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Primary Resources: Science - RM
Grades
K to 6tag(s): classification (21), electricity (59), environment (238)
In the Classroom
Celebrate spring by taking your class outside for a budding unit about plants. Primary Resources has slide shows that explain the parts of a flower, what seeds need to grow, how they germinate or explain photosynthesis. Are you preparing students for an upcoming science fair? Primary Resources is also a great source for finding experiments appropriate for primary age students and is helpful when introducing how to conduct an inquiry based science experiment. Interactive presentations demonstrate how to make predictions, form a hypothesis, develop a "fair test" and how to record test results. A few activities include tasks for an interactive whiteboard or projector and others provide handouts or reproducible activity pages.There is a key that indicates the equivalent United States grade level. The British Key Stages are equivalent to the following age groups; KS 1 for ages five to six, KS 2 for ages seven to eleven, KS 3 for ages twelve to fourteen, and KS 4 for ages fifteen to sixteen. Since this site was created in the UK, so some of the pronunciations and spellings may differ from those in American English.
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Shmoop - Civics - Shmoop University Inc
Grades
9 to 12tag(s): branches of government (62), constitution (88), politics (113), presidents (122)
In the Classroom
Students will not be bored when you turn them on to this site. The links can be put on a classroom webpage or blog. Use the primary resources section under Best of the Web to help students make real world connections. Students can use the photos provided on the site to create a PhotoStory or iMovie. The provided questions would be great to use for a classroom debate. To make learning more accessible, students can even download the guides to any handheld device that supports ebooks such as ipod touches or Kindles. Please note that some videos are from You Tube so they may be blocked by your school's filter.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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A Family Farm Album: The Photographs of Frank Sadorus - Illinois State Museum
Grades
3 to 12tag(s): agriculture (48), genealogy (8), photography (118), primary sources (117)
In the Classroom
This site is a good site to use if you want to introduce more primary sources into your teaching. There is an extensive activities and resource section that covers the topics of photography, history, farming and genealogy. In addition, the PDF entitled the Turning Point would be a good resource to use in a lesson on narrative writing. Share the photos in art (or photography) class on your projector or interactive whiteboard. Have students create blog entries from the perspective of Frank Sadorus. Use the pictures for creative writing exercises. Why not have a photo of the week and have students write a short piece on the class wiki about what they feel the picture represents, what is happening in the photo, what the animal or person was doing/thinking in the photo, or whatever else is applicable in your class. Do you want to learn more about wikis? Check out the TeachersFirst's Wiki Walk-Through.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Big Huge Thesaurus - Big Huge Labs
Grades
1 to 12tag(s): rhymes (21), thesaurus (22), vocabulary (236), word study (58), writing (317), writing prompts (58)
In the Classroom
Keep this link handy among the resources on your class web page or wiki, and be sure to bring it up on your screen or interactive whiteboard to remind students of the rich tools it offers as you teach grammar, revision, poetry, essay-writing, or even letter and resume writing. With primary grades, share the rhyming words to help teach spelling and phonics! As students share in revising a passage or writing a poem on the interactive whiteboard, have this thesaurus available on another window to model their search for just the right word. Encourage students to look up any new vocabulary or terminology at the start of new science or social studies units so they can gain a broader "sense" of the words themselves through a constellation of synonyms and related words. Help students refine vocabulary by having them rank the various synonyms offered for a certain word, deciding which has the most positive or negative connotations. Offer the writing prompts for student journal or blog posts or creative stories. ESL/ELL students can explore new words with this tool, even practicing the rhyming sounds and noticing their varied spellings. Check out the Big Huge Labs educator account. Easily pre-register students to avoid creating logins, view and download their creations, and view the site advertisement free. You will find information about the Educator Account here.NOTE: If students enter an inappropriate word, they WILL find classroom-inappropriate terms. As with use of any reference, your students need to know your classroom's consequences of such activity. The options are no different from students looking up body parts or pornographic terms in a print dictionary or on Google.
