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Extracting Natural Gas From Rock - New York Times
Grades
5 to 12
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Learn the steps in extracting natural gas using hydraulic fracturing, or "fracking" with this interactive. The platform shows each step in drilling to fracture shale rocks to release...more
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Learn the steps in extracting natural gas using hydraulic fracturing, or "fracking" with this interactive. The platform shows each step in drilling to fracture shale rocks to release natural gas. On the left side of many of the frames are explanations of problems that may occur in that step in the process.
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This site includes advertising.
tag(s): energy (203), environment (319), geology (81), natural resources (58), oil (43), resources (112)
In the Classroom
Use this resource in science, current events, government or civics classes when studying environmental issues or for issues about regulation. Before sharing this interactive article with students, identify concepts that need an explanation in class. Have students create a four square chart (fold paper "hamburger" style) and list what they know about fracking in one square. Students then explore this interactive to determine whether their statements are correct or false. In the square next to their brainstorm, have students correct their misunderstandings. In the third square, they can list the possible problems with each step. Use ProConIt, reviewed here, and search for fracking debates. In the fourth square have students record the "pros" for fracking in the ProConIt debates. Students in current events and language arts classes can then write opinion pieces or argument and persuasive papers. Read the site to become informed about this controversial topic as it may become a political issue in upcoming elections in some locations. For younger students, have pairs go through the interactive sections and write down key phrases for information they learn. Then have the pairs create a word cloud of the important terms learned from this site using a tool such as Wordle, reviewed here, Tagxedo, reviewed here, or WordItOut, reviewed here.
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Gamestar Mechanic - E-Line Media
Grades
4 to 9
2 Favorites
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Level up your learning with Gamestar Mechanic. Gamestar Mechanic is a fantastic free site to learn about web-based game design and 21st Century skills. Your journey begins with a series...more
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Level up your learning with Gamestar Mechanic. Gamestar Mechanic is a fantastic free site to learn about web-based game design and 21st Century skills. Your journey begins with a series of mini adventure quests that teach you the core principles and fundamentals of game design. Earn new game design elements such as blocks for constructing levels, characters, and other items with each level of completion. The levels scaffold from learning about gaming principles to "repair" games to fix improper mechanics. Unlock more items to widen your workshop experience with the more missions you master. The workshop offers drag and drop tools to create your own original games without having to program. You must be able to beat your own game to publish it for friends, family, and the Gamestar Community to play. Game Alley is a space for players to publish and review games. Teachers have an extensive collection of lessons at their disposal, with clear goals provided for the student. This game contains no inappropriate content, but contains a fair amount of reading and may be too complex for younger players. All communication on the site is moderated, and there is no live chat of any kind, nor any use of personal information. Premium options are available for purchase. This review is for the FREE portion only.
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This site includes advertising.
tag(s): creativity (120), design (84), game based learning (116), gamification (77)
In the Classroom
Game design allows learners to build technical, technological, artistic, cognitive, social, and linguistic skills. Students can collaborate in small groups or with partners to work through the Quest adventure. Use Gamestar Mechanic as a platform for creative writing opportunities. Each level of the game unlocks the next section of the story. Games are an emerging form of self-expression and communication. Integrate spelling words, vocabulary words, and word wall words in the story. Challenge your gifted students to create math problem solving activities for each level of an original game. Students can collaborate by linking multiple games on a Tackk, (reviewed here), which allows students to provide the exposition to a multi-level challenge. Have students unlock content or clues for a unit by conquering Gamestar quests. Students can create review games for their peers with content from various subjects. Create an educational scavenger hunt for your students. Each level of the game unlocks a task or clue to a physical task around the classroom.Edge Features:
Includes an education-only area for teachers and students
Parent permission advised before posting student work created using this tool
Includes social features, such as "friends," comments, ratings by others
Requires registration/log-in (WITH email)
Premium version (not free) includes additional features or storage
Products can be shared by URL
Includes teacher tools for registering and/or monitoring students
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Finding Dulcinea Online Guides and Resources - Mark Moran
Grades
5 to 12
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Finding Dulcinea is a tool that selects and annotates credible, trustworthy websites into an online newspaper format. In addition to current content, the site also offers over 550 web...more
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Finding Dulcinea is a tool that selects and annotates credible, trustworthy websites into an online newspaper format. In addition to current content, the site also offers over 550 web guides providing resources for topics such as health, teacher resources, and global warming. Be sure to check out the Beyond the Headlines section of the site for in-depth looks at topics such as Why Do We Have Daylight Savings Time? View the site tour video located here to understand the set-up and how to use the site.
