Teachers First - Thinking Teachers Teaching Thinkers

Maya Archaeologist is a free website that shares information on the making of jewelry and music in the Mayan civilization. The site includes videos on jade and musical instruments. Additionally, it gives step-by-step directions on how to make the Mayan death mask, headdress, and whistle.

tag(s): art history (103), mayans (23), south america (47)

National Geographic Kids' Mayan Civilization Primary Resources allows students to learn about Mayan architecture, agriculture, pottery, hieroglyph writing, mathematics, and calendar-making. The site offers a few simple activities that students can participate in. Note: You must scroll to the bottom of the page to download the primary resource PDF.

tag(s): mayans (23), south america (47)

The Getty Center's Artful Women shares lessons of women artists who overcame a male-dominated discipline. On the right side, "For the Classroom" links directly to lesson plans on the themes of adornment, women as artists, and women's roles in the family. Each lesson has a time estimate, overview, objectives, materials, steps, assessment, and extensions. The lessons are aligned with the California State Content Standards for visual arts, English, History, and Common Core Standards.

tag(s): women (151), womenchangemaker (37)

Monah offers lessons on the First People, including the Black Kettle and the Washita River Massacre, The Sterilization of Native American Women in Oklahoma, The Tonkawa People: A Retracing of Steps from Texas to Oklahoma, Choctaw Code Talkers of World War I, Quapaw Nation Food Sovereignty, and Osage Massacres and Gender Roles. Lesson plans include an introduction, materials, learning objectives, slides, quizzes, websites, primary sources, and map activities.

tag(s): native americans (109)

Facing History & Ourselves Indigenous Rights and Controversy over Hawaii's Maunakea Telescope offers a free lesson on why the Native Hawaiians opposed its construction. The lesson gives a historical context for understanding the protests against constructing the Thirty Meter Telescope on Maunakea. The site includes two activities, a handout, articles, and videos. The lesson itself is adaptable and can be shared on Google Classroom.

tag(s): hawaii (9), native americans (109), telescopes (11)

The Google Indoor Maps platform is a valuable resource for educators and students exploring spatial awareness, geography, and technology integration. It offers detailed indoor maps for airports, museums, shopping malls, and universities, providing floor plans and navigation tools. Teachers can use it to help students understand mapping technology, analyze layouts of complex buildings, or plan field trips. This tool also emphasizes the real-world applications of geography and technology, fostering digital literacy and practical problem-solving skills.

tag(s): DAT device agnostic tool (147), digital literacy (6), map skills (63), maps (220), problem solving (233), virtual field trips (128)

The Google Fact Check Explorer is a powerful tool for educators to verify the credibility of online information. It provides a searchable database of fact-checks from reputable sources worldwide, helping to quickly identify whether a claim is true, false, or misleading. With filters for specific topics, regions, or sources, it fosters critical thinking and digital literacy, enabling students and teachers to navigate misinformation effectively and engage in informed discussions. This platform is particularly valuable for teaching media literacy and emphasizing the importance of verifying sources in today's digital age.

tag(s): critical thinking (127), digital literacy (6), media literacy (109)

Remini AI is a photo and video enhancement tool that uses advanced AI technology to restore old or blurry images, sharpen details, and improve resolution. The website offers a free version where you can enhance photos by watching ads, making it accessible for occasional use or small projects. This platform can be a useful resource for educational projects involving historical photos or creative presentations.
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tag(s): artificial intelligence (177), photography (130), Teacher Utilities (198)

Genially's Escape Room Game Templates provide educators with interactive and customizable digital escape room experiences. These templates allow teachers to create engaging, gamified learning activities where students solve puzzles, answer questions, and unlock clues to progress. The platform supports multimedia elements such as images, animations, and clickable objects, making lessons more immersive. Teachers can use these escape rooms for review sessions, team-building exercises, or subject-specific challenges across various grade levels.

tag(s): digital escapes (15), game based learning (205), gamification (83), puzzles (149)

Explore this valuable tool for educators; it offers curated collections of primary sources, historical documents, and research materials across a wide range of subjects. These guides help teachers incorporate authentic historical artifacts, government records, and literary works into their lessons, enhancing students' critical thinking and research skills. With ready-to-use teaching resources, topic guides, and bibliographies, this site supports interdisciplinary learning and provides rich content for inquiry-based projects in history, literature, civics, and more.

tag(s): african american (115), architecture (75), black history (133), branches of government (65), civil rights (209), civil war (139), conservation (102), energy (133), engineering (129), environment (252), foreign policy (13), hispanic (36), industrialization (12), jews (33), latin (23), literature (221), middle east (50), native americans (109), nutrition (140), photography (130), politics (118), population (51), religions (95), Research (87), sports (82), statistics (121), Teacher Utilities (198), women (151), womenchangemaker (37), womens suffrage (52)

