Teachers First - Thinking Teachers Teaching Thinkers

This tool is a wonderful resource for both middle school teachers and students. Find lessons in any physical or biological content area. Find ideas for activities to use as part of your school's Science Club or interesting trivia to use as starters for your classroom. Other resources available include ideas for nature Centers, Puzzles, and links to other resources. This site has quite a few distracting advertisements.
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tag(s): atoms (43), cells (82), earth (184), ecology (103), forensics (12), insects (68), measurement (122), motion (47)

Discover the science and engineering behind many Hollywood Themes: Zombies, Space, Forensics, and Superheroes. Choose one of the themes to access information, videos, TI-Nspire downloads for interactive activities, and more. Each page also features related Math and Science Activities. The current hosts are Mayim Bialik (The Big Bang Theory) and Dr. Z.
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tag(s): diseases (66), forensics (12), space (222), STEM (297)

Take a tour of your closet to find out where your clothes come from. Discover the concept of interdependence and the extent of our global footprints. Research where raw materials come from and how clothes are made. Consider the implications of manufacturing and transportation to get them to your closet. This interactive includes informative videos complete with transcript. You can save your place within the interactive by "getting a code" that you re-enter on return.

tag(s): natural resources (37), resources (83)

The Center for Game Science offers an eclectic group of games that promote scientific discovery, problem solving, and learning through game play. The Center is focusing on using "gamification," or game play, to facilitate learning, and this collection shares its grant-funded prototypes. Choose from activities teaching diverse subjects: biochemistry, fractions, visual perception, and more. Each interactive includes a short description along with options such as single or multi-player, and an overview of the game. One game, a downloadable program, deals with protein folding. Be sure to read the descriptions in detail and practice with games to understand how they work. Many of the games are still in development and may become unavailable as they move form one phase of development to the next. A few have ads, but you can use a forward arrow to skip past them. The "capstone" listings show games created by university students, but few of these seem to be instructional.
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tag(s): cells (82), dna (43), fractions (160), game based learning (205), gamification (83), STEM (297), vision (44), whole numbers (9)

Next Vista offers Learning videos for teachers looking for alternatives to YouTube. At the time of this review, they offered over 1,000 videos (most useful for in the classroom). Videos are made by teachers and/or students. Search by three main topics: Light Bulbs, Global View, or Seeing Service. Better yet, use the right sidebar to search by topic: Math, Science, World Languages, History & Culture, Performing Arts, and more.Next Vista offers an extensive collection of career videos to use as a resource for exploring and discovering career opportunities. View videos directly on site or share using the link or embed code provided. Throughout the school year, Next Vista hosts video creation contests for students and teachers. Submit your own videos less than 5 minutes in length using directions provided. They even offer small prizes for winners.

tag(s): africa (148), asia (116), careers (156), computers (109), europe (84), literature (221), musical instruments (52), musical notation (34), north america (15), parts of speech (39), poetry (193), shakespeare (99), south america (47), speech (69), video (266)

Learn about recycling and the vast array of products that are made out of recycled materials. Use the How to Recycle section to learn about the various types of materials that are recycled, how to recycle them, and the new items they become. In Recycling Journey, follow an item from curbside pickup to the new item it becomes. Visit Spread the Word and share information about recycling with others you know via social media. Put in your local zip code to find opportunities to recycle in your local area. After viewing the main areas of this site, engage your students by having them play the game.

tag(s): earth (184), earth day (60), natural resources (37), plastics (4), recycling (45), resources (83)

Find high quality science interactives on diverse content topics: balanced diet, cell division and cancer, and population growth among many others. Choose an age range to find interactives for that level or use the search bar to look for a specific topic. Many interactives include teacher information and worksheets. Explore the teacher's section to find an excellent resource library with animations, diagrams, and student worksheets. The student portion of the site includes games and information on newly updated content. In the parents section, there are activities for younger students as well as biology resources for older students. This site originates in the UK, so U.S. users will notice some slightly different spelling and/or terminology.

tag(s): bacteria (22), body systems (40), cells (82), diseases (66), genetics (80), habitats (92), heart (27), human body (93), matter (45), nutrition (140), periodic table (44), population (51), respiration (11)