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This site includes advertising.
tag(s): careers (140), cultures (110), financial literacy (81), mental health (26), news (264), newspapers (97), religions (68), sports (98)
In the Classroom
Share articles from Finding Dulcinea with students on your interactive whiteboard when discussing current events. Create a link on classroom computers for students to read on their own. Have students create a simple infographic sharing their findings from any article using Easel.ly, reviewed here or Venngage reviewed here.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Zoho Online Surveys - Zoho Corporation
Grades
3 to 12
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Creating online surveys just became easier and quicker using Zoho. Simply use the survey editor to add questions, edit, and modify your survey. Choose from 15 different question types...more
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Creating online surveys just became easier and quicker using Zoho. Simply use the survey editor to add questions, edit, and modify your survey. Choose from 15 different question types such as multiple choice or more advanced options such as a matrix. Use logic within responses to skip or present questions based on user response. Use social media to share surveys and feedback via links to Twitter, Facebook, and more. Add a QR code on print material if desired to access surveys.
tag(s): polls and surveys (55)
In the Classroom
Copy/paste the link to the poll or use the embed code to place in a wiki, blog, or a site. Be sure that students use the poll appropriately and know that personal information is not acceptable in poll responses. Use polls anywhere to record quick responses to questions. Have students create a poll about their interests and allow time to analyze responses and report findings. Use this site to vote for correct answers in math class, project ideas for science or social studies, social issues in current events, and practically any other subject area. Students should be encouraged to incorporate polls during class presentations. In an elementary math class, collect quick data to show use of graphs. Share the graphs on your projector or interactive whiteboard in "real time." Provide options for students to gain confidence in generating and analyzing statistics they have created. Include a quick parent poll, on a class website, to keep the lines of communication open. An iPad app is available for easy use in mobile settings.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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CurriConnects Booklist - Natural Disasters - TeachersFirst
Grades
K to 12
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Find books about Natural Disasters in this leveled book list from CurriConnects. Natural disasters are a fascination for many students, but they can offer a new angle on many science...more
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Find books about Natural Disasters in this leveled book list from CurriConnects. Natural disasters are a fascination for many students, but they can offer a new angle on many science and social studies topics, as well as current events. These books provide experience with both nonfiction informational texts and fiction that requires students to draw inferences about the "facts." CurriConnects thematic book lists include ISBN numbers for ordering or searching, interest grade levels, ESL levels and Lexiles'''''® to match student independent reading levels to challenge, not frustrate. For more on text complexity and Lexiles'''''®, see this information from the Lexile Framework. Don't miss other CurriConnects themes being added regularly. If your library does not have the books, try interlibrary loan!
