Teachers First - Thinking Teachers Teaching Thinkers

Find free elementary printables and teaching resources at PaperZip. Items include writing paper, calendars, post cards, and templates. Search by specific topics such as literacy, numeracy, or seasonal to find available offerings. After choosing a resource, read a short description as well as view the file size, type, and age suitability. Download using the button provided. Click tags in red boxes under item descriptions to find similar downloads. The Classroom menu has useful templates for organization and rewards.This site was created in the United Kingdom. American English speakers may notice some differences in the pronunciations and spellings from those in American English. Be aware that some of the ads appear to be part of the site, but are not.
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tag(s): alphabet (53), christmas (38), halloween (32), multiplication (122), numbers (120), preK (270), printables (36), seasons (37), spelling (98)

Teaching Shakespeare? Make sure to check out this educator's site for the PBS series Shakespeare Uncovered. There are ten lesson plans and a "Teachers Viewing Guide" for the six video segments. In case you haven't heard of the delightful Shakespeare Uncoveredseries, never fear, clicking on the video tab will take you to all 6 episodes. The different celebrity hosts for each episode help make Shakespeare relevant and accessible to the students of the 21st century. The episodes also present rare footage from some renowned productions, including the 1963 adaptation of As You Like It starring Vanessa Redgrave as Rosalind. The series is built on interviews with actors, directors and scholars, clips from screen versions of the plays under consideration, and live performance segments filmed at today's Globe, and staged specifically for Shakespeare Uncovered. The teacher's guide and lesson plans contain video segments from Shakespeare Uncovered, comprehensive instructions for classroom implementation, printable student handouts, links to online resources, and suggestions for extension activities to enhance reading, viewing, and an appreciation of Shakespeare's works.
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tag(s): hamlet (8), macbeth (9), plays (32), shakespeare (99)

The World Digital Library makes it possible to discover, study, and enjoy digitized cultural treasures from around the world. Resources include manuscripts, maps, rare books, musical scores, recordings, films, prints, photographs, and architectural drawings. Browse by place, time, topic, type of item, and contributing institution, or use the open-ended search available in many languages. Information included with items includes a description, place of event or item, date, location of the item, and tags for viewing items similar in nature or topic. Move the timeline to view items for specific time periods.

tag(s): 1600s (20), 1700s (36), 1800s (75), 1900s (72), 20th century (62), africa (148), asia (116), australia (28), china (81), cross cultural understanding (173), europe (84), images (263), north america (15), south america (47)

Find Medieval and Middle Ages Timelines related to England, Scotland, and Wales. TimeRef includes detailed timelines, information about key medieval episodes, biographies of medieval people, photographs of medieval places, maps and 3D CGI reconstructions of ruined castles and abbeys. Reference information on British Medieval history from 800AD through 1499AD. Explore TimeRef's contents as sorted into four main classifications: timelines, episodes (see 3D mote and bailey castle or play a 3D adventure game), people, and maps and places. Use the search tool and provided categories to narrow down information into manageable pieces or to find specific people, locations, or information.
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tag(s): britain (26), medieval (32), timelines (56)

Listen to famous speeches by influential leaders of the twentieth and twenty-first centuries. Choose from the list of leaders including Winston Churchill, Richard Nixon, and Martin Luther King, Jr, and many others. View a short biography and background along with links to a famous speech (or speeches) given by that person. Some speeches are audio only, others are YouTube videos. If your district blocks YouTube, videos may not be viewable.
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tag(s): churchill (8), declaration of independence (16), inauguration (10), kennedy (20), martin luther king (45), persuasive writing (58), presidents (135), roosevelt (15)

What was life like for a teenager in ancient Rome? Watch the clever portrayal of the life of Lucius Popidius Secundus, a seventeen-year-old living in Rome in 73 AD. Packed full of information about life in ancient Rome, it is hard to believe this video is just short of seven minutes long. Along with the video is a feature called Dig Deeper where you will find explanations and links to more detailed information about ancient Rome. The video is hosted on YouTube. If your district blocks YouTube, then it may not be viewable.

tag(s): romans (52), rome (37), video (266)

Stick Figure Hamlet brings comic visuals and imagery to this classic work of Shakespeare. Each act and scene is represented. Simply start at the beginning to view all cartoons or choose any act or scene desired. This site is sure to motivate and interest even the most reluctant reader!

tag(s): comics and cartoons (55), hamlet (8), literature (221), shakespeare (99)

If it Were My Home compares living conditions of one country to those of another. Allow the site to use your location when accessing the home page. This allows a comparison from your location to others places around the globe. Select a region on the globe to compare. Choose from countries included in that region. View a map comparison. See statistics and comparisons such as oil consumption, economic statistics, and birth rates. Expand comparisons by clicking on the arrow. Scroll down the page to view more information and suggested reading materials about your chosen country. Share comparisons using social media buttons located below the map or email using the link provided.
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tag(s): africa (148), asia (116), australia (28), canada (24), cross cultural understanding (173), diseases (66), europe (84), globe (12), hiv/aids (15), south america (47), statistics (121)

