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21 Must-Read Books - Asian Pacific American Heritage Month - Amer. Indian Lib. Assn & the Asian/Pacific American Lib. Assn.
Grades
K to 12
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Enjoy perusing this list of Asian American children's books, divided by age groups. The lists include a wide range of selections, from picture books to young adult books and poetry....more
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Enjoy perusing this list of Asian American children's books, divided by age groups. The lists include a wide range of selections, from picture books to young adult books and poetry. There is also a list of recommended authors and illustrators. If you are interested in similar book lists, TeachersFirst's CurriConnects found here offers several other curriculum-related, leveled booklists.
tag(s): asia (69), book lists (162), chinese (44), cross cultural understanding (155), hawaii (7), independent reading (86), japanese (47), korea (19), vietnam (35)
In the Classroom
Refer your class to this list for multicultural reading and reports. If you have any ESL/ELL students from these areas, they may enjoy reading literature from (or about) their homeland. Challenge students to read one of the books on this list and research the location. Have cooperative learning groups create a mash-up map using one of the many TeachersFirst Edge Tools reviewed here. Some tool suggestions are (click on the tool name to access the review): Google My Maps, Adobe Creative Cloud Express for Education, StoryMap JS, Renderforest, and Genially.You must be registered and logged in to add items to your favorites.
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Jack London Online Collection - Roy Tennant and Dr. Clarice Stasz
Grades
8 to 12
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This is an official website about Jack London and his works, maintained by Sonoma State University. It is really an exhaustive site including a biography of Jack London, Frequently...more
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This is an official website about Jack London and his works, maintained by Sonoma State University. It is really an exhaustive site including a biography of Jack London, Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ and their answers, of course!), douments including
letters, postcards, telegrams, etc. relating to his life and work, a list of his novels biographies, bibliographies about key people in his life, photographs, a of his works including , etc., all kinds of research aids, lesson plans. and MORE, plus links to other information (although why you would need more boggles the mind!).
tag(s): authors (105)
In the Classroom
If you teach Jack London or any of the related literature (Service poetry, etc), this is a GREAT source to take students. Again, it is a safe and reliable source with a variety of areas to expand upon. I do like the fact that it reminds students to cite their information and tells them how to do it!Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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MobileRead - MobileRead.com
Grades
3 to 12
1 Favorites
0 Comments
Join Mobileread, a social networking site for eBooks. View as a guest, or join to be able to submit a nomination or comment to a discussion thread. Find free eBooks, ...more
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Join Mobileread, a social networking site for eBooks. View as a guest, or join to be able to submit a nomination or comment to a discussion thread. Find free eBooks, eBook lending libraries, eBook reviews, Notable eBook uploads, and poetry. Discover latest technology, audio books, hardware reviews, and accessories. Conversion, reading software, and authoring software fulfill your Ebook needs. Get mobile links, Ebook blogs, web clipping software, or Mobile Mobilereads. The option to choose a language is available to accommodate for ELL/ESL readers.Be aware: This site has a lot of public interaction. Either explore the site yourself for whole group activities or monitor carefully .
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This site includes advertising.
tag(s): audio books (23), book lists (162), ebooks (39), social networking (65)
In the Classroom
Consider sharing parts of this site on your interactive whiteboard. Expand your language arts classroom with a variety of books through free eBook resources. Give each student his/her own personalized book club to match interests. Enjoy your favorite interests too. Find the latest information on eBook technology.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Theme Poem Generator - Read, Write, Think - International Reading Association
Grades
K to 4
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Engage students while learning about poetry with this easy to use Theme Poem Generator (formerly known as Shape Poem Generator). Type in the author's name and see an example of ...more
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Engage students while learning about poetry with this easy to use Theme Poem Generator (formerly known as Shape Poem Generator). Type in the author's name and see an example of a Theme Poem. Choices of themes include nature, school, celebrations, and sports. Each theme offers several choices of shapes. Choose a shape and then type in several words or phrases that go along with the shape. Make a title and use the words and phrases as ideas to include in the poem. When finished, read the poem, go back and edit, or print the link on the page.
tag(s): poetry (190)
In the Classroom
This site is perfect for use on an interactive whiteboard (or projector) to introduce the concept of theme (shape) poems. Choose a theme and create a poem together as a class. Use as a teacher-led center and have groups of students create shape poems using this site. Print and display student-created poems on a classroom bulletin board. Enhance classroom technology use and challenge students to brainstorm words to go with chosen shapes prior to creating their poem using a tool such as Padlet, reviewed here, or to create a word cloud of terms about a theme before creating poems using a tool such as Word Clouds for Kids, reviewed here.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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SoundCloud - SoundCloud Ltd.