tag(s): book lists (133), disasters (40), hurricanes (40), independent reading (129), tornadoes (17)
In the Classroom
This collection of books could accompany a unit on earth science, weather, or even communities and government as your students look at how disasters affect people and how individuals or governments respond to adversity. These books would also connect well to a character education or guidance unit about dealing with a crisis. You could even include this list with a geography unit about differences in weather, climate, and landforms around the world. Talk about WHY natural disasters happen and/or the results afterward: How did communities change? What did people do in response? If having students read independently, you may want to pose a big question or two related to your curriculum for them to think about as they read. Have them return and share their answers after reading, perhaps as a presentation or small group project.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Nourishing Gifted Through Technology in Any Classroom - TeachersFirst/Melissa Henning and Candace Hackett Shively
Grades
K to 12
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These pages, originally the support pages for a presentation at the ISTE conference 2014, offer resources, tools, and tips to nourish the needs of gifted in your classroom, along with...more
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These pages, originally the support pages for a presentation at the ISTE conference 2014, offer resources, tools, and tips to nourish the needs of gifted in your classroom, along with sanity savers to organize your multitasking class and your oftentimes "scattered" gifted learners. Find a multitude of reviewed tools, resources, and connections available via technology, so gifted students can work with differentiated academic content, leverage technology to foster their creativity, join in digital collaborations to extend the curriculum through individual interests, and even establish digital "me-portfolios." Start with the Helpful Background, basics about gifted students, and move through several pages to help you plan appropriate activities for your gifted students-- and help them be involved in the planning, as well. The authors of this article are both experienced teachers of gifted, so their suggestions are based on practical experience, not just "theory."
tag(s): differentiation (49), gifted (92)
In the Classroom
Mark these pages in your Favorites as a reference whenever you have gifted students. These students may or may not be officially identified, but sometimes trying these strategies will save you and the student a lot of frustration. When it comes time to offer choices, share the handpicked tool collections in this article with your gifted students so they have a solid place to start. For more ideas about gifted, try the gifted tag in reviews, use a keyword search including the term "gifted," or browse for the subject "Gifted" in the TeachersFirst Subject/Grade pages.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Tapestry - readtapestry.com
Grades
K to 12
3 Favorites
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Tapestry is a new way of storytelling across any device. Create and view beautiful "tappable" stories -- slideshows telling a simple story where readers tap to move forward. Explore...more
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Tapestry is a new way of storytelling across any device. Create and view beautiful "tappable" stories -- slideshows telling a simple story where readers tap to move forward. Explore Tapestries created by others sorted into categories such as popular, fashion, inspiration and more. To make your own Tapestry, click "Write a Tapestry" to view options. Options in the original editor include adding images, text formatting and color options, including a share button to send your Tapestry to others via social networking and email. Additional formats include resources for creating animated gif's and short stories. You do need an account to make your own Tapestry. There are free app versions for iOS and Android.
tag(s): DAT device agnostic tool (174), slides (65)
In the Classroom
Tapestry is perfect for use when creating and sharing short stories or poems. Use Tapestry to create quick slideshows for any classroom use. Set up a whole class account so students do not need individual logins. Easily share slides with information or (online) images on your website or blog to remind students about a project or assignment. Have students create presentations to "introduce" themselves to the class during the first week of school. Create a slide show to introduce any unit and have students guess what they will be learning. Create a Tapestry easily "on the fly" as a review resource to embed on your class website or blog. This site is perfect for your BYOD (bring your own device) classroom, since it is a "DAT." Make quick "cue cards" for students to read their lines off a projector, interactive whiteboard, or tablet for a video or school news broadcast! Paste your school or class announcements into slides and embed them on the class or school website.Use this simple tool for students to make book promos for the library/media center. Display them on tablets or iTouches! Even the youngest gifted students can create simple presentations to go beyond regular curriculum in your class. Be sure to show young ones how to copy/paste the url for their finished work to send it to you or mark it in Favorites on the classroom computer or iPad. Have them make slide shows telling a story, explaining about a famous person, and more. During a unit on plants, have students create a guide to plant care or a show about the world's strangest plants. Have them write and illustrate slides as book reviews for independent reading they have done. This tool is simple enough for any student who can read.
