Teachers First - Thinking Teachers Teaching Thinkers

Use your pictures and PhotoFunia to create photo collages, flyers, family trees, holiday albums, and more. PhotoFunia has hundreds of effects and filters. More are added weekly. To add shadows, age your photo, or render it black and white just visit the Filters category. Add clever features such as an astronaut or a Santa suit, a witch's hat or a queen's crown. Looking for an attractive frame for your photos? Find one here. Write on the sand or graffiti text on the wall. Carve your name on the ground or create your very own road sign using text effects. The program is as easy to use as picking the effect and uploading a photo. Save it to your computer or email it. Try using PhotoFunia online or get the free app for iOS or Andriod, and most other smartphones. At the time of this review, all photo effects appeared appropriate for use in the classroom. However, we always suggest you preview the tool before sharing it with students.

tag(s): collages (17), comics and cartoons (55), DAT device agnostic tool (147), editing (93), images (263), photography (131), posters (43)

FollowUpThen provides simple email reminders for any email address or device. Use FollowUpThen to clean up emails sitting in your inbox. Forward it to FollupThen, and include a time or date to receive the email back. Add FollowUpThen as a recipient on any email to receive a reminder to follow-up on the contents. Be sure to watch the introductory video and read the "How To Use" section for complete information on the capabilities of using FollowUpThen. The free plan offers up to 50 follow ups per month.
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tag(s): organizational skills (88)

Remember playing Spirograph as a kid? Now you can create and play online with Inspirograph! Choose from fixed and rotating gears, and then change the size of the gears. Change the background and pen colors using the toolbar. Click on the + sign to personalize colors. Be sure to view the gallery of saved designs for lots of inspiration when beginning. Click the download icon to save images to your computer.

tag(s): angles (52), critical thinking (128), gifted (66), problem solving (233)

Love Google Doodles, those fun and spontaneous changes to the Google logo? View the gallery of Google Doodles on this site. Click About on the top menu to learn the background of Google Doodle. View the Doodle Archive with the newest Doodle appearing first on the page. Click the information button (i) for each doodle to bring up an information box. Click More Doodle Details to go to the Doodle page or click Search for to learn more about the topic or date. Move from one Doodle to the other by clicking the forward or back arrows on each Doodle page. Click Doodle4Google to view the Google contest. The competition typically takes place during the Fall. Click Classroom Activities for ideas on sparking and nurturing creativity in kids of all ages. Check back to find the next Doodle4Google contest for students.

tag(s): artists (84), creativity (86), drawing (61), gifted (66), STEM (298)

The Mathematics Center is an excellent site full of mathematics teaching resources aligned to Common Core Standards. Choose options from the menu on the home page such as lessons, videos, applets, and Common Core resources. Links lead to offerings sorted by grade level and topic. Most content is available for easy download in PDF format. Be sure to check out the parent guides available in both English and Spanish.

tag(s): area (53), decimals (85), division (98), equations (119), exponents (35), fractions (160), functions (52), numbers (120), perimeter (20), quadratics (27), rounding (8), subtraction (110), video (266)

Enjoy playing with photo puzzles using DigiPuzzle. Choose from the selection of world wonders, animals, or jigsaws for kids. Choose a picture option to begin. Scroll down to view puzzle choices such as sudoku, word search, memory, hangman, and others. Get a personalized puzzle for your website, follow the directions on the personal photo page to email the site owner with your photo.

tag(s): animals (294), cities (17), logic (161), problem solving (233), puzzles (149), pyramids (21)

ImageQuiz uses images as a starting point for creating learning quizzes. Choose from quizzes on the site or create your own. Choose from the list of all quizzes, take a random quiz, or pick from popular tags such as math or physics. Create your own quiz easily. Upload any image and draw lines around desired areas. If you wish, add a question for students to answer. View the video tutorials for complete instructions. This site was created in the UK. American English speakers may notice some slight spelling differences.

