Teachers First - Thinking Teachers Teaching Thinkers

Visit the items shared in this group by BookWidget users to find and use several different SDG-related activities. After registering for a BookWidgets account, you can use all the items for free. Resources include an invention timeline, quizzes, flashcards, and more. Click on any link to view the resource. Share activities using one of the options to share items with students, including links to send activities to Google Classroom and Microsoft Teams.

tag(s): climate change (99), cross cultural understanding (173), energy (133), flash cards (44), nutrition (140), sustainability (50), timelines (56), women (150)

The Library of Congress guide on the 13th Amendment is an invaluable resource for teachers exploring the history of slavery, emancipation, and the evolution of civil rights in the United States. This comprehensive guide provides primary source documents, historical context, and legal insights into the amendment that abolished slavery. Designed for educators, it offers easy access to speeches, legislative records, and images that bring the historical significance of the 13th Amendment to life. Whether you're teaching a civics, history, or government class, this guide equips you with the tools to foster meaningful discussions about freedom, justice, and the enduring impact of this landmark amendment.

tag(s): civil rights (209), constitution (96), emancipation proclamation (13), slavery (79)

Follow two curious mice, August and Pearl, as they explore the artwork in over one hundred museums worldwide. Their easy-to-understand observations and conversations provide a unique and playful perspective. After launching the activity, choose to explore by art or museum view. Replay conversations and toggle on subtitles if desired. After listening to the conversation, return to choose a new selection or choose the link to explore other art available in the museum.

tag(s): artificial intelligence (177), artists (85), museums (52)

Geography.com is an engaging educational resource that helps teachers bring geography to life in the classroom. The site offers interactive maps, quizzes, articles, and videos covering physical geography, human geography, climate, and world cultures. It provides student-friendly explanations, real-world examples, and multimedia content to support lessons on global issues, ecosystems, and geographic concepts. With its interactive approach, Geography.com is a valuable tool for fostering curiosity, critical thinking, and spatial awareness in students of all grade levels.

tag(s): climate (84), critical thinking (127), cultures (180), ecosystems (83), maps (220), multimedia (53)

Discover these free resources for students to investigate photojournalistic images from the 1940s through the 1970s. The featured photographs were used to illustrate stories in newspapers and magazines, providing visual accounts of events shaping 20th-century history. On the right side, "For the Classroom" links directly to lesson plans, image banks, photojournalism overviews, and questions for teaching. The four lessons featured include: Extra, Extra, Write all about it!, Newsworthy Images, Debating the Bomb, and Vietnam and the Long-term Effect of War. Each lesson has a time allotted, overview, objectives, materials, steps, assessment, and extensions. The lessons are aligned with the California Visual Arts Standards and the Common Core Standards for English Language Arts.

tag(s): images (263), newspapers (93), writing (325)

African American Artists: Resources in the Library of Congress, serves as a comprehensive guide to the vast collections and resources on African American art and artists. It provides an introduction to significant artworks, movements, and figures, offering insights into their historical and cultural contributions. The guide is organized into sections that highlight primary sources, exhibitions, photographs, manuscripts, and reference materials available in the Library's collections. It is a valuable tool for educators, researchers, and students seeking to explore the rich legacy and impact of African American artists.

tag(s): african american (115), art history (103), black history (133), civil rights (209)

Explore this detailed guide to the history of the 6888th Central Postal Directory Battalion, the only all-Black, all-female battalion to serve overseas during World War II. It highlights the battalion's critical role in clearing a massive backlog of mail to boost troop morale and their perseverance in the face of racism, sexism, and challenging conditions. The guide offers access to primary sources, such as photographs, official records, and news articles, along with historical analysis that situates their contributions within the broader context of the war and civil rights. This resource is a valuable tool for educators, featuring side tabs with timelines, related collections, and teaching resources, making it ideal for lessons on women's history, African American history, and military history.

tag(s): black history (133), civil rights (209), women (150), womenchangemaker (36), world war 2 (161)

The Nature Conservatory is a free website that offers lesson plans on the following three topics: Protect Ocean, Land, and Freshwater, Provide Food and Water, and Tackle Climate Change for ages 14 through 18. Each of these topics has 1-5 lessons, including Gray, Green, Blue: Water Security and YOU!, Sustainable Fishing, and Urban Runoff: Stormwater Management. Each lesson has a teacher's guide that includes essential questions, an overview, materials and resources, videos, vocabulary, handouts, and an evaluation. Lessons are aligned to the Next Generation Science Standards and the Common Core.

tag(s): climate (84), climate change (99), environment (252), oceans (149), sustainability (50)

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 (222), 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 (150), womenchangemaker (36), 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 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 (16)

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 (222), religions (95), romans (52), rome (37)