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Coronavirus Resources: Teaching, Learning and Thinking Critically - New York Times and Katherine Schulten
Grades
3 to 12tag(s): diseases (67), Online Learning (36), professional development (373)
In the Classroom
Be sure to bookmark this site as an important resource for lessons about the coronavirus and also as a resource for implementing online teaching activities. Incorporate ideas and activities found on this site into a blended learning system such as ActivelyLearn, reviewed here or Curipod, reviewed here. Both of these sites include features to create remote lessons with text, videos, and quizzes and provide educators instant feedback on student understanding. As students develop an understanding of the effects and makeup of the coronavirus, use Annotely, reviewed here, to upload and label an image sharing their knowledge. For example, have younger students upload a picture of their home, then label different surfaces with a short sentence on how they can spread or receive germs. For older students, ask them to use Annotely to label the different areas found in the community that leads to the spread of disease.You must be registered and logged in to add items to your favorites.
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Reading Treks: Every Single Second - TeachersFirst
Grades
4 to 8tag(s): character education (78), empathy (33), family (51), racism (79), virtual field trips (119)
In the Classroom
Take advantage of the many suggested classroom uses for this resource found on the Instructional Guide (PDF). Include this Reading Trek as part of lessons in empathy, racism, and character traits. Consider using content from the book as an inspiration to have students create a timeline of their friends. Find a variety of free online timeline creation tools located here. Using the map and locales, trace and then calculate distances for some Little Italy locations. Use Google My Maps, reviewed here to create and share custom maps.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Conservation Station - Learn to Conserve
Grades
5 to 10tag(s): conservation (97), energy (131), solar energy (34), STEM (288), water (101)
In the Classroom
Use these excellent free lessons during STEM units on conservation and energy. Use free tech resources to enhance and extend learning beyond the lesson outlines. As you begin an activity, use Padlet, reviewed here, to curate and share a list of online resources for student use. Include websites, interactive activities, and other information relating to your topic. Share a note-taking tool like Webnotes, reviewed here, with your students to use to take notes or ask questions when reading online articles. They can share the URL of their notes with you as part of their ongoing discussions on the topic. If you find online articles that need additional discussion, use Fiskkit, reviewed here, to create a collaborative discussion of the material. As an ongoing activity, ask students to use Pathbrite, reviewed here, to write about the activities and include videos and pictures of their work. As a final project, ask students to become the teacher by sharing what they learned through their choice of media projects. For example, ask students to use moovly, reviewed here, to create animated explainer videos, create an interactive book using Book Creator, reviewed here, or develop a learning game using Minecraft Education Edition, reviewed here.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Famous African Americans - Famous African Americans.org
Grades
6 to 12This site includes advertising.
tag(s): african american (110), biographies (93), black history (130), cultures (172)
In the Classroom
This is an excellent site to use as part of a biography unit to match biographies to individual student interests. Allow students to choose a category. Have them read several biographies from that category, then research an African American that hasn't been included on this site. Have students use these biographies as a model to write about the person they researched. Instead of using paper and pen to write down information, ask students to use Google Docs or Microsoft Word to begin research. Using these online documents affords many benefits, including the ability to add comments, highlight information, and add links to online information. Once research is underway, suggest that students use a bookmarking tool like Raindrop.io, reviewed here, to organize information. Raindrop.io includes the ability to add notes to bookmarks, making it easy for students to label and add information for later use. As a final project and to extend student learning, ask students to create their own book using OurBoox, reviewed here, that includes images, videos, and text. Math teachers could have students figure out which category has the most people in it, or what percentage of the site is dedicated to the category they are interested in.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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OK2Ask: Data and Charts and Graphs, Oh My! Let Google Tools Be Your Guide - TeachersFirst
Grades
2 to 12Humans respond...more
Humans respond to and process visual data better than any other type of data. Whether students are learning to collect, organize, graph, or interpret data, this webinar offers proven tools and strategies that assist learners in developing and applying those skills. Together we will explore and plan for the use of forms to collect data, web resources to access data, spreadsheets to manipulate and graph data, and Google MyMaps to visualize data. Students from beginner to advanced can use these tools to visualize and connect math, science, and social studies concepts to concrete, real-world applications. Let's get students excited about learning and help them incorporate complex data literacy into their world view. This session is appropriate for teachers at all technology levels. Participants will: 1. Understand how to use data visualization in the classroom; 2. Explore digital tools that will assist students with data visualization projects; and 3. Plan for the use of data visualization in the classroom. This session is appropriate for teachers at all technology levels.
