Teachers First - Thinking Teachers Teaching Thinkers

DLTK's Custom Chore Chart provides an easy, quick way to create any type of chart. Charts can be created for chores, homework, behavior, reading, math facts, and any other type of information that can be monitored and displayed as a chart. Creating a chart is so simple that students can create their own and choose a theme that interests them. The site allows you to choose the theme (or create your own), the text color, text size, font, color or black and white for printing, what specifically goes into the columns and rows, and more. Since the themes are more juvenile, you may want to suggest the "create your own" option with older students. This site does not require any registration. Be aware there are minor pop-up ads which are rather annoying, but worth it for this free tool.

tag(s): behavior (45), charts and graphs (171), preK (270)

This website is a fascinating blog of architecture from around the world. The pictures are amazing, especially to the non-architect. The blog details the location and the designer of each architectural project pictured. Pictures of structures can be shared with multiple online social sharing websites. The site can be searched by keyword on the far right or by category of structure. This site offers a wide variety of styles, locations, and more.

tag(s): architecture (76), business (52)

This math site is a MUST SEE for teachers of all grade levels. Much of this site is designed for K-8 teachers, but there are a few activities for the high school grades. Although the site is mainly a drill and practice, it offers such an array of topics and levels that there is something for everyone here (and it is terrific for differentiating lessons in the classroom). Sample topics include roman numerals, Algebra II, pre-algebra, measurement, absolute value, early childhood math, telling time, money, place value, fractions, decimals, mixed operations, and more! And did we mention, each topic includes rich, colorful interactives for students to practice skills! Most topics also include options to specify content (for example, choosing to practice addition, subtraction, multiplication, or division). fun activities for all levels!

tag(s): decimals (85), fractions (160), money (113), place value (34), preK (270), roman numerals (7), time (91)

Use Google Maps or Google Earth and a variety of sources to learn more information about the Middle East. Choose one of the eight topics along the top: "Stereotypes and Reality," "Geography," "History," "People and Languages," "Religion," "Culture," "Current Issues," and "Pedagogy." View and navigate through Google Earth tours, read blog posts and other articles, participate in activities, and view other multimedia content. This provides ready to use classroom activities in all areas, photos, interactives and much more. Identify more than just what is in a textbook using this interactive site. Note that clicking "View in Google Earth" requires you to have the free, downloadable Google Earth program, reviewed here, installed on that computer.

tag(s): arab (12), maps (220), middle east (50)

Make music a web 2.0 interactive experience using this "mashup" of musical YouTube videos, all in the key of B Flat. If you can access YouTube videos at school, you will open the eyes and ears of those who never thought they would even care about music. See twenty different "instruments," both traditional and electronic, playing excerpts YOU combine by starting and controlling the volume on your choice of instruments. They sound great together or in any combination you choose. If you click "More info," you will find out FAQ and more about the project and its creator, including how it was done.

tag(s): music theory (46)

Calling all builders - this site has it all! View interactives, videos, the "Great Picture Book of Construction Equipment," "Everything about Construction Equipment," Q and A, printables, and more. This site is full of great information about construction equipment, perfect for invention units, physics of simple machines, engineering, and more. There is also a link to learn more about anti-mine equipment, sure to spark some serious class discussion with older students.

tag(s): engineering (129), inventors and inventions (80), machines (17), simple machines (19)

This site is an index of stories that have been spoken on radio shows by Charles Kettering. Kettering was head of research for General Motors and held over 140 patents. One of his standout accomplishments was the development of Freon as a refrigerant.

There are a number of short stories from all areas of science taken from Kettering's Radio talk shows. The general topics include "Introduction to Science and Invention," "Science and Invention in Transportation," "Science and Invention in War." Specific topics vary from Energy from the Sun to The Wright Way to Unraveling the Atom and many others.

tag(s): aviation (40), history day (39), inventors and inventions (80), scientists (67), sun (71), transportation (31)

Use this free site to create audio files easily for use in or out of the class. Record your own voice using phone or microphone, upload an audio file, or create audio from text to speech. Choose different voices, use the playback options, and update audio at anytime. Use your email to receive a link to your new audio file.

tag(s): communication (129), speech (69), text to speech (20)

Differentiating activities for all learners has become easier with this tool. Use this free Bloom's Taxonomy tool, created by an educator, to develop great objectives for differentiated instruction. Move through developing your goal on this site by choosing a level of Bloom's Taxonomy and a thinking skill. Then move on to your content, resources, finished product expected, and what kind of grouping you want. These are all tabs at the top of the page. Watch the sentence at the top of the screen change as you create your objective.

tag(s): blooms taxonomy (7), critical thinking (128), differentiation (84), newbies (11)

Looking for interactive math resources and their use in everyday life? Math Interactives provide a variety of topics with interactive options for each. View "Use it" to access guided practice for students or "Explore it" for activities that can be used as a teacher demo or practice activities. Additional quicktime videos about the topic and support materials are included. Example topics in the "Number" category include Fractions, Integers, and Exponents. Other categories include "Patterns and Relations," "Shape and Space," and "Statistics and Probability."

tag(s): data (151), equations (119), exponents (35), integers (21), numbers (120), square roots (15)

