Teachers First - Thinking Teachers Teaching Thinkers

This site allows you to create and customize online quizzes. Once registered, create quizzes using the shared templates or make your own from scratch. Current templates for educators include quizzes in several subjects, including geography, math, and language arts. This site also consists of an extensive database of ready-made questions to use. Customize your quizzes by adding images, changing backgrounds, and more. Use the preview feature to review your quiz before sharing. Share quizzes with a link, use the embed code to embed onto a website, print, or share with social media links.
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tag(s): quiz (67)

Join a citizen science project! Younger students especially are fascinated by ladybugs. This fabulous site is a great resource for learning how to collect ladybugs, photograph them, identify the different species, and report your findings. Pictures are uploaded to the site and information is compiled by Cornell to understand more about the decline in ladybug species. Visit other pages for information on "Ladybugs Found," and "Legends, Lore, Facts, and More." Other activities include a "Discover Life Ladybug page," "Insect Conservation Biology," "Cool Bug Stuff," and "Sweepnet Safari" among others. Links to other Cornell projects include "Cornell Lab of Ornithology," "Firefly Watch," "Project BudBurst," and "The Great Sunflower Project." Some of the activities at this site require Flash which is no longer supported by most browsers. However, there is loads of inormation to learn from that doesn't require Flash.

tag(s): citizen science (27), insects (69)

Pandas and dolphins and deer - oh my! This website, created by National Geographic, offers an eclectic mix of reference information about numerous animals: fish, invertebrates, bugs, birds, reptiles, and others. The site truly has something for everyone. For most articles, click on it and enter your email address; read as several articles at one time. There are video clips, interactive challenges, research information, music clips, photos, and current event news stories. There is a link for kids (designed for the elementary grades) with some age-appropriate interactives, news stories, and videos. Some of the material on this site is available only through a paid perscription. This review is for the free material.

tag(s): amphibians (17), animals (295), birds (46), fish (18), mammals (22), reptiles (12)

This site has something for every grade level - all about biology. It is a bit overwhelming at first, but easy to navigate. If you are a teacher (or parent) of a K-8 student, go right to the "Young Explorers" link to find lesson plans, activities, puzzles, and more. If you are a high school biology teacher, you have just found a multitude of ready to go activities to share with your students (effects of tobacco, HIV virus, DNA, cell biology, and much more). There are lesson plans available for all grade levels. Most of the interactive challenges and presentations are designed for middle and high school students. Parts of this site require Flash and Adobe Acrobat. You can get both from the TeachersFirst Toolbox page.

tag(s): cells (82), dna (43), marine biology (31)

Explore the Humane Society Career page to learn all about animal protection issues like puppy mills, fighting animal cruelty, the fur trade, factory farms, pet homelessness, cosmetics animal testing, and other sensitive topics and what you can do to stop these tragedies. If you don't see your topic on this main page, type it in the search bar. This site features a FREE online webinar, printable PDF pages on HOT topics, and a podcast section cleverly titled Humane Voices. Other resouces interesting for teachers and students are from Nose to Tail, which has 5 lesson plans, a Farm Disaster Kit, and the Puppy Mills issue has a terrivic resource "7 ways to stop them." There is also an abundance of information in the category for animals, from alligators to zebras, including why they are important to our environment. Be sure to investigate the blog for current issues.

tag(s): animals (295), careers (156), service projects (17)

Find information about building a sustainable environment for the future of your community. Though this site is geared for the east bay area in California, many of the tips and fact sheets are helpful in any area of the world. Get articles and fact sheets (PDF) about plastics, climate change, recipes for healty living, seed saving, and more. Type Lesson Plans in the Search box to find 16 lesson plans on a variety of topics from How to Grow a School Garden, to Global Oneness Project. For those who have used the Terrain lesson plans the site says they will be archived and available soon. Until then, type Terrain into the search, the second entry will take you to their blog about terrain.

