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PBS Summer of Possibilites - Play Your Way - PBS Kids
Grades
K to 3tag(s): calendars (37), literacy (121), preK (269), reading lists (77), seasonal (16), summer (28)
In the Classroom
Take advantage of the many free activities on this site; be sure to share with parents for ideas on learning at home. Consider having a "summer" day in the middle of winter as you enjoy summer activities in the warmth of the indoors. Share with parents at the end of the school year as a great resource for learning during the summer months.You must be registered and logged in to add items to your favorites.
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Wall of Birds - Cornell Lab of Ornithology
Grades
2 to 12tag(s): birds (46), evolution (89), map skills (63), maps (219)
In the Classroom
This enticing and engaging site will stimulate interest in birds at any level and works on any device. Explore the world of birds on an interactive whiteboard or projector with your whole class or have small groups or individuals research particular species. The lower right-hand navigational buttons, help explore the map and lead to other content about it. Using the map as an example, have students create their own maps featuring local, national, or international animals using Google Maps, reviewed here, or on paper. Research birds online using Audubon Adventures, reviewed here, or with bird guidebooks. Using a mobile device, have students collect their own bird pictures and calls to share in an online presentation, using a tool such as Sway, reviewed here, or on a Google Map. After watching the "Behind the Scenes" video whose link is in the right-hand corner of the Wall, have students work collaboratively to create a class mural of local birds or other topics.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Global Forest Change Explorer - Univ of MD, Google Earth Engine & Science in the Classroom
Grades
6 to 12tag(s): conservation (101), forests (29), maps (219)
In the Classroom
Encourage students to explore this tool with a focus on a specific area or country. Have them create a simple infographic sharing their findings using Visme, reviewed here. Have students create commercials with their ideas for saving the forests using a tool such as Powtoon, reviewed here.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Teach With Movies - TeachWithMovies.com, Inc.
Grades
3 to 12tag(s): difficult conversations (57), essays (21), movies (54), questioning (36), social and emotional learning (100), social skills (22), worksheets (69), writing (324)
In the Classroom
Movies offer an entertaining format for history and thematic studies. Use a video to add to the learning experience of students who are visual and auditory learners. Use this site to find videos in a wide range of topics to share on an interactive whiteboard or with a projector. Take advantage of the free lesson plans for classroom use. Preview the lessons before viewing and convert those that can be to a real-time discussion to engage students WHILE they watch a video! Enhance classroom learning and technology use and achieve this by setting up a backchannel chat using GoSoapBox, reviewed here. Alternatively, if you are distance or remote teaching or have a blended classroom, use VideoAnt, reviewed here, to ask questions and have students respond directly on the video.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Skimcast - Bill Hollingsworth
Grades
5 to 8tag(s): multilingual (74), note taking (36), reading strategies (96), summarizing (23)
In the Classroom
Skimcast would be the perfect tool to show students how to take notes for a report or speech or create a study guide during, or at the end of a unit of study. Work together as a class and read the sentences that are just the relevant facts. Then show students how to pull out just the important words - deleting all prepositions, articles, and connector words. Resource teachers can use Skimcast to make reading from core classes shorter and easier for their students. ESL/ELL teachers can use this tool to make the text more understandable to limited English speakers.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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NorthPole.com - Northpole Productions, LLC
Grades
K to 7This site includes advertising.
In the Classroom
Introduce the NorthPole to students by projecting it for all to see the different areas to explore. Add a link to classroom computers for the entire site or specific areas. Post a link on your class web page or newsletter for parents and students to use at home. With younger students, consider demonstrating how to write a letter to Santa or send a postcard to a relative from this site. Take photos, or have older students take photos, of the crafts and recipes the students make and post them on your website for parents to see. Engage older students by having them post the photos with and explanation using a portfolio tool such as bulb, reviewed here. Alternatively, students could enhance their learning by annotating images taken of their activities with text, URL's, or videos using Genially, reviewed here.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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picjumbo - Viktor Hanacek
Grades
K to 12This site includes advertising.
