Teachers First - Thinking Teachers Teaching Thinkers

FutureLearn for Schools offers a large variety of free online courses presented by leading universities for students aged 13 and older in a variety of topics. Choose a category to begin browsing topics offered. Content includes history, creative arts and media, literature, and much more. Watch a short video to learn specifics about the course offerings and objectives. This site was created in the UK, so some of the pronunciations and spellings may differ from those in American English.

tag(s): advertising (26), business (52), computers (109), creative writing (124), cultures (180), dental health (14), environment (252), financial literacy (93), gifted (66), literature (221), photography (130), politics (118), professional development (385), psychology (65)

Share positive moments and increase your happiness! Share by describing your happy moment, upload a picture (not required), and place it in categories you create, such as working out, family, and more. Click Share to share with others, including on Twitter or Facebook. Why use categories? If you are lacking motivation for working out, viewing your positive messages from before can definitely help! Connect with others and comment on their happy moments! Read helpful tips to center you on happiness, find mini-courses, and use daily reminders to increase your happiness. Read the many articles on your journey to a happier YOU! This site/app is easy to use with today's busy lives, and interactivity is grounded in actual science.

tag(s): emotions (49), mental health (48), psychology (65), social and emotional learning (102)

Learn about the life and accomplishments of Alexander Kartveli, one of the most important aircraft designers of the world. This site provides information about Kartveli's design accomplishments, including seed ideas for the space shuttle. Learn about the different aircraft he worked on throughout the years. Be sure to check out the Resources link that includes images, documents, video, lesson plans, and more. If your district blocks YouTube, then the videos may not be viewable.

tag(s): aircraft (16), aviation (40), design (79), engineering (129)

Vizualize.me creates resumes in a beautiful and compelling infographic format. Create an account to begin editing your resume. Import data from LinkedIn or personalize your information using Vizualize.me's dashboard. Customize your profile, change themes, and modify colors and styles using the dashboard. Share via URL, embed onto your website, or share on social networking sites. Download to your computer for a printable version. The introductory video is hosted on YouTube. If your district blocks YouTube, the video may not be viewable.
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tag(s): careers (156), infographics (56), portfolios (23)

Common Core Conversations is your place to find Common Core resources. The Standards, Resources from state education departments, free resources in all subject areas, using tech tools for learning the standards, and a section for parent information provides a great basis for your Common Core needs. Resources include: ENL/ELL, library, careers, family and consumer sciences. Join the online community to join in the conversations.

tag(s): commoncore (73)

This site offers an interactive look at three broad career fields: health care, the performing arts, and television production. Each field has activities, profiles of real people who work in the field, and an overview of the work environment. While it's certainly not a comprehensive career guidance site, it's engaging and will help students understand the possibilities for jobs within these fields.

tag(s): careers (156), medicine (57)

Go Ask Alice! answers participant-submitted questions on topics like alcohol, emotions, nutrition, relationships, and sexuality. Browse the recent Q & A category to find information on emotional and mental health, relationships, alcohol, and more. Choose Fun Stuff to take several quick quizzes on sleep, stress, and nutrition. Stay up to date with the latest health news with resources located in the Health Info & Resources tab. This site includes mature discussions of sexuality, alcohol, and drugs so it is important to preview all information before sharing with students.

tag(s): adolescence (12), difficult conversations (57), drugs and alcohol (28), mental health (48), sexuality (15)

Young Men's Health provides researched health information for boys and young men. Browse through health guides in alphabetical order or review topics such as Nutrition & Fitness, General Health, and Emotional Health. Preview all information before sharing with students. This site contains specific information relating to teen health including sexual questions. Preview before you share with students!

tag(s): adolescence (12), fitness (39), mental health (48), nutrition (140)

Receive quality health information at the Center for Young Women's Health geared toward female teens. Browse this reference site for quizzes and parent guides, as well as health guides divided into topics such as Nutrition & Fitness, Sexuality & Health, Health & Development, Gynecology, and Emotional Health. Click the Parents link to find many articles and guides for discussing teen health issues. This site contains specific information relating to teen health including sexual questions so it is suggested that you preview all information before sharing with students.

tag(s): adolescence (12), fitness (39), mental health (48), nutrition (140)

