Teachers First - Thinking Teachers Teaching Thinkers

Find free, scalable vector images created by a community of designers whose goal is to create a universal global language of symbols that everyone can understand. Vector files are images that do not Snappa, reviewed herehange or become fuzzy when you resize them. Communicating visually is powerful and easy using symbols like these. Move beyond language and cultural barriers in learning and communicating by using these symbols. You must set up a free account to actually download. Note: Many programs cannot use the file format (SVG) but some programs, such as Adobe Illustrator, can. Don't have a program to open the image? Download the image, then upload to the Media Converter (reviewed here) to convert the image. No need to open the file- just convert! Note that the use of these vector images is FREE if the artist(s) attribution is easily viewable and accessible (linked back to the artist's page on the Noun Project site). Many images are in the public domain with no attribution required. Ethical use would still give credit. If you do not want to attribute each time it is used, icons can be purchased for unlimited use instead. Be patient. This site is often SLOW to open and offers slow downloads because of the larger image files.
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tag(s): digital storytelling (154), graphic design (49), images (263), infographics (56), stories and storytelling (58)

Use this tool to search millions of photographs from the LIFE photo archive, stretching from the 1750s to today. Most of these photographs were never published and are now available for the first time through the joint work of LIFE and Google. The original photographs were hard copies that have been scanned by Google. These images can be used for personal or research purposes (though at this time, images contain a Time Warner stamp that seems to limit its fair use.) Images are organized by decade and category but can be searched by name, date, subject, location, and even by photographer. View different channels of history: news, celebrity, travel, animals, and sports. The archive can be accessed through this website, or by simply adding the phrase "source: life" to any Google image search.

tag(s): black history (133), images (263), local history (14), photography (130), world war 1 (77), world war 2 (161)

Quick Picture Tools offers 12 tools for editing and enhancing pictures. Choose from embossed text, frames, combining images, add text, blur, and more. Click on the editing tool you desire, then choose from options offered to edit pictures. When finished, click "generate image" to save to your computer. No registration needed!
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tag(s): back to school (55), firstday (22), images (263)

"Picturing U.S. History" helps you use visual evidence to learn about the past. The essays and lectures are very detailed and flexible. Find primary source media by clicking on the links in the essays and lectures; these include: photographs, drawings, paintings, political cartoons, print media, statuary, furniture, and collectibles. Additional links provide explanations of historical and culture behind the images used at the site.

tag(s): art history (102), black history (133), history day (39), painting (54), primary sources (117)

Create magical looking artwork as you click and drag with this beautiful site. Personalize the images using the color and format links at the bottom of the screen. Choose from vertical or four-way symmetry or symmetry off. Include new age music to add to the magical effects or turn music off with a simple click. Share your creations through links to X (formerly Twitter), Facebook, email, or copy the link. Share your art with using email, Facebook, X (formerly Twitter), or Pinterest. Althought there is no option to print or save a finished design, you could take a screenshot (Shift+ Command +4 on a mac or Prtscrn key on Windows) and save or paste it into a document to write about or save.

tag(s): colors (63), symmetry (26)

Search this virtual museum and database of European fine arts from the 11th to 19th centuries. The site also offers a version for use on mobile devices. The site provides 16 different tours, music, a glossary and the ability to send e-postcards with images. There is also a feature for viewing two images at once.

tag(s): art history (102), artists (84), museums (52)

This is a wonderful site for finding quality images to use in projects. Use these images for either personal or professional projects. Registration is not necessary to download them. All images are copyright free. Search images by name (or category - photos, video, illustrations and vector) and filter by orientation (landscape or portrait) and image type (photo, clipart, video, or vector.) Be sure to use the filters at the top. Right click to download. Use good search terms to find the best pictures possible. You must know where to save images on your computer. Be sure to give credit to the person who took the picture and show their name wherever the image is used. Consider adding images to this site to increase the number of options and expand the ideas of Creative Commons. Adding images does require you to join the site (email required).

tag(s): creative commons (28), images (263), photography (130), search engines (48)

Dance, Factors, Dance is a wonderful visual display of numbers and factors. The numbers begin at 0 and continue through 10,000. Each number displays as a visual image sorted by factors, or in one large group if prime. At the top of the screen, the actual digits show along with the factorization represented. For example, 10,000 displays as 5X5X5X5X2X2X2X2 with a beautiful star-like image. Speed up the dance or stop at any given point using icons (at the bottom of the page) or go backwards to watch numbers unfold.

