TeachersFirst's Open Educational Resources (OER)
Open educational resources (OER) are tools/resources that are available to use freely, with open licenses to media, images, text, and more. OER could include readings, videos, audio clips, textbooks, exams, online courses, lesson plans, and more that are openly licensed. An open license means that you can use these tools at no-cost and access, use, adapt or redistribute to others. These tools are useful for research, learning, teaching, and assessing. View our collection to find a tool for your classroom.
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#GoOpenVA - Virginia Department of Education
Grades
K to 12
tag(s): OER (43), preK (246), professional development (319), Teacher Utilities (132)
In the Classroom
Bookmark #GoOpenVA to use as your first stop in lesson planning. Take advantage of the search filters to narrow down the content and grade-level information to suit your needs. This website is also an excellent resource for finding materials to differentiate instruction. Use higher-level activities to challenge gifted students and search for content for remediation. As you gather resources into a collection, or lesson plans, be sure to think about ways to incorporate technology in meaningful ways to enhance and extend learning.You must be registered and logged in to add items to your favorites.
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Emotional ABC's Curriculum - Emotional ABC's
Grades
K to 5tag(s): preK (246), social and emotional learning (72)
In the Classroom
Discover and use the many free materials included in this curriculum to support SEL lessons in your classroom. Use tools found at Class Tools, reviewed here, to reinforce the material learned during your lessons. For example, use the Image Reveal tool to upload images that show different emotions and ask students to guess the emotion by removing tiles. Extend learning further by using Flip, reviewed here, to record videos of students expressing different emotions. Then ask students to add comments on ways to respond in different situations.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Core Knowledge - The Core Knowledge Foundation
Grades
K to 8tag(s): commoncore (78), professional development (319), Teacher Utilities (132), worksheets (68)
In the Classroom
Save this site for use as an entire curriculum, or use the materials to supplement your current resources. Use the materials to differentiate learning activities for your students. Provide students additional support using content found at lower grade levels or challenge gifted students with materials from a higher grade level. Use Duck Soup, reviewed here, as an alternative to printed assignments and convert any page into an e-sheet gradable activity.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Open Up Resources - Open Up Resources
Grades
K to 8tag(s): data (136), decimals (86), differentiation (69), exponents (35), factoring (25), fractions (160), guided reading (32), measurement (124), OER (43), remote learning (61), transformations (12), writing (301)
In the Classroom
Include this site to supplement your current ELA and math curriculum. Use the resources to differentiate instruction for gifted students in lower grades or as remediation for struggling students in older grades. Be sure to take advantage of the family materials providing explanations of math content and strategies for problem-solving. Use the student materials for differentiating instruction, as homework, or in remote learning situations. Have students share their math explanations, reading strategies and more with video explanations using a tool like Flip, reviewed here. Flip provides a tool for video responses to a question along with comments from peers. Extend learning by asking students to create and share their own math problems, along with suggestions for learning. Use a tool like Sway, reviewed here. Sway is a presentation tool that offers multimedia options, including text, video, and images.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Open Washington: Open Educational Resources - Washington State Board for Community and Technical Colleges
Grades
9 to 12tag(s): OER (43), Online Learning (37)
In the Classroom
Take advantage of the many resources shared on this site to supplement your current classroom instructional materials. Use these materials to find and differentiate learning for students, especially when working with gifted students as you look for content and resources to meet their educational needs that aren't available within your current curriculum. Offer students a variety of options using those found on this site. Share available student choices using Padlet, reviewed here. Enhance learning by encouraging students to collaborate in the learning process using Notejoy, reviewed here. Notejoy offers tools for collaborative note-taking and sharing of ideas through chats, shared images, and more. Ask students to demonstrate their understanding of topics learned by asking them to create a multimedia project sharing their knowledge. Suggestions for multimedia tools include Sway, reviewed here, Wakelet, reviewed here, or Adobe Creative Cloud Express for Education, reviewed here. These multimedia tools present the opportunity to enhance or extend student learning depending on teacher requirements for the project or even student ability; most allow for adding narration, video, text, and links to help explain what certain parts of the content are about.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Project Look Sharp - Project Look Sharp, Ithaca College
Grades
K to 12tag(s): american revolution (76), climate change (79), critical thinking (102), environment (225), martin luther king (40), media literacy (90), middle east (43), nutrition (133), OER (43), presidents (116), russia (33), social media (46)
In the Classroom
Become acquainted with these free curriculum kits and lessons to integrate media literacy within content already taught in the classroom. As you teach lessons found on the site, incorporate technology to enhance learning and build student understanding by using Word Ahead, reviewed here, or WordSift, reviewed here, to introduce and develop vocabulary as a prereading strategy or older students can use either as they are reading. Incorporate images with annotations to help students understand "big picture" ideas using Image Annotator, reviewed here. For younger students create a Image Annotator as a class to add text, video, and more to images. Ask older students to create their own Image Annotator sharing information learned throughout your lessons. Be sure to share all of your images on your class website for students to view at any time. To transform classroom technology use and as a culminating activity, use a digital book creation tool like Book Creator, reviewed here, as an alternative assessment to quizzes or tests. Include student-created writing, ThingLink images, and add videos with student commentary within each book. Be sure to provide students with your rubric to use as a guide before turning in digital books. Find many ideas for implementing rubrics for assessment along with examples and online tools at TeachersFirst Rubrics to the Rescue, reviewed here. Whether students work individually or in groups, be sure to share your new digital library related to your lesson topic with students to review and revisit at any time!Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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K-3 STEM Foundations - Life Science - BioEd Online
