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Groundhog Day - The Punxsutawney Groundhog Club
Grades
K to 12This site includes advertising.
tag(s): holidays (167), pennsylvania (6)
In the Classroom
Challenge students to investigate a certain facet of this site (for example, Past Predictions) and create a multimedia presentation to share with the class. Have students use one of the many TeachersFirst multimedia Edge tools reviewed here. Share the projects on your interactive whiteboard or projector. Share this link on your class website for families to explore at home.You must be registered and logged in to add items to your favorites.
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ESL Bits - Skip Reske
Grades
5 to 12tag(s): listening (73), radio (20), reading comprehension (142), short stories (18), test prep (67)
In the Classroom
Project a story or song on an interactive whiteboard or projector for group listening, reading along, and discussion. Literature teachers can use the site for a class novel, so lower readers can have audio support at home for listening and review. You could have small groups of students listen to different short stories, and make up Bloom's type questions for the next group of students to answer, or they could turn the story into a Reader's Theater piece and video tape it, or perform it live for the class. Share the videos using a tool such as SchoolTube reviewed here. This is a terrific site to list on your class website for students to use for at-home practice or enjoyment. For elementary and middle school students, you will want to provide the specific url for the selection you want them to use so they are reading articles appropriate in content for their age group. If you supervise a study hall, keep this link handy as a listening option for students who "don't have any homework."Comments
Excellent resource!alma grimaldi, , Grades: 7 - 9
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EasyDefine - Prabbav Jain
Grades
4 to 12This site includes advertising.
tag(s): dictionaries (48), synonyms (17), vocabulary (236), vocabulary development (89), word study (58)
In the Classroom
You must know where you are saving downloads on your computer to save the list as a document. Pay attention and name files with meaningful file names, such as "chapter17vocab." Enter your list with one term per line or separated by commas, etc. Click on advanced options to add other options to the search: number or alphabetize the definition results, maximum definitions, and hiding parts of speech.Create definitions easily for word lists in any subject area. Have students enter a series of similar words to see variations in connotations. For example, enter various words that mean "fat" and discover the variability in positive and negative connotations. Follow up with a ranking or sorting activity with the same words on interactive whiteboard to build word choice options. Have students generate individualized reading vocabulary lists for content are reading chapters or literature. Click on the synonyms tab to find related words. Save as a document for easy sharing in groups. Advise students to collect definitions and compare to those they write in their own words. As with any other reference, students should be cautioned to be sure these are accurate definitions needed for the context in which they are studying the words.
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Coal Cares - Coal Cares
Grades
6 to 12tag(s): consumers (14), energy (130), environment (238), propaganda (9)
In the Classroom
Consider using this site to teach students to read carefully and evaluate the claims made on websites. You might divide the class into teams and have each group examine one of the page links from the site. One link provides paper and pencil games for kids. What can they find in these games that is ironic or reveals that the site is a spoof? (Hint: look for words in the word search that are not listed in the word bank!). Another link offers free inhalers for kids. Where do the links lead? Do students find anything strange about "baby's first inhaler"?After students have dissected the site and discovered all the misleading statements and "propaganda," encourage them to read the blog post at Coal Cares Site a Brilliant Hoax, reviewed here, for more information about the hoax, and how it was devised. Then, discuss the implications of this example. How can it make them better internet consumers? Challenge groups to create multimedia projects sharing their finding. Have students use one of the many TeachersFirst Edge tools reviewed here.
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SlateBox - SlateBox
Grades
4 to 12View the video for a quick introduction on copying, moving, and linking boxes. Use the template panel to drop nodes needed for your new slate into the drop panel. Hovering over the box shows tools for editing text, creating links to other boxes (click and hold on the icon while dragging to another box.) Control the colors, borders, template, etc. in the right navigation pane. Export your slate to a pdf document or create an embed code to place into a wiki or blog.
tag(s): concept mapping (17), mind map (27)
In the Classroom
Create a template mindmap and add collaborator leaders (perhaps one in each group) who can --in turn-- add the rest of the group to collaborate. Assign portions of a template to a group of students. Groups can collaborate on paper or your whiteboard and then choose the best ideas for the slate being created. You can also use Slatebox with a whole-class account. Show SlateBox creations using an interactive whiteboard or projector. Edit or change elements easily with class input. Use for mapping content being studied in the current unit, problem solving, vocabulary, and more. Use this site to help students interact with and organize ideas. Construct points of a short story, identify main points of passages, or generate a map of the basic points of paragraph development. Wrap up a lesson by having the students create a "diagram of the day" (the main points of the lesson). Students can use this site to map ideas in passages of a textbook. If each student or group maps a specific passage, ideas from chapters can be seen visually. Be sure to include the links to student-created "diagrams" on a class wiki or web page so students can use them for review. If your students have Internet access outside of class, assign them to create a simple diagram of an assigned reading as homework and embed it into a wiki or blog.Edge Features:
Parent permission advised before posting student work created using this tool
Requires registration/log-in (WITH email)
Premium version (not free) includes additional features or storage
Products can be embedded
Products can be shared by URL
Multiple users can collaborate on the same project
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Defenders of Wildlife - Defenders of Wildlife
Grades
7 to 12This site includes advertising.