tag(s): factoring (25), factors (29), number sense (69), prime numbers (26)

Discover a huge collection of interactive illustrations to help explain complex concepts in science, technology, art, math, and a range of other topics. Use these activities to create interactive visualizations. There are thousands of Mathematica Demonstrations. A demonstration is a Mathematica notebook that takes advantage of Mathematica's manipulate command. Use the manipulate command to create sliders or buttons or check boxes to change the values of parameters in the displays in the demonstration. The result is you control the animation. View demonstrations on topics ranging from odd and even numbers to odd and even functions, fractions to fractals, and from linear functions to linear algebra and linear programming. In addition to mathematical topics, there are demonstrations illustrating the time in different cities around the world, global demographic information, the solar system, and art and music concepts. You need to download the Wolfram CDF player to use and interact with the demonstrations.
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tag(s): addition (129), animals (294), architecture (75), computers (109), division (98), fractions (160), geometric shapes (134), gravity (43), logic (161), maps (220), money (113), multiples (15), multiplication (122), plants (146), psychology (65), statistics (121), subtraction (110), weather (160)

Join the Cat in the Hat, Sally, and friends on an adventure that teaches, reinforces, and enriches learning for young students. Easily navigate through Games, Printing, and Videos. Each area features different concepts: colors, shapes, numbers, letters, matching, easy art projects, videos, songs, and spatial reasoning. Be sure to check out the activities on the top menu; they change with each page you click. There are also seasonal/timely activities on the main page. A wide variety of games keep you coming back to find yet another adventure with the Cat in the Hat. The site features user friendly directions for any age.

tag(s): alphabet (53), colors (63), dr seuss (12), geometric shapes (134), measurement (122), numbers (120), preK (270)

Create a "fake" Facebook-style page for anyone or anything! It's a good idea to do a little planning ahead of time, then just follow the directions on the landing page. Give your page a name and add an image from your computer. (They insert an image for you if you do not select one, however, you can change the image by clicking on it and selecting one from your computer.) Of course you will need to use a Creative Commons or other copyright-safe image. You can also add videos and links, edit the profile, and your page is almost ready. You must add at least one post and one friend to save work. Under the "Friends" block, you can add blocks such as Family, Major Speeches, etc. Choose "save" from the options on top left side of the page, enter a password, and your unique URL for your Fakebook page appears. Be sure to copy and save this link as it is the only time it is given in the setup process. If you are prepared with images and links, page creation is quick and easy with a small learning curve. Share your Fakebook page with the link to your page.
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tag(s): back to school (55), book reports (28), creative writing (124), digital storytelling (154), firstday (22), social networking (61)

This Pinterest pinboard is a collection of infographics that serve as resumes for artists, writers, tech designers, digital workers, and many other 21st century creative professionals. Click any infographic to see it in its original home on the web so you can zoom in and see the details. This collection represents strengths of both Pinterest and the infographic medium. Explore to see how it's done!

tag(s): careers (156), infographics (56), portfolios (23)

View portraits of classrooms in many cultures 2004-2012, taken by photographer Julian Germain. The collection is actually from a book. As Archive Magazine reviewer Tom Shakespeare explains, "By presenting different pupils, different schools, different year groups, Germain asks questions about contemporary educational practices and social divisions." The photos are clearly deliberate portraits, not candids, but offer a glimpse into other cultures and a chance to ask questions about why a class ( and classroom) might look the way it does, inviting discussion about what we have in common and how each culture conducts and values education.

tag(s): cross cultural understanding (173), images (263), media literacy (109)

Find videos recorded by professional educators. These are not just the humdrum lecture type videos you might expect. These are dynamic speakers, energized by their desire to share what they've learned and know. The videos are even more appealing because of the professional animators who worked in the background (with the educators) to get the message across to the audience. You can search these videos by "Lessons" (under "Discover") and from there by subject, "Collections," is organized by theme, or by "Exploration." Every video has a "Think" section with multiple choice and open ended questions. If you get a multiple choice answer wrong you will receive a video hint to help you get it correct. Every video has a Dig Deeper section with additional resources for exploring the topic. You can take one of these videos, a video from YouTube, or any other video with a URL and "flip" them to make them your own. You can change the title, put in instructions, discard or keep the questions, create your own questions. In other words, you can make the video your own, to suit your needs. Once you save the video it will have a unique URL so you can track the progress and participation of anyone using it. Don't miss such clever offerings as David Hunter's video about the importance of geography concepts in deciding "How do you decide where to go in a zombie apocalypse?" Ted-Ed is only part of the TED offerings. View the full TED site reviewed here. Be sure to look at the Discover and Create tabs on the top menu.

