TeachersFirst's First Day of School Icebreakers
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No matter what level you teach, establishing rapport with a new group of students is key to knowing how to help them learn. Here is a list of reviewed resources that offer a chance for you and your students to get to know one another.
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Reel Life Wisdom - Doug Manning
Grades
5 to 12
1 Favorites
0 Comments
Capture your students' attention through movies! Reel Life Wisdom, offers a collection of over 3,200 hand-picked quotes from films across the ages. Search for great quotes by...more
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Capture your students' attention through movies! Reel Life Wisdom, offers a collection of over 3,200 hand-picked quotes from films across the ages. Search for great quotes by movie title, actor, or year. Quotes are organized by character qualities such as hope, faith and belief, and courage. Love: Connect to Your Supporting Cast quotes contain quotes on family, friends, contributions, and relationships. Random Bits of Wisdom quotes examine adversity, balance, discrimination, and responsibility among many others. Reel life quotes aim to inspire and support people proactively, self-managing their life. An RSS feed and email subscription ensure delivery of daily quotes to you.
tag(s): movies (51), quotations (10)
In the Classroom
Reel Life Wisdom supports character education programs with a parent PDF offering useful tips. Use relevant quotes in discussions on theme, choice, and empowerment. Lead your students to understand they are in charge of their lives. Improve reading comprehension of any text, by making connections or comparisons to a movie. Strengthen writing skills by critiques, explanations, and point of view essays. Challenge students to reach a deeper understanding of theme by finding a quote to match the theme. Use movies as an example for positive, effective goal setting strategies. Develop written or oral language by using the quotes as writing/speaking prompts. Challenge students to discover the many choices available to every individual. Encourage a meaningful sense of story development while connecting to each student's interest. The movies also offer a personal story into the study of people, government, and values. Create a thematic bulletin board of quotes on a topic, or have students generate word clouds from several favorite quotes on the same theme. Use a tool such as Wordle, reviewed here. Post the clouds for class inspiration. During the first week of school, share this site and ask each student to share a favorite quote on a class blog or wiki for students to get to know each other.You must be registered and logged in to add items to your favorites.
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Greensboro Sit-Ins - Greensboro News-Record
Grades
6 to 12
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0 Comments
This site contains an in-depth look at the Greensboro Sit-Ins that took place on February 1, 1960. You can hear the mayor of the time, George Roach, talk about how ...more
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This site contains an in-depth look at the Greensboro Sit-Ins that took place on February 1, 1960. You can hear the mayor of the time, George Roach, talk about how the city avoided violent incidents (such as those in Birmingham, Alabama.) Several other features will give you a feel for the era and the significance of the sit-ins. Take a look at the video clips or listen to the audio files. There is also a timeline, complete with historic photos. Don't miss the historical photos and stories from the News & Record archives, with a photo from the first day of the sit-ins. The site includes a look at what the Greensboro Public Library has to offer on the subject. There is even an electronic bulletin board, where visitors can write what they think - or, for many, remember - about the sit-ins and see what other people have said. There are extensive links to other civil rights and black history sites. A PDF version of the February 1, 1960, newspaper detailing all of the events is also available. You will find the site especially informative because of the way it is organized. Don't miss this intriguing look at this historical time in American history.
This site includes advertising.
This site includes advertising.
tag(s): african american (104), civil rights (58)
In the Classroom
Share this site on your interactive whiteboard or projector. Allow students to explore on their own. Have students create a multimedia presentation using ed.Voicethread reviewed here. This site allows users to narrate a picture. Challenge students to upload a copyright-safe photo, and then narrate as if it were a news report. Challenge your students to use a site such as Timetoast reviewed here to include the Greensboro Sit-ins in a timeline of the Civil Rights Movement. After viewing the site, ask students to research events in your state or city that related to the Civil Rights Movement.
This resource requires Adobe Flash and PDF reader software like Adobe Acrobat.
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Font de Music - Rightwork, Inc.
