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Bensound Royalty Free Music - Benjamin Tissot
Grades
3 to 12
2 Favorites
0 Comments
Choose from a large selection of royalty free music to use with multimedia projects and online videos at Bensound. Music is free to use with attribution to Bensound.com in its ...more
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Choose from a large selection of royalty free music to use with multimedia projects and online videos at Bensound. Music is free to use with attribution to Bensound.com in its original format without remixing. Sort music options by genre or browse by popular and newest additions. Download your selection to your computer as an MP3 file.
In the Classroom
Play musical selections for students to talk about musical elements and styles in music class. Have partners explore the site to find examples of different rhythms or styles they prefer. Use Bensound Music for soft background music during quiet work times in your classroom. Share with students for use in multimedia presentations (with proper attribution, of course). Try sharing this resource with students when they are creating podcasts, slideshows, and other media projects. This site would also be great for performance groups such as drama clubs or musicals that need background music. Use background music for poetry readings during poetry month. Make sure students realize that "royalty-free" does not dismiss the need to give proper credit for their source!You must be registered and logged in to add items to your favorites.
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Venn Diagram Creator - Canva
Grades
K to 12
3 Favorites
0 Comments
Create your own Venn diagram with Canva's 5-step creator. To see all Venn templates, log into your free account, click the Make a Venn Diagram button, and use the scroll ...more
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Create your own Venn diagram with Canva's 5-step creator. To see all Venn templates, log into your free account, click the Make a Venn Diagram button, and use the scroll bar on the top of the left menu of the landing page and select Venn. Then, select a template from among several choices. Customize your design by adding text and images and personalizing additional elements, including colors. When finished, save your diagram and download to your computer or share using the many options provided, including publishing as a website.
tag(s): DAT device agnostic tool (147), graphic design (49), images (260), venn diagrams (15)
In the Classroom
Work together as a class to complete a 4-Circle Venn Diagram on your interactive whiteboard (or with a projector) to represent an overlap of topics in any subject. For example, use this tool to compare and contrast students' involvement in four different sports, compare events or settings in four novels, or characteristics of four groups of animals. Once students become comfortable with Venn Diagrams, ask them to include them in a longer presentation created using a tool like Wakelet, reviewed here. Use Wakelet to modify classroom technology by having students include their writing, images, diagrams, videos, and more.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Kialo Edu - Kialo, Inc
Grades
2 to 12
2 Favorites
0 Comments
Kialo offers a platform for focused online discussions, this version is dedicated to educational users. Use Kialo to create and map out debates onto an interactive tree featuring arguments...more
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Kialo offers a platform for focused online discussions, this version is dedicated to educational users. Use Kialo to create and map out debates onto an interactive tree featuring arguments both pro and con. Create your own forum or participate in the questions posed by other site members. Choose to make your question private or public then invite others to contribute. Throughout the debate use the site's tools to rate the impact of arguments and switch perspectives to view opinions from the other side. Be sure to watch Kialo's introductory video for an overview of all of the site's features and check out the sample classroom activities and assignments.
tag(s): collaboration (93), debate (42), perspective (13), point of view (8), Teacher Utilities (191)
In the Classroom
Kialo is a great resource to find debate topics to use with your students; be sure to bookmark it. Explore the topics available on the public portion of the site and share the discussions with your students. Use the information to teach students how to include relevant information when debating any topic and point out the importance of viewing information through different perspectives. When ready, create your own topic for classroom debate using the private option. For example, have students debate the importance of the use of propaganda during World War 2 or the ethics of using animals when testing products. As students research your topic, have them use Wakelet, reviewed here, to bookmark and save their research. When complete, transform learning by asking students to use an infographic creation tool like Canva Infographic Maker, reviewed here, to create an infographic based on their topic.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Rick Steves Classroom Europe - Rick Steves
Grades
6 to 12
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Share the best of European art, history, and culture through video presentations by Rick Steves, a renowned authority on European travel. This site features over 300 searchable video...more
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Share the best of European art, history, and culture through video presentations by Rick Steves, a renowned authority on European travel. This site features over 300 searchable video clips of 3 to 5 minutes in length. Use the search tools to narrow topics by theme, historical eras, or countries. Create an account to save videos to playlists and share with students. You will also find videos for the Middle East. If your school blocks YouTube, the videos may not be viewable.
