TeachersFirst - Featured Sites: Week of Mar 9, 2014

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

 

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Polar Bears International - Polar Bears International

Grades
3 to 12
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Why just read about polar bears in the news? Follow polar bears with the Bear Tracker. Learn about their habitat and efforts to save them. Use the "About Bears" tab ...more
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Why just read about polar bears in the news? Follow polar bears with the Bear Tracker. Learn about their habitat and efforts to save them. Use the "About Bears" tab to find the "Polar Bear Tracker Map" and watch polar bears traverse the sea ice. Be sure to look at the unit and lesson plans that accompany the Tracker Map. Learn about Global Warming, Polar Bear Facts and Information, and more in the "About Bears" section. Click on the Science tab to view research projects, status reports, and care guidelines for polar bears. Find lesson plans, WebQuests, and mini courses for teacher use.
This site includes advertising.

tag(s): animals (278), biomes (113), conservation (82), ecosystems (71), polar (11), tundra (14)

In the Classroom

National Polar Bear Day is February 27th, but every day should be polar bear day to learn how our lives affect a majestic creature far away from our communities. Use one of the many lesson plans to learn about the polar bear and their movements (look at the lesson plans that use the Tracker Map). Plan a polar bear day in all subjects! Science class can learn about the polar bear, Math/Geography can use the tracker to determine patterns and distances of movement, English classes can write stories and poems, and Art classes can create polar inspired artwork! What a perfect "snowy" activity.

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GoNoodle - Abby Pecoriello, John Herbold, Scott McQuigg

Grades
K to 5
5 Favorites 2  Comments
 
Give yourself a brain break using the interactive classroom resources at GoNoodle. These activities promote health, fitness, and mindfulness and are based on cutting edge research....more
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Give yourself a brain break using the interactive classroom resources at GoNoodle. These activities promote health, fitness, and mindfulness and are based on cutting edge research. These engaging games and activities provide short bursts of movement leading to improved focus and energy within the classroom. Sign-up using your Google account, or create an account with your email. Signing-up with Google, allows you to sign-in with your Google Classroom account. If you have multiple groups of students (or classes) start by naming your class(es), since each class will show progression on this tool. Choose from Topics, Activities and Routines, Channels, Skills and Knowledge, or New on GoNoodle (directions for registering and other features). Each title has multiple sub-categories. Some options are for paid memberships only. None of the games takes longer than five minutes. While most of these are physical tasks, a few are mental/logic activities. Time required for the activity is shown with each option. Registration does require an email address. If your district blocks YouTube, some activities may not be viewable.

tag(s): classroom management (128), fitness (49), logic (163), preK (254)

In the Classroom

Share these short activities on your projector or interactive whiteboard for your entire class to view together. Bookmark and save GoNoodle as a before class (or before the bell) activity, perfect for those long winter days inside. These would be great activities as you head into high stakes tests. When your class needs to refocus, use GoNoodle as a short brain break. Use GoNoodle to motivate and reward class accomplishments. Share with learning support teachers (or emotional or autistic support) for use in motivating and reinforcing behaviors with their students.

Comments

My students and I love using GoNoodle for brain breaks. GoNoodle tracks your minutes for you and your mascot "grows" as you use the site. Paula, LA, Grades: 3 - 5
Paula, LA, Grades: 3 - 5

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WordDraw - Free Word Newsletter Templates - worddraw.com

Grades
K to 12
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WordDraw offers a variety of newsletter and flyer templates designed for classroom use in Microsoft Word format. Scroll through the home page to find templates for each grade level,...more
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WordDraw offers a variety of newsletter and flyer templates designed for classroom use in Microsoft Word format. Scroll through the home page to find templates for each grade level, holidays, back to school, and more. To view all school templates choose the "School Templates" link at the very bottom of each page. Other options include Business and Family templates. Click any link to view a short description and larger image of the template. Choose "Template Download" to save directly to your computer. Modify any design after downloading by clicking in text boxes to add text or change text box properties. Modify the color, size, and font. Use templates on all versions of Microsoft Word 2000 and after. Don't have Word? Many of the templates can be saved to your computer (without opening) then uploaded to Google Docs/Drive (reviewed here) with the option set to CONVERT them to Google's format and used there. Note that most of the text is designed to go inside text boxes, so you have to double click the text box to edit the words.
This site includes advertising.

tag(s): back to school (62), Microsoft (84), newspapers (91)

In the Classroom

Download and save templates for use throughout the year. Use templates to create newsletters for your class. Customize any of the offerings to fit your personal needs and teaching situation. Share flyer templates with students (once they have basic computer and keyboarding skills) so they can use them in designing posters, flyers, and resumes. Be sure to demonstrate how to edit on a projector or interactive whiteboard if students are unfamiliar with text boxes.

