Teachers First - Thinking Teachers Teaching Thinkers

Looking for views of orbiting satellites with actual data about the Earth? Find it here with the Eyes on the Earth tool. Note: This tool requires a one-time download. After installing, launch from the web page (the install button turns into a start button). Be sure to view in full-screen mode for the best effect. Change your perspective of the Earth by changing the tilt (hold down the mouse and rotate). Zoom in and out with the tool along the right (much like the tool in Google Earth or Maps). Choose from among the tools along the top. As you click on a tool, read information in the window to the left. Be sure to click Turn Audio On to hear the narrative. Use the additional links there for more information. Visible Earth shows the movement of two satellites and the images from both. Choose the speed of the motion of the satellites with the slider along the bottom. Other tools include Temperature, Carbon Dioxide, Carbon Monoxide, Sea Level, Antarctic Zone, and Water and Ice. Click on the last two tools to view the actual datasets and missions. Some of the tools have relief maps, showing a 3D representation of the data. Click Show relief to really capture student attention. The tools in the lower right corner control the brightness of the image and full or partial screen.

tag(s): antarctica (30), arctic (40), carbon dioxide (9), climate (86), climate change (101), earth (182), glaciers (17), temperature (34), water (105)

What can you learn when you embed a teacher with scientists in research groups? Plenty! PolarTREC chooses teachers and pairs them with scientific research groups in polar regions, which changes how they view and teach science. Use their journals and information to change how you and your students view science as well. Access a variety of polar-related resources that support the STEM classroom including videos recorded by the teachers and the research team. Read journals written by the teachers working with scientists in the Arctic and Antarctica that document their field experiences and research in science. Participate in live webinars where classes can hear from the teacher and scientists in real-time and ask questions. View teacher posted videos and lesson plans that can be used in the classroom. This site features a lot of different careers in science uncovered in the journal entries. If your district blocks YouTube, the videos may not be viewable.
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tag(s): antarctica (30), arctic (40), careers (183), polar (10), scientific method (48), scientists (71), STEM (312)

Find resources to enhance student understanding of groundwater and issues related to its use. Resources include coloring pages and word puzzles, experiments suitable for primary and secondary students, and fun facts and activities to use with your class. Be sure to check out the lesson plans found with the experiments for great ideas for young people of all ages.

tag(s): conservation (101), ecology (105), natural resources (37), pollution (53), water (105), water cycle (22)

ABC Splash is a large educational website from Australia containing videos, games, and audio clips. Special sections for parents include informational articles, teaching resources, and education news. Choose from primary or secondary level to view offerings sorted into categories or go to games and sort by topic or grade level to find resources. Register on the site to store and save favorite activities for later use. The site was created in the Australia, so some of the pronunciations and spellings may differ from those in American English.

tag(s): addition (127), animals (293), antarctica (30), atmosphere (22), australia (29), cells (82), climate change (101), continents (33), counting (61), decimals (85), division (96), earth (182), earthquakes (47), ecosystems (85), egypt (59), energy (133), environment (251), food chains (19), forces (37), forensics (12), fossil fuels (10), game based learning (208), gold rush (17), human body (91), immigration (84), insects (68), light (56), maps (224), molecules (43), money (113), multiplication (120), nuclear energy (20), nutrition (140), oceans (149), parts of speech (39), percent (59), perimeter (20), place value (33), plants (148), probability (98), rhymes (22), rocks (34), songs (46), sound (71), subtraction (108), time (91), vietnam (38), volcanoes (55), weather (160), whole numbers (9), world war 1 (77), world war 2 (163)

Ducksters is a safe, extensive, educational portal for kids. Find a wide choice of content such as interactives, sports, movies, and music. Begin by choosing a category to explore choices. The study category includes extensive information such as world history, many biographies, science explanations, and information on all continents and many countries. Interactive subjects include math times tables, checkers, and guess the country. There is a TON here to explore.
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tag(s): addition (127), african american (121), american revolution (86), animal homes (57), animals (293), artists (87), biographies (94), china (83), civil rights (219), civil war (142), cold war (31), continents (33), countries (73), data (150), division (96), egypt (59), elements (33), energy (133), environment (251), explorers (64), fractions (159), friction (9), geometric shapes (132), greece (47), habitats (93), human body (91), inventors and inventions (81), keyboarding (28), mean (19), median (16), mode (13), multiplication (120), planets (113), presidents (136), puzzles (148), recycling (45), renaissance (38), rome (37), solar system (108), sound (71), sports (85), subtraction (108), sun (69), world war 1 (77), world war 2 (163)