tag(s): creative commons (28), images (260), photography (123)
In the Classroom
Use this site to search for photos for presentations, projects, or research. Take advantage of this opportunity to discuss proper use and sharing of online images and information. For ENL/ESL students or speech/language, use the pictures for them to create their own visual dictionary. World language teachers can also challenge students to use images to illustrate vocabulary or accompany writing. Use photos for writing prompts or even to create descriptive sentences. Have one student describe the picture as another sketches the image. Now compare the described image to the real image.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Hold the Fort! - National Park Service, Fort McHenry
Grades
4 to 10tag(s): battles (18), game based learning (199), war of 1812 (15)
In the Classroom
This interactive requires the installation of the Unity Web Player, be sure to verify set up before students play the game. Create a link on classroom computers for students to play on their own or in groups. Have cooperative learning groups create podcasts describing events leading up to and during the Battle of Baltimore as if broadcasting a news event. Use a site such as podOmatic, reviewed here. Challenge students to create a fictional Facebook account using Fakebook, reviewed here, to create a "fake" page similar in style to Facebook about a soldier, commander, or British soldier during the battle.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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bioGraphic - California Academy of Science
Grades
4 to 12tag(s): animal homes (57), animals (295), deserts (16), habitats (91), multimedia (51), natural resources (37), oceans (147), rainforests (18)
In the Classroom
Even if you don't teach science, you and your students will love this magazine because of the beautiful images shared! Use bioGraphic for informational reading in your Language Arts classroom. Include a link on classroom computers for students to read on their own. In science class share bioGraphic articles as a starting point for any unit on animals, for social studies, use bioGraphic to learn more about places around the world and the people that live there. Have cooperative learning groups create online books about information learned on this site using a tool such as Bookemon, reviewed here. Don't forget to subscribe to bioGraphic to receive updates as new articles are added to the magazine.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Transportation Systems - Past, Present, and Future - Educator DigiKit - The Henry Ford Museum
Grades
8 to 12tag(s): 1800s (75), 1900s (72), railroads (14), transportation (31)
In the Classroom
Save some time with these ready-to-use free materials for use as an entire unit or as a supplement to current teaching materials. Include information from this site during lessons on the 1800 or 1900's or the Industrial Revolution. Have students transform their learning by creating timelines (with music, photos, videos, and more) to demonstrate changes in transportation using Timeline JS, reviewed here.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Chronas - Dietmar Aumann
Grades
6 to 12tag(s): 1600s (20), 1700s (36), 1800s (75), 1900s (72), explorers (65), maps (219), religions (95), timelines (55)
In the Classroom
Introduce Chronas on an interactive whiteboard and demonstrate how to use the timeline and find the many features available. Allow time for students to explore on their own. Use this site to reinforce your students' understanding of timelines. Have cooperative learning groups investigate a particular period or ruler. Have students create a simple infographic sharing their findings using Visme, reviewed here.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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WordsEye - WordsEye
Grades
K to 12tag(s): digital storytelling (153), images (260)
In the Classroom
Turn on your students' creative side with WordsEye! There are SO many ways to use WordsEye in classrooms: ENL/ESL students can create sentences, and correct them if the image doesn't look right. Have ENL/ESL and world language students set up their own visual dictionary. Challenge students to create images and then use them with the class as a writing prompt. Tell them they have to create a story, not try to recreate the sentence that produced the image. Show your students how to embed media transforming their work into a true digital story using a multimedia presentation about class content with their created images and sentences and Presentious, reviewed here. Digital storytellers can use the 3D images for the reader to see what is happening in the story. Alternatively, they can upload their image to Google Drawings, reviewed here, and tell the story around the image. 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. Share the link for this tool with your school's art teacher as an excellent tool for use with art projects, and post the link on your website for students to use at home. Since registration is via email, for young students consider using a "class set" of Gmail subaccounts, explained here; this tells how to configure Gmail subaccounts to use for any online membership service. Using Gmail subaccounts will provide anonymous interaction within your class.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Of the People: Art and History of the White House - Discovery Education
Grades
6 to 12tag(s): art history (100), presidents (135), video (264), white house (16)
In the Classroom
Before viewing this video, challenge students to brainstorm what a curator's job is and what kind of artifacts they might find in the White House. After viewing, extend learning by having students create a simple infographic of important White House artifacts sharing their findings using Venngage, reviewed here. Ask students to curate their own collection of items such as things found in their room at home, a collection of items from your school, or a collection of artifacts from your hometown. Create a book featuring these items using Ourboox, reviewed here. Ourboox creates beautiful page-flipping digital books in minutes, and you can embed video, music, animation, games, maps and more truly redefining learning.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Labeley - Labeley.com
Grades
K to 12tag(s): digital storytelling (153), editing (93), images (260)
In the Classroom
Have students create images in Labeley to add to book reports and multimedia projects. Have students upload a picture of themselves doing their favorite activity and label it with amusing text or a favorite quote (or song lyrics?). Have them upload images that represent their interests and character traits using 4 Free Photos, reviewed here, from the public domain. Of course, proper credit must be given. Create a picture for a character from a story and add text descriptions of character traits. For other uses, have students practice new words in a world language class by labeling and identifying images in that language. Create writing prompts using several annotated images. Have students create annotated images to explain key terms in science class.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Libib - Javod Khalaj
Grades
K to 12tag(s): book lists (166), DAT device agnostic tool (147), preK (269)
In the Classroom
