Teachers First - Thinking Teachers Teaching Thinkers

Textivate is a simple web tool to automatically generate a range of online activities based on any text you enter (up to 500 words). Type or paste a chunk of text into the text box on the Textivate front page and click on the "Textivate Now" button to see the available exercises that can be generated from that text. Choose from various activities based on the amount of text used such as drag and drop, sorting, or fill in the gaps. View an example on evaporation located here. Register on the site for further options such as uploading text, embedding your textivate onto a website, or share via hyperlink.

tag(s): grammar review (31), process writing (37), sequencing (17), summarizing (23), word study (59)

Draggo is a convenient way to save, share, and organize your bookmarks from anywhere. With Draggo, you use the web to store your favorite links, preventing loss from computer problems. Join for free. Inside your account, add pages to store, share, and organize links. Add the browser button or drag links into Draggo to put in your inbox; organize when you have time. You can have up to 10 tabs to save your important links. Choose to keep private or make public via your own personalized Draggo URL. Editing is not possible without a user name and password. The introduction video to this site is the only part of the site that appears to require Flash.

tag(s): bookmarks (43), classroom management (120), curation (32)

With over 5 million dollars granted, Voya Unsung Heroes has supported teachers through grants provided by its Unsung Heroes Program. Each year grants are provided to K-12 educators utilizing new teaching techniques and methods that improve learning. Applications are judged on three criteria: innovative method, creativity, and ability to positively influence students. 100 Finalists are chosen yearly to receive $2,000 grants with at least one award going to each of the 50 states. Three top awards of $25,000, $10,000 and $5,000 are given to the top three recipients. Follow links provided on the site to apply for the grant. The deadline is generally the end of April each year.

tag(s): grants (15)

Project Britain is your guide to British life, culture, and customs, designed for even young readers to understand. Follow icons to learn more about the Royal Family, weather, folklore and traditions, and everything else British. Each topic has a short introduction followed by a series of questions with links to answers and further information. View answers to questions posed by the site's young readers and by teenagers. One interesting portion of the site compares British countries to states and other countries.
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tag(s): cross cultural understanding (173), cultures (181), england (50), folktales (34), great britain (16), ireland (11), scotland (8), transportation (31)

iFakeText is a tool to create fake screenshots of a series of iPhone text messages. Write a name, then choose an operator and write text in the provided box. Click the link "Create your Screenshot" to view the picture. Have the operator READ the text message (great for non-readers). Take a screenshot or share via different social networking platforms or via a link.
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tag(s): creative writing (124), text to speech (20), writing prompts (61)

Discover a huge collection of interactive illustrations to help explain complex concepts in science, technology, art, math, and a range of other topics. Use these activities to create interactive visualizations. There are thousands of Mathematica Demonstrations. A demonstration is a Mathematica notebook that takes advantage of Mathematica's manipulate command. Use the manipulate command to create sliders or buttons or check boxes to change the values of parameters in the displays in the demonstration. The result is you control the animation. View demonstrations on topics ranging from odd and even numbers to odd and even functions, fractions to fractals, and from linear functions to linear algebra and linear programming. In addition to mathematical topics, there are demonstrations illustrating the time in different cities around the world, global demographic information, the solar system, and art and music concepts. You need to download the Wolfram CDF player to use and interact with the demonstrations.
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tag(s): addition (129), animals (294), architecture (76), computers (109), division (98), fractions (160), geometric shapes (134), gravity (43), logic (161), maps (220), money (113), multiples (15), multiplication (122), plants (146), psychology (65), statistics (121), subtraction (110), weather (160)

Go to Google Street View instantly with this handy site. Begin by typing in an address. As you type the screen changes automatically to the best street view image of what has been entered so far. Many may find the constant changing of images as you type distracting; others may find the variety of seeing new areas exciting. Click "About" in the lower left hand corner for an explanation of color boxes and controls. Download and share the view easily.
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tag(s): map skills (63), maps (220)

ReadWorks provides a free, research-based, and Common Core-aligned reading comprehension curriculum. Click Explore Content from the top menu to search through hundreds of lesson plans organized by grade level, topic, or titles. Register to download materials and save lessons to your folder. (A valid email and password is required). Be sure to start with the Teacher Guide to see all the many features ReadWorks offers about using and teaching the provided lessons and differentiation. For a quick start, click Explore Content then select options from the left menu: Text Options - Reading Passages, Aritcle a Day, and Paired Text, Curriculum Support, Grade, Topic, Text Types - Nonfiction, Fiction, or Poetry, and Lexile. There are thousands of reading passages along with question sets to support learning activities for grades K-12. Each selection contains the text with audio, a vocabulary link, and a questions set. In the left margin, you will find related resources such as standards and related materials. Teachers can create classes to assign reading and track assessments (which are automatically graded). After signing up with email, click on Admin from the top menu and create a class. Students join the class by using a code and their Google account. No Google account? No problem. Create a roster and provide the class code to students. Easily create assignments for the whole class, or individuals as a way to differentiate. This is a perfect tool to use for remote (or distance) teaching and learning!

tag(s): characterization (19), context clues (5), figurative language (18), guided reading (33), main idea (8), parts of speech (39), plot (15), point of view (8), reading comprehension (149), reading strategies (96), sequencing (17), Teacher Utilities (200), themes (16), vocabulary (238)

This international, interactive map site contains over 100 puzzles and activities in English to practice map skills by location. This review should direct you to the English version. Removing the filter for English reveals many more maps in Spanish and other languages. Use the box at the left to select a language. You can also choose by categories of continents, countries, capitals, most visited, and more. Each map has a short description of the activity to read before opening. Double click to open a map and play. Correct responses earn points toward the maximum available.

