TeachersFirst - Featured Sites: Week of Mar 24, 2013
Here are this week's features. Clicking the tags in the description area of each listing will present a list of other resources with this topic. | Click here to return to the Featured Sites Archive
Graphing Stories - Dan Meyer
Grades
6 to 12
Graphing Stories is a set of short videos to use for graphing. Print the handout (pdf) provided on the site and give to students before beginning each video. Play the ...more
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Graphing Stories is a set of short videos to use for graphing. Print the handout (pdf) provided on the site and give to students before beginning each video. Play the video and have students graph the story. Search by most downloads, type of graph (such as linear or decreasing), or video subject. Each video begins with an overview of the graph and labels to use. The final few seconds of the videos demonstrate how finished graphs should appear.
tag(s): charts and graphs (169), measurement (123), time (91)
In the Classroom
Use Graphing Stories videos for quick graphing practice. Share the videos on your interactive whiteboard or projector. Stop the video after viewing labeling instructions for students to be prepared. Watch the activity. Stop the video again before the correct graph appears. Have students compare graphs and discuss differences before viewing the end of the video with the correct graph. Download graphs onto student computers for students to complete independently or provide a link to graphs for students to review at home.
This resource requires PDF reader software like Adobe Acrobat.
Meteorite size - CARTOD8
Grades
3 to 12See how many meteorites actually strike the Earth. Choose the map or table view. The map view shows bubbles. Hover over a bubble to identify the type of meteorite, size, ...more
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See how many meteorites actually strike the Earth. Choose the map or table view. The map view shows bubbles. Hover over a bubble to identify the type of meteorite, size, and whether it was found or seen. Click on the table tab to see the actual numbers used to plot the graph.
In the Classroom
This site is ideal for your interactive whiteboard or projector. It could also be used on individual laptops or at a learning center. Allow time for students to brainstorm what the bubbles represent on the map. Give a few moments then to have them identify by looking at specific bubbles. Discuss whether certain areas of the map have found or seen more or larger meteorites and why that might be. Research what other objects can strike Earth and compare composition and origin in the Universe. Consider expanding your discussion to include folklore, religion, and other aspects of daily life that may have been "impacted" by meteorite impacts or sightings. Discuss various ways that living things could be protected from possible future impacts.Education Unboxed - Rosie
Grades
K to 7Education Unboxed is a site put together by a homeschooling mom to help explain math concepts primarily through the use of Cuisinaire rods. Topics include preschool and kindergarten...more
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Education Unboxed is a site put together by a homeschooling mom to help explain math concepts primarily through the use of Cuisinaire rods. Topics include preschool and kindergarten concepts all the way through algebra. Short videos demonstrate and explain each topic. Many topics include explanations of games and activities for practice. Although simple in look, this site is a rich resource for any elementary or middle school classroom.
This site includes advertising.
This site includes advertising.
tag(s): addition (127), decimals (85), division (96), equations (118), fractions (159), mental math (19), multiplication (120), number sense (68), numbers (120), place value (33), preK (291), square roots (15), subtraction (108), whole numbers (9)
In the Classroom
View videos as a class on your interactive whiteboard or projector. Use code provided with videos to embed on your classroom blog or website or share using urls provided. Use videos as a model and challenge cooperative learning groups to create videos on math topics learned in class. Share the videos on a site such as TeacherTube reviewed here.Good.is - GOOD Worldwide, LLC
Grades
7 to 12Would you like to read about GOOD news for a change? That is exactly what you will get if you subscribe to this news aggregator. At Good.is, read about conservation ...more
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Would you like to read about GOOD news for a change? That is exactly what you will get if you subscribe to this news aggregator. At Good.is, read about conservation success stories, educating farmers in remote rural villages to increase their crop yield, creating entrepreneurs who design change, inspiring stories about pets, and so much more. What a refreshing way to start the day! Don't misinterpret that description: you will also be updated on current news stories. The choice is yours. Create a free account, choose topics of interest, and sign up for the daily free newsletter to read what's new (and positive) for those topics. If you find something you are truly passionate about you can follow people, and you can contribute articles.