tag(s): blended learning (37), business (52), design (79), literature (221), psychology (65), religions (95), Teacher Utilities (197), video (266)

Looking for some new free clipart to add to projects, presentations, and websites? With over 10,000 images and a keyword search function, IconBug makes locating and using clipart easy. Simply click on the image to download. With Mac, the image automatically downloads as a PNG. With a PC, you need to choose to save the image. Either way, it is easy to use and there is no need to worry about image copyright. Each image page specifically tells you whether icons/clip art are free for personal use, for commercial use, or both. Note that many do require that you give credit via link back to their site.
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tag(s): clip art (11), creative commons (28), images (263)

Crop and resize your images using this online tool. Upload your images and select the desired size. There are several predefined sizes to choose from: an avatar image, gallery thumbnail, Facebook timeline cover image, or you can select a custom size (width and height) for your particular purpose. Crop up to 5 images simultaneously. The site detects the most interesting part of each image to use when cropping. Adjust the placement as needed. When finished, select images to keep and download to your computer.

tag(s): images (263), photography (130)

Looking for resources to use on your interactive whiteboard? If so, this site is a tremendous resource for all whiteboard users, not just those with a Promethean Board. View, search, and download from over 60,000 resources in all subject areas and grade levels. Use the Resources tab to search by state standard, content, grade level, or resource type. Register on the site to enable download ability as well as many other features such as saving favorites, reviewing resources, asking questions on the technical forum, following specific users, and uploading your own resources. Each resource includes a short description, grade level recommendation, file format, and size. Another great feature is the slide show included with each download for previewing different pages used on each chart.

tag(s): iwb (31), numbers (120), preK (270), resources (83)

Find hundreds of useful charts and diagrams that illustrate philosophy, english, history, science, current events, and more for free, online viewing. You will find PDFs, posters, timelines, etc. Learn about topics such as: Most Famous Paintings, World Leaders Timeline, Muppet Voices Chart, New Seven Wonders, Human Evolution Timeline, and more. General "subjects" include Social Studies Charts, Most Popular Charts, Psychology Charts, Philosophy & Religion Charts, English Charts, Science Charts, and many others! The site is selling charts and downloads, but you can view the site for FREE. Zoom in to see details using the View menu in your web browser or touchpad zooming on Macs.
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tag(s): art history (102), charts and graphs (171), grammar (137), multiple intelligences (7), myths and legends (37), poetry (193), politics (118), psychology (65), religions (95), solar system (110), space (222), timelines (56)

Explore a rich collection of Dr. Seuss' political cartoons during World War II. Seuss shows his very serious side in this collection of over 400 political cartoons related to the war. The collection is sorted by year and by battle, people, places, and issues. Each cartoon includes full citation and copyright information. Most are copyrighted and allow permission for scholarly use but cannot be copied or shared outside of "fair use." In other words, you cannot use them in online projects or make copies beyond classroom or offline student projects. You can easily share each cartoon via X (formerly Twitter), Facebook, etc. Click the enlarge arrows to see the image in its own separate window and copy its URL.

tag(s): comics and cartoons (55), dr seuss (12), world war 2 (161)

Turtlediary is a one stop shop for learning games and more for early elementary students. Choose from various categories: games, videos, stories, and arts and crafts. Included under each heading is an age range and description of each activity. Be sure to scroll down near the bottom of the page to find lists of all learning games sorted by subject, sort further by choosing a grade level from preK through 2nd grade. For full access to this site, you must register (which does cost a fee). However, most of the interactives are currently available for FREE to guests with no registration.
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tag(s): addition (129), alphabet (53), alphabetical order (8), colors (63), counting (60), dinosaurs (43), gravity (43), human body (93), life cycles (21), map skills (63), phonics (51), preK (270), puzzles (149), subtraction (110)