tag(s): animals (284), conservation (86), endangered species (27), environment (238)
In the Classroom
This would be an excellent resource for an environmental science class. Add to online course sites as an alternative to textbooks. Create assignments where students are directed to this site to read for understanding of the topics that are being discussed. For students in more advanced environmental studies, the section on Policy and Legislation is great. It is far more understandable than reading through the actual laws and policies. Have students read the website information on a specific policy or law, and then have the students find the actual law to "check up" on the site. This will encourage students to make comparisons between the reading that they could easily understand and the more complicated language of the actual laws. This simple exercise could be incorporated in an English or reading comprehension classroom or a science classroom (what a great way to do a little cross curricular teaching!). Students will learn to read more analytically in the process!Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Groundhog Facts - Cornell Chronicle
Grades
2 to 6tag(s): animal homes (56), habitats (86), holidays (167), weather (164)
In the Classroom
Use information from this site in Guided Reading centers - print out the questions and responses and separate them, then have students match the correct response with the appropriate question. Share this site with students when researching different types of animals, hibernation, habitats, or other animal information.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Listen a Minute - Sean Banville
Grades
5 to 12This site includes advertising.
tag(s): dance (26), listening (73), reading comprehension (142), vocabulary (236)
In the Classroom
Use the selections and activities with individual students as an assignment or independent practice on your classroom computer. The reading and activities are easy to work on independently because of the listening feature. Don't forget to provide headsets. Small groups of students can listen at one of several literacy stations in your classroom. Provide this link for the families of ESL/ELL students to read (or listen) to the selections together. Learning support teachers will also appreciate the option to provide audio and text together to improve student comprehension.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Free English Lessons Online - esolcourses.com
Grades
2 to 12This site includes advertising.
tag(s): grammar (133), listening (73), reading comprehension (142), vocabulary (236)
In the Classroom
You may want to complete some of the selections with a projector and your interactive whiteboard for the whole class as there are listening activities, reading activities and quizzes about holidays, etc. You could differentiate by having small groups of students or individuals listening and reading at their different levels while you work with another group, or small groups of students can listen at a station that is one of several literacy stations in your classroom. Since each of the selections has activities in several language arts strands, one selection could make up your student's instruction for the day, or week. Students could rotate through a station for listening, one for vocabulary development, etc.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Kids' Habitat - San Diego Natural History Museum
Grades
1 to 6tag(s): animal homes (56), animals (284), dinosaurs (40), light (51)
In the Classroom
Share this site with students to explore on their own to learn more about the canine family when learning about groups of animals. Use the recommended reading list as a resource for students who love dogs and canines. Complete the grow your own minerals activity when learning about rocks and minerals. Redefine learning by challenging students make 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): Lucidpress, Powtoon, and MoocNote.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Scientific American: Slide Shows - Scientific American, A division of Nature America, Inc.
Grades
6 to 12tag(s): human body (93), microorganisms (11), oil (24), oil spill (14), organisms (16), slides (42), space (214)
In the Classroom
Try using this site when discussing how science relates to our current world. For instance, show the ten most dangerous moments for the space shuttle and the station history when studying astronomy. Incorporate the slide show about the Gulf oil spill and reading into a class blog for a biology unit on bacteria. This slide show demonstrates how microbes are used to clean up the oil. The pictures of the organisms are wonderful! Or, incorporate it into an environmental science class dealing with the impact of human behavior on the environment. Have students read and view the slide show as homework, and then discuss what they have learned via your class wiki or in class. Enhance learning by challenging students to create online posters or do it together as a class using a tool such as Web Poster Wizard, reviewed here, or PicLits, reviewed here. Have students further discuss the potential problems with associated new microbes into the oil spill area.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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What's Your Reading History - NY Times
Grades
6 to 12tag(s): digital reading (16)
In the Classroom
Use this activity both at the beginning and ending of a school year to impress upon the students the importance reading plays in their self-concepts. Use this site as an anticipatory set or "activator" to introduce the idea of regular journal keeping. After students complete their writing segment, have them do a media project that reflects their reading "identities."Have students create online posters on paper or do it together as a class using a tool such as Web Poster Wizard, reviewed here, or PicLits, reviewed here. Use an online poster creator, such as Padlet, reviewed here. Share the results of their writing and posters at open house nights or --even better- embedded in your class wiki or web page. Ask students to find what other celebrities and authors say about how reading has influenced their lives. Collect quotes from famous people about writers and list them on posters in your classroom.