This site includes advertising.
This site includes advertising.
tag(s): enrichment (13), news (226), newspapers (94), politics (118), writing prompts (59)
In the Classroom
Good.is is perfect for enrichment, research, or a current events class. Include it on your class web page (if you are comfortable with the description: a community of people who give a d---) for students to access both in and out of class. Have students try out this site on individual computers, or as a learning center. For students who enjoy current events, Good.is is a terrific source of up-to-the-minute positive stories from across the web. There is advertising, but it is not too intrusive. Use this site as one of several current event options when asking students to find real world connections to curriculum topics. You can always send students directly to the full articles on their original sites to avoid displaying the Good.is frame at the top. Use articles as writing prompts for blog posts or practice writing informational texts or persuasive writing.Population Pyramid - Martin DeWulf
Grades
6 to 12View population demographics from 1950 to the present including predictions upwards to 2100. Click on a country, region, or the entire world. Search by country by clicking on the first...more
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View population demographics from 1950 to the present including predictions upwards to 2100. Click on a country, region, or the entire world. Search by country by clicking on the first letter of its name. The population pyramid is broken into male vs. female and by age groupings of every 5 years from birth to 100+. Hovering over each bar (age grouping) pops up the percentage of the population in that age group and gender. A URL is provided so you can link directly to the specific graphic that you wish to share.
tag(s): charts and graphs (169), population (51)
In the Classroom
At a very simple level, this site is great for teaching about reading charts and graphs or math lessons about how to display data. In social studies or science, view and compare the demographics of various countries. Discuss the religious, economic, and health reasons for the shape of the population pyramids. Discuss demographic transitions, developed vs. developing countries, and emerging issues. Use the information when preparing presentations about health and welfare, world cultures, and biological issues concerning the environments and population demographics. Hypothesize reasons for differences, then have students research to test their hypotheses. Research and discuss the issue of population by searching articles from different countries that show a different perspective from ours.Longform - longform.org
Grades
6 to 12Longform recommends new and classic fiction and non-fiction from around the web. Read articles on a browser or save to read later with Readability, Instapaper, Pocket, or Kindle. Articles...more
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Longform recommends new and classic fiction and non-fiction from around the web. Read articles on a browser or save to read later with Readability, Instapaper, Pocket, or Kindle. Articles include every imaginable topic. There are publications as "well-known" as New York magazine and as "low-profile" as the Broward-Palm Beach New Times. Search for a topic using the search bar or scroll through current offerings on the home page. Narrow down choices by method of reading such as Instapaper or Kindle format. You can also find podcasts about featured publications and articles. Click on an article's title to read online or print using links provided. Choose the read later button to save to your Longform account. Registration using an email address and password is required for this option.
tag(s): expository writing (31), independent reading (82), poetry (195), reading lists (77), writing prompts (59)
In the Classroom
Create a classroom account and save articles to use with classroom topics or for independent student reading. Find informational texts to use for Common Core practice. Share this site with students to create their own account to find articles to read. This is definitely a site that you want to list on your class wiki, blog, or website. Teachers of writing can use these articles as examples of different writing styles and of writing with audience and voice in mind. Select more controversial articles to use as writing prompts.Quick Picture Tools - QuickPictureTools.com
Grades
K to 12Quick Picture Tools offers 12 tools for editing and enhancing pictures. Choose from embossed text, frames, combining images, add text, blur, and more. Click on the editing tool you...more
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Quick Picture Tools offers 12 tools for editing and enhancing pictures. Choose from embossed text, frames, combining images, add text, blur, and more. Click on the editing tool you desire, then choose from options offered to edit pictures. When finished, click "generate image" to save to your computer. No registration needed!
This site includes advertising.
This site includes advertising.
tag(s): back to school (55), firstday (22), images (263)