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Newsela - Matthew Gross
Grades
2 to 12
19 Favorites
2 Comments
Newsela offers four leveled news articles at five reading levels for teachers to choose from. The articles will be available for four weeks; Newsela Lite is free for any teacher ...more
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Newsela offers four leveled news articles at five reading levels for teachers to choose from. The articles will be available for four weeks; Newsela Lite is free for any teacher to access four pre-selected news articles, select and lock reading levels for students, see alignment to state standards, schedule assignments and set due dates, access students' quiz scores, and respond to students' writing prompt submissions and annotations. Many of these features were on the "premium" account until the 2023-2024 school year.
In case you're wondering - Newsela features current events stories tailor-made for classroom use. Click "Products" on the top menu and slide down to browse content in subject areas (social studies, science, etc.). Stories are student-friendly and can be accessed in various formats tailored to different reading levels. Use Newsela to differentiate nonfiction reading. Newspaper writers rewrite a story four times, resulting in a total of five Lexile levels per story. All articles feature embedded Common Core-aligned quizzes that align with reading levels, allowing for checking comprehension, customizable assignments, writing prompts, and annotations. An account is required to use Newsela, both for teachers and students. However, students sign up using a teacher- or parent-provided code rather than an email address. Click the Resources tab at the top to find guides and short webinars. Teachers can create classes and assign reading-level-specific articles to individual students or download printable PDF copies of the article in any of its reading-level versions. There is no outside advertising.
In case you're wondering - Newsela features current events stories tailor-made for classroom use. Click "Products" on the top menu and slide down to browse content in subject areas (social studies, science, etc.). Stories are student-friendly and can be accessed in various formats tailored to different reading levels. Use Newsela to differentiate nonfiction reading. Newspaper writers rewrite a story four times, resulting in a total of five Lexile levels per story. All articles feature embedded Common Core-aligned quizzes that align with reading levels, allowing for checking comprehension, customizable assignments, writing prompts, and annotations. An account is required to use Newsela, both for teachers and students. However, students sign up using a teacher- or parent-provided code rather than an email address. Click the Resources tab at the top to find guides and short webinars. Teachers can create classes and assign reading-level-specific articles to individual students or download printable PDF copies of the article in any of its reading-level versions. There is no outside advertising.
tag(s): DAT device agnostic tool (124), differentiation (77), guided reading (32), independent reading (81), news (223), reading comprehension (143), remote learning (31)
In the Classroom
Achieve two goals here: help students improve their reading comprehension and keep them current with what is happening in our nation and the world. When assigning articles, choose to have the class read at one reading level, or select individuals and set the reading level for them. There are five categories from which to choose. You may want to set up different articles at different learning stations on the computers in your room. Have the students rotate daily through the stations, completing one or two a day until they have completed all five articles. Since Newsela is cloud-based, even students absent from class can easily complete the missed work. If you and your students are teaching and learning remotely, or you have a blended classroom, Newsela will work perfectly for those! Teachers of gifted students can utilize this site to accelerate or enrich their students' reading skills. Find each student's individual levels for reading nonfiction. Teachers of Learning Support and ENL//ESL students will love this alternate way for their students to meet nonfiction/current events requirements.You must be registered and logged in to add items to your favorites.
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Actively Learn - Jay Goyal and Dr. Deep Sran
Grades
7 to 12
3 Favorites
0 Comments
Teach students how to develop close reading skills with Actively Learn. Choose from over 150 commonly taught texts that include embedded Common Core aligned questions and multimedia....more
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Teach students how to develop close reading skills with Actively Learn. Choose from over 150 commonly taught texts that include embedded Common Core aligned questions and multimedia. Choose from any public domain texts or any article from the Internet and be guided through creating your own Common Core aligned questions. Also, embed your own multimedia or images. Reading "school texts" becomes much more personalized when students are able to write notes, questions, or respond to their reading directly on the page they are reading. This is like the old way of using paper and pencil to annotate the text in the margin. Others can respond to questions and notes written by peers reading the same text. Actively Learn makes it easy to set up an assignment by having a "help" button for each area that will show a video for help, or download a PDF to read the instructions. Not only will you find poetry, drama, and stories, but also nonfiction for the sciences and the humanities. The introduction video requires Flash. The rest of the site does not.
tag(s): guided reading (32), reading strategies (87)
In the Classroom
Choose a piece to use with your students and model for them how the program works on your interactive whiteboard (or projector). Then assign students to read a piece with a partner in class. Once students are familiar with the format and tools, assign reading for them to complete on their own. Upload current event articles into Actively Learn and write open ended questions for students to answer. Include images or video to go with the article. Use a tool like the Questioning Toolkit, reviewed here, to create some intriguing questions and writing prompts. This is a great tool to use for students with learning differences and ESL/ELL students due to the ability to adjust the text size, color and background, include audio, and the built in dictionary. Besure to check out the blog for ideas about teaching divisive topics, an infographic for close reading stategies, and more.