tag(s): charts and graphs (170), data (151), Google (47), infographics (56), professional development (373), visualizations (11)
In the Classroom
The archive of this teacher-friendly, hands-on webinar will empower and inspire you to use learning technology in the classroom and for professional productivity. As appropriate, specific classroom examples and ideas have been shared. View the session with a few of your teaching colleagues to find and share new ideas. Find additional information and links to tools at the session resource page. Learn more about OK2Ask and upcoming sessions here.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Constitutional Rights - Constitution Center
Grades
7 to 12tag(s): bill of rights (31), constitution (93), countries (72), cross cultural understanding (172)
In the Classroom
Include this interactive with any lessons on constitutional rights or when studying different nations. Create a Padlet, reviewed here, for your class to add and comment on constitutional rights around the world. Create columns on your Padlet by country or specific rights, then enhance learning by asking students to share information and articles detailing information on that right. Use an online news site like World News, reviewed here, for students to find news from around the world and search by regions. Extend learning by challenging computer-savvy students to create a game using Scratch, reviewed here, that takes players around the world to learn about rights and freedoms found in different nations. Ask other students to create podcasts discussing current events and freedoms from around the world. Buzzsprout, reviewed here, is an excellent podcast creation tool and includes features for adding links and lists to shows, and allows users to schedule podcast releases for specific dates and times.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Advertising All Around Us - MediaSmarts
Grades
5 to 8tag(s): advertising (26), media literacy (107)
In the Classroom
Take the ideas and activities found in this lesson plan and enhance them with these lesson extensions. During the first activity, the author suggests taking the name of five products and giving a new humorous name. Take that idea further and ask students to design a print ad using Canva, reviewed here, and using the new product name. Ask students to include a slogan for the product along with imagery promoting the virtues of the item. The second lesson activity asks students to create a new ad to replace one that is boring and unimaginative. Ask students to create a video ad using Clipchamp, reviewed here, or another animated video creation tool. As an alternative, have students use Image Annotator, reviewed here, to create annotated images with links to text, videos, and more. As a final project, students create and plan their own ad. Extend learning by asking students to plan and implement a complete ad campaign, including print, video, and online advertising. Before planning their advertisements, ask students to share examples of effective advertising to an online collaboration tool like Padlet, reviewed here. Include links and images of effective advertising along with comments sharing ideas on why and how the ad works. Have students (or student groups) share their ad campaigns using a multimedia presentation tool like Wakelet, reviewed here. Include links to research, student-created projects, and more all within their Wakelet presentation.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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A Field Guide to Fake News and Other Information Disorders - Liliana Bounegru and others
Grades
6 to 12tag(s): internet safety (113), journalism (73), news (228)
In the Classroom
Bookmark this site for use with any social media lessons. Use the entire book or choose from selected chapters or sections. Enhance learning by encouraging students to reflect on and discuss the information found in the book through the use of Fiskkit, reviewed here. Fiskkit is a collaborative tool for sharing and discussing online articles, add the URL of this book into Fiskkit to create a document where students can highlight and comment on any portion of the information. When working with research projects, suggest that students use iCyte Education, reviewed here, to save quotes and cite information found. iCyte is a browser add-on that makes citations and saving online information easy for you and your students. As a final project, and to extend learning, have students create explainer videos using CapCut, reviewed here to share their tips on how to find and deal with "fake news."Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Global Youth Perspectives - Global Oneness Project
Grades
K to 12tag(s): africa (144), alaska (22), anthropology (10), cross cultural understanding (172), cultures (172), empathy (33), india (32), middle east (49), native americans (108), Project Based Learning (23), psychology (65), scotland (8), south africa (13), south america (40), sustainability (45)
