Teachers First - Thinking Teachers Teaching Thinkers

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)

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 (220)

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 (220), states (124), sustainability (50), 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.
This site includes advertising.

tag(s): addition (129), alphabet (53), alphabetical order (8), animal homes (57), animals (294), capitalization (9), capitals (16), cells (82), colors (63), continents (33), counting (60), countries (73), decimals (85), dinosaurs (43), division (98), elements (33), endangered species (27), equations (119), estimation (33), fractions (160), geometric shapes (134), grammar (137), integers (21), landforms (39), life cycles (21), measurement (122), money (113), multiplication (122), number lines (33), number sense (69), numbers (120), oceans (149), order of operations (29), parts of speech (39), patterns (61), periodic table (44), place value (34), puzzles (149), states (124), subtraction (110), time (91), vocabulary (238), vocabulary development (94)

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.
This site includes advertising.

tag(s): natural disasters (18), tsunamis (15)

Toporopa provides educational and entertaining quizzes about Europe. The quizzes vary in focus but include Countries of Europe, Rivers of Europe, Ports of Europe, Monarchies of Europe, Volcanoes of Europe, and many others. The maps offer a variety of focus from political, geographic, historical, and even economical, making this tools useful in a variety of class/subjects. Most activities are in drag and drop or multiple choice format.
This site includes advertising.

tag(s): countries (73), europe (84), maps (220), rivers (16), volcanoes (55)

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)

Timelapse, from Time magazine and powered by Google, is an amazing way to see how any part of the world has changed from 1972 through 2016. View incredible animations compiled from millions of satellite images. View the growth of Las Vegas, the shrinking of the Columbia Glacier, or point to any where in the world you desire. Simply type in any world location to view the change over this period of time. Zoom in and out using the tool bar provided to view the bigger (or smaller) picture. Warning: this site includes public comments that may not be appropriate in the classroom. Use the visual portion of the site and avoid the comments with students.

tag(s): climate change (99), maps (220)

Learn about Olympic winter sports with this interesting guide from ESPN. Although geared toward the 2010 games, this site contains valuable information for any Winter Olympics competition. Choose a sport to view basic facts, important dates, and information on stars of the sport. Choose the history link to learn about previous Winter Olympics with information such as dates, key moments, and medal winners.

tag(s): olympics (45), sports (82)

Prepare for the 2014 Olympics with these fast facts about Sochi, Russia. Information includes a short background on the city of Sochi. There is also background on controversies surrounding the choice of a Russian city for the Winter Olympics. Explore an interesting timeline beginning with the choice of Sochi for the 2014 Olympics through November 2013 with the Olympic torch's involvement with a spacewalk as part of the Olympic torch relay.
This site includes advertising.

tag(s): olympics (45), sports (82)

Welcome to the official home of the 2014 Olympic Winter and Paralympic Games. Explore the site to learn about Olympic events, the culture of Sochi, and view schedules for all events. Choose the mascots link to learn more about the Olympic mascots and their place within the Olympic games. Some portions of the site may appear in Russian, choose the link at the top of the page to view in English.
This site includes advertising.

tag(s): olympics (45), sports (82)

Stuck out in the cold learning about the Arctic? Vetting information can be like trying to dig in permafrost. The Arctic Program is a cool resource to provide your students in-depth information and analysis on the Arctic. The site may have a stark, snowy look, but it is quite useful. The data is from reputable scientific sources, and the information is presented in easy to understand narratives. View data on the Arctic report card page, which provides evidence of the sustained change in the Arctic environmental system. Detailed data is also available on the ice, atmosphere, and the ocean. View detailed information on the vegetation and wildlife of the Arctic. Tons of other links are also available to meet any explorer's need. This site meets the needs of diverse learners exploring the Arctic.

tag(s): arctic (40), biomes (110)

If you are looking for a general informational site about the 2024 Summer Paris Olympics, this site is for you! Learn about sports, including basketball, swimming, gymnastics, and more. View video clips that take a deeper look behind the athletes and Olympic news, watch a countdown (with days, hours, minutes, and seconds), and more. Read and follow the information to stay updated with the latest Olympic news and updates.

tag(s): countries (73), olympics (45), sports (82)