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Quest - Alex Warren
Grades
5 to 12
1 Favorites
0 Comments
Create text-based adventure games and interactive fiction using Quest! No programming language required. You can also play games already designed by others. Choose the "play" option...more
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Create text-based adventure games and interactive fiction using Quest! No programming language required. You can also play games already designed by others. Choose the "play" option from the top of the web page to view and play games such as The Mansion or Shipwrecked. Play games online or download to your Windows computer. Design your own games online using your web browser or download software to your Windows PC to work offline. Create an account in Quest to begin creating activities. View the video tutorial for an overview of the activities and creation processes. Create rooms and objects or tasks for each room. Create more complex games by following complete instructions found in the web browser version of the game system creator. Add sound files and even videos to games in addition to tasks. An option allows players to choose their own endings to games. There is a documentation wiki and a forum to get help. This site may require some tinkering around to figure it out! But it is well worth the time. Note: since games available for Play are created by the general public, you will want to preview for appropriateness.
tag(s): interactive stories (21), process writing (35)
In the Classroom
Challenge students to create games when studying process writing of essays. Instead of writing a dry essay, create an object of entertainment with an interactive story. Use steps of the game to provide supporting evidence for the essay. Create simple text games to show the typical patterns of stories. Have a contest to see which group of students in your class can imagine the best game scenario. In science class, have student groups create games that follow the life of a plant or animal where players collect all the needed nutrients or conditions the plant/animal needs to survive. In civics/government class, have students create a game around getting elected, passing a bill, or ending Washington gridlock! Don't have time to have your students actually CREATE a game? Create your own "review" game for your students to use to prepare for the big test. This would be ideal if it is a unit that you teach yearly; you can reuse your game! Share some of the ready-made games on your interactive whiteboard or projector. Share this link with parents on your class website. Students may enjoy the challenge of creating a game during summer break.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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OK2Ask'® Archives - TeachersFirst
Grades
K to 12
1 Favorites
0 Comments
TeachersFirst offers free, hands-on OK2Ask'® workshops for teacher professional learning. This collection of on-demand session recordings is available for those who attended as...more
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TeachersFirst offers free, hands-on OK2Ask'® workshops for teacher professional learning. This collection of on-demand session recordings is available for those who attended as a recap and for new viewers to watch any time. Gather your teacher friends and learn together! Note that TeachersFirst does not award professional development certificates to teachers for watching archive recordings. Learn more about OK2Ask and upcoming sessions here.
tag(s): professional development (271)
In the Classroom
Bookmark this page for your own professional learning and for sharing. Check back often as new archived recordings are frequently added. Learn new topics and tools at your own pace with these recordings.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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National Museum of Natural History Virtual Tours - Smithsonian Institution
Grades
6 to 12
4 Favorites
0 Comments
As school district budgets continue to be cut, field trips are more and more difficult. Enter the online panoramic virtual tour. The Smithsonian Institution's Museum of Natural History...more
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As school district budgets continue to be cut, field trips are more and more difficult. Enter the online panoramic virtual tour. The Smithsonian Institution's Museum of Natural History can now be "visited" using a computer or a handheld device like a smart phone or tablet. Choose to tour several featured areas such as Permanent Exhibits, Current Exhibits, Past Exhibits, Narrated Tours, and a couple of others. Click on a featured exhibit and view a map of the exhibit area. Hover over one of the hotspots to see what is included in that exhibit. Choose to view the Hope Diamond, for example, and access panoramic views of the artifact or the exhibit hall. Follow the arrows to travel through the museum. Maybe a virtual tour of a museum isn't quite as good as the real thing, but you won't have to deal with crowds, noise, and that really tall person who always seems to be standing between you and the exhibit you want to see. Click the Education tab at the top, to find Teaching Resources with 300 options, that includes activities, videos, and science literacy resources for Grades K to 12.