Grades
K to 12
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0 Comments
Font de Music lets you add sound and movement to words. You write your text, select font, choose color, and add movement to your words by moving your mouse up ...more
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Font de Music lets you add sound and movement to words. You write your text, select font, choose color, and add movement to your words by moving your mouse up and down. Creations can be shared via a link or through Twitter. No limit on words is stated on the site, but it appears that you can put in a few words. Note: this site loads more slowly at high traffic times. You will notice that the site creators are not very good at spelling in English. Some directions are misspelled, but the tool works. Here is an example of a musical vocab word created by TeachersFirst.
tag(s): animation (36), vocabulary (231), word study (28)
In the Classroom
Use this site to spice up some lessons around vocabulary -- what "mood" would you choose for an individual word? Or, if students were to create one of these musical pieces around their name, what decisions would they make for font, color and music? Students can use the site to make online presentations interesting, just link to their creation for inclusion in reports in Prezi reviewed here or other presentations. Use the site as an interesting way to begin a lesson and capture students' attention. Use this site as a first week of school activity. Have students write in their names and favorite hobby or color and put it to music!
This resource requires Adobe Flash.
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Back to School Tips - American Academy of Pediatrics
Grades
K to 8
1 Favorites
0 Comments
Parents of elementary and middle school students will be delighted with this helpful collection of ideas for successfully entering a new school year. Backpack safety, study habits,...more
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Parents of elementary and middle school students will be delighted with this helpful collection of ideas for successfully entering a new school year. Backpack safety, study habits, bullying, television use, and homework and study habits are just a few of the topics discussed.
tag(s): vision (88)
In the Classroom
If you have a summer newsletter, be sure to highlight this website. List this website on your class website during the summer months for parents to view during the break.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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29 Interesting Ways to Get to Know Your New Class - Tom Barrett
Grades
K to 12
1 Favorites
0 Comments
If you are looking for new ideas to use the first week of school, this site is sure to offer some useful suggestions. This Google Document includes suggestions from creating ...more
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If you are looking for new ideas to use the first week of school, this site is sure to offer some useful suggestions. This Google Document includes suggestions from creating a class autobiography to administering the "hardest test of the year". Ideas are available for all age ranges and can be modified to fit your needs and available resources. This is a public document so if you have a great idea, be sure to add it to the document for other teachers to use!
tag(s): back to school (12), newbies (14), substitutes (12)
In the Classroom
Use these fabulous ideas for getting to know you activities at the beginning of the school year. Have a great idea that you use in your class? Be sure to share it on this site.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Getting to Know You Ideas from TeachersFirst - TeachersFirst
Grades
K to 12
1 Favorites
1 Comments
TeachersFirst offers tried and true getting-to-know-you lesson plans, some with a creative twist. Get off on the right foot to establish your classroom as a learning community. ...more
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TeachersFirst offers tried and true getting-to-know-you lesson plans, some with a creative twist. Get off on the right foot to establish your classroom as a learning community.
In the Classroom
Try these activities from TeachersFirst to help you and your students get to know each other early in the school year or for a "fresh start" for a new semester or move-in students.Comments
I love the ideas and activities for helping students get to know each other early on in the new school year. In the Headstart program we focus on parent involvement and I like to do activities that involve the parents and help them to get to know each other as well. The classroom and education experience is so much more successful when everyone is working together: children , families, and teachers.Teresa, FL, Grades: 0 - 1
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280Slides - 280 North, Inc.
Grades
5 to 12
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0 Comments
If you can operate PowerPoint, you can use this slide show maker! This is more limited in choices of themes and WOW features but, for free software, it is a ...more
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If you can operate PowerPoint, you can use this slide show maker! This is more limited in choices of themes and WOW features but, for free software, it is a great tool. Best of all, it is available to any computer with Internet capability. Presentations can be saved, shared, emailed as a PowerPoint, or embedded as links for users. This is the beta version of this program which means that it is free for now, but could potentially become a paid site in the future. See the reviewer's sample: here.