Grades
K to 12
3 Favorites
0 Comments
SoundCloud is a sound sharing site. Upload your favorite sounds and share using your SoundCloud free account. Share via a link or a choice of embed widgets to add into ...more
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SoundCloud is a sound sharing site. Upload your favorite sounds and share using your SoundCloud free account. Share via a link or a choice of embed widgets to add into a website, blog, podcast, Wordpress, email, instant message, or social network. You can choose to use previously recorded sounds or record your own sounds using this site. Share the sounds on the web, with your group, or privately between users. Use your drop box to receive recorded material from others. This is the perfect place to create your mixtapes!
This site includes advertising.
This site includes advertising.
tag(s): creative writing (119), descriptive writing (38), expository writing (31), songs (44), sound (73), sounds (43)
In the Classroom
Add the dimension of sound into your language arts classes with SoundCloud! Turn written stories or poetry into works of spoken art. Use SoundCloud recordings of places such as; the city, the forest, the beach, or a cafeteria to bring settings to life. Make and share audio writing prompts. Challenge students to create their own story using sounds. Add sound into projects such as webquests, PowerPoints, podcasts, or blogging to hear the results! Emphasize important messages to your parent or student emails using sound. What a practical solution for ENL/ELL learners. Record and share poetry readings during Poetry Month. Save quarterly recordings of speech articulation students s they can hear their own progress (and you can share it with parents). Check school policies, of course, before uploading any student recordings to the web. Instrumental music teachers can share clips of musical pieces for students to emulate during at-home practice.Edge Features:
Includes an education-only area for teachers and students
Parent permission advised before posting student work created using this tool
Includes Interaction w general public/ public galleries with unmoderated content
Includes social features, such as "friends," comments, ratings by others
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
Requires download/installation of software
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Fiction Teachers - Meadowbrook Press
Grades
2 to 8
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Jump into fiction and poetry with fictionteachers.com. Find information about teaching reading, poetry, readers theater, and inviting such authors to visit your classroom. Write a Girls...more
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Jump into fiction and poetry with fictionteachers.com. Find information about teaching reading, poetry, readers theater, and inviting such authors to visit your classroom. Write a Girls to the Rescue, a mini mystery, or a new fangled fairy tale. Lesson plans have creative ideas to inspire students, teachers, and parents.
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This site includes advertising.
tag(s): poetry (190), readers theater (10)
In the Classroom
Jazz up your language arts class with fun, laughter and great readers theater scripts. Find links for other websites for more resources. Discover book resources to make your language arts workshop become the favorite part of your students' day. Use on an interactive whiteboard (or projector), at centers, for parent resource, or additional advice for tutors.After students have experienced two or three of the reader's theater scripts from this site, have them create their own script for a favorite story. Use the script writing tips found on Aaron Shepard's Reader's Theater Page reviewed here.
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obooko - Tony Stanton, Sarah Bainbridge, Tim Johnson
Grades
7 to 12
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Join the writers and readers of obooko, the free site to publish and read ebooks. Readers' Choice Awards of 2011 winner for free eBooks , obooko offers a platform to ...more
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Join the writers and readers of obooko, the free site to publish and read ebooks. Readers' Choice Awards of 2011 winner for free eBooks , obooko offers a platform to share your work and read the works of others. Become a reviewer and write comments on other ebooks. As authors, you retain all rights with no charges or contracts. This site is legal and does not infringe on copyright laws. There are numerous categories to choose from: Romance and Women, Crime, Religion, Thriller, Mystery, Teens, and much more! This site is not intended for children under 13. Some of the content may not be appropriate for the classroom. So be sure to preview.
This site includes advertising.
