Teachers First - Thinking Teachers Teaching Thinkers

Make the Bard more approachable for younger students with this clever, interactive resource. Kids of all ages can enjoy delving into the life of Queen Elizabeth and the works of William Shakespeare. Explore full texts of plays in PDF format, interactive word games, challenges, and puzzles, historical lessons (some are interactive), and fun facts about Shakespeare and his theater. A word of caution: many of the activities on this site require prior knowledge of Shakespearean plays and characters. Choose wisely based on the level and language skills of your students, and the depth of your study of Shakespeare. Use to introduce the Elizabethan era, review important concepts, or extend a literature unit with a bit of history. Created by the Folger Shakespeare Library.

tag(s): elizabethan (13), england (50), plays (32), shakespeare (99)

This site presents information about the South American Amazon region in an interactive quiz format. The people, plants, animals, and climate of this area are explored through text and graphics. Students are challenged to successfully plan and manage a locally controlled ecotourism site in a simulation game provided on the site. Can be used to supplement a unit on environmental science or a social studies lesson about the indigenous people of South America. Created by Educational Web Adventures.

tag(s): amazon (11), ecosystems (83), south america (47)

This on-line exhibition allows visitors to follow the footsteps of Lewis and Clark, explore the cultural landscape they encountered, and browse through a collection of over 350 artifacts that document the first transcontinental journey across North America. Highlights of this beautifully designed site include an interactive map, audio clips providing sounds associated with each place along the journey, and readings from words written by members of the expedition. Links to related themes are provided throughout the site. This is an outstanding resource that accurately presents many facets of this pivotal even in American history. Though this is a Legacy Unit and no longer supported, the information is excellent and well worth your visit.

tag(s): lewis and clark (14), louisiana (6), louisiana purchase (5)

This site documents three Antarctic scuba diving expeditions with spectacular images of sponges, jellies, sea spiders and much more! Explore the Gallery and Field Guide to view and read about the fascinating creatures that live beneath the ice. Students can find out what it's like to dive in the Antarctic and read journal entries written by the two of the divers. High quality photos are combined with comprehensive written descriptions, but the reading level of the text is fairly advanced, so consider projecting images and providing oral summaries for younger students.

tag(s): antarctica (30), arctic (40), oceans (149)

This truly engaging site will whet your students' appetites for learning. The history and origin of chocolate (from its start in the Amazon rainforests to its invasion of Europe) is presented through photographs, images, and an easy to understand text. Possible health effects, both positive and negative, are discussed, and the process of "tempering" is explored with a step by step experiment that can be reproduced in the classroom. A virtual tour takes visitors inside the Scharffen Berger Chocolate Factory in San Francisco for an up-close look at the chocolate making process. Created by the Exploratorium. (Requires RealVideo)

tag(s): chocolate (4)

Take an interactive, insider's tour of 15th century Florence, and explore the Renaissance through several different themes: art, politics, architecture and science, and religion. Meet the "godfathers" of the Renaissance who will give you tips on how to be a Medici mobster. Discover which Renaissance figure you most resemble. The companion art gallery includes gorgeous images of Renaissance art. If projecting images in the classroom, remember that clothing is a bit scarce in the Sistine Chapel, so consider the maturity level of your students.

tag(s): italy (30), renaissance (38)

Tour the most influential show in the history of American art. The paintings and sculptures featured in this collection of 18 virtual galleries document of the emergence of modernism, the radical break with artistic tradition, and the corresponding public reactions. The nature of many of the representative works makes this site most appropriate for mature students. Use this resource to generate discussion and encourage analysis of how this historic exhibition affected the development of American art. Created by the American Studies Program at the University of Virginia.

tag(s): art history (103), artists (85)

Library specialist Linda C. Joseph has assembled a useful, interactive, and entertaining collection of resources for students and teachers. Use the "primary source of the month" feature to spark discussions about why such a resource is so valuable. Links to Web treasure hunts, projects, and helpful how-to advice on a variety of Internet-related topics are included.

