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Ancient History Encyclopedia - Jan van der Crabben
Grades
6 to 12tag(s): aztecs (9), cultures (180), greece (47), japan (57), maps (220), mayans (17), mesopotamia (32), myths and legends (37), religions (95), romans (52), vikings (10)
In the Classroom
Use the Ancient History Encyclopedia as an activator before teaching any unit on ancient times to share the stories of any period instead of just learning dates. Share the period in time with your students and allow them to explore the site to find items of interest to share with others. Replace paper and pen by using an online bulletin board site like Pinside, reviewed here, and have students share their findings. As you move on through your lessons, extend learning by asking students to use an animated map-making tool like eStory, reviewed here, to tell the story of events from their chosen topic. eStory offers tools for using current or historical maps to create an animated path including text and uploads of source materials.You must be registered and logged in to add items to your favorites.
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Online Teen Safety - StaySafe.org
Grades
5 to 12tag(s): cyberbullying (40), internet safety (113), social media (48)
In the Classroom
Include the information from this site with your other resources for teaching about online safety. Instead of creating a list of links for students, share safety tips with students by replacing the list using a bookmarking tool like Padlet, reviewed here, to share all resources including videos, websites, and more in one place. Invite students to add their own resources to the Padlet as a collaborative activity on internet safety. Create quizzes using Baamboozle, reviewed here, as a formative assessment during your online safety unit. Baamboozle is a quick and easy quiz creation tool to replace paper and pencil. Divide the class into groups to research the different topics found on this site then let them create their own Baamboozle quizzes for their classmates. Instead of teaching online safety in individual lessons, consider using Use Nearpod, reviewed here, to create all of your lessons. Have students follow at their own pace and use tools with the Learning Paths to offer differentiation for the abilities and interests of your students. To modify learning and further challenge students, have them create their own internet safety Learning Paths for classmates to complete.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Kid's Search - Kids Search
Grades
K to 12tag(s): internet safety (113), preK (269), search engines (48)
In the Classroom
Consider making Kid's Search your homepage on classroom computers, or add this site as an easy to find bookmark for students to use. Share this site with students on your interactive whiteboard to demonstrate the different features and how to use them. For younger students, consider creating how-to videos using Free Screen Recorder Online, reviewed here, to demonstrate how to access different portions of the site. Be sure to share this site with parents to use at home; include a short demonstration during Open House or Meet the Teacher events to share the available features. Take advantage of the Online Safety Guide section to share Internet safety tips in your weekly newsletter or for use with student online safety lessons. Enhance student learning by having students create their own internet safety tips using a comic creation tool like ToonyTool, reviewed here, to modify their technology use, and then share their comics with other classrooms.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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The United States Diplomacy Center - United States Department of State
Grades
8 to 12tag(s): animals (295), cross cultural understanding (172), debate (42), migration (45), nuclear energy (20), oceans (149), pollution (52), water (101)
In the Classroom
Take advantage of these free materials to immerse students in learning about current events topics through a global lens. One important component of these lessons includes the task of completing a series of formal and informal discussions on each topic. As students identify key topics and information, enhance their learning by asking them to use Lino, reviewed here, to create digital sticky notes to share among teachers and peers. Use options within Lino to color code the sticky notes to identify the group creating the note or different concepts to address throughout the simulation. Simulations also provide background information on each topic, use this information as a starting point, then have students research each topic further on their own or in groups. Share bookmarks and resources using Raindrop.io, reviewed here. In addition to sharing bookmarks, Raindrop.io includes tools for adding notes and comments for all team members to use when collaborating together. Throughout your simulation activities, use Gravity, reviewed here to modify learning and to pose essential questions discussed within the activity. Have students add video responses within Gravity to share their perspective and solutions to the different problems. As a final learning activity, provide students options for sharing their conclusions and suggestions to the simulation activities through a variety of multimedia choices. Instead of a book report or PowerPoint presentation consider asking students to create a digital book using Book Creator, reviewed here, or a multimedia presentation using Adobe Creative Cloud Express for Education, reviewed here. Both options offer tools for transforming students' learning to include video, images, and more to share their final conclusion and perspective on the topic included in the simulation.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Read. Inquire. Write. - University of Michigan
Grades
6 to 10tag(s): civil war (139), colonial america (95), concept mapping (15), debate (42), democracy (23), evaluating sources (28), greece (47), inquiry (24), maps (220), mexico (32), middle east (50), native americans (111)
In the Classroom
