Teachers First - Thinking Teachers Teaching Thinkers

Find engaging, challenging units to begin your Common Core journey. Intel Education Units are complete and include assessment tools. Search by grade level or subject. Find the basics for planning units. Also find sequencing maps, sequencing activities, classification charts, and prioritizing listings. Instructional Strategies include activating prior knowledge, graphic organizers, cooperative learning, and questioning strategies.

tag(s): literacy (121)

Find two downloadable images for 11 by 17 posters about multiple intelligences in comic form. The first poster represents the different types of intelligences, such as musical or linguistic. The second poster breaks down steps to use when working with different types of intelligences. For full information, click the link that leads to the full six page essay about multiple intelligences. Also check out the link at the bottom of the page to "psst! teachers!" to another multiple intelligences comic book.

tag(s): back to school (55), comics and cartoons (55), multiple intelligences (7)

Donna Young has created a website full of ideas for home, homeschooling, and classrooms. Home ideas include planning, meal preparation, and simple household tips. In the homeschool area, find information about why to do homeschooling, how to do homeschooling, and resources for homeschooling. There are a variety of resources for the classroom on the subjects of art, English, math, science, handwriting, and history. The math section contains resources for time, graph paper, fact cards in triangle format or regular in all operations, coordinate planes, drawing to scale, and drill pages. Explore the many resources in English, spelling, vocabulary ideas, and dictionary skills, book reviews, and planning. In science, investigate a nature journal, lunar eclipse, topic ideas, science art, and labs. An extensive handwriting section provides many resources for all styles and types of charts, guides, and practices. Presented, too, are art books, drawing, shading, perspective ideas, color, color theory, and themes. You can sign up for updates or take part in the blog.

tag(s): colors (63), drawing (61), flash cards (44), handwriting (15), journals (15), manipulatives (9), moon (73), perspective (14), themes (16), worksheets (69)

Watch full length documentaries online for free. Find your favorites through daily suggestions, browsing the top 100, or searching categories: 9/11, activism, art, aviation, business, comedy, crime, disaster, drugs, economics, environmental, food/drink, health, media, medicine, music, nature, performing arts, philosophy, political, religion, science, social, sport, strange, technology, travel, and many more. Look at film festivals and films featured in each. If you do not find what you are looking for, submit your request. A link to Amazon brings you to DVD's. Some are free, and others are for sale.
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tag(s): video (266)

Dive into Documentary Storm to discover 100% free documentary films. The goal of the website is to share knowledge spread ideas, and have fun. Search the different channels to find exactly what you are seeking. Topics included are art, biography, conspiracy, culture, drugs, environment, health, indie films, lifestyle, mockumentaries, money, nature, politics, psychology, religion, science, society, sports, technology, war, and many more. Search in the top 100 documentaries, or click use"surprise me." Connect with Facebook, RSS, X (formerly Twitter), or email.

tag(s): video (266)

This site offers extensive resources about learning disabilities. A good place to start is to use the search box and find Learning Disabilities: An overview, to read an article explaining what is (and isn't) considered to be a learning disability, along with what to look for when considering learning disabilities. Search through resources sorted by grade level or by specific topics such as ADHD and autism. Another interesting section discusses assistive technologies available for reading, writing, and listening.
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tag(s): adhd (28), autism (15), dyslexia (11), learning disability (21), preK (270), professional development (385), Special Needs (53)

Learn about basic money tools and other financial matters with Hands On Banking. Courses are provided for kids through adults with topics such as using credit, budgeting, and smart investing. Under the heading Practioner find the online activities, PowerPiont Slides and instructor guides (in PDF format) available for all age and grade ranges. Courses are also available for use on mobile devices.

tag(s): financial literacy (94), money (113)

PreKinders offers printables and teaching ideas for pre-kindergarten and kindergarten teachers. Explore the learning areas to find quick and easy activities for literacy, math, and more. Choose from themes such as fairy tales and families. Search through the many printables in all subject areas as well as classroom management checklists, assessments, and posters.
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tag(s): alphabet (53), alphabetical order (8), back to school (55), classroom management (120), colors (63), counting (60), magnetism (36), musical instruments (52), numbers (120), nursery rhymes (9), preK (270), songs (46), sounds (43), weather (160)

Find "ready to use" lessons, thematic units, classroom management ideas, and much more at this one-stop resource for elementary teachers. Explore the reproducibles section to find templates for science observation, an excellent Problems with Dice activity, and an Internet usage survey. After choosing a reproducible, be sure to look on the right side of the page for other reproducibles not listed on the main page. The Innovative Classroom also contains an extensive list of center activity ideas, class certificates, and bulletin board suggestions. Be prepared to spend a lot of time here finding and saving ideas!
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tag(s): bulletin boards (15), classroom management (120), counting (60), density (17), fractions (160), gettysburg address (12), heat (14), holidays (187), human body (93), map skills (63), martin luther king (45), olympics (45), painting (54), place value (34)