In the Classroom
This application works just like any other windows-based program. Choose a theme for your slides from the listed options. Follow the on-screen instructions to create your presentation. If you wish to add personal content from your computer, click the import button to do so (located near the upper left of the screen).There are tons of ways to use this tool. Have students use this online tool as they would any computer based presentation software. Use this site for research projects about famous people from the past and present. Have cooperative learning groups create presentations about science or math topics. Have students create presentations about themselves during the first week of school to "introduce" themselves to the class. Link or embed these on your class wiki and have others guess who they are about. Share any student projects with parents and others via URL. Be sure to demonstrate HOW to use this tool on your interactive whiteboard or projector.
Edge Features:
Requires registration/log-in (WITH email)
Products can be embedded
Products can be shared by URL
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Who Am I? - Starfall
Grades
K to 3
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0 Comments
Who Am I? allows you to create your own self-portrait by selecting various personal features. You can select the features based on the following categories: age, sex, hairstyle, hair...more
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Who Am I? allows you to create your own self-portrait by selecting various personal features. You can select the features based on the following categories: age, sex, hairstyle, hair color, skin color, eyes, and expression. Each selection is read to you in sentence format along with the corresponding vocabulary word. You are able to print your version of Who Am I? when it is all finished.
tag(s): vocabulary (231)
In the Classroom
Have students complete the site during center time and print out their Who Am I? books. This is a great site to use on the first day or week of the school year. Mix the books up and pass them around to all of the students. Have each student try to find the person who belongs to the book by matching their characteristics. An alternate version of that activity would be to have students choose a partner and play question and answer games to figure out whose book they are holding. Use this opportunity to explain to young students that they are the authors of their own Who AM I? book.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Word Clouds for Kids - ABCya.com
Grades
K to 3
3 Favorites
0 Comments
This word cloud generator is made specifically for children. This site takes any text and creates a "word cloud" (graphical display) of the words in a passage of text. The ...more
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This word cloud generator is made specifically for children. This site takes any text and creates a "word cloud" (graphical display) of the words in a passage of text. The most frequent words appear larger. Paste in any passage or grouping of text to create a word cloud of the text. Students can choose their own colors, type of display, font, and the final cloud can be printed or saved.
tag(s): speech (78), vocabulary (231)
In the Classroom
This is a great visual tool to use. Take a poll and have your students type their answers into the word cloud builder. Then display on an interactive whiteboard or projector and see which answer was the most popular. Use this site as a way to help students see and memorize text, especially visual learners. Use it also when writing poetry or to "see" themes of repeated words and images. Have students paste in their own writing to spot repeated (and monotonous) language when teaching lessons on word choice. Students will be surprised to see what words appear to be dominant. Have students work in groups to create word posters of vocabulary words with related meanings, such as different ways to say "walk" or "said" and decorate your classroom with these visual reminders of the richness of language.
This resource requires Adobe Flash.
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Smilebox - Smilebox, Inc.
Grades
5 to 12
0 Favorites
0 Comments
This resource allows you to create slide shows, greetings, scrapbooks, invitations, collages, and more. The download is free, but there are paid upgrades available if desired. For educational...more
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This resource allows you to create slide shows, greetings, scrapbooks, invitations, collages, and more. The download is free, but there are paid upgrades available if desired. For educational purposes, the upgrades are not needed. Photos, videos, and music can all be added to your creations. A Smilebox template must be used to make your creations. Products made with this program can be shared to web pages and blogs, social networking sites, emailed, saved, or printed for free. All themes are free. This is a free download, so make sure you have computers that have the capability to download before creating a lesson with this tool. See the reviewer's sample
here.