Instead of using paper documents, scan the included PDF or Word documents into Google Classroom or your school student/teacher platform to share and assign to students. Be sure to include mentor texts for student use. Enhance student learning by asking students to use highlighting and note-taking tools within their word document to provide documentation for their responses. Although this site includes many high-quality graphic organizers, create your own and using Diagramo, reviewed here to engage students and personalize for your classroom use. Have students use a digital portfolio tool to share their investigations. Spaces, reviewed here includes many resources for creating online portfolios and web pages. Consider sharing the activities found on this site with your peers as a model for redesigning lessons you already use in your classroom. Use Padlet, reviewed here to collaborate and share ideas, activities, and resources as you work toward incorporating inquiry lessons into your classrooms.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Engaging Congress - Indiana University
Grades
5 to 12tag(s): branches of government (65), congress (40), DAT device agnostic tool (147), evaluating sources (28), primary sources (117)
In the Classroom
Take advantage of the free games and materials on this site to use as a supplement to your current resources for teaching history and government. Instead of written notes, strengthen learning by having students use an online tool such as Holt Interactive Graphic Organizers, reviewed here to create diagrams, mindmaps, and other visual graphic organizers. To compare and contrast information found in different primary sources, create a Venn Diagram. As students prepare to share their findings and summarize their learning, have them modify their learning by creating infographics using Canva Infographic Maker, reviewed here to visually represent facts and information. As a final assessment for your unit using these materials, ask students to form teams to debate different sides of the issues presented. Share their debates as a podcast using Spotify for Podcasters, reviewed here. Spotify for Podcasters is a simple to use podcasting tool offering several free options for creating, hosting, and sharing podcasts. As an alternative, ask other students redefine their learning and to create multimedia presentations using Sway, reviewed here to share text, videos, images, and more.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Eagle Eye Citizen - Roy Rosenzweig Center for History and New Media
Grades
5 to 12tag(s): branches of government (65), civil rights (205), congress (40), elections (82), immigrants (34), inquiry (24), presidents (135), primary sources (117), Research (86), womens suffrage (52)
In the Classroom
Share activities from this site to introduce civics and government lessons; be sure to point out links with additional resources included after problem-solving activities. Share a link to this site on your class website for students to use at home. Replace written notes and help students organize information using a mind mapping tool like Coggle, reviewed here. Use Coggle to create and share colorful diagrams with included text and images. As students continue through the unit, have them enhance their learning by including their diagram on a website sharing their knowledge of civics concepts or discussing the historical event studied. Webnode, reviewed here, is a free website creator offering premade templates and easy to use tools. Transform student learning at the next level and ask them to create a book for younger students to teach them about the event studied using Book Creator, reviewed here. For example, when learning about the three branches of government ask students to create a digital book explaining the functions of the three branches. Book Creator allows you to include videos, images, audio recordings, and more.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Encyclopedia Virginia - Virginia Humanities
Grades
4 to 12tag(s): african american (112), american revolution (82), black history (133), civil rights (205), civil war (139), colonial america (95), colonization (21), constitution (93), politics (118), primary sources (117), slavery (78), virginia (15), virtual field trips (123), washington (28), world war 1 (77), world war 2 (161)
In the Classroom
Bookmark this site to use for lesson planning and student research if you teach Social Studies in any state. Take advantage of the virtual tours on the site to provide a real look at historic sites that go beyond the pages of textbooks. Instead of reading stories found in textbooks, ask students to browse the site to find interesting events during the period being studied. Use these ideas as the basis for student research projects. Encourage students to imagine themselves as a participant in events in history. Ask students to extend learning by using this Headline Generator, reviewed here, as a story starter to retell and analyze moments in history. Share the site's podcasts in listening centers or as an option for flipped learning. Use the podcasts as models for students to create their own podcasts for retelling events in history through the perspective of someone alive during that time. Podcast Generator, reviewed here, will enhance learning and provides free tools for creating and sharing podcasts.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Outrider - Outrider Foundation
Grades
8 to 12tag(s): atomic bomb (8), climate (85), climate change (97), nuclear energy (20), weather (160)
In the Classroom
Include this site with your resources for teaching both of these timely topics. Collaborate with your students and extend learning by bookmarking and saving additional resources using Netboard, reviewed here. In addition to saving bookmarks, Netboard includes the option for adding notes to shared resources. Encourage students to use this feature to describe useful information found on any website. As students explore these topics, use Gravity, reviewed here to enhance learning by creating video response questions for student discussion. Use Gravity to record video or audio'?prompts or create screen recordings to share.'?Encourage students to redefine their learning and problem solve solutions by creating video explainers describing the problem and proposed solutions using a video explainer tool like Google Slides, reviewed here .Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Be Washington - George Washington's Mount Vernon
Grades
6 to 12tag(s): american revolution (82), presidents (135), washington (28), white house (16)
In the Classroom
