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Whodunnit? - Bringing a Little Mystery Into the Classroom - TeachersFirst
Grades
K to 8tag(s): book lists (161), mysteries (19)
In the Classroom
Take advantage of the book suggestions and lists to find mystery books to include in your classroom library and as a designated mystery reading center. Integrate reading mystery books and stories with other content areas to discover mysteries waiting to be solved. For example, ask upper elementary students to investigate primary sources by completing activities provided on H.S.I. - Historical Scene Investigation, reviewed here. Create mystery stories on any subject to share with students using one of the many artificial intelligence (AI) tools available to educators. ReadTheory Passage Generator, reviewed here generates reading passages for all grade levels based on your prompt. When teaching about the Civil War, try a prompt asking for text about the mysteries of the Civil War and select a grade level. After generating a story that "looks good," ReadTheory generates editable comprehension questions to accompany the text delivered to your email inbox.You must be registered and logged in to add items to your favorites.
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Soundraw - Soundraw Inc.
Grades
K to 12tag(s): artificial intelligence (103), blues (22), jazz (17), rhythm (20)
In the Classroom
Use Soundraw to create music in different genres/styles like classical, pop, jazz, and more. Then, compare and discuss how the AI interprets different styles. Generate music in historical styles like Baroque, Romantic era, 1890s ragtime, and others to include with lessons in social studies class or as an extension activity with novels set in different times. Use the songs during creative writing times. Share Soundraw with students to use when creating multimedia projects such as podcasts created with Buzzsprout, reviewed here or as a background for a video presentation created using Adobe Express Video Maker, reviewed here.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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The Kennedy Center Dance Collection - The Kennedy Center
Grades
K to 12tag(s): chinese new year (5), cross cultural understanding (157), cultures (132), dance (26), hispanic (28), jazz (17), native americans (91), poetry (189), stories and storytelling (40)
In the Classroom
Take advantage of the many free resources on this site to add dance to music lessons and cultural units and enrich topics featuring people and places worldwide. Each resource includes tags, and the lessons include suggested grade levels, use these links to find additional resources for classroom use. As you include information from this site, use an online whiteboard tool such as Google Jamboard, reviewed here, to engage students in learning. For example, add a link to a video from the site about a featured artist and ask students to share their learning or post questions to explore further. Ask students to share their understanding using one of the many tools found Adobe Creative Cloud Express for Education, reviewed here. For example, ask students to create a website of a featured dance style, while other students create a video sharing dance and cultural information about their chosen group of people or country.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Music Appreciation Resources - TeachersFirst
Grades
K to 12tag(s): blues (22), jazz (17), music theory (45)
In the Classroom
Use these resources as you prepare music lessons related to genres, music history, and other topics. Each review includes technology integration ideas. This list includes resources for elementary and secondary students.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Mensa for Kids - Mensa Foundation
Grades
K to 9tag(s): africa (137), colors (64), genetics (76), geometric shapes (136), gifted (65), hurricanes (35), literature (217), probability (96), STEM (264), stories and storytelling (40), writing (315)
In the Classroom
Enrollment in Mensa isn't required to take advantage of the many resources found on this site for all students. Use the reading lists as a starting point for stocking your class library or a student reading list for the current school year. Encourage students to complete the reading list and return to Mensa for a free t-shirt. Incorporate the lesson plans into your existing curriculum, then differentiate learning as you adapt to student needs. For example, use the Book Review Writing lesson to help students understand the difference between reviews and reports. This lesson also includes specific information on what to have with book reports. Begin by teaching this lesson in small groups, then use Google Jamboard, reviewed here, to create a frame for each of the main topics. Enhance student learning by asking students to add sticky notes with their observations and thoughts. Have your group work together to share their book review using a simple to use blogging tool such as Telegraph, reviewed here. Extend learning further by creating a class podcast sharing book reviews created through the lesson process found on Mensa for Kids. Buzzsprout, reviewed here, is a free tool for creating and publishing podcasts that is appropriate for students of all ages. Use Buzzsprout to record and share book reviews throughout the school year.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Joystock - Joystock Royalty Free Music
Grades
K to 12tag(s): copyright (46), digital citizenship (90), multimedia (43)
In the Classroom
Joystock is an excellent resource to bookmark for use in a variety of classroom projects. Share with students to use when creating podcasts, videos, or any multimedia project. Choose a calming tune to play as students enter your classroom or a more lively selection to get students inspired to begin their day. Use music from Joystock when creating videos with online tools such as moovly, reviewed here. For example, use the Travel Promo template found in moovly to create a short video tour of a location studied during geography class. Add music from Joystock to set the appropriate mood and create a professional-looking and sounding video. Don't forget to include Joystock when teaching proper attribution and digital citizenship throughout the year!Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Undraw - Katerina Limpitsouni
Grades
K to 12In the Classroom