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 shared by URL
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The Internet in Real-Time - Jeff Thomas Stech
Grades
6 to 12
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Find a captivating, animated infographic that shows how rapidly data generates on the Internet. At the bottom is a changing account of data generation for every 10 seconds. This infographic...more
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Find a captivating, animated infographic that shows how rapidly data generates on the Internet. At the bottom is a changing account of data generation for every 10 seconds. This infographic is actually live! There is a link at the top where you can click and watch the Internet giants accumulate wealth in real-time.
tag(s): data (153), images (275), infographics (48)
In the Classroom
Share both of these infographics on your projector or interactive whiteboard (RIght click to open the wealth accumulation link in another tab). Use these infographics as a discussion starter about Internet safety, media literacy, or in just about how data proliferates in today's world. Discussion starters for the Internet in Real-Time could be about who could take advantage of and use this information, what factors (time of day, holidays, etc.) affect the rate of increase, how do "they" keep track of this? A discussion starter for the one about wealth might be to see how many students know about the controversial 1% of the wealthiest people in America, and then have them research how many of the 1% own or have invested in these companies? In a math class about data, use this as an example of how people draw meaning from numbers.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Classroom Authors - Classroom Authors
Grades
1 to 12
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Classroom Authors uses four easy steps to publish an e-book or a printed book: writing, editing, proofing, and publishing. Teachers create an account and a project. Have students join...more
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Classroom Authors uses four easy steps to publish an e-book or a printed book: writing, editing, proofing, and publishing. Teachers create an account and a project. Have students join the project with a code. Every student with the project code will have a chapter to create. Student accounts require email, but they can use a parent email address or an "+" extension of the teacher's email address, for instance, myemail+studentname@myschool.org. All students invited to the project can be working on their section, on multiple computers, at one time. Adding content is as easy as using a word processing program and uploading images to the gallery. Drag and drop the images into the chapter. Students can view the entire book, but only edit their own chapter. Teachers have complete control over editing, style and leaving comments. There are default templates so the books created are professional looking. Customize to give the book your own look. Classroom Authors is not only a vehicle for publishing; this tool will fulfill the Common Core Standard requirements for using technology for collaborating and writing across the curriculum. The best part of this site: it is EASY to use! Classroom Authors uses ePub to format e-books and offers one free printed book for each published project that has 10 or more students collaborating. Beyond that, there is a cost for printed books. E-books are FREE.
tag(s): creative writing (170), descriptive writing (44), ebooks (43), process writing (46), writing (367)
In the Classroom
Research proves publishing improves writing skills. Use Classroom Authors for class newsletters, an anthology of student written stories, and creating "choose your own adventure" type stories. Use this tool for research or opinion pieces in world language classes, science, math, or social studies. Some teachers have their students write novels for National Novel Writing Month, and at Classroom Authors they will be able to publish them.Edge Features:
Includes an education-only area for teachers and students
Parent permission advised before posting student work created using this tool
Requires registration/log-in (WITH email)
Multiple users can collaborate on the same project
Includes teacher tools for registering and/or monitoring students
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Great Lakes Echo - MSU Department of Telecommunications, Info Studies, and Media
Grades
6 to 12
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Find a constantly updated collection of informational articles about the environment of the Great Lakes. Subscribe to receive news of current feature articles. The variety of article...more
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Find a constantly updated collection of informational articles about the environment of the Great Lakes. Subscribe to receive news of current feature articles. The variety of article topics is sure to catch the interest of almost any reader. The articles have Creative Commons Attribution - Share Alike licenses so are free to use and recopy (be sure to attribute!).
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This site includes advertising.