tag(s): architecture (76), england (52), europe (84), france (41), germany (28), italy (30), medieval (33), middle east (50), religions (95), renaissance (38), spain (13), Teacher Utilities (191), video (264)
In the Classroom
View the videos as a class on your interactive whiteboard or with a projector to learn about countries or periods studied. Take advantage of the search tool to find videos by themes to provide a comprehensive look at the themes in various parts of Europe. For example, select the Renaissance to view information about this period in France, Italy, Austria, and Portugal to provide a larger context of these events. Create playlists to share with your students for social studies topics. Have students include information from the videos on this site to create a website using Webnode, reviewed here, to share their findings. Ask students to use the templates found on Webnode to enhance their learning style while including images, videos, and their writing. One idea is for students to create a website through the persona of a person living in one of the countries or different a period sharing their way of life. Ask students to modify their learning by creating timelines using Timelinely, reviewed here, to document events from European history. Use Timelinely to include maps, videos, images, and more to create an interactive timeline experience.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Microsoft Forms - Microsoft
Grades
K to 12
2 Favorites
0 Comments
Do you need a quick and easy way to create forms, quizzes, and polls? Microsoft Forms has you covered. Create surveys and collect data in real-time, assign quizzes with your ...more
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Do you need a quick and easy way to create forms, quizzes, and polls? Microsoft Forms has you covered. Create surveys and collect data in real-time, assign quizzes with your point values for automatic grading, and create polls on the fly to receive responses for immediate use quickly. Sign in to your Microsoft account to begin (or make a free account) and select either a new form or quiz. Click on the plus mark and follow the prompts to add new items. Add an image to any form part using the search bar or upload your own. Forms also offer the option to add a YouTube video within questions. A recent addition to this tool includes an option for practice mode, which allows students to take quizzes and receive feedback on correctness without submitting data to the teacher. Forms works on all devices, use the preview to see your form as it appears on computers or mobile devices before sending. Share your form using the URL or QR code, or embed it in a website or email. View responses through the response tab created with your form. Return to previous forms to review the collected data or duplicate forms to make new polls or surveys.
tag(s): assessment (144), polls and surveys (49), spreadsheets (23)
In the Classroom
Discover the benefits of using Microsoft Forms in your classroom to create surveys for parents and students at the beginning of the year to learn about student interests, create parent volunteer lists, and much more. Create a sign-in and sign-out sheet for classroom library materials, including books and digital equipment. Use Microsoft Forms to set up and collaborate on lesson plans, including checkboxes to standards, materials needed, and covered content. Microsoft Forms is perfect for assessment - create online quizzes and exit tickets. Have students use Microsoft Forms to prepare and submit reading logs, brainstorm and collaborate with fellow students, create "choose your own adventure" stories, or schedule reading and writing conference times. Use Microsoft Forms to set up and share rubrics for any project, have students complete the rubric, and turn it in with any completed assignment. Use the practice mode feature to build student confidence by providing practice and review materials before final tests. The uses for Microsoft Forms are as unlimited as your imagination; this is a must-have tool for all classrooms!Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Save the Video - savethevideo.com
Grades
K to 12
2 Favorites
0 Comments
Save the Video converts and downloads videos from several different video hosting sites including YouTube and Vimeo. Paste the video link then choose to download, convert to mp3, or...more
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Save the Video converts and downloads videos from several different video hosting sites including YouTube and Vimeo. Paste the video link then choose to download, convert to mp3, or convert and cut your video. One of the most interesting features of this site is the option to download playlists, convert into smaller files, then cut or crop to merge videos into one single video. Convert and cut takes you to a different application to use after downloading the video file to your computer.
This site includes advertising.
This site includes advertising.
tag(s): conversions (37), video (264)
In the Classroom
Save the Video provides options for using videos in the classroom that may otherwise be unavailable due to district filters. Take advantage of the site's features to download and convert playlists to create and share content specifically tailored to your needs. For example, find your favorite videos on habitats, create a playlist, then use Save the Video to create a single video about habitats with only the content you choose. Take your videos a step further and modify them using playposit, reviewed here, to add comments and questions onto your video for students to view and answer. Playposit also offers the option for students to add comments. Include your video along with your other student resources within a presentation created using Sway, reviewed here, for easy access to all materials. If you teach younger students, create videos of them sharing information about your topic, then use Save the Video to combine their responses into a single video. For older students, ask them to create their own video using tools found on the site and use Sway to create their own presentation, including videos, images, and text.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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ClassroomQ - Kyle Niemis and Dan Martinho
Grades
4 to 12
3 Favorites
0 Comments
ClassroomQ is the digital solution to organizing help with student questions. The premise is very simple - the teacher creates a class code and gives it to students, as students ...more
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ClassroomQ is the digital solution to organizing help with student questions. The premise is very simple - the teacher creates a class code and gives it to students, as students work and find they need help they provide their name and class code along with a comment, and they add their name to the help queue providing the instructor with a list in the order of help requested. If students find they don't need help after requesting it, they use the cancel option to remove their name from the list. This tool is exceptional for the shy or special needs student who won't have to raise their hand and get the attention of the entire class.