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My NASA Data - NASA

Grades
3 to 12
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What better way to learn science than by "doing science"? My NASA Data provides satellite images, charts, and graphs to analyze information from real world problems. Where to start?...more
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What better way to learn science than by "doing science"? My NASA Data provides satellite images, charts, and graphs to analyze information from real world problems. Where to start? Best place is the Lesson Plan tab. Here, find a variety of lessons that can be used in any classroom. Lessons are sorted by High School, Middle School, Elementary. View climate change lessons, Stand alone lessons (a great way to get started), and 50 or 90 minute lessons. Find great ideas that are multi-day projects. Each lesson plan features outcomes, pre-requisite knowledge, tools, National and AP standards as well as Virginia State standards. Be sure to use the linked vocabulary they provide and view all the lesson links. The included background information, procedures, student questions, and extensions are invaluable in planning the lessons. Be sure to go to the bottom of each lesson page to click on the Teachers Notes and to even view the lesson without the standards.

tag(s): charts and graphs (168), data (146), scientific method (47), scientists (62)

In the Classroom

For younger grades, learn about "Basic Line Plots" or "Creating a Bar Graph." There are many other lessons including "The Sun's Energy," "Solar Power," and "Seasons." For Middle School Students, identify "Aruba Cloud Cover Measured by Satellite," "Is Grandpa Right, Were Winters Colder When He Was A Boy," or "Does Humidity Affect Cloud Formation?" Older students can discover "Variable Affecting Earth's Albedo," "March of the Polar Bears: Global Change, Sea Ice, and Wildlife Migration," "Carbon Monoxide and Population Density" or "Hurricane Research." Though there is a large amount of lessons that coordinate with environmental issues, be sure to click on all the lesson plans to view all the possibilities. There is an unbelievable amount of topics to choose from that can fit in any science curriculum or many other type of classrooms at any age.

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Honest Slogans - What People Really Think - Cliff Dickens

Grades
9 to 12
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Honest Slogans takes company slogans, adds a little twist, and creates new advertising images. These new slogans poke fun using a company's own logo and brands. Scroll through the many...more
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Honest Slogans takes company slogans, adds a little twist, and creates new advertising images. These new slogans poke fun using a company's own logo and brands. Scroll through the many pages to view images similar to the company's advertising but with a slightly different punch line that tells what people really think about the product. For example, see the Hallmark Cards logo stating "When you care enough to give a card mass-produced by a corporation." Each slogan includes a link for viewing notes shared by others. Please take caution in sharing these with students as they are unmoderated. Not all topics are appropriate for students (for example, alcohol).
This site includes advertising.

tag(s): advertising (24), media literacy (102)

In the Classroom

Use Honest Slogans as part of a truth in advertising lesson. Share examples with students and have them create their own Honest Slogans for different brands. Use this site as the inspiration for creating new book covers for classic literature or as an introduction to a social studies chapter or math unit. Create "honest" ads in a new language in your world language class. The ideas are endless! Use an online poster creator, such as Padlet, reviewed here, to create and display finished products.

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Thoughtboxes - Matthew Stenback

Grades
6 to 12
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Thoughtbox.es organizes your ideas, notes, and to-do lists in a post-it note format. Add up to three train-of-thought "boxes" to hold your lists or notes. Drag and drop items to ...more
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Thoughtbox.es organizes your ideas, notes, and to-do lists in a post-it note format. Add up to three train-of-thought "boxes" to hold your lists or notes. Drag and drop items to reorder as needed using the free format. Make lists public or share privately via email for viewing or collaboration. Change settings as desired. Thoughtbox.es is web-based, so view lists at any time on any device.
This site includes advertising.

tag(s): note taking (34), organizational skills (90)

In the Classroom

Use in a similar way to EverNote, reviewed here, for sharing notes and to-do lists. Use this tool easily in your Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) classroom since all students will be able to access it for free, no matter what device they have. Consider creating a class account that can be used by all students. Spell out the uses of the site and what it can and cannot be used for and the penalties. Use your three boxes at one time, use this as a source for large projects, quarterly or semester due dates, or other long-term information.

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