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Do2Learn - Do2Learn
Grades
K to 8tag(s): aspergers (7), autism (15), emotions (47), empathy (27), safety (71), Special Needs (54)
In the Classroom
Although intended for students with special needs, this site would also be helpful for teaching basic English vocabulary (emotions, facial expressions, positions), for safety lessons during bus safety week, and for ENL/ESL learners. All students benefit from activities that develop empathy for others. The many printables in the free areas will also help you teach basics of any primary classroom. Speech/Language teachers, emotional support teachers, and autistic support teachers will appreciate the many ways to share emotion words, including an interactive facial expression tool and the emotions color wheel. Many activities are well-suited for interactive whiteboard with the student navigating using his/her finger or touch tool. Others would make ideal learning centers at a classroom computer with headphones. Share this site with parents, as well, via a link on your class web page, since many of the activities bear repeating over and over.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Reading is Fundamental - Literacy Central Educators - Reading is Fundamental (RIF)
Grades
K to 5tag(s): literacy (110), literature (218)
In the Classroom
Explore this site in conjunction with the student options on RIF's Beeline Reader Collection, reviewed here. As you plan new literacy centers, be sure to explore the options here. You may also want to share the link to the parent area of the RIF site on your class web page so parents can promote literacy at home. Not sure if the home has Internet access? Send the monthly literacy calendars home via backpack express and offer Reading Reward points for completed activities students bring in to share with the class. Reading Rewards points can be good for a free book or extra time on the classroom computer exploring (what else?) RIF activities! Reading specialists, principals, teachers, and literacy coaches will be interested in sharing some of the articles with other professionals and paraprofessionals.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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ScribbleMaps - Scribble Maps
Grades
2 to 12This site includes advertising.
tag(s): directions (12), geology (64), landforms (37), landmarks (18), map skills (56), maps (207), space (214)
In the Classroom
Students and teachers will want to keep a written record or map URLS and passwords for future reference. Model this for students so they do not lose hours of work! Teachers can prepare partially-made maps or maps for students to make corrections and changes by giving the students the URL, then having them SAVE the map with a NEW ID. To SAVE the map with a new name and URL, click "Save map" in the menu, then enter your OWN map ID. Students could use a code including their initials, such as SJ12-3-09 for a map made by Sally Jones on Dec 3, 2009. Teachers should PASSWORD protect their originals so changes can only be saved under a new name. Similarly, if a student saves the map with a map password, they don't have to worry about other students vandalizing their work. But they DO need to remember the password! Wise teachers will keep a class list of maps and passwords for forgetful students! In primary grades, make maps of your local community together on your interactive whiteboard as you teach basic map skills. Create your own "key" with symbols you choose for playgrounds, etc. Have students help map locations of favorite playgrounds, grandparents' houses, stores, etc. as they gain basic understanding of map skills. Make sure you allow students to operate the tools! Save the map and share it as a link from your class web site (or embed it there). Keep names generic so it is "safe." Other ideas to challenge gifted student beyond the curriculum or elevate challenge for small groups include: natural resource maps, immigration maps, maps of civil war battles day by day, maps of key sites in the life of a famous person, artist, or author, maps of the settings in a novel, landform maps of a continent or state, "My life" maps of places important to an elementary student's family, annotated watershed maps of pollution sources, maps of the water cycle, maps of constellations in the night sky created by students to demonstrate understanding, maps of a dream community to be built in a vacant area (desert), including the water sources, etc. that will be needed, maps of a redesigned city/town on top of its current map. Teachers can provide map challenges or templates to be completed or corrected, including maps where students must label distances and cardinal directions between points (using map scale and skills). Or provide a teacher-created map with labels in the wrong places for students to correct the landforms, resources, etc. What will YOU do with Scribble Maps?Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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National History Day Resources - TeachersFirst
Grades
6 to 12tag(s): history day (40)
In the Classroom
Share this link on your class web page or use it as a jumping off point for students beginning research for National History Day projects or you school's own history celebration. Have students create their projects using free web based tools, such as those reviewed as part of the TeachersFirst Edge. To provide a way for students to help each other with the technology tasks, limit options to one or two tools such as ThingLink (,reviewed here,) for interviews or Bookemon (reviewed here) for creating interactive books. Or create a whole-class wiki with student group history projects on separate pages. Learn more about wikis from the TeachersFirst's Wiki Walk-Through.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Maths Frame - Design and Online Ltd.
