TeachersFirst - Featured Sites: Week of Jul 19, 2015

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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Earliest Voices - Michigan State University

Grades
6 to 12
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We are accustomed to hearing the voices of celebrities and important leaders today, but it has been less than 150 years since the invention of sound recording technology. Earliest Voices...more
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We are accustomed to hearing the voices of celebrities and important leaders today, but it has been less than 150 years since the invention of sound recording technology. Earliest Voices is an archive of recordings from the earliest years between 1877 and 1927. Hear Booker T. Washington speak about race relations or William Jennings Bryan's "Cross of Gold" speech. Listen to Thomas Edison (who was the inventor of the technology) speak about advances in technology and electricity. Find a short biography and images along with the recordings.

tag(s): biographies (93), inventors and inventions (71), oral history (14), politics (112), sound (74)

In the Classroom

Bringing early voices to life in the classroom can help connect students with these important figures from history. Do their voices sound as you expected? Along with the audio records, you'll find important contextual information about early audio recordings, and about the circumstances surrounding each speech or recording.

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Gridlock Buster - ITS Institute, University of Minnesota

Grades
K to 12
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Become a member of Traffic Team Alpha. Join the mission to get cars through intersections as quickly as possible by controlling traffic lights. As you complete each mission, move up...more
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Become a member of Traffic Team Alpha. Join the mission to get cars through intersections as quickly as possible by controlling traffic lights. As you complete each mission, move up to more congested intersections and improve your problem-solving skills. Read and follow the directions for priorities with each level.

tag(s): computational thinking (42), critical thinking (112), engineering (119), problem solving (226)

In the Classroom

Share Gridlock Buster on an interactive whiteboard or projector, and create a link on classroom computers. Challenge students to increase their score on each mission. Have students discuss their strategies for improving scores. Be sure to share a link on your class website for students to play at home.

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The Engineering Place - North Carolina State University

Grades
K to 12
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The Engineering Place offers resources for students, parents, and educators to promote and learn about engineering. Explore the student section, sorted by age groups, to find information...more
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The Engineering Place offers resources for students, parents, and educators to promote and learn about engineering. Explore the student section, sorted by age groups, to find information about careers in engineering. Choose the parents section to download a booklet with information about helping your student with mathematics and tips for encouraging students to explore careers in engineering. Find lesson plans and additional resources in the Educators portion of the site.

tag(s): careers (139), engineering (119)

In the Classroom

Bookmark this site for use throughout the year, and take advantage of the free lesson plans. Share information from the site during career lessons and activities. Share this site with parents as a resource for learning more about careers in engineering. Have students use Fakebook, reviewed here, to create a "fake" page similar in style to Facebook about an engineer.
 This resource requires PDF reader software like Adobe Acrobat.

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Preparing For The Oath - Smithsonian National Museum of American History

Grades
6 to 12
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Could you pass the U.S. Naturalization Test? Preparing For The Oath offers learning opportunities and a practice test. Practice listening, reading and oral skills as you take the practice...more
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Could you pass the U.S. Naturalization Test? Preparing For The Oath offers learning opportunities and a practice test. Practice listening, reading and oral skills as you take the practice test. As you check for correct answers, use the Review This Question link to learn and practice more information. Additional links offer lesson plans and guides for teachers, word lists, and full transcripts of resources.

tag(s): immigration (64)

In the Classroom

Share this site on a projector or interactive whiteboard as an anticipatory set or "activator" to introduce a unit or lesson on US history or citizenship. Take advantage of the video lessons on this site to teach and review topics pertaining to the United States. Be sure to share with your school's ESL/ELL teacher as an informative resource for students and parents.
 This resource requires PDF reader software like Adobe Acrobat.

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Supply and Demand, Lessons from Toy Fads - Council for Economic Education/Chad Mares

Grades
6 to 12
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Learn the concepts of supply and demand through case studies of Hula Hoops and Silly Bandz. Watch video clips that demonstrate how supply and demand interact with prices of in-demand...more
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Learn the concepts of supply and demand through case studies of Hula Hoops and Silly Bandz. Watch video clips that demonstrate how supply and demand interact with prices of in-demand toys, and then complete activities with case studies to learn about market demands. The assessment activity includes completing a supply and demand graph that represents the different components involved in this concept. If your district blocks YouTube, then they may not be viewable.

tag(s): supply and demand (4)

In the Classroom

Introduce this site on your interactive whiteboard or projector. Then have students explore this site independently or in small groups. Make a shortcut to this site on classroom computers and use it as a center. This is a great find as an extension activity for gifted students! Encourage students to create their own list of items similar to Hula Hoops and Silly Bandz that were in high demand and low supply.
 This resource requires PDF reader software like Adobe Acrobat.