In the Classroom
Utilize these free lesson ideas and videos to incorporate into any lessons on tolerance, empathy, culture, and to bring a personal touch to learning about nations around the world. Consider using the embed code found in each video and add the video to your class website for students to view at home before your lesson. Ask students to provide a short response to the video on an online bulletin board like Pinside, reviewed here, then use these responses to guide your lesson. The following ideas lend themselves to using this resource for project-based learning or blended learning: At the start of students' ongoing research, share How to Research: Ultimate Guide, reviewed here. Enhance learning by using information learned to create infographics with Canva Infographic Maker, reviewed here. Instead of a typical report or assessment at the end of your unit extend students' learning by having them use Odyssey, reviewed here to build a virtual field trip to tell the story of students in other cultures. Include links to articles, videos, student-created infographics, and more.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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NewsFeed Defenders - FactCheck.org
Grades
6 to 12tag(s): evaluating sources (28), journalism (73), media literacy (107), news (228)
In the Classroom
Include the NewsFeed Defenders game and lesson as part of your broader unit of teaching about online safety and media literacy. Engage studets by using Padlet, reviewed here, to share materials. Include links to videos, articles, and other materials for students to access. Ask them to add comments sharing their insights and information learned. Help students identify online disinformation by collaborating with Fiskkit, reviewed here. Change out paper and pen by sharing the URL of an article to discuss within Fiskkit, then have students highlight any area to discuss the information within the article. Enhance learning by encouraging students to teach others about media literacy using an online book tool like Book Creator, reviewed here. Book Creator can be used for a variety of assignments in any classroom that is integrating technology as an enhancement, modification, or transformation. Have students design and share a book that includes tips for spotting disinformation or bias using specific examples, including text, videos, and images, along with examples of factual, non-biased information.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Social Media Test Drive - Cornell University and the Cornell Research Foundation, Inc
Grades
4 to 12tag(s): character education (78), cyberbullying (40), digital citizenship (85), social media (48)
In the Classroom
Share these modules for students to complete during any lessons on Internet safety. Ask students to contribute to a collaborative document sharing examples they have seen of cyberbullying or deceptive news practice. Replace pencil and paper notetaking by sharing an online tool such as Webnote, reviewed here, for students to use to take notes on any website. When finished, have them share their notes using the URL created for use in classroom discussions. Reinforce online safety concepts through gameplay using Baamboozle, reviewed here. Enhance student learning by asking students to create a game in Baamboozle for their peers to play to identify best practices in creating a safe online presence. After completing your digital safety unit, modify classroom technology use and extend learning by asking students to create explainer videos using FlexClip, reviewed here, with suggestions on how to identify fake news, how to create a positive digital footprint or ways to support peers when faced with cyberbullying. Share student videos on your class website and with younger students.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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DigCitCommit - ISTE
Grades
K to 12tag(s): digital citizenship (85), internet safety (113)
In the Classroom
Bookmark this site to use as a resource as you teach about digital citizenship. Learn about the five competencies, then use them as a basis for instruction. Encourage students to become engaged in the conversation by sharing their understanding of different topics. For example, as you teach about the concept of being aware, use a concept mapping resource like mindmaps, reviewed here, for students to visualize and share ideas related to being aware of online actions. As you continue in your lessons of awareness, enhance student learning by incorporating teaching strategies to encourage students to personalize learning experiences through the use of journals or blogs. edublogs, reviewed here, is an excellent blogging tool that provides a safe resource for student writing in addition to providing you the ability to moderate content and privacy settings. As students develop an understanding of each competency, encourage them to continue learning and applying the lessons to their everyday use of online resources. Have groups of students become experts in different competencies and share their knowledge with younger students through the creation of explainer videos using Clipchamp, reviewed here, podcasts using PodcastGenerator, reviewed here, or digital books created with Book Creator, reviewed here.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Checkology - The News Literacy Project
