, and how to get the most out of a quick visit. Bookmark this website in your favorites. Choose from the many links of helpful information to project on your whiteboard at opportune times.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Book Report Makeover - Education World
Grades
3 to 12This site includes advertising.
tag(s): book reports (28), critical thinking (112), writing (317)
In the Classroom
The variety of ideas will keep readers thinking in new ways about what they read. How about having them create a quiz to go along with their class novel to demonstrate what they have learned? TeachersFirst can make that easy for you with Easy Test Maker reviewed here. Perhaps your students fancy transforming parts of their book into online comic strips. TeachersFirst has that covered for you too with Make Beliefs Comics reviewed here.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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The Legacy Project - Susan V. Bosak
Grades
3 to 12tag(s): communities (36), crafts (54), cross cultural understanding (155), environment (238), writing (317)
In the Classroom
The Legacy Project's free online activities for all ages include creative crafts, art projects, games, self-assessments, reproducible pages, and even lesson ideas with curriculum connections for teachers. There are also free guides, tips, and feature articles. Resources can be used individually or grouped to create a themed set that run the gammit from literacy to family, history, or science. There are even free online certificates you can download!Challenge your students to think about questions like: What are your goals and what would you like to be, do, and learn? How can you achieve your goals? What can you learn about your own hopes and dreams and those of others? How can you think globally and act locally? How can we better understand other people and cultures that live in our communities or a whole continent away from us? The Legacy Project combines practical, classroom-tested ideas and research-based insights with a little fun and inspiration to inform and inspire all ages - children, teens, and adults. Using resources like the Dream book, students explore the world around them and their role in it - past, present, and future.
The Legacy Project's annual Listen to a Life Essay Contest brings generations in family and community closer and promotes the importance and uniqueness of inter-generational relationships. Students between the ages of 8-18 years interview a grandparent or "grand-friend" about their life and write an essay. This also opens the door for so many creative projects such as photo essays, (using their own digital images or finding ones that are legally permitted to be reproduced). Have students create an annotated image including text boxes and related links using a tool such as Thinglink, reviewed here.
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