NPR (National Public Radio) is a valuable resource for educators, offering high-quality news, podcasts, and articles on current events, culture, science, and history. The site features engaging audio stories, in-depth journalism, and educational content that can enhance classroom discussions and critical thinking skills. Teachers can use NPR's stories to connect lessons to real-world events, introduce students to diverse perspectives, and encourage media literacy. Additionally, NPR's student-friendly resources, such as NPR Ed and Student Podcast Challenge, provide interactive and project-based learning opportunities.

tag(s): civil rights (209), cultures (180), journalism (74), news (229), podcasts (108), scientists (67), space (222)

The Oriental Museum's Indus Valley Mystery is a site that allows you to gain information on the mystery of the Indus Valley civilization. The site helps you answer the when, where, who, what, why, and how through artifacts and photographs. There is a disclaimer that there are images of human skeleton remains.

tag(s): asia (116), cultures (180)

Britannica's main website is a comprehensive and reliable resource for teachers seeking accurate, well-researched information across a wide range of subjects. It offers encyclopedia articles, biographies, timelines, images, videos, and primary sources, making it a valuable tool for classroom instruction and student research. The site includes Britannica School, which provides leveled content for different grade levels, and Britannica Kids, designed for younger learners. With its fact-checked, up-to-date content, Britannica helps educators enhance lessons, support inquiry-based learning, and promote critical thinking skills.

tag(s): biographies (94), primary sources (117), Research (87), resources (84), timelines (56)

The Smithsonian Science Education Center's Glider Guide is an interactive application designed for Earth and Space Science students. It allows viewers to virtually soar above five real-world terrains in the United States, observing eleven distinct land and water features such as mountains, plains, lakes, oceans, and mesas. The app offers first-person and top-down views, enhancing spatial understanding of these features. After each flight, students can assess their knowledge through in-game evaluations. Accessible via desktop and laptop browsers, Glider Guide is also available for tablets and smartphones through the Amazon Apps & Games Store, Apple App Store, or Google Play Store.

tag(s): landforms (39), simulations (19)

The Do Now Activity Generator uses AI to create five-minute activities that engage students of any grade or content area. After selecting to start, enter the learning objective and grade level to generate activities. The Do Now generator provides students with questions based on a possible scenario. Make changes and find additional ideas by selecting the Request Change button and providing details on changes.

tag(s): artificial intelligence (177), assessment (147), classroom management (120), Formative Assessment (74), questioning (36), Teacher Utilities (198), teaching strategies (50), thinking skills (17)

Bring Ancient Egypt to life with the power of the Nile! The Ducksters Ancient Egypt Geography page is a fantastic resource for teachers looking to explore how the Nile River shaped Egyptian civilization. This site provides clear, student-friendly explanations of the river's role in farming, trade, transportation, and daily life. With engaging facts, maps, and key vocabulary, it's perfect for sparking discussions, enhancing lessons, and helping students understand why the Nile was truly the lifeline of Ancient Egypt.
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tag(s): africa (148), asia (116), egypt (56), map skills (63), maps (220)

Explore the fascinating world of Ancient Rome with this engaging and regularly updated YouTube playlist! From the unique apartments where everyday Romans lived to the surprising origins of fast food, these videos bring history to life with captivating stories and insights. You'll also find content on Rome's legendary leaders, the civilization's greatest achievements, and even eerie tales like the most famous ghost story of ancient Rome. This playlist offers a dynamic way to connect students with the past! The videos are hosted on YouTube. If your district blocks YouTube, then they may not be viewable.
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tag(s): cultures (180), fashion (12), holidays (187), italy (30), literature (221), religions (95), romans (52), rome (37)

Discover the fascinating world of Roman childhood on History for Kids! This engaging webpage offers a glimpse into children's daily lives in Ancient Rome, exploring their education, games, clothing, and family roles. From learning Latin to playing knucklebones, the site paints a vivid picture of how young Romans balanced duty and play in their society. It's a fantastic resource for sparking curiosity about history in students of all ages!
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tag(s): italy (30), roman numerals (7), romans (52), rome (37)

The Milwaukee Public Museum's "Roman Empire: A Brief History" page provides an engaging overview of the Roman Empire, highlighting its rise, expansion, and significant achievements. This resource is part of a larger collection linking artifacts to the historical context of Roman daily life, trade, and culture. Teachers can use this site to introduce students to key aspects of Roman history, including its innovations, governance, and influence on the ancient Mediterranean world. The page is a valuable supplement to lessons on ancient civilizations, offering connections between historical artifacts and the broader story of Rome.

tag(s): italy (30), romans (52), rome (37)

"Mr. Donn's Ancient Rome: Geography Lesson Plans" offers educators a variety of free resources to teach students about the geography of Ancient Rome. It includes engaging lesson plans, activities, and handouts to explore Rome's location, terrain, climate, and its impact on Roman civilization. The materials cater to different learning levels and feature interactive approaches such as map exercises and discussions on how geography influenced Rome's expansion, economy, and culture. This site is valuable for integrating hands-on and visual learning into history or social studies classes.

tag(s): italy (30), map skills (63), maps (220), romans (52), rome (37)