tag(s): museums (53), natural resources (35), virtual field trips (132)
In the Classroom
Perfect for use on an interactive whiteboard (or projector), the virtual tour can allow students access to exhibits and artifacts they may never be able to visit in person. If you have access to tablets or have a BYOD policy, students can explore exhibits or areas individually. If you are fortunate enough to be planning an actual field trip to the Museum of Natural History, this site is a great way to prepare for the trip.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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dotEPUB - Xavier Badosa
Grades
3 to 12
3 Favorites
0 Comments
Convert the content of any webpage into an e-book format to read on your tablet, phone, or other e-reader device using dotEPUB-- even offline! Install the browser bookmarklet in Firefox,...more
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Convert the content of any webpage into an e-book format to read on your tablet, phone, or other e-reader device using dotEPUB-- even offline! Install the browser bookmarklet in Firefox, Safari, Opera, Mozilla, or Chrome to begin. In Chrome and Mozilla use the dotEPUB browser extension to create documents. Once installed, click on the bookmarklet or browser extension while on any page to convert the page and send to your e-reader. Choose from either epub or mobi (Kindle) format for use in e-readers. View the instructional videos for complete directions on how to use the bookmarklet or extension. This site is also available in Spanish. The instructional videos are hosted on YouTube. If your district blocks YouTube and you wish to share the videos in class, they may not be viewable.
In the Classroom
What a great find for BYOD programs! Use dotEPUB for students to take content from your course blog or website and put it on their e-readers for easy access wherever they go. Have students download informational texts from web sites to annotate in their e-reader software as you build comprehension and "close reading" skills a la CCSS. Elementary teachers will need to help students learn to use this tool. Use dotEPUB to create an ePub portfolio of your students' blogging efforts. In Spanish class, convert your website into an e-book for students to practice language learning. Make ePubs of any web content for portability and annotation tools available on e-readers.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Learning Circuits - Jenneration
Grades
4 to 8
1 Favorites
0 Comments
Learning Circuits reinforces Sources of Electricity, Circuits and Conductors, Changing Circuits, and Circuit Diagrams. Explore six tutorials with up to three players or as an...more
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Learning Circuits reinforces Sources of Electricity, Circuits and Conductors, Changing Circuits, and Circuit Diagrams. Explore six tutorials with up to three players or as an entire class. Complete a quiz at the end of the tutorials. Print the optional worksheet before beginning to complete along the way. Click on the blue highlighted letters to get definitions for words such as batteries, appliances, and more. Note that vocabulary is British, so a few words are slightly different from the U.S.
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This site includes advertising.
tag(s): circuits (20), electricity (61)
In the Classroom
This site is a great addition to any classroom lesson or unit on electricity or circuits. Try the activities as a class on your interactive whiteboard or projector. Have students complete activities on their own using classroom computers. Take pictures using your digital camera of different classroom items that get power, then label them according to the instructions on this site. Have students create an online presentation on electricity and circuits using using one of the many TeachersFirst Edge presentation tools.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Google Docs/Drive Templates - Google Docs/Drive
Grades
K to 12
5 Favorites
0 Comments
Find hundreds of templates and documents -- for all sorts of needs, not just education -- ready to use at Google Docs (now known as Drive). The best part, the ...more
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Find hundreds of templates and documents -- for all sorts of needs, not just education -- ready to use at Google Docs (now known as Drive). The best part, the documents are available from any computer with Internet access. This is a device-agnostic tool, available on the web but also available for free as both an Android and iOS app. Important note: To OPEN this link and see the templates, you must have a Google Drive account and be logged in! Use it from any device or move between several devices and still access your work. App and web versions vary slightly. No need to create a new document. Simply search for the template you need and modify it to your specifications. Choose from many categories including resumes, presentations, calendars, budgets, and more. Once you find a document to use, preview to view the full document. Viewed documents will then be available under a link called "Templates I've Used." You can also "save a copy" to change it at will. This makes them easy to find in the future. Upload your own documents for use anywhere and anytime.
