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After the Deluge - Smith Magazine
Grades
6 to 12Warning: Be sure to PREVIEW each section before you show it to the class since there is some profanity in the speech of some characters.
tag(s): graphic novels (5), hurricanes (36), novels (34)
In the Classroom
In light of the increase of hurricane activity, this is a wonderful resource to introduce this weather topic. Use it also in art class, graphic design, and with ESL and ELL students learning to tell stories. Use this site to introduce the world of graphic novels to students who are reluctant readers. Have your class make their own graphic novel about another catastrophic or historical event, either in groups or individually. Check with your administration to be sure it's OK to use this site at student computers since there are spaces for students to respond and also to submit their own work. If that's a problem, use it with your classroom computer and project the novel on the whiteboard (avoiding scenes with questionable vocabulary). Extend the lesson by having students create their own collaborative graphic account of a local history event or fictional tale in small groups.You must be registered and logged in to add items to your favorites.
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English Fail Blog - Englishfailblog.com
Grades
9 to 12Caution: This is an open blog. While students may submit their own pictures, you should preview what you want to show them and supervise site use while in the classroom. Some of the topics or images are questionable (i.e. Erotic Cat Food). There are plenty to share without crossing the line, but teachers MUST control the sharing to avoid the occasional inappropriate choice.
In the Classroom
This is a great way to get students involved in proofreading and looking at the ambiguities of inexact language. Share one or two at the start of class on a projector/whiteboard as grammar check-ups. You might create a FAIL wall in your classroom, allowing students to post pictures they find in your community (give exrta credit for thier analyiss and suggested corrections to the errors). This would also work well as a class wiki. Invite English classes from other schools to join your class in adding to the wiki (and thus avoid the more questionable content of a "public" version). Share the wiki address via your professional network or groups such as NCTE for teachers to request access. The advantage of a wiki: start it this school year and keep adding from year to year. Your former students will return to see the latest or contribute to such a humorous endeavor.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Daily Writing Tips - Daniel Scocco, et. al.
Grades
7 to 12tag(s): creative writing (126), expository writing (29), grammar (143), process writing (35), punctuation (23), spelling (92)
In the Classroom
Focus on the topics that repeatedly occur in a student's writing by sharing a link to the topic they need most right now. The Misused Words and Expressions sections are especially helpful for explaining how to correct for cliches, etc. As always, the timing of seeing the tip matters most. Share it when you see the problem. Encourage students doing peer editing or collaborative revision to use this site and find the tip to help a classmate when something "sounds funny." That way every writer in your class can become an expert in supporting other writers, not just you, the writing guru/teacher! While learning centers are generally considered an elementary tool, they can be exciting and valuable for secondary students as well. Use sections of this site as the focus for different writing centers. The links from this site can help students move through areas where they are having difficulty and enjoy the process of interaction as well. Have them create a clever writing tip video or a quick podcast about the tip that resonated with them personally. Try Spreaker. Collect links to the tip videos or podcasts on a class writing wiki. Teachers will also find this reference useful as a writer of graduate papers or newsletters for parents.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Brief Timeline of American Literature and Events - D. Campbell
Grades
8 to 12In the Classroom
Students could use this as a starter for more specific comparisons, including specific regions or states. Use this site as an example for students to create a similar timeline for literature and art from other countries or other cultural areas, such as dance or theatre.Be sure to share the music and sounds from the time periods. Have students analyze what they think is the meaning behind the songs. What historical names do they hear? Then have students create their own songs or video clips about the literature and/or culture of that time period. Record and share the video clips on TeacherTube (explained here).
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Persuasion Map - IRA/NCTE
Grades
6 to 10tag(s): persuasive writing (50), writing (309)
In the Classroom
This tool is very useful in getting reluctant writers to consider using persuasive language. Demonstrate/model first as a cooperative exercise on your interactive whiteboard or projector. It is easy to see the arguments when laid out in the map, and students will enjoy using the computer to construct their arguments. It is handy that the map can be printed and is then available for the student while writing the actual essay.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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SchoolTube - Lightspeed Technologies
Grades
K to 12In the Classroom
If you wish to upload your own SchoolTube video, you must register as a user at the site. Registration is free. Create and save your edited videos where you can find them on your computer. (Windows Movie Maker or iMovie are great, free tools for video). Then upload to SchoolTube. You can share the video via link or by embedding it in another web page. See our editor's SchooTube video here. If the teacher is the one uploading, the only potential concerns include posting videos with identifiable information or images about your students, school, or class. Check your school policies about posting pictures of your school. If you post student videos, obtain written parent permission to post student work, again within school policies. Any student visible in a video should also have parent permission in accordance with school policies. Students can use SchoolTube to share videos with sister schools, or to broadcast weekly news from their school or classroom. Students can also produce project videos on any curriculum topic. Try making "You Are There" videos about different events in history! Teachers may want to use this site to share ideas and lesson plans with other teachers across the nation. Make "how to" videos to share with parents and friends. Embed SchoolTube's video player into your school's website and encourage parents to view school news or clips from events they were not able to attend.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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I'm Reading! - Starfall Education