tag(s): blogs (47), images (101), movies (51), photography (93), slides (20)
In the Classroom
You will need to be able to download this program, and you will need 4 MB of space on your computer to do so. The program will automatically pull some photos from Windows Media or iPhoto depending on what your computer uses for photos. You can save web images or use screen shots, as well, to be used in your creations. Watch copyright! Check out the review of Jing reviewed here for details and a down-loadable screen shot taker. (It is what our reviewer used to capture extra images for the sample!) From here, it is easy to simply click and follow the on screen instructions. The program is simple to navigate and very user friendly for those who are accustomed to web tools.With the variety of formats, this program has a wide variety of applications in any type of classroom! Use in history class to have students create collages of different periods of time such as the American Civil War. Create topics such as the Lincoln's Election, the Gettysburg Address, Battle of Antietam, Emancipation Proclamation, Battle of Gettysburg, and Lee's Surrender. Have pairs or groups of three select topics at random, and then have them create a collage or "scrapbook" of the event. Try having students choose a role from which to create their assignment such as a Rebel soldier, a Union Soldier, a volunteer nurse, a mother or father of children fighting on different sides of the war, etc. Have students collect copyright free images online for their use or create their own by reenacting and creating visuals to take pictures for their productions. Unleash student creativity by showing them this tool as resource in creating presentations and projects for your class and others. What a fabulous tool to use on the first day of school (as a welcome), beginning of a new unit, or back to school night with the parents! Elementary classes could create whole-class scrapbooks of curriculum projects, such as their science garden or Colonial Days celebration.
Edge Features:
Parent permission advised before posting student work created using this tool
Includes Interaction w general public/ public galleries with unmoderated content
Requires registration/log-in (WITH email)
Premium version (not free) includes additional features or storage
Products can be embedded
Products can be shared by URL
Requires download/installation of software
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Tagxedo - Hardy Leung
Grades
K to 12
2 Favorites
1 Comments
Want a word Cloud with Style? Create one here! A word cloud is an image of words that show the most frequent word in a larger font than the others. ...more
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Want a word Cloud with Style? Create one here! A word cloud is an image of words that show the most frequent word in a larger font than the others. Create a visual representation of a passage to pull out and identify important words or show the text in an interactive, visually appealing way. The resulting cloud pops out the words as you roll over them, so viewers can "see" each word separately. See a sample, created by the TF Edge review team. Explore the gallery for many inspiring examples, including some that use the customizable image shapes uploaded from your own computer (premium feature). Some features may change slightly after the beta phase, but developer Hardy Leung assures TeachersFirst users, "Even after beta you'll be able to save the animated version of the Tagxedo for free to your computer or to the web without the paid version. I may require a membership, though unlikely, but even then I'll make sure there is a free version for teachers and students."
Tagxedo requires Silverlight. The site will appear as a blank page with the "Install Silverlight Plugin" button if your computer does not have it installed. See your tech folks to allow download and installation of this plug-in if school computers do not have it and/or are "locked down."
Tagxedo requires Silverlight. The site will appear as a blank page with the "Install Silverlight Plugin" button if your computer does not have it installed. See your tech folks to allow download and installation of this plug-in if school computers do not have it and/or are "locked down."
tag(s): literacy (99)
In the Classroom
NO membership required to create a cloud, though saving may require a (free) membership in the future, according to developer Hardy Leung. Click "Create" and then "Words." Paste URL to "cloud" words from a web page or copy/paste (or type) a passage of words into the given field. (Repeat words to make them larger). Experiment with various settings and "themes" to create the different colors and shapes of the word cloud. Change the theme, shape, direction, layout, and other parameters easily. Click SAVE to easily download a static image of various sizes or take a screenshot using shortcut keys. Saved images do not have the cool "pop-out" feature (rats!), though the developer tells TeachersFirst that users will be able to download animated versions in the future. You can also save and obtain the direct URL to your animated cloud. Be sure to bookmark it or copy/paste the URL for safe keeping in a document, wiki, etc. During beta, the tool allows you to save and copy embed code, but this feature will cost money later.In the classroom: This is a terrific visual tool to share on an interactive whiteboard or projector. In primary grades. Enter a group of related words into the text box, such as sight words, words with the same spelling cluster, or vocabulary terms. Then have students roll over the words to read them aloud as they pop out (only works in the ONLINE version of the clouds). Paste in a passage or URL for a political speech to visualize the politician's "message." Analyze advertising propaganda by visualizing the language used in TV or print ads. Create word clouds of historical texts of inauguration speeches as time capsules of the issues of the day. Use this site as a way to help students see and memorize terms and important vocabulary, especially visual learners. Use it also when writing poetry or reading passages of great literature to "see" themes and motifs of repeated words and images. Have students paste in their own writing to spot repeated (and monotonous) language when teaching lessons on word choice. Students will be surprised to see what words appear to be dominant. ESL and ELL students will eagerly use this site since word order will no longer be a problem for them. Have students work in groups to create word posters of vocabulary words with related meanings, such as different ways to say "walk" or "said" and decorate your classroom with these visual reminders of the richness of language. Use themes and shapes that coordinate with the word cloud (for example, use a bird shape when creating a cloud about flight or a heart when interpreting a love poem. Consider using a word cloud as a first week of school activity where students discuss summer vacation or what they did over the summer. As a first day activity, students could also make a cloud with words about themselves, then have classmates guess which cloud matches which person.
