257 mind-stretchers results | sort by:

Ducksters - Technological Solutions, Inc. (TSI)
Grades
2 to 8This site includes advertising.
tag(s): addition (126), african american (105), american revolution (79), animal homes (58), animals (267), artists (74), biographies (96), china (61), civil rights (182), civil war (127), cold war (27), continents (31), countries (68), data (141), division (98), egypt (45), elements (32), energy (127), environment (230), explorers (59), fractions (159), friction (8), geometric shapes (131), greece (26), habitats (83), human body (90), inventors and inventions (70), keyboarding (29), mean (20), median (16), mode (13), multiplication (121), planets (108), presidents (116), puzzles (143), recycling (46), renaissance (32), rome (20), solar system (102), sound (70), sports (76), subtraction (108), sun (64), world war 1 (66), world war 2 (140)
In the Classroom
This site is a perfect addition for use with a biography unit. Explore and share information categorized by topics such as Civil Rights, the Cold War, Ancient Greece, and WWII. Extend student learning by having students use Fakebook, reviewed here, to create a "fake" page similar in style to Facebook about a president, famous scientist, or nearly any other real or fictitious person. Be sure to create a link to the site on your class webpage or newsletter for students to explore at home. Create a link on classroom computers for students to use the interactives during center time.You must be registered and logged in to add items to your favorites.
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Math Puzzles - Transum
Grades
4 to 12This site includes advertising.
tag(s): crosswords (18), logic (162), problem solving (219)
In the Classroom
Share the math puzzles on your interactive whiteboard or projector. Use as a math center or when you have an extra 5-10 minutes of time. Create a link to the puzzles on classroom computers or your class website. This is a great find for use with gifted students to practice logic and problem-solving skills. If you are beginning the process of integrating technology, have students create blogs to explain their problem solving process and understanding using Webnode, reviewed here.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Incredibox - So Far So Good
Grades
K to 12This site includes advertising.
tag(s): musical instruments (43), rhythm (19)
In the Classroom
Use Incredibox as a great warm-up activity for a choir, band, or any sort of music appreciation class. As part of music class lessons, discuss the different elements in compositions. Use in any class as background music for podcasts, movies, PowerPoints, or blogs. Highlight and honor the musical geniuses in your classroom with this easy tool. Allow your learning support students instant success while challenging gifted students to create the perfect piece. Use in writing class to create mood. Play a composition as background while reading poetry or doing artwork. Help students memorize mnemonics by accompanying them with an audio track a la rap. Use music tracks as a writing prompt and enjoy the fun.Edge Features:
Parent permission advised before posting student work created using this tool
Includes Interaction w general public/ public galleries with unmoderated content
Includes social features, such as "friends," comments, ratings by others
Products can be shared by URL
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Inspirograph - Nathan Friend
Grades
2 to 12tag(s): angles (49), critical thinking (105), gifted (62), problem solving (219)
In the Classroom
Use Inspirograph to create fascinating art and to explore math concepts. Have students experiment with different gear sizes (both fixed and rotating) and explain changes. Design a table for students to map out findings such as number of points made when using different gear sizes. Find patterns between the fixed circle sizes and the number of points generated. Work collaboratively with other groups of students to create and answer questions about spirograph designs. Identify the various shapes created.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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DigiPuzzle - digipuzzle.net
Grades
K to 9tag(s): animals (267), cities (17), logic (162), problem solving (219), puzzles (143), pyramids (16)
In the Classroom
Use this site as an entertaining logic and problem solving center either on classroom computers or your interactive whiteboard or projector. Embed your own personalized puzzle on your classroom website to encourage students to visit often. Use DigiPuzzles as an interesting way to introduce topics in your classroom such as animals or famous locations around the world.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Annenberg Learner - The Annenberg Foundation
Grades
K to 12This site includes advertising.
