Teachers First - Thinking Teachers Teaching Thinkers

This activity provides practice with determining elapsed time. Options include analog or digital clocks, 3 different skill levels, and an option for either adding or subtracting time. Be sure to visit the learner section which has an excellent discussion of how determining elapsed time is different than how we typically add whole numbers and also explains when it would be important to determine elapsed time. The instructor section has links to standards, classroom items for discussion, links to similar resources, and a link to a printable record sheet.

tag(s): number sense (69), numbers (120), time (91)

This activity allows you to input any time through the day and see it displayed on the clock. You can also choose to have a random time displayed and try to correctly identify it. The learner portion of the website discusses 12 hour and 24 hour clocks and how they are used. The instructor portion provides links to some common core standards, related resources and links, classroom preparation, and a printable record sheet.

tag(s): time (91)

This site provides multi-leveled practice with calculating the area of random shapes. The applet allows the creation of random shapes to be used in finding area. Options allow for changing the perimeter, displaying the rectangular outline, scored or not scored, and the amount of units to be included. The learner area of the site explains the concept of area and includes charts comparing metric to standard units as well as an explanation on how to convert square feet into square meters. The instructor area includes links to standards and some textbooks, information needed for classroom use, links to similar resources, and a link to downloadable exploration questions.

tag(s): angles (52), area (53), perimeter (20)

This site provides opportunities for explorations with patterns using shapes, letters and numbers. There are three different difficulty levels included. Although the activities appear to be simple, the patterns require some thought on the part of the user. The instructor tab includes links to standards, textbook alignment, related resources and possible questions that might arise in the classroom. Explorations questions are included that can be downloaded and used in the classroom.

tag(s): critical thinking (127), logic (161), patterns (61), problem solving (233)

This site provides practice in converting from base 10 to other values up to base 16. Three clocks are displayed and options are provided for choosing the value used on the clocks. Upon entering the choice, the hands on the clock turn to show the appropriate representation in the chosen base. The learner section provides information on base number systems and how they have been used in the past. The instructor section provides links to standards, place value in the curriculum, possible issues that may arise in the classroom and links to additional resources including an activity sheet.

tag(s): base ten (5), number sense (69)

This site offers a list of monthly "newsletters" full of teaching ideas and parenting tips/suggestions. Each months activities reflect the seasons and their special holidays. Many activities include letters, words, and book activities. Besides the basic activity, quite a few of the monthly offerings include downloadable books to print and use, original song lyrics, and links to other related websites. This site is great to use with young ESL/ELL students too who need lots of fun reinforcement with learning the alphabet and pre-reading skills. This site includes many math activities as well.
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tag(s): crafts (64), literacy (122), poetry (193), preK (270), seasons (37), songs (46)

This site provides practice with linear functions with this programmable function machine. After entering a value for x, the value of y is displayed. Based on the value of y, students then will determine the function (add, subtract, or multiply) and the value needed using integers from -10 to +10. Teacher information includes standards, an exploration worksheet, classroom suggestions and links to similar resources.

tag(s): equations (119), functions (52), patterns (61)

This website is a compilation of completed LiveBinders. LiveBinders4Teachers is separated by subject, grade, and general usage. This would be a great way for a new teacher to get ideas for teaching units. Using a pre-made binder saves time and sheds light on some of the potential of the application. Anyone interested in setting up their own LiveBinders would benefit from using this resource. To learn more about Livebinders and how to make your own, see our full review of LiveBinders here.

tag(s): classroom management (120), teaching strategies (50)

This wonderful collection of interactive whiteboard activities is designed for students ages 3 to 18. Topics include Math, Literacy, Science, Physics, History, Art, Music, and Religion. Within each topic are categories to help narrow down search results. Activities contain a short summary, a link to the resource, and some have objectives. Because this is a British site, be aware that some vocabulary and content may be unfamiliar to American students, so preview carefully before using.

tag(s): descriptive writing (42), energy (133), environment (252), forces (37), grammar (137), literacy (122), literature (221), map skills (63), maps (220), novels (34), persuasive writing (58), poetry (193), preK (270), religions (95), rhythm (21), rivers (16), seasons (37), shakespeare (99), speeches (23), spelling (98), water cycle (22), weather (160)

This site is a compilation of many math and science resources along with a social networking component. Currently there are almost 2000 activities, lessons, and videos and the site is constantly growing. There are several ways to use the site both as a registered user or without registration. Without registering for the site you can search and access lessons and information through the different search methods such as keywords, subjects, source institution, and more. Free registration allows the site to become much more personalized. After registering, you can make lists of resources for any different topic, share lists or searches with others, add comments, or add your own resources. Most activities on the site are free; however, there are some searches that deliver lessons that are paid - these are clearly indicated and not frequent enough to discourage use of this site. Searches can also filter out any paid activities and return only free items. Teachers may also want to subscribe to the site's blog and newsletter to receive updated information as it is added to the site.