Grades
K to 4tag(s): animals (268), brain (52), environment (225), habitats (82), OER (43), plants (136), preK (246), senses (19), water cycle (19)
In the Classroom
Reduce your planning time with these free lessons to use when teaching life science concepts in your classroom. Instead of printing worksheets for students, use a digital tool like Duck Soup, reviewed here, to scan the worksheet and create a digital activity. This tool allows students to "write" on worksheets digitally instead of using paper and pencil. Duck Soup includes features for allowing students to retry and submit work and also allows you to set a deadline for work submission. Enhance student learning by using Flip, reviewed here, to create video response questions for your students. Use the questions provided with the lesson units to challenge student thinking, then ask them to respond in Flip.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Microsoft Learn - Microsoft
Grades
8 to 12tag(s): communication (136), computers (96), Microsoft (75), OER (43), STEM (228)
In the Classroom
Share the Learn site with students interested in learning more about technology and considering careers in computer programming. Have students choose courses of interest to complete on their own as part of a computer technology course. Share with the leader of after-school computer clubs to supplement their current material.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Microsoft MakeCode - Microsoft
Grades
K to 12tag(s): coding (75), makerspace (42), Microsoft (75), STEM (228)
In the Classroom
Make use of the resources offered by Microsoft to share with your students as they learn how to code. Share project ideas with students and include materials for them to create their projects as part of makerspace activities. Have students take pictures of their creation and enhance their learning by using ThingLink, reviewed here, to add audio to describe their creative process. Add images to your class website as part of your student work gallery. Challenge students to use Sway, reviewed here, to create an online multimedia page including images, video, and text to describe, evaluate, and share their work with coding projects. Include project ideas from the site and set up a makerspace during open house events at your school.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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MySciLife - TeachersFirst
Grades
6 to 9tag(s): animals (268), critical thinking (102), descriptive writing (38), digital citizenship (78), OER (43), plants (136), scientists (62), social media (46), STEM (228), volcanoes (55), writing (301)
In the Classroom
Join MySciLife to bring excitement and energy to your science classroom. As you complete activities in the platform, use a concept mapping site like MindMup, reviewed here, to replace paper/pencil version of a concept map. Alter students' learning by asking them to create and share infographics based on their research and sharing of ideas. Canva, reviewed here, is an easy to use site for creating infographics using pre-made templates or from scratch. Take student learning to a whole new level by redefining it and having them create a game-based learning activity for their peers using Symbaloo Learning Paths, reviewed here. Symbaloo Learning Paths offers many options for creating differentiated learning using video, quizzes, and more.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Applied Digital Skills - Free Technology Curriculum - Grow with Google
Grades
7 to 12tag(s): careers (130), collaboration (87), communication (136), computers (96), data (136), OER (43), organizational skills (88), spreadsheets (23), visual thinking (6)
In the Classroom
Bookmark this site to include with other resources in your technology curriculum. Share with teachers of other subjects as a way to integrate content across topic areas. Use these units with gifted students as part of independent projects. Include finished projects in an online portfolio tool like about.me, reviewed here, to include with college applications. Take advantage of the videos included in the learner's portion of the site to share with students to reinforce concepts like collaboration, organization, and research techniques.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Open Up Resources Math Curriculum - Open Up Resources
Grades
6 to 8tag(s): data (136), equations (117), exponents (35), factoring (25), factors (28), fractions (160), geometric shapes (131), measurement (124), OER (43), percent (58), probability (92), pythagorean theorem (20), ratios (49), transformations (12), volume (32)
In the Classroom
Include this site to supplement your current grade 6-8 math curriculum. Use the resources to differentiate instruction for gifted students in lower grades or as remediation for struggling students in older grades. Be sure to take advantage of the family materials providing explanations of math content and strategies for problem-solving. Use the student materials for differentiating instruction or as homework. Have students share their math explanations and strategies with video explanations using a tool like Flip, reviewed here. Flip provides a tool for video responses to a question along with comments from peers. Take student learning a step further and ask them to create and share their own math problems along with suggestions for learning. Use a tool like Sway, reviewed here. Sway is a presentation tool that offers multimedia options including text, video, and images.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Bringing History Home - University of Iowa and Washington Community School District
Grades
K to 5tag(s): civil rights (176), communities (32), environment (225), great depression (28), history day (38), immigrants (31), immigration (62), native americans (85), OER (43), segregation (16), underground railroad (10), world war 2 (138)
In the Classroom
Take advantage of the free lessons and materials on this site to use in your social studies classroom. Have students use a mapping tool such as Zeemaps, reviewed here, to create a map featuring historic events. Have students create timelines (with music, photos, videos, and more) using Preceden, reviewed here, to visualize events over a period of time.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Mind Over Media - Media Education Lab
Grades