This site includes advertising.
tag(s): creative writing (119), ebooks (39), mysteries (20), novels (31), poetry (190), religions (77)
In the Classroom
For your language arts class, obooko contains many examples of contemporary writing. Selections for critiquing and editing are readily available without hurting any class member's feelings. Look at examples for current ideas and places to begin brainstorming. Included are free templates for different types of writing. Have each member of your class become a published author! Use the titles as writing prompts or read only half of the story and have students finish it in their own way. Bring each student's story into the lives of many. Assign critiques using obooko. You might even create a school or class obooko literary magazine during poetry month.Library/media specialists may want to select certain ebooks to load on school iTouches for students to read and review. Start an obooko reading club with these free options.
If you are uncomfortable sharing here or school policy prohibits it, have your classes create a similar website (wiki) with published pieces from your school or class. Not familiar with wikis? Check out the TeachersFirst Wiki Walk-Through.
This resource requires PDF reader software like Adobe Acrobat.
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Soundation - Power FX Systems AB
Grades
5 to 12
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Soundation is an online tool to create music. No download or installation is needed to use this tool. It has the raw materials: sounds loops, effects, and virtual instruments, ready...more
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Soundation is an online tool to create music. No download or installation is needed to use this tool. It has the raw materials: sounds loops, effects, and virtual instruments, ready to be use. Experienced music creators could probably learn how to use this tool by playing around with it. For those who are little less musically trained or inclined, there is a great how-to section of the site that gives a play by play of how to make your own music. There are FREE and FEE based versions of this site. The FREE version allows you to record music in one session; however you cannot save to return later. You can use the free version to record and edit what you have recorded. You can download the file in .wav format and save it on your own computer. You can also "publish and share" via url or on Facebook. The down arrow offers both options.
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This site includes advertising.
tag(s): energy (130), lyrics (15), musical instruments (47), musical notation (35), sounds (43)
In the Classroom
This would be fantastic for teaching how to mix music and create interesting sounds without taking up space in permanent files on the computer. If it is used for practice, the jumbles of sounds "go away" when closing the website. Try using this in music class to show students how to mix up sounds, practice with rhythms, and play with tools. Allow students to try their hand at creating their own music. Create sound files to use as "bumpers" or backgrounds in podcasts and videos. The music you create is not copyrighted, so there is no concern about "rights." As a new angle on digital storytelling, why not challenge students to tell a story through sound effects and music? Create sound sequences then as audio writing prompts for stories or poetry. In science or physics classes, this tool could be displayed on an interactive whiteboard (or projector) to show what the frequencies of sound and different pitches of voices look like when represented graphically. Use this site to demonstrate how a sound wave is actually a wave of energy. Another use would be for classroom management. Have this tool displayed on the interactive whiteboard, as student become to noisy point out what their sound looks like on the board, and show them parameters of sound that they have to meet in your classroom. For younger students, this will give the visual message that their sound is "big" because they often lack that perspective.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Huffduffer - Huffduffer.com
Grades
9 to 12
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Create a podcast out of any audio file on the web. Signing up is easy. Find an audio file online. Enter the URL, title, description of the site, and enter ...more
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Create a podcast out of any audio file on the web. Signing up is easy. Find an audio file online. Enter the URL, title, description of the site, and enter tags. Separate podcasts are created for the different tags that you use. Search the tags that are on Huffduffer to find specific audio files. Add the Huffduffer bookmarklet to Firefox or Chrome to instantly create a podcast from audio files you find online.
tag(s): listening (73), podcasts (81), stories and storytelling (42)
In the Classroom
When finding incredible audio files, be sure to huffduff them in order to share by specific tags. The most popular Huffduffer users are featured on the site, and many interesting podcasts can be found that way. Create podcasts of your own to host online and huffduff those to be tagged and listened to. Find podcasts to share with your students (or parents) on your website. Huffduff audio files from foreign language sites as a listening assignment in your world language class. Share the podcast url to assign the task. Have students create their own Huffduff podcasts of politician soundbytes, poetry readings, or music samplers.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Protagonize - Taunt Media
Grades
5 to 12
2 Favorites
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As of June 2017 Protagonize is no longer updated, however there is a note that all contents remain for those who would like to explore. Protagonize was originally a ...more
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As of June 2017 Protagonize is no longer updated, however there is a note that all contents remain for those who would like to explore. Protagonize was originally a site for collaborative story creation. However, now you and your students can create your own "linear" or solo stories, poems, song lyrics, etc. Stories are available for others to comment on or add to. You can easily specify two endings like the "Choose Your Own Adventure" series or leave the story's ending unfinished. Alternatively, choose to create different "chapters" of a story. Before writing, choose from many different story genres. If you prefer not to have outside input on the story, you can select "solo" writing. It is easy to change solo to collaborative writing, however. There is also an option to digitally link the chapters. The site is very flexible, and you can write poetry, drama, song lyrics, and writing exercises including role plays. Before writing, students set up "story guidelines" so that future contributors can see the parameters of the piece. Students can also view the work of others. Mature content is marked with a "Mature" marker. Students and other writers have an obligation to report inappropriate content. PDF format or RSS feeds allow the created work to be saved to another format.
