Graphic Organizer Resources from TeachersFirst

Whether you call them concept maps, mind maps, KWLs, or graphic organizers, these visual diagrams show relationships between concepts and provide a powerful tool for learning and connecting new ideas. Creating graphic organizers also helps today's visual learners build reading comprehension. This collection of reviewed resources includes tools for creating graphic organizers and many suggestions for ways to use them in teaching almost any subject or grade. Be sure to read the "In the Classroom" suggestions for examples of ways to use graphic organizers as part of a lesson or unit.

 

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An Educator's Guide to Orange County Diversity - Heritage Museum of Orange County

Grades
6 to 12
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An Educator's Guide to Orange County provides many lesson plans and resources based upon Orange County's efforts to share information responsibly and work towards social justice. Although...more
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An Educator's Guide to Orange County provides many lesson plans and resources based upon Orange County's efforts to share information responsibly and work towards social justice. Although created with a focus on Orange County, many lessons are adaptable for use with students in any location. In contrast, other lesson plans can be used without adapting to local needs. Most lessons include a PDF containing lesson information and a slide presentation; others include graphic organizers and student handouts. The resource portion of the site consists of walking maps, links to local archives, and social media projects. Lesson plans include correlations to Common Core and Social Justice standards.

tag(s): 1800s (72), 1900s (73), agriculture (49), california (16), climate change (87), commoncore (75), cross cultural understanding (156), cultures (132), diversity (38), gold rush (15), immigrants (33), railroads (14), westward expansion (38)

In the Classroom

Use these guides as created or adapt the lesson plans to develop social justice lessons based on your local history. Visit the OK2Ask archive of Jumpstart Student Research Projects with the Edge Browser, reviewed here to learn tips and tricks to support students when conducting research using the Edge Browser. As a final project, ask students to use Google My Maps, reviewed here to create a virtual field trip through your town or state that includes links to videos and images that share the story of your location.
 This resource requires PDF reader software like Adobe Acrobat.

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Canva Education Templates - Canva

Grades
5 to 12
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Canva has colorful, attractive templates for all subjects and many topics within each subject. Select by Grade level, Subject, or Resource Type. Under Resource Type you can also select...more
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Canva has colorful, attractive templates for all subjects and many topics within each subject. Select by Grade level, Subject, or Resource Type. Under Resource Type you can also select Lessons, Presentations, Posters, Infographics, Newsletters, Storyboards, Graphic Organizers, and anything else needed in a classroom. Also discover templates for many other valuable skills in Future Skills, including Becoming a Critical Thinker, Becoming a Money Ninja, Student Guide to Protecting the Ocean, The Curiosity Chronicles, Be the Change, and others.

tag(s): antonyms (14), art history (85), collages (20), colors (65), coordinates (15), factors (29), fractions (159), human body (93), multiplication (122), oceans (146), paragraph writing (15), perimeter (20), plants (140), pythagorean theorem (18), solar system (108), synonyms (17), verbs (27), waves (15), writing (314)

In the Classroom

Set aside time to look through these attractive templates to add to your current lesson plans or create a new unit. Students with a specific interest and want to know more about a topic could look through the templates to see what they could learn. Think about creating a Wakelet, reviewed here to share this addition resource for the topics you study in class with students. They can use the Wakelet for review or further information.

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In Pieces - 30 Endangered Species, 30 Pieces. - Bryan James

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K to 12
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In Pieces is an interactive exhibition of 30 of the world's most interesting but unfortunately endangered species, portrayed through fragmented geometric art. Each species has a dedicated...more
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In Pieces is an interactive exhibition of 30 of the world's most interesting but unfortunately endangered species, portrayed through fragmented geometric art. Each species has a dedicated page with an animation and a brief, informative description highlighting its danger and the need for conservation. This artistic website aims to raise awareness about endangered species and illustrate how people can help with conservation. Each animal has statistics, a video, and a link to ways to help. The videos are housed in YouTube. If your district blocks YouTube, the videos may not be viewable. Be sure to view the linked resources to ensure they are appropriate for your students.