Libib is perfect for organizing and cataloging your classroom book collection. Use the tag features to organize your collection by genres, subject, authors, or any way you need. Tag books for specific students or reading levels. Post a link on your web page and share Libib with your students as a way for them to give opinions on current books and movies.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Animatron - Dmitry Skavish
Grades
K to 12tag(s): animation (65), movies (54), multimedia (51), slides (43), video (264)
In the Classroom
Challenge older students to create their own Animatrons. Students can use Animatron to share their ideas or to "prototype" an idea. Students can create videos to show math processes, explanations of complex concepts, review new learning, teach others, explain scientific processes, tell stories, or present research. Flip your classroom using Animatron presentations. Use Animatron to create teacher-authored animations for students in ANY grade. Animatron is an excellent way to present new information or ideas for discussion. It is an easy way to prepare information for the class when a substitute is coming. Share Animatron creations on your website or blog for students to review at home. Use an Animatron video on the first day of school to explain class rules or give an exciting introduction to the year ahead. Use Animatron to create movies or presentations for back-to-school night or conference nights to display on your interactive whiteboard or with a projector. Teacher-librarians can ask students to create Animatron book reviews to share kiosk style in the library/media center.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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The Stock Market Game - Securities Industry and Financial Markets Assoc Foundation
Grades
4 to 12tag(s): business (52), DAT device agnostic tool (147), game based learning (199), investing (8), money (114), stock market (11)
In the Classroom
Participants who register as "Teachers with Classes" receive extensive teacher support, including a searchable library of standards, curriculum materials, and assessments. While providing real-world practice, SMG engages students in the core academic subjects, such as math, English, and economics. Lesson plans include Teacher Background and materials to implement the lesson with students. Find more information by perusing additional publications, links, and other resources. Contact a local SMG Coordinator for additional assistance. Use the game in individual classes, school-wide, in after school clubs, or with home-schoolers. Encourage families to play at home together or collaborate with others. Additional benefits include higher math and financial literacy scores on tests by students who play SMG. Also, teachers report that the program even taught them about financial planning, research, and investing wisely. Because this is ongoing activity, enhance learning with the use of technology throughout. Have students share financial resource sites using a bookmarking tool like Papaly, reviewed here. In addition to curating and sharing bookmarks, Papaly allows you the opportunity to add notes and comments to sites shared. Have students use a video creation tool like Powtoon, reviewed here, to make explainer videos of financial concepts. Ask groups of students to produce and share podcasts (perhaps weekly or bi-weekly) to discuss their learning and progress within the Stock Market Game. Buzzsprout, reviewed here, is a free tool for creating and sharing podcasts.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Canva Infographic Maker - Canva.com
Grades
5 to 12tag(s): data (151), infographics (56), posters (43)
In the Classroom
Experiment with Canva on a projector or interactive whiteboard (let the students do it!) using different design "themes." Make changes without having to configure the whole Infographic. After creating Infographics as a class, review the other types to show basic design principles. Students can create Infographics of a classroom topic, relationships and definitions of major terms, lab information, and more. Find data and information that connects your content to the outside world, such as the statistics and causes for endangered species. Consider assigning the creation of an Infographic as an assignment to understand any curriculum content and connect it with the real world. For example, show the many ways to use electricity or the impact of slavery on an economy. Have students explain an experiment and report the results with graphical information to provide meaning. Learn about food groups (now displayed as myplate) by dissecting a food diary or a typical school lunch meeting daily requirements (and other nutrition topics).If you use literature circles in your classroom, making an Infographic about a novel the group read would be a great conclusion for the lit circle project, and it might entice others in the class to read the novel. Post the infographics on your web page for all your students and their parents to enjoy.
To challenge your gifted students, have them research and create infographics depicting the tough issues or "flipsides" related to your curriculum topic. Some suggestions: Major court cases and issues involving freedom of speech (during your Constitution unit), risks and benefits of nuclear power (in a physics class), or how an author's experience influences what he/she writes. Extend student learning by asking them to create a webpage using Webnode, reviewed here, that includes their infographic. Be sure to point out that many of the same tips shared for creating infographics applies to web page construction.
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Kindle Direct Publishing - Amazon Kindle
Grades
K to 12This site includes advertising.
tag(s): digital storytelling (153), ebooks (43)
In the Classroom
If your class uses Kindles, the possibilities are endless. Publish interactive short books for all content areas and set the price to free. Students can then download and view books on their devices. Put together groups of student projects to create a complete book for all to use when reviewing material at the end of any unit. Share with gifted students for creating a book as an in-depth investigation into any area of the curriculum.Edge Features:
Parent permission advised before posting student work created using this tool
Includes Interaction w general public/ public galleries with unmoderated content
Includes social features, such as "friends," comments, ratings by others
Requires registration/log-in (WITH email)
Requires download/installation of software
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CamStudio - Free Screen Streaming Software - CamStudio
Grades
K to 12This site includes advertising.
tag(s): video (264)
In the Classroom
Use CamStudio to record instructions for using websites. Share how to perform problems, step by step directions for any project, and much more. Leave a video message for a substitute teacher or even the class! Create a video message to share with parents about current projects, clips from field trips, and more. Share on your class website for students to view at home. Allow students to record a video sharing their favorite websites or tips for solving math problems.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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