Grades
K to 2tag(s): spelling (92)
In the Classroom
Have students work independently or in small groups to read the books. Students can read in a choral manner or as repeated readings in order to increase fluency. Students can take turns as characters in the easy-to-read plays and present the plays to the class as an extension activity.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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It's Fun to Read - Starfall Education
Grades
K to 1In the Classroom
Display the site on an interactive white board to introduce word wall vocabulary, such as number and color words, to beginning readers. As the students see the words appear on the web site, have them place the word card on the class word wall.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Free Sounds - Creative Commons License
Grades
K to 12In the Classroom
During creative writing, play a 'soundbyte' or a sequence of sounds to inspire a story and activate creativity. You can download a "Sound of the Week" to be used as a task changer alert. (Ringing the bell meets technology.) As you study sound in science class, use examples from this site to talk about sound characteristics.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Starfall ABC's - Starfall Education
Grades
K to 1In the Classroom
Combine the explicit instruction provided on the site with phonemic awareness instruction in kindergarten or with ESL and ELL students for better letter-sound relationships. Allow students to use this site during center time for reiteration of the lesson or for areas in which they are struggling. Be sure to have students check out the sign language symbol for enrichment to the traditional spoken alphabet. Add this link to your class website so students can use this outside of class.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Remember The Milk - Remember the Milk.com
Grades
K to 12tag(s): DAT device agnostic tool (133), organizational skills (91), time (99)
In the Classroom
Read the Blog at this site to learn many cool ways to interact with your personal computer and devices using RTM. Learning support teachers and teachers of disorganized gifted students may want to "model" using such an online tool to help middle and high school students learn better personal organization. Make a demo account for a "mythical" student and organize him/her together so students can see how it works. You will need to check your school's policies and access to some messaging tools; however, some may be prohibited in your school. Learning support and gifted teachers will welcome this online tool as an engaging way for students to become better organized.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Biography Rubric - Scholastic
Grades
4 to 12tag(s): assessment (140), resources (78), rubrics (40), time (99)
In the Classroom
Make sure you give this rubric to your class before they create their biographies so they will know your basis for grading.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Wiki Woman: How a Web Tool Saved My Career - Edutopia
Grades
K to 12tag(s): wikis (15)
In the Classroom
Take the time to read this article to build your own confidence to make a big change in your teaching -- one step at a time. Better yet, share it with your colleagues as the starting point for a teacher-conducted inservice where you work together to implement change. Not allowed to conduct your own inservice? Take the article to your principal and ask for a pilot cohort within your school to work on wikis together, starting from this article and the TeachersFirst Wiki Walk-Through. All you need is the confidence to ask. If Louise can do it, you can, too, no matter what grade/subject you teach.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Lesson Plan: Volcano - TeachersFirst
Grades
4 to 6Many of these ideas and templates can be adapted for use with almost any subject or concepts, to differentiate for different learning styles. The lesson includes national standards.
tag(s): volcanoes (61)
In the Classroom
Experienced and new teachers alike will find this example helpful in designing multi-sensory, technology-infused lessons.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Lesson Plan: Egg-Laying Animals - TeachersFirst
Grades
2 to 6Many of these ideas and templates can be adapted for use with almost any subject or concepts, to differentiate for different learning styles. The lesson includes national standards.
tag(s): animals (284)
In the Classroom
Experienced and new teachers alike will find this example helpful in designing multi-sensory, technology-infused lessons.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Lesson Plan: Egg Hatching Into Sequencing - TeachersFirst
Grades
1 to 3Many of these ideas and templates can be adapted for use with almost any subject or concepts, to differentiate for different learning styles. The lesson includes national standards.
tag(s): animals (284), sequencing (20)
In the Classroom
Experienced and new teachers alike will find this example helpful in designing multi-sensory, technology-infused lessons.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Lesson Plan: Tactile Parts of Speech - TeachersFirst
Grades
1 to 3Many of these ideas and templates can be adapted for use with almost any subject or concepts, to differentiate for different learning styles. The lesson includes national standards.
tag(s): parts of speech (39), speech (66)
In the Classroom
Experienced and new teachers alike will find this example helpful in designing multi-sensory, technology-infused lessons.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Lesson Plan: Nouns and Adjectives Are Not Just Words - TeachersFirst
Grades
K to 3Many of these ideas and templates can be adapted for use with almost any subject or concepts, to differentiate for different learning styles. The lesson includes national standards.
tag(s): parts of speech (39), speech (66)
In the Classroom
Experienced and new teachers alike will find this example helpful in designing multi-sensory, technology-infused lessons.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Lesson Plan: Silly Sentences - TeachersFirst
Grades
K to 0Many of these ideas and templates can be adapted for use with almost any subject or concepts, to differentiate for different learning styles. The lesson includes national standards.
In the Classroom
Experienced and new teachers alike will find this example helpful in designing multi-sensory, technology-infused lessons.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Lesson Plan: Billy Goats Gruff - TeachersFirst
Grades
K to 0Many of these ideas and templates can be adapted for use with almost any subject or concepts, to differentiate for different learning styles. The lesson includes national standards.
tag(s): literacy (122)
In the Classroom
Experienced and new teachers alike will find this example helpful in designing multi-sensory, technology-infused lessons.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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