Teachers First - Thinking Teachers Teaching Thinkers

This is a collection of simulations in math and science, creating excitement as students explore fun activities in numbers and operations, algebra, geometry, measurement, data analysis and probability, as well as science skills, earth and space science, life science, and physical science. The well-written instructional modules that introduce STEM challenges allow students to solve real-life problems using scientific lab concepts. Each module includes interactive elements that let students experiment with the topic concept. The presentation and subject matter are excellent for these high-interest interactives. Gizmos are searchable by learning standard, grade level, or topic, allowing for remediation and enrichment activities. A free account gives you 20-40 free Gizmos, including lesson materials.

tag(s): earth (195), engineering (141), equations (130), forensics (12), life cycles (22), measurement (127), numbers (119), probability (131), scientific method (49), space (249)

The goal of this site is to educate youth about philanthropy and giving their time and knowledge for the global good. To do this, they offer over 1400 free lesson plans for teachers, parents, and community leaders. Lessons are coded to state standards and can be searched by grade level, keyword, subject, or academic or philanthropy standard. Some lessons are geared toward private or religious schools and are clearly labeled as such. Lessons include the subject, key concepts, vocabulary, objectives, required materials, approximate time, procedures, extensions, handouts, and more. An example of a grade 3-5 lesson would be Cool Kids Compost, which explores responsible use of resources by gathering data about lunchroom waste. Don't let the concept of philanthropy keep you from exploring the site; there are many great classroom lessons available for all subjects.

tag(s): african american (130), animal homes (53), animals (275), charactered (86), charts and graphs (187), colonial america (97), communities (40), data (210), diversity (55), ecology (118), environment (253), heroes (23), money (113), recycling (45)

This site contains links to many lesson plans and resources for teaching Earth Science. The top of the page links to different topics of Earth Science such as Astronomy, Earthquakes, Rocks and Minerals, and others. Within each category are links to interactive information. One excellent portion of the site may be easy to overlook so be sure to look on the left side of the page for Categories. Here you will find a wealth of information on diverse topics such as historical geography, world records, careers, teacher resources, and more. Within these links are news, videos, and popular items. Note: many of the links will take you to different websites so you will want to review before using with students.
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tag(s): earthquakes (52), erosion (15), fossils (44), hurricanes (36), maps (224), rocks (44), tsunamis (15), volcanoes (62), water (104), weather (175)

Looking for more information on Project Based Learning (PBL)? Find videos, information, and examples on this site. Though some material on this site is for sale, there are plenty of free materials. Read about PBL, watch videos, or download word or PDF documents found under the Tools section. Sign up to participate in the forum for more interaction with the content and other educators using PBL. Be sure to check out the tweets on the bottom of the front page for great ideas and links to use.
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tag(s): assessment (143), Project Based Learning (28), Research (87)

Enjoy NASA's images of planets and spacecraft used in space exploration. This site is a great reference site for concise information about planets, and spacecraft. An online glossary contains space terms, and the origins of names for planets, moons, or spacecraft that are from Greek mythology, Latin, or famous people. Spacecraft information includes the assembly, lift off, and mission information. Spacecraft information comes in an audio format too. A CD is offered for sale from the National Space Science Data Center.

tag(s): earth (195), planets (124), solar system (124), space (249)

NASA offers a daily selection of pictures from its various space exploration on this site. Each day the image is explained by a professional astronomer.

tag(s): planets (124), space (249), stars (79)

What is social media? This video takes you on a journey to "Scoopville," a fictitious town used to demonstrate the many "flavors" of social media. The video is short (3:25-minutes) and very easy to follow. Highlighted are blogs, podcasts, and videos. This site requires you to be a paying member to embed or download the video. However, you can still see the transcript for the video. Despite a paid membership model, Common Craft still offers this video for free. If you wish to share this with a group, they will need to view it on individual/partner computers (or IOS devices) or on a projector that has a zoom function to enlarge a selected area of the screen.
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tag(s): blogs (78), podcasts (164), social media (61)

Select and Speak (formerly (Speakit) is an easy to install, free program that converts written text on web pages into spoken words within the Chrome web browser. At the time of this review, it works exclusively on Google Chrome. You can use this extension in many different languages. All you do is highlight the text, and it reads it aloud. The tool works only on website text, not documents, etc. This extension uses text to speech service and might not be accessible to those whose computers prevent download/installation of software. There are some errors in the program they are still fixing.
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tag(s): listening (117), text to speech (23)