Notes: Links on the site ask for donations to the organization and suggest places to volunteer. A store link is also included. This site is best suited for teachers, as it contains lesson plans. Links to articles can be provided directly from your class web page.
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tag(s): consumers (14), earth (184), earth day (60), ecology (103), molecules (44), Project Based Learning (23)

Students learn about biology, ecology, health, and the environment through the studies of pests. Lesson Plans are divided into younger and older elementary students. Younger students' lesson plans include "Intro to Pests" and "Totally Termites." Older students include inquiry based activities such as "Termitology" and "Before They Were Pests." The site includes games and documents. Click on "Amazing Pests" to learn fun pest facts and view a dictionary of pests. View "Threats and Prevention" to learn about the damage that pests can cause and ways to prevent infestation and damage. Play fun Learning Games such as "Name That Pest," "The Pest Rangers," and "Archibald's Adventures." The audio is sure to get student attention.

Note: Students can also send a pest card by entering a recipient's name and email address as well as their own name and email address. Many district's have policies prohibiting students from using a personal email address. Additionally, they can sign up for newsletters which require parent authorization for those under 13. Please check your district's policy concerning student email and Acceptable Use Policy Activities can be seen online and also downloaded as an Adobe PDF document. Perhaps you want to sign up as a teacher and share the email with your class on a bulletin board.

tag(s): ecology (103), environment (252), game based learning (205)

If students ever wonder exactly what seashells they managed to collect at the beach last summer, this is the site to use. Clear photos click to an even larger and distinct picture of many varieties. Along with the larger picture are the common name, scientific name, region found, and maximum size. Links on the page include more information about identifying shells, cleaning, preserving, and using as decorations.

This website, created by cartoonists, offers countless experiments (written in the form of cartoons). There are over ten experiment categories including Food Experiments, Mathematical Experiments, Biological Experiments, Electrical Experiments, Experiments in the Office, Sound Experiments, Hobbies Experiments, Science Experiments, Clothes Experiments, Experiments with Light, Experiments with Objects, Experiments with Materials, & Miscellaneous Experiments . Some specific examples include "How to make a Moebius band and how to double the length of a Moebius band," "How to make your tongue into a battery," "How to test an electric fence," and many others. This is not an interactive website, but does offer some very creative ideas for experiments.

tag(s): electricity (61), experiments (55), light (56), sound (72)

The Wilderness Classroom Organization brings educational adventures into the classroom through on-line expeditions. Students can follow expeditions through the Amazon, Peru, Bahamas, and even dog sledding through Manitoba. The site provides archived experiences along with photos, expedition maps and notes from the trail. There are lesson plans, printable pages, standards, podcasts, and more.

tag(s): amazon (11), mississippi (5), peru (5)

Open the microscopic world of science to your students with NASA's virtual microscope. The free software (Win, OSX, Linux) comes with access to over 90 multi-dimensional, high-resolution image datasets, training animations, and videos that teach the basics of microscopy. Students can explore and annotate pre-prepared images as if they were using real instruments in real-time. This resource-rich site is one of NASA's career outreach programs and offers loads of information for students and teachers. Subscribe to the RSS feed to be alerted as new data is added every week. This website requires Java and Quick-Time. You can get both from the TeachersFirst Toolbox page..

tag(s): careers (156), data (151), images (263)

The "Perfect Pearl" was created to coincide with a PBS broadcast. However, the information is useful and informative without viewing the program. The topics include "What's Killing the Oysters," "Culture of Freshwater Pearls," "How Many Pearls," and "The History of Pearls." The "How Many Pearls" activity combines the science of pearls with higher-level math skills.

tag(s): environment (252), japan (57)

This fabulous website about wolves and habitats in Yellowstone allows participants to "live" as a wolf, raise their young, explore the wilderness, go hunting, and survive. Students can work alone or with partners, as they learn about wolves in the wild. Students can consult biologists, write original stories, create drawings, and more. This is the first episode; future installments are expected in late 2008. Students and/or teachers must register (free)to use the program. We recommend using a single class/teacher registration or parent/student written agreements for student registrations in order to prevent inappropriate postings "clever" students might make on the community discussion boards. There are also detailed lesson plans (click on Wolf Info > classroom activities). The lesson plans include national science standards.

