Teachers First - Thinking Teachers Teaching Thinkers

Amanda Gorman captured the nation's attention with the recital of her inspiring poem, "The Hill We Climb," during Joe Biden's 2021 inauguration ceremony. This site shares lessons and teaching activities to accompany this poem. Resources include links to a hyperdoc that explores the poem's craft, lessons comparing inaugural poets and poetry, and a black poets video playlist. Scroll through the site to find many ideas for engaging students in poetry.

tag(s): authors (107), inauguration (10), poetry (193)

Photopea is an advanced image editor similar to Photoshop but available within your browser for free and doesn't require registration. Files opened in Photopea save to PSD format; however, you can upload JPG and other file formats to use in Photopea to add and edit information. Other options for sharing completed images include publishing products to Imgur in PNG or JPG format. Use the "Learn" link found at the top of the page to access the site's tutorials for using the different features available.
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tag(s): editing (93), images (263)

Fresh Folk is a downloadable library of editable people and objects. Enter your email and download the versatile library of items, including mix and match characters and various objects to use when creating scenes. After selecting to download the images, all files are saved to your computer in a zip folder, open the folder to access all of the shared items. All images are in PSD format for use with Photoshop. Use Photoshop tools to edit all features of images, including text, color, layers, and more.

tag(s): editing (93), images (263)

This interesting site uses maps not to convey information but as a tool to influence opinions or beliefs. The author's selection of maps to persuade and influence others is a deliberate strategy because, unlike some other forms of communication, most people believe maps to be honest and factual. The collection includes more than 800 maps using various persuasive tools, including select use of color, intentional exclusion of information, and unusual choices of graphics and color. Browse the collection by subject, date posted, or look through the entire collection. Each link leads to a map found in the collection; open the thumbnail to view additional information, including the date of the map's creation and collector's notes providing context and background to the image.

tag(s): maps (220), persuasive writing (58)

Each week, Useful Charts adds a new video that explores history through family tree charts. Follow along to find out who would be King of France today if still ruled by a monarchy or travel further back in time to explore Chinese emperors' lineage. Select the Playlists to find several different compilations of videos, including several royal family trees. The videos are hosted on YouTube. If your district blocks YouTube, then they may not be viewable.

tag(s): asia (116), china (81), egypt (56), europe (84), famous people (19), france (41), germany (28), politics (118), presidents (135), romans (52)

Learn history by watching the humorous and informative videos found on Mr. Betts' Class YouTube Channel. The videos present topics such as The 13 Colonies Song set to Queen's Somebody to Love and World War Two as a Friend's theme parody using memes and song parodies. Most of the videos are under ten minutes long, making them easy to incorporate within current lessons and activities. The videos are hosted on YouTube. If your district blocks YouTube, then they may not be viewable.
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tag(s): bill of rights (33), colonial america (95), elections (82), electoral college (22), explorers (64), great depression (30), pilgrims (12), presidents (135), world war 1 (77), world war 2 (161)

Listen to daily 60-second podcasts to learn about the United States government. Themes explored include constitutional issues related to today's headlines, presidential powers, and more--most episodes pertain to current events topics. In addition to the podcast, there is a daily quiz to check your knowledge of civics-related issues. Scroll down the page to find archives of recent topics, or use the keyword search to find podcasts related to any subject.

tag(s): branches of government (65), constitution (96), democracy (24), elections (82), electoral college (22), house of representatives (8), politics (118), senate (10), supreme court (27)

Instantly convert any PDF document into a flipbook using AnyFlip. Add links, audio, video, animation, and other interactive features to create multimedia books by adding a few more steps. After creating an account, upload a PDF document of up to 150 MB, and AnyFlip converts your document to a flipbook that can be shared using a QR code or link. Access the advanced functions by downloading the desktop version that is available for Windows or Macs. The downloadable version includes functions for editing book designs, adding multimedia links, creating clickable hot spots, and more. Free accounts allow up to 150 uploads per month and 100G of storage.

tag(s): conversions (37), ebooks (43), multimedia (53)