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

The Annenberg Learner Foundation's goal is to advance excellent teaching in American schools. Annenberg Learner's multimedia resources help teachers increase their expertise in their fields and improve teaching methods in all grade levels in all subjects. There are video resources for all subject areas. Find lesson plans for all subjects by grade level. A variety of interactives accompany lessons or can also stand alone. Follow the monthly updates and blogs for the latest information.
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tag(s): art history (102), butterflies (13), conversions (37), critical thinking (128), dna (43), earth (184), environment (252), geometric shapes (134), immigrants (34), medieval (32), native americans (109), patterns (61), periodic table (44), renaissance (38), rocks (35), russia (36), south africa (13), spelling (97), statistics (121), volcanoes (55), weather (160)

Expect more, Achieve More is a coalition of business, community, and educational organizations working towards higher standards in education. Find explanations of Common Core and its importance in our country and government. A parental brochure explains the importance of Common Core and ways to assist at home. View the importance of Common Core to teachers and community members.

tag(s): commoncore (73)

Create your own flashcards using Cram or find what you need from Cram's library of over 50 million flashcards! Browse by subject to find flashcards or use the search box to explore available cards. Create your own flashcards then download and share for use on PC or Mac. View flashcards in several modes such as traditional flashcard, memorize, or test. Shuffle cards or place in alphabetical order for studying.
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tag(s): DAT device agnostic tool (147), flash cards (44), test prep (69), vocabulary (238), vocabulary development (93)

Build interactive video lessons with playposit. Create an account and get your teacher code for students to use. Either paste in the address of the YouTube or Vimeo video you want to use, or use keywords to search YouTube and find it. Stop the video at any point and input a reflective pause or multiple choice, fill in the blank, check all that apply, and free response questions. Find several tutorial videos for playposit (fka EduCanon) on YouTube. If your district blocks YouTube, the videos may not be viewable; be sure to look at alternatives for sharing the videos on classroom computers.

tag(s): communication (129), differentiation (84), video (266)

The Common Core America Achieves website features lesson videos in Common Core shifts, key teaching points, expanded high school resources, and editable lesson plans. Find ways to assess the quality of resources. Explore the resources provided for a number of great websites to improve your instruction. Explore the What's New area on the homepage. This is a great site to save in your professional online "bin."

tag(s): commoncore (73)

New Zealand Maths provides a large number of teaching and professional development resources in mathematics. Choose a topics such as Number & Algebra or Problem Solving to view activities sorted by levels 1-6. These levels correspond approximately to US Grades K-12. Select Early Childhood Education to browse resources for PreK/K students. Also check out the sections for parents and professional development that contain many helpful ideas for any education setting. The site was created in New Zealand, so some of the pronunciations and spellings may differ from those in American English.

tag(s): geometric shapes (134), number sense (69), numbers (120), preK (270), problem solving (233), professional development (385), spreadsheets (23), statistics (121)

This fabulous UK site offers many resources for math practice and instruction. Choose the Videos and Worksheets section to find a large list of topics sorted alphabetically including instructional videos and practice questions. Many also include corresponding textbook exercises. Choose 5-a-day to find another large selection of printables for daily review, choose from three different levels for each date. (U.S. users will need to "translate" the 5-a-day letter equivalents to find approximate grade levels; count backwards from grade 12 being "A.") Conundrums for each day of the year provide short, daily brainteasers ready to print and use. Don't miss the Great Maths Bakeoff, a terrific idea for Pi Day! This site was created in the UK. American English speakers will notice slight spelling differences and use of English currency. There is also mention of Key Stages 3, 4, and 5. In America, these stages equate to Ages 11-14 (Stage 3), Ages 14-16 (Stage 4), and Ages 16-18 (Stage 5). Some of the videos are hosted on YouTube. If your district blocks YouTube, the videos may not be viewable.

tag(s): addition (129), angles (52), charts and graphs (171), coordinates (15), decimals (85), division (98), equations (119), estimation (33), fractions (160), geometric shapes (134), inequalities (25), mean (19), measurement (122), median (16), mode (13), multiplication (122), probability (99), problem solving (233), pythagorean theorem (19), quadratics (27), sequences (12), square roots (15), subtraction (110), time (91), transformations (12), volume (33)