View science careers galore! Although this site is rather "plain vanilla," it is filled with sprinkles of knowledge! If you need ideas for science careers in Earth and Physical Science, this is a great resource. Research careers, find out what employees actually do in these careers, learn the requirements to obtain a job. Along with the salary and degree requirements, view the future job outlook in the career. View video interviews of real scientists and profiles of those currently on the job.

tag(s): careers (183), scientists (71)

Enjoy science explained musically through clever songs. Discover weekly additions of cleverly written and illustrated songs on topics such as the Periodic Table, How Your Brain Works, 8 Sick Remedies That Actually Work, and more. Each video explains the science behind a surprising fact or the scientific answer to a question like "Can you really be scared to death?" The New Periodic Table song is a must-see. Find it by browsing through the Popular section. Note that this channel is intended for the general, adult public, so some topics (such as sex) are for mature audiences! If your district blocks YouTube, videos may not be viewable.

tag(s): periodic table (43), video (267)

Join others in over 50 countries around the world in the EarthEcho Water Challenge. The official kickoff for World Water Day is on March 22. However, the challenge continues through December 31. Register to monitor any lake, stream, bay, or any other nearby body of water with safe access. Follow directions to test and monitor your water. There are test kits available for purchase. However, you can create your own. Share data by logging into the site. Click the Tools tab at the top to find Event Resources, Action Guides & Lesson Plans, Reports, and Links.
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tag(s): earth day (60), environment (251), water (105)

Get your recycling facts from this source. Find a mountain of information about recycling mountains of stuff! View a variety of articles on this site. Click the menu items under the title Recycling 101 at the top to find 3 simple rules for recycling, the recycling guide for what can and cannot be recycled, recycling myths, and more.
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tag(s): conservation (101), consumers (14), recycling (45), resources (83)

This site offers over 10,000 lessons aligned with the Common Core and the Next Generation Science Standards. The lessons were created by 130 Master Teachers. You can browse resources without registering. Click the blue "Browse" button to get started. Choose along the top from Common Core Math, Common Core ELA, or Next Generation Science. Lessons are arranged by grade level or Math, Language, and Science subjects. However, if you want to create your own resources, registration is required. After registering, create a class and then create a unit for that class. Finally, create a lesson for that unit, fill in an objective, select a state standard, and estimate the total time on task. Upload files (or drag and drop) to assign them to the lesson or keep them "unassigned" for later use. Additionally, simply add other members' files to your own curriculum. Search for files by keyword, age-level, and type of format. Click on a result to see every lesson plan using that file.

tag(s): commoncore (73), professional development (393), Teacher Utilities (201)

Discover a constantly changing, blog-style collection of articles about all areas of science, designed to engage readers in science and instill a desire to learn more. The articles are grouped into headings such as Environment, Technology, Space, Health and Medicine, The Brain, Plants and Animals, Physics, and Chemistry. Articles share recent discoveries, timely experiments to try (such as cold weather explorations during winter), and intriguing (but true) revelations about scientific mysteries. There are topics of interest to almost any reader, such as "Why Most Food Labels Are Wrong About Calories" or "How Smartphones Can Lead The Fight Against Air Pollution." Click tags to find similar articles. Note that subject material is intended for adults, though our editors found nothing objectionable in the actual articles shared by IFLScience. Avoid clicking on ads and items under "More Stories" and "From the Web," as these lead to other sites of less predictable quality. If sharing this site with teens, be sure to point out which links stay within IFLScience. The site does allow reader comments from the general public. Preview if sharing in a classroom.
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tag(s): brain (56), environment (251)

Is there a climate change? What conditions on the Earth have changed over time? Find answers to these questions and more with this free tool. Choose from the following in the menu bar: Sea Ice, Sea Level, Carbon Emissions, and Average Global Temperature. Drag the slider to show the differences in each of the four areas from 1979 to 2022. Read an explanation of consequences of these changes below the slider.

tag(s): antarctica (30), arctic (40), carbon dioxide (9), carbon footprint (5), climate (86), climate change (101), temperature (34)

Join a journey to eleven countries and three continents as part of a global STEM learning adventure aligned to Next Gen and Common Core Reading standards. The site navigation itself takes a little "exploration," but the time is well worth it. Learn about locations around the world as you explore science and technology at each stop along the way. Learn about the captain and crew under Flight Briefing. Follow the clickable flight route under Flight Tracker. Take a flight tutorial at Fly with Us (under Flight Briefings). Explore videos on the Blog and under Flight Briefings. Watch the intro video on the home page. Some of the videos are hosted on YouTube. If your district blocks YouTube, they may not be viewable.

tag(s): aircraft (17), animals (293), architecture (84), ecosystems (85), endangered species (27), flight (34), oceans (149), STEM (312), volcanoes (55), weather (160)