Science 101 is a science Internet portal. Although rather "plain vanilla," this site has a LOT to explore. After choosing a subject area: astronomy, bacteria, biology, books, calculations, chemistry, data, earth, electronics, or ethics, find articles or website links for further information. This site includes over 30 subject areas on a variety of science and math topics. Use as a resource to begin explorations. Some links may lead to flash activities, not all browsers support flash.
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tag(s): resources (83), science fairs (20), scientific method (48)

Watch full length documentaries online for free. Find your favorites through daily suggestions, browsing the top 100, or searching categories: 9/11, activism, art, aviation, business, comedy, crime, disaster, drugs, economics, environmental, food/drink, health, media, medicine, music, nature, performing arts, philosophy, political, religion, science, social, sport, strange, technology, travel, and many more. Look at film festivals and films featured in each. If you do not find what you are looking for, submit your request. A link to Amazon brings you to DVD's. Some are free, and others are for sale.
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tag(s): video (266)

Dive into Documentary Storm to discover 100% free documentary films. The goal of the website is to share knowledge spread ideas, and have fun. Search the different channels to find exactly what you are seeking. Topics included are art, biography, conspiracy, culture, drugs, environment, health, indie films, lifestyle, mockumentaries, money, nature, politics, psychology, religion, science, society, sports, technology, war, and many more. Search in the top 100 documentaries, or click use"surprise me." Connect with Facebook, RSS, X (formerly Twitter), or email.

tag(s): video (266)

Discover a rich collection of videos (and lectures) offered by Britain's The Royal Institute. This Smart Place for Science has an amazing number of videos taped from their live lectures to connect people to the world of science. Some videos go back to the 1950's and are reminiscent of old classroom videos. However, most are more recent and feature leaders in their respective fields of science. Choose from collections to view the individual offerings such as Crystals or the Brain. There are also some videos focusing on math topics. As with any scientific site, some content is not appropriate for less mature students. Preview to be sure, depending on the topic you choose. Some of the lectures are quite high level and would challenge any advanced student. Some videos are hosted on YouTube and some within the site's own servers. If your district blocks YouTube, then they may not be viewable.

tag(s): air (101), brain (56), elements (33), engineering (129), genealogy (8), genetics (80), human body (93), plants (146), rocks (35), STEM (297), video (266)

Are you looking to experience science and math through a different lens? STEMbite is a YouTube channel with engaging "bite-sized" lessons from a unique first-person perspective through Google Glass. This intro page explains the project and gives the link to the actual YouTube channel. Math and science surround us in our everyday life. STEMbite opens your eyes to infinite possibilities. The videos engage you through a short explanation and motivate you to learn more. Examples of videos include math at the pharmacy, washing machine physics, chemistry in your kitchen, probability challenge, the polarization of light, and more! Subscribe to the STEMbite YouTube channel to make your mind hungry to learn about the application of math and science in our everyday life. STEMbite will change your point of view on math and science. If your district blocks YouTube, then STEMbite may not be viewable for students at school.

tag(s): atmosphere (22), energy (133), probability (99), STEM (297), video (266), waves (14)

This YouTube channel teaches scientific concepts in an easy to understand style. The channel includes a variety of short videos ranging from 3 to 10 minutes. There are videos for primary students as well as high school students. New videos are released weekly, and viewers are encouraged to add their suggestions for future videos. The wide variety includes just about every topic in Science. Note: Constant additions mean that adults will want to preview in case recent additions are not appropriate for your audience. One page load included a video about "How Weed Works," possibly appropriate during a drug and alcohol study, but not elsewhere? Be sure to check whether YouTube is blocked at your school and download videos prior to class if necessary.

tag(s): video (266)