tag(s): animals (277), conservation (82), endangered species (28), extinction (3), origami (15), statistics (114), tangrams (8)

In the Classroom

This resource would be great in art, math, or science. Download the images and have students use a drawing program to cut out shapes or use pattern blocks to replicate the downloaded image. Use this site in math class to enhance your statistics unit. The information is shown in various ways and provides students with a real-world connection on how statistics can be used to communicate information. Have students research a different endangered animal not shown and create a statistic presentation. In science, use this site to engage students in a unit on conservation. Have students view the site and record facts or statistics they found interesting. They could utilize a KWL to chart and record their thoughts. You can find many different graphic organizers at Freeology - Free Printable Graphic Organizers, reviewed here.

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New American History - University of Richmond

Grades
4 to 12
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New American History offers free digital media resources for teaching American History for middle and high school teachers, along with a few resources for upper elementary-level educators....more
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New American History offers free digital media resources for teaching American History for middle and high school teachers, along with a few resources for upper elementary-level educators. The included content focuses on connecting America's past to the present; find much of this content under the tabs at the top of the site to journalism, audio, video, and maps resources. Use the link on the home page to find the search tool to find resources. The filters include options to search by term, learning topic, reading level, grade level, standards, and learning strategies. Lesson plans include all information and resources for teachers, and most have a link to a student version.

tag(s): american revolution (80), black history (121), branches of government (62), civil rights (193), civil war (133), colonial america (95), colonization (20), constitution (86), elections (80), emancipation proclamation (11), environment (237), great depression (28), immigrants (33), immigration (64), inequalities (23), native americans (91), primary sources (113), racism (76), segregation (17), underground railroad (12), womens suffrage (43), world war 1 (72), world war 2 (149)

In the Classroom

This site is an excellent resource for American History teachers; be sure to add it to your collection of teaching resources. Each lesson provided by New American History includes several ideas for using digital tools within the teaching tips; take advantage of these ideas to engage students in learning and differentiate instruction for learning styles and abilities. Google Jamboard, reviewed here is often suggested for use as a teaching tool; however, Jamboard will be shut down at the end of 2024. Use Figjam, reviewed here as an alternative. Figjam allows members to migrate Jamboards into projects in just a few steps. As students complete activities such as KWL charts, use the graphic organizer templates found at Canva Edu, reviewed here to share students' ideas. Extend learning by asking students to use Canva tools to show what they know by creating infographics, presentations, flyers, and other multimedia projects.

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iCivics- Patsy Mink - iCivics

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6 to 12
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iCivics features a video entitled "Patsy Mink: Changing the Rules," which tells the story of Patsy Mink, a Japanese-American woman who became the first woman of color in Congress and...more
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iCivics features a video entitled "Patsy Mink: Changing the Rules," which tells the story of Patsy Mink, a Japanese-American woman who became the first woman of color in Congress and worked tirelessly for civil rights and equal opportunities for women. The video provides an engaging and informative introduction to the life and legacy of Patsy Mink. In addition, they have included a lesson plan that contains discussion questions, activities, and additional resources to help teachers incorporate the video into their curriculum. Create a free account to download teacher resources.

tag(s): civil rights (193), congress (39), politics (113), women (135)

In the Classroom

The video "Patsy Mink: Changing the Rules" can promote your student's critical thinking and civic engagement and teach students the contributions of women and people of color to American politics and society. Use the video as a launching pad to discuss women's history and representation in different fields, such as STEM or sports. Have students research prominent women in science, engineering, or athletics and compare their experiences to Patsy Mink's using a digital graphic organizer tool such as mindmaps, reviewed here. Assess student understanding by creating an interactive quiz game with Quizlet Live, reviewed here, or Kahoot, reviewed here.

