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CNN 10 - Journalists and Educators at CNN
Grades
5 to 12tag(s): news (223)
In the Classroom
Choose whatever fits your curriculum or as a daily warm-up for current events. This provides a great alternative to reading news articles and is especially motivating for visual learners and students who struggle with reading comprehension. After your class views the video, use the daily discussion activities designed to promote critical thinking. You are also able to print the learning activities to assign as group work or for homework. There is even a news quiz. You may want to distribute copies of the transcripts for ESL students to refer to, for use as a research source, or to use for practicing reading comprehension for state exams and other assessments. Enhance learning by challenging cooperative learning groups to research one topic at this site and share their findings with the class by creating an interactive online poster (infographic) using Canva Infographic Maker, reviewed here.You must be registered and logged in to add items to your favorites.
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Sistine Chapel Virtual Tour - Villanova University
Grades
6 to 12tag(s): artists (102), renaissance (36)
In the Classroom
This site is perfect to support coursework in Art History, Studio Art, and World History. Introduce this site on your interactive whiteboard or projector. Then have students explore this site independently or in small groups. Be sure to include a link to this site in a hot list of sources concerning Renaissance art. Consider asking a group of students to do additional research about the Sistine Chapel and its fresco. Have students act as a virtual docent and record a screencast presentation using ScreenPal, reviewed here or Screencastify (Chrome app). Take still screen shots of the frescos to use in reports or other multimedia presentation format such as Animoto or podOmatic. This site is excellent for enrichment. Include it on your class web page for students to access both in and out of class.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Color Vision and Art - Michael Douma
Grades
6 to 12tag(s): 20th century (171), art history (105), colors (64), human body (98), newton (23), psychology (60)
In the Classroom
Color, Vision and Art offers students a unique opportunity to make cross-curricular connections and is a great starting point for individual or group projects. Students interested in Anatomy, Neuroscience, Painting, or Art History, will enjoy exploring this site independently. Each individual chapter comes with a selection of extension tasks from which students can choose. The "Exhibit" tab also offers suggestions for directing class discussions and provides tasks that initiate higher order thinking. Guiding questions about the neurobiological interpretation of color, will simultaneously develop student ability to analyze and interpret color used in art. Have students create a multimedia presentation to report about what they have learned using Google Drawings, reviewed here. Challenge students to find a reproduction of a painting (legally permitted to be reproduced), and include a narration about the artist's use of color. There are also interactive activities to demonstrate aspects of color theory. Project these interactive tools on an interactive whiteboard to the whole class and experiment with simultaneous color contrast, and luminance together. Use this site as the starting point for individual or group projects. This site is excellent for enrichment. Include it on your class web page for students to access both in and out of class, especially when they are designing their own multimedia projects and want to take advantage of color's subtleties.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Do Something.org - Do Something.org Team
Grades
7 to 12There are suggestions, resources, and support to empower young people and give them the energy to take action and make a difference. Whether their passion is to feed the homeless, end bullying, help even the playing field of educational inequalities, or many more needy causes, this website is chock full of easy to access information and strategies that encourage teenagers to decide for themselves how they can contribute their time and desire to make a difference.
tag(s): charactered (87), Project Based Learning (29), service projects (17)
In the Classroom
Do you believe that kids can change the world? What are you doing about that? If you have been thinking about involving your class in some type of community service and project based learning, but need some direction, DoSomething.org is a phenomenal place to "shop" around for ideas. Perhaps you may want to start by showing the film, Pay It Forward, or with a writing prompt, "If you were given time in school to come up with one idea that could be put into action right now by people your age that would make this school or this community a better place, what would it be and how would you put your plan into action?" Have students share ideas in small groups, then introduce them to DoSomething.org by projecting it on your classroom whiteboard or projector, viewing some of the short videos, and using the power of the internet to empower them to act now. Challenge students to collect Internet resources for their cause using Wakelet, reviewed here, where they can add a cover image, background, collaborate with others, and chose the layout they prefer. Next, enhance learning by asking your students to create an interactive infographic using Canva Infographic Maker, reviewed here, to explain their ideas about their cause and how they would put their plan into action. Club advisers, school counselors, and teachers of gifted can use the empowering resources of this site to inspire students to ACT.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Teacher's Portal - American Bar Association
Grades
6 to 12tag(s): bill of rights (40), constitution (104)
In the Classroom
Use the lesson plan suggestions to meet the mandate for instruction on Constitution Day, but be sure to check out the other resources for lessons on civics, government, current events, and the Constitution itself. The section called "Dialogues" provides resources to engage students and community members in discussion of fundamental American legal principles and civic traditions.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Smartboard in the Classroom - Eduscapes
Grades
K to 12tag(s): iwb (29)
In the Classroom
Explore the sites provided to use as classroom resources in the computer lab, on classroom computer centers, and on your interactive whiteboard. The lessons/interactives could be used to enhance a unit on simple machines, dinosaurs, vaccines, panda bears, tornados, and much more. If an interactive whiteboard is not available, complete the activities in the computer lab or on laptops.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Image Detective - Library of Congress
Grades
5 to 12tag(s): logic (176), photography (136), scientific method (49), world war 1 (87)
In the Classroom
Share the photos on your interactive whiteboard or projector. Use the series of steps on this activity to teach students the skills of observation, deduction, and drawing intelligent conclusions. Have students do this activity in pairs in a computer lab. The steps are available to use on paper or printable in pdf format, so students can select their own mystery photos and create a similar activity away from the computer. ESL/ELL students can benefit from using the steps in this process. Images will help them understand material better, and they can also create their own presentations. Have students bring and exchange mystery photos; see if the conclusions they draw match the family stories the photo owners have. Science teachers can use this photo activity to teach about scientific method and, in particular, making observations. Start with the offerings on this site, then try it with more "scientific" images.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Penzu - Alexander Mimran and Michael Lawlor
