2813 language-arts results | sort by:
Sleepover Planet - BBC
Grades
3 to 8tag(s): ireland (13)
In the Classroom
Use this website to prepare a drama and/or musical with your students. Or pick and choose smaller segments of the website to incorporate into your lesson plans. If you plan to have students write and perform short plays as part of a social studies or interdisciplinary unit, this site is a great reference. Share this lively website with your students on an interactive whiteboard or projector (be sure to turn up the volume).You must be registered and logged in to add items to your favorites.
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Snoopy - United Feature Syndicate, Inc.
Grades
3 to 8tag(s): comics and cartoons (61)
In the Classroom
Have students utilize and manipulate comic strips for dialog-writing lessons, summarizing, predicting and retelling stories. Use comic strips for literature responses. School counselors will also like the Peanuts strips as conversation starters about feelings. You could even use an online comic strip maker, such as Make Beliefs Comix to create your own class or student comic strips after looking at some examples from Peanuts. Use your interactive whiteboard or projector to share the Fun and Games . Then have students work on individual computers or with a partner to try some of the educational activities.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Seashell Identification Guide - Seashells.com
Grades
2 to 10In the Classroom
Use this site as a kick-off when students return to write their "What I Did on my Summer Vacation" papers. If you're teaching research skills, this site is a good place to start, since it is highly visual but definitive. ESL and ELL students can independently use this site since the vocabulary is limited to names, regions, and sizes. Biology teachers can use this site as a reference when teaching about classification.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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AstroViewer - Dirk Matussek
Grades
3 to 12tag(s): planets (124), solar system (125), stars (79)
In the Classroom
Use an interactive whiteboard or projection screen to share this interactive "sky map" with your class. Identify the changes in constellation location through the months of the year. Track motions of planets across the sky as well as the differences between Southern and Northern Hemispheres. Use these in a presentation about the mythology or significance behind constellation names. Or turn down the lights and use the "night sky" as a writing prompt during a poetry unit.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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The Biography Maker - Jamie McKenzie and the Bellingham Public Schools.
Grades
4 to 12tag(s): questioning (37), writing (308)
In the Classroom
All material at this site is copyrighted, so it must be viewed online. For students who do best with step-by-step instructions, this site is a gem! You might have one group research authors from a particular country while others do artists, musicians, scientists, etc. A class report from each of these groups would do a good job of encapsulating a country or area of the world within any given time period. Teachers seeking independent projects for students who "test out" of a unit can assign this site's step-by-step instructions as a meaningful alternate activity.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Kids' Vid - Mike Keating
Grades
3 to 8tag(s): tutorials (50)
In the Classroom
Start the activity by showing the student-produced videos on the web site. Use the resources on the site for a whole class jig-saw exercise. Assign small groups the task of learning one aspect of the process and then reporting and showing it to the rest of the class. Share the knowledge by creating working groups, which contain an expert from each aspect of the process. Use one of the many class ideas as practice activities for students to learn the finer points of video production before they start their masterpieces.Video is a great tool for authentic assessment - especially for ESL, ELL, and Special Education students. Think about letting each of your students create a short video about what they know for their parent conference meeting or Open House. Explore the realm of possibilities by having students develop and ask peers a "Question of the Week" and document the responses on video. Let students produce a walking tour of the school and key personnel as an introduction for new students. Post this video on the school website, but check the district and students' Acceptable Use Policies before videoing any student faces. You may want to ask your school's funding sources to consider purchasing a few USB plug-in "flip" video cameras that cost about $100 each so students can do these projects with an "indestructible" tool.