Grades
2 to 6tag(s): money (119), multiples (15), multiplication (122), numbers (119), sequences (12)
In the Classroom
Use these activities as drill exercises in class or at home. These activities are perfect for interactive whiteboards or projectors. Use these activities with groups of students and provide the opportunity for them to explain the concept or solution. Save this site in your favorites, so students can visit often. Consider sharing this link on your class website or wiki.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Lightning Bug - Martin Jorgensen
Grades
4 to 12In the Classroom
Share this site both in and out of class as a place where story writers can stretch, refresh, and improve. Many of the writing lessons and activities are also well-suited to interactive whiteboards or projectors. You can plan an entire story-writing unit or simply improve on certain aspects of writing here. Share the link on your class web page for students to access when they are stumped for writing ideas. Steer your motivated writers to explore this site on their own or assign small groups to become specialists on one of the writing exercises and then teach it to the class or blog about it. Use the ideas from this site for students to write cooperative stories using a wiki or a tool such as Primary Pad, reviewed here. Encourage young writers to submit entries in writing contests listed here or to explore the site further during summer and holiday breaks.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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The Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History - The Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History
Grades
4 to 12tag(s): 1600s (20), african american (111), american revolution (83), black history (128), civil rights (198), civil war (135), colonization (20), foreign policy (12), great depression (29), history day (40), immigration (63), industrial revolution (20), migration (44), native americans (91), primary sources (117), westward expansion (38), world war 1 (73), world war 2 (151)
In the Classroom
Find many lesson plans, resources, and primary documents to enrich your history lessons. Make a splash with visual learners by starting class with artifacts from an era displayed on your projector or interactive whiteboard. Explore primary sources and historic texts as part of a Common Core literacy program cooperating among English, reading, and history teachers. Have your students sign up to enjoy access to all the resources. Enhance learning by challenging cooperative learning groups to choose a specific historical time period and become "experts." Have the groups create presentations to share with the class about what they learn. Use a tool like Slides, reviewed here, or allow students to choose the format of their presentation by using Genially, reviewed here, where they can interactive images, infographics, charts, and presentations of all types, and insert maps, surveys, video, audio and more.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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English Online France: Free online ESL/EFL Academic Reading and Writing Exercises - Glenys Hanson and Fiona Robertson, et. al.
Grades
4 to 12Be sure to check out the videos, which include commercials from the 1960s!
tag(s): vocabulary (236), writing (317)
In the Classroom
This site has so much to offer, the possibilities are endless. Obviously, this site is handy with ESL and ELL students. But there is SO much here to explore for teachers of elementary (social studies or language arts), AND secondary teachers trying to reinforce grammar skills, connect history and writing, and more.Share portions of this site on your interactive whiteboard or projector. With primary students, set up learning stations. Have cooperative learning groups explore the site together. Have groups investigate a specific area of this site and create a multimedia presentation to share with the class: wiki, blog entry, podcast, online book, or video. Need some "technology tips?" Try enhancing students' learning by having them create a podcast using podOmatic, reviewed here. Share "student-created" videos on a tool such as TeacherTube, reviewed here. Transform learning and have students write online books using a tool such as Bookemon,reviewed here.
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A Woman's Work is Never Done - The American Antiquarian Society
Grades
6 to 12In the Classroom
Use these images to complement various lesson themes on the historic role of women as workers, or use the site as a whole for a larger discussion of women and work. While the site is not extensive, the images are good, and their organization into themes might help students understand that women's roles as workers have varied tremendously over the years. Share an image or two on your projector or whiteboard for a discussion starter to help students envision life in these by-gone times. Use this site as one of several image sources as you have students research and create wiki pages from different angles: life in colonial America, the history of labor, changing roles in U.S. society during the 19th century, etc.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Creating Dramatic Monologues from Grapes of Wrath - Alisa Soderquist
Grades
9 to 12tag(s): writing (317)
In the Classroom
This site works on so many levels from teaching what a monologue is and how it suits a particular character in literature to researching primary sources and understanding what they tell you. This is a good group project that could work for other novels as well as The Grapes of Wrath. Try using an online digital recording tool such as Podomatic (reviewed here)for students to record and share their monologues as a podcast.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Veterans History Project - Library of Congress
Grades
9 to 12To fully experience this site, you need Adobe Acrobat and Real Player. You can get both from the TeachersFirst Toolbox page.
