TeachersFirst Ready to Go
TeachersFirst’s ready-to-go, projectable classroom activities are designed for either whole class or student-centered use. The range of subjects and grades is broad, spanning from poetry and literary devices to important historic events. All these activities were created by experienced teachers, and many have been used extensively in the teachers’ own classrooms before sharing them on TeachersFirst.
Offer these activities on an interactive whiteboard or projector, on student laptops, or even as a computer center. Be sure to share the links with students so they can access them from home or during study times for self-directed learning, review, or enrichment. Don’t forget to use your free TeachersFirst membership to mark ready to go Favorites or share comments about classroom successes with these activities.
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TeachersFirst Reading Treks - Make Learning a Journey - TeachersFirst
Grades
K to 12
0 Favorites
0 Comments
Your students can visit the world and build their background knowledge when they choose to read a book in conjunction with Reading Treks. Find fiction and informational books at every...more
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Your students can visit the world and build their background knowledge when they choose to read a book in conjunction with Reading Treks. Find fiction and informational books at every reading level. Each Reading Trek unit has a downloadable PDF with Common Core State Standards, ISTE Standards, Grade Level, Ideas and Activities for using the Reading Trek in class, and a list of Helpful Resources. There is also a Google Maps (KMZ) file. Under the About TeachersFirst Reading Treks on the home page find step-by-step instructions for when you're ready to use a Reading Trek. TeachersFirst is just getting started creating Treks for books. Do you have a suggestion? Select Suggest a Trek from the left menu to let us know about it. We'd love to hear from you!
tag(s): independent reading (86), maps (208), reading comprehension (142), reading lists (77)
In the Classroom
These units are perfect for use with a whole-class novel, literature circles, or individual reading! Ask students to keep a journal about what they are reading and learning. Replace traditional paper and pen journals using an easy virtual journaling tool such as Penzu, reviewed here. With Penzu you can add images or your own artwork as illustrations. If you are conducting literature circles a good tool to use for small group assignments and communication is Asana, reviewed here, or Canvas Free LMS, reviewed here. For students or student groups to share their book with their peers, challenge them to enhance their learning and design an interactive multimedia poster using Genially, reviewed here.You must be registered and logged in to add items to your favorites.
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Gettysburg by the Numbers - TeachersFirst
Grades
5 to 10
10 Favorites
1 Comments
Gettysburg by the Numbers (GBTN) is a web-based, interactive experience of the Battle of Gettysburg through numbers and infographics that raise questions and invite connections. Exploring...more
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Gettysburg by the Numbers (GBTN) is a web-based, interactive experience of the Battle of Gettysburg through numbers and infographics that raise questions and invite connections. Exploring Gettysburg "by the numbers" invites you to move beyond dates and facts to questions that make the battle more meaningful and real. Dig into the numbers to imagine the weather, the clothing, the communications, the people, the weapons, and--yes -- the cleanup from three devastating, pivotal July days in 1863. Delve into the infographics and accompanying questions to connect what was then with what is now. The site includes ideas for families and for teachers to use it in the classroom. Be sure to click on the large color image of the battle to get the "big picture." Teachers will want to explore the extensive "For Teachers" section that offers materials, lesson ideas, Common Core correlations, and much more.
tag(s): civil war (135), gettysburg (15)
In the Classroom
Gettysburg exemplifies many aspects of the Civil War experience and of U.S. life during the 1860s. Use this resource as a whole class introduction to the Civil War or specifically to the Battle of Gettysburg. Extensive teacher materials include downloadable and customizable handouts for students to "get the basics" about the battle or extend their understanding through small group or individual projects on battle-related topics that interest them. Coordinate with your math teacher to reinforce concepts of proportion, percent, ratio, and graphing with real data about Gettysburg. Differentiate for your students by helping them select from more concrete or more open-ended "questions" included with each detail about the battle. You can make this a one-day "quick tour" or a week long journey. Find project ideas included in these questions. There is even a customizable project rubric in the teacher materials. Be sure to share this link on your class web page for curious students (and families) to explore on their own outside of class!Comments
Excellent resource for researchArthur, TX, Grades: 0 - 12
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Frontier Forts of the American Revolution - TeachersFirst
Grades
4 to 8
10 Favorites
1 Comments
Here's a highly visual look at life on the frontier during the American Revolution, created with the help of several groups of reenactors. The unit includes information on the life...more
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Here's a highly visual look at life on the frontier during the American Revolution, created with the help of several groups of reenactors. The unit includes information on the life of children in this setting.