Be sure to bookmark this resource for images for a variety of classroom uses. Include images from this site in your class newsletter or website. Select interesting images to use for creative writing prompts. Change the color in an image and ask students to compare the two images and reflect upon how the use of color changes an item's mood or tone. Bookmark this site on classroom computers for students to use with their creative projects. For example, use images in videos created with Animoto, reviewed here, to make travel commercials, explain science experiments, or explain literary genres.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Media Literacy - TeachersFirst
Grades
K to 12tag(s): critical thinking (112), cyberbullying (41), digital citizenship (90), evaluating sources (28), internet safety (113), media literacy (102), news (229), primary sources (117), professional development (395), social media (54)
In the Classroom
Today's messages come in many forms and literacy can no longer refer simply to the ability to read and write. Prepare your students to be literate citizens with this collection. Many are ideal for whole-group instruction, while others would work best on individual devices. Read the reviews to find classroom use ideas with each review. Although the list of tools is mainly geared towards grades 4-8, there are a few resources for the primary grades.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Wakelet - Jamil Khalil
Grades
K to 12tag(s): bookmarks (47), collaboration (87), communication (136), curation (35), DAT device agnostic tool (143), multimedia (43), news (229), personalized learning (9), playlists (10), social media (54), social networking (66)
In the Classroom
The possibilities for using Wakelet in the classroom are endless! Create collections with tips for writing in different genres, current events, information about specific countries or cities, math games, and much more. Have students set up their own wakes as part of a research project. Put together a wake scavenger hunt to introduce a new unit or as a review at the end of a unit. Share wakes on your class web page for student use at home to review and practice class content. Having the ability to have a cover image and background for your wakes makes them much more interesting and easily identifiable, especially for young or visual students!Edge Features:
Parent permission advised before posting student work created using this tool
Includes Interaction w general public/ public galleries with unmoderated content
Includes social features, such as "friends," comments, ratings by others
Requires registration/log-in (WITH email)
Products can be embedded
Products can be shared by URL
Multiple users can collaborate on the same project
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Jewish Kids: Passover - Chabad.org
Grades
K to 5In the Classroom
Keep this site in mind as an easy place to learn about the Jewish holiday of Passover, Jewish symbols relating to Passover, and a little information about Judaism. Classes studying world cultures, the Hebrew language, and/or international holidays can learn from this site and also use it as a model to create similar games and projects for other cultures and languages. Select music for students to listen to while completing coloring pages and puzzles.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Brains On! - Minnesota Public Radio/Southern California Public Radio
Grades
K to 8tag(s): animals (281), earth (185), plants (145), podcasts (74), space (213), tides (6), volcanoes (55), waves (15), weather (164)
In the Classroom
Use Brains On! for your students to listen to in classroom centers. Use for curious students to explore subjects you do not always teach, such as biology, chemistry, or even all about hair! Watch together on your interactive whiteboard (don't forget to share the extras!). Use the podcasts as a model when studying other subjects, giving students structure and ideas for making their own podcasts. Have cooperative learning groups create podcasts demonstrating their understanding of any concepts. Use a site such as podOmatic, reviewed here.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Libib - Javod Khalaj
Grades
K to 12tag(s): book lists (161), DAT device agnostic tool (143), preK (255)
In the Classroom
Libib is perfect for organizing and cataloging your classroom book collection. Use the tag features to organize your collection by genres, subject, authors, or any way you need. Tag books for specific students or reading levels. Post a link on your web page and share Libib with your students as a way for them to give opinions on current books and movies.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Children's Literature with Social Studies Themes - University of Delaware Center for Teacher Education
Grades
K to 6tag(s): book lists (161), branches of government (62), guided reading (32), independent reading (85), literature (217)
In the Classroom
Bookmark and save for reference throughout the school year for use with Social Studies lessons. Save as a resource when choosing books for your classroom or school library. Use the included articles for ideas to include books with your Social Studies lessons and units. Need more book ideas to support curriculum? See TeachersFirst's CurriConnects.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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MindMup: Zero-friction online mind mapping - Gojko Adzic, Damjan Vujnovic, David de Florinier
Grades
K to 12tag(s): concept mapping (17), graphic organizers (49), mind map (26), organizational skills (90)
In the Classroom
This free organizational tool can be used in classrooms at every level. Use this tool to help organize learning units and share the organization on screen so students see how pieces fit together. Share the unit map with other teachers, students, or parents. Highlight goals, objectives, learning tasks, assessments, and resources. Share before your unit, and expectations become very clear. Use as a yearly overview for parents at the beginning of the year at Open House. Let parents see the multiple ways their child will be assessed through the year. Have students use this tool for direction in problem based learning situations. Use this tool in science for collecting data, experiments, or science fair outlines. Use the tool in writing class to make writing guides for narrative or expository writing. In reading use for predictions, sequencing of stories, inferences, or organizing genres of books each student has read. Have students map multiple ways to solve a single problem in math class. Have students keep daily requirements or schedules with readily available resources as links. Let students enjoy taking notes from content based classes. Have a student scribe create the notes each day and share with the class. Have student groups map the current unit before the test as a review activity. Or use an ongoing map as a whole class visual diagram of concepts learned, adding new knowledge throughout a unit. Don't miss the chance to color code to "sort" ideas and concepts!Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Freebook Sifter - FreebookSifter