tag(s): classroom management (120), disabilities (31), organizational skills (88), Special Needs (53), Teacher Utilities (191)
In the Classroom
Simplify and organize your time with ClassroomQ. Use this resource during student work time in class, or for your blended class as a simple and quiet way to provide student help in a timely manner. Ask students to create a comment including their specific question to help you prepare to provide them the appropriate help (perhaps that is in the form of help from another student). Use ClassroomQ during review games and have students buzz in using this site and add their answer as the comment. Using it this way helps you know who came in first, didn't answer, or took longer to find the response. ClassroomQ also helps you understand the kind and number of comments created and assess areas where students need more help. Use this information to guide instruction. Consider taking common questions as a starting point for a follow-up lesson and have students complete some research on their own. Ask them to share links to additional help using a bookmarking tool like Raindrip.io, reviewed here. In addition to creating and sharing bookmarks, use Raindrop.io to add comments to supplement the provided links. As students become more confident in the material, enhance their learning and modify classroom technology by asking them to create simple explainer videos using Adobe Express Video Maker, reviewed here, not only as a reflection tool but also as a guide for other students with similar questions.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Thematic - Thematic, Inc.
Grades
K to 12
1 Favorites
0 Comments
Find free music for YouTube video backgrounds with Thematic. Thematic offers a large variety of content shared by original artists for free use on YouTube, Instagram, and other platforms....more
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Find free music for YouTube video backgrounds with Thematic. Thematic offers a large variety of content shared by original artists for free use on YouTube, Instagram, and other platforms. Browse the site to find or filter by genre, mood, tempo, and more. Save and organize selected music for your projects or download to your computer as an mp3 file. Copy the included information to credit the file's author within your presentation. Use your Google account to register as a content creator and connect your YouTube and other social media accounts.
tag(s): copyright (44), multimedia (51), sounds (43)
In the Classroom
As you introduce this site to students, it is the perfect opportunity to remind students of the importance of providing proper credit when sharing media online. Share a link to Thematic on your class website for students to use when creating video presentations (with proper credit, of course). Ask students to create a slideshow using Renderforest, reviewed here, or other presentation software as a substitute for a written book report or research paper. For example, as students learn about states of matter ask them to find images on a sharing site like UnSplash, reviewed here, demonstrating the different properties and transformation of matter. Have students add text information to their slides and upload their slide presentation to YouTube as a video including background music found on Thematic. Be sure to have students include a slide with credits for all images and music included in their video. On a professional level, use this site to find background music when sharing images from your classroom with parents.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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BeeLine Reader Collection - Reading is Fundamental
Grades
K to 12
4 Favorites
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Improve reading and comprehension skills for all students and adults with this BeeLine Reader Collection on Literacy Central. Find over 100 books and stories as downloadable PDFs, all...more
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Improve reading and comprehension skills for all students and adults with this BeeLine Reader Collection on Literacy Central. Find over 100 books and stories as downloadable PDFs, all using BeeLine Reader technology to highlight and wrap text to improve focusing and tracking while reading. Use the leveled reading passages within Reading is Fundamental for multiple grade levels and books. Find additional support materials for each book, including author interviews, lesson plans, crosswords, and word searches all as downloadable PDFs. Though Beeline Reader is not usually a free tool, Literacy Central is providing it to its members for free through these PDFs. You do not need to create a free membership to use these materials, only to save them as a favorite. Learn more about the Beeline Reader tool and how it improves reading comprehension by watching the YouTube video introduction on this page.
