Teachers First - Thinking Teachers Teaching Thinkers

Use Image Atlas to search images from several countries instantly! Click the words "Atlas selection" to checkbox the countries you want from among several dozen. Enter the image search term and choose to either sort them alphabetically or by GDP. For example, search the word "beauty" to view the differences in images of beauty in a variety of countries. Try "home" to see different homes or "lunch" to see differing foods. Try "school" or "teacher" to see how differently they are portrayed (or are they?). Click on each image to view the article from which the image originates. Some of this content may not be appropriate for the classroom. You may want to preview search results, before you share them. Or better yet, complete the searching together with a student or class.

tag(s): cross cultural understanding (176), images (263), photography (131)

One hundred of the World's top reporters have joined forces to take aim at corruption around the World. View news stories include various topics such as Agriculture, Business, Government, and more. Be sure to click on the World tab to view articles by region. Build your own critical thinking as you read these articles and compare them with typical media sources. Although all articles appear perfectly appropriate for older students, we still suggest previewing this site before you share with students. Some of the topics are sensitive and/or graphic.
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tag(s): media literacy (109), persuasive writing (58)

The Presidential Classroom offers resources for students and teachers that provide insight into historic events, the presidency, and U.S. government. Contents include lesson plans, presidential profiles, video clips, and teachable exhibits. Click either Presidency or Educational Resources in the upper left corner to find these. Explore exhibits by historical event or sort by administration. Exhibits provide a look at specific moments during a presidential administration including transcripts, videos, and audio of events. Choose the presidents link to get a look at each of the US presidents including quick facts, personal information, and cabinet members. Lesson plans include topics such as Space, Vietnam, and Cuba and include correlations to Virginia state standards.

tag(s): jefferson (19), kennedy (20), lincoln (67), presidents (136), space (220), vietnam (38), washington (28), white house (16)

Where are migrants coming from and where have migrants left? Find answers using Migrations Map's interactive map. Click on any country to view a short overview of population, gross domestic product per capita, child mortality, disease rate, and more. Choose arrivals or departures to view the number of immigrants to and emigrants from the country and percentages on where they come from or go. Simply click on the country of your choice to begin. Note that much of the data displayed is from 2007, so is better for longer term trends than for recent times. Read "About" for more about the data sources.

tag(s): immigration (79), maps (224), population (51)

This tool is cool little tidbits of knowledge. The subtitle is "Boldly Exploring Life's Little Mysteries." Zidbits include facts such as "What is the hardest language to learn?" "Do trees die from old age?" or "What is the most lethal poison?" Find facts for history, science, health, entertainment, and news on this site as well as fun facts. This site doesn't provide just a quick tidbit, but also gives background information and additional details.
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tag(s): infographics (57), questioning (36), speaking (26)

PAT is a large collection of open source maps for every country in the world. Click on any country in the alphabetized list to view available options such as regional maps or neighboring countries. Choose from a traditional or high-contrast background color scheme. Download all maps in a zip file using links provided.

tag(s): africa (170), antarctica (30), asia (125), australia (29), countries (73), europe (84), maps (224), north america (15), south america (77)

Open Yale Courses offers free (non-credit) introductory courses taught by teachers and scholars at Yale University. Open access allows participants to view videos, download transcripts, and receive all related course materials at any time. Choose from courses in topics ranging from English, History, African-American Studies, Languages, and many more. They offer countless topics: Art History, Psychology, various languages and literatures (Spanish, Portuguese, and Italian), Chemistry, American History, and many more.

tag(s): african american (119), american revolution (83), art history (106), atmosphere (22), business (53), civil war (140), ecology (103), ecosystems (83), engineering (137), evolution (88), financial literacy (95), france (40), greece (47), greeks (46), novels (34), poetry (196), psychology (65), religions (112), romans (52), sociology (23), space (220)

Take a virtual "nerd trip" with science-history geeks. The name of this resource is sure to catch some interest, and the locations feature very interesting histories. Click on each point in the map to read a small synopsis of the site. You can also click links to learn more about many of the sites. We suggest you preview any information prior to sending students to explore on their own. The sites are nontraditional and can raise questions about "pop" science vs "real" science.
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tag(s): scientists (71)

Learn about population! Highlights of this site include both world and US population counters. Be sure to check the Classroom tab to search for lessons, find information about population, and more. Connect activities to your state's latest standards. This site also includes demonstration videos of some of the classroom activities. Although the site is selling some teaching materials and workshops, there are free lessons available. There are 15 Infographics highlighting global issues and trends. Find out about carbon dioxide emissions and energy consumption, meat and paper consumption, global undernourishment, and many more issues. The videos are hosted on YouTube. If your district blocks YouTube, then they may not be viewable.

tag(s): population (51), resources (83), sustainability (51)

Use the alphbetized list of countries and territories to visualize development data around the World. Choose various indicators such as Poverty, Gender Inequality, and more. Change parameters of the graph and map. Use the Indicators and Data Explorer pages on this site to begin research about many factors of human development in the World. View the information in various languages.

tag(s): population (51)