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Civics Connected - Reagan Foundation and Discovery Education

Grades
5 to 12
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Inspire students to become more engaged in their communities and more informed about their world with standards-aligned civic explorations from Civics Connected. Investigate the basics...more
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Inspire students to become more engaged in their communities and more informed about their world with standards-aligned civic explorations from Civics Connected. Investigate the basics of democracy through meaningful, real-world connections. Free downloadable lesson plans and virtual field trips will keep your students engaged throughout your civics unit.

tag(s): communication (135), democracy (19), politics (113)

In the Classroom

Engage students in class discussions throughout your lessons with tools such as Jamboard, reviewed here, or Padlet, reviewed here; these tools allow students to collaborate easily within small groups or class discussions. You can also enhance the provided graphic organizers by importing them into free tools such as Google Drawings, reviewed here, Google Drawings allows you to annotate an image with links to videos, text, websites, and more. Not familiar with Google Drawings? Watch an archived OK2Ask session to learn how to use: OK2Ask Google Drawings, here. In addition, Civics Connected is regularly updated with news articles and resources related to current events, allowing your students to connect what they are learning and real-world events.
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Tales from the Griots - The Mali Empire - TeachersFirst

Grades
6 to 12
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Tales from the Griots - Mali Empire is part of the TeachersFirst Help! I lost my media/library specialist collection found here...more
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Tales from the Griots - Mali Empire is part of the TeachersFirst Help! I lost my media/library specialist collection found here that features topics and resources that focus on integrating research with technology. This resource begins with introducing the Mali Empire that existed in Africa for over 400 years and continues with additional background information. Following the background information is a list of book suggestions and videos that include suggested classroom teaching ideas. The included extension activity suggests comparing and contrasting the Mali Empire with other civilizations.

tag(s): africa (137)

In the Classroom

Use the ideas and resources found in this article to enhance your lessons on ancient civilizations or provide information for a new teaching unit. In addition to the suggestions already seen on the article, consider using technology tools to help students curate resources, organize information, and share their learning. Wakelet, reviewed here, is an excellent tool for curating resources into shareable collections. Use Wakelet individually or collaboratively when working on research projects. Use CirclyApp, reviewed here, as a graphic organizer to help students understand and compare the Mali Empire with other civilizations. CirclyApp is an excellent visual tool that includes several useful templates to compare and contrast information easily. As students prepare to share their learning, consider the options found at Genially, reviewed here, for students to create interactive presentations, infographics, charts, and more. Resources correlate to ISTE and AASL National School Library Standards.
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Daily Learning Activities - Discovery Education

Grades
K to 8
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Discovery Education offers curated calendars of ready-to-use activities for grades K-8. Activities are available in three grade bands and include virtual field trips, reading passages,...more
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Discovery Education offers curated calendars of ready-to-use activities for grades K-8. Activities are available in three grade bands and include virtual field trips, reading passages, and more in all content areas. Create an account to begin exploring and using the calendar activities. After reaching the Activity Center, find the three calendars for the current month. Next, use the "Prior Months" tab to find the previous calendars. Each calendar opens up as a full-screen, interactive resource. Click on any day's activity to open the item and view the instructions. Select the "Teachers Notes" icon to view attribution for the images used and suggestions, quiz answers, or other additional information when included.

tag(s): calendars (40), Learning Management Systems (22), Online Learning (39), remote learning (61)

In the Classroom

Include these many free resources on the calendar to use during classroom centers, as homework, blended learning activities, and much more. Choose an activity to assign as a weekly project if time is an issue. Many resources also include excellent graphic organizers and question prompts; adapt these ideas to fit your current curriculum needs. Use Google Jamboard, reviewed here, to gather students' ideas for questions to ask, notes with important facts and dates, or for all participants to add questions and experiences throughout your learning sessions.

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OK2Ask: Google MANIA - Getting Started with Google Drawings - TeachersFirst

Grades
2 to 12
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This recording of an OK2Ask online professional learning session is from July 2021. You can register and immediately view the archive of the session.

Explore the hidden

...more
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This recording of an OK2Ask online professional learning session is from July 2021. You can register and immediately view the archive of the session.