This Ted-Ed Original lesson features a video and related activities to understand where energy goes on Earth. This lesson features a multidisciplinary approach to understanding energy: using the natural science, social science, and economics to understand. Watch the video. Think by answering a series of questions. Dig Deeper with more information about the topic and join a discussion.

tag(s): conservation (101), energy (133), fossil fuels (10)

Ignite interest in STEM and bridge the gap between learning in the classroom and the real world! Peruse from a variety of short 10 minute interactive videos that highlight real-world problems. Videos are aligned to STEM curricula throughout the US and contributed by partnerships with businesses, government agencies, non-profits, and academic institutions. Use the resources to engage your students in problem-solving and inquiry based learning. Videos and resources are found in the Science, Technology, and Math tabs. Be sure to click the Educator tab for downloadable resources to help you Plan, Engage, and Inspire with your students. While looking at the materials in the Educator tab, find a Best Practices webinar date you can attend (held monthly). This one hour training session is instrumental in using the interactive video and instructional materials to facilitate inquiry based learning effectively and increase 21st century skills in your students. Each video includes resources developed by Industry, lessons by educators, and education pathways for students seeking careers in certain STEM careers.

tag(s): STEM (312)

Supplement math instruction in the classroom using OnLineMathLearning. Find videos explaining concepts, worksheets for practice, games, and activities. The site material correlates to Singapore Math but is assessable to all learners. Explore math by grade level, or by topic. Find math worksheets by grade level or even by topic. There is also Test Prep for SAT, ACT, GMAT, GRE, ESL, IELTS, or TOEFL. Furthermore, this site has instruction on Biology, Chemistry, Physics, Animal facts, Programming, or English help. Find many science project ideas, listed by subject area.
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tag(s): parents (56), video (267), worksheets (71)

Find science current events and more with this wonderful site. This section also includes information on STEM careers and teaching science to teenagers. Find interesting articles and information about Atoms and Forces, Earth and Sky, Humans and Health, and more. Below each article is words used in the article and their meanings. Find information about science projects in the Student Resources section.

tag(s): news (226), science fairs (20), scientific method (48), scientists (71)

Top Documentary Films contains a large collection of documentaries from around the world. Choose "Browse" to explore the films available, or use the Categories menu on the right to view by topics such as Politics, Science, etc. Choose List from the top menu to view a complete listing of all available films. Each listing includes a short description along with a link to view the video. Videos are hosted on YouTube. If your district blocks YouTube, they may not be viewable. Be sure to PREVIEW videos before showing to a class as they are unmoderated. Comments are also unmoderated. There is a wonderful disclaimer at the lower left of the home page about bias and documentaries. It is well worth noting as you watch ANY "documentary."
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tag(s): advanced placement (26), animals (293), artists (87), biographies (94), drugs and alcohol (28), environment (251), evolution (88), hiv/aids (15), humor (15), media literacy (113), mental health (50), money (113), politics (118), psychology (65), religions (113), sports (85), vietnam (38)

Teaching NGSS Engineering Design Through Media offers a large collection of media-based resources to bring engineering (and Next Gen Science) to students at all grade levels. Think of design as problem solving by applying science and math. Begin browsing by choosing from grade level options for descriptions of activities including grade level and type of resource offered. Each activity includes additional resource links, correlations to Next Gen Science Standards, and support materials. Discover the most popular resources by viewing the number of times other users designated them as favorites. Learn about wind powered vehicles, mechanical arms, designing a skyscraper, and much more. Everything on the site is free; however, after viewing three resources you will be prompted to create your free account. Account creation offers the ability to save and favorite resources.

tag(s): architecture (84), energy (133), engineering (137), problem solving (233), robotics (26), STEM (312), structures (18)

What better way to learn science than by "doing science"? My NASA Data provides satellite images, charts, and graphs to analyze information from real world problems. Where to start? Best place is the Lesson Plan tab. Here, find a variety of lessons that can be used in any classroom. Lessons are sorted by High School, Middle School, Elementary. View climate change lessons, Stand alone lessons (a great way to get started), and 50 or 90 minute lessons. Find great ideas that are multi-day projects. Each lesson plan features outcomes, pre-requisite knowledge, tools, National and AP standards as well as Virginia State standards. Be sure to use the linked vocabulary they provide and view all the lesson links. The included background information, procedures, student questions, and extensions are invaluable in planning the lessons. Be sure to go to the bottom of each lesson page to click on the Teachers Notes and to even view the lesson without the standards.

tag(s): charts and graphs (169), data (150), scientific method (48), scientists (71)