Teachers First - Thinking Teachers Teaching Thinkers

Ignite interest in STEM and bridge the gap between learning in the classroom and the real world! Peruse from a variety of short 10 minute interactive videos that highlight real-world problems. Videos are aligned to STEM curricula throughout the US and contributed by partnerships with businesses, government agencies, non-profits, and academic institutions. Use the resources to engage your students in problem-solving and inquiry based learning. Videos and resources are found in the Science, Technology, and Math tabs. Be sure to click the Educator tab for downloadable resources to help you Plan, Engage, and Inspire with your students. While looking at the materials in the Educator tab, find a Best Practices webinar date you can attend (held monthly). This one hour training session is instrumental in using the interactive video and instructional materials to facilitate inquiry based learning effectively and increase 21st century skills in your students. Each video includes resources developed by Industry, lessons by educators, and education pathways for students seeking careers in certain STEM careers.

tag(s): STEM (298)

Supplement math instruction in the classroom using OnLineMathLearning. Find videos explaining concepts, worksheets for practice, games, and activities. The site material correlates to Singapore Math but is assessable to all learners. Explore math by grade level, or by topic. Find math worksheets by grade level or even by topic. There is also Test Prep for SAT, ACT, GMAT, GRE, ESL, IELTS, or TOEFL. Furthermore, this site has instruction on Biology, Chemistry, Physics, Animal facts, Programming, or English help. Find many science project ideas, listed by subject area.
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tag(s): parents (57), video (266), worksheets (70)

Find science current events and more with this wonderful site. This section also includes information on STEM careers and teaching science to teenagers. Find interesting articles and information about Atoms and Forces, Earth and Sky, Humans and Health, and more. Below each article is words used in the article and their meanings. Find information about science projects in the Student Resources section.

tag(s): news (228), science fairs (20), scientific method (48), scientists (67)

Top Documentary Films contains a large collection of documentaries from around the world. Choose "Browse" to explore the films available, or use the Categories menu on the right to view by topics such as Politics, Science, etc. Choose List from the top menu to view a complete listing of all available films. Each listing includes a short description along with a link to view the video. Videos are hosted on YouTube. If your district blocks YouTube, they may not be viewable. Be sure to PREVIEW videos before showing to a class as they are unmoderated. Comments are also unmoderated. There is a wonderful disclaimer at the lower left of the home page about bias and documentaries. It is well worth noting as you watch ANY "documentary."
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tag(s): advanced placement (26), animals (294), artists (84), biographies (94), drugs and alcohol (28), environment (252), evolution (89), hiv/aids (15), humor (15), media literacy (109), mental health (48), money (113), politics (118), psychology (65), religions (95), sports (82), vietnam (38)

Think you know about food and the food system responsible for growing, processing, and getting it to your table? Begin with the quiz to see what you really know. Along with the right answers, you will receive background information and some shocking statistics. View the Get The Facts tab to access an assortment of Infographics about what is in the grocery aisles.
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tag(s): nutrition (140)

The Young People's Trust for the Environment (UK) offers a large selection of fact sheets about animals and environmental issues. The information is primarily text-based. Scroll through the alphabetical list of animals to view available fact sheets. Sheets contain an image along with other pertinent information such as habitat, size, food, and daily life. Click the blue box on the upper left side of the page to download and print all information in PDF format. Note: Only text appears on downloaded sheets; images appear as X's. Choose the Environmental Facts link to explore fact sheets with subjects ranging from Acid Rain through Zoos. This site was created in the United Kingdom, so you may notice some slight spelling differences from American English.

tag(s): acid rain (3), animal homes (57), animals (294), climate (84), energy (133), environment (252), habitats (92), pollution (53)

Learn about the fascinating world of bees with this beautiful and comprehensive site. Begin your exploration as you choose from different categories such as What is a Bee?, Pollination, Life in a Hive, or The Beekeper. The entire site is also available in French. Explore each topic as you view images and descriptions of the life of bees. Find the Glossary link near the top of each page to view a selection of vocabulary words and definitions. Be sure to view the Activities page including recipes, crafts, printable activities, and an image gallery.

tag(s): insects (68)

A-Z Animals is an online animal encyclopedia and much more! Browse through the large list of animals in several different ways. Sort by alphabetical listing, Scientific names, group, location, endangered animals, pictures, or favorites. Each selection contains beautiful images and extensive information including basic facts, habitat, and behavior. Click the "listen" icon near the top of the page to listen to all text on each page (read by a synthesized voice). Print each page in PDF format using the Print link also located on a tab near the top of the page. In addition to the animal encyclopedia, explore the large selection of reference articles including many topics such as habitat, life cycle, and evolution. Other great features of this site include online quizzes and games. This site is one you will want to explorer and save! The site was created in the UK, so some of the pronunciations and spellings may differ from those in American English.
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tag(s): animal homes (57), animals (294), biodiversity (36), evolution (89), habitats (92)

Learn more about the study of light with activities and experiments at Optics for Kids. Choose from the Adult or Kid links. The adult portal includes articles, experiments, and videos exploring the science of light. Activities within the kids portion include an exploration of optical illusions, explanations of terms used when discussing optics, and several activities to explore the physics of light. In the adult section, explore activities from those for young children up to most sophisticated options for those over age 15.

tag(s): light (56), optical illusions (10), optics (11), psychology (65), vision (44)

Listen to nature, literally, through this enormous library of animal and bird sounds. There are 400 sound recordings to explore on these pages. Search by habitat, animal group, location, or bird language. Use the location tab to click on an interactive map and find 150,000 animal sounds throughout the world. Learn how and why birds communicate by checking out The Language of Birds tab. This site requires Windows Media Player or a Mac compatible player for .wma (Windows Media) files. Flip Player for Mac works fine.