Explore the hidden treasure that is Google Drawings. Don't let its simplicity fool you - there are many powerful functionalities in this versatile tool. In this session, participants will learn how to use Google Drawings to make engaging lessons, interactive graphic organizers, exciting assignments, and much more. With the amazing sharing abilities within Google it is easy to get the information out to students and colleagues to work toward a more paperless classroom. As a result of this session, teachers will: 1. Learn the basics of creating in Google Drawing. 2. Explore examples of ways to integrate Google Drawings into the classroom. 3. Learn to create a Google Drawing that you can use for instruction. This session is appropriate for teachers at all technology levels.

tag(s): Google (44), professional development (385)

In the Classroom

The archive of this teacher-friendly, hands-on webinar will empower and inspire you to use learning technology in the classroom and for professional productivity. As appropriate, specific classroom examples and ideas have been shared. View the session with a few of your teaching colleagues to find and share new ideas. Find additional information and links to tools at the session resource page. Learn more about OK2Ask and upcoming sessions here.

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Wisconsin Biographies - PBS Wisconsin Education

Grades
3 to 6
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Wisconsin Biographies is a robust collection of information sharing the stories of famous people from Wisconsin. Each biography includes an interactive featuring videos, images, teaching...more
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Wisconsin Biographies is a robust collection of information sharing the stories of famous people from Wisconsin. Each biography includes an interactive featuring videos, images, teaching activities, and leveled reading booklets. Use other site features to create trading cards and build graphic organizers and timelines. Learn more about Wisconsin through three thematic videos that analyze the stories and provide context for how events connect over time.

tag(s): agriculture (49), biographies (93), civil rights (193), environment (237), journalism (70), native americans (91), recycling (46), slavery (75), wisconsin (5), womens suffrage (43)

In the Classroom

Use this fabulous site as part of your lessons on biographies or as you learn about the states. Ask students to choose one of the biographies as a starting point for researching other Americans. For example, after learning about Walter Bresette, challenge students to learn about others who teach about American Indian rights and protecting the earth. Extend learning by using this site as a model for student-created projects or as a class project. Use a website creation tool like about.me, reviewed here, to build a webpage to tell about the famous person being researched. Include a video created using Adobe Creative Cloud Express for Education, reviewed here, to bring their story to life; find many ideas and templates to help students organize information on Read Write Think, reviewed here. When finished, upload student-created documents similar to the booklets found on the site. Use the idea maps found on the Wisconsin site to create a timeline or other graphic organizer and include it on the student webpage using a link or by uploading their saved PDF. Create and include a trading card using Canva Edu, reviewed here, and sharing a link on student pages.
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'Not Racist' Is Not Enough: Putting In The Work To Be Anti-Racist - Eric Deggans/NPR

Grades
8 to 12
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This article from National Public Radio (NPR) is part of their Life Kit series that provides advice from experts on everyday problems. The discussion focuses on the topic of racism...more
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This article from National Public Radio (NPR) is part of their Life Kit series that provides advice from experts on everyday problems. The discussion focuses on the topic of racism and suggestions on how to be anti-racist. The author shares four tips to use as guidelines on personal behaviors at home, work, and everyday life.

tag(s): bias (22), black history (121), cross cultural understanding (156), racism (76)

In the Classroom

Include this article with your other materials when discussing racism and bias. Engage students in a collaborative discussion of this article and others using Fiskkit, reviewed here. Add a link to the article in Fiskitt, then share with students to add questions and comments as they discuss the article together online. To help students focus on the topic, consider providing a list of possible questions before reading the article. Extend learning by asking students to use graphic organizers such as a 4-Circle Venn Diagram Creator, reviewed here, to compare and contrast information. For example, ask students to explore different media forms such as television, social media, podcasts, and literature and compare different presentations of racism and bias.