tag(s): american revolution (81), colonial america (93), evolution (86)
In the Classroom
Use this unit as part of a study of colonial America, or to show what daily life was like in the 18th century. Be sure to explore the Teacher area for specific writing ideas and more. Extend the lesson by having student groups map their own virtual "frontier fort" using an online drawing tool such as Scribblar reviewed here.Comments
Great to use during my American Revolution Unit!!!Veronica, NC, Grades: 5 - 12
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TeachersFirst Brain Twister - TeachersFirst
Grades
3 to 9
46 Favorites
0 Comments
These ten question quizzes, written by Thinking Teachers, are changed each Friday and are ready to go with one edition for middle school students and one for elementary students. The...more
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These ten question quizzes, written by Thinking Teachers, are changed each Friday and are ready to go with one edition for middle school students and one for elementary students. The quiz presents ten questions, one at a time. You have only ONE try to pick the correct answer, so think carefully. You get points for each correct answer, totaling up to a possible 100. When you finish, you see your score and how long you spent. Questions are intended to stretch your thinking. Printable versions are available along with answers to the previous week's Twister. A new version of the Twister is mobile-friendly and adjusts to any screen size. Take the Twister with you wherever you go!
In the Classroom
Since elementary and middle school curriculum content varies from location to location, it is unlikely that every question will fall within the scope of your school's curriculum. High point questions may fall outside standard classroom fare. Five-point questions tend to be at the knowledge/comprehension/application level of Bloom's taxonomy and closer to "normal" content. Ten pointers are more likely cross-curricular application/analysis, and twenty pointers require analytical thinking and a wider experience level, such as knowledge of current events or information beyond normal curricula. Twenty pointers may require more than one student's input.Do the questions as a whole-class activity with a projector or interactive whiteboard with students contributing the portions of knowledge they do know toward solving the question. Using teamwork and thinking aloud can often help the group reach a conclusion that no single member could do on his/her own. They can each test different math answers to see which one is correct. This process will not only foster thinking aloud and group communication, but also model test-taking skills for multiple choice.
Alternatively, do the Twister in small groups, with one student an answer entry but others as researchers on neighboring computers to find out what the group does not know. It may be helpful to assign roles: moderator (assigns what to find out and helps the group reach consensus), keyboarder (enters responses, may conduct research in a new window), or researchers (find information as assigned). Use the Twisters to model and teach information literacy skills in a high-motivation activity. Or offer the Twisters as an enrichment challenge or extra credit option for students to do at home. Ask parents to be on the honor system to sign a note indicating the score their child achieved. Since parents may be overly interested in helping, you may want to simply give extra credit for anyone completing the quiz, no matter the score. Be sure to mark this ready to go exclusive in your favorites and share it on your teacher class web page.
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Globetracker's Mission - TeachersFirst
Grades
2 to 6
22 Favorites
0 Comments
Globetracker's Mission is a projector or whiteboard-ready episodic story in blog-style format, taking students in grades 2-6 on a journey as they learn standards-based geography, landforms,...more
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Globetracker's Mission is a projector or whiteboard-ready episodic story in blog-style format, taking students in grades 2-6 on a journey as they learn standards-based geography, landforms, and map skills in an engaging, interactive context. Each weekly "post" from Geo and Meri, fictitious brother and sister techno-savvy teens, traces steps on a secret mission for their Uncle Globetracker and his important but unnamed government agency. Episodes include annotated vocabulary terms, interactive maps to practice map skills, and think-aloud questions the teens pose as they use today's tools: text messaging, cell phones, and blog posting. Readers vote at the conclusion of each post, telling Geo and Meri what to do next. TeachersFirst member teachers have other options for their classes to become involved in the mission. All episodes have accompanying Google Earth placemark files so your class can "tour" with Geo and Meri using Google Earth's free, downloadable software. Included are complete tech tips, detailed lesson and management ideas, and teacher information.
tag(s): continents (32), directions (12), earth (185), landforms (37), latitude (10), longitude (9), map skills (56), maps (208), oceans (149)
In the Classroom
See "Lesson Ideas" from the Teacher Edition page for a complete list of ways to use this creative unit with younger students, on laptops with student partners, or as semi-independent work. Be sure to share the link on your teacher web page for students to share at home (or check on the next episode, if they can't wait!).Encourage parents to join the fun on the mission by sharing the suggestions listed under "Parent Info."
