Here are this week's features. Clicking the "more resources like this" link below each listing will present a list of our most recent additions for the same subject area and grade level .

Read Kiddo Read - Grades 0 - 12 - permalink
“Dedicated to making your kids readers for life” is the sub-heading to James Patterson’s new site ReadKiddoRead. This well-known author has put together a loaded site full of inspiration, book suggestions, author interviews, and more to inspire educators and parents to promote reading. The titles are divided by age (0-8, 6 & Up, 8+ & Up, or 10 & Up). Search by category (within age levels) such as Fantasy & Other Worlds, Real World Fiction, Action/Adventure/Mystery, and others.

Teachers who have reluctant readers at all ages will discover ample ways to help them find exciting books. Make sure you click on the Books for Boys link at the top of the page to find targeted, page-turning books with boy protagonists. The books at this site also include brief descriptions. 9846

Custom Video: Google Docs in Plain English - Grades 0 - 12 - permalink
Wondering what Google Docs are? Check out this short video, it is under 3-minutes. Instead of attaching a document to an email, attach an email to a document. Want to learn more? Take a look at this video. There is a link provided to embed the video (perhaps on your class web page when you introduce Google Docs?) . The site requires Flash. You can get it from the TeachersFirst Toolbox page. 9997

TheatreHistory.com - Grades 9 - 12 - permalink
If you teach theatre, acting, or history, this site is a smorgasbord of information. The home page features "today in theatre history" and a featured topic. The index of topics shows origins of theatre, ancient and medieval theatre, and then theatre by country (American, Irish, Russian, French, etc.). Clicking on one of those takes you to a page with category choices-- Plays and Playwrights, or Actors-- and a list of links to specific articles that are academic, but interesting and very readable.

One of the nicest features on the site is the "Script Archive," which gives access to full-length plays, one-act plays, 10-minute plays, and monologues. This is a fabulous source for theatre and speech teachers alike.

Be aware: this is a commercial site, so there are links to purchase books, but it is more subtle than most sites, and all the links are freely given without a need to register. There are also advertisements, preview for appropriateness <.b> before sharing with your class, as these ads change without notice. 10021

In the Classroom: As theatre is inextricably linked to the history of a country, divide categories among a class of students and have them research on the site, creating humanity links between the theatre and culture of the time. Have them report their findings to the class in a panel discussion, PowerPoint, a video (share the video using Teachers.tv (reviewed here), or an online book using tool such as Bookemon (reviewed here).

For similar resources, click the appropriate keyword: plays | monologues |

---

Primary Research: Bring History Closer to Home - Grades 9 - 12 - permalink
Primary Research is an archive of student projects related to local history near Beverly, Massachusetts. Projects range from an examination of local cemeteries and tombstones to the lives of African Americans in antebellum Boston. The site represents an excellent example of the kind of innovative projects student groups can undertake, and might spark ideas for similar projects regardless of the location. The "Library" section of the site provides primary documents used in the student projects, while the "Guides" section gives additional instruction used in the analytical sections of the projects. 10034

In the Classroom: Provide this site to students who are considering group History Day projects, and it will surely encourage creative ideas. Consider adapting one of the projects to your local area for an entire class, or for a group of students looking for additional challenge. Why not make the projects even more interactive, by having students create multimedia projects. Have students narrate a photo using a site such as Voicethread (reviewed here. Have students create online books using a tool such as Bookemon (reviewed here). Have students create and share videos using a site such as SchoolTube (reviewed here). “Map out” your local history using a tool such as Mapskip, reviewed here. The project possibilities are endless!

For similar resources, click the appropriate keyword: History Day projects | local history | student research |

---

Base Word Baseball - Grades 1 - 3 - permalink
Students participate as "The Chipmunk Chompers" and "The Raccoon Rangers" to compete for base word batting averages. The animals pitch the base word and students choose the correct suffix for the end of the word. This is a simple activity for beginning readers and those who need a little more practice with word endings. After 10 hits, students advance to the next level. This site requires Flash. You can get it from the TeachersFirst Toolbox page.