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Discovering My Identity Lesson Plan - Southern Poverty Law Center & Learning for Justice

Grades
3 to 7
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This standards-based lesson for upper elementary students provides directions that guide students toward understanding different identity aspects using diverse book characters using...more
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This standards-based lesson for upper elementary students provides directions that guide students toward understanding different identity aspects using diverse book characters using Marley Dias' Black Girls Books. Students work toward answering essential questions that identify similarities and differences between themselves and others and explore how stories teach us about identity. This site provides video clips, small group discussion directions, and graphic organizers to use during the lesson.

tag(s): bias (22), character education (75), difficult conversations (58), identity (28), racism (76)

In the Classroom

Include this lesson during character education lessons that teach students about racism, bias, and identity. Use Edpuzzle, reviewed here, to enhance students' viewing of the video included with the lesson. Search the YouTube portion on edpuzzle to find the video, then place the discussion questions within appropriate portions of the video. edpuzzle integrates with several learning management systems, including Canvas, reviewed here, making it easy to include your annotated video as part of a larger teaching unit. As students complete their book reviews during the lesson, use Flip, reviewed here, to create video book reviews. Use this Flip topic throughout the year to add additional book reviews for students throughout the school year. Upload the book review graphic organizer to your topic for easy access whenever students are ready to add a new review.
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Design for Change USA - Design for Change

Grades
K to 8
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Design for Change uses a virtual platform to engage students and build social awareness through activities that critically look at themes. Create an account to view your dashboard and...more
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Design for Change uses a virtual platform to engage students and build social awareness through activities that critically look at themes. Create an account to view your dashboard and options found on the site. Content is based upon three themes - Racial Injustice, Educational Equity, and Climate Action and is delivered in a content framework of feel, imagine, do, and share. Lessons begin with an empathy warmup podcast. The following steps engage students in understanding the problem of each theme before developing suggested solutions. Download educator toolkits for all activities found using your account dashboard.

tag(s): character education (75), climate (80), climate change (87), empathy (26), racism (76)

In the Classroom

Bookmark activities and podcasts shared in this site to use when teaching about racial bias, empathy, and climate. Download the educator's toolkit to use as an excellent resource for graphic organizers for students to organize information and plan action steps for multiple different uses. As a culminating activity, engage learners to share their ideas by creating digital books using Book Creator, reviewed here. Have students create books that include images, videos, and written text that share their ideas on steps to take to address social issues.
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Using iPads for Literacy and Research in Kindergarten - Dr. Kristi Meeuwse

Grades
K to 3
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This article shares information on a kindergarten class's use of iPads to research and create digital books based on their exploration of the rain forest. Follow the learning process...more
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This article shares information on a kindergarten class's use of iPads to research and create digital books based on their exploration of the rain forest. Follow the learning process beginning with the research anchor chart and discussion of the different methods students used to demonstrate learning. As a culminating project, students use Book Creator, reviewed here, to create and share digital books based upon their research of rain forest animals.

tag(s): descriptive writing (38), preK (253), Research (83), writers workshop (31)

In the Classroom

Use this article as a starting point to develop a research unit on any topic for students in primary grades. Engage students in the learning process by offering a variety of learning materials that appeal to different learners. Use a bookmarking tool such as Symbaloo, reviewed here, to curate and share online resources with students. Symbaloo is especially helpful for younger students because the linked icons make it easy to organize information into groups and provide a visual clue to the linked information. Enhance learning further using resources found at ReadWriteThink, reviewed here. Search for the Animal Inquiry Interactive, for example, to use in creating a graphic organizer sharing animal facts, including habitat, interaction with others, and more. In addition to using Book Creator, reviewed here, to create students' final projects, consider using WriteReader, reviewed here, for younger students and emerging readers and writers. WriteReader offers unique features, including the option for students to tell a story in their writing, while the "adult" version is shown below with correct spellings.