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The Enormous Kinder-Garden - Hubbard's Cupboard
Grades
K to 1tag(s): myplate (15)
In the Classroom
Have students go on a simple, primary web quest for additional information relating to the foods listed in the theme. Use time in the computer lab or in small groups on a classroom computer cluster.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Book Wizard - Scholastic
Grades
K to 12tag(s): book lists (161), reading lists (76)
In the Classroom
Teachers, make sure your librarian and even parents know about this wonderful web tool. This could be set up as the homepage for several computers in the library, so students can plug in their levels, their interests, and then enjoy the book recommendations.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Owly Comics - Andy Runton
Grades
K to 4tag(s): comics and cartoons (61), graphic novels (3), novels (34), vocabulary (251)
In the Classroom
Ask students to dictate captions for these stories, write the captions on strips, and put them with the printed pictures. For students able to write, have them write their own captions. Have a caption-writing contest among pairs of students in the classroom. Have ESL and ELL students write simple captions and learn the words for items in the pictures at the same time. Students in foreign language classes can generate desciptions or dialog to go with the stories. Special ed teachers will appreciate the opportunity for students to "narrate" the comics -- and possibly place pages in sequence -- to develop vocabulary. Use printable versions for take-home work with parents, as well. Challenge students to create their own wordless books. Don't forget to check out the twelve lesson plans available at theAdd your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Audio Stories for Children - Light Up Your Brain
Grades
K to 5In the Classroom
Use the stories during listening centers or as enrichment to a theme or shared/group reading during class. Play the stories on an interactive whiteboard or projector and have students draw pictures of the story. If copies of the story are available, have students follow along with a partner during the audio reading. Learning support teachers will like the option of offering stories in audio to help weaker readers.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Mysterious Places: Ancient Civilizations Modern Mysteries - Mysterious Places
Grades
4 to 12In the Classroom
This site might be offered to students doing independent research or included as "real" mysteries during a reading or literature unit on mysteries. The information could augment a lesson plan from a standard text with its lovely photos. It could be an option for exploration by accelerated students who have completed a unit on ancient history. Teachers should be aware that there is an on-line forum as a part of this site which requires registration. Its content is completely peripheral to the site, and students should simply be instructed to avoid it.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Hubbard's Cupboard - a joyful journey into learning - Hubbard's Cupboard
Grades
K to 1tag(s): easter (8), eggs (4), holidays (280), literacy (124)
In the Classroom
Use the site as a guide for planning a traditional holiday celebration in your classroom!Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Comic Creator - ReadWriteThink.org
Grades
2 to 12tag(s): comics and cartoons (61), sequencing (19), summarizing (25)
In the Classroom
Instead of writing boring summaries, why not summarize through a comic strip. It's much like storyboarding, but the drawing has been left to the Comic Creator pros. Make a class book of the comics created throughout the year. That book will become the most read classroom book of all in an elementary classroom. Use comics to show sequencing of events. When studying about characterization, create dialog to show (not tell) about a character. Another idea - why not use the comic strips for conflict resolution or other guidance issues (such as bullying). Sometimes it is easier for students to write it down (or draw the pictures) than use the actual words. World language and ESL/ELL teachers can assign students to create dialog strips as an alternate to traditional written assessments.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Reading A to Z - learninga-z.com
Grades
K to 6Caution: although you are able to use many of these items for free, most downloads ask that you input your email address. You can bypass this by clicking submit without inputting your email address.
tag(s): reading comprehension (146), worksheets (71)
In the Classroom
Tell your students' parents about this site to encourage them to read, download, and print more stories for their children. Include the link in your class newsletter or on your website. Beginning readers, ELL, and ENL students will enjoy the wordless books whose stories they can tell themselves or tell in their own languages. Students may want to create their own wordless picture books after seeing these examples.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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ESL Writing Wizard - Nick Ramsay
Grades
K to 6tag(s): alphabet (46), handwriting (15), multilingual (82), writing (308)
In the Classroom
Use the cursive option with even your advanced level ESL and ELL students, some of whom have only learned to write English by printing. With ESL and ELL students, combine writing practice with survival word lists, such as colors, numbers, days of the week, months of the year etc. Use this for extra practice for your students learning to print or learning cursive. Although this site was created for ESL and ELL students, it would be useful in any elementary classroom learning printing, cursive writing, or even spelling words. For kinesthetic practice with any students, project the worksheet on an interactive whiteboard for use with a finger as a "pencil." Children with special needs will find this kinesthetic option very helpful and engaging.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Webbing into Literacy - University of Virginia Curry School of Education
Grades
K to 1tag(s): alphabet (46), nursery rhymes (10), preK (322), rhymes (24)
In the Classroom
Kindergarten teachers, make activity centers using these easy-to-print worksheets or send them home in a learning packet for additional practice. Intended for Head Start teachers, you will find most activities are perfect for Kindergarten students.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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D.E.A.R. Day, April 12th - Reading Rockets
Grades
K to 12tag(s): independent reading (83)
In the Classroom
Make sure you post this site's link to your teacher web page to encourage family reading on April 12. Teachers, click on the "Resources on silent reading" link to find free teacher resources to promote D.E.A.R.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Free Reading - Wireless Generation
Grades
K to 2tag(s): fluency (32), phonics (53), preK (322), sound (74), sounds (40), vocabulary (251)
In the Classroom
Students can use Seesaw, reviewed here to record themselves reading. Students can use Book Creator, reviewed here to create digital stories. Have students practice their skills using WordWall.net reviewed here.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Scratch - Lifelong Kindergarten Group, MIT Media Lab
Grades
1 to 12Material created can only be viewed within the program. Drawings are not saved as a JPG or pic file. However, a "snapshot" of the screen can be created by using these keys in Mac: apple, shift, and 4 and click/drag to surround the portion to save. In PC use: control/print screen. These snapshots can be uploaded or used as a picture in other applications.