Use this site as an anticipatory set or "activator" to introduce your unit on the American Revolution. Follow the instructions to create a multiplayer game for your classroom using small groups. Instead of written reports, extend student learning by asking students to research the different points of view provided by advisors within the game. Then modify learning by having them create a website either individually or in small groups using Carrd, reviewed here, to share information backing up their final decision within the game including links to research sites and their supporting writing activities. As a class project, use student research to modify learning and create an interactive book using Book Creator, reviewed here. Have students enhance their learning by using Be Washington as a model to create podcasts using Spotify for Podcastors, reviewed here, to reenact the challenges faced by George Washington.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Teachers Righting History - Rosie Rios
Grades
5 to 12tag(s): biographies (94), currency (14), women (149)
In the Classroom
Download and share the database provided on the site as a starting point for many different history projects. Enhance student learning and begin your project by having students choose a famous woman and personalizing a dollar bill with her image using Festisite Money, reviewed here. As students continue researching famous women, share our TeachersFirst Women's History Month Resources located here, as a starting point for finding information. Instead of just creating a list of online resources for student research, engage students by creating interactive learning activities using a tool like FigJam, reviewed here. FigJam allows you to highlight, add comments, and add sticky notes including video to any web page. Students reply directly within the page and add their own notes. As a final project, enhance learning by asking students to use a timeline tool like Time Graphics Timeline Maker, reviewed here, to share information about their research and add context with other historical events of the time.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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#ThisIs18 Around the World - New York Times
Grades
9 to 12tag(s): cross cultural understanding (172), cultures (180), women (149)
In the Classroom
Be sure to allow some time for students to explore all of the information shared in this incredible interactive. After students have looked through this site on their own, take a deeper look together by displaying the site on your interactive whiteboard and discussing together as a class. Have student share the portions that had the deepest impact on them, compare and contrast their everyday life to those in the interactive, and define topics for further exploration. Use this site as a starting point for a biography project or unit on cultures within your school or community. One great resource for starting a biography and enhancing student learning is the Cube Creator, reviewed here. Instead of just using written notes, extend students' learning by challenging them to take audio recordings of interviews using Vocaroo, reviewed here. Use #ThisIs18 as a model to create your own interactive sharing student interviews and biographies. Sway, reviewed here, is an excellent multimedia tool to enhance learning and for publishing and sharing content. Include audio and video interviews, student writing, and more to create your storytelling project.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Remove Background - Kaleido
Grades
K to 12In the Classroom
Bookmark this site for many classroom uses. Combine your downloaded image with others using a variety of tools including Google Slides. Choose a background image of a city being studied, a different time, or in a far-away setting like the moon, then place your student image on top. Resize the image to fit the scene. Include this image as a starter for class projects. Use images on top of book covers for book talks, create images for story characters and heroes, or use for weather reports. The ideas for using this tool are only limited by your imagination and that of your students. Use your new images to modify or refine classroom technology use by creating a Google Drawings, reviewed here. Google Drawings allows you to annotate an image with links to videos, text, websites, and more. Not familiar with Google Drawings? Watch an archived OK2Ask session to learn how to use: OK2Ask Google Drawings, here.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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FlexClip - Patrick Ma
Grades
K to 12tag(s): communication (129), editing (93), images (261), video (265)
In the Classroom
Use FlexClip even with young students to create videos for many topics. Ask students to share pictures demonstrating the before and after of a science experiment, then add student voice recordings to explain the experiment. Modify and enhance learning by asking students to use FlexClip to create short videos, then include them with other images and videos as part of a multimedia project or digital portfolio. Seesaw, reviewed here, is an easy to use tool for creating and personalizing digital portfolios. The following tools are great for transforming learning and creating multimedia projects: (click on the tool name to access the review): Adobe Creative Cloud Express for Education, Animatron, Sway, and Presentious.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Project Look Sharp - Project Look Sharp, Ithaca College
Grades
K to 12tag(s): american revolution (82), climate change (97), critical thinking (125), environment (252), martin luther king (45), media literacy (108), middle east (50), nutrition (138), OER (43), presidents (135), russia (35), social media (48)
In the Classroom