Explore the life of Nelson Mandela with this informative site from Biography.com. Contents include facts of Mandela's life, photos, and quotes profiling his life and leadership. There is a lot here to explore.
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tag(s): 20th century (62), black history (135), civil rights (217), heroes (24), Nelson Mandela (7), south africa (13)

Find a good introduction and overview of the life of Nelson Mandela geared toward elementary and middle school students. View basic information, such as why Mandela is famous. Look at young Mandela, problems in South Africa, and his life as a world statesman. Scroll through several fun facts about Mandela, play a sorting game about Mandela's life, explore photographs, or take a short quiz. This site was created in the UK. American English speakers may notice some slight spelling or vocabulary differences. Though the video may not play in your area, the information and interactive make this site worth a visit.

tag(s): biographies (95), civil rights (217), heroes (24), Nelson Mandela (7), south africa (13)

Explore information and facts about the 1993 Nobel Peace Prize winner, Nelson Mandela, straight from the Nobel Prize website. In addition to basic biographical information, view videos of Mandela's Nobel lecture, a bibliography of his writings, a photo gallery and much more.

tag(s): 1960s (26), 1970s (10), 1980s (7), 20th century (62), biographies (95), black history (135), civil rights (217), cultures (211), heroes (24), Nelson Mandela (7), south africa (13)

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)

This free tool created by a botanist/zoologist is a useful resource about living things. Though some of the content requires a membership, there are many resources that are free. Find information, photos, and even free video clips. Note that illustrations are copyrighted by the site owner, and information from the site must be cited with the correct references given (examples are provided.) Be sure to check out all the tabs that include Plants and Animals, the Planet Earth, Science words and Pics, Human Body, and more. Don't miss the chance to Ask a Zoo Vet (under Bringing Science to You) and many activities for those as young as preK (see Words and Pictures).
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tag(s): animals (293), earth (183), human body (91), plants (147)

Use this free interactive mapping site to make additions to Google Maps, incorporating other data and maps with them. Add topographic maps and spatial or environmental data. This is an easy tool for adding symbols and icons or for adding a drawing on a Google map. Find many of the simple tools along the top of the map. You can do something as simple as adding text labels or shading a region. Add data to the map using the tools below the map. Create a mashup of KML, GPX (easily imported from Garmin), WMS and GEORSS data sources. This video explains many of the features of Geokov. Please note this video is hosted on YouTube. If your district blocks YouTube, then it may not be viewable.

tag(s): environment (252), landforms (39), landmarks (22), maps (224)

Sustainable Goal #16 is all about promoting peace and providing justice for all. View these interactive peace maps, reports, and news pertaining to peace around the world. A variety of qualitative and quantitative indicators are used to create a Global Peace Index. View changes from 2008 to present. Choose various indicators to portray on the map and compare different countries. Click in the middle of the map on "About the GPI" (or other index you have opened) to read how it is calculated. Be sure to check out the Terrorism Index as well as a US Peace Index that compares each of the States in the United States. Hover over that State to view the actual rank. When the site introduces a new topic, that topic appears on the main page of this site. To get to the other topics, use the top tool bar.

tag(s): countries (73), maps (224), states (125), sustainability (51), terrorism (41)

Sheppard Software offers hundreds of online learning games for learners in a large variety of subjects. Topics include brain games, seasons, nutrition, and world geography. Search for specific topics or browse categories. Looking for a specific grade level range? Scroll down below the main icons to view recommended sections for different age ranges from preschool to adult. In addition to games, some categories include videos, timelines, and coloring activities. If your district blocks YouTube, the videos may not be viewable. Some activities require flash which isn't supported on all browsers.
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tag(s): addition (128), alphabet (53), alphabetical order (8), animal homes (57), animals (293), capitalization (9), capitals (15), cells (82), colors (63), continents (33), counting (61), countries (73), decimals (85), dinosaurs (43), division (97), elements (33), endangered species (27), equations (119), estimation (33), fractions (160), geometric shapes (134), grammar (138), integers (21), landforms (39), life cycles (21), measurement (123), money (114), multiplication (121), number lines (33), number sense (68), numbers (121), oceans (149), order of operations (29), parts of speech (39), patterns (61), periodic table (43), place value (34), puzzles (149), states (125), subtraction (109), time (91), vocabulary (242), vocabulary development (95)

Discover book titles to use with elementary level Social Studies content. Choose from grade level bands and the topics of Civics, History, Geography, and Economics. Each link leads to a list of book titles including author, subject, and a brief description. Some titles also include a "more" link leading to a short article referring to use of the book. This site includes a great mix of genres. Don't miss the nonfiction/informative text, perfect for meeting your Common Core standards.

tag(s): book lists (167), branches of government (65), guided reading (32), independent reading (82), literature (221)

This dramatic video (approximately 5 minutes long) captures the view of a tsunami from a resident's perspective in Japan - without all of the extra YouTube "clutter." When viewed on this site, comments on the YouTube video are not shown. Note that when viewed on YouTube, many of the comments are inappropriate for a classroom setting. If your district blocks YouTube, this site may not be viewable.
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tag(s): natural disasters (19), tsunamis (15)