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The 50 States - TeachersFirst
Grades
4 to 8
18 Favorites
1 Comments
TeachersFirst's states project for students combines the usual "almanac" facts with narratives on native people, early history, economy, and landforms and geography. The result is a...more
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TeachersFirst's states project for students combines the usual "almanac" facts with narratives on native people, early history, economy, and landforms and geography. The result is a one-stop site for upper elementary and middle school students studying their own states, or someone else's.
tag(s): california (16), new york (22), states (122), texas (7)
In the Classroom
Use this site on a projector or interactive whiteboard to discuss and informally assess prior knowledge as you start your study of the 50 states. One easy use would be for testing students on knowledge of the capitals. Open the site on the interactive whiteboard or projector, and you can test students not only by state recognition on the map but with what the capitals are. State location and capitol information are not clearly stated until clicked on, so this would be a fairly easy formative assessment in review the information.Comments
Great resource!Ladisha, VA, Grades: 9 - 12
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Biomes of the World - TeachersFirst
Grades
4 to 8
40 Favorites
0 Comments
Introduce the earth's different biomes with this unit, created by TeachersFirst. Biomes include coniferous forest, deciduous forest, tropical rainforest, tundra, ocean, fresh...more
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Introduce the earth's different biomes with this unit, created by TeachersFirst. Biomes include coniferous forest, deciduous forest, tropical rainforest, tundra, ocean, fresh water, desert, and the savannah. Each link includes information and pictures. Students can complete an on-line research project on a biome of their choice, using selected web resources, or they can learn the basics of biomes with the information provided in the unit. There are links to the introduction, to learn more about the project, and even a teachers link (with a TON of class activity ideas).
tag(s): biomes (112), earth (185), earth day (60), ecosystems (72)
In the Classroom
Have students work in cooperative learning groups to explore this site. Transform technology use and student learning by challenging students to create multimedia presentations about the biomes. Use Timeline JS, reviewed here; Timeline JS offers the option to upload and add photos, videos, audio, Tweets, and Google Maps making it interactive, or Typito, reviewed here; a video creation tool where you add images and video, add text, choose templates and layouts, and add music to personalize your work, or Genial.ly, reviewed here, which allows you to insert maps, surveys, video, audio and more. With Genial.ly students will have a choice of presentation styles (posters, infographics, etc.). Last, you could use Thinglink, reviewed here, where technology use will range from augmentation (narration of an image) to redefinition (adding media links, explanation, narration). Other options might include creating a wiki or blog.
This resource requires PDF reader software like Adobe Acrobat.
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The Interactive Raven - TeachersFirst
Grades
6 to 12
23 Favorites
0 Comments
Here's TeachersFirst's famous on-line presentation of Poe's classic poem, with notations explaining definitions and literary devices. Roll over words for definitions, literary devices,...more
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Here's TeachersFirst's famous on-line presentation of Poe's classic poem, with notations explaining definitions and literary devices. Roll over words for definitions, literary devices, and more.
In the Classroom
This is a great on-line independent study for students who need additional help with either vocabulary or poetic devices. Introduce the site on your projector (rollovers will not work on an interactive whiteboard), then have students work alone or with a partner to become acquainted with the full text of Poe's masterpiece, accessing definitions and literary devices on their own. Augment classroom technology use and challenge students to create their own dramatic readings of the poem using a tool such as podOmatic, reviewed here, or accompany their reading with illustrations using ePubEditor, reviewed here, where your can upload images and text and add audio.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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TeachersFirst: The Highwayman - TeachersFirst
Grades
7 to 12
35 Favorites
0 Comments
This online edition of Alfred Noyes' poem introduces both the text and the poetic devices and vocabulary in this famous poem. The unit can serve as an independent study tool ...more
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This online edition of Alfred Noyes' poem introduces both the text and the poetic devices and vocabulary in this famous poem. The unit can serve as an independent study tool or a review for those who need a refresher on poetic devices.
tag(s): poetry (190)
In the Classroom
Share the start of the poem on your projector or interactive whiteboard. Then turn students or partners loose to explore the poem and discover the details on laptops or at home. Transform classroom technology use and extend the unit by challenging groups or individual students to create their own visual interpretations of a stanza using a tool such as Poster My Wall, reviewed here.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Activities: Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows - TeachersFirst
Grades
4 to 8
2 Favorites
0 Comments
TeachersFirst offers a chapter-by-chapter set of activities for Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows. Designed to be used after each chapter, the activities include science searches,...more
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TeachersFirst offers a chapter-by-chapter set of activities for Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows. Designed to be used after each chapter, the activities include science searches, writing, and art projects suitable for individual or group use. The ideas and activities ask you to respond, extend, discuss, create, and more. There is simply no better way to try new "After Reading" strategies. Don't miss this great collection as a way to encourage anyone to get the most from reading and re-reading a new favorite. Find links to two other sets of Harry Potter book activities on the Intro page.
tag(s): harry potter (9)
In the Classroom
Share this link on your teacher web page or in a parent newsletter, if you don't have time to do all the activities at school. Ask students to design their own activities to accompany other Harry Potter books.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Dates That Matter - TeachersFirst
Grades
5 to 12
21 Favorites
1 Comments
Dates That Matter provides a new perspective on history by placing each day-in-history event in a broader context and explaining its long-term impact. History is a fabric woven of many...more
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Dates That Matter provides a new perspective on history by placing each day-in-history event in a broader context and explaining its long-term impact. History is a fabric woven of many events, and Dates That Matter helps students see the full tapestry.