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This site includes advertising.
tag(s): creative writing (119), digital storytelling (144), expository writing (31), narrative (14), persuasive writing (55), poetry (190), six traits of writing (4), songs (44), stories and storytelling (42), word choice (14), writers workshop (31), writing (317)
In the Classroom
You may wish to set up a group or class account, so that you can keep a careful eye on what outside additions are made (use an RSS feed!) . Students would then need to sign their writing or their comments on other class members writing, with a code known by you. Or you can invite students through email, and then create a group on the program that would include your students; however this group would also be open to the public.Create groups of students who would like to work together on a "Choose Your Own Adventure" story connected to a science or social studies topic. Have the students create the story guidelines and parameters. Once the students have started the story, have them use your projector and interactive whiteboard and get feedback from class members about the different directions the story could take. Publish the final adventures by using the page flipping publishing program, Youblisher, reviewed here.
Have your students create "solo" stories, and then have them switch to "collaborative" to receive comments and input from other members in their writing group or class. Publish the final adventures by using the page flipping publishing program, Youblisher, reviewed here.
Edge Features:
Parent permission advised before posting student work created using this tool
Includes Interaction w general public/ public galleries with unmoderated content
Includes social features, such as "friends," comments, ratings by others
Requires registration/log-in (WITH email)
Premium version (not free) includes additional features or storage
Multiple users can collaborate on the same project
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Writing Prompts Resources - TeachersFirst
Grades
1 to 12
3 Favorites
0 Comments
This collection of reviewed resources includes many types of writing prompts, both visual and verbal, to inspire writing. Whether you want students to try their hand at poetry or informational...more
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This collection of reviewed resources includes many types of writing prompts, both visual and verbal, to inspire writing. Whether you want students to try their hand at poetry or informational writing, there are ideas here to help. Make this collection available for students to find their own inspiration for open-ended, creative writing assignments. Teachers can also use this list to find 2-3 possible choices for a targeted writing assignment. Student choice is key in helping student voice come through in their writing.
tag(s): creative writing (119), writing prompts (58)
In the Classroom
Make this collection available for students to find their own inspiration for open-ended, creative writing assignments. Teachers can also use this list to find 2-3 possible choices for a targeted writing assignment.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Tammy Worcester's Tech Tip of the Week - Tammy Worcester
Grades
K to 12
1 Favorites
0 Comments
Find a wealth of ideas and tips for using technology in your classroom. Tammy Worcester, an instructional technology specialist for ESSDACK and ISTE presenter, compiles her tips of...more
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Find a wealth of ideas and tips for using technology in your classroom. Tammy Worcester, an instructional technology specialist for ESSDACK and ISTE presenter, compiles her tips of the week here. Other portions of the site include her book sales and paid training and consultation services. See a list of over 100 technology of the week tips, such as creating lesson plans as a Google spreadsheet, sharing lesson plans using Google, as well as publishing them. Follow simple step by step instructions with screen shots embedded for even the most wary technology user. You will also find lists of internet resources given by category. Find 18 ideas and activities explained in simple formats. Some activities include: All about me scavenger hunt, idiom slide show, multiplication charts, Tall Tales, and poetry. This site is ever-growing, so check back often.
