Teachers First - Thinking Teachers Teaching Thinkers

Take an interesting look at mathematicians from around the world as honored on stamps with this very comprehensive site. Browse through more than 100 alphabetical listings of mathematicians along with the date of stamp issue, country, and a link to an image of each stamp. In addition to mathematicians, information is also included for other mathematics related stamps such as those featuring an abacus and the metric system.

tag(s): biographies (94)

Did you know the first known use of the + symbol was sometime between 1323 and 1382? Learn more about this and the origins of other math symbols at this interesting site. Choose from different links to learn about the origins of geometry, fractions, and other symbols. Each description includes a background on its original use along with information about pertinent mathematicians.

tag(s): biographies (94), symbols (15)

Mathematical Symbols and Abbreviations is a nine-page PDF leaflet describing symbols and notations commonly used in mathematics. Along with each symbol, learn how to say it, what it means, see an example, and view a search topic. For further information, use the URL given in the first paragraph (second line) and search box provided there to search the main Math Centre site. This site was created in the United Kingdom. If you speak American English, you may notice some slight spelling differences.

tag(s): printables (36), symbols (15)

Welcome to your math reference website, Allmath! Find resources for addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division practice either timed or untimed. Challenge your students further with Magic Squares. Find information regarding metric conversions and how to do the metric conversions. A math glossary answers all of your math vocabulary questions. Biographies of Math show many famous mathematicians.
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tag(s): addition (129), division (98), multiplication (122), periodic table (46), subtraction (110), vocabulary (238)

Planet Nutshell offers a small selection of animated videos for preschool students. Topics include art, music, patterns, and time. Each video is under two minutes in length, perfect for use with young students with short attention spans!

tag(s): drawing (61), geometric shapes (135), numbers (120), patterns (61), preK (271), rhythm (21), video (266)

Make your story-telling come to life in any content area with this free tool! Story Map uses a map or pictures to tell the story. The simple editor in this tool syncs to Google Drive editor to create a storymap. The created storymap is a sequence of slides for a map location or image that includes a heading, text, and even images and embedded video. The map or image and included information appear side by side. You can click between the slides connecting one location to another (or portions of an image to another). Your story is now interactive! To use: Follow the prompts to connect your Google Drive to the tool. Choose the type of story to create, Map or Gigapixel (image). Don't worry about the map image showing on the first page. When building a map, the front page will include the portion of the World Map based on map points throughout the project (ex. USA or Europe). Add a headline and detail to the appropriate areas. Include links and change font to bold and italic if desired. Add images to any page by uploading from your computer (through Google Drive) or by entering a link to an image. Enter the URL of the Vimeo or YouTube video you wish to use. Need help? Click on the Gigapixel tab along the top for help in uploading images and videos. The Media box not only has an area for the URL, but also an area to enter a caption and credit for the image. Add additional pages by clicking "Add Slide" in the left-hand menu. Add points to your map, one per slide, by typing the building, street, city, and country. Use the zoom bar in the top left to find the location. Customize the map style, background color, and font using the Options buttons. Click Share to send through social media or to use an embed code. The embed code can be used in any site, adjusting its width for different sites. If using Gigapixel, use a large image (as the image will literally be the "map" and your points move around the image). Save your image to Google Drive and copy the URL of the image as you will need it in the first step.

tag(s): maps (220), stories and storytelling (58), timelines (56)

Oh nO is a unique logic puzzle game that is available on your web browser or as an app (on any device). Use the blue dots with numbers to decide where to place red or blue dots on the grid. The numbers on the blue dots indicate how many other blue dots surround each. Click once to make the circle blue and twice to make the circle red. Select different size grids and use the timer to increase difficulty. Follow the introduction on the site to learn more details about this mind challenge!

tag(s): DAT device agnostic tool (147), logic (161), problem solving (233), puzzles (149)

JMAP offers a large collection of resources for integrating Regents exam questions into everyday curriculum. Although it is created specifically for New York Regents exam preparation, content is applicable to any math curriculum. Choose from content sorted by textbook, class, or review materials. Choices for downloading materials include PDF, DOC, and TST formats. Other materials included on the site are Regents books, worksheet generators, and Regents archives. This site is a must-see for New York teachers and worth a visit for all math teachers!