tag(s): classroom management (106), DAT device agnostic tool (124), organizational skills (83), rubrics (35), spreadsheets (20)
In the Classroom
Find specialized templates for teachers and students by clicking that category in the left sidebar. You can find templates for all sorts of "real world" tasks in the broader collection, including authentic writing tasks such as press releases, project proposals, and resumes. Upload commonly used classroom documents and share with students to retrieve at home. Search for templates for outlines, rubrics for reports, or guidelines for classroom projects. Share this site with students to use for their own projects. Use this tool easily in your Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) classroom since all students will be able to access it for free, no matter what device they have.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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SoundBible - SoundBible.com
Grades
K to 12
2 Favorites
0 Comments
Find or upload sound clips in wav or MP3 format -- with clear information about digital rights -- at Sound Bible. Thousands of files are available for easy download. Use ...more
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Find or upload sound clips in wav or MP3 format -- with clear information about digital rights -- at Sound Bible. Thousands of files are available for easy download. Use the search bar to locate a specific sound or browse through sound effects or royalty free sounds available on the site. Click the arrow to hear the sound clip, then click on the name to go to the download section. Choose from wav, mp3, or zip file, and click to download. Share your own sounds using the link provided along with a short description of your sound file. The sound file information includes licensing information for the sound. If you search solely in Royalty Free sounds, you are safe to use them, but follow the attribution requirements as explained on the lower portion of the "Royalty Free sounds" page.
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This site includes advertising.
In the Classroom
Use Sound Bible to find short sound clips for use in presentations, videos, or interactive whiteboard lessons. In primary grades, play sounds as cues for classroom management, such as bird sounds to gather "at the nest" for circle time. Use sound clips as story or journal starter ideas. Play a clip and have students create a story that incorporates that sound. Take your students on an audio tour of the rainforest as you learn about the various animals and sounds. Use this site during units about weather to share sounds from storms, wind, thunder, and more. Explore ocean sounds, animals sounds, etc. Use in world language classes to spark conversations and build vocabulary. Play background sounds during creative writing class. Challenge students to write about how the sounds make them feel. Challenge gifted or digitally-clever students to use these sounds to create an all-audio story to accompany a drawing or image. Use a tool such as Scratch, reviewed here.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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JogLab - JogLab
Grades
5 to 12
2 Favorites
0 Comments
Create and learn about mnemonics and acrostic poems easily with this tool. Use JogLab to create a catchy slogan to help you remember terms and ideas. You can browse the ...more
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Create and learn about mnemonics and acrostic poems easily with this tool. Use JogLab to create a catchy slogan to help you remember terms and ideas. You can browse the ready-made mnemonics, but there do not seem to be many. To explore the keywords of a topic and build you own mnemonic, click the topic History, (for example), then the actual concept, such as Bill of Rights. The keywords will be listed. Click "Create your own mnemonic for Bill of Rights" to generate a mnemonic from this list of keywords. Despite the many windows and scroll bars, the word finder is an easy tool to use. For each letter of the mnemonic, follow the site suggestions of words that can string together into a phrase. Use the part-of-speech sorter to narrow the suggested words to your specification of noun, verb, adjective, etc. These will reinforce parts of speech in the context of sentence making. There are links to advertising and off-site (NOT school friendly) content, so familiarize yourself with the tool before showing it to students to avoid these areas.
tag(s): parts of speech (38), poetry (196), sentences (21)
In the Classroom
Introduce acrostic poems with this tool by building one together on a projector or interactive whiteboard. Demonstrate and use the mnemonic tool on a projector or interactive whiteboard to create an easy way for students to remember a sequence of terms or concepts. After the class has used it together, provide a link to this tool on your class website. Have students create their own mnemonics in small groups and vote on the best as a class. Learning support teachers will want to make this a routine tool for their students to use when reviewing for tests.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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CommonCore Sheets - Common Core Sheets
Grades
2 to 8
5 Favorites
0 Comments
At CommonCore Sheets, find downloadable worksheets correlated to the Common Core curriculum and customizable activities. Choose from worksheets in every subject, including foreign...more
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At CommonCore Sheets, find downloadable worksheets correlated to the Common Core curriculum and customizable activities. Choose from worksheets in every subject, including foreign languages. Registration isn't required to select and use worksheets; however, creating an account provides access to the Teacher Panel. Use the Teacher Panel to save sheets, create classes and assignments, monitor grades, and add distance learning assignments.
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tag(s): charts and graphs (167), decimals (85), fractions (160), measurement (124), money (110), negative numbers (13), operations (72), order of operations (29), parts of speech (38), primary sources (120), probability (99), sentences (21), time (91), timelines (58), variables (14)
In the Classroom
Find worksheets for every subject to better prepare your students for Common Core standards and testing. Use the sheets to make a formative or even summative assessment for many different topics in math. Use as a review or even practice. Provide this link on your class website for students (and parents) to find extra practice. Printable answer keys come with the worksheets. Allow students to create their own quizzes. Easy to use, grade, and share. Use for gifted students needing some acceleration. Use for extra practice with students struggling with new concepts.