tag(s): animation (62), coding (109), computational thinking (45), critical thinking (180), design (76), drawing (57), problem solving (273), STEM (371)
In the Classroom
Be sure to "play" with this program before you present it to students; or, you could have computer savy students in your class pair up with not so savy students to investigate together. There are many tabs, folders; and icons to investigate. You (or students) could click Create and in the center pane, click on the tutorial. To begin your creation follow the steps in the tutorial. Once you have the idea, choose your own features from the menu on the left, and on the bottom right are two more menus; Look for the cat icon and the backdrops. Different colors, pens, and materials can be used to create the background or an image can be brought in from your computer. Objects in Scratch are called a Sprite and can be added in by choosing the folders below the screen. By clicking the script tab, blocks can be moved in to create motion, add sounds (even record your own message), and change the look of the Sprite. Blocks are linked on to each other to create a series of events. A control block dragged to the top of the blocks control which key starts the event. Advanced options include adding variables and other controls.Be sure to check with your Technology Department, as many districts require authorization to download or install new applications. Projects can be shared online; however an account is required.
Work is saved to the computer itself and only shared online via an account. To avoid problems concerning content made by outsiders or issues with sharing, save the work locally and either create your own gallery on a supervised class website/wiki or set up a single account where you share the "best" projects online via your own log-in. Remind students of the school's Acceptable Use Policy and consequences of violations, if you do allow them to join/share. Images used should adhere to all copyright rules. Use pictures taken in class or those with Creative Commons licensing (and provide attribution!).
Practical tips: Students quickly catch on to this program when allowed to play and easily see what they can make from it. Provide a simple assignment with defined rules/tasks to learn the tools. Younger students may familiarize themselves more easily working with a partner. Have students use a storyboard to write down what they will do/draw/say in their creation in order to keep tabs on what students and their creations.
Possible uses: For the lower grades, Scratch provides unlimited possibilities. Use as a new way to show vocabulary usage. Use the paint program to add information to a picture from your class field trip or science experiment. Use Scratch to help in storytelling a concept in a new and unique way, such as how rocks are formed. In the upper grades, use Scratch to show complex material in a new way. For example, students can draw DNA and show replication, etc. through their drawings and storytelling. Draw the different movements of landforms in plate tectonics. Draw or illustrate solutions to Math problems.
Edge Features:
Includes an education-only area for teachers and students
Parent permission advised before posting student work created using this tool
Includes Interaction w general public/ public galleries with unmoderated content
Includes social features, such as "friends," comments, ratings by others
Requires registration/log-in (WITH email)
Products can be embedded
Products can be shared by URL
Requires download/installation of software
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ESL Gold Picture Dictionary - ESL Gold
Grades
1 to 6tag(s): vocabulary (251), vocabulary development (102)
In the Classroom
Use this site to share vocabulary by category, using pictures, audio, and written words with your ENL/ELL students, primary students, special ed students, or speech/language students. Include this link in a newsletter that goes home with ENL/ELL students. Mark it as a Favorite on your classroom computer. Demonstrate how to use this website on an interactive whiteboard or projector. Then have students work alone (or with a partner) at their current speaking level. This website could also be used in a regular education class with emerging readers. The five difficulty levels allow teachers the flexibility to differentiate the instruction. Note: small type fonts and some advertising may make this site difficult for some younger students to use. Preview and decide what your class can handle.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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