Teachers First - Thinking Teachers Teaching Thinkers

The IRS designed this site for students to build an understanding about the U.S. tax system, why people have to pay taxes, where the tax money goes, and more. It includes virtual tours, tutorials, simulations, and activities. There is a companion site for Teachers here.

tag(s): financial literacy (93), money (113)

Looking for review materials for a variety of classes? Use for a wide range of curriculum topics. (A "learning object" is any kind of interactive activity, animation, video, audio file, etc, that can be used for learning.) This site is great for introductory, reinforcement, or review materials. Find most of the relevant topics by using the search bar. Choose from many subjects such as biology, biochemistry, chemistry, math, sociology, world languages, and written communication, among others. Gifted students or those who learn well independently can study Chinese and other topics not easily available in their school using WISC-Onkine.

tag(s): animals (294), business (52), cells (82), chinese (45), grammar (137), grammar review (31), life cycles (21), microscopes (10), plants (146), psychology (65), sentences (22), sociology (23), speech (69)

This site offers an interesting, visual look at the U. S. National Debt in real time. Many different categories are included making this quite complicated looking; however it offers a real-time snapshot of the country's complicated balance sheet. In addition to the National Debt, there are categories for debt per person and amount of debt per taxpayer. Other statistics include largest budget items, money creation, U.S. population, and much more. Definitions and sources of information can be found by mousing over the item, then looking at the U.S. debt logo at the top of the page.

tag(s): charts and graphs (171), data (151), financial literacy (93), statistics (121)

Look up countries, continents, animals and other features to make the world come alive using this interactive site. One of the easiest ways to find maps available is to choose the map link near the top of the site to get a listing of all maps available. You can also scroll down and search by state. Selections include physical and political world maps, maps by continent or region, countries and territories, U.S. states and Canadian provinces, maps of U.S. cities, and thematic world maps. The thematic world map may be particularly useful in some classrooms as it offers interesting statistical information such as public debt, internet users, and many more topics.
This site includes advertising.

tag(s): continents (33), countries (73), maps (220), states (124), statistics (121)

Have a student stumped by homework? Find exercises and extra help in various subject areas in this kid-friendly site. Navigate through the various resources and friendly graphics to areas of the site such as "Sweet Stuff" which features neat interactives, "Needed Knowledge" with great tips, "Book review" to view video book reviews, and "Getting Historical." Watch informative (don't confuse with boring) videos of various math problems whether it be basic math, solving word problems, or even geometry. Find videos for other subjects such as science, language arts, social studies, health, and art. Review information in various subjects by trying age-appropriate interactives.

tag(s): homework (29), tutorials (52)

Need to be in the know -- now? AOL 5min Life Videopedia gives you five-minute stories about current news in a range of areas including arts, business, health, video games and much more! The how-to videos are great too! The main page features current news highlights. You can join this site, but it is not necessary to view the videos. Please be advised that not all topics are class or school appropriate. The "Knowledge" section has many school-related topics, but there are also useful How-to's in other areas. Preview and select what to share. Videos include short ads at the start. Once the ad is over, you can click the small link icon to find a direct link or embed code for that video.
This site includes advertising.

tag(s): business (52), dance (31), fashion (12), fitness (39), news (228), nutrition (140), origami (14), photography (130), video (266)

Find one minute listening exercises on such common activities as babysitting, chickens, and exercise. The listening selections are alphabetized with several selections for each letter of the alphabet. Each listening selection has a multitude of activities you can download (along with the reading text) in Word and pdf formats. Find Cloze paragraphs, fill in the blanks, words to unscramble, and much more. Many activities can also be viewed online. Each selection has two interactive quizzes. Though targeted for the ESL/ELL student, listening is one of the language arts standards, and this is a good way for any classroom teacher to address listening skills.
This site includes advertising.

tag(s): dance (31), listening (93), reading comprehension (149), vocabulary (238)

This site offers a simple, basic math dictionary that may be helpful as a quick classroom resource. It contains definitions for virtually all math terms in a quick sentence. All definitions are on one page and words can be found either by clicking the alphabetical links at the top of the page or by scrolling down through the site.
This site includes advertising.

tag(s): dictionaries (47), vocabulary (238)

This site, created by the Kennedy Center, offers a wealth of interactive lesson plans for grades K-12 dealing with a variety of topics, all with an "arts" spin. Search by subject, keyword, or grade level (K-4, 5-8, or 9-12). Some examples of topics include Native Americans, Civil War, Shakespeare, myths, melodrama, adjectives, monsters, baseball, and countless others! Be sure to check out the category "Our Best Resources Organized by Subject." After that click on the the top menu for Education and get even more resources. There are many interactive lessons: some with video, audio, or slideshows. The lessons provide an estimate of time required and complete, step-by-step instructions. There are printables included with some of the lessons.
This site includes advertising.

tag(s): african american (115), baseball (32), civil war (139), comics and cartoons (55), dance (31), folktales (34), greece (47), habitats (92), immigration (68), literature (221), mexico (37), musical instruments (52), myths and legends (37), native americans (108), painting (54), surrealism (2)

Stixie and Globie help kids learn about maps and statistics with fun interactives on this site. Each character defines basic terms and concepts about maps and statistics, then provides a short review quiz. Activities included are Paint the Map (mean and median), Farmland (working with data sets), The Network Challenge (plotting a path on a map), Market Manager (creating equal data sets), and Data to Graphics (working with bar charts, tables, and maps). The link to Resources for Parents and Teachers provides an external link to standards for Geography and Math found in the site.

tag(s): charts and graphs (171), data (151), maps (220), mean (19), median (16)