tag(s): animals (291), fish (27), insects (72), plants (156), pollution (67), water (131), watersheds (16), weather (198)
In the Classroom
Use this resource in a science or environmental science classroom to identify and learn about various problems affecting the Great Lakes. Many of the concerns are representative of watersheds and freshwater bodies in other locations, as well. These articles are also valuable to examine current events in a social studies or civics classroom, identifying the impact of current environmental challenges on society and of society on the environment. Use these articles to provide experience with reading informational texts. Annotate an article using one of many annotation tools such as Scrible or Crocodoc, as part of "close reading." Compare the environmental issues of the Great Lakes with those of other water areas. Add this link to a bank of resources for students to use in research of issues affecting waterways.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Inequality.org - Institute for Policy Studies
Grades
8 to 12
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Inequality.org aspires to be a portal for those seeking information on the impact of inequalities in areas such as income, health, race, and more. Choose the topic of Data and ...more
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Inequality.org aspires to be a portal for those seeking information on the impact of inequalities in areas such as income, health, race, and more. Choose the topic of Data and Statistics to view charts, graphs, and discussions of inequalities and changes over time. For example, you can view several videos with topics such as CEO pay, Tax the Rich Fairy Tale, and Wealth Inequalities. Although this site certainly has a one-sided point of view as its focus, it is one that is sure to get you thinking.
tag(s): inequalities (27), racism (18), statistics (126)
In the Classroom
Have students explore this website then search for alternate points of view. Use this information as a starting point for classroom debate on current events, economics, and more. Have students create maps using Animaps (reviewed here). Students can add text, images, and location stops to "map" the information given on this site. Use an online tool such as Interactive Two Circle Venn Diagram (reviewed here) to compare and contrast different points of view. Don't be surprised if your more news-savvy students (or those whose parents discuss political views openly) have very strong opinions about the ideas on this site. What better way to spark a discussion in a government/civics class? This would be a useful site to share with your gifted or more able students during an election year and have them create a position paper or video for a fictitious candidate on one of the inequity issues. In a math class, use some of the statistics here to work with plotting and interpreting data. The topics are certain to engage student interest!Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Top Documentary Films - topdocumentaryfilms.com
Grades
7 to 12
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Top Documentary Films contains a large collection of documentaries from around the world. Choose "Browse Documentaries" to explore documentaries available, or click on categories to...more
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Top Documentary Films contains a large collection of documentaries from around the world. Choose "Browse Documentaries" to explore documentaries available, or click on categories to view by topics such as Politics, Science, etc. Choose the documentary list to view a complete listing of all available films. Each listing includes a short description along with a link to view the video. Videos are hosted on YouTube. If your district blocks YouTube, they may not be viewable. You could always view the videos at home and bring them to class "on a stick" to share. Use a tool such as KeepVid reviewed here to download the videos from YouTube. Be sure to PREVIEW videos before showing to a class as they are unmoderated. Comments are also unmoderated. There is a wonderful disclaimer at the lower left of the home page about bias and documentaries. It is well worth noting as you watch ANY "documentary."
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This site includes advertising.
tag(s): advanced placement (24), animals (291), artists (76), biographies (91), drugs and alcohol (22), environment (319), evolution (102), hiv/aids (18), humor (15), media literacy (64), mental health (26), money (186), politics (99), psychology (66), religions (68), sports (98), vietnam (36)
In the Classroom
Use this site to find videos in a wide range of topics to share on your interactive whiteboard, on a projector, or as a link on your class web page. Use videos to demonstrate different points of view. Then use an online tool such as Interactive Two Circle Venn Diagram (reviewed here) to compare and contrast information. Have students create a word cloud of the important terms they learn from any film using a tool such as Wordle (reviewed here). Want to engage students WHILE they watch a video? Why not set up a backchannel chat using Todaysmeet, reviewed here. Be sure to ask your class if there could have been any bias in the video you watch together. What film techniques influence our thinking?
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TinEye Labs - Idee, Inc.