In case you are wondering about the title, SMILE is the Science and Math Informal Learning Educators pathway of the National Science Digital Library (NSDL).

tag(s): resources (83), social networking (61), STEM (297), video (266)

This site is the ultimate resource for any measurement or conversion need. Calculators are included for Math, Science, Cooking, Time, and much more. Categories are listed in alphabetical order from Acceleration to Weight/Mass. Within each category are the different converters/calculators. For example, after choosing volume, choices include acres, barrels (dry, federal, liquid, and wine), cubic units, gallons, quarts teaspoons, yards, and more. Other interesting conversions include your weight on other planets, your age in dog years, and translations to and from Pig Latin. You are sure to find exactly the conversion for any need within this site along with others to use just for fun!
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tag(s): conversions (37), measurement (122), temperature (34), time (91)

BrainBashers offers many different types of puzzles, riddles, brain teasers, and optical illusions. The site is updated daily so new material is always readily available. Each time you open the site, find a new fun fact along with an odd word and its definition. The site is organized into puzzles, games, illusions, fun stuff, and logic games. Sudoku puzzles of different difficulty levels are also available. The link for teachers includes puzzles for schools and useful pages including optical illusions, memory tests, and logic puzzles.
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tag(s): logic (161), problem solving (233), puzzles (149), riddles (15)

This site is a wonderful resource for any teacher looking for lessons, worksheets, activities, and articles related to money. Although this is a subscription site, many of the resources are free without any kind of registration. You can also register to receive limited access to some of the site's other resources. Categories include basic money skills, earning/spending, saving/investing, and careers/business. Elementary lessons include worksheets, coloring pages, and activities that include printables and online games. Other categories include lessons on taxes, insurance, investing, using an ATM and much more.
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tag(s): business (52), careers (156), financial literacy (93), investing (8), money (113)

This is a collection of interactive activities that teach mathematical concepts from algebra up through calculus, and well-written instructional modules that introduce scientific concepts, primarily in physics and life sciences from grades 3-12. Each module includes interactive elements that let students experiment with the topic concept. The presentation and subject matter are excellent for these high-interest interactives. A free acount gives you 20-40 free Gizmos, lesson materials, to teach with,

tag(s): earth (184), engineering (129), equations (119), forensics (12), life cycles (21), measurement (122), numbers (120), probability (99), scientific method (48), space (222)

The goal of this site is to educate youth about philanthropy and giving their time and knowledge for the global good. To do this, they offer over 1400 free lesson plans for teachers, parents, and community leaders. Lessons are coded to state standards and can be searched by grade level, keyword, subject, or academic or philanthropy standard. Some lessons are geared toward private or religious schools and are clearly labeled as such. Lessons include subject, key concepts, vocabulary, objectives, materials needed, approximate time, procedures, extensions, handouts, and much more. An example of a grade 3-5 lesson would be Cool Kids Compost which explores responsible use of resources by gathering data about lunchroom waste. Don't let the concept of philanthropy keep you from exploring the site, there are many great classroom lessons available for all subjects.

tag(s): african american (115), animal homes (57), animals (294), character education (79), charts and graphs (171), colonial america (95), communities (35), data (151), diversity (40), ecology (103), environment (252), heroes (24), money (113), recycling (45)

Looking for more information on Project Based Learning (PBL)? Find videos, information, and examples on this site. Though some material on this site is for sale, there are plenty of free materials. Read about PBL, watch videos, or download word or PDF documents found under the Tools section. Sign up to participate in the forum for more interaction with the content and other educators using PBL. Click the PBL Do-It Yourself bar along the right side for more information and links. Be sure to check out the tweets on the bottom of the front page for great ideas and links to use.
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tag(s): assessment (147), Project Based Learning (23), Research (87)

What is social media? This video takes you on a journey to "Scoopville," a fictitious town used to demonstrate the many "flavors" of social media. The video is short (3:25-minutes) and very easy to follow. Highlighted are blogs, podcasts, and videos. This site requires you to be a paying member to embed or download the video. However, you can still see the transcript for the video. Despite a paid membership model, Common Craft still offers this video for free. If you wish to share this with a group, they will need to view it on individual/partner computers (or IOS devices) or on a projector that has a zoom function to enlarge a selected area of the screen.
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tag(s): blogs (65), podcasts (108), social media (48), video (266)