TeachersFirst - Featured Sites: Week of Dec 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
FanFiction - FanFiction/FictionPress
Grades
6 to 12
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Disappointed that your favorite book or TV series has ended? Satisfy your craving on FanFiction. Discover FanFiction stories written by up-and-coming writers based on your favorite...more
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Disappointed that your favorite book or TV series has ended? Satisfy your craving on FanFiction. Discover FanFiction stories written by up-and-coming writers based on your favorite comic, cartoon, movie, book, television show, or other genre. Read and vote for your favorites or even write your own. Whether you are a fan of fiction or like to dabble with writing, take a look at FanFiction. Fanfiction authors write new stories about characters from their favorite books (movies, TV series, etc.). Read to your heart's content and leave a comment without even signing in. To create and submit your own writing you need to sign up with an email. Click on the genre of your choice to get started! This site can be accessed in a variety of languages. Click the small "mobile forum" icon at the top to use on mobile iOs or Android devices.
This site includes advertising.
This site includes advertising.
tag(s): creative writing (121), novels (31), short stories (18), writing (315)
In the Classroom
It is amazing how students will polish their writing for an authentic audience! Demonstrate how to use FanFiction with your projector or interactive whiteboard. Show students the different genres and have them read a selection or two from an amateur writer to see how it works. Have student pairs or trios work together on a piece for a favorite book. There is also a miscellaneous category you could use to have students add a different ending or write from a different point of view based on any short story you use in class. They can also submit in the poetry category. Use 121 Writing reviewed here to proof student writing and make suggestions (verbally if your choose to) before they submit to FanFiction. For students to develop and polish their writing skills, use a program such as Slick Write reviewed here. Create a FanFiction account with a class email and have students work on their piece using a nickname or acronym. Since FanFiction can be accessed in several languages, this program would work well in an ESL/ELL classroom.You must be registered and logged in to add items to your favorites.
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Exploring Nature Educational Resource - Sheri Amsel
Grades
K to 8
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This free tool created by a botanist/zoologist is a useful resource about living things. Though some of the content requires a membership, there are many resources that are free. Find...more
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This free tool created by a botanist/zoologist is a useful resource about living things. Though some of the content requires a membership, there are many resources that are free. Find information, photos, and even free video clips. Note that illustrations are copyrighted by the site owner, and information from the site must be cited with the correct references given (examples are provided.) Be sure to check out all the tabs that include Plants and Animals, the Planet Earth, Science words and Pics, Human Body, and more. Don't miss the chance to Ask a Zoo Vet (under Bringing Science to You) and many activities for those as young as preK (see Words and Pictures).
This site includes advertising.
This site includes advertising.
tag(s): animals (281), earth (185), human body (93), plants (145)
In the Classroom
Use this resource for students to find information about a large variety of plants and animals for their research. The examples for citation reinforce the need to cite all sources used for a project. Be sure to include this site on your class website or bookmark it on a classroom computer for quick reference. Use information gathered to create conventional projects (i.e. posters or displays) or multimedia projects including podcasts, Infographics, or presentations. Find many ideas for creating presentations on TeachersFirst Edge.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Geokov - Geokov.com
Grades
5 to 12
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Use this free interactive mapping site to make additions to Google Maps, incorporating other data and maps with them. Add topographic maps and spatial or environmental data. This is...more
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Use this free interactive mapping site to make additions to Google Maps, incorporating other data and maps with them. Add topographic maps and spatial or environmental data. This is an easy tool for adding symbols and icons or for adding a drawing on a Google map. Find many of the simple tools along the top of the map. You can do something as simple as adding text labels or shading a region. Add data to the map using the tools below the map. Create a mashup of KML, GPX (easily imported from Garmin), WMS and GEORSS data sources. This video explains many of the features of Geokov. Please note this video is hosted on YouTube. If your district blocks YouTube, then it may not be viewable.
tag(s): environment (240), landforms (37), landmarks (18), maps (207)
In the Classroom
Take a virtual field trip through the map maker. Explore landforms and other terrain features from Google Earth and topographic maps. Easily create maps for field trips, presentations, classroom activities and more. Create a shade relief topographic map of any region. Doing an environmental study of an area or region? Find the region in this tool first and add the necessary information for classroom discussion or presentation. Use one of the many TeachersFirst Presentation Tools to present information learned. Tie information from literature, stories, history, and other sources to add value and interest to the maps.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Vision of Humanity - Institute for Economics and Peace
Grades
6 to 12
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Sustainable Goal #16 is all about promoting peace and providing justice for all. View these interactive peace maps, reports, and news pertaining to peace around the world. A variety...more
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Sustainable Goal #16 is all about promoting peace and providing justice for all. View these interactive peace maps, reports, and news pertaining to peace around the world. A variety of qualitative and quantitative indicators are used to create a Global Peace Index. View changes from 2008 to present. Choose various indicators to portray on the map and compare different countries. Click in the middle of the map on "About the GPI" (or other index you have opened) to read how it is calculated. Be sure to check out the Terrorism Index as well as a US Peace Index that compares each of the States in the United States. Hover over that State to view the actual rank. When the site introduces a new topic, that topic appears on the main page of this site. To get to the other topics, use the top tool bar.