Grades
2 to 12
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Search Creative Commons images by COLOR(s)! Choose up to five colors. As you choose each color, the tiled squares fill with a myriad of images that include that color. Click ...more
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Search Creative Commons images by COLOR(s)! Choose up to five colors. As you choose each color, the tiled squares fill with a myriad of images that include that color. Click a second color to view images that have both colors in them. Choose up to five colors. Click on "Next" in the lower right hand corner to view more pages of images. Click on the image you like to go to its Flickr site. Use CTRL-click (or right click) to view the different sizes of images and download pictures. Our editors did not notice any inappropriate photos. However, we highly recommend previewing this site before sharing with students. You will want to discuss what to do in the unlikely event that an image comes up that is not classroom appropriate. As with all Creative Commons images on Flickr, you will want to look at the details of the license to be sure you can use any image as you intend to. Some have limited use (such as no "derivative works"). Click the Rights link at the right when viewing an individual image to see the specifics.
tag(s): colors (81), creative commons (22), design (84), graphic design (35), images (275), media literacy (64), psychology (66)
In the Classroom
Use this tool when you seek specific color(s) to coordinate with a presentation or other class project. Use it to talk about the emotional impact of different colors, such as during a psychology unit on perception, a media literacy lesson on advertising color, or a discussion of color schemes in art class. Be sure to discuss the ethical use of images with proper credit, including Creative Common images. Start by having students carefully NAME files as they download and save them (include the photographer's name and a title). Remind them that they still need to give credit even if it is Creative Commons. This is a great site for looking at contrast, analogous and complementary color schemes, and other artistic expressions. Use TinEye Labs to uncover various elements of graphic design found in images. Art teachers will love the many options for demonstrating different color palettes on a projector or interactive whiteboard. Use the photo examples from Tineye Labs together with a tool such as Kuler, reviewed here, or Colour Lovers, reviewed here, to play hands-on with digital color. Share this with your gifted students who are especially interested in art or design.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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OECD Better Life Index - OECD Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development
Grades
8 to 12
3 Favorites
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Explore statistics and data about what it takes to be happy in different locations. If you could live anywhere in the world, where would you have the best life? Of ...more
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Explore statistics and data about what it takes to be happy in different locations. If you could live anywhere in the world, where would you have the best life? Of course, it all depends on what you think contributes to a better life. The OECD presents the opportunity to choose from among 11 indices related to happiness. Rank them in order of importance to you, and then see graphically which countries in the world have the best quality of life based on those considerations. Want to have a high income? Then the United States ranks first in that category. Is the cost and quality of available housing what matters? Norway ranks first in that category. Other indices include Environment, Education, Safety, Work-Life Balance, Health, and Jobs. A slider bar on each index allows you to select your priorities and then watch as the countries realign themselves according to your preferences.
tag(s): communities (35), cross cultural understanding (120), environment (319), politics (99), safety (91)
In the Classroom
A great classroom discussion starter, and perfect for displaying on an interactive whiteboard, the Better Life Index allows students to consider and debate what makes for a "better life." And once (or if) they can reach a consensus on those factors, where could that life be found in the world? Of course, once you discover that people are healthiest, for example, in Australia, what does that mean? Why are they healthy there? What community, government, and institutional factors make Australia healthy? Do they make choices other countries don't? This is a wonderful tool for guiding discussion about the public policy decisions made by citizens and governments, and how those decisions affect the quality of life. It would also provide powerful information for persuasive writing or debates. If you talk about utopias and dystopias, this is another way for students to decide what the criteria are for each. If you study world cultures, this site can provide a whole different lens to promote crosscultural understanding. Assign students to compare and contrast factors that matter most to them across multiple countries. Gifted students who are designing an "ideal civilization" can find meaningful data here to use as part of their plans.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Plotly (Beta) - Jack Parmer
Grades
8 to 12
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Plot.ly is a collaborative data analysis and graphing tool. Import data from your computer. Copy and paste, drag and drop a file, or import from Google Drive or Dropbox. Create ...more
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Plot.ly is a collaborative data analysis and graphing tool. Import data from your computer. Copy and paste, drag and drop a file, or import from Google Drive or Dropbox. Create many types of graphs from your data including scatter, line, bar, area, error bar, heatmap, box, and histogram. Options include choice of colors and themes, switching back and forth from data to graphing view, and data filter options. Create your account using email or social networking logins to save completed graphs. Make graphs public or private using sharing options. At the time of this review, this site was still in Beta.