This site, a collaborative effort among the National Archives, National History Day, and USA Freedom Corps, highlights the most important documents in US history. Each of these "milestone" documents is detailed and photographed on a separate page; the photo can be enlarged for presentation on an interactive whiteboard. Use this site with DocsTeach, with tools for educators. This site was clearly designed with teachers in mind! Click the items from the menu on the right.

tag(s): history day (39), primary sources (117)

This activity simulates some of the real-world mechanisms that cause and sustain poverty in 3rd World countries. You get to manage an African farm and are soon confronted with the difficult choices that poverty and conflict can cause. Unlike typical interactives where it's always possible to prosper by playing cleverly and making the right choices, it is not always like that in 3rd World Farmer. Just as real people die from starvation in desperate situations that they are not responsible for, all it takes for things to go wrong in this activity is one bad harvest, an unfortunate encounter with corrupt officials, a raid by guerrillas, a civil war, a sudden fluctuation in market prices, or another random event that might never happen in industrialized countries. Begin by buying crops, place them in your fields, then continue on to the next steps. A short commercial plays when you enter the site and before access to the activity.
This site includes advertising.

tag(s): africa (148), agriculture (49)

What did one math book say to the other? Don't bother me I've got my own problems! Are you looking for more bad jokes like this for your math class or perhaps a staff presentation? This site is for you! Choose from over 40 math jokes listed on this site, or send in your own. Who says math teachers can't be funny?

tag(s): riddles (15)

This is a site that contains numerous links to lessons and websites on various social studies and world history subjects. There are numerous subjects: Ancient History, American History and American Government, World History, Geography, and others. For each subject there is a For Teachers with lesson plans, links, quizzes, and more.
This site includes advertising.

tag(s): 1920s (15), africa (148), archeology (28), china (81), civil rights (209), civil war (139), colonial america (95), egypt (56), great depression (30), greece (47), holidays (187), immigration (68), india (32), industrial revolution (22), japan (56), mayans (23), mesopotamia (32), native americans (108), psychology (65), religions (95), renaissance (38), resources (83), rome (37), slavery (79), westward expansion (39)

This site offers a visual perspective of what one trillion dollars looks like. It begins with a $100 bill, moves on to $10,000 and on up to the trillion dollars. One interesting portion of the site is a link at the bottom of the page that includes the step by step calculations and dimensions used for calculations. There is also a link (at the bottom) to "see" the U.S. National Debt.
This site includes advertising.

tag(s): financial literacy (93), money (113), number sense (69)

This site offers media (found on YouTube, Vimeo, and Flickr) on a broad spectrum of topics, not created for kids but appropriate and interesting for children 3 years old and up. Media isn't divided into categories. The newest items appear first. However, you can search the site by keyword. Information ranges from animal stories of a dog without legs to video of Ella Fitzgerald scatting. Obviously, this site is updated frequently, so contents will change. Students and adults alike will love browsing for interesting stories and information.

tag(s): news (228), speaking (26), video (266), writing prompts (61)

This site is a compilation of many math and science resources along with a social networking component. Currently there are almost 2000 activities, lessons, and videos and the site is constantly growing. There are several ways to use the site both as a registered user or without registration. Without registering for the site you can search and access lessons and information through the different search methods such as keywords, subjects, source institution, and more. Free registration allows the site to become much more personalized. After registering, you can make lists of resources for any different topic, share lists or searches with others, add comments, or add your own resources. Most activities on the site are free; however, there are some searches that deliver lessons that are paid - these are clearly indicated and not frequent enough to discourage use of this site. Searches can also filter out any paid activities and return only free items. Teachers may also want to subscribe to the site's blog and newsletter to receive updated information as it is added to the site.

In case you are wondering about the title, SMILE is the Science and Math Informal Learning Educators pathway of the National Science Digital Library (NSDL).

tag(s): resources (83), social networking (61), STEM (297), video (266)

This site is the ultimate resource for any measurement or conversion need. Calculators are included for Math, Science, Cooking, Time, and much more. Categories are listed in alphabetical order from Acceleration to Weight/Mass. Within each category are the different converters/calculators. For example, after choosing volume, choices include acres, barrels (dry, federal, liquid, and wine), cubic units, gallons, quarts teaspoons, yards, and more. Other interesting conversions include your weight on other planets, your age in dog years, and translations to and from Pig Latin. You are sure to find exactly the conversion for any need within this site along with others to use just for fun!
This site includes advertising.

tag(s): conversions (37), measurement (122), temperature (34), time (91)

This site is a wonderful resource for any teacher looking for lessons, worksheets, activities, and articles related to money. Although this is a subscription site, many of the resources are free without any kind of registration. You can also register to receive limited access to some of the site's other resources. Categories include basic money skills, earning/spending, saving/investing, and careers/business. Elementary lessons include worksheets, coloring pages, and activities that include printables and online games. Other categories include lessons on taxes, insurance, investing, using an ATM and much more.
This site includes advertising.

tag(s): business (52), careers (156), financial literacy (93), investing (8), money (113)

The goal of this site is to educate youth about philanthropy and giving their time and knowledge for the global good. To do this, they offer over 1400 free lesson plans for teachers, parents, and community leaders. Lessons are coded to state standards and can be searched by grade level, keyword, subject, or academic or philanthropy standard. Some lessons are geared toward private or religious schools and are clearly labeled as such. Lessons include subject, key concepts, vocabulary, objectives, materials needed, approximate time, procedures, extensions, handouts, and much more. An example of a grade 3-5 lesson would be Cool Kids Compost which explores responsible use of resources by gathering data about lunchroom waste. Don't let the concept of philanthropy keep you from exploring the site, there are many great classroom lessons available for all subjects.

tag(s): african american (115), animal homes (57), animals (294), character education (79), charts and graphs (171), colonial america (95), communities (35), data (151), diversity (40), ecology (103), environment (252), heroes (24), money (113), recycling (45)