TeachersFirst - Featured Sites: Week of Dec 6, 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
Kid World Citizen - Becky Morales
Grades
K to 6This site includes advertising.
tag(s): back to school (62), chinese new year (5), christmas (37), cross cultural understanding (156), earth day (60), hanukkah (13), hispanic (28), holidays (159), italy (16), Juneteenth (22), mexico (29), native americans (91), ramadan (10), thanksgiving (24)
In the Classroom
Bookmark this site for use throughout the year when teaching about countries, holidays, and for cross-cultural literature resources. Choose a country to explore each month using resources found on the site. Learn about your students' backgrounds to find countries and regions to explore using activities on the site. Use an online tool such as Interactive Two Circle Venn Diagram, reviewed here, to compare and contrast your culture with that of a different country.You must be registered and logged in to add items to your favorites.
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America's Heritage: A History of Immigration - immigrationcouncil
Grades
6 to 12This site includes advertising.
tag(s): immigrants (33), immigration (64), timelines (47)
In the Classroom
Share this timeline on your interactive whiteboard as an introduction to your unit on immigration. You could show the history of immigration and discuss the U.S. as a nation of immigrants. Use a tool such as Thinkalong, reviewed here, for students to debate about this topic, or any hot topic. It is interesting to note that there are many more events for the most recent twenty-five years than there are for all the previous years. Use this as a starting point for students to research and find additional information to add. Have students transform their learning and create their own timelines (with music, photos, videos, and more) using Timeline JS, reviewed here.Comments
This is a comprehensive, yet kid-friendly, overview of US immigration policy in an interactive timeline. It ends with an Executive Order in November 2014. I hope the Heritage foundation continues to update this resource.Patricia, NJ, Grades: 6 - 12
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TPS Teachers Network - Metropolitan State University of Denver
Grades
K to 12tag(s): bookmarks (47), primary sources (113), professional development (388), social networking (68), Teacher Utilities (146)
In the Classroom
Bookmark and save TPS Teachers Network as an excellent professional development and social networking site. Share with your colleagues to create your own professional learning network on the site. Create albums with primary sources for use throughout the year in one easy to find location.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Mathematical Thinking for English Language Learners - Education Development Center, Inc
Grades
5 to 9tag(s): area (52), geometric shapes (135), measurement (125), rotation (3), tangrams (8)
In the Classroom
Although created for English Language Learners, take advantage of these geometric tasks for use with all students. Use the Sentence Starters and Story Frames as models for incorporating writing into any math lesson. If you are beginning the process of integrating technology, replace paper and pen by having students create blogs sharing their mathematical thinking and understanding using Tumblr, reviewed here. If you are teaching younger students and looking for an easy way to integrate technology and check for understanding, challenge your students to create a blog using Edublog, reviewed here.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Teaching World War I With The New York Times - New York Times/ Michael Gonchar
Grades
8 to 12tag(s): europe (75), middle east (43), world war 1 (72)
In the Classroom
Take advantage of the free lesson plan for use in your World War I unit. Use this site to differentiate activities for students. Be sure to "mine" the links within the site for additional resources to add to your current lesson plans. Have students create online posters individually or together as a class using a tool such as Web Poster Wizard, reviewed here, or PicLits, reviewed here. Have students use Fakebook, reviewed here, to create a "fake" page similar in style to Facebook about a president, soldier, or family member during the time of World War I.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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CS Unplugged - CS Education Research Group
Grades
4 to 12tag(s): computational thinking (41), computers (105), cryptography (5), data (146)
In the Classroom
Make technology understandable and available to everyone, without the need to use technology. Use CS Unplugged as one of your STEM stations/centers during science lessons. Use CS Unplugged as an excellent resource for students who want to learn about computer science on their own. CS Unplugged is a great tool to share with students considering a major in computer science in college or wondering about computer careers. If you teach computer science courses, CS Unplugged could be useful for locating review materials to share with your students.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Banzai! - Banzai.com
Grades
2 to 12tag(s): financial literacy (91), game based learning (171)
In the Classroom
Banzai is an excellent resource for any financial literacy course, or for those who don't have financial literacy classes as an option for your school. Create your classroom account, and then provide students with a class code to sign in to their account. Create as many classes as you like then have students follow the curriculum including pre-tests, simulations of life scenarios, interactives, and post-tests. The Banzai tool grades it all. Set up student accounts and assign activities based on your state standards. Be sure to share Banzai on your class website for students to explore at home. Enhance student learning goals by having students reflect on their learning using a blogging tool such as Penzu, reviewed here. Banzai would work well for blended or remote learning since it works on any internet connected device, including tablets and smartphones at home.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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ZenPen - Tim Holman
Grades
2 to 12tag(s): editing (93), process writing (38), proofreading (21), writing (315)
In the Classroom
Use this simple tool with an interactive whiteboard or projector to demonstrate different writing techniques without any distractions. Create and save student writing projects such as short stories, poems, and reports. Create study guides before tests or directions for assignments. Have students write a progressive story where they each add a portion.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Technovation Families - Iridescent
Grades
4 to 12tag(s): aeronautics (9), computers (105), design (82), engineering (117), gifted (64), inventors and inventions (71), makerspace (41), oceans (146), problem solving (225), robotics (22), STEM (259)
In the Classroom
Be sure to take advantage of the free educator units offered with membership. Share project ideas with students as ideas for a school science or engineering fair. Share this site with students interested in exploring careers in science or engineering. Encourage students to enhance their technology use and learning by using a visual blogging tool such as Telegra.ph, reviewed here. With Telegra.ph you just click on an icon to upload images from your computer, add a YouTube or Vimeo, or Twitter links (no registration required), to document their progress while completing projects. Have gifted students choose projects from the site to complete as enrichment within different learning units.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Noteflight - Noteflight, LLC
Grades
4 to 12This site includes advertising.
tag(s): musical instruments (45), musical notation (35)
In the Classroom
Share students' musical creations online! Demonstrate the art of composition while using Noteflight on an interactive whiteboard or projector. Explore different musical instruments and how they affect the tone and mood of the piece. During a multimedia presentation, have students create their own music. In Destination Imagination or Odyssey of the Mind, use your scores to showcase talent. In honoring multiple intelligences, highlight the students' with musical talent. While reading historical fiction novels, have students compose a song typical of that period with the commonly used instruments and style. Offer in your after school clubs for music, guitar, or band.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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