The 360Cities panoramas are a new way to showcase places, businesses, and events from around the world. Looking for a new virtual field trip? 360Cities will have your students spinning in circles with excitement. The pictures are out of this world! View 360 degree panoramic pictures from Mars or under the sea. Travel to snowy mountain tops and many more of the Internet's largest collection of uploaded panoramic images. 360Cities panoramic aerial shots are also available as well as navigable views of cities, natural landscapes, and more. The most popular panoramic pictures are listed for your convenience. This website has panoramic views of all Seven Wonders of the World, which include the Colosseum in Rome, The Great Wall of China, Petra in Jordan, The Taj Mahal in India, Machu Picchu in Peru, Christ Redeemer in Rio, and Chichen Itza in Mexico. Are you looking for a site to showcase your own panoramic shots or do you want to learn how to take panoramic shots? 360Cities "how to" section offers tools to create and upload your own panoramic pictures. View the existing pictures for free or use an email address to create a free account to upload your own panoramic pictures. Paid upgrades are available. 360Cities also has an app for iOS devices. View the 360Cities blog linked on the site for more information.
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tag(s): images (263), landforms (39), landmarks (22), virtual field trips (128)

Join lyrical rhyming adventures of history in poetry! Find poems summarizing famous people or periods from history. Explore the topics in the left sidebar: Ancient History, Middle Ages, British History, American History, Myths & Legends, and Pirates. The American History poems include: The California Gold Rush, The Statue of Liberty, The Moon Landing, The Voyage of the Mayflower, The Boston Tea Party, and a few others. Each poem includes additional facts about the event or people, along with drawings submitted by students. You will also find coloring pages, interviews, jokes, and more. Be aware: this site does include a lot of advertisements. At the time of this review, all advertisements were completely "kid-appropriate." However, it may be wise to advise students not to click on any of the links/pictures.
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tag(s): boston (10), california (17), dinosaurs (43), england (50), gold rush (15), greece (47), landmarks (22), myths and legends (37), olympics (45), romans (52), vikings (10)

Discover interactive and animated representations of historic events and time periods. Choose from American, European, Latin American, or African history. Within each of these choices is a list of modules. Each module provides information and interactive content such as timelines or maps that guide you through the specified time frame. The slideMapHub, at the bottom of the map allows you to move in time.

tag(s): 1700s (36), 1800s (75), 1900s (72), africa (148), alaska (21), american revolution (82), central america (20), civil war (139), cold war (30), colonial america (95), colonization (21), explorers (64), great depression (30), greece (47), greeks (46), hawaii (9), industrialization (12), italy (30), maps (220), native americans (108), romans (52), slavery (79), south america (47), spain (13), war of 1812 (15), world war 1 (77), world war 2 (161)

This amazing online project documents the history of information and media. The project covers a huge scope of time, starting with entries from 2,500,000 BC up to the present time. Use the Google Maps based interface (Map View) to explore the records geographically. Select from a large number of themes including archaeology, writing, or paleontology. You can also explore this tool by historical era or regions. Search the tool using the tabs Outline View, Expanded View, or Map View. Explore the Narrative and Analysis tab for valuable information.

tag(s): 1600s (20), 1700s (36), 1800s (75), 1900s (72), animals (294), art history (102), caves (7), genealogy (8), genetics (80), geologic time (12), geology (62), maps (220), sculpture (18)

Women in World History offers sophisticated, high-level learning opportunities for exploration and research into the role of women throughout the world. Choose website reviews to find scholarly reviews of online archives and resources. View more than 200 primary sources with essays analyzing gender. View case studies from teachers discussing primary sources. Classroom modules offer lesson plans for several topics: the British Empire, Western Views of Chinese Women, and the Soviet Dictatorship. The lesson plans include everything you need: ways to differentiate the lesson, objectives, materials, time needed, and additional strategies.

tag(s): 1600s (20), 1700s (36), 1800s (75), 1900s (72), 20th century (62), africa (148), asia (116), central america (20), europe (84), great britain (16), north america (15), russia (36), south america (47), women (151)

Explore and view archives from seven museums in Europe from the comfort of your computer screen! Choose a specific time period, country, or object group to view artifacts. Links to artifacts include an image along with its name, type, country, chronology, time period, and museum location where it is housed. Click on the image thumbnail for a 3D image and links to more in-depth information. Find main characteristics, discovery information, state of the object, and deepenings (a short analysis and description).

tag(s): art history (102), europe (84), germany (28), italy (30), rome (37)