tag(s): asia (116), canada (24), capitals (16), continents (33), countries (73), landforms (39), map skills (63), maps (220), oceans (149), rivers (16), states (124)

Find an easy, interactive tool to create storyboards at Storyboard That. Choose between three and six frame storyboards, and build a storyboard using the free library with drag and drop technology. Before you begin, you may want to look at the example storyboards for business and teachers. With a free account, you can create two storyboards a week with the classic storyboard layout. To share and save storyboards, you must register with an email.
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tag(s): charts and graphs (172), creative writing (124), digital storytelling (156), writing (324)

See what the world was like at that time with Take Me Back To. Type in any date you want to visit. Results offer a short text passage about who was president and what music was popular (if available). See samples of movies, magazines, book charts, advertisements, and more. Unfortunately, the site doesn't go back beyond 1900, so any search before that time will default to that date in 1900. Searches can be done on dates up to the present. Note that clicking on some of the images offered takes you to paid services or current issues of the same magazine.
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tag(s): 1900s (72), 1910s (6), 1920s (15), 1930s (20), 1940s (14), 1950s (8), 1960s (26), 1970s (10), 1980s (7), 20th century (62), decades (7), timelines (56)

Introducing Text Structures in Writing is a comprehensive lesson plan to introduce the idea that science writing organizes in identifiable patterns called text structures. Common Core Reading/LA Standards focus on these text structures in informational texts. Use the provided links to many materials such as word cards, sentence strips, definitions, and graphic organizers to print materials in PDF format. Lists include suggested books for different text structures such as sequence, description, and compare and contrast. Use extension and assessment ideas as additions to the lesson plan. Although labeled for 5th grade, this lesson would be appropriate for use in any classroom learning to read and understand non-fiction and informational text.

tag(s): process writing (37), reading comprehension (149), reading strategies (96), sequencing (17), writers workshop (31), writing (324)

This "must-see" site includes many tests for Kindergarten through grade 7. Activities support California State Standards and Common Core Standards. Each activity includes a link with standards addressed. Choose by grade level or topic. Each topic has a drop-down box to further refine choice by grade level and content.

tag(s): addition (129), alphabetical order (8), capitalization (9), decimals (85), division (98), earth (184), fractions (160), geometric shapes (134), homophones (6), keyboarding (28), map skills (63), maps (220), money (113), multiplication (122), number sense (69), reading comprehension (149), sign language (10), spelling (97), subtraction (110), synonyms (15), time (91), vocabulary (238)

SoundCities is an open database of thousands of sounds from around the world. The site itself uses GoogleMaps. However, some of the world maps take you to Google Earth. Recordings range from car sounds to airport announcements and thousands of other typical city sounds. Choose a city from the list at the top of the page. Choose from pins on the map or the list of available sounds on the page. View the site's database to listen to sounds by mood such as mechanical, rhythm, or weather.

tag(s): cross cultural understanding (173), maps (220), sound (72), sounds (43)

This tool reveals full URLs for links that have been shortened using URL shortener tools (like bit.ly, tinyurl.com and others). Many of the URLs created by the shortening sites are blocked by school content filters (because the shortener websites are actually blocked). Try un-shortening the URL with this tool to access the content and to know what you are headed for! Enter the URL and click the button. Shortened URLs can also hide undesirable content, so seeing the "real" URL can prevent embarrassment such as opening something unexpected in front of others.

tag(s): browser (8), internet safety (114)

Find many ready to go, subject specific, Common Core aligned projects free for your use. Developed by the Buck Institute for Education, who are THE experts for project based learning, the PBLU projects are designed to save you time in the project based learning process. However, each project is flexible enough to customize it to your needs. Sign up for their newsletter to stay updated about new project development. You can even suggest a project for them to create through the Community Wish List.

tag(s): problem solving (233), Project Based Learning (23), Research (88), STEM (298)

Create a "fake" Facebook-style page for anyone or anything! It's a good idea to do a little planning ahead of time, then just follow the directions on the landing page. Give your page a name and add an image from your computer. (They insert an image for you if you do not select one, however, you can change the image by clicking on it and selecting one from your computer.) Of course you will need to use a Creative Commons or other copyright-safe image. You can also add videos and links, edit the profile, and your page is almost ready. You must add at least one post and one friend to save work. Under the "Friends" block, you can add blocks such as Family, Major Speeches, etc. Choose "save" from the options on top left side of the page, enter a password, and your unique URL for your Fakebook page appears. Be sure to copy and save this link as it is the only time it is given in the setup process. If you are prepared with images and links, page creation is quick and easy with a small learning curve. Share your Fakebook page with the link to your page.
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tag(s): back to school (55), book reports (28), creative writing (124), digital storytelling (156), firstday (22), social networking (61)

Classtools offers online game, quiz, and concept map generators to use in any classroom with any subject. Temlates make it easy. NO registration is necessary. Just start right in! Make games public on their website or blog using the link provided upon completion. Templates include Fakebook, X ( still called Tweet) Generator, an SMS conversation (text message) simulator, QR Treasure Hunt, Fishbone, Random Name Generator, Burger Diagram (essay writing), Countdown Timer, and many more. Use the dropdown box to view the complete list of tools or search for a template. Follow the easy step-by-step directions provided. Some items are now considered as premium options which require payment; however, much of the site is free. Avoid the tools with the yellow "premium" banner on the top-right portion of the icon.
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tag(s): essays (21), qr codes (19), quiz (67), social networking (61), spelling (97), twitter (13), venn diagrams (15), vocabulary (238), word choice (14), word study (59)