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Copyright & Creativity for Ethical Digital Citizens - Copyright & Creativity.org

Grades
K to 12
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Digital Literacy is an important topic to teach to students, and understanding copyright is increasingly essential as all students are now publishers and creators. This site provides...more
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Digital Literacy is an important topic to teach to students, and understanding copyright is increasingly essential as all students are now publishers and creators. This site provides a free curriculum for all grade levels to teach copyright and fair use. Choose from one of the three grade-level bands - elementary, middle school, or high school to access the shared lessons. Each of the grade-level content areas includes lessons, slides, videos, and all materials needed to teach the curriculum fully. In addition to the student lessons, Copyright & Creativity also includes an on-demand teaching unit for professionals that is hosted on Canvas, reviewed here. Videos included with the lessons are hosted on YouTube.

tag(s): copyright (41), digital citizenship (84)

In the Classroom

Utilize the free curriculums offered on this site to teach students (and yourself) about the proper use of copyright. If you are unable to download the videos, this site recommends viewing the videos using View Pure, reviewed here, to remove all of the annoying "extras" included with YouTube videos. As you teach lessons and ask students to brainstorm ideas or compare and contrast information, use a graphic organizer tool such as Popplet, reviewed here, to create and save visual displays of students' ideas that include both text and images. Ask students to include a link to their Popplet organizer on Seesaw, reviewed here, along with original drawings, recordings, or other materials created during your unit. As a final project, extend learning by asking students to create a tutorial about copyright based upon their knowledge. Provide a variety of resources for creating the tutorial as a way to differentiate learning. Examples of some tools to include are Book Creator, reviewed here, or Adobe Creative Cloud Express Video Maker, reviewed here, or create an infographic using Canva Infographic Maker, reviewed here.
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Where to? What next? - National Park Service

Grades
5 to 8
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Where to? What next? includes a film and accompanying lesson plans dedicated to the life of American poet, Carl Sandburg. The short (9 minutes) film explores Sandburg's childhood and...more
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Where to? What next? includes a film and accompanying lesson plans dedicated to the life of American poet, Carl Sandburg. The short (9 minutes) film explores Sandburg's childhood and how his love for words developed into a love of poetry and stories. The lesson plans include an exploration of essential questions based on family heritage and future aspirations.

tag(s): authors (103), family (53), famous people (21), genealogy (8), poetry (188), racism (76)

In the Classroom

Include this video and these lesson plans with your current poetry unit. Engage students by creating a Padlet, reviewed here, to learn more about Carl Sandburg and other poets. In your Padlet, post links to poems to read and watch as they are read by poets and entertainers. Find some ideas and examples to use at the Archive of Recorded Literature, reviewed here. Encourage students to collaborate as they plan and create their own poetry by using a shared whiteboard tool such as Draw.Chat, reviewed here. Draw.Chat doesn't require registration, invite collaborators by sharing the link. Use the whiteboard to upload images, create graphic organizers, and brainstorm ideas for poems. Share your class's poetry using PodcastGenerator, reviewed here, challenge students to create podcasts with short Twitter-like segments of up to 256 seconds each.

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Thinkalong - Conneticut Public

Grades
6 to 12
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Improve and build students' critical thinking skills, debate skills, and media literacy using Thinkalong. Present students with provocative questions such as "Are Self-Driving Cars...more
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Improve and build students' critical thinking skills, debate skills, and media literacy using Thinkalong. Present students with provocative questions such as "Are Self-Driving Cars Safe? Should performance-enhancing drugs be allowed in professional sports? Should schools provide a laptop and internet for every student? Should social media companies be allowed to sell your data?" to name a few of the many topics. Topics focus on science, social studies, and current events. After clicking a topic, find three main categories: Teachers (a teacher's guide), Investigate (usually a graphic organizer), and Contemplate (question the authorship, format, audience purpose, etc.). However, that's not all! Under those categories, you'll find even move resources listed as Watch, Listen, Think Deep, and Contemplate (deeper thinking questions about the message); after all this, students have the opportunity to test their opinions through a structured debate in class or online with another class. Although the resource states it's for middle school students, these lessons could easily be adapted for high school.

tag(s): critical thinking (112), debate (37), inquiry (23), media literacy (102), news (228), persuasive writing (55), Research (83)

