TeachersFirst Special Topics Collections
Jump-start your work with TeachersFirst's Special Topics collections. Save time and take advantage of these ready-to-go collections that will help you find what you and your students need, just in time for an upcoming unit, a holiday, focused research, student-directed exploration, or projects on a curriculum topic or event. Each Special Topic page is a curated list of resources related to the stated topic. Each collection includes up to 30 resources, providing enough variety to find sites that define the topic.
You can be comfortable sharing the Special Topic links with students or parents, knowing that TeachersFirst has selected and reviewed each resource.
Find classroom and project suggestions within each review, use the collection to find what you need for your lessons. Some teachers assign these lists as the core resources for a broader student assignment. Editor’s Choice collections offer "the best of the best" for topics of particular interest. TeachersFirst also offers collections on professional special topics to help you meet particular teaching challenges.
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Audio Books with Text Resources - TeachersFirst
Grades
K to 12
tag(s): audio books (23), preK (257)
In the Classroom
Mark this one in your professional favorites AND share it on a class web page for access by students and parents. The helpful reviews suggest ideas for ways to use the books in the classroom or outside of school to reinforce literacy skills, improve English skills, or study literature in new ways.You must be registered and logged in to add items to your favorites.
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Webquest Resources - TeachersFirst
Grades
K to 12In the Classroom
Mark this in your professional favorites for planning and finding webquests. The webquest format has been around for years and can be adapted many ways. Start from this collection and consider designing a webquest "Task" that uses a collaborative, web 2.0 tool such as those reviewed in the TeachersFirst Edge listings. Today's students will love the authentic, creative tasks and collaboration made possible by today's tools. TeachersFirst Edge reviews include ways to use the tools safely and within school policies, for a learning "win-win." You might even want to have student groups design their own webquests for classmates to try as a new twist on "jigsaw" learning.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Pi Day Resources - TeachersFirst
Grades
K to 12tag(s): pi (26)
In the Classroom
Use the resources in this collection to supplement your classroom during a lesson on Pi Day. The links here can be used for lesson plans, webqests, learning centers and the like! Make sure to save this one as a favorite if ever in need of some new ideas for Pi Day.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Dinosaur Resources - TeachersFirst
Grades
K to 12tag(s): dinosaurs (40), fossils (39), paleontology (28)
In the Classroom
Use the resources on this site to supplement a unit about paleontology, fossils, or dinosaurs. In addition, the resources listed can be used for WebQuests, learning centers, lesson plans & the like! This is an excellent resource for Earth Science teachers.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Interactive Audio Books Resources - TeachersFirst
Grades
K to 12tag(s): audio books (23)
In the Classroom
Mark this one in your professional favorites AND share it on a class web page for access by students and parents. The helpful reviews suggest ideas for ways to use the audio books in the classroom or outside of school to reinforce literacy skills, improve English skills, or study literature in new ways.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Hurricane Resources - TeachersFirst
Grades
1 to 12tag(s): disasters (36), hurricanes (36), natural disasters (17), weather (165)
In the Classroom
Use this complete list as a research source for student projects during a unit on weather or choose one or two specific sites to use. These reviews all include ideas for classroom use.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Columbus Day Resources - TeachersFirst
Grades
K to 12tag(s): holidays (163)
In the Classroom
Use these resources to connect Columbus Day to your curriculum in almost any subject or select one or two ideas to highlight along with your regular lessons.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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Inventors and Inventions Resources - TeachersFirst
Grades
K to 12tag(s): inventors and inventions (71)
In the Classroom
This collection includes resources for all grades. Each review includes several classroom use ideas. These are excellent tools to use to study science, social studies, and more! Explore the activities suggested. Share sites on your interactive whiteboard or projector. Provide the link on your class website for students to access both in and out of class.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Special Occasion Ideas for the Classroom: TeachersFirst Editors' Choices - TeachersFirst
Grades
K to 12tag(s): fathers day (7), mothers day (13), parents (60)
In the Classroom