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Extreme Earth - Extreme Science
Grades
7 to 12tag(s): amazon (11), animals (284), antarctica (29), arctic (40), earth (184), earthquakes (45), geology (64), plate tectonics (20), sun (70), tsunamis (15), volcanoes (56), weather (164)
In the Classroom
Use this site as an alternative to a textbook in a one to one laptop science class. Add the link to the classroom web pafe or wiki as an informational resource for your students. Or, develop questions about the reading and use as a guided reading activity to help enhance reading across the curriculum activities. Engage students and enhance learning by using Read Ahead, reviewed here, to develop a digital guided reading activity. Have cooperative learning groups explore one of the specific topics and create multimedia presentations. Use Web Poster Wizard, reviewed here, or PicLits, reviewed here, to create online posters. Extend learning by having students use Google Drawings, reviewed here, 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.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Extreme Science - Geology - Extreme Science
Grades
6 to 12tag(s): continents (32), earth (184), geology (64), plate tectonics (20)
In the Classroom
This site would be a valuable resource in a paperless science classroom. Information is reminiscent of textbook style writing with the convenience of informational hotlinks. Use as an alternative to the textbook. Have students use the information to research and create multimedia presentations. Have students create online posters on paper or do it together as a class using a tool such as Adobe Creative Cloud Express for Education, reviewed here, or PicLits, reviewed here. Reading teachers will also find these passages useful for practice with finding main idea and summarizing informational texts. Share them on interactive whiteboard for students to highlight key words and compose a main idea sentence.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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ESL Holidays Lessons - Sean Banville
Grades
1 to 8tag(s): holidays (167)
In the Classroom
Use this site to help ESL/ELL students improve listening, reading, writing, and cultural knowledge. Invite an ESL/ELL student to present a holiday from their home country to the class using an interactive whiteboard or projector. Many of the review activities would also work well as reading comprehension practice on interactive whiteboard, especially if students use highlighters and pens to mark up the text passage to locate key terms, etc.Have students create online holiday posters on paper or do it together as a class using a tool such as Web Poster Wizard, reviewed here or PicLits, reviewed here. Share this site with families of your ESL/ELL students to learn more about American holidays.
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Award Winning Kids' Books - Reading Rockets
Grades
K to 12This site includes advertising.
tag(s): book lists (162), book reports (28), guided reading (33), independent reading (86), literacy (110), literature (218)
In the Classroom
Share this site with other teachers as a resource for locating recent literature and for book orders. Keep this site handy as a resource for ideas for student reading material, book clubs, summer reading lists, book circles, and classroom read-alouds. Be sure to list this site on your class website for students to access both in and out of school. After reading a new book, rather than having students complete a traditional book report, have students make a multimedia presentation using one of the many TeachersFirst Edge tools reviewed here. Be sure to share the link with parents, too!Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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TeenTober - American Library Association
Grades
6 to 12tag(s): creativity (91), posters (42)
In the Classroom
Stir up interest in reading by making these teen appealing activities available to your classes on your teacher web site, bulletin boards, or in class. Be sure to share this annual event with families.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Maine Secretary of State Kids' Page - Maine Secretary of State
Grades
3 to 8In the Classroom
Challenge your students to go past PowerPoint and make an online presentation using Animoto (reviewed here) or another reviewed presentation tool from the TeachersFirst Edge. Review the list of books about Maine to use as resources for Guided Reading or class read-alouds. Share the site with students when preparing state research projects. Demonstrate the Tree of Facts and challenge students to create their own Tree of Facts for the state they are researching.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Stories for Kids - Pitara Kids Network
Grades
4 to 7This site includes advertising.
tag(s): short stories (18)
In the Classroom
Keep this site in mind when you have a few minutes at the end of the day. Read one together and then set your students at computers in pairs to take turns reading aloud to each other.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Alaska Kids' Corner - State of Alaska
Grades
3 to 8tag(s): alaska (20), animals (284), flags (17), volcanoes (56)
In the Classroom
Share this site with students when they are researching information for state reports. Have students use a mapping tool such as MapHub, reviewed here, to create a map of local landforms (with display markers featuring text, photos, and videos!), Add this on to your list of resources when reading books about Alaska such as Balto. Ask students to share their thoughts about Alaska, then share the common misconceptions portion of the site to see if your students have any of these misconceptions.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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