tag(s): assessment (147), test prep (69), worksheets (69)

Find more than 350 ready to use ideas for training games and activities at Thiagi Training Games. Titles include types of activity, for example, whether it is a card game, role play, etc. Choose a title and view a full description including playing time, number of players, and materials needed. Although created for corporate training sessions, many ideas fit right into classroom use such as debate ideas, getting to know you activities, and more.

tag(s): back to school (55), debate (42), firstday (22), game based learning (205)

ABC Splash is a large educational website from Australia containing videos, games, and audio clips. Special sections for parents include informational articles, teaching resources, and education news. Choose from primary or secondary level to view offerings sorted into categories or go to games and sort by topic or grade level to find resources. Register on the site to store and save favorite activities for later use. The site was created in the Australia, so some of the pronunciations and spellings may differ from those in American English.

tag(s): addition (129), animals (295), antarctica (30), atmosphere (22), australia (28), cells (82), climate change (99), continents (33), counting (60), decimals (85), division (98), earth (184), earthquakes (46), ecosystems (83), egypt (56), energy (133), environment (252), food chains (19), forces (37), forensics (12), fossil fuels (10), game based learning (205), gold rush (15), human body (93), immigration (68), insects (69), light (56), maps (220), molecules (44), money (113), multiplication (122), nuclear energy (20), nutrition (140), oceans (149), parts of speech (39), percent (59), perimeter (20), place value (34), plants (146), probability (99), rhymes (22), rocks (35), songs (46), sound (72), subtraction (110), time (91), vietnam (38), volcanoes (55), weather (160), whole numbers (9), world war 1 (77), world war 2 (161)

Learn math through simple, yet engaging videos at Math Antics' YouTube Channel. Choose from several different math topics such as working with fractions, multi-digit numbers, and factoring. Most videos run less than 10 minutes, making them perfect for use in many different situations. If your district blocks YouTube, then they may not be viewable. Avoid YouTube issues by viewing videos directly on the Math Antics website located here

tag(s): addition (129), decimals (85), division (98), equations (119), factors (29), fractions (160), geometric shapes (135), mixed numbers (8), multiplication (122), subtraction (110)

Free Online Stopwatch offers an assortment of popular clock tools - all ad free, simple, and easy to share! Choose from the Stopwatch, Alarm Clock, Current Time, Timer, or Date Countdown. Also, find emoticons for social media and email at the bottom of the page. Click on any of the social media links at the top to easily share your countdown. Download the program to begin.

tag(s): classroom management (120), organizational skills (88)

Create a presentation that has the familiar slides of PowerPoint with the commentary of a screencast. With this tool, you have the control. You can determine whether to see the presentation as created or browse slides and listen to only the portions that you want. Upload your content from Google Drive or a computer. Click "Present" to begin making your presentation. Be sure to approve the tool to access your device's sound and camera. Create your presentation and then share the link to the recording. Share by using Gmail, Google+, Google Drive, Facebook, X (formerly Twitter), Dropbox, and other social media. You can also embed the link on your blog or wiki. You may need to manage the size of the slides and images before uploading. If they are too large, you may have difficulty moving to the Present phase (this problem may be a temporary one). Find several tutorials for using Presentious by scrolling down the Support page.

tag(s): blended learning (37), multimedia (53), slides (43)

This tool is an online Jeopardy game builder. Click support on the top right to find video tutorials to help you get started. Sign up for a free account, enter the information, and you are ready to play! Use the "create game" button and enter your title. Then, start building your game. Enter your email address so you can edit the game later. Enter your series of questions and answers under difficulty levels. It's that easy. Up to four teams or individuals can play at one time. Play the demo history game and choose one of the vegetable icons to get started. Clicking the check mark for correct will reveal the answer.

tag(s): gamification (83), quiz (67), quizzes (90)