tag(s): resources (84)

Terra is an Earth Observing System designed by NASA to monitor, measure, and protect the Earth's environment and climate system. This site contains breathtaking, up-to-date satellite images of our planet, and interactive experiments that can be done in the classroom to illustrate how NASA uses Terra's remote sensing to understand how and why the Earth changes. Comprehensive and extensive information on the earth's atmosphere, oceans, land, life, heat and energy is provided. Because the site is updated daily, it can serve as a continually evolving visual aid for earth science classes.

tag(s): maps (220)

This is a site about mythology and the gods of dozens of different cultures. While its irreverent tone and layout may be attractive to some elementary and middle school students, the design sometimes gets in the way of the content itself. That said, there are resources here that are tough to find elsewhere. Teachers will want to use this one selectively, and only after some previewing.

tag(s): aztecs (9), greek (47), greeks (46), romans (52)

This site from the Science Museum of Minneapolis chronicles the excavation several years ago of a prehistoric settlement in Turkey. The documentation and other content could have applications in a world cultures class, or as part of an introduction to the science involved in archaeology.

tag(s): archeology (28)

This history of French exploration and settlement in what is now Canada is elegantly designed, and it shows the striking contrast between the aims of French colonists and those of their English counterparts to the south. Because the site relies almost entirely on archival images - with minimal explanatory text - it may be difficult for some students to use effectively. Still, the site offers a marked contrast to the "colonizing America" stories students hear more frequently.

tag(s): canada (24), colonial america (95), explorers (64), france (41)

Here is a site with a full set of rules for playing the popular Hanukkah game.

tag(s): game based learning (205), hanukkah (12), holidays (187)

This British Museum site about the ancient Middle East and Asia has seemingly endless nooks and crannies, each of which leads to an encounter about the history and culture of of that civilization. Try it as part of a world cultures course, an introduction to Buddhism or Hinduism, or a look at the geography of the Indian subcontinent.

tag(s): art history (103), asia (116), china (81), india (32), middle east (50)

Those interested in Sir Winston Churchill will find this site's offerings more than ample. An online biography and chronology will probably be most helpful, but there are also links to various collections of Churchill's papers, and also to several online features designed for use in British schools. Americans will likely find these materials most relevant to a unit on World War II.

tag(s): britain (26), churchill (8), england (50), world war 2 (161)

The PBS Frontline series regularly challenges viewers' assumptions about controversial issues. This teacher portal for the series offers direct access to supplementary materials for many current and past programs, all sorted by subject area. If your field is government or social studies and you enjoy letting students wrestle with ideas, you will find lots of possibilities in this one.

tag(s): politics (118)

The Wisconsin Historical Society offers this collection of first-hand accounts of historical events, from the early explorers through the settling of the United States. After a quirky search process, the site ultimately displays scanned images of venerable publications containing the material. While this approach is certainly historically accurate, it may be limiting for use with secondary students.

tag(s): primary sources (117)

This one's far better than first appearances might indicate. Click one of the many links to see surprisingly detailed, documented images of earth and the moon, complete with full data on location and time. Many of the images include zoom capabilities and other nifty features.

tag(s): latitude (10), longitude (9), maps (220)

African history written from an African perspective is still something of a rarity. While this site was created by the BCC, it concentrates squarely on the cultures and kingdoms that developed in Africa itself, their relationships with one another, and their infamous encounters with Europeans. This is historical content that goes beyond art and artifacts to explore civilizations themselves. Though the "Useful Links" seem to be broken, every thing else on this site works.

tag(s): africa (148), african american (115)

If you're searching for usable texts for a folklore or mythology unit, here's a ready resource. This listing draws from a wide range of sources, so some inconsistency in quality is inevitable. The breadth of selection, which includes tales from many different cultures, more than compensates.

tag(s): folktales (34), greek (47)