Grades
4 to 12tag(s): communication (125), DAT device agnostic tool (133), journals (27), writing (309)
In the Classroom
A class journaling program has limitless possibilities. Engage students in discussions using a topic from current events, current social issues, independent reading, literature, and more. Any class using a journal can use Penzu. For example, science lab write-ups or the problem of the week in math. Penzu can even be used for homework. Just think, no more lugging heavy boxes full of notebooks around! In language arts, students journal daily and harvest from their musings and ideas to create a short story or a poem. They can even use Penzu to develop their brainstorms and rough drafts. For social studies classes, students can write posts and ideas about famous people or daily life in a time period being studied, then create a "diary" for the famous person in Bookemon, reviewed here or a poster using Genially, reviewed here about daily life. For either of these ideas, once they are ready to present their final project, have them share it with their peers and others, and consider adding other media. See more ideas for student blogging/journaling at TeachersFirst's Blogging Basics for the Classroom. Share journals with parents as appropriate by URL. Be sure to respect student privacy before sharing.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Independence National Historic Park - National Park Service
Grades
5 to 12tag(s): colonial america (86), constitution (104), philadelphia (7)
In the Classroom
Ask students to trace events from the Second Continental Congress through the Constitutional Convention and create a digital chronology using Timeline Tool by Read Write Think, reviewed here. Have small groups examine photographs and museum objects from the park's collections and develop an evidence-based interpretation of what the artifacts reveal about political and everyday life during the Revolutionary and Federal eras.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Timucuan- Fort Caroline - National Park Service
Grades
5 to 12tag(s): colonial america (86), florida (12)
In the Classroom
Ask students to compare Mocama life before European arrival with life after French and Spanish contact, then organize evidence with the Interactive 2 Circle Venn Diagram by Read Write Think, reviewed here. Invite students to study photographs of salt marshes, dunes, forests, and wetlands on the site and annotate an ecosystem image with Image Annotator, reviewed here, labeling physical features and explaining how each supports plants, animals, or people.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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How the Pilgrims Lived - National Center for Public Policy Research
Grades
4 to 12tag(s): colonial america (86), pilgrims (13)
In the Classroom
Share this and other sections of the http://www.teachersfirst.com/lessons/colony/index.cfm TeachersFirst Colonial America tour as part of your study of the colonies so students can see what these historic locations look like today.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Mayflower Compact - National Center for Public Policy Research
Grades
6 to 12tag(s): colonial america (86), pilgrims (13), primary sources (146)
In the Classroom
Have students annotate the Compact individually, highlighting language connected with loyalty, government, law, cooperation, and the common good, then write a one-sentence summary of its main purpose.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Cape Cod National Seashore - National Park Service
Grades
5 to 12tag(s): colonial america (86), pilgrims (13), virtual field trips (148)
In the Classroom
Share this and other sections of the http://www.teachersfirst.com/lessons/TeachersFirst Colonial America tour as part of your study of the colonies so students can see what these historic locations look like today.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Plimoth Patuxet Museums Digital Resources - Plymouth Patuxet Museum
Grades
4 to 12tag(s): colonial america (86), native americans (128), pilgrims (13)
In the Classroom
Have students watch The Wampanoag Way and individually record details about Wampanoag life in the past and present, then organize similarities and differences with the Interactive 2 Circle Venn Diagram by Read Write Think, reviewed here. Invite students to locate Patuxet, Plymouth Colony, Pokanoket, and other places encountered in their research and create an annotated historical map with Google My Maps, reviewed here.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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A First Hand Account: Roanoke - The National Center for Public Policy Research
Grades
6 to 12tag(s): colonial america (86), roanoke (3)
In the Classroom
Have students annotate passages from Lane's account and sort observations into categories such as geography, resources, Indigenous-English relations, and survival challenges, then compare Lane's direct reports with claims in the site's introductory summary. Ask students to debate whether poor preparation, strained relationships with Indigenous peoples, supply shortages, environmental conditions, or leadership decisions played the greatest role in the colony's failure, requiring each team to cite evidence from the text. Ask students to work in pairs to trace the colony's major events from its founding in 1585 through the June 1586 departure and create a digital timeline using Timeline Tool by Read Write Think, reviewed here.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Weebly - Weebly
Grades
2 to 12tag(s): blogs (82), communication (125), portfolios (20), writing (309)
In the Classroom
If you plan to have students create their own web pages, under your account, no email is needed for them, and they will have a special log in page. You will have to enter each student's name, username and a password. What's nice about Weebly is they will print out a list for you to give to students with their log in information. Though you can make your site private, you want to be sure not to use student's real names. Use a code or acronym. Suggestion: You can use the first two letters of the students last name, the first three letters of their first name, and if you have multiple classes, have them put the class period or code after the last letter. This works well if you're going to be grading web pages, since most grade books are in alphabetical order by last name.Possible uses are only limited by your imagination! Create your own Weebly website for parents and students where they can stay updated about what is happening in your classroom, where students can submit their assignments, contact information, and anything else you might want to put on your website. You can add up to 40 students on one free website, so students can use their pages for projects and assignments. There is a free blogging tool that you may want your students to use for writing assignments, reflection, or reading journals, just to name a few ideas. You can have everything you need on one Weebly website! Find more specific blog ideas in TeachersFirst's Blogging Basics ideas.