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Abbreviations - STANDS4 LLC
Grades
6 to 12
1 Favorites
0 Comments
Abbreviations.com is a directory and search engine for abbreviations, acronyms, and initial-isms across the Internet. It includes hundreds of thousands of entries organized into a large...more
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Abbreviations.com is a directory and search engine for abbreviations, acronyms, and initial-isms across the Internet. It includes hundreds of thousands of entries organized into a large variety of categories. Search for an abbreviation or acronym using the search bar and choose from abbreviation to term, term to abbreviation, or a word in the term. Browse items by choosing any letter to find items listed or choose from specific communities such as medical or business. Although this site has a lot of advertisements, the content found is worth looking past them.
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This site includes advertising.
tag(s): search engines (46)
In the Classroom
Bookmark this site for reference to find or to decipher abbreviations or acronyms. Share with students on your website or blog as a resource at home.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Phrase.it - phrase.it
Grades
7 to 12
12 Favorites
0 Comments
Add cartoon speech bubbles to any photo in seconds using Phrase.it. NO membership required! Choose a photo from your Facebook feed, computer, or from the site's random stock photo collection....more
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Add cartoon speech bubbles to any photo in seconds using Phrase.it. NO membership required! Choose a photo from your Facebook feed, computer, or from the site's random stock photo collection. Pick one of the 4 different types of speech bubbles, drag to any part of the image, and type in text. Change fonts by clicking the text box until satisfied. Change your image by applying one of the optional filters or leave it as is. When finished, click on the Save button and add your email if you want to receive a download link. You are also able to mark your photo PRIVATE. Once the image is saved and rendered, you can simply copy its URL, share via email, Facebook, or X (formerly Twitter), or download to your computer. The Terms of Use require students to be 13 to use this site.
tag(s): bulletin boards (14), comics and cartoons (54), communication (113), images (258)
In the Classroom
The possibilities are limited only by your imagination. Teach parts of speech and grammar by having students write captions using colorful adjectives, adverbs, or specific sentence structures on a random photo. Make classroom signs and reminders. Caption the homework directions on your teacher web page. Ask your students to create captions for class photos for all sorts of reasons. Use this site for back to school fun. Post a photo of yourself with a caption on your class website introducing yourself to the class during the summer. Challenge each student to find/share a photo of themselves either the first week of school (or even prior to school). You will want parental permission before posting any student photos on your class website. Use photos or digital drawings from your classroom, such as pictures taken during any hands-on activity. Have students draw in a paint program, save the file, and then add a caption. Spice up research projects about historic figures or important scientists. Have literary characters "talk" as part of a project. In a government class, add captions to photos explaining politicians' major platform planks during election campaigns. Caption the steps for math problem solving. Make visual vocabulary/terminology sentences with an appropriate character using the term in context (a beaker explaining how it is different from a flask?). Students could also take pictures of themselves doing a lab and then caption the pictures to explain the concepts. Share the class captions on your class web page or wiki. Leave directions to your class (for when a substitute is there). Use at back to school night to grab parent attention to important announcements. Have students make talking photos of themselves as a visual tour of their new classroom for parents attending back to school night. World language classes can create images explaining and using new vocabulary. Use the site's random photo offerings for clever caption contests in your new language. Have gifted students create Phase.it pictures to explain new knowledge they gain in going beyond the basics. For example, as the class studies plate tectonics, they could make a collection of volcano images "explaining" their own history or describing the Ring of Fire. Gifted students of all ages can make simple Phrase.it images to share their own thought provoking questions about curriculum content, such as "Which figure of speech would Shakespeare be willing to give up?" Be sure to include these thought provokers on a class wiki or blog for others to respond! (No need to single out the "thinker" by mentioning who created it if it would cause ridicule.)Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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FindIcons - findicons.com
Grades
K to 12
3 Favorites
0 Comments
FindIcons.com is a search tool that helps you find free icons. Type your term in the search bar to view icons in FindIcons database. Choose from several different options to ...more
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FindIcons.com is a search tool that helps you find free icons. Type your term in the search bar to view icons in FindIcons database. Choose from several different options to download icons in the file format desired, such as png. Convert to jpg, bmp, or several other file options. Each icon includes licensing information so you can look for icons that are Creative Commons or public domain. Create an account then make user sets of your favorite icons. Access your user sets from anywhere through the FindIcons website. Explore the TAGS button to find search ideas. Be aware: ANY word/term can be searched; some may not be appropriate for the classroom. If you plan to allow young people to use this site independently, be sure to discuss appropriate searching.