Grades
5 to 12tag(s): journalism (73), news (228), newspapers (92), social media (48)
In the Classroom
Integrate these free lessons with your other activities when teaching students how to evaluate and judge online information and other news sources. Consider assigning lessons for students to complete on their own, then come together as a class to discuss the content. Add a link to a lesson on a Padlet, reviewed here, and share with students. Ask them to add comments onto the Padlet including links to additional examples of the featured topic. Ask students to compare and contrast information from two sources using a Venn Diagram. Create a Venn Diagram using resources found at Class Tools, reviewed here. Challenge students to become the reporter and enhance their learning by writing their own news article to post as a blog at Edublog, reviewed here. Ask them to include some misinformation within their blog, and then have other class members find and respond to the shared content. Extend learning by having students become the teacher and share their tips and tricks for evaluating news and creating a digital book for other students using Book Creator, reviewed here. Ask them to include videos sharing their tips, written examples of misinformation, and add their Venn diagram to demonstrate different ways facts are used in articles to mislead readers.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Media Literacy Clearinghouse - Frank W Baker
Grades
6 to 12tag(s): advertising (26), evaluating sources (28), journalism (73), media literacy (107)
In the Classroom
Bookmark this site as an excellent resource for planning for and teaching about media literacy. Include information from the Clearinghouse using lessons created with Actively Learn , reviewed here. Actively Learn offers tools for creating interactive, critical thinking lessons using materials found on their site and your own while providing you feedback on student responses and learning. As you continue with lessons on media literacy, collaborate with students on how to interpret online information using Fiskkit, reviewed here. Use Fiskkit to replace paper and pencil by sharing the URL of online articles and have students highlight and comment on any areas. Use this in lessons asking students to identify false or misleading information or to highlight areas that provide facts and information to support a claim. As students become familiar with online cues for understanding media, ask them to use Free Online Screen Recorder, reviewed here, to modify classroom technology use by creating a short video tutorial of their own sharing insights and information from an online article.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Sports Resources - TeachersFirst
Grades
K to 12In the Classroom
This collection includes resources for all grades. Each review includes several classroom use ideas. These are excellent tools to use to study science, math, and more! Save (or bookmark) this list for students to use to review tough concepts. Explore the activities suggested.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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New York Fed's Educational Comic Books - Federal Reserve Bank of New York
Grades
6 to 12tag(s): banks (7), comics and cartoons (55), financial literacy (91), money (114)
In the Classroom
Take advantage of these free comic books and lessons when teaching economic and financial lessons as a supplement to your current teaching materials. Instead of printing each comic for individual students, provide a link to students using Padlet, reviewed here. Create a Padlet to share all of your online resources for your unit in one place. Use these comic books as inspiration and modify student learning by asking them to use a comic creation tool like ToonyTool, reviewed here, to create single frame cartoons explaining financial concepts. Find more uses for using comics in the classroom by viewing the archive of our OK2Ask session Engage & Inspire: Comics in the Classroom reviewed here.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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National Geographic 101 - National Geographic
Grades
6 to 12This site includes advertising.