Oh h1 is an addicting and challenging interactive for problem solving and logic. Choose from four different grid sizes to play. Click on squares to make them red or blue. The goal is to never have more than 2 squares of the same color in a row, and to have equal numbers of colors in all rows and columns. The rules are explained as you play. Increase difficulty by increasing the number of grids and completing in the shortest elapsed time.

tag(s): DAT device agnostic tool (147), game based learning (205), logic (161), problem solving (233), puzzles (149)

Discover "how the tournament would play out if 32 countries were competing in things other than soccer." This site compares world countries statistics on scores of topics, instantly drawing a "bracket" of the top 32 countries for that statistic around the world. Find out which country "wins" in categories as diverse as milk consumption, population density, or ticket sales for the movie Frozen! Click the topic at left to display the "bracket" instantly. Try predicting who will win as you check out all kinds of topics.

tag(s): cross cultural understanding (173), demographics (13), statistics (121)

Typeform offers an interactive method to ask and answer questions online. Use the form builder to create visually rich and engaging questions. Drag and drop features make it easy to add and personalize content such as different question choices, images, backgrounds, and more. The "live" preview allows you see your typeform evolve as you create it. When complete, share using your unique URL or embed your Typeform using provided HTML. Go to the Help Center and under Dashboard, read more about your options for sharing your Typeform. Choose options for receiving and tracking visits to your form in your configuration settings. Track visitor behavior and demographics with your Google Analytics tracking code; you can also export your result to a spreadsheet in Excel (XLS) or CSV file formats, or Google sheets. Through Typeform you can have your Google sheet automatically update as answers come in--no need to export data manually.
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tag(s): DAT device agnostic tool (147), polls and surveys (49), quizzes (90)

Pinup is a web-based canvas for creating and storing sticky notes. Create a new canvas by clicking anywhere on the blank canvas. You can also click and drag your mouse to create a new note from anywhere on the board. Click the plus sign to add a new text pin, and the image symbol below it to add images or a document. Use the menu across the top of the sticky to change the background color, duplicate the pin, move it to another canvas or turn it into a checklist. You can also drag and drop images directly from your desktop. Personalize stickies by changing the color of sticky notes. Edit the text options using bold and strikethroughs. Change the size of your notes quickly and easily. Once you have created more than one canvas, choose the one you want to be your default canvas when you use Pinup. Any device with a web browser can access and use this organizer! Share your canvas with one click by adding email recipients. Note that collaborators must have email addresses.

tag(s): bulletin boards (15), homework (29), organizational skills (88)

Numeracy Tasks offers a large selection of open-ended problems for grades K-12. Choose from titles sorted by grade level (K-3, 4-6, 7-9, or 10-12). Each task is listed individually. Click to download the Word document including instructions and any necessary materials. Although this site is rather "plain vanilla," there are some very engaging topics: Cell Phone Plans, Nine Hole Golf Course, Building a Garden, Trip to the Waterslides, and many more.

tag(s): number sense (69), problem solving (233)

What better way to learn than through making? Collaborate and make items for the web using these webmaker tools. These Hacktivity Kits are easy for anyone to organize a session and learn about creating items for the Internet. Use these kits to facilitate classes that focus on webmaking. Each section includes what you will need to consider to prepare for using the kits. Kits include sample lessons, projects, and activities. Find documents (cheat sheet for HTML!) that can be printed in each of the Resources sections. Use activities that assess progress and even provide badges. Each kit has a Big Picture, Objectives, Questions, and all related material. Find a variety of kits: X-Ray Goggles, Popcorn, Thimble, Online Storytelling, Revolutions in Media, Make It Share It, and more. As the name suggests, the Hacktivity kits can be hacked as well. Choose the parts that work for your class and expand upon others when more resources are needed. Since the products are created for the web, the tools used to make them are web applications. The recommended browsers include Mozilla Firefox and Google Chrome. Note: It is important that all browsers be updated to the latest versions in order to use the web application effectively. Be sure to click "View Additional Resources" for one page documents including readings, cheat sheets, checklists, how-to's, and FAQ's. Click "View All Hacktivities" for simple activities such as Icebreakers. Explore Hands on Hacking, to delve deeper into the material.

tag(s): digital storytelling (154), images (263), stories and storytelling (58), video (266)