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This site includes advertising.
tag(s): images (258)
In the Classroom
Bookmark this site as a resource for finding and saving icons to use on your website, or to include with class projects. Share this site with students to find icons for projects. If you make a whole-class account, you can create user sets in advance of projects to save time. In primary grades, these icons are terrific for teacher use! Use icons to create non-verbal signs for your non-readers in your classroom. Special education, world language, and ELL/ESL teachers can create non-verbal prompts for language learning. Use icons on your interactive whiteboard as drag and drop or labeling activities to build vocabulary and more.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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All Things Science - All Things Science
Grades
6 to 12
4 Favorites
0 Comments
All Things Science is an aggregator of short, top quality science videos for educational use. Search for specific content topics using the search bar. Browse through featured, most...more
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All Things Science is an aggregator of short, top quality science videos for educational use. Search for specific content topics using the search bar. Browse through featured, most viewed, or all videos. Interested in seeing how a germ travels with a sneeze and makes you sick with a virus? There is a detailed video on that topic and SO much more. Read short descriptions of videos before viewing. Share using social media links provided, with a direct url, or with the embed code directly onto your website. Free registration on All Things Science allows you to save videos to favorites, add comments, and upload video. Note that videos can be submitted by members, so it is advisable to preview before sharing with young people.
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tag(s): animals (291), cells (84), climate (87), climate change (100), genetics (86), human body (92), medicine (57), scientific method (50), scientists (71), solar energy (35), solar system (115), space (231), weather (163)
In the Classroom
Save this site to use as a resource throughout the year with any science topic. Embed videos onto your classroom website for viewing at home or independently during class. (Embedding avoids displaying other areas of the site.) Have students create online posters after they learn about the topic individually or together as a class using a tool such as Web Poster Wizard, reviewed here, or PicLits, reviewed here. Extend learning by challenging cooperative learning groups to create similar videos about science topics being discussed in class using FlexClip, reviewed here. FlexClip is designed to allow you to create short animated or explainer videos to share on YouTube and other social media sites. Share the videos on a site such as TeacherTube reviewed here or on All Things Science, if permitted by school policies.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Dinosphere at the Children's Museum of Indianapolis - The Children's Museum of Indianapolis
Grades
K to 8
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Journey back 65 million years to discover and learn all about dinosaurs and their time on earth. Choose a section to explore from links provided: Dinos A to Z, Giants ...more
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Journey back 65 million years to discover and learn all about dinosaurs and their time on earth. Choose a section to explore from links provided: Dinos A to Z, Giants of the Jurrasic, Dino Comic and others. Above these categories click Educators in the upper right corner where you'll find lessons for grades K-8 and In-depth Units of Study, not only about dinosaurs, but Pirates, the Circus, Greece, The Health House, Dinosphere (in different grade ranges), Native Americans and the Natural World, Anne Frank, and many others. Be sure to check out the Blog. There is a menu on the left with many topics including dinosaurs.
In the Classroom
Have students create their own dino using the Build a Dino activity. Challenge students to draw and describe their dinosaur with an explanation of how and why different body parts were chosen. Use this as a descriptive writing piece. Create a class book of Dinosaur Creations! Choose from the webquests offered on the site for your class. Use webquests not only to learn about dinosaurs but also to sharpen research and debate skills. Extend learning by having students use a tool such as Zeemaps, reviewed here, to record where dinosaur fossils have been found. This site allows students to create audio recordings AND choose a location (on a map) where the story takes place.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Quandary - Learning Games Network
Grades
3 to 9
1 Favorites
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Quandary is an online simulation in ethical decision-making while building a new colony on the planet Braxos. Face decisions without right or wrong answers but that have implications...more
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Quandary is an online simulation in ethical decision-making while building a new colony on the planet Braxos. Face decisions without right or wrong answers but that have implications on you and others in the colony. This activity was created for students ages 8-14. Login is optional to save scores or track and assess student performance or you can play as a guest. The game includes four different episodes with each containing different scenarios for decision-making. View information on the game, extension questions and more within the teachers and parents portions of the site. Find lesson plans, standards mapping (matched to Common Core ELA standards), and printable materials within the teachers section for classroom use. Don't miss the introduction video, under Families, explaining the site!