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This site includes advertising.
tag(s): folktales (34), idioms (32), number sense (70), operations (71), tutorials (54)
In the Classroom
Trying to think of new ways to use technology with your students (in all grades?). Want to learn just one small tip each week? The weekly tips are a great ice-breaker to using technology and new teaching ideas in your classroom. Try that one tip that is suggested and explore more as you feel comfortable.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Magnetic Poetry - Dave Kappell
Grades
K to 6
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1 Comments
As part of the commercial site for Dave Kappell's Magnetic Poetry kits, The Kids Poetry Page extends the original idea of Magnetic Poetry online. This engaging site features the commercial...more
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As part of the commercial site for Dave Kappell's Magnetic Poetry kits, The Kids Poetry Page extends the original idea of Magnetic Poetry online. This engaging site features the commercial venture to further the sale of Magnetic Poetry and other products. The Kids' Poetry Page lets you can play online (FREE) with several of the kits. Moving the word tiles, you create poetry to save, print, or publish online. An email address is necessary to publish online, but it is not shared with the poem. A gallery highlights poems created by kids. A similar adult section is available with the use of different poetry kits. A detailed teachers' section includes multiple ideas for classroom use submitted by educators. As with any tool that allows students to work with words, it is possible to create suggestive or inappropriate "poetry." Be sure to spell out consequences for inappropriate content, just as you would with pencil/paper assignments. A few of the words available could be used to refer to body parts, however, it took our editors quite a while to find any. If your list shows up with a word that you feel is not appropriate, simply click to get a new set of words.
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This site includes advertising.
tag(s): creative writing (119), iwb (33), poetry (190), sight words (22)
In the Classroom
Share the magnetic poetry on your interactive whiteboard or projector. Once students have created their poem, challenge students to read it to the class by creating a podcast. Use a site such as PodOmatic (reviewed here). This is an excellent resource to share during Poetry Month. Why note make a poetry center on your interactive whiteboard for students to work with a partner? While this site is intended for poetry writing, it could also be used by younger students learning sight words, as many of these words are on most "sight word" lists for kindergartners and first graders (it, is, the, etc.). Be sure to share this link on your class website for students (and parents) to try at home.Comments
I am wondering if the kit I looked at was intended for adults. With words like breast, lie, bed... Note from the editorial staff: we have updated our review and included a disclaimer. We did find one set of words that included the words listed above, after clicking through several sets of words. If you stumble upon this set and feel it is not appropriate for your students, simply click to get a new set of words. There are several different sets of word lists.Doris, MI, Grades: 0 - 3
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YouTube Play: Live from the Guggenheim - Youtube Play
Grades
5 to 12
1 Favorites
0 Comments
Join YouTube and the Guggenheim Museum in recognizing a biennial review of the best online videos from around the world. As a form of modern and contemporary art, celebrate free ...more
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Join YouTube and the Guggenheim Museum in recognizing a biennial review of the best online videos from around the world. As a form of modern and contemporary art, celebrate free access every day for your virtual field trip from a Webby award-winning nominee site for 2011. A panel of 20-25 experts chooses from a selection of over 23,000 videos submitted. Explore art, music, movement, poetry, and prose on this creative video site. The option of subscribing to recent uploads is available at no charge. Click "continue" to see thumbnails of all available winners. If your district blocks YouTube, then this site may not be viewable. Not all comments posted are appropriate and videos should be previewed before viewing in the classroom setting.
In the Classroom
Capture your students' interest in the modern world of technology. Share this video on your interactive whiteboard or projector (be sure to use full screen mode). YouTube Play can be used in a variety of classroom settings; art, music, technology, language art, drama, science, or political science.In the art classroom, explore the emerging world of creative video. Determine elements of design, technology, photography, and movement. Discover the integration of music, sound, and movement in video in many creative ways. Use the site to demonstrate how to convey a message through creative animation. Express a creative editorial on a current events or important issues that challenge our world such as over-population, fossil fuels, or pollution. Have students create innovative political campaign videos. Take your technology classes to a new level of excellence. Add a visual component to poems, prose, or narratives as an additional interpretation device. Introduce storyboarding techniques to create videos with a tool like online sticky notes that can be move around such as Webnote, reviewed here, easily share Webnote using the URL. Have your students make their own videos using a tool such as Adobe Express Video Maker, reviewed here, and then share them via TeacherTube, reviewed here.