For a free gift for special occasions, make word clouds about mom for Mother's Day or Thanksgiving "I am thankful" visual poems. Share them by emailing the URL or in printed form.
Comments
Very versatile, creates word clouds in specific shapes. Adds another dimension.Frances, CT, Grades: 6 - 8
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Blabberize - Mobouy Inc.
Grades
1 to 12
6 Favorites
0 Comments
Blabberize is a photo editing tool that creates talking animations from a photo or other image. Search ready-made blabbers or create new ones. There are some real treasures among the...more
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Blabberize is a photo editing tool that creates talking animations from a photo or other image. Search ready-made blabbers or create new ones. There are some real treasures among the ready-mades, some of which you can use as examples for your students. Here is an example created by the TeachersFirst Edge team.
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This site includes advertising.
tag(s): animation (36), images (101), photography (93)
In the Classroom
You need a microphone in or on your computer for easiest recording. We recommend watching (and showing the entire class?) the introduction blab on the home page. It is a riot! To create blabs, you will need to be able to upload photographs or save then upload images from safe and legal sources. Once you know which pictures you are going to use, the rest is as easy as following the onscreen instructions. You will need to "allow" access to your computer's microphone and/or a microphone you attach to the computer. Recording by phone also works. Browse a few examples first to get ideas on how to make a mouth on your photo to move and "talk." Get started right away by choosing a photo and following prompts (arrows) below telling you what to do next. You have 30 seconds to narrate your photo. When you complete the blab, click SAVE. You will be prompted to create an account on the spot. You will also have the options to mark your blab "mature" or "private" (not shown on the "latest" pages and other public areas). Completed Blabs can be shared via email or embedded in another web page, blog, or wiki. Users unfamiliar with copy/pasting embed code can simple share by the URL of the blab's page.You may want to use a single, whole-class account you create with your "extra" email account. Be sure to spell out consequences of inappropriate use/content of blabs. Have students enter the site through the "Make" page link provided in this review to steer clear of the "latest" blabs. You may want your students to make their blabs "private" so they do not show on the public areas, depending on school policies.
The possibilities are only limited by your imagination. Blab the homework directions on your teacher web page. Ask your students to create blabs for all sorts of reasons. Use photos or digital drawings to "blab"! Have students draw in a paint program, save the file, and then make it "speak." Spice up research projects about historic figures or important scientists. Have literary characters tell about themselves. Create entire conversation sequences of blabs between people in world language or ESL/ELL classes (with students speaking in the language, of course), then embed them in a wiki. Have speech/language students make blabs to practice articulation and document progress over time. Promote oral reading fluency with student-read blabs. Create book "commercials." Have students blab what the author may have been thinking as he/she wrote a poem or literary selection or as an artist painted. Blab politicians' major platform planks during campaigns for current events. Blab the steps to math problem solving. Even primary students can make an animal blab about his habitat if you set up the blab as a center. Make visual vocabulary/terminology sentences with an appropriate character using the term in context (a beaker explaining how it is different from a flask?) Students could also take pictures of themselves doing a lab and then blab the pictures to explain the concepts. This would be a great first day project (introducing yourself and breaking the ice). Share the class blabs on your class web page or wiki! Give directions to your class (for when a substitute is there). Use at back to school night to show your humorous side to the parents.