Stretch your students' creative thinking, writing skills, and problem solving skills as they create projects to honor special people on special occasions or just as a surprise "thank you." Create memories for special people as your learners show what they know and how much they care. Share this collection as a link from your class web page for students and parents to use from home or during vacations and holidays.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Poetry Month Editor's Choice Resources - TeachersFirst
Grades
K to 12tag(s): poetry (190)
In the Classroom
Make Poetry Month a participatory experience. Have students compose a limerick explaining a science term or historic figure. Have students collect a list of words from your current unit. Then offer extra credit for a poetic interpretation to be shared as a daily "poetry break" during April. Use one of the tools featured here to share poetic visions of biology, geometry, and more during April. Cover a classroom wall with white paper for "curriculum poetry" during April. Encourage students to share poetry graffiti (classroom appropriate, of course). Or, replace the papered wall for an online bulletin board like Padlet, reviewed here. For more poetic ideas check out the "In the classroom" suggestions included in each review.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Cinco de Mayo Resources - TeachersFirst
Grades
K to 12In the Classroom
Use these resources to connect Cinco de Mayo to your curriculum in almost any subject or select one or two ideas to highlight along with your regular lessons.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Internet Safety Resources - TeachersFirst
Grades
K to 12tag(s): internet safety (113), safety (71)
In the Classroom
Use these resources in toto or select the best ones for YOUR students to continually model rational, safe behavior online. Share the links with parents and among your colleagues so you can promote positive action instead of fear about the Internet. Find specific projects and lesson plans to fit student/curriculum needs from this extensive collection.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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HIV and AIDS Resources - TeachersFirst
Grades
6 to 12In the Classroom
Find ideas and more as you plan for upcoming lessons on this powerful topic.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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D Day Resources - TeachersFirst
Grades
6 to 12tag(s): d day (9)
In the Classroom
Share this collection as the basis of a research project on D Day or as one of several for World War II. Choose from various project options in the reviews.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur Resources - TeachersFirst
Grades
K to 12tag(s): holidays (163), rosh hashanah (8), yom kippur (9)
In the Classroom
Use the resources on this site to supplement a classroom during a lesson or unit on these prominent Jewish holidays. The resources listed here can be used as webquests, learning centers, lesson plans & the like!Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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New Year's Day Resources - TeachersFirst
Grades
K to 12tag(s): new years (5)
In the Classroom
Use these resources to connect New Years and related "new" celebrations to your curriculum in almost any subject or select one or two ideas to highlight along with your regular lessons. Note that a new school year is also a good time for resolutions!Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Coding In the Classroom Resources - TeachersFirst
Grades
K to 12tag(s): coding (89), computational thinking (41), computers (106), critical thinking (110), design (80), makerspace (41), problem solving (225), STEM (265)
In the Classroom
Explore these resources for use with after-school computer clubs or as an excellent tool when recruiting skilled parent volunteers. Turn the intimidating content of computer programming into an exciting learning adventure for all with these helpful sites!Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Man Soars Into Flight - Resources - TeachersFirst
Grades
1 to 12tag(s): famous people (21), flight (31), inventors and inventions (71), wright brothers (15)
In the Classroom
Use this collection as a starting point for flight-related investigations by student groups. This project could also be an option during a broader unit on invention or the lives of scientists or famous Americans. Ask students to create a multimedia "poster" depicting some aspect of the Wright Brothers' work or a principle of aerodynamics that made it all possible. Use a simple software tool such as PowerPoint or a rich, online tool such as Sway, reviewed here, to create and share the projects.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Oil Spill Resources - TeachersFirst
Grades
3 to 12tag(s): disasters (36), environment (238), oil (24), oil spill (14)
In the Classroom
Use these resources together with your class to help students find ways they can contribute to a greater good after such a devastating event spreads across the news. Extend the opportunity to teach about persuasive writing (letters to legislators or the editor), careers in environmental science, and more.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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