Grades
K to 12tag(s): book lists (161), independent reading (85)
In the Classroom
This site is a helpful classroom reference tool. Save this link on your classroom computers. Find books to use at learning stations, especially if you are a BYOD (Bring your own Device) school. Be sure to provide this link on your class website for students to use at home. The books available include all those in the public domain and titles whose authors have granted permission for free dispersal.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Around the World with 80 Schools - Silvia Tolisano
Grades
K to 12tag(s): professional development (395), tutorials (52), virtual field trips (79), webcams (10)
In the Classroom
Check out the TeachersFirst review of Skype here as an introduction and for more classroom ideas. Participate in a Mystery Skype call with another classroom to compare and contrast local geography, collaborate on book projects, or as an introduction to a careers unit. Locate authors, scientists, or directors of museums interested in Skyping with classrooms, and take your students on a virtual field trip. Skype with other classrooms in your district without having to leave the building! For specific ideas for Skype author visits, be sure to see Meet the Author from TeachersFirst's Help I Lost My Library/Media Specialist series.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Library of Congress Read.gov - Library of Congress
Grades
K to 12A special feature of the site is an exclusive story, called "The Exquisite Corpse Adventure." The Exquisite Corpse was a game in which someone would start a story, fold over their part, and the next person would add to the story and on it would go until the last person ended the story. For this Exquisite Corpse, Jon Scieszka started the story and passed it on to Katherine Patterson, who passed it on . . . and so it goes for 18 episodes. The entire story took a year to write to the finish.
tag(s): authors (103), digital storytelling (142), writing (315)
In the Classroom
Check out "The Exquisite Corpse Adventure" and have students listen to the stories. As a challenge ask students to look at the differences in writing style for each of the authors. Project a chart about the plot and the writing style on your interactive whiteboard or projector, and have students list the differences and similarities in writing style. Another idea for an activity is to have the students read the poem "If" by Rudyard Kipling (not found on this site) and then have them read the very touching national contest winner letter to the author about his poem found here. Students could then write their own letters to an author of a favorite book or poem. Extend student learning and have students create podcasts to read their letters to the authors using a site such as podOmatic, reviewed here.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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The Poetry Archive - The Poetry Archive Panel
Grades
K to 12tag(s): poetry (189)
In the Classroom
Enrich and enliven your poetry lessons with recordings and videos of some of the world's best loved poets. One of teachers many frustrations, when trying to inspire students to fall in love with poetry, is not being able to call up the voices of earlier poets. Listening to the poet himself has a magical effect in the classroom and makes the very experience that it describes come alive. Start by projecting the poem on your white board while listening to the recording and then ask students to pick out, highlight, and display words or phrases that appealed to them. Introduce various poetic forms and demonstrate how the sound of a poem is as crucial to its meaning as the printed words on the page. Explore, connect, and make new discoveries for themes you are studying. Have students respond to the power and energy of poetic language and appreciate the beauty of the sounds and images, then move towards an analysis of the underlying meaning. Challenge students to try some creative writing that goes beyond the literal meaning and resonates their "voice." Not studying poetry during April (Poetry Month)? Play a quick Poetry Break from this site as a class starter or bonus moment after finishing a quiz. Make your own class poetry archive by having students create PowerPoint images of their own poems and read them aloud with PowerPoint Online, reviewed here.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Mathematical Fiction - Alex Kasman
Grades
K to 12tag(s): logic (164), probability (96), statistics (114)
In the Classroom
Use this site to find extra reading choices for reluctant readers who are interested in technology and math. Use it also to show students that math processes are inherent in a lot of life's experiences. Search the site for your current math topics. Share this link on your class website for students (and parents) to use at home. Share it with your school librarian for a featured reading shelf. Challenge your more verbal/linguistic gifted students to write similar stories that feature a math concept and create an online book using a tool such as Bookemon, reviewed here.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Read Kiddo Read - James Patterson
Grades
K to 12tag(s): book lists (161)
In the Classroom
Sign up for Patterson's newsletter (free) to keep updated on news from the youth literature world and get free chapters. This is definitely a site to save on your classroom favorites and also list on your class website. Provide this link for families to use to find summer reading resources.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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