tag(s): creativity (80), critical thinking (140), ethics (21), game based learning (215), social and emotional learning (114)
In the Classroom
Try this activity on your interactive whiteboard (or projector). Create a quick poll (with no membership required) using Poll Everywhere, reviewed here, to view students' choices of actions to take throughout the game. Challenge cooperative learning groups to create videos using Adobe Creative Cloud Express Video Maker, reviewed here, explaining what they learned and sharing them on a site such as TeacherTube, reviewed here, to explain the decision-making process for different scenarios.
This resource requires PDF reader software like Adobe Acrobat.
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Spific - The Finding Engine - Spific.com
Grades
6 to 12
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Spific is search engine designed to narrow down searches by the use of filters (they call them "refinements"). Although it is powered by Google's search algoithm, it is not affiliated...more
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Spific is search engine designed to narrow down searches by the use of filters (they call them "refinements"). Although it is powered by Google's search algoithm, it is not affiliated or endorsed by Google. Enter your search term as usual. Choose where you want results to come from among several categories. Categories include news and newspapers, Internet directories, dictionaries, videos, movies, and much more. Refine results even further by choosing specific newspapers or websites within results. A date range narrows news results.
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tag(s): search engines (46)
In the Classroom
Use Spific to find online newspaper content quickly and easily or compare definitions from different sources. Use an online tool such as Interactive Two Circle Venn Diagram (reviewed here) to compare information from two different sites. Provide a link for students to use this site to make searching easier when working on book reports, research projects, or presentations. Demonstrate how to use the search on your interactive whiteboard (or projector) and point out how to narrow down results using links to individual sites. This site would be ideal to include in a search engine comparison for information literacy/fluency lessons.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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History and Politics Out Loud - WyzAnt Tutoring
Grades
6 to 12
9 Favorites
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Listen to famous speeches by influential leaders of the twentieth and twenty-first centuries. Choose from the list of leaders including Winston Churchill, Richard Nixon, and Martin...more
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Listen to famous speeches by influential leaders of the twentieth and twenty-first centuries. Choose from the list of leaders including Winston Churchill, Richard Nixon, and Martin Luther King, Jr, and many others. View a short biography and background along with links to a famous speech (or speeches) given by that person. Some speeches are audio only, others are YouTube videos. If your district blocks YouTube, videos may not be viewable.
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tag(s): churchill (8), declaration of independence (17), inauguration (10), kennedy (22), martin luther king (45), persuasive writing (54), presidents (146), roosevelt (18)
In the Classroom
Share speeches from this site on your class webpage or blog for students to view at home. Share them with your class using your projector or interactive whiteboard. Have 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 after viewing and listening to speeches on this site. Use the text of speeches to create a word cloud; try WordClouds, reviewed here, to analyze a leader's priorities and emphasis. Use these examples as students prepare their own persuasive (or propaganda) speeches in English or civics classes. Teachers or ENL students can offer speeches with accompanying texts to help build vocabulary and listening skills.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Venspired Free Posters - Krissy Venosdale
Grades
K to 12
7 Favorites
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Are you looking to enhance the visual appeal of your classroom? Download creative and visually appealing posters for free through Flickr from this blog. The teacher who created it shares...more
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Are you looking to enhance the visual appeal of your classroom? Download creative and visually appealing posters for free through Flickr from this blog. The teacher who created it shares her own images for you to use. Click on any image in the blog and it will take you directly to the Flickr page. Follow the detailed steps explained in the blog post to create and save the image. There is also a link (with instructions) to create your own posters. The teacher who shared this information would like to hear from those who use her posters. This site accesses Flickr which is blocked by some school web filters.
tag(s): posters (42)
In the Classroom
Start your school year out by using some of these posters to decorate your classroom or hallways. Print pages to add inspiration in student notebooks or for motivational bulletin boards. Have students create their own posters after viewing the blog. Looking for a classroom theme? View the options available to enhance your room. Use the posters as a theme for the day, week, or month. Discuss the poster during class meetings. Relate the messages to character traits from reading selections, historical figures, or famous people. If you have a special class event, upload the images to Flickr (reviewed here) to make posters about it. Secondary teachers can create custom posters using their own digital pictures from historic sites or even roller coasters (for physics class).Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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