tag(s): animals (295), chemicals (41), climate (82), climate change (94), dinosaurs (42), diseases (67), drugs and alcohol (28), energy (131), evolution (88), genetics (81), hiv/aids (15), moon (72), planets (111), plants (147), pollution (52), religions (90), romans (40), solar energy (34), solar system (108), space (216), STEM (288), sun (71), weather (160)
In the Classroom
Take advantage of the share feature included with each video to share a link or embed videos on your class website or student computers. These videos provide a wonderful opportunity for students to explore a variety of science topics that aren't always included in the science curriculum. As students find a topic of interest on the site enhance learning by asking them to research additional information, and then use Canva, reviewed here, and to modify their technology use by creating posters or infographics sharing their findings with their peers. Include student-created posters or infographics as part of an overall presentation using a portfolio-building site like about.me, reviewed here. Use About.me for students to create a portfolio as their future self as a scientist sharing their research that includes posters, written work, cited research, and more.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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All About the Holidays - PBS Learning Media
Grades
K to 12tag(s): 100thday (9), back to school (55), chinese new year (5), christmas (38), cinco de mayo (10), easter (10), elections (83), fathers day (12), fire prevention (16), flag day (5), halloween (32), hanukkah (12), hispanic (34), holidays (185), july 4th (12), Juneteenth (22), kwanzaa (11), labor day (5), martin luther king (45), mothers day (13), new years (5), pi (29), presidents (135), rosh hashanah (13), st patricks day (12), thanksgiving (24), valentines day (11), veterans (27), womens suffrage (51), yom kippur (15)
In the Classroom
Bookmark this site to use as a resource for teaching material during holidays throughout the year. For each holiday use a bookmarking site such as Wakelet, reviewed here, to organize and share lesson materials, videos, and game sites for your students. Instead of worksheets or written reports, enhance student learning by asking them to create infographics sharing information about any holiday. Canva Infographic Maker, reviewed here, is a very easy to use tool that includes pre-made templates. Don't keep student learning to yourself, share their knowledge through holiday podcasts for your entire school and community to hear. Spotify for Podcastors (was Anchor), reviewed here, features many kid-friendly tools to get you started with creating and sharing podcasts.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Humans of New York - Brandon Stanton
Grades
7 to 12tag(s): cross cultural understanding (172), identity (29), new york (24)
In the Classroom
Each story included on this site is only about a paragraph long, perfect to use with reluctant readers or as a short introduction to lessons on a variety of social issues. Help students identify the key concepts found in each story by creating a word cloud using Wordsift, reviewed here. Use the keywords found in your word cloud as a starting point for students to begin researching the topic further - examples might be research into refugees, drug abuse, or childhood illness. As students become familiar with the site, use it as an example to create your own site as a class related to your curriculum. For science create a Humans of Chemistry, in social studies create a Humans of the American Revolution, or in language arts create a Humans of Shakespeare. At the beginning of the year use Humans of New York in a self identity and "getting to know you" lesson(s). In small groups or as a class analyze several of the stories and have stidents use the key concepts to create their own interview questions. Then have students interview each other or others on campus (adults included). Use a presentation tool like Sway, reviewed here, to share finished projects that include student writing, photographs or drawings, videos, and other multimedia. Use Sway for a variety of assignments in any classroom that is integrating technology as an enhancement, modification, or transformation. Have students work together to compare and contrast their findings as part of a discussion within ongoing podcasts. Spotify for Podcastors, reviewed here, is an augmentation tool offering free podcasting creation and sharing and many features for both new and experienced podcasting teams.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Kialo Edu - Kialo, Inc
Grades
2 to 12tag(s): collaboration (90), debate (42), perspective (13), point of view (8), Teacher Utilities (183)
In the Classroom
Kialo is a great resource to find debate topics to use with your students; be sure to bookmark it. Explore the topics available on the public portion of the site and share the discussions with your students. Use the information to teach students how to include relevant information when debating any topic and point out the importance of viewing information through different perspectives. When ready, create your own topic for classroom debate using the private option. For example, have students debate the importance of the use of propaganda during World War 2 or the ethics of using animals when testing products. As students research your topic, have them use Wakelet, reviewed here, to bookmark and save their research. When complete, transform learning by asking students to use an infographic creation tool like Canva Infographic Maker, reviewed here, to create an infographic based on their topic.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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