Try using Weebly for: "visual essays;" digital biodiversity logs (with digital pictures students take); online literary magazines; personal reflections in images and text; research project presentations; comparisons of online content, such as political candidates' sites or content sites used in research (compared for bias); science sites documenting experiments or illustrating concepts, such as the water cycle; "Visual" lab reports; Digital scrapbooks using images from the public domain and video and audio clips from a time in history -- such as the Roaring Twenties; Local history interactive stories; Visual interpretations of major concepts, such as a "visual" U.S. Constitution. Imagine building your own online library of raw materials for your students to create their own "web pages" as a new way of assessing understanding: you provide the digital pictures, and they sequence, caption, and write about them (younger students) or you provide the steps in a project as a template, and they insert the actual content of their own.
After a first project where you provide "building blocks," the sky is the limit on what they can do. Even the very young can make suggestions as you "create" a whole-class product together using an interactive whiteboard or projector. Consider making a new project for each unit you teach so students can "recap" long after the unit ends.
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Earth View - The Living Earth
Grades
K to 12tag(s): earth (189), globe (12), iwb (29), maps (220), seasons (59), weather (172)
In the Classroom
This tool is great for all levels. Use this as part of a science, social studies or geography lesson. Put this site up on your interactive whiteboard or projector. When using this with young students, use the zoom feature and zoom into different areas of the world to show them day and night. What a great way to teach about opposites. When using with older students show them how to find locations using the latitude and longitude feature. Use the different views with both younger and older students so they can see how the earth looks from the moon and from the sun.Use custom weather imagery as part of a unit on weather and global atmospheric patterns.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Teach Collaborative Revision with Google Docs - Google
Grades
8 to 12tag(s): editing (96), proofreading (18), writing (309)
In the Classroom
Create an innovative, exciting revision experience for students to edit each other's writing and engage in the peer review process by using the collaboration feature of Google Docs. This tool facilitates teacher comments on student essays by not having to wait until students turn in their papers. Check essays online, monitor progress, and even make suggestions for revisions to provide feedback along the way to drive successful proofreading and editing skills. After students are entered as collaborators, they will each have a different color to distinguish what they contributed to the document, and you can easily see who made what revisions. Suggested lesson plans for peer editing, complete with downloadable, reproducible handouts and online tutorials are provided. The ease of access to Google Docs makes these lessons a breeze to carry out from any internet connection, so you may start it in the classroom and continue as a homework assignment.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Timelines.tv - timelines.tv
Grades
6 to 12tag(s): britain (24), great britain (14), westward expansion (42)
In the Classroom
If you are trying to create a visually rich lesson plan, this site is easy to navigate, and the video clips are classroom friendly: short and focused. There are links to related content off-site, and a message board, so preview these individually before using. While studying similar topics, modify what students learn by asking them to create their own timelines using a tool such as Sutori, that can include images, text, and collaboration.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Economics Guides - Shmoop University Inc
Grades
9 to 12Students can create accounts on Shmoop to access more features, but the site is very useful even without an account. Creating an account does require an email address. Tip: rather than using your personal or work email, create a free Gmail account to use for memberships. If you plan to have students register individually, you may want to create your own Gmail account with up to 20 subaccounts for each group of students (by code name or number) within your classes. Here is a blog post that tells how to set up GMail subaccounts to use for any online membership service.
tag(s): financial literacy (92), money (114)
In the Classroom
Add this site to your classroom favorites and list it on your class website so students can access it from home or in class at times when they may think they have mastered content ahead of their classmates. Use the interactives as a classroom activity on an interactive whiteboard or projector to test student knowledge or to prep for an exam. Use the summaries yourself to help organize your presentation of the content.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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