Edge Features:
Parent permission advised before posting student work created using this tool
Includes Interaction w general public/ public galleries with unmoderated content
Requires registration/log-in (WITH email)
Products can be embedded
Products can be shared by URL
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Magazine Cover Maker - Big Huge Labs
Grades
3 to 12
5 Favorites
0 Comments
Create authentic-looking magazine covers sure to attract double-takes. Simply upload a photo to create your cover. If you do not need to SAVE the photo for online access later, you...more
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Create authentic-looking magazine covers sure to attract double-takes. Simply upload a photo to create your cover. If you do not need to SAVE the photo for online access later, you do not even need to join the site. Covers you create can be downloaded as completed images or sent via email and other sharing tools (Facebook, etc). Photos can be uploaded from your files, Flickr, your website, or other photosharing sites. Fill in your desired text for the titles and sub-titles and choose colors for them. It's that simple. Click 'Create' at the bottom and you have a magazine cover that will leave others in awe. For more creative ideas using Big Huge Labs, go to the top of the page and click on Big Huge Labs Blog or Forum. Big Huge Labs offers MANY similar tools, such as Mapmaker, reviewed here. Of course, this site offers advanced options for a fee or with free registration, but neither is necessary.
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This site includes advertising.
tag(s): bulletin boards (7), flickr (7)
In the Classroom
You need to know how to locate your photos on your computer or photo sharing site. Click the little white boxes to change text colors, etc. as you enter desired text. SAVE your completed cover when done. Be sure to give it a meaningful name if you are creating several covers on the same computer!If you and your students simply use the tool without joining the site, there are no problems with email, profiles, etc. You do need to demonstrate the tool and specifically explain which links students should NOT use, including ads and links to social networking sites that are prohibited in your school. These may be blocked, anyway. Make sure you watch and teach copyright issues in snatching photos from the web.
Have students create magazine covers of themselves as a getting to know you activity and classroom bulletin board. Print and laminate magazine covers to make them appear even more authentic. Or share the images (WITHOUT student names) on your class wiki or web page. When doing reports for any subject, have students create magazine covers that mimic the real thing instead of boring plain covers. Make covers about famous Americans, scientists, or historic figures. Make covers about objects, as well. Assign students to research a vegetable and create a cover about its nutrients, recipes, and more as part of your nutrition unit! Guidance teachers or principals can feature exemplary students using this tool. Bulletin board creativity will skyrocket using Big Huge Labs Magazine Cover. Why not offer a rotating PowerPoint slide show of student-made magazine covers for parents to view as they wait in the hallway for conferences?
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Automotivator - Zach Beane
Grades
K to 12
0 Favorites
0 Comments
Create your own motivational poster easily and effortlessly. Choose a random picture, one from the Internet, or one chosen from your computer. Choose colors to border the picture and...more
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Create your own motivational poster easily and effortlessly. Choose a random picture, one from the Internet, or one chosen from your computer. Choose colors to border the picture and the type of text to be used. Enter your text and preview the result. Once complete, save to Flickr, your computer, or print using a separate site. Remember you can use a saved image in PowerPoint shows and on a class wiki, as well.
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tag(s): images (101), photography (93), posters (14)
In the Classroom
You need to know how to browse and upload a file from your computer or find the URL of an image already on the web (one you can legally use, of course!).Make sure students are aware of copyright laws. Use this site to encourage proper use of photographs that students have the authorization to use. Model including appropriate photo credits on the posters.
Younger students can use this tool together as a whole-class activity or simply enjoy the posters their teacher creates. Have students create a picture about what has been studied with a caption of what has been learned. For example, create posters about predators and prey or classifications of animals. Students can create a poster of a study skill or learning activity that helps them learn. Create a caption that explains how the student learns the best. Every subject area can use this resource to create interesting presentation posters for display or as springboards to talk about what was learned. For example, in Biology, students could create a poster about a cell part with a clever caption about the importance of the job. In Literature or History, students can create posters about the perspectives of others in the story or at that time of history. Rather than a traditional research project. Have cooperative learning groups use this site to show their knowledge in any subject area. Ask students to apply concepts such as constitutional rights by illustrating them in poster images with captions. Teachers can create bulletin board images, as well. Have a classroom motivation poster competition to start off the school year! Share the winners on your class wiki or in a PowerPoint presentation at back to school night/open house. As special occasions approach, have students bring in or take a digital picture they can make into a poster as a family gift with their own inspirational saying.