Take a private virtual tour of Versailles without leaving the comfort of your home or classroom. The three-part tour takes visitors into the palace by retelling intriguing stories, exploring the artwork, and sharing never before seen content in 3D, virtual tours, and VR experiences. Explore this site further by taking a quiz to find out which royal you would be, learn eleven little-known fun facts, and get up close and personal with the royals by interacting with palace artifacts.

tag(s): art history (102), europe (84), france (41)

Photo Joiner Collage Maker is a free online tool for creating photo collages, with no registration required. Use the sidebar tools to select the number of images, customize the image size, and add a border. Additional features offer the ability to choose from layout options, add text, and create memes. Use the "Add Images" link to upload images, then drag each photograph onto your design template. When complete, download your collage to your device or share it to social media using the links provided.
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tag(s): collages (17), editing (93), images (263), photography (130)

Select from several geography-themed games created by a Google software engineer to see how many cities you can name worldwide. Choose from games that focus on different continents or countries to begin playing. Type a city name in the box; if it is on the map, a red dot appears in its location. Click on the dot to view the city name and approximate location. As the game continues, the total number of cities and population appears under the map, along with additional population statistics based on your choices.

tag(s): cities (17), continents (33), countries (73), maps (220), population (51), quizzes (90)

This interactive globe shares some of the most extreme locations on Earth. Find the highest mountain, discover the most distant point from land, and more by turning the globe and clicking highlighted areas. Each highlighted area includes a short description cited within Wikipedia articles.

tag(s): globe (12), maps (220)

If you need a printable map, this site is for you! Choose from over 600 maps to download and print. Selections include a world map, maps of continents, countries, states, and even county maps for each state. There is even more...choose from maps with and without labels, state flags, Civil War states, the list goes on. After selecting a map, click on the link, and download the PDF.
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tag(s): continents (33), countries (73), maps (220), stars (71), states (124)

Take the stress out of creating proper citations using Bibliography.com's citation creator; no registration required. Bibliography.com focuses on creating citations using the three major formats - Chicago, APA, and MLA. Enter a book title, author, or URL to begin selecting the appropriate item from the resulting search. If necessary, add edits to the information such as page number or annotation, then create your citation. Copy and paste your citation into any document or download it to Microsoft Word. Although registration isn't required, creating a free account offers you options, including online storage that makes all items saved accessible from any device.

tag(s): citations (33), expository writing (31), persuasive writing (58), plagiarism (34), Research (87)

MyBib is a bibliography and citation generator that offers many different citation styles. Use this simple tool to create and save citations for various resources, including websites, PDFs, and ISBN. Begin by selecting the type of resource from the options bar or drag a PDF onto the site. Follow the prompts that may ask for additional information. When finished, select the download option to copy and add to a document, choose from other options to print, add to Google Drive, and more. Creating an account is optional; however, it allows you to save your citations for future use. MyBib also offers a Chrome extension that creates citations directly from websites.

tag(s): citations (33), expository writing (31), persuasive writing (58), plagiarism (34), Research (87)

This middle school and high school curriculum challenges students to think about issues and concerns faced in their communities and beyond, then develop campaigns to overcome the obstacles found. Based upon Common Core Standards, the program includes over 70 lessons that begin engaging students through developing an understanding of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the Convention on the Rights of the Child. Lessons don't have to take place in the order offered; select lessons that fit the goals chosen for you and your students.

tag(s): civil rights (209), social and emotional learning (102), women (151)

World's Largest Lesson provides resources for educators who teach students about 17 Global Goals created by the leaders of the 193 countries of the United Nations. Visit the Resources portion of the site to browse through the many activities. Narrow your search using the provided filters to locate information by grade level, topic, type of activity, and more. In addition, if you are interested in a particular goal, say Zero Hunger, find the poster with the 17 goals and click on Zero Hunger to find activities and lessons. Downloadable lessons include complete directions, printable worksheets, and key questions highlighted during the lesson. The videos are hosted on YouTube. If your district blocks YouTube, then they may not be viewable. This site would be a good one to leave for your substitute to use; it's high-interest, no sign-in, and has lesson plans & video clips.

tag(s): cross cultural understanding (173), earth (184), energy (133), engineering (129), environment (252), inequalities (25), maps (220), STEM (297), substitutes (25), sustainability (50)