3D Toad offers many images for viewing items in both 3D and 360 degree rotation. The site offers an assortment of categories such as Dissections, Human and Animal Skeletons, Fossils, and an extensive listing of Chemicals. There are also categories not typically associated with a "toad" such as: Yoga, Music, Dental Hygiene, History, Ballet Positions, Computer Networking, Emergency Preparedness, and more! The History link is interesting and includes American 1700-1800 and American Civil War: both packed with artifacts. Choose any image then drag your mouse to view or zoom in and out as desired.
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tag(s): 1700s (36), body systems (40), chemicals (39), civil war (139), coral (11), dance (31), dissection (6), elements (33), fossils (41), rocks (35)

At CommonCore Sheets, find downloadable worksheets correlated to the Common Core curriculum and customizable activities. Choose from worksheets in every subject, including foreign languages. Registration isn't required to select and use worksheets; however, creating an account provides access to the Teacher Panel. Use the Teacher Panel to save sheets, create classes and assignments, monitor grades, and add distance learning assignments.
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tag(s): charts and graphs (171), decimals (85), fractions (160), measurement (122), money (113), negative numbers (13), operations (72), order of operations (29), parts of speech (39), primary sources (117), probability (99), sentences (22), time (91), timelines (56), variables (14)

All Things Science is an aggregator of short, top quality science videos for educational use. Search for specific content topics using the search bar. Browse through featured, most viewed, or all videos. Interested in seeing how a germ travels with a sneeze and makes you sick with a virus? There is a detailed video on that topic and SO much more. Read short descriptions of videos before viewing. Share using social media links provided, with a direct url, or with the embed code directly onto your website. Free registration on All Things Science allows you to save videos to favorites, add comments, and upload video. Note that videos can be submitted by members, so it is advisable to preview before sharing with young people.
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tag(s): animals (294), cells (82), climate (84), climate change (99), genetics (80), human body (93), medicine (57), scientific method (48), scientists (67), solar energy (34), solar system (110), space (222), video (266), weather (160)

Smarter Balanced Consortium provides resources and practice assessments geared toward Common Core standards in English language arts/literacy and Mathematics. Choose the Smarter Balanced Assessments link to view an overview of practice assessments, suggestions for use of the assessments, and discussion of items and task types. Find PDF's including Common Core standards and introductions to the standards under the K-12 Education/Teacher tab. The site is continually developing and working toward the 2014-2015 first school year implementation of the new assessments. Stay connected and informed of new resources by signing up for their email newsletter.

tag(s): commoncore (73), test prep (69)

Problem-Attic is a resource for finding and compiling the best questions from NY Regents, State Assessments, Academic Competitions, and more for classroom or individual use. Select, arrange, and format questions as desired. Select questions by browsing topics or exams. Add items as desired to your document with the link provided. Drag and drop selections into any order such as easy to hard, all multiple choice items together, etc. Choose a template for how questions should look. Choose other options such as allowing room for students to show work and printing an answer key. Preview your document until it is complete then print in PDF format. Create lesson plans, too.

tag(s): assessment (147), Teacher Utilities (198), test prep (69)

Math Celebrity is an automatic math tutor and problem/solution generator. Enter any math problem or search term into the search bar. The answer is generated including each line of work required to solve the problem. Many science topics are also available. Scroll to the bottom of the page to see the many topics. Hover your mouse over the lesson features on the left side of the screen to view additional options on the site such as subjects, calculator, and instructions. Click on the calculator in the search bar to view a list of problems and tutorials to explore. The video tutorial is hosted on YouTube. If your district blocks YouTube, they may not be viewable.

tag(s): angles (52), charts and graphs (171), conversions (37), coordinates (15), decimals (85), energy (133), equations (119), exponents (35), factoring (25), factors (29), fractions (160), functions (52), multiples (15), number lines (33), percent (59), polynomials (20), prime numbers (26), probability (99), problem solving (233), pythagorean theorem (19), quadratics (27), ratios (47), rounding (8), square roots (15), vectors (16)

This website is for girls to learn about STEM careers and the various research and educational opportunities that exist for them. Famous women in STEM careers and other prominent women are a focus of this site. Learn about great STEM careers and how STEM impacts much of our world. Watch and learn from others, view video clips, take challenges, learn about careers, and more. Some of the videos are hosted on YouTube. If your district blocks YouTube, then they may not be viewable.

tag(s): engineering (129), STEM (297), women (151)