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The Explorers' Graveyard - TeachersFirst
Grades
3 to 6
17 Favorites
0 Comments
Combine writing, an explorers' study, and fall celebrations using this activity which asks students to compose an epitaph for an explorer of their choice. Writing and art opportunities...more
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Combine writing, an explorers' study, and fall celebrations using this activity which asks students to compose an epitaph for an explorer of their choice. Writing and art opportunities abound, and the end product makes a great display for parent-teacher conferences.
In the Classroom
Take advantage of this free and interactive lesson plan! Just be sure to save it as a favorite to allow for easy retrieval later on!Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Using Creative Dramatics With the Teaching of Poetry - Tracy 4/5 teacher
Grades
3 to 5
2 Favorites
0 Comments
This is a teacher-created lesson trying to get upper elementary students interested in poetry by involving them in groups. It is simple and easily adapted to different grade levels....more
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This is a teacher-created lesson trying to get upper elementary students interested in poetry by involving them in groups. It is simple and easily adapted to different grade levels.
tag(s): poetry (190)
In the Classroom
Take advantage of this free lesson plan during a language arts unit on poetry. For a twist on the skit idea, you could also have students complete the almost the same task by creating 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).Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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The Interactive Raven - TeachersFirst
Grades
6 to 12
23 Favorites
0 Comments
Here's TeachersFirst's famous on-line presentation of Poe's classic poem, with notations explaining definitions and literary devices. Roll over words for definitions, literary devices,...more
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Here's TeachersFirst's famous on-line presentation of Poe's classic poem, with notations explaining definitions and literary devices. Roll over words for definitions, literary devices, and more.
In the Classroom
This is a great on-line independent study for students who need additional help with either vocabulary or poetic devices. Introduce the site on your projector (rollovers will not work on an interactive whiteboard), then have students work alone or with a partner to become acquainted with the full text of Poe's masterpiece, accessing definitions and literary devices on their own. Augment classroom technology use and challenge students to create their own dramatic readings of the poem using a tool such as podOmatic, reviewed here, or accompany their reading with illustrations using ePubEditor, reviewed here, where your can upload images and text and add audio.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Attitudes Toward Nature in Taoist Art - Ask Asia
Grades
9 to 12
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Understand the Taoist point of view through art and poetry. From the Ask Asia series. ...more
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Understand the Taoist point of view through art and poetry. From the Ask Asia series.
tag(s): asia (69)
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Enchanted Tulips and other verses for children - Victorian Women Writers Project
Grades
3 to 6
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A collection of poetry. ...more
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A collection of poetry.
tag(s): poetry (190)
In the Classroom
Use this site as a resource for students during a unit on poetry. This could be a great tool for students searching for a poem to fit their needs, whether it be for a recitation activity, report, or analysis. Using a broader search engine allows them more options than would a printed anthology within the classroom.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Bookemon - Bookemon, Inc.
Grades
K to 12
47 Favorites
1 Comments
Write your own original books, add images and artwork as illustrations, and read your published books in interactive, online form. There is no fee for the online publication and sharing....more
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Write your own original books, add images and artwork as illustrations, and read your published books in interactive, online form. There is no fee for the online publication and sharing. This is the ultimate in "digital storytelling." Take advantage of the free apps that make Bookemon even easier to use with any device! Use Bookemon Reader to READ books you created in Bookemon or Bookemon edCenter (available for both iOS and Android). BookPress for iOS devices only allows you to CREATE books from scratch, including using photos from your iPad/iPhone. InstaPress (for iOS only) offers options to make books from documents, pdfs, etc. to be shared on mobile devices as eBooks.
Here is an example of a book created by the TeachersFirst Edge editors. Once you set up free membership on this site, students (or teachers) can select to create from a blank start or to use the templates provided. You can also create a book starter of your own as an example so students can follow the prompts you have created. The book creator allows you to upload your own images and to create books from a Word document or PowerPoint file you have already made. EdCenter users can collaborate on books.
After you save and publish the work, share the URL so people can read the entire book online, either among an audience of "just my friends" or publicly. They also offer the embed code to place your books on a class or school web page, wiki, or blog. The easiest option is to copy the address of the new window displaying the interactive book. There is an option to have the book printed for a fee, but this is not required. You can also read books created by others (if they make them public). Use the fully-public option to create learning materials for classes to access year to year for at-home review or reading practice.
This site requires a simple registration. Teachers can set up an edCenter for their school or class in accordance with school policies. See more detailed suggestions "In the Classroom" below and in our sample book! Newer mobile device options include players to view your books on iPads and more.