tag(s): charts and graphs (198), data (153)
In the Classroom
Plot.ly is perfect for use on your interactive whiteboard or projector. Use this site to demonstrate different types of graphs using the same data in a math or science class. Create an account and upload your own data for comparison. Challenge students to play around with Plot.ly to create and share their own graphs. Use Plot.ly as a challenge assignment with gifted students who research different data or simply need experience manipulating more sophisticated types of information.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Website Evaluator - ResearchReady.com
Grades
5 to 12
14 Favorites
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The Website Evaluator takes you step-by-step through the process of evaluating any website. The site also creates a final report based on your input. Begin by adding the URL of ...more
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The Website Evaluator takes you step-by-step through the process of evaluating any website. The site also creates a final report based on your input. Begin by adding the URL of any website and clicking "Go." A sidebar set of questions appears alongside the site to guide you as you go. Questions consider purpose, accuracy, authority of the author and publisher, relevancy, and how recent the information is. Once finished, view responses and print or email them.
tag(s): evaluating sources (14), internet safety (108)
In the Classroom
Use the Website Evaluator as an integral part of your Internet safety, information literacy/research, or website evaluation lessons in any subject where you require online research. Demonstrate how to use the Evaluator on your interactive whiteboard or projector. Allow students to evaluate sites on their own. Share and compare printed evaluations on a classroom bulletin board or your class website (or wiki). Have students use the Evaluator to compare and contrast different websites to find the one that is the best fit for a particular need. Require that students include a site evaluation for any online source they use as part of a research project.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Adventure '14 - Jason Elsom
Grades
K to 12
3 Favorites
1 Comments
Experience a worldwide, virtual, culture exchange in November, 2014. Adventure '14 is an opportunity to work with students from another culture. The only equipment needed is a computer,...more
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Experience a worldwide, virtual, culture exchange in November, 2014. Adventure '14 is an opportunity to work with students from another culture. The only equipment needed is a computer, webcam, reasonable Internet connection, and a projector. Signing up indicates an interest, not a commitment. Sign up requirements: contact information about the school or group, age range, and website address. Also, indicate if there is an interest in pairing up with others by subject, language, or interests. Although there are places to fill in Twitter account information, having a Twitter account is not required. Get to know about people in another culture, embrace the opportunity to work together on a global project, and create a website together (optional).
tag(s): cross cultural understanding (120), cultures (110)
In the Classroom
Consider the many ways your class could collaborate. Science students can collaborate on labs, history students on research, and math students can solve some of the world's most difficult equations together. ESL/ELL students might collaborate with students who want to know about their experiences where one does not speak the language.Partner teachers can choose a collaborative platform students can use to brainstorm ideas they have about the other country and culture before they meet. Use a projector and Lino, reviewed here, (no membership required) to discuss and informally assess prior knowledge about the culture with whom they will be working. Once the project is underway, go back to Lino occasionally, and add what they learned and whether it coincides with the students' original ideas. Ask the partner class if they will fill in the areas and ideas missed on your Lino. Also, consider asking the partner school to blog together. It is amazing the improvement you will see in student writing when they know they have an authentic audience! If you never blogged before, you might want to check out TeachersFirst Blog Basics for the Classroom. Use the blogs as a way to discuss topics related to both culture AND your curriculum: environmental topics, different types of government, or simply day to day life.
