Teachers First - Thinking Teachers Teaching Thinkers

This site is a compilation of many math and science resources along with a social networking component. Currently there are almost 2000 activities, lessons, and videos and the site is constantly growing. There are several ways to use the site both as a registered user or without registration. Without registering for the site you can search and access lessons and information through the different search methods such as keywords, subjects, source institution, and more. Free registration allows the site to become much more personalized. After registering, you can make lists of resources for any different topic, share lists or searches with others, add comments, or add your own resources. Most activities on the site are free; however, there are some searches that deliver lessons that are paid - these are clearly indicated and not frequent enough to discourage use of this site. Searches can also filter out any paid activities and return only free items. Teachers may also want to subscribe to the site's blog and newsletter to receive updated information as it is added to the site.

In case you are wondering about the title, SMILE is the Science and Math Informal Learning Educators pathway of the National Science Digital Library (NSDL).

tag(s): resources (86), social networking (73), STEM (235), video (247)

This site is the ultimate resource for any measurement or conversion need. Calculators are included for Math, Science, Cooking, Time, and much more. Categories are listed in alphabetical order from Acceleration to Weight/Mass. Within each category are the different converters/calculators. For example, after choosing volume, choices include acres, barrels (dry, federal, liquid, and wine), cubic units, gallons, quarts teaspoons, yards, and more. Other interesting conversions include your weight on other planets, your age in dog years, and translations to and from Pig Latin. You are sure to find exactly the conversion for any need within this site along with others to use just for fun!
This site includes advertising.

tag(s): conversions (38), measurement (125), temperature (33), time (92)

BrainBashers offers many different types of puzzles, riddles, brain teasers, and optical illusions. The site is updated daily so new material is always readily available. Each time you open the site, find a new fun fact along with an odd word and its definition. The site is organized into puzzles, games, illusions, fun stuff, and logic games. Sudoku puzzles of different difficulty levels are also available. The link for teachers includes puzzles for schools and useful pages including optical illusions, memory tests, and logic puzzles.
This site includes advertising.

tag(s): logic (162), problem solving (219), puzzles (143), riddles (16)

This site is a wonderful resource for any teacher looking for lessons, worksheets, activities, and articles related to money. Although this is a subscription site, many of the resources are free without any kind of registration. You can also register to receive limited access to some of the site's other resources. Categories include basic money skills, earning/spending, saving/investing, and careers/business. Elementary lessons include worksheets, coloring pages, and activities that include printables and online games. Other categories include lessons on taxes, insurance, investing, using an ATM and much more.
This site includes advertising.

tag(s): business (50), careers (133), financial literacy (93), investing (5), money (119)

What is Phenology? It is the study of cycles in nature from bird and animal migration to changing of leaf colors. Many of our actions on the planet are affected by phenology. This site invites the general public to become observers. Identify the variety of plants and animals in your region and submit data after registering. You can also help in recoveringand recording historical data by entering scanned observation cards into a database.

tag(s): environment (228), food chains (16), resources (86)