tag(s): countries (69), maps (207), states (122), sustainability (44), terrorism (41)
In the Classroom
Use this tool to brainstorm questions about the various indicators shown on this site. Substitute a digital idea bin for paper and pen using lino, reviewed here, that allows for stickies, images, and commenting. What cultural, religious, and political forces affect each of the countries and their resultant scores? What factors can be changed in each of the countries to improve their scores? Debate various policy changes in your own or other countries. Explore possible changes the world can take in order to provide a better life for all citizens of the world. What are many of the differences that exist among the states in the United States? Consider adding this resource when students complete a study of an individual state or country.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Spigot - spigot.org
Grades
9 to 12
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This free tool is an aggregation site for news, research, information, and opinion about learning and technology. Hover over the titles to read an abstract or click to be taken ...more
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This free tool is an aggregation site for news, research, information, and opinion about learning and technology. Hover over the titles to read an abstract or click to be taken to the site. There are video clips, slideshows, articles, and more. Share easily with others through email, Facebook, Twitter, or other social media. Interested in a specific topic? Use the tags on the left to view an entire category of related information. The site operates "automatically" by following certain feeds and web news searches, so new items appear very often. Although the title is Spigot, it could seem like "Firehose"! The content seems appropriate for secondary classrooms, but you might want to preview just before you turn students loose to be sure.
tag(s): media literacy (102), news (229)
In the Classroom
Use these articles to discuss the future of education and the use of technology both in high school and higher education. As students are the most important stakeholders in education, many of these articles are relevant to them and their future. Students will especially be interested in the Practice and Alt. Culture sections of this site. Discuss current events in your classroom and ask students to investigate an angle on technology and/or education for a persuasive writing piece or debate. Students have incredible insight into their own learning and technology use. Keep this link bookmarked on your classroom computer or linked to your blog, wiki, or class page. Use examples from this site to look for bias or editorial slant as part of an information literacy unit. Select articles for experience with informational texts.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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American Lung Association - American Lung Association
Grades
6 to 12
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Find information about lung disease and issues related to healthy lungs. Be sure to click on Healthy Air in the subject bar to find information about our health and air ...more
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Find information about lung disease and issues related to healthy lungs. Be sure to click on Healthy Air in the subject bar to find information about our health and air quality, both indoors and out. Some of the specific topic areas include Your Lungs, Lung Disease, Finding Cures, Healthy Air, and Stop Smoking. There are many ideas shared on this site about how to live a healthier lifestyle.
This site includes advertising.
This site includes advertising.
tag(s): air (106), coal (6), electricity (60), natural resources (37), nuclear energy (19), pollution (50)
In the Classroom
Be sure to check out the Power Plant Impacts Page. View the source data linked below the images. Students can brainstorm why the map looks this way and what kind of impacts there are from power plants. Students can research as teams the issues from various power plants and effects on air quality and human health. Share findings with others by creating traditional projects (bulletin board or flyers) or multimedia presentations of the information. Use one of the many TeachersFirst Edge multimedia tools. Compare the air quality of the United States with that of other countries. What factors and government influences contribute to the differences that we see?Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Dictionary of Numbers, Putting Numbers in Human Terms - Glen Chiacchieri
Grades
4 to 12
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Dictionary of Numbers is an extension for the Chrome web browser that helps make sense of numbers found on the web and puts them in human terms. For example, highlight ...more
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Dictionary of Numbers is an extension for the Chrome web browser that helps make sense of numbers found on the web and puts them in human terms. For example, highlight the term 8 million on a web page and Dictionary of Numbers offers the comparison to the population of New York City. Use Dictionary of Numbers for your own search too. Just type in any number to receive a term comparing to something relatable. Click Download Now and follow the easy directions to get started. The introduction video is hosted on YouTube. If your district blocks YouTube, then it may not be viewable. Click the Download Now button to get this Chrome extension.
tag(s): dictionaries (48), number sense (70)
In the Classroom
Install (or request installation) on classroom computers for student use when working with or reading statistics or numbers. Display on your interactive whiteboard (or projector) to help students compare and relate numbers to physical objects or similar items. Challenge students to add their own number "annotations" to passages they read, especially when doing close reading of informational texts. Make number sense a routine part of reading.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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1000 Math Problems to Enjoy - 1000problems.org
Grades
6 to 12
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Just as the title states, this simple-looking site contains 1,000 math problems for students in middle and high school. Choose from the categories (left sidebar) of number, algebra,...more
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Just as the title states, this simple-looking site contains 1,000 math problems for students in middle and high school. Choose from the categories (left sidebar) of number, algebra, shape and space, and statistics to find problems. Choose to view all at once. After choosing the year (year 7 is like 6th grade), find a list of available problems along with an objectives reference and a short description. Each problem can be viewed online or downloaded as a word document. Word documents contain additional notes and problem solutions. Please note this site was created in the United Kingdom, so you may notice some slight spelling or terminology differences if you are accustomed to American English.
tag(s): area (52), charts and graphs (169), equations (119), fractions (159), functions (52), geometric shapes (136), mean (19), mode (13), number lines (33), numbers (119), percent (58), pythagorean theorem (18), ratios (47), statistics (114), symmetry (27)
In the Classroom
Use 1000 Math Problems for homework, in-class practice, or anytime throughout the school year. Problems are not typical "rote" problems and are ideal for extension activities, as well. Have students create instant blogs using Throww, (reviewed here,) to provide explanations about how to solve problems.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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