tag(s): animal homes (57), animals (295), zoology (18)

Leonardo da Vinci is one of history's greatest geniuses. This site looks at Leonardo's work in ways that highlight how comprehensive and interdisciplinary his impact has been. Of course, you can examine his individual works of art, but this site is organized along threads, which you can access through a traditional menu or through an interactive web. Follow Leonardo's influence in math, through his inventions, in his understanding of the human body or his examination of the natural world. There is an abundance of information to learn on this site, however, there are also some just-plain-fun flash-enabled games to play like making the Mona Lisa smile broadly by correctly answering questions about her, practice mirror writing, or see if you can power his glider across a ravine.

tag(s): renaissance (38)

Discover the work taking place to support the conservation of biodiversity hotspots around the globe. Select from the provided links to learn about projects in ten areas worldwide, including the Caribbean, Madagascar, Central Asia, and more. After opening a project page, learn about the specific threats to the plants and animals of the area and the priorities for the successful completion of the conservation project in that location. Be sure to visit the "Stories" link on the site to find stories about lessons learned, tips and tools, and news about biodiversity.

tag(s): biodiversity (36), conservation (102), diversity (40), environment (252)

This unique website teaches about various animals and habitats while allowing users to create new combinations of animals (for example putting a pig's head, with a zebra's legs, and a dog's tail). Information is provided about all animals used in the "morph" of the new animal. Animals included at this website are the bison, bear, zebra, rhino, pig, monkey, elephant, dog, and cheetah. The program is pretty simple to follow. But for additional instructions, there is a "How to Play" link available. This website requires FLASH. Get it from the TeachersFirst Toolbox page.. Another creative feature of this website is the option of adding a name for the animal and creating a short story about your animal.

tag(s): animals (295), habitats (92)

This intriguing website gives students a front row seat to anatomy and physiology. The website provides 18 virtual autopsy cases. Each case includes a presentation about the case, history of the patient, and results of examinations performed on the patient. The cases each offer students an interactive human body. Students can click on various body parts to learn more about the health of each of the systems of the body (central nervous system, respiratory system, endocrine system, gastrointestinal track, cardiovascular system, reticulo-endothelial system, genito-urinary system, musculoskeletal system, and general external appearance). Once students have investigated the case, they are asked to identify the cause of death (the website provides 5+ possibilities for each case). If the students guess the cause of death incorrectly, they receive clues.

tag(s): human body (93)

Whether you teach insect basics or the details of biodiversity, this wonderful reference site provides a valuable online guide to insects, spiders, and other bugs. It was started as "labor of love" site by a "bug enthusiast," but has earned enough respect for Iowa State University to host the site. This guide is extremely informative, but don't expect animation and other "bells and whistles". The photographs are up close, the information is detailed, and the guide is very extensive. The guide includes information about classifications, names, habitats, pronunciations, sizes, life cycles, foods, Internet references, and more. "Bug" enthusiasts contribute photos and help identify unknown creatures!

tag(s): habitats (92), insects (69), spiders (10)

Are you "fishing" for a new way to teach your students about the ocean? This website offers a collections of ocean activities, games, activity books, and recreation ideas for students in grades 2-5 (approximately). There are many printable PDF files. Topics include Understanding Marine Debris, Dive into Sanctuaries, Oil Spills and Pollustion, and numerous other resources. There basic are puzzles, interesting articles and many build-it-yourself projects, plus other activities (all related to the ocean).

tag(s): climate change (99), mammals (22), marine biology (31), moon (73), oceans (149), oil spill (13)

Are you looking for a unique way to grab the attention of your teenage students? This interesting website explores the connection between hair and science. Correlations are made between bad hair days and the weather. Three of the "hands on" activities include building a hair hygrometer, the healthy hair test, and creating curls. Some of the articles feature interactive elements that require Flash, but there is still plenty to learn about healthy hair at this site.

tag(s): air (102), weather (160)