The dates display on a projector-ready screen: A single sentence reveals something about the date. You then click to see a sequence of thought-provoking questions to guide students to a greater understanding of interrelationships as they try to guess the actual event. When the historical event finally shows on screen, a further explanation, Why does it matter?, fills in the remaining context and offers reviewed links to learn more.
Teachers who work with low readers might try using these daily clues to teach the reading strategy of connecting what you read with prior knowledge to place new learning in context.
A full, annotated version of each date is available from the Teacher page at the end so you can plan for student responses and have hints for guiding the discussion. You can also preview upcoming dates to choose those you may want to put in your weekly plans.
tag(s): calendars (37), substitutes (26)
In the Classroom
Begin your social studies class once or twice a week by sharing a Date That Matters on a projector or interactive whiteboard to foster broader understanding of the connections that form world history. Or use the links at the end as an extra credit or enrichment opportunity or for gifted students to investigate more. Focus class attention as everyone enters by projecting the date and starting sentence. Make this one a link on your teacher web page for students (and parents) to access outside of school. Substitutes will also appreciate this meaningful and engaging way to connect today with students' prior history knowledge for more than an isolated factoid. It's a lesson ready to go!Comments
This is a terrific site for daily writing and "Do Nows" for my ELA classes. In addition, the site can be used for Morning Meeting/Advisory.Patricia, NJ, Grades: 6 - 12
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Activities: Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix - TeachersFirst
Grades
4 to 8
1 Favorites
0 Comments
TeachersFirst offers a chapter-by-chapter set of activities for Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix . Designed to be used after each chapter, the activities include science...more
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TeachersFirst offers a chapter-by-chapter set of activities for Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix . Designed to be used after each chapter, the activities include science searches, writing, and art projects suitable for individual or group use. The ideas and activities ask you to respond, extend, discuss, create, and more. There is simply no better way to try new "After Reading" strategies. Don't miss this great collection as a way to encourage anyone to get the most from reading and re-reading a new favorite. Find links to activities for two other Harry Potter books on the Intro page.
tag(s): harry potter (9)
In the Classroom
Share the link on your teacher web page or in a parent newsletter, if you don't have time to do all the activities at school. Challenge students to design similar activities to accompany other Harry Potter (or other favorite) books.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Activities: Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince - TeachersFirst
Grades
4 to 8
2 Favorites
1 Comments
TeachersFirst offers a set of chapter-by-chapter response activities for Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince. Use art, writing, and web research to answer questions or think...more
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TeachersFirst offers a set of chapter-by-chapter response activities for Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince. Use art, writing, and web research to answer questions or think about the issues in a particular chapter. Ideal for individual use, and many of these could serve as the basis for a group discussion on topics like loyalty and leadership. The ideas and activities ask you to respond, extend, discuss, create, and more. There is simply no better way to try new "After Reading strategies. Don't miss this great collection as a way to encourage anyone to get the most from reading and re-reading a new favorite. Find links to two other sets of Harry Potter book activities on the Intro page.
tag(s): harry potter (9), reading strategies (99)
In the Classroom
Share the link on your teacher web page or in a parent newsletter, if you don't have time to do all the activities at school. Ask students to design similar activities to accompany other Harry Potter (or other favorite) books.Comments
Very good way of planning.kel, GA, Grades: 3 - 5
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TeachersFirst: The Hamlet Quizzes - TeachersFirst
Grades
9 to 12
6 Favorites
0 Comments
This is a collection of interactive quizzes on Shakespeare's Hamlet. Designed for use as a review tool, the collection includes character quizzes and scene-by-scene reviews of key elements...more
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This is a collection of interactive quizzes on Shakespeare's Hamlet. Designed for use as a review tool, the collection includes character quizzes and scene-by-scene reviews of key elements of Shakespeare's most famous tragedy. The collection can be used in class or independently.
tag(s): hamlet (8), plays (28), shakespeare (92)
In the Classroom
Share these quizzes as a way to check for understanding while students read the play. As an extension, invite students to create their own scene-by-scene or act-by-act quizzes for classmates to try, using a tool such as Easy Test Maker, reviewed here or Kubbu, reviewed here.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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