Edge Features:
Parent permission advised before posting student work created using this tool
Products can be embedded
Products can be shared by URL
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20 Questions - 20Q.netInc.
Grades
5 to 12
2 Favorites
0 Comments
This intriguing site has the user choose an "answer," and then the computer asks 20 questions trying to determine what your answer is. The answers to the 20 questions aren't ...more
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This intriguing site has the user choose an "answer," and then the computer asks 20 questions trying to determine what your answer is. The answers to the 20 questions aren't just YES or NO; they also include SOMETIMES, PROBABLY, IRRELEVANT, and others.
When you arrive at the site, click your language (there are MANY languages to choose from). Enter your gender, age, and location (optional). Then choose the "game" you wish to try. Some are more commercial (Disney, The Simpsons, or Star Trek). Others have educational value (Harry Potter, Earth, or Classic, Famous people). This is a fun and challenging activity. There are disclaimers that the "game gets smarter" the more you play because the game compiles facts over time. It is involving and fun to play. The site does include some advertisements.
When you arrive at the site, click your language (there are MANY languages to choose from). Enter your gender, age, and location (optional). Then choose the "game" you wish to try. Some are more commercial (Disney, The Simpsons, or Star Trek). Others have educational value (Harry Potter, Earth, or Classic, Famous people). This is a fun and challenging activity. There are disclaimers that the "game gets smarter" the more you play because the game compiles facts over time. It is involving and fun to play. The site does include some advertisements.
tag(s): trivia (9)
In the Classroom
Share this site on your interactive whiteboard or projector. Teachers could have students research a person, place or thing and then use their research to play twenty questions against the computer. It could also be used as review if posted to the class wiki and then completed independently by students at home. Use this as a first day or first week activity, have students try the 20 question game about names and see if the computer can figure out their name. Use the Earth activity for geography practice in cooperative learning groups or as a class activity. In world language classes, choose the appropriate language to practice vocabulary about animals and other categories of information. As a culminating project in any class, have students create their own 20 question activity and quiz the class! You will be teaching HOTS (higher order thinking skills) as students use classification to create their questions.
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Learning Disabilities Resource Community - Adaptive Technology Resource Centre (Canada)
Grades
K to 12
1 Favorites
0 Comments
This website offers a cache of Learning Disability information for teachers and parents submitted by members of this "community." Articles, discussion boards, courses, intelligence...more
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This website offers a cache of Learning Disability information for teachers and parents submitted by members of this "community." Articles, discussion boards, courses, intelligence tests, and links offer a full array of resources for you, for parents, or for staff development. Because content is user-submitted, there is a wide variety of information, and a few self-serving posts to "plug" a certain product. Most content is useful, easy to understand, and "agenda"- free. There are sidebar ads. You must do a quick sign-in to access all this site offers, including customizing your own webpage within this site. Sign-in does require an email address.
tag(s): learning disability (12), multiple intelligences (5)
In the Classroom
This site would be great for parents who need to understand the scope of a Learning Disability in their child. Be sure to post this site on your class website. Customize your own page within this website to share with colleagues and parents. Middle and high school students mature enough to read about their own learning disability might find this site helpful, as well.The Multiple Intelligence Inventory would be a great "first week" activity for students to complete to learn more about their own learning styles and strengths.