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This site includes advertising.
tag(s): independent reading (82), multilingual (74), reading comprehension (148), reading strategies (96), Special Needs (53), Teacher Utilities (191)
In the Classroom
These BeeLine Reader PDFs are an excellent addition to the already valuable reading materials found at Reading is Fundamental - Literacy Central, reviewed here. Be sure to bookmark this site to find leveled reading passages with the enhanced function of BeeLine Reader. These PDFs are wonderful to share with ENL/ELL and Special Education specialists to use with their students. Remember, all teachers are reading teachers. Share this tool with your science, social studies, and math teachers, too!
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National Park Service - National Park Service
Grades
5 to 12
2 Favorites
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Celebrate and learn about America's national parks through the home page of the National Park Service. This site provides comprehensive information on planning a park visit, exploring...more
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Celebrate and learn about America's national parks through the home page of the National Park Service. This site provides comprehensive information on planning a park visit, exploring nature, and getting involved as a volunteer. Choose from a variety of lesson plans sortable by subject, grade level, and Common Core Standards. Find the lessons by clicking on the site menu, then slide over to Learn & Explore, slide down to Educators, choose your topic. Most lessons will have a download button to print lessons using the link to the PDF file. The National Park Service also offers several resources to loan to classrooms such as traveling trunks. Although traveling trunks ship for free; you pay for return shipping.
tag(s): animal homes (57), animals (295), habitats (91), national parks (29)
In the Classroom
Bookmark and save this site to use with a wide variety of language arts, science, and social studies activities. Take advantage of the free lesson plans to include with your classroom activities. Include the section for kids with your other bookmarks on classroom computers for students to explore during science centers or during free reading time as a non-fiction selection. Share images from the media gallery with students as you study biomes, states, or historic areas of the United States. As students learn about different parks around the country, ask them to modify their technology use to create infographics using Canva Infographic Maker, reviewed here, to share facts and information. Transform student technology use even further by asking students to use Google My Maps, reviewed here, to create a virtual field trip to a national park or across different biomes found in the United States. Include this site with your history lessons then ask students to use eStory, reviewed here, to create an animated map telling the story of historic events including text, images, historical maps, and more.
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Ancient History Encyclopedia - Jan van der Crabben
Grades
6 to 12
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If you think ancient history is dull and boring, you haven't seen the Ancient History Encyclopedia! Discover the ancient world through engaging text, video, and interactive features....more
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If you think ancient history is dull and boring, you haven't seen the Ancient History Encyclopedia! Discover the ancient world through engaging text, video, and interactive features. Explore the site in many different ways including the index, timeline, maps, and media library. Each portion of the site includes a robust search feature including filters for narrowing down information to desired dates, media formats, and more.
tag(s): aztecs (9), cultures (179), greece (47), japan (57), maps (219), 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.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Online Teen Safety - StaySafe.org
Grades
5 to 12
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This guide shares online safety suggestions for teens and parents by providing basic facts and advice. Starting with tips for protecting hardware and devices from viruses and malware...more
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This guide shares online safety suggestions for teens and parents by providing basic facts and advice. Starting with tips for protecting hardware and devices from viruses and malware the site guides readers through a variety of valuable information. Additional topics include social media, scams and online shopping, and online bullying. Although the site lacks a lot of bells and whistles, it offers a great deal of information related to online safety and provides a starting point for further research.
tag(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 12
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Kid's Search is an ad-free, kid-friendly search engine and website. This platform uses Google Safe Search filters and other partners to manage search results by blocking out inappropriate...more
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Kid's Search is an ad-free, kid-friendly search engine and website. This platform uses Google Safe Search filters and other partners to manage search results by blocking out inappropriate content. In addition to web search features, use this site to find popular images, videos, and games for kids. Other features include quick links to calculators, translation tools, and homework helper sites.
tag(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 12
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The United States Diplomacy Center shares free simulations providing hands-on exercises in dealing with complex world problems. Click Education and slide to Education Resources to find...more
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The United States Diplomacy Center shares free simulations providing hands-on exercises in dealing with complex world problems. Click Education and slide to Education Resources to find the simulations. Topics include migration, nuclear arms, global health issues, and more. Free materials include student learning packets available in three different ability levels and videos featuring content experts. Educator materials include all information to conduct each scenario including student materials and tools for productive negotiations.
tag(s): animals (295), cross cultural understanding (172), debate (42), migration (45), nuclear energy (20), oceans (147), 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.