This site includes advertising.
After you save and publish the work, share the URL so people can read the entire book online, either among an audience of "just my friends" or publicly. They also offer the embed code to place your books on a class or school web page, wiki, or blog. The easiest option is to copy the address of the new window displaying the interactive book. There is an option to have the book printed for a fee, but this is not required. You can also read books created by others (if they make them public). Use the fully-public option to create learning materials for classes to access year to year for at-home review or reading practice.
This site requires a simple registration. Teachers can set up an edCenter for their school or class in accordance with school policies. See more detailed suggestions "In the Classroom" below and in our sample book! Newer mobile device options include players to view your books on iPads and more.
This site includes advertising.
tag(s): creative writing (119), digital storytelling (144), writing (317)
In the Classroom
SKIP the profile and friends areas to get to the book creator to play with the tools a bit. Before you get too involved, create an edCenter to minimize advertising and create books in your own teacher-friendly class environment. Use the edCenter to register students and establish privacy settings for your class. No student emails are required.On the Create Books page, choose from using a blank book, starting from a file, or using a template. Choose "school" to see projects from other classes or a sample created by you or a student team working in advance along with you. Explore ready-made themes (seasonal, topical, etc.) or use "open theme." Choose book dimensions (match layout shape to any uploaded files, such as PowerPoint slides). Enter settings and description of your book (editable later), including who is allowed to "see" it: everyone, just friends, or private. Again choose a "theme" - more of a category where Bookemon will list your completed book. A logical option is "school." Experiment with tools to upload files (within file limits), add images, add text, etc. Written help is offered as you go, but there is no video demo. SAVE often. Turn margins on to avoid chopping content. To share the book, you must "publish" it (i.e. finalize).
Once published, locate the book under "My Books" and use options to share (by email--and see the URL to copy from there), "Make a new edition" to create a new version--also useful for treating the original as a template for later books), Post to Other Sites offers embed codes. The BEST option is to click the book COVER which opens a new window without ads or "stuff," and copy the ADDRESS of that window to paste into email, etc. You can also mark that clean window view as a Favorite on a classroom computer!
Use your edCenter settings to manage social networking features. This will avoid the "public" Bookemon features such as opportunities to share address books, use social tools such as Facebook to share your books, etc. Teacher-controlled edCenter accounts are probably the easiest option for managing within school policies.
With younger students, have them begin their work in PowerPoint then upload for whole-class books. See an example, created by the TeachersFirst Edge editors . The example is full of ideas for classroom use from Kindergarten to high school, including science concept tales, poetry books, general writing, math problem solve-its, and more. ANY grade can use this tool, depending on the amount of direction by the teacher. (By the way, the correct answer to the problem in the sample book is c. 27.) Another idea: have students create personalized books for their parents or grandparents for special occasions (Mother's Day, Father's Day, or Grandparent's Day).
Use the mobile device features offered in your BYOD classroom to make and share books, PDF's, and more. Tip: Use this site for a guided introduction to social networking as a class, an excellent teaching opportunity for digital citizenship in the context of a project.
This is one of the best creative tools for gifted students to go above and beyond regular curriculum. Don't let the "juvenile" appearance fool you. Even older students can write and include images to create and share books of any length. Any independent research or writing project can become an interactive book. Even advanced science experiments and lab reports can be shared online using this tool. Once you have one book, you can use that as a template for others. Inspire your gifted students to create literary magazine or even a personal online "portfolio" of writing, artwork, or photography presented in interactive book form.
Edge Features:
Includes an education-only area for teachers and students
Parent permission advised before posting student work created using this tool
Includes Interaction w general public/ public galleries with unmoderated content
Includes social features, such as "friends," comments, ratings by others
Requires registration/log in (NO email)
Premium version (not free) includes additional features or storage
Products can be shared by URL
Includes teacher tools for registering and/or monitoring students
Comments
This is one of my all time favorite creative tools. Very versatile. Great for making "buddy books" or for teacher-created learning "books." Make one as a whole class to summarize a science unit in primary grades. I even use it personally to make fee online "gifts" for children I know. I did purchase one print version, and it looked great.Thinking, PA, Grades: 5 - 10
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