Learn about the history of house structures in Eastern Canada, with connections to home building in general. See how homes adapt to the settings in the Living in the New World section. See a timeline of homes in Canada (similar to homes history in some portions of the U.S.). Learn about the skilled builder trades on the Youthzone. The architectural Glossary is great for learning the names of all those things that stick out or hold up your house! The Homo Renovus section is all about terms and techniques in home renovation.

tag(s): architecture (75), homes (5), structures (18)

View science careers galore! Although this site is rather "plain vanilla," it is filled with sprinkles of knowledge! If you need ideas for science careers in Earth and Physical Science, this is a great resource. Research careers, find out what employees actually do in these careers, learn the requirements to obtain a job. Along with the salary and degree requirements, view the future job outlook in the career. View video interviews of real scientists and profiles of those currently on the job.

tag(s): careers (156), scientists (67)

Gift Cards for Good collects gift cards with a "little" left on them and uses them to buy things for charities. This 501C3 tax-exempt organization, was created by a 10 year old. Explore the links to find out where to send your leftover gift cards. Find the links to various charities around the world. Find other ideas about how to help around your community (without gift cards).

tag(s): service projects (17)

Join the National Park Service and become a Junior Ranger Online! Don your ranger hat and go for a virtual tour and watch videos. Explore the online interactives, including visits to the Everglades and Aztec Ruins National Monument in New Mexico. Choose from over 150 printable activities that offer opportunities to explore careers, build monuments, and learn about national parks across the United States. Learn how to complete activities and receive a Junior Ranger Badge and Certificate from the National Parks Service. The National Park Service also offers materials for educators, although they are a little difficult to find. Select the Menu icon with three bars and click on Educators or go here. Find lesson plans and activities using a keyword search and filters by subject, grade level, and Common Core Standards.

tag(s): animals (294), landmarks (22), national parks (29), plants (146), virtual field trips (128)

Find biographies of more than 100 mathematicians at the Famous Mathematicians site. Scroll through the alphabetical list of names on each side of the page to choose a mathematician. Note: alphabetical listing is by first name, not last. Most include a photo or drawing along with personal information such as birthplace and childhood along with their contribution to the field of Mathematics. There is a place for comments (by the public) at the bottom of the main page. Avoid the ads!
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tag(s): biographies (94), careers (156), famous people (19)

Find Positive Behavior Interventions and Supports for problem classroom behaviors at PBIS World. This complete and easy to use resource includes hundreds of interventions, resources, and data collection and tracking tools. There are discussions about behavior, behavior analysis, problem-solving, ideas, and more! Start by selecting the behavior you want to address and proceed through the steps to the interventions and directions for using them. Some of the topics tackled include Anxiety, Disorganized, Poor Coping Skills, Lack of Participation, and many others. Explore ways to help students (or even adults) cope with these issues. There are three tiers to the program with different types of interventions.
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tag(s): autism (15), behavior (45), classroom management (120), difficult conversations (57), emotions (49), Special Needs (53)

Finding Dulcinea is a tool that selects and annotates credible, trustworthy websites into an online newspaper format. In addition to current content, the site also offers over 550 web guides providing resources for topics such as health, teacher resources, and global warming. Be sure to check out the Beyond the Headlines section of the site for in-depth looks at topics such as Why Do We Have Daylight Savings Time? View the site tour video located here to understand the set-up and how to use the site.
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tag(s): careers (156), cultures (180), financial literacy (93), mental health (48), news (228), newspapers (93), religions (95), sports (82)

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)

Inspire people to practice kindness and empathy and pass it on to others. The Random Acts of Kindness (RAK) Foundation is a non-profit organization founded upon the powerful belief in kindness. It is dedicated to providing resources and tools that encourage acts of kindness. Discover inspirational quotes, stories, and posters. They also have a new program titled Kindness at Home and a new High School Curriculum. Explore lesson plans, classroom materials, projects, ideas for courses, and RAK clubs. Find research, videos, and stories about random acts of kindness. Sign up for the newsletter, daily texts, or join the blog.

tag(s): character education (79), classroom management (120), emotions (49), empathy (34), service projects (17)

US News and World Report checks in with projections on jobs for the coming decade. Education for its own sake is certainly a laudable goal, but in a tight economy, keeping an eye on changes in the job market can help you make better choices as you pursue that education. View the slide show to read about the job fields to watch, about the areas of the US where the economy is expanding, and about the kinds of education and job training that will be required to secure those jobs.
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tag(s): careers (156), STEM (297), thinking skills (17)