TeachersFirst - Featured Sites: Week of Sep 15, 2013
Here are this week's features. Clicking the tags in the description area of each listing will present a list of other resources with this topic. | Click here to return to the Featured Sites Archive
RI Channel - The Royal Institution of Great Britain
Grades
6 to 12
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Discover a rich collection of videos (and lectures) offered by Britain's The Royal Institute. This Smart Place for Science has an amazing number of videos taped from their live...more
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Discover a rich collection of videos (and lectures) offered by Britain's The Royal Institute. This Smart Place for Science has an amazing number of videos taped from their live lectures to connect people to the world of science. Some videos go back to the 1950's and are reminiscent of old classroom videos. However, most are more recent and feature leaders in their respective fields of science. Choose from collections to view the individual offerings such as Crystals or the Brain. There are also some videos focusing on math topics. As with any scientific site, some content is not appropriate for less mature students. Preview to be sure, depending on the topic you choose. Some of the lectures are quite high level and would challenge any advanced student. Some videos are hosted on YouTube and some within the site's own servers. If your district blocks YouTube, then they may not be viewable.
tag(s): air (106), brain (54), elements (32), engineering (119), genealogy (8), genetics (76), human body (93), plants (145), rocks (36), STEM (263), video (258)
In the Classroom
Introduce a new concept with a video or a portion of a videos. Share this site on your interactive whiteboard or projector. Students can note what they have learned for class discussion afterwards with additional information for understanding. While researching a topic, students will find the videos and the scientists interesting and full of information. Students can pick a video to watch and then report information learned to the class as part of a Science (or Math) Show and Tell. Bookmark this site to the class computer and list as a favorite on your class website or blog for easy access by students. Teachers of gifted and of AP level courses will appreciate some high level topics that will challenge even their brightest students.
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Lantern - Media History Digital Library
Grades
5 to 12
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The Media History Digital Library and the University of Wisconsin-Madison's Department of Communication Arts have scanned over 80,000 pages of classic media periodicals to create this...more
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The Media History Digital Library and the University of Wisconsin-Madison's Department of Communication Arts have scanned over 80,000 pages of classic media periodicals to create this searchable archive. Traditionally, history is the story of battles and politics, famous names and important dates. But the history of a culture must also include how people spent their free time and what kind of entertainment they enjoyed. This archive, which spans the period from 1896 through 1978, includes fan magazines, print media related to radio, television and film broadcasts, and theatre and vaudeville. The archive can be searched by date, format, title, and collection. The collection is limited to print media and does not include any audio or video files.
tag(s): cultures (132), decades (7), journalism (72), media literacy (102), movies (51), radio (20)
In the Classroom
Sometimes it's easier to "set the tone" for a particular moment in time by including images from popular culture. Students can see what regular people were interested in: what movies they watched, what they listened to on the radio, what TV shows they enjoyed (and the fact that they WATCHED TV, not YouTube!). Using some of these images, stories, and other material from this archive to supplement the study of a time period or an event in history can flesh out what life was like "back in the day."
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Active Textbook - Evident Point
Grades
K to 12
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Create your own interactive version of any PDF document or text using Active Textbook. Don't let the term "textbook" fool you. This tool can work with fiction and non-fiction or ...more
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Create your own interactive version of any PDF document or text using Active Textbook. Don't let the term "textbook" fool you. This tool can work with fiction and non-fiction or ANY combination. Add an existing document to begin. Use the site's tools to enhance with multimedia, links, notes, bookmarks, and more. Use social networking tools to exchange ideas and questions with other readers. Customizing features allow for private viewing, tags, inclusion into courses, and enabling or disabling comments. Save up to 500 pages or 50MB using the free version of the site.
This site includes advertising.
This site includes advertising.
tag(s): digital storytelling (141), ebooks (39)
In the Classroom
Upload any PDF document to create an interactive book for class use. Create one together as a class as you move through a unit or topic, adding images and ideas your students suggest, creating a class "book." Use in a flipped classroom to deliver course information. Have students convert any document to PDF format using PDF Converter, reviewed here. Extend student learning by assigning several student groups the same PDF and have each group create their own multimedia versions as they learn more about the topic. Some tool suggestions are (click on the tool name to access the review): Genial.ly, Animatron, Vibby, and Glorify. Make a digital bookshelf of all the versions and invite the class to vote for the best. Challenge your gifted students to enhance the "standard" class text with additional material they discover by going deeper and learning about related topics. In lower grades, create teacher-made ebooks for your young readers, perhaps adding audio of your own voice reading the text.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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The Energy Story - Eschool Today
Grades
4 to 9
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This resource is an interactive story that explores energy, renewable and nonrenewable resources, and topics of energy creation and transfer. Read the supporting information, try the...more
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This resource is an interactive story that explores energy, renewable and nonrenewable resources, and topics of energy creation and transfer. Read the supporting information, try the interactives, and more with this engaging website. There is a quiz to test your knowledge.
tag(s): energy (130), natural resources (37), solar energy (34)
In the Classroom
Use this resource at the start of a unit on energy for students to be acquainted to the background information. Share the site on your interactive whiteboard or projector. Use throughout a unit of study on energy for reinforcement.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Ultimate Titanic - UltimateTitanic.com
Grades
4 to 12
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Ultimate Titanic is a site put together by teachers and historians dedicated to giving a clear understanding of the people and the events related to RMS Titanic. The site contains ...more
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Ultimate Titanic is a site put together by teachers and historians dedicated to giving a clear understanding of the people and the events related to RMS Titanic. The site contains hours of footage from survivors, animations, and documentaries as well as hundreds of photographs and documents to explore. Use the categories listed at the top of the page to find and narrow information to view. Choose from options such as the ship, the tragedy, or news. Within the education section are links to teaching ideas, a timeline, and several documentaries. The site has a few occasional typos but is still worthwhile. (Give bonus points to students who find a typo!) Some of the video clips are hosted on YouTube. If your district blocks YouTube, then they may not be viewable.
This site includes advertising.
This site includes advertising.
tag(s): 1910s (7), 20th century (59), disasters (36)
In the Classroom
Use this site as a resource for information and ideas for teaching the Titanic as part of an early 20th century history lesson or as enrichment when reading any novel about the Titanic. Use the materials available here to talk about the difference between primary and secondary sources. Use the site's timeline as a starting point and then redefine learning by challenging students create their own multimedia Titanic timeline (with music, photos, videos, and more) using Timeline JS, reviewed here. Create a newspaper using a site such as Printing Press, reviewed here, extending learning and telling the details of events of the Titanic.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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