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New Year's Resolutions - Myvocabulary.com
Grades
4 to 12
0 Favorites
0 Comments
HAPPY NEW YEAR! Come to this site to find some word puzzles, writing exercises, a wordbank with 20+ words, class activities, and more. Several of the puzzles are printable. This ...more
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HAPPY NEW YEAR! Come to this site to find some word puzzles, writing exercises, a wordbank with 20+ words, class activities, and more. Several of the puzzles are printable. This site does have some minor advertisements.
tag(s): new years (10)
In the Classroom
Share these word puzzles on your interactive whiteboard or projector. Have students create word puzzles about their own New Year's resolutions. Share the resolutions and word puzzles on a class wiki. This site could even be useful at the beginning of the school year (New School-Year Resolutions)!Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Newspaper clipping generator - fodey.com
Grades
2 to 12
3 Favorites
0 Comments
Create a fictional portion of a web page easily by entering a fictional Newspaper, Title of article, Date, and body of article. Final image will be downloaded and not retained ...more
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Create a fictional portion of a web page easily by entering a fictional Newspaper, Title of article, Date, and body of article. Final image will be downloaded and not retained on any website except ones that you publish to. Note: Model ethical behavior: Do not plagiarize or use real names of newspapers or people.
There are also links at the top of the page to create: a newspaper, ninja text, wizard text, talking flowers, talking tomatoes, talking owls, a wanted poster, talking cats, a cigarette packet, talking squirrels, and a clapper board. Be aware: this site does include some minor advertisements.
There are also links at the top of the page to create: a newspaper, ninja text, wizard text, talking flowers, talking tomatoes, talking owls, a wanted poster, talking cats, a cigarette packet, talking squirrels, and a clapper board. Be aware: this site does include some minor advertisements.
In the Classroom
Basic ability to enter text into fields, download and find the finished file. For file to be shared, understanding how to upload the file onto another site or blog. The "clippings" you make do NOT remain on the site for access later by URL.As files are downloaded to the desktop, you may want to create a Favorites folder, or other "collection" of students projects in one place for easy work at grading time. Another idea: use a class wiki with all projects.
Create a fictional account of a happening or description to identify the errors or determine the item being described. Create an account of a class celebration or a fantastic project that should be shared. Students can use this site to create a fantastic account of a vacation or experience. Use this site as a "first week" activity for students to write articles introducing themselves to the class. Have them use pseudonyms in their "articles" and share them on your class wiki or web page. A week later, have a matching contest where classmates must identify the mystery students! You could do a similar "famous Americans" or "important scientists" activity where students learn and share.
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Vacations - Myvocabulary.com
Grades
3 to 9
0 Favorites
0 Comments
This site offers word puzzles, a vocabulary wordbank of 16 words, discussion questions, examples of some great summer treats and more....all about vacations! Many of the activities...more
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This site offers word puzzles, a vocabulary wordbank of 16 words, discussion questions, examples of some great summer treats and more....all about vacations! Many of the activities are able to be printed FREE. This site does have some basic advertisements.
tag(s): back to school (12), vocabulary (231)
In the Classroom
Use this site at the beginning of the school-year as you learn about your students. Share the word puzzles on an interactive whiteboard or projector. Have students create their own word puzzles about their summer vacations (whether spent at home or traveling).Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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101 Ideas for a Great Start - Iowa State University
Grades
K to 12
1 Favorites
0 Comments
This site offers 101 ideas for a Great Start to your school year, semester, or even January doldrums. (Okay, actually there are 111 with the 10 bonus ideas). The ideas ...more
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This site offers 101 ideas for a Great Start to your school year, semester, or even January doldrums. (Okay, actually there are 111 with the 10 bonus ideas). The ideas are broken down into sections: Creating a Welcoming Atmosphere, Set a Positive Tone, Encourage Active Learning, Encourage Students to Keep Up and Do Well, Provide Support for Students, Be Efficient and Effective with Your Time, Gather Feedback on Teaching, and the Bonus 10. Some of the tips are more suitable for college professors, but teachers of all levels can find numerous ideas at this site. There are a few links to other sites (at Iowa State University). Some of the sites are relevant; others are not. Some require Adobe Acrobat. You can get it from the TeachersFirst Toolbox page.
tag(s): newbies (14), substitutes (12)
In the Classroom
Use these activities at the beginning of the year (and throughout) to help your students acclimate to the new classroom. These tips are also very useful for substitutes or for teachers presenting at professional meetings.
This resource requires PDF reader software like Adobe Acrobat.
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