Sail the Book does what we all wish we had time to do: it pulls together works of literature--all of which are focused on maritime themes--and uses Google Earth technology to bring them to life. With so many online resources out there, it's great to encounter a truly well-integrated interdisciplinary site that draws on the strength of 21st century technology to transform classic literature. Each of six books, including Darwin's Voyage of the Beagle, is presented in full text form, chapter by chapter. Each chapter is accompanied by a "tour" linked to Google Earth, and here is where the fun begins! The tours include a number of Points of Interest that open in Google Earth as well as questions and activities that link to passages within the text. Taken as a whole, this is an interdisciplinary approach at its best, combining geography, history, science, art and literature into one tidy package. If you aren't sure where to get started, visit the Video Tutorials to learn more! The video clips are hosted on YouTube. If your district blocks YouTube, then they may not be viewable.

tag(s): literature (221), marine biology (31), oceans (149)

Take a look at the science behind changing leaf colors with this interesting site from Explore Asheville. View a time-lapse video of changing colors, learn about the early Greek's theories on why colors change, and find out about changing colors around the world. Information is presented in videos, Google Earth files, and slides. If your district blocks YouTube, then they may not be viewable.
This site includes advertising.

tag(s): plants (146), seasons (37), trees (18)

This free collection uses satellite imagery to show changes in land use across the Earth since 1984. This landing page explains the time lapse project and showcases a group of Featured Sites using time lapse satellite imagery. Enter a city in the search bar at the top to find data from other areas. Note: Keep in mind that imagery may not be available in all areas since the year 1984. This tool however shows exactly how areas have changed in many key areas such as the Amazon Rainforest, Dubai, and Las Vegas. Look at other natural areas such as the Aral Sea or the Columbia Glacier. This site uses Google Maps and/or the Google Earth browser plugin, so pretest it to be sure it works on the computer(s) you want to use in a classroom.

tag(s): biomes (110), ecosystems (83), environment (252), geology (62)

WordSense.eu is part dictionary and part thesaurus, based on Wiktionary information. Type in any word in the search bar to view word origin, definitions, synonyms, and more. This site provides a multitude of information about the words. Click on underlined words within a definition to view their definitions. Our editors note that this is an unabridged dictionary including words not appropriate for school. Discuss consequences of inappropriate use and/or avoiding using this resource with immature students. .

tag(s): dictionaries (47), prefixes (10), root words (10), suffixes (8), thesaurus (22), vocabulary (238), vocabulary development (94), word study (59)

The Cuban Missile Crisis offers a great resource for learning and teaching about the 1962 missile crisis. Explore the site to find many primary documents, an excellent timeline, and lessons. The Educators section of the site includes many tools such as lesson plans, reading lists, and videos. If your district blocks YouTube, then the videos may not be viewable.

tag(s): 1960s (26), kennedy (20), presidents (135)

Create a virtual treasure hunt using the tools and maps on this resource. Follow simple directions to add clues to find any location on the globe. When finished, save to receive a unique url for your treasure hunt. Players follow your clues to find coins at each location along the way. After finding a coin, clues provide information for the next stop. There is a small learning curve for following and creating treasure hunts. But once you figure out the first one, the activity becomes quite simple to understand. See a very short treasure hunt sample here.

tag(s): game based learning (205), map skills (63), maps (220)

The Mount Washington Observatory in New Hampshire is the "Home of the World's Worst Weather," but they also provide one of the world's best interactive weather websites. The combination of extreme cold, wet, high winds, icy conditions, and consistent low visibility helped Mount Washington earn its coveted title as the "Home of the World's Worst Weather." The Observatory continues to record and disseminate weather information. It also serves as a benchmark station for many types of severe weather research and testing. The Mount Washington station is one of the only mountaintop scientific stations to have remained in continuous operation with an active and expanding mission. They offer an unparalleled look at the Home of the World's Worst Weather. You can also purchase the opportunity to bring the science and excitement of Mount Washington into your classroom with live, interactive video conferencing technology. Premium content on the site is available for purchase. This review only includes the free portions.
This site includes advertising.

tag(s): new hampshire (3), snow (17), weather (160), webcams (19)