Mathsticks has a large variety of math learning resources in the form of games, activities, and interactive materials. Explore the site by choosing grade level, themes, categories, or keyword search in the search bar. Each item includes a short description of the activity along with suggestions for modification and added teaching suggestions. Registration is required to download activities in PDF format and was a little cumbersome to complete; however, the many free resources available with standard registration make it worth the work. The site was created in the UK, so some of the pronunciations and spellings (and currency) may differ from those in American English. Note: Our editors found occasional typos in descriptions of activities. The activities themselves warrant ignoring these small mistakes.
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tag(s): addition (129), division (98), fractions (160), money (113), multiplication (122), numbers (120), percent (59), place value (34), preK (270), probability (99), problem solving (233), puzzles (149), roman numerals (7), subtraction (110), time (91)

Follow the step by step directions to create a photo trading card using this tool. Create real or fictional Trading Cards about people, places, events, objects, or abstract concepts. Follow the prompts to complete the information and choose whether to save as a draft or final. You can share via email or print.

tag(s): back to school (55), biographies (94), book reports (28), characterization (19)

Join BirdSleuth is an inquiry-based science curriculum that engages kids in scientific study. Use real data collection and the scientific process. Study nature and discover the real-world importance of data (entered by students and used by scientists). Search resources by grade level K-2, 3-5, 6-8, and 9-12. Each grade level has several categories such as Kits and Curriculum units, Free Downloads, Posters, Cards, Games, & More. Some free lessons and activities are: Citizen Science Bird Quest, Feathered Friends, Investigating Evidence, HomeSchoolers' Guide to Project Feeder Watch, Evolution in Paradise, Using eBird with Groups, Explore Life Cycles Through Nesting Birds, and lots more. Kits are available for purchase.

tag(s): birds (46), citizen science (27), environment (252), scientific method (48)

Worksheet Genius offers an extensive choices of worksheets content and options to custom create your own. Begin by choosing a topic such as English, math, or word lists to view options. Find various topics such as spelling practice (UK spelling!), thermometers/temperatures, math operations, and grammar. Most topics include several options for worksheets, including one to design your own. Once your worksheet is complete, select print. Your worksheet will print in PDF format. Having problems printing? Read the Print Tips in the bottom left red box. In addition to worksheets, Worksheet Genius provides a large selection of clipart free for use in educational settings. This site was created in the United Kingdom. You may notice some slight spelling differences in the instructions.
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tag(s): addition (129), counting (60), decimals (85), division (98), fractions (160), handwriting (15), multiplication (122), negative numbers (13), number lines (33), numbers (120), phonics (51), place value (34), preK (270), rounding (8), sentences (22), spelling (97), subtraction (110), temperature (34)

Code.org is a nonprofit organization dedicated to expanding access to computer science education and increasing participation by young women and students from underrepresented groups. It offers free, standards-aligned curricula for K-12 students, including courses like Computer Science Fundamentals for elementary students, CS Discoveries for middle school, and CS Principles for high school. The platform provides interactive tools such as App Lab, Game Lab, and Dance Party to make coding engaging and accessible. Educators can access comprehensive teaching resources, including lesson plans, videos, and assessments, as well as professional development opportunities like self-paced and facilitator-led workshops. Code.org also hosts the annual Hour of Code event to promote global participation in computer science.

tag(s): coding (85), computational thinking (40), computers (109), critical thinking (128), problem solving (233), STEM (298), women (151)

Join a journey to eleven countries and three continents as part of a global STEM learning adventure aligned to Next Gen and Common Core Reading standards. The site navigation itself takes a little "exploration," but the time is well worth it. Learn about locations around the world as you explore science and technology at each stop along the way. Learn about the captain and crew under Flight Briefing. Follow the clickable flight route under Flight Tracker. Take a flight tutorial at Fly with Us (under Flight Briefings). Explore videos on the Blog and under Flight Briefings. Watch the intro video on the home page. Some of the videos are hosted on YouTube. If your district blocks YouTube, they may not be viewable.

tag(s): aircraft (17), animals (294), architecture (76), ecosystems (83), endangered species (27), flight (34), oceans (149), STEM (298), volcanoes (55), weather (160)