6 to 12tag(s): advertising (23), critical thinking (102), OER (43), propaganda (9)
In the Classroom
Discover the many ready-to-go free lesson ideas to include with classroom discussions of propaganda and persuasive advertising techniques. Share the Learn section with students as part of a flipped lesson, then have students provide examples of propaganda they find on TV or the Internet. Ask students to find advertising demonstrating two opposing points of view, then, with younger or less technically experienced students, use an online tool such as Interactive Two Circle Venn Diagram, reviewed here, to compare and contrast information found. With older or more technically experienced students, use a tool such as XMind, reviewed here, to create a chart or mind map to make the comparison.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Open Learning Initiative - Carnegie Mellon University
Grades
6 to 12tag(s): chinese (44), classroom management (131), design (82), engineering (112), french (73), logic (162), OER (43), Online Learning (37), probability (92), psychology (66), statistics (108), STEM (228)
In the Classroom
Take advantage of content in courses to supplement your current lessons. No registration is required to access and view course information. Share this site with gifted students or students with interests in specific academic areas not covered in your current curriculum. Create a course and offer it to your students for greater interaction and learning through community building. Find great ideas from other existing courses. Teachers of gifted can use courses to challenge students in their areas of interest. You can also have gifted students create or collaborate on a student-made "course." Explore the topics for some new, engaging topics to round out your own expertise. Allow students to enroll in a course that would fit into their career goals as an exploratory opportunity in that field. The Open Learning Initiative would also be perfect for setting up directions and steps for any projects you require students to do for your class. The program will integrate with some learning management systems.Edge Features:
Includes an education-only area for teachers and students
Parent permission advised before posting student work created using this tool
Premium version (not free) includes additional features or storage
Products can be shared by URL
Multiple users can collaborate on the same project
Includes teacher tools for registering and/or monitoring students
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Be Internet Awesome - Google
Grades
2 to 6tag(s): cyberbullying (40), digital citizenship (78), internet safety (108), OER (43)
In the Classroom
Discover the many free resources for teaching digital safety offered on this site. Share a link on your class website for parents. Include the interactive game as part of a computer center during Internet safety lessons. Use the free lesson plan to teach digital safety either as a one-time unit or as mini-units throughout the school year. Enhance learning by having cooperative learning groups create podcasts discussing digital safety information. Use a site such as Buzzsprout, reviewed here, to create the podcasts.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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OpenStax - Rice University
Grades
9 to 12tag(s): advanced placement (24), book lists (133), ebooks (34), STEM (228)
In the Classroom
Use OpenStax textbooks to dig deeper into core subjects such as math, science, and social studies. Use materials to differentiate instruction based on student abilities and interests. If your current textbooks are older, find newer books on OpenStax and adopt them for your curriculum. Take advantage of the search feature of online books to find supplemental material for your current instruction. Find teaching materials for gifted students using OpenStax textbooks.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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FreeTechBooks - FreeTechBooks
Grades
6 to 12This site includes advertising.
tag(s): book lists (133), STEM (228)
In the Classroom
In a middle or high school program dig deeply into math, science, or engineering. Find materials to supplement in-depth studies. Challenge gifted or advanced students. Use this as a way to check the validity of your source, whether it is a textbook or another Internet resource. Challenge students to write their own ebooks on their topic of interest in groups collaboratively or individually. Have students use a tool such as Ourboox, reviewed here. Ourboox creates beautiful page-flipping digital books in minutes, and you can embed video, music, animation, games, maps and more.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Reading and Writing Project Resources - Teachers College Columbia University
Grades
1 to 8This site includes advertising.
tag(s): assessment (125), book lists (133), reading comprehension (128), reading lists (80), writers workshop (33), writing (301)
In the Classroom
Use the free resources recommended by Teachers College, Columbia University to fine tune your reading and writing assessments. Assessments are ready to go and use, and videos help demonstrate quality teaching and learning. Use examples of student work on your interactive whiteboard for your class. Sharpening your literacy classroom increases your effectiveness. Share the professional development videos or resources with your colleagues. Use materials from this tool in your next presentation. Use at Open Houses or with curriculum chats with parents so they have a better understanding of grade level expectations. Be sure to document your professional growth for your teacher evaluations.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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edX - Anant Agarwal
Grades
8 to 12tag(s): aeronautics (9), architecture (62), china (60), circuits (19), civil rights (176), computers (96), electricity (61), engineering (112), environment (225), evolution (87), folktales (33), greeks (29), magnetism (35), medicine (54), nutrition (133), poetry (184), psychology (66), religions (69), shakespeare (91), solar energy (33), speech (68), statistics (108), terrorism (41)
In the Classroom
Share with students on your interactive whiteboard and take the demo course together. This is perfect for use with gifted and advanced students as an option for college level courses and enrichment. Allow gifted students to enroll in courses that interest them or that provide enrichment beyond classroom content. Share with others, in your building, as a resource for professional development. Explore the topics yourself for some new, engaging topics to round out your own expertise. Allow students to enroll in a course that would fit into their career goals as an exploratory opportunity in that field.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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