tag(s): art history (79), butterflies (11), conversions (38), critical thinking (105), dna (45), earth (178), environment (230), geometric shapes (131), immigrants (31), medieval (29), native americans (85), patterns (61), periodic table (43), renaissance (32), rocks (33), russia (33), south africa (11), spelling (93), statistics (110), volcanoes (54), weather (154)
In the Classroom
In your classroom, explore the interactives available to enhance your lessons. Use the lesson plan library to add a new twist to your subject matter. Organize a professional study of your area of concentration for your department or grade level.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Corbettmaths - Mr. Corbett
Grades
4 to 12tag(s): addition (126), angles (49), charts and graphs (165), coordinates (14), decimals (86), division (98), equations (118), estimation (34), fractions (159), geometric shapes (131), inequalities (22), mean (20), measurement (125), median (16), mode (13), multiplication (121), probability (93), problem solving (219), pythagorean theorem (20), quadratics (25), sequences (11), square roots (15), subtraction (108), time (92), transformations (12), volume (32)
In the Classroom
Use printables and worksheets from Corbettmath for homework, review, and reinforcement of any math concept. View videos together and have students complete practice questions. Create a link to YouTube videos on your class website or blog for students to view at home. Use this site to differentiate for students of all levels. Share this site as a way to review before tests.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Form Time Ideas - Jonathan Hall
Grades
5 to 9tag(s): grammar review (30), literacy (98), news (229), numbers (120), riddles (16), substitutes (27), vocabulary (231)
In the Classroom
Form Time Ideas is perfect for daily review and bell work as students arrive in class or as a quick review at the end of class. Print out different pages for use during quiet times or send home for absentee students to complete. This site is excellent for enrichment. Include it on your class web page for students to access both in and out of class. Substitutes will love the handy ideas on this site!Comments
AWESOME RESOURCE!Patricia, NJ, Grades: 6 - 12
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Dandy Candies - Dan Meyer
Grades
5 to 9tag(s): area (50), measurement (125), perimeter (18), problem solving (219), volume (32)
In the Classroom
Introduce this site (and video clip) on your interactive whiteboard or projector during units on measurement, volume, and perimeter. Then have students explore this site independently or in small groups. Use this site as the starting point for individual or group projects. Have students make concrete representations of candy and packaging to demonstrate responses. Before solving this activity, create a quick poll using Survey Anyplace, reviewed here, to see how much students know. Extend the challenge by having students write packaging/measurement challenges for their classmates to solve, perhaps for a product they especially like!Comments
Can't wait to use this for morning meeting! Diane will be so proud of me!Patricia, NJ, Grades: 6 - 12
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The Free Dictionary - Farlex, Inc
Grades
4 to 12tag(s): dictionaries (47), quotations (20), thesaurus (21), vocabulary development (91), word choice (14)
In the Classroom
Set this site as the home page on classroom computers for students to read and find interesting articles and games. Create an account to customize the page to display information to suit class needs. Use information found on this site for quotes, interesting trivia, and much more. Display on your interactive whiteboard (or projector) and discuss articles and information with your class.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Progressions Documents for the Common Core Math Standards - The Arizona Board of Regents
Grades
1 to 12tag(s): commoncore (79)
In the Classroom
Strengthen your teaching of Common Core mathematics. Having an understanding of the knowledge students enter with or without, leads to better preparation for where the students will explore later. Use this as an individual study or even as a professional learning group study with your grade level and department.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Visual Patterns - visualpatterns.org
Grades
4 to 12tag(s): equations (118), geometric shapes (131), patterns (61), problem solving (219)
In the Classroom
Introduce the concept of visual patterns on an interactive whiteboard or projector with the whole group. Give the practice problem and discover ways to solve while using pictures, words, and equations. Break into small groups and give a challenge. Assign individually for challenges. Have students create their own visual pattern while describing the geometrical terms the pattern employs. Add to students' math portfolios.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Estimation 180 - CC-BY-NC-SA
Grades
6 to 12tag(s): estimation (34), number sense (71), problem solving (219)
In the Classroom
In your classroom begin developing students' number sense immediately. Share on an interactive whiteboard or projector and show how to solve. Assign for homework the day before or even at the beginning of each class. Have students track their errors and see how it improves. Be sure to reflect and measure growth. Join the blog and add comments, questions, or suggestions.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Mathigon - The Mathematics Education Project
Grades
3 to 12tag(s): charts and graphs (165), fractions (159), geometric shapes (131), origami (14), probability (93), problem solving (219), tangrams (7)
In the Classroom
If you are a math teacher at any level, this is a MUST-SEE (and share) site. Take the time to explore it for specific sections connected to your curriculum concepts. Students in a BYOD classroom can explore interactives on this mobile-friendly site. Mathigon is perfect for use on interactive whiteboards, projector, and classroom computers. Use Mathigon activities to excite and motivate math students. Some activities require reading so you may need to partner your weaker readers with a buddy. Create a link to games and activities on your class website or blog for students to explore at home. Use Mathigon with gifted learners to extend your current math curriculum.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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NCES Kids' Zone - NCES
Grades
4 to 12tag(s): charts and graphs (165), probability (93)
In the Classroom
Strike an interest in your school and community by finding out where you rank. Investigate college choices. After short quizzes, have a daily comparison of your students to see how they compare in civics, economics, geography, history, mathematics, and science at multiple grade levels. Inspire students to collect data and make their own graphs about school wide topics. Have students create an online graph using ChartGizmo, reviewed here. Dig into probability problems to discover the odds.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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The Math Dude: Quick and Dirty Tips - Jason Marshall, PhD
Grades
6 to 12This site includes advertising.