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Read. Inquire. Write. - University of Michigan
Grades
6 to 10
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Read. Inquire. Write. is a free curriculum using investigations to support middle school social studies learning through inquiry-based lessons; also, this site provides many supports...more
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Read. Inquire. Write. is a free curriculum using investigations to support middle school social studies learning through inquiry-based lessons; also, this site provides many supports for English Language Learners within the activities. Use the provided literacy tools to guide students in analytical reasoning and argument writing within the 5-day investigations. Each investigation includes all materials needed including teacher's guides, student packets, rubrics, student models, and a PowerPoint presentation. Also, all activities provide video models demonstrating methods to encourage student thinking and investigative responses. Each lesson includes correlation to Common Core Standards. Registration is required to download materials from this site. Videos reside on YouTube. If your school blocks YouTube, they may not be viewable.
tag(s): civil war (139), colonial america (95), concept mapping (15), debate (42), democracy (23), evaluating sources (28), greece (47), inquiry (24), maps (219), 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.
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Engaging Congress - Indiana University
Grades
5 to 12
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Engaging Congress is an interactive game that uses primary sources to help students evaluate information as they learn about the United States government. You will be requested to use...more
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Engaging Congress is an interactive game that uses primary sources to help students evaluate information as they learn about the United States government. You will be requested to use Google Chrome or Mozilla FireFox to play on the web. Begin play by choosing a story, primary source, or pick a trivia challenge or practice. Use the Teacher Toolbox to find documents by era or topic, learning objectives matched to Common Core Standards, and compelling questions for use with each issue and story. Be sure to scroll down to the bottom of the home page to find the link to request classroom giveaways to encourage play!
tag(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.
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Eagle Eye Citizen - Roy Rosenzweig Center for History and New Media
Grades
5 to 12
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Develop civic understanding and historical thinking skills through interactive challenges found on Eagle Eye Citizen. These activities, geared toward middle and high school students,...more
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Develop civic understanding and historical thinking skills through interactive challenges found on Eagle Eye Citizen. These activities, geared toward middle and high school students, teach about American History using primary sources from the Library of Congress. The Solve link provides challenge puzzles to learn about historical events, the big picture, and sorting information into categories. Use the Teach link to find ideas for lessons and units based on this site's components, assessment ideas, and quick activities for use at any time. This link also includes several rubrics for use with the Challenge activities.
tag(s): branches of government (65), civil rights (203), 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.
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Encyclopedia Virginia - Virginia Humanities
Grades
4 to 12
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Encyclopedia Virginia is your ultimate resource for learning about the history and culture of the state of Virginia. The content on this site provides information in many different...more
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Encyclopedia Virginia is your ultimate resource for learning about the history and culture of the state of Virginia. The content on this site provides information in many different ways. Use the included links to find information within an A-Z index, maps, podcasts, virtual tours, and more. To find specific content, use the keyword search then narrow down results using the provided filters for type of material, source, or category. Be sure also to check out the section for educators with links to content matching Virginia SOL standards. Register on the site to bookmark and save information for easy access at any time.
tag(s): african american (111), american revolution (82), black history (131), civil rights (203), civil war (139), colonial america (95), colonization (21), constitution (93), politics (118), primary sources (117), slavery (78), virginia (15), virtual field trips (122), washington (28), world war 1 (77), world war 2 (160)
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 12
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Outrider shares information and interactives exploring the topics of nuclear war and climate change. Within the section devoted to nuclear war, browse through stories explaining the...more
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Outrider shares information and interactives exploring the topics of nuclear war and climate change. Within the section devoted to nuclear war, browse through stories explaining the importance of NATO, a timeline of nuclear history, and explore the interactive demonstration of the impact of an atomic bomb blast in your location. The climate change portion of the site includes an interactive demonstrating the effects of climate change nationally and locally. Also, this portion contains articles and timelines of climate history.
tag(s): atomic bomb (8), climate (82), climate change (94), 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 12
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How would you deal with the challenges faced by George Washington? Click the dots (menu) on the right to see all the options (including lesson plans) on this site. Try ...more
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How would you deal with the challenges faced by George Washington? Click the dots (menu) on the right to see all the options (including lesson plans) on this site. Try your hand either as a single player or join a multi-player game. Another option allows you to host a multiplayer game. Choose from four scenarios to begin play. Play starts with a video reenactment of the crisis faced and a short explanation of the situation. Players face options to interact with advisors offering different opinions then provide a rating of agreement with their conclusion. After making your choice, find out how George Washington responded. This site also includes lesson plans for some of the scenarios with more being added. Find the lesson plans by clicking the dots on the right on the home screen before starting the game.
tag(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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