Become acquainted with these free curriculum kits and lessons to integrate media literacy within content already taught in the classroom. As you teach lessons found on the site, incorporate technology to enhance learning and build student understanding by using Word Ahead, reviewed here, or WordSift, reviewed here, to introduce and develop vocabulary as a prereading strategy or older students can use either as they are reading. Incorporate images with annotations to help students understand "big picture" ideas using Image Annotator, reviewed here. For younger students create a Image Annotator as a class to add text, video, and more to images. Ask older students to create their own Image Annotator sharing information learned throughout your lessons. Be sure to share all of your images on your class website for students to view at any time. To transform classroom technology use and as a culminating activity, use a digital book creation tool like Book Creator, reviewed here, as an alternative assessment to quizzes or tests. Include student-created writing, Annotated images, and add videos with student commentary within each book. Be sure to provide students with your rubric to use as a guide before turning in digital books. Find many ideas for implementing rubrics for assessment along with examples and online tools at TeachersFirst Rubrics to the Rescue, reviewed here. Whether students work individually or in groups, be sure to share your new digital library related to your lesson topic with students to review and revisit at any time!Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Quillionz - Harbinger AI
Grades
6 to 12tag(s): assessment (144), Formative Assessment (73), quiz (66), quizzes (90), reading comprehension (148)
In the Classroom
Use Quillionz as a time-saver to create quizzes covering any content. Before teaching the material, use this tool to help define key terms and content you want to cover. Share Quillionz with older students as an excellent tool to help with reading comprehension and understanding content. Ask them to use the site to create questions to review before quizzes. Enhance learning by asking students to transform technology use and transfer their learning from quiz questions into the creation of an infographic using Canva Infographic Maker, reviewed here. Have students include images, data, and links with additional research information into their infographic.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Soundcite - Knight Lab
Grades
6 to 12tag(s): blogs (65), communication (129), sound (73)
In the Classroom
Combine audio with text to bring life to student work. Share some examples with students before asking them to create Soundcite files. If you have some tech-savvy students, share this site with them before sharing with your whole class. Allow the tech-savvy students to create some examples and tutorials for all to use. Have these students transform classroom technology use and their learning by sharing step-by-step directions using a video explainer tool like Adobe Express Video Maker, reviewed here. Include with student work on their blogs or digital portfolios, or include with any multimedia presentation created using Sway, reviewed here, or Adobe Creative Cloud Express, reviewed here.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Z-A Quiz Generator - ClassTools
Grades
4 to 12This site includes advertising.
tag(s): assessment (144), game based learning (201), quiz (66), quizzes (90)
In the Classroom
Use the Z-A Quiz Generator as a motivating way to introduce a new unit to students (even as a formative assessment for the class), or to review information before quizzes and tests. Instead of asking students to memorize a set of dates or events, help them by organizing the information into common features. For example, during a Civil War unit group together events taking place in different cities as a way to help provide context for students. Include a link to your quizzes on your class webpage or blog for students to practice at any time using the URL or embed code. Enhance technology use and learning by having students create their own Z-A quizzes to share with peers when studying for tests or use as an introduction with class presentations. When sharing student-created multimedia presentations, modify technology use by using a tool like Sway, reviewed here, to share their final projects including a Z-A quiz for viewers. This quiz generator is also a great resource to use during professional development sessions with your peers. Create a quiz to increase your viewers' interest in your topic as you begin your discussions or as a final activity to review information shared.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Headliner - SpareMin
Grades
K to 12tag(s): communication (129), editing (93), multimedia (52), social media (48), video (265)
In the Classroom
Use Headliners to create and share videos in multiple ways. Set the stage for upcoming lessons by creating a video from an upcoming text, post the video on your class website for students to view before reading. Include the transcription feature when sharing videos of student discussions or classroom activities (with appropriate parental permission, of course). Promote your classroom podcast using the Audio Wizard to share a short preview of an upcoming podcast. As an alternative to a research report, use the Find My Content feature and have students redefine their technology use by creating a multimedia video filled with images and video based on their research.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Flourish - Kiln Enterprises Ltd
Grades
6 to 12tag(s): animation (65), charts and graphs (171), infographics (56)
In the Classroom
Use Flourish to create and share information in many different ways. Ask students to upload information, then create bar graphs, pie charts, and line charts to view the same statistics through different methods. Use the animated story feature to display statistics over time. For example, when students create projects about climate change, ask them to create an animated story that shares facts from different decades with each decade becoming a new point in the story to demonstrate change. Because this site features many different options for sharing data, have different groups of students become experts on how to build and share different types of charts then share their expertise with their peers. Include student work created using Flourish within bigger projects using Zeemaps, reviewed here. Zeemaps allows students to create audio recordings AND choose various locations on a map where the report takes place. Use Zeemaps to modify technology use by creating animated maps featuring various location stops that can feature text, video, audio, and of course, your charts created with Flourish.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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