tag(s): measurement (125), operations (74), podcasts (65), problem solving (219)
In the Classroom
Check ahead of time to be sure this site is not blocked at school. If it is blocked, consider subscribing to the blog via iTunes to avoid all the ads. External speakers connected to the computer will help broadcast the sound throughout your classroom. Help students follow along by opening the podcast article (transcript) ad-free using the Readability Test Tool, reviewed here. Project the ad-free article as you play the podcast. Share the link on your class web page or select specific episodes links to offer support for concepts you are studying, such as absolute value or sine/cosine. Extend the concept of The Math Dude by having students write and produce their own math tip podcasts or English tip podcasts to explain the grammar demons that haunt their writing. Use a site such as Spreaker, reviewed here.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Here is Today - Whitevinyl
Grades
1 to 12tag(s): 20th century (50), calendars (39), cells (77), earth (178), geologic time (10), timelines (46)
In the Classroom
View on your interactive whiteboard or projector to help students visualize and gain perspective of events over time. Here is Today would be great to use when studying dinosaurs, in biology class, in Earth science or geology units, or just as part of a philosophical discussion on the world today. This is a great tool to share with students where "our time" fits into the continuum of the earth's 'life." This site could be used with younger students as well. Share the easier concepts (day, month, year) visually during your calendar math lessons. Extend the concept of proportionality by having older math students create simple visual timelines to scale showing their own life vs the life of the United States and other major, longer periods.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Teaching NGSS Engineering Design Through Media - PBS LearningMedia
Grades
K to 12tag(s): architecture (62), energy (127), engineering (116), problem solving (219), robotics (22), STEM (239), structures (18)
In the Classroom
Use this site on a projector or interactive whiteboard to discuss and informally assess prior knowledge as you start your study of many different STEM-based topics. Use this site for enrichment or to help non-readers understanding concepts through video. Include it on your class web page for students to access both in and out of class. Enhance learning and have students create a word cloud of the important terms they learn from this site using a tool such as WordItOut, reviewed here. To extend learning have students create a multimedia infographic sharing their findings using Canva Infographic Maker, reviewed here.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Futility Closet - Greg Ross
Grades
6 to 12This site includes advertising.
tag(s): logic (162), poetry (184), puzzles (143), trivia (18)
In the Classroom
Bookmark and save Futility Closet as a resource for thought provoking trivia throughout the year. Share one item on your interactive whiteboard (or projector) at the beginning of each class for class discussion. Allow your gifted students to explore this site independently, and perhaps even start their own blog collections. Allow students to explore the site and find interesting items to research and explore further. Use the search tool on Futility Closet to search for trivia on current lessons such as Shakespeare, angles, or any keyword - you will be surprised at your findings! Some of the "curiosities" would be great writing prompts for students to take a position and research/support with evidence. Have students share one item they find interesting and create a project using a tool such as Padlet, (reviewed here). Subscribe to Futility Closet using your RSS Feed Reader. Teacher-librarians would love to use these as research prompts. Include one during your school newscast or PTO newsletter (with proper credit to the source, of course).Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Sheppard Software: Free Online Learning Games - Sheppard Software
Grades
K to 12This site includes advertising.
tag(s): addition (126), alphabet (48), alphabetical order (8), animal homes (58), animals (267), capitalization (10), capitals (15), cells (77), colors (62), continents (31), counting (58), countries (68), decimals (86), dinosaurs (38), division (98), elements (32), endangered species (27), equations (118), estimation (34), fractions (159), geometric shapes (131), grammar (141), integers (22), landforms (37), life cycles (20), measurement (125), money (119), multiplication (121), number lines (33), number sense (71), numbers (120), oceans (134), order of operations (29), parts of speech (42), patterns (61), periodic table (43), place value (34), puzzles (143), states (120), subtraction (108), time (92), vocabulary (231), vocabulary development (91)
In the Classroom
Bookmark this site to use as a resource for computer center games and activities throughout the year. Share curriculum-related resources on your interactive whiteboard or projector. This site could work well in a BYOD or 1:1 classroom. Share with parents as a resource to use at home or as a summer skills review and refresher.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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