In the Classroom

Whether teaching in a classroom or online, scan the included PDF or Word documents into Google Classroom or your school student/teacher platform to share and assign to students. Enhance student learning by asking students to use highlighting and note-taking tools within their word document to provide documentation for their responses. To prepare students for Common Core Assessments on evidence and arguments, have them choose a popular topic, research it (with the materials provided) so they can provide evidence for their stance when writing about their opinion or to refute another's. The debate section is the perfect opportunity to teach students about countering an opposing opinion, deciding which is the strongest point, and then teach them how to address concerns of others in their writing or debate. For example, they can concede it is a valid point and then counter with another strong argument. Consider sharing the activities found on this site with your peers as a model for redesigning lessons you already use in your classroom (for online learning during absences and crises?). Use Padlet, reviewed here, to collaborate and share ideas, activities, and resources as you work toward incorporating inquiry lessons into your classrooms.

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Book It! - Pizza Hut

Grades
K to 6
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Book It! is the popular free reading program provided by Pizza Hut since 1984. The program is available October through March each year and encourages students in grades K-6 to ...more
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Book It! is the popular free reading program provided by Pizza Hut since 1984. The program is available October through March each year and encourages students in grades K-6 to set and accomplish monthly reading goals. Educators help students set achievable goals and provide a free pizza certificate upon completion.

tag(s): independent reading (84)

In the Classroom

Encourage student reading by signing up and sharing the Book It! program with your students. Set goals together with your students that match individual reading abilities and interests. Use a spreadsheet such as Microsoft Excel or Google Sheets to document student progress and accomplishments. Visit ReadWriteThink, reviewed here to find a large variety of activities and templates to extend learning with any book. Be sure to visit the section with printouts that contains many graphic organizers, writing starters, and assessment tools.

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Nonfiction Text Features: Books and Lesson Ideas - Minds in Bloom

Grades
K to 6
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This blog post shares teaching strategies to increase student comprehension with nonfiction text. The author shares images and information with guidelines for using anchor charts, how...more
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This blog post shares teaching strategies to increase student comprehension with nonfiction text. The author shares images and information with guidelines for using anchor charts, how to focus on specific text features, and spiraling learning. Additional suggestions share ideas for differentiating learning to increase student engagement and interest. As a bonus, the author includes a link to the graphic organizers and pacing guide to download for free use.
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tag(s): reading comprehension (142), reading strategies (96)

In the Classroom

Use this blog post as a starting point for ideas to use when teaching with nonfiction text. Create a book list using Padlet, reviewed here sharing ideas for nonfiction books with your students. Organize them into categories using the "stream" option. Ask students to share their comments and short book reviews as a way to share reading materials with classmates. Enhance learning further using nonfiction materials and lesson ideas found at ReadWriteThink, reviewed here. Type in "nonfiction" using the keyword search at ReadWriteThink to find printable materials such as a nonfiction pyramid, a lesson plan using guided inquiry to learn about nonfiction, and use of the THIEVES strategy as a guide to previewing nonfiction reading materials. Extend learning further by asking students to incorporate nonfiction text features within their writing. Share student work using Edublogs, reviewed here.

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5 Ways to Practice Nonfiction Text Features - Raise the Bar Reading

Grades
K to 6
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This blog post shares easy to implement ideas to share nonfiction text features with students. Each of the suggestions also includes pictures of each of the elements in use in ...more
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This blog post shares easy to implement ideas to share nonfiction text features with students. Each of the suggestions also includes pictures of each of the elements in use in a classroom setting. Use the links at the top of the home page to find additional tips for incorporating reading and writing activities into classroom lessons.
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tag(s): reading comprehension (142), reading strategies (96)

In the Classroom

Although many of the links to materials found on this site link to a paid site, the ideas are easy to incorporate without purchasing information. Use the ideas on the site to create your materials to fit your lesson needs. For example, use Google Slides, reviewed here to create and print visuals to display on your bulletin boards. Take your slides digital and add links to online learning resources to create a complete learning activity. Learn more about how to create interactive lessons using hyperdocs by watching the archived recording of the July 2019 OK2Ask Session: Believe the Hype! Using Hyperdocs for Innovate Instruction, located here. Find many different types of graphic organizers to use online or offline at the TeachersFirst Special Topics Resource Page, located here.

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