Teachers First - Thinking Teachers Teaching Thinkers

This engaging YouTube channel offers an excellent variety of videos for AP U.S. and European History and AP Government. Additional offerings include review sessions about South Carolina history. Each video explains different topics in history through lecture. Videos range in length from one minute to over an hour. If your district blocks YouTube, the videos may not be viewable.
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tag(s): 1700s (36), 1800s (75), 1900s (72), advanced placement (26), american revolution (82), black history (133), colonial america (95), england (50), france (41), germany (28), greece (47), greeks (46), industrial revolution (22), jefferson (19), romans (52), rome (37), russia (36), spain (13), video (266), washington (28), world war 1 (78)

This resource is an excellent online activity to learn Python through coding challenges. Choose a challenge and solve the problem to move onto another challenge. Complete each of the tasks to gain points and move to the next area. Designed for beginners and experts students will have to stick with it to be able to move past the beginning as the backstory is lost moving from one action assignment to another. The story can be the one item that makes this site different from other coding challenges. After most of the challenges, the solutions are shown. Create an account or log in through Google or Facebook.

tag(s): coding (85), critical thinking (128), problem solving (233)

Langscape is an interactive map of almost 7000 languages from around the world. The site offers three main features: an interactive map, a text identification tool, and a language familiarization game. Click on a map location to view a pop-up box with the name or names of languages spoken and location by longitude and latitude. Click on the name of the language to find basic data (underneath the map) about the language and its speakers. Underneath the map, find icons to learn more about the language, choose the music-note to listen to MP3 recordings of the language. The page icon leads to other Internet resources for learning about the language chosen. Be sure to drop down the Discover link at the top of the page to find the K-12 educators guide, a complete guide on how to use the site as well as lessons linked to Social Studies Standards.

tag(s): arabic (13), chinese (45), cultures (181), french (75), german (49), greek (47), hebrew (16), italian (31), landforms (39), latin (23), map skills (63), maps (220), phrases (6), portuguese (22), russian (26), spanish (109)

Learn the basic steps for creating a grading rubric with this informative site. Find out why you need rubrics and the six basic steps for designing a rubric for any project. Most of the steps also include links to examples and templates for different situations such as discussions, presentations, and other types of projects.

tag(s): assessment (148), professional development (385), rubrics (38)

Oakland Schools provides an extensive collection of Common Core aligned resources for all grade levels. Read through the information on the main page for how to use the site to browse and search features. Items include unit calendars, curriculum maps, and standards alignment in all subjects and for grades K-12. Be sure to check out the Reference pull-down for many resources to use in teaching and planning using Common Core Standards.

tag(s): commoncore (73), professional development (385)

This graphic is a wonderful visual of nine of the greatest mathematicians of all time. Read a quick overview of the works of Newton, Pythagoras, Archimedes, Euclid, and others who offered significant contributions to our understanding of the world around us.

tag(s): biographies (94), famous people (19), newton (21), pythagorean theorem (19)

TopoView uses topographic maps to view physical and cultural changes of geographic locations over time. This tool uses maps created since 1879, allowing you to choose a location and move the slider bar to show maps available from 1879 through the present. There is a learning curve to understand and use the site. Be sure to watch the YouTube video demo for an overview of using and understanding map tools. If your district blocks YouTube, the video may not be viewable.

tag(s): maps (220), population (51), timelines (56)

U.S. History for AP Students offers a large choice of resources preparing for History AP exams. Choose from documents, note cards, textbook outlines, president fact sheets, and test taking tips. Use the search bar to find keywords in note cards or browse through cards using provided chronological links. This content will always remain relevant, no matter when the last update to this tool was.

tag(s): advanced placement (26), test prep (69)

Learn how to engage students through digital learning, integrate technology into any curriculum, and effectively use digital resources in the classroom with these free, online courses. Multimedia contents include animated eLearning tutorials and interactive learning exercises. Begin any of the self-paced courses anytime and complete them at your own pace.

tag(s): professional development (385)

Discover how the five major religions: Hinduism, Buddhism, Judaism, Christianity, and Islam have spread over the world. Follow this interactive timeline video that highlights the areas of the globe where the religion started, as well as the spread of each religion.
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tag(s): explorers (64), religions (95)

Journey across America as described in 12 great literary road trips. This Google map includes every named place (over 1500!) in these books about cross country travel. The earliest book being Mark Twain's Roughing It and the most recent is Cheryl Strayed's Wild. Click on any title on the map key to view individual routes. Click again on the map points to read passages about the location.