tag(s): afghanistan (8), iraq (27), korea (19), resources (88), veterans (20), vietnam (35), world war 1 (73), world war 2 (151)
In the Classroom
Primary documents are a vital link between the students of today and the experiences of real people from the past. Students can access these interviews and accounts through searching by time period (WWI through the present), branch of service, gender, or POW status. As your class studies a particular conflict, assign students different accounts to research and then have them "portray" that person in a panel discussion about the war. Compare the experiences of persons filling similar roles across conflicts. Examine gender differences or the differences between those serving in the Navy and the Army. For a powerful long-term project, download the site's "field kit" and consider gathering new accounts for the project in your community.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Causes, Conduct and Consequences of the U.S. Civil War - Univ. of Pennsylvania
Grades
6 to 12tag(s): civil war (135), lincoln (60), primary sources (117)
In the Classroom
Share this site with your students while researching the Civil War.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Printable paper rulers - Vendian.org
Grades
1 to 12tag(s): measurement (125)
In the Classroom
Simply choose the ruler you wish to use, print it, copy it, paste it to cardboard, and laminate it! Be sure to follow the technical tip about "shrink to fit"! Use the printable rulers if your budget does not provide funding for them or if you want to go green and save resources. Place them on student desks, in centers, or in take-home folders. Choose the large print rulers for children with certain IEP requirements and for the primary grades. Allow students to color their rulers to help them remember units by color.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Frederick County: A Crossroads of History - Maryland Public Television
Grades
K to 5There is a link for Web Links , these lead to other sites that provide research information. Some of the links include forums, so watch students carefully.
tag(s): civil rights (198), maryland (7), transportation (32)
In the Classroom
If you are teaching about the history of Maryland, War of 1812, Revolutionary War, Underground Railroad, or the Civil War, check out the lesson plans available at this website. The printable pages and online student activities offer excellent supplementary lesson ideas.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Ben's Guide to U.S. Government - Government Printing Office
Grades
1 to 12tag(s): constitution (88), franklin (11), states (122)
In the Classroom
With younger grades, use an interactive whiteboard or projector to learn the states' locations with the entire group. This simple site would be great to use in your computer center for individual learning or for some indoor recess enrichment fun. Secondary teachers looking for more than the basics will want to supplement this site with other resources. There is a link for parents and teachers, be sure to take a look!Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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DocsTeach - Digital Vaults - National Archives
Grades
3 to 12tag(s): civil rights (198), congress (39), courts (19), first ladies (4), immigration (63), inventors and inventions (71), Juneteenth (22), lewis and clark (14), presidents (122), primary sources (117), slavery (76), womens suffrage (44), world war 1 (73), world war 2 (151)
In the Classroom
Use this site as an anticipatory set for a unit in history or on inventions. Share a collection of images or invention drawings on a projector or whiteboard and ask what the invention will do. Or use the site as the starting point for individual or group projects. After demonstrating on an interactive whiteboard or projector, have students use laptops or lab computers to "collect" resources related to their assigned inventor, decade, or era in American history. Check your school policy regarding accessing student email. If students cannot have their own email accounts, consider using a "class set" of GMail subaccounts (managed by you), explained here. This tells how to set up GMail subaccounts to use for any online membership service. This would provide anonymous interaction within your class. Students can use their log-ins to collect resources.Since the documents are in the public domain (are not copyrighted), students may also download and use the files as part of other projects, such as video compilations, Powerpoint presentations, or multimedia of any sort. To access the resources in non-Flash format, click the small link to "research this record in ARC" in the detailed view of the item. You can then view and Save As for use elsewhere. Be sure you teach students about copying the URL and relevant information from this ARC page to cite the source and give credit in any presentation they make. This site is excellent for enrichment or projects for the gifted, as well. Include it on your teacher web page for students to access both in and out of class for students who are working in History Day projects or other assignments for your class.
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