10035

In the Classroom: Share this site on your interactive whiteboard or projector. Divide your class into two teams and have a competition. Set this site up as a learning center during your language arts block. List this link on your class website for students to access both in and out of the class.

For similar resources, click the appropriate keyword: base words | root words | suffixes | word endings |

---

Math exercises - Grades 5 - 12 - permalink
Looking for extra practice and better ways to track student progress? Use this free site for explanations of concepts, see example problems, and answer a practice problem. The English is British style, so remember that “revise” on this site means the same as “review” to Americans. Teachers can register their students to follow their progress. Registration is free, but does require an email address. You may want to create your own Gmail account with up to 20 subaccounts for each student (by code name or number) within your classes. Here is a blog post that tells how.

Data on correct and incorrect answers as well as strengths and weaknesses are kept for students. This site does include some minor advertisements. Watch out for a link to “essay paper” buried at the far bottom right on the home page: a place to purchase essays online! 10026

In the Classroom: Use this site for extra practice or answering a problem after initial teaching. Identify strengths and weaknesses for grouping students in solving problems. Share this link on your class website for students to use for extra practice and as a resource outside of the classroom.

For similar resources, click the appropriate keyword: pre-algebra | integers | fractions | exponents | powers | percentages | coordinates. graphs |

---

Mission H2O - Grades 4 - 12 - permalink
Use this free game to identify how water is wasted and can be conserved in the home. Click Play Now to start the activity. This is part of a competition (that ends May 29, 2009). But the activities can be done without entering the contest. Choose from 8 rooms or places in the house that are identified by icons along the bottom and that portion pops-up. Click on the information areas designated with an "i" to view information about water use and conservation. Underneath each room, is an opportunity to play the game to save the family water. Many of the games are just for fun, but the whole experience is engaging. As this site originates in Australia, remember that many of the units of measure are different from ours. This site requires Flash. Get it here. 10027

In the Classroom: Share this site on your interactive whiteboard or projector. Have students move through the rooms and take notes on conservation ideas and statistics. Students can use these notes to create a pamphlet on water conservation or a project that can be posted on a wiki. Do you want to learn more about wikis? Check out the TeacherFirst Wiki Walk-Through (reviewed here). Alternatively, post writing prompts that can be answered in a journal or a blog post about the thoughts, problems, and reasons for conserving. Students can analyze water usage in their homes or community and create suggestions or write a letter to the editor of the local paper or to local officials in favor of conservation.

For similar resources, click the appropriate keyword: water | water conservation | Earth Day |

---

Bell Museum of Natural History - Grades 2 - 8 - permalink
Find interactive activities at the online activities page from this museum. Hover over objects on the "Touch and See Room" page to view information or participate in activities. Take the restoration challenge by restoring a barren landscape back to a prairie on the "Build a Prairie" page. Try the "Life in a Diorama" activity to view the connections in an ecosystem by simply hovering over areas of the diorama. Play the "Watershed Game" by entering your name and choosing novice or one of the intermediate levels. Students earn points and can improve upon their score while learning about watersheds. This site uses Flash. Get it from the TeachersFirst Toolbox page.. 10019

In the Classroom: Share the activities on your interactive whiteboard or projector. Use these activities as an introductory activity as you study each of these topics. For example, students can play the watershed game and note information that they learned. Students can compile this information to use as a starter for class discussion or additional research into watersheds. Have students create multimedia presentations to share with the class, such as a podcast using a tool such as Podomatic (reviewed here). Follow up by visiting a local watershed and identifying the animals and plants and our relationship and impact on the ecosystem. Or map a local watershed with voice explanations using a tool such as Mapskip, reviewed here

For similar resources, click the appropriate keyword: watersheds | museum | conservation | prairie | ecosystems | Earth Day |

---

---

---

---

---

Want to see what else we've been up to? Check out our recent additions.