Comments
I intend to use this. It sounds like a great idea., MD, Grades: 1 - 1
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Comics Head - Next Wave Multimedia
Grades
4 to 12
4 Favorites
0 Comments
Create one frame cartoons or entire comic books -- easily! Start by uploading a funny picture and create a comic from that. You can create your comics anywhere from any ...more
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Create one frame cartoons or entire comic books -- easily! Start by uploading a funny picture and create a comic from that. You can create your comics anywhere from any device and access them from the same device or any other. The drag and drop interface ensures ease of creation. Choose from a variety of options for characters, layout options, backgrounds, props, captions, and special effects. Choose options to use and drag and drop them onto the comic page. Simply undo or delete objects, move objects backward, forward, add text captions, and zoom in and out of the page. Register with the site (email required) to save, share, and print out creations. You can create a single page comic or full book length comics. You can download as a pdf or even share as an ebook! Some of the instruction videos are hosted on YouTube. If your district blocks YouTube, they may not be viewable. You could always view the videos at home and bring them to class "on a stick" to share. Use a tool such as KeepVid reviewed here to download the videos from YouTube. Mobile apps are available, including "lite" (free) versions.
tag(s): comics and cartoons (69), DAT device agnostic tool (174), digital storytelling (153)
In the Classroom
In classes with younger students, use a whole class account under teacher control. In a BYOD classroom, let students set up their own accounts and use the app versions. When studying characterization, create a dialog to show (not tell) about a character. Use the dialog box (bubbles) to explain the sequence of a story, a science concept, or school news! Create a political cartoon. Why not use the comic strips for conflict resolution or other guidance issues (such as bullying). Emotional support and autistic support teachers can work with students to create strips about appropriate interpersonal responses and/or feelings. Sometimes it is easier for students to write it down (or create pictures) than use the actual words. World language and ESL/ELL teachers can assign students to create dialog strips as an alternate to traditional written assessments. Let your creative (or gifted) students take the comics even further by making them into entire books!Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Trove - Rob Malda
Grades
7 to 12
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Discover and curate personalized news stories using Trove. Browse through ready-made Troves that may be of interest, and "follow" them. Create an account using your email or social...more
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Discover and curate personalized news stories using Trove. Browse through ready-made Troves that may be of interest, and "follow" them. Create an account using your email or social network login. Create and curate your own Trove by following the instructions on the site. This tool will work on iOs devices or on the web. At this time there is no Android app available.
tag(s): news (264), newspapers (97), social networking (112)
In the Classroom
Use Trove to create student-navigated lessons or review materials for any topic. Create a whole class Trove account to follow Troves safely under teacher supervision. Allow students to set up their own accounts if over 13 and permitted under school policies. Have students work together in groups to create their Trove on current articles they can use in a research project. Have student groups create Troves of articles in the news related to the curriculum topic you are studying. For example, collect articles about disappearing habitats, design concepts that use new engineering materials, food and religion in a certain culture, or climate change and weather. Demonstrate a new math concept using articles found on the Internet. Create a class study guide for students to access before the big science test! Include Trove as part of your current events lessons and allow students to explore articles demonstrating different points of view. Use Trove as a professional resource for following current topics in education such as standardized testing or Common Core Standards. Speaking of Common Core, the articles collected in Trove could serve as practice with informational texts. Library/media specialists can collect Troves to teach students about using media in research projects.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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GeoSettr - Create your own GeoGuessr Challenge - GeoSettr.com
Grades
4 to 12
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Create your own GeoGuessr game using five Google Map street view locations. NO membership is required! These challenges show actual views of mystery locations for people to guess where...more
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Create your own GeoGuessr game using five Google Map street view locations. NO membership is required! These challenges show actual views of mystery locations for people to guess where they are. (See this review of GeoGuessr to see how the challenges work.) Move the person to the desired map location to set a location for each round. When complete, GeoSettr generates a URL that will take people to your unique GeoGuessr page.
tag(s): map skills (82), maps (293)
In the Classroom
Make geography come to life by gamifying it! Create (or have students create) landform games (what do these locations have in common), culture games, travel collections, etc. Use this tool to explore world cultures (or languages), geography, historical locations, famous battle locations, and more. Demonstrate how to create a game, then have students create and play games of their own. Pair this activity with What Was There, reviewed here, and have students use an online tool such as Interactive Two Circle Venn Diagram, reviewed here, to compare and contrast changes over time.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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