Looking for simple ways to showcase simple math and science concepts? No money for classroom materials? Look no further. Use these simple instructions for making educational toys using everyday materials. Each toy easily demonstrates concepts that are basic for understanding processes of science. View an unbelievable amount of toys under the following categories: "Amazing Astronomy," "Pumps from the Dump," "Math Magic," "Paper Fun," Tipping Toppling Toys," Motor and Generator," "Electricity and Magnetism," "Newton Unplugged," "Fun with Pressure," "Fun with Light," "Toys from Trash," "Simple Sounds," "Strong Structures," "Flying Toys," "Force Fun," "Spinning Toys," and others. View annotated photos of the construction process or download detailed instructions. This site requires adobe Acrobat. Get it from the TeachersFirst Toolbox page.

tag(s): light (56), newton (21), sound (72)

Play interesting word, math, and other activities with this free site. Membership is not required though members receive additional benefits. Find an interesting challenge to try. On its page, click to play the game, read the directions for play, bookmark the specific game, or generate a link for embedding in a website, wiki, or blog. Printable game worksheets that can be customized can also be found on this site. Some of the specific topics include magic squares, attributions, hangman, strategy games, and more. Note: Ads appear along the side and students should be cautioned in clicking on these ads. This site requires Flash and Adobe Acrobat. Get both from the TeachersFirst Toolbox.
This site includes advertising.

tag(s): problem solving (233)

This design blog from a team of contributing designers and New York-based editor Grace Bonney features multiple daily posts of design ideas from homes, thrift stores, and occasional traditional artwork. There is also information about student design competitions and shows worldwide. Be sure to explore the various categories, from DIY projects to city design "guides." The visual inspirations and discussion starters will elicit reactions from, "What's such great design about that piece of junk?" to "Wow, what a creative idea!" The rapidly-growing collection can inspire ideas for invention, writing, artwork, and formal design projects. There are also video clips that require Flash. Get it from the TeachersFirst Toolbox page.

tag(s): cooking (32), crafts (64), recycling (45)

How does an artist find inspiration, even in less likely places? This collection of four videos draws on real artists to open our eyes to inspiration from a library building and its contents. The New York Public Library inspires this series of four videos about real artists and how they find new artistic ideas within the Library: from its books, its map collections, its light fixtures, and more. This site requires Flash. You can get it from the TeachersFirst Toolbox page.

tag(s): creativity (86)

This traditional "Tower of Hanoi" challenges secondary (and possibly gifted elementary) students to move all of the interactive discs from the left peg to the right peg. The goal is to move the discs using the lowest number of moves.

tag(s): brain (56), logic (161), puzzles (149)

This site provides countless books, films, plays, and television shows that all relate to specific math concepts. What a fabulous way to integrate math, language arts, history, and more! The site includes the title, year, and brief description. Teachers can browse by genre, medium, motif, and/or topic. Media include everything from comic books to plays to television series. Genres include historical fiction, children's literature, adventure/espionage, fantasy, science fiction, and more. Sixty-three fiction offerings are even available FREE (in their entirety) online! The site is still developing and frequently adds additional fiction titles. Students who enjoy fantasy will also enjoy choosing books from this site, since the author admits that not all math mentioned in all the books is "real" math!! The site allows teachers to search by keyword and also to browse new offerings in the compilation of titles.

tag(s): logic (161), probability (99), statistics (121)

Created by the Institute for the Academic Advancement of Youth at the Johns Hopkins University, this site contains comprehensive information for teachers of gifted students in upper elementary grades through middle school. Highlights include information about summer programs for students in grades 2-12, summer employment opportunities for elementary and middle school teachers interested in becoming involved in CTY summer programs, the CTY talent search, student application information, ability and achievement testing, recommended publications and resources, and available services for interested schools and teachers.

tag(s): gifted (66)

This is a fun (and easy to use) site to add to an Egyptian unit or any unit based on historical types of writing or communication. By simply typing in their name, students will see how it might have been written in hieroglyphs by an ancient scribe. The maximum number of letters is 16. After you enter your name and click inscribe, you are linked to a page with your name written in hieroglyphics.

tag(s): egypt (56)

Ever wonder what it would be like to have open access to lectures at Harvard? Stanford? MIT? Academic Earth gives you that access in a limited fashion. This site contains thousands of video lectures by some of the most well-regarded professors at several of the top universities in the US. You can sort the lectures by subject, by lecturer, by university, or by "playlist." The playlists sort lectures from various topics and multiple professors into thematic groups. Within individual subjects, there are individual lectures and courses--collections of lectures by the same professor on a general subject. Watch a lecture on "The Civil War and Reconstruction Era, 1845-1877," or "The American Novel since 1945," or "Linear Algebra." The topic possibilities go on and on.

tag(s): college (45)

The KENKEN craze is spreading quickly across the world! Created in 2004 by Japanese Math Teacher, Tetsuya Miyamoto, these puzzles are fun, educational, and addictive. At first, these puzzles appear very similar to Sudoku puzzles. They have a few added components (more math and logic required). There are various levels of difficulties (3x3 puzzles through 9x9 puzzles). For 3x3 puzzles, you use only numbers 1-3, for 4x4 puzzles you use only numbers 1-4, and so on. At the time of our review of this brand-new puzzle, the 3x3 puzzles had not been created. But they add new puzzles daily, so check back! The rules are simple: each number can only be used once in any row or column. There are also "cages" which are represented by heavily outlined sets of squares. The goal is to produce the target number (in the corner of the cage). Numbers can be repeated within one cage, just so the number is not already in the row or column. Want to learn more? View the How to Play link that includes written instructions and a tutorial video. Puzzles are also PRINTABLE. Don't miss the link for teachers. This site requires Flash. You can get it from the TeachersFirst Toolbox page.

tag(s): addition (129), division (98), logic (161), multiplication (122), puzzles (149), subtraction (110), sudoku (10), vision (44)