tag(s): authors (107), literature (221), maps (220), mark twain (8), setting (5)

Learn about the life and accomplishments of Alexander Kartveli, one of the most important aircraft designers of the world. This site provides information about Kartveli's design accomplishments, including seed ideas for the space shuttle. Learn about the different aircraft he worked on throughout the years. Be sure to check out the Resources link that includes images, documents, video, lesson plans, and more. If your district blocks YouTube, then the videos may not be viewable.

tag(s): aircraft (17), aviation (40), design (79), engineering (129)

Organize and annotate videos and files with Acclaim. Acclaim's step-by-step process and prompts makes creating courses, sharing course information, creating folders within courses, and adding videos or files almost effortless. The free registration is referred to as a demo. Register with email and create a course, a Course URL will be given. No need to copy it at this time. Clicking on the setting symbol on any course (and even folders) will give you the URL again. Students will need an email to join and access your courses and folders. Folders and courses can be made public or private. When prompted, upload files (including videos you created) from Dropbox, Google Drive, your computer, and others. Do this by "choosing" from a list, or using the "drag and drop" method. Add videos, your own recorded on a webcam, or from Vimeo or YouTube by pasting in their URL. Teachers and students can annotate videos at certain points with comments and questions. These comments and questions will receive a time stamp. If you organize your videos and documents within a course with folders, once students have registered with their email, you will need to go into the folder settings and give them access. Acclaim is 100% web based, and it is mobile friendly for all devices.
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tag(s): teaching strategies (50), video (266)

Can't take a field trip to Pompeii? Use this virtual field trip that includes photos and 360-degree views of this ancient Roman City. Click on slides at the bottom of the page to see different areas of the ruins such as the Temple of Isis and street views of the entire archeological area.

tag(s): romans (52), virtual field trips (130), volcanoes (55)

Engage student interest in the annual State of the Union Address with this Bingo lesson plan. Background activities provide historical knowledge of the traditions of the speech. Follow up activities guide students through understanding current events.

tag(s): presidents (136), speeches (23)

FreeCol is a downloadable strategy game with the objective of the colonists creating an independent nation. Along the way trade with Europe and bring in the colonists while growing your population. Attract colonists with money and/or religious freedom. Choose between becoming the Native Americans' friend or foe. Befriending them gives you new skills and items; while attacking their villages can result in lots of valuables while adding to the tensions. Choose from single or multiple player options and difficulty level.

tag(s): colonization (21), problem solving (233)

Understand battle tactics from the stone age through modern times with hands-on gameplay with Junior General. Use printables from the site to create paper troops, and then choose from different rules and scenarios to recreate a battle. Be sure to take advantage of the many articles offering tips and advice for using and modifying resources found on the site.

tag(s): battles (18), korea (21), vietnam (38), world war 1 (78), world war 2 (161)

Learn about the life of Andrew Carnegie starting with his humble beginnings all the way through his rise to the richest man in the world with this interactive storytelling tool. Click About on the top menu bar and scroll down to Andrew Carnegie's Story to read about Carnegie's youth and explore the timeline of his business. Continue reading to learn about his philanthropic side, including the founding of over 2,500 libraries across the United States. Use links at the top of the page to view specific portions of the site without having to scroll through all sections. The video at the end is hosted on YouTube. If your district blocks YouTube, the video may not be viewable.

tag(s): 1900s (72), biographies (94), business (52), railroads (14)

While the US Gulf War may seem more a current event than history, the conflict is now more than 30 years in the past. Public Broadcasting's Frontline presents an overview of the Persian Gulf crisis in 1990, including oral histories, maps, a timeline, and descriptions of the weapons and technology used by US and Allied forces. The site, first launched in 1996, now offers some fresh perspectives in light of current events. At this time the audio is not working, but there are transcripts.
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tag(s): 20th century (62), middle east (50), terrorism (41)

This collection of primary sources from the Library of Congress is organized around key topics and themes in American History. View Primary Source Set titles in alphabetical order from Abraham Lincoln through Women's Suffrage. Choose any topic to view Teacher's Guides and analysis tools including graphic organizers for students. Sort information to find materials meeting Common Core Standards, State Standards, or national organization standards.

tag(s): 20th century (62), authors (107), black history (133), civil war (139), constitution (98), evaluating sources (29), hispanic (36), history day (39), immigration (68), jefferson (19), lincoln (67), new deal (5), primary sources (119), Research (88), segregation (18), thanksgiving (24), veterans (27), washington (28), westward expansion (39), womens suffrage (52), wright brothers (16)