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High School Maths Help YouTube Channel - Simon Deacon

Grades
8 to 12
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This YouTube channel provides a large selection of short, easy to understand math help videos. Scroll through the videos to find tutorials for all math topics beginning with Algebra....more
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This YouTube channel provides a large selection of short, easy to understand math help videos. Scroll through the videos to find tutorials for all math topics beginning with Algebra. Find featured videos sorted into categories on the site home page. If your district blocks YouTube, then they may not be viewable. The site was created in the UK, so some of the pronunciations and spellings may differ from those in American English.
This site includes advertising.

tag(s): addition (128), angles (51), area (52), decimals (84), division (98), equations (119), factoring (25), fractions (159), mass (19), multiplication (122), percent (58), subtraction (109), volume (34)

In the Classroom

Share these videos on an interactive whiteboard or projector. FLIP your classroom and have students view the videos at home to discuss and apply the next day in class (this is an excellent option if your school blocks YouTube). Use the videos to introduce or practice any math topic and assign others from the series for homework. Be sure to provide this link on your class website for students (and their families) to access at home for additional math practice.

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P 21 - Partnership For 21st Century Skills - P21

Grades
1 to 12
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Join the community designed to educate students and all learners in 21st century learning. The mission consists of building collaborative partnerships between education, businesses,...more
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Join the community designed to educate students and all learners in 21st century learning. The mission consists of building collaborative partnerships between education, businesses, government, and community leaders to promote learning skills needed in the 21st century for life, work, and citizenship. P21 strives to prepare all students for the challenges of the future. Find a framework for student outcomes with support system outlines. Resources for educators include sample lesson ideas, Common Core alignment, P21 Common Core Tool Kit, professional development guides, 21st century skill maps in a variety of subject areas, case studies of exemplar schools, a newsletter, and a Blogazine. Resources for policymakers include information on definitions, framework, and implementing 21st century skills. A parents' guide contains information on 21st century skills and leadership. Most downloadable materials are free. Get a press kit or join an advocacy group or mailing list.
This site includes advertising.

tag(s): professional development (395)

In the Classroom

Investigate P21 to see if you are meeting your students' needs for the 21st century. Use the parent tip sheet, real world examples, or the PowerPoint to clarify your goals to parents and administration. Explore literacy maps and skills maps to compare your methods of instruction. Look for ways to support professional development in your school. Become more effective using Common Core Curriculum. Join the blog and change your world. This site contains great research, ideas, and goals to include in grants, mission statements, or strategic planning.
 This resource requires PDF reader software like Adobe Acrobat.

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Trends24 - Trends24

Grades
9 to 12
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Track trending topics and Xs (formerly tweets) in any country you specify with Trends24. Select a country by clicking Worldside from the top menu bar and view the breakdown of ...more
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Track trending topics and Xs (formerly tweets) in any country you specify with Trends24. Select a country by clicking Worldside from the top menu bar and view the breakdown of the trending tweets by hours. Choose between the Timeline breakdown or click on Cloud. Tweet trends show as a word cloud, with the most popular topics showing in a larger font. Click any hashtag name to view the tweets showing for that trend. Are you new to X (formerly Twitter) and hashtags? Find information to help you at TeachersFirst's X (formerlyTwitter) for Teachers page.
This site includes advertising.

tag(s): microblogging (18), twitter (19)

In the Classroom

Use this tool to look at the topics that are trends in the various countries. Compare and contrast the top trends and how they differ from other countries that are neighbors or are far away. This tool is helpful in understanding political or cultural issues that extend worldwide or affect more than one region. Use the trending topics to understand the point of view of various countries. Look at news reports or causes for the change in the trend. X (formerly Twitter) trends could be useful in any subject area but especially useful for current events, civics, health, and economics.

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