Talking Math With Your Kids is a blog devoted to the support of early mathematical development in children. Each post discusses an opportunity to have math conversations throughout everyday activities. The author provides a discussion and adds information on the math content opportunities for learning. Examples are math conversations while playing games, exploring nature, or searching for scissors and learning about pairs.

tag(s): parents (57), preK (270)

Cyber Safety is your go-to guide for learning Internet safety. Scroll through the page to view information on cyber bullying, identity theft, and general Internet safety. Each section includes comprehensive information such as facts and legal issues as well as examples and what to do in each instance. Most also have a quiz and tips for parents.

tag(s): cyberbullying (40), internet safety (114)

Need a way to get a quick understanding of Common Core or explain the basics to parents? Be prepared with this all in one site. Find explanatory videos, documents, and more.

tag(s): commoncore (73)

Share your screen instantly and easily to any device with a browser using ScreenLeap. Choose Start Now to begin and follow simple start-up directions. Once connected, send the link via email or text or provide the access code to anyone else to begin sharing. Choices include sharing the entire screen or just what is within the box. Directions include options for just audio sharing. Free account access offers up to 2 hours of screen sharing time per day.
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tag(s): editing (93), homework (29), parent conferences (21)

This site offers three useful, downloadable posters to help parents help their student with Reading, Spelling, and Math. Each poster includes several easy to implement suggestions for help at home: letting your student see you read, having your student explain how to solve problems when doing homework, and more. Click on the links provided with each poster to go to the original graphic or to print a PDF version of the poster. Be sure to give proper credit.
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tag(s): back to school (55), literacy (121), parent conferences (21), spelling (97)

OCD Education Station provides resources and information for helping those with OCD. Learn about OCD facts with a primer for educators that includes recognizing symptoms and challenges to student performance. Find helpful information on managing OCD in the classroom as well as tips for communicating with parents. Choose the tools and resources link to access several printable guides available in English and Spanish for parents, teens, and school personnel.

tag(s): professional development (385), psychology (65)

Smarter Balanced Consortium provides resources and practice assessments geared toward Common Core standards in English language arts/literacy and Mathematics. Choose the Smarter Balanced Assessments link to view an overview of practice assessments, suggestions for use of the assessments, and discussion of items and task types. Find PDF's including Common Core standards and introductions to the standards under the K-12 Education/Teacher tab. The site is continually developing and working toward the 2014-2015 first school year implementation of the new assessments. Stay connected and informed of new resources by signing up for their email newsletter.

tag(s): commoncore (73), test prep (69)

Explore this useful catalog of all free e-books available for Kindles through Amazon. It is quite extensive with many categories: Advice & How-to, Biographies & Memoirs, Business & Investing, Children's eBooks, Fantasy, History, Literary Fiction, Mystery & Thrillers, Politics & Current Events, Reference, Religion & Spirituality, Science, Science Fiction, Sports, Teens, Travel, and many others. At the time of this review, there were over 69,000 free eBooks listed on the site.

tag(s): book lists (167), independent reading (81)

Money as You Grow provides 20 essential, age-appropriate financial lessons--with corresponding activities--that kids need to know as they grow. Lessons are divided into different age categories and grouped according to different age requirements. Click on an age group: Young children (ages 3-5), School age children to pre-teens (ages 6-12), Teens to young adults (ages13, ages 14-18+). Once you choose an age group, click on the link to view activities, book titles, and reading guides appropriate for that particular age,

tag(s): financial literacy (94), money (113), preK (270)

ESL Game World is the place to go for interactives, PowerPoint activities and templates, printable board games, ESL/ELL games for kids and adults, grammar games, vocabulary challenges, and reading activities. Some of the featured activities include Snakes and Ladders, Hangman, and Wheel of Fortune games/templates. Some spelling appears to be different from Standard American English. Check to be sure. Avoid the online store section to stay with free activities.
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tag(s): grammar (137), grammar review (31), verbs (26), vocabulary (238)

Join Curious George in his adventures with the Man in the Yellow Hat. Enjoy the antics of Curious George through online games, printables, and videos. Games feature matching, numbers, sounds, categorizing, shapes, Spanish, movement/dance, and animal sounds. Earn stickers with successful completion of each game. In the teacher section, there are 16 "ready to go" activities. Each activity includes a description, topic, and tips!

tag(s): animals (294), dance (31), geometric shapes (134), matching (8), numbers (120), preK (270)