tag(s): animal homes (57), animals (294), birds (46), habitats (92), sounds (43)

Here is Today offers a visual look at time. Click Okay+ to the next step in time - from today to this month. Click again to go to the year, and keep moving through eras of geologic time until the creation of the universe millions of years ago. Each step includes an arrow pointing to this day in relation to the rest of the timeline.

tag(s): 20th century (62), calendars (37), cells (82), earth (184), geologic time (12), timelines (56)

This tool is a neuroscience journal that includes articles reviewed by kids! Approved student scientists, ages 8-16, review the articles, and neuroscientists serve as their mentors. The scientific process is followed with young scientists writing their submission specifically for the Frontiers Journal. The article is then peer reviewed. Students and scientists serve as peer reviewers. The process shows how articles are reviewed in major publications and show the scientific process.

tag(s): brain (56), child development (24), human body (93), senses (20)

Grow For It offers lessons and resources for exploring agriculture, natural resources, and insects! Download several different lessons correlated to Common Core and/or North Carolina Standards. Find teaching materials about gardening, insects, and soil erosion. Some lessons offer additional materials not included as part of teacher training, provided by 4H services. However, free materials include detailed lessons and activities worth exploring. Be sure to explore other links for grant opportunities, weekend projects, and a "Plant Geek Pledge."

tag(s): agriculture (51), ecosystems (83), erosion (15), insects (68), natural resources (37), nutrition (140), plants (146), soil (16)

Why just read about polar bears in the news? Follow polar bears with the Bear Tracker. Learn about their habitat and efforts to save them. Use the "About Bears" tab to find the "Polar Bear Tracker Map" and watch polar bears traverse the sea ice. Be sure to look at the unit and lesson plans that accompany the Tracker Map. Learn about Global Warming, Polar Bear Facts and Information, and more in the "About Bears" section. Click on the Science tab to view research projects, status reports, and care guidelines for polar bears. Find lesson plans, WebQuests, and mini courses for teacher use.
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tag(s): animals (294), biomes (110), conservation (102), ecosystems (83), polar (10), tundra (14)

What better way to learn science than by "doing science"? My NASA Data provides satellite images, charts, and graphs to analyze information from real world problems. Where to start? Best place is the Lesson Plan tab. Here, find a variety of lessons that can be used in any classroom. Lessons are sorted by High School, Middle School, Elementary. View climate change lessons, Stand alone lessons (a great way to get started), and 50 or 90 minute lessons. Find great ideas that are multi-day projects. Each lesson plan features outcomes, pre-requisite knowledge, tools, National and AP standards as well as Virginia State standards. Be sure to use the linked vocabulary they provide and view all the lesson links. The included background information, procedures, student questions, and extensions are invaluable in planning the lessons. Be sure to go to the bottom of each lesson page to click on the Teachers Notes and to even view the lesson without the standards.

tag(s): charts and graphs (172), data (151), scientific method (48), scientists (67)

Find videos about water resources from all areas of the U.S. Some of the specific topics include the Water Cycle, Sierra Nevada Snow Pack & Snow Melt, Los Angeles & Water Imports, and others. View the transcript of any video by clicking on the Transcript tab of the player. Click the turnaround arrow in the top right of each video frame to see the "flip side" of the video "cue card" for a list of keywords and a description, Even though the larger NBC Learn site is a fee-based subscription, this is a free resource. If your district blocks YouTube, the videos may not be viewable.
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tag(s): sustainability (50), water (104), water cycle (22), watersheds (8)

Immerse yourself in soundscapes from around the world! Soundscapes feature recordings of bird songs, frogs, insects, hippos in a pool, and more. Hover over the location points to view the title. Choose one of the locations on the World map to view information about the nature of the recording, a picture of the organism featured, a link to the recordist and videos, and a "Listen" button to play the recording. Move around the map as you would in Google Maps, reviewed here. Zoom in and out to see locations all around the world.

tag(s): animals (294), biomes (110), cultures (181), environment (252), habitats (92), plants (146), sounds (43)

Get a close-up view of one of life's most despicable creatures with this helpful guide about different types of cockroaches. Scroll down the landing page and click "what a cockroach looks like" in red text. You can read about the different stages and how they look. Also read about the differences in cockroaches and Palmetto Bug or Waterbugs. Though this is a site to sell Orkin services, thus the and get rid of them in the title, no registration is necessary to find out how to idetify them.
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tag(s): insects (68)

Find news features on current events, politics, space, weather, sports, and more. This would be useful in any classroom where a "knowledge of the now" is a focus. At the time of this review some of the specific topics included What's New on the Climate Crisis, remembering Children's Author Beverly Clearly, Huge Container Ship Blocks Suez Canal, the discovery of new planets, and much more. Of course, as the news changes so will the features on this front page. Subscribe to their newsletter to receive updates on new articles.

tag(s): news (228)

Explore this rich collection of clever YouTube videos of songs with on-screen lyrics to learn important science concepts! Be sure to check out some pretty clever songs including The Rock Cycle, Chemical Compounds in Cells, and the DNA song. The lyrics to the song are shown below the video on each YouTube page to easily copy and paste for students to follow along. Even if your students roll their eyes at the videos/songs, the concepts (and tunes) will definitely stick in their minds! If your district blocks YouTube, the videos may not be viewable.

tag(s): animals (294), atoms (43), cells (82), climate (84), dna (43), energy (133), human body (93), matter (45), molecules (43), moon (73), motion (47), rock cycle (12), water cycle (22), weather (160)