Join John and Hank Green on the you Tube channel, Crash Course. Crash Course consists of highly engaging video presentations that explain the basics on many topics: about 10-15 minutes in length, humorous, and engaging! The general topic areas include World History, Literature, and US History. At the time of this review, biology topics include: the carbon cycle, water cycle, molecules, nutrition, animal and plant cells, photosynthesis, heredity, DNA, mitosis, meiosis, natural selection, evolution, genetics, taxonomy, evolution, simple animals, complex animals, animal behavior, various systems of the body, bacteria, protists, and even more. In literature, five videos cover subjects from Romeo and Juliet to The Great Gatsby. There are over forty world history topics: Agricultural revolution, Mesopotamia, Ancient Egypt, The Persians and Greeks, Buddha and Ashoka, Chinese History, Alexander the Great, The Roman Empire, Christianity from Judaism to Constantine, Fall of the Roman Empire, Islam the Quran, and the Five Pillars, Venice and Ottoman Empire, Russia, Columbus, The Spanish Empire, The French Revolution, Haitian Revolution, Industrial Revolution, Capitalism, Socialism, Imperialism, and many more. If your district blocks YouTube, they may not be viewable. Tip: to watch or share a video without the ads and clutter, use a tool such as ViewPure, reviewed here, to watch the video ad-free!
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tag(s): animals (294), bacteria (22), bill of rights (33), body systems (40), chinese (45), constitution (96), declaration of independence (16), evolution (89), genetics (80), greeks (46), literature (221), meiosis (8), mitosis (9), nutrition (140), religions (95), rome (37), romeo and juliet (3), russia (36), shakespeare (99), water cycle (22)

This teens' branch of Learn English, reviewed here, contains interactives, short stories, poems, grammar bits, and a video zone with many short videos. You can also write captions for humorous photos. The vocabulary zone organizes words into various categories. The exam section gives advice on exam preparation for all types of tests including listening, speaking, and reading as well as study tips. Don't miss the free time section and a magazine with articles written by peers. A free log-in allows teens access to printed versions of the stories (with questions), the ability to make comments, enter competitions, answer polls, and even submit writings. The videos reside on YouTube. If your district blocks YouTube, the videos may not be viewable. Since this site was created in the UK, you will notice some spelling differences from American English.

tag(s): creative writing (124), grammar (137), test prep (69), video (266), vocabulary development (94)

Search this virtual museum and database of European fine arts from the 11th to 19th centuries. The site also offers a version for use on mobile devices. The site provides 16 different tours, music, a glossary and the ability to send e-postcards with images. There is also a feature for viewing two images at once.

tag(s): art history (102), artists (84), museums (52)

Use sources to investigate the past at this website offered by the National Archives of the United Kingdom. View videos explaining how to think about historic artifacts and try studying items on your own. Take notes to save and use along the way. Topics include Queen Victoria, childhood, women, the Great Exhibition, the British Empire, and Local History. The site contains an extensive group of resources for teachers embedded in each section. Teacher resources include lesson notes, how to use resources, and historical source captions and notes. In addition, each unit has a downloadable pack of assets for use with an interactive whiteboard.

tag(s): britain (26), careers (156), england (50), great britain (16), victorian (16), women (151)

See the history of the world from 3500BC to 2005AD! TimeMaps offers a look at every nation, empire, and civilization as one story using maps. Choose a date or time period to begin exploration. Use pinpoints located on the map to view specific information about that location. Use timelines located under the map to narrow down topics within a time period. For example, at 100 AD choose to view information by Ancient Rome, Mayan Civilization, Medieval India, or Ancient China. This is an excellent site for providing an overview and exploration of world civilizations during any given time period. Choose the "Are You a History Teacher" link to find several suggestions for using TimeMap in your classroom along several different lesson plans.
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tag(s): 1600s (20), 1700s (36), 1800s (75), 1900s (72), 20th century (62), africa (148), asia (116), china (81), egypt (56), europe (84), greeks (46), india (32), israel (14), maps (220), mayans (23), north america (15), romans (52), timelines (56)

Find videos related to social education, health, citizenship, religions, the environment, crime, and countless eclectic topics at this UK-based site. Though some are controversial, this is a great set of resources for the introduction of difficult subjects to a class. Choose from subjects on the left margin, including Body and Health, Crime, Culture, and more. Many of the videos deal with worldwide issues from a non-U.S. point of view, offering a different perspective. Several videos have lesson plans. Be sure to preview videos before you share. Some do deal with rather controversial topics. If necessary, check with your administration about the appropriate use of these videos before sharing withe the class OR sharing the link on your class website.

tag(s): architecture (75), digital citizenship (85), diseases (66), environment (252), media literacy (109), mental health (48), persuasive writing (58), poetry (193), religions (95), sexuality (15), social skills (22), sustainability (50), writing prompts (61)