This site from the International Museum of the Horse contains materials for elementary, middle, and high school students. Some materials include: The Legacy of the Kentucky Derby, Horses in Mythology, Fox Hunting Explained, and Horsepower. Each material is in PDF format.

tag(s): animals (275), museums (54)

Here's every parent or teacher's dream: a site that helps you make your own puzzles, word games, and math puzzlers. There is a selection of almost a dozen different formats, each of which can be customized to meet your specific needs. Choose the puzzle type you want from the drop-down menu. Both adults and learners can create games!

tag(s): crosswords (21), puzzles (163)

This site provides sample student activities and "how to" instructions for students to create timelines, museums, pattern makers, and more. Explore the tools to give students ownership over their learning. Create your own activities or use the sample activities given with each tool. Use the Timeline Builder to easily create a simple but customizable timeline. Examine text for better understanding with the Annotate It! tool. Build spatial sense with the Pattern Builder that combines art and geometry in a fun to use tool. Create your own Museum is a great learning tool to decide what to showcase in any type of museum. Besure to check out the Learning Resources tab at the top for great digital activities for all ages!

tag(s): museums (54), patterns (82), reading comprehension (146), timelines (60), writing (308)

Looking for an easy to use free jeopardy game? Look no further than this site. Download the application for free or create the activity to be played online. View and try activities already created online. If you like your project you can save it to a folder on your computer. There is a short video in the "How To" section that will walk you through the process of making, saving, and playing a Flash Jeopardy game. Those of you who have used the PowerPoint Jeopardy will find this flash version much less time consuming to create and to recreate new Jeopardy games.
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tag(s): grammar review (33), matching (8)

Write your own original books, add images and artwork as illustrations, and read your published books in an interactive, online form. There is no fee for the online publication and sharing. This is the ultimate in "digital storytelling." Take advantage of the free apps that make Bookemon even easier to use with any device! Use Bookemon Reader to READ books you created in Bookemon or Bookemon edCenter (available for both iOS and Android). BookPress for iOS devices only allows you to CREATE books from scratch, including using photos from your iPad/iPhone. InstaPress (for iOS only) offers options to create books from documents, PDFs, etc., for sharing on mobile devices as e-books. http://www.bookemon.com/book_Here is an example of a book created by the TeachersFirst Edge editors. Once you set up a free membership on this site, students (or teachers) can choose to create from scratch or use the provided templates. You can also create a book starter of your own as an example, so students can follow the prompts you have created. The book creator allows you to upload your own images and to create books from a Word document or PowerPoint file you have already made. EdCenter users can collaborate on books. After you save and publish the work, share the URL so people can read the entire book online, either among an audience of "just my friends" or publicly. They also offer the embed code to place your books on a class or school web page, wiki, or blog. The easiest option is to copy the address of the new window displaying the interactive book. There is an option to have the book printed for a fee, but this is not required. You can also read books created by others (if they make them public). Use the fully public option to create learning materials for classes that can be accessed year to year for at-home review or reading practice.

This site requires a simple registration. Teachers can set up an edCenter for their school or class in accordance with school policies. See more detailed suggestions "In the Classroom" below and in our sample book! Newer mobile device options include iPads and more for viewing your books.
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tag(s): creative writing (124), digital storytelling (166), writing (308)

This VERY simple tool lets you or your students make simple, folded small booklets that fit in a pocket. You choose what will appear on each page: from blank space to lines to calendars or checklists. Then print the single sheet (and run copies!) for a student "organizer" useful for homework assignments, long-term project deadlines, checklists, even student-made study guides. Students use the booklets the old fashioned way: by WRITING in them; but the clever, customizable format lets you teach organizational skills in a way that works.

See a sample PocketMod checklist, notes, and calendar booklet (with a separate page of folding directions) and one made from a PDF of the Pennsylvania Science and Technology Standards, converted using the free downloadable software.
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tag(s): organizational skills (90)

Teach the importance of the fragility of polar environments, and learn the basics of climate changes to this important but often neglected region of the world. Use EducaPoles for a number of educational tools such as teaching dossiers, educational material, animations, quizzes, picture galleries, comic strips, and stories. View international teaching projects in conjunction with institutes and universities. Use this site to find direct access to important and vital information. Read current news on projects and materials for teaching about the polar environment as well as climate change.

tag(s): carbon footprint (8), climate (95), climate change (112), polar (11), weather (175)