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Your Roadmap for Teaching Controversial Issues - iCivics
Grades
K to 1tag(s): difficult conversations (54), professional development (352)
In the Classroom
Use the materials provided by iCivics as part of your ongoing professional learning on discussing controversial topics in the classroom. Each teaching guide includes tips and information on choosing subjects, teaching strategies, and more. As you learn how to facilitate productive dialogue and gather additional resources, use Wakelet, reviewed here to curate and share resources. Find many additional resources on the TeachersFirst Special Topics Page - Resources Related to Difficult Conversations, located here.You must be registered and logged in to add items to your favorites.
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The WORLD from A to Z - Carl Azuz
Grades
4 to 12tag(s): critical thinking (106), news (228)
In the Classroom
The WORLD from A to Z doesn't provide critical thinking and discussion questions; the video content is provided for students to learn about news worldwide and to develop their own body of understanding about the content provided. Provide opportunities for students to explore the information in the videos through individual research and discussion. Find many ideas to encourage critical thinking at Extra, Extra, Read All About It: Looking at Current Events with an Analytical Eye, reviewed here. For older students, consider using The WORLD from A to Z as a model for an ongoing podcast featuring students discussing current events that affect them and their community. Buzzsprout, reviewed here features many free tools for creating and sharing podcasts.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Citizen Science Month - Arizona State University and SciStarter
Grades
K to 12tag(s): data (142), ecology (97), engineering (117), genetics (75), inquiry (25), medicine (54), psychology (66), statistics (113), STEM (243)
In the Classroom
Explore the many free projects Citizen Science offers to engage students in scientific exploration and inquiry that match your curriculum. Consider working together as a class to complete the Citizen Science Tutorial and earn the digital badge. As students work together to collect and analyze data, use Livegap Charts, reviewed here, to enter data and create customized charts. After working in groups or together as a class, to analyze the information learned, create a presentation to share with parents and peers during a Citizen Science night event. Use presentation tools such as Bulb, reviewed here, to create portfolios or Slidestory, reviewed here, to create and share audio slide presentations.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Felt - Interactive Map Creator - felt.com
Grades
K to 12tag(s): map skills (55), maps (206)
In the Classroom
Visualizing data and creating maps just became easier for teachers and students. Help your students understand current events worldwide by creating a map and embedding it on your classroom website or learning management system. For example, use maps in science to track migration patterns, explore climates, or map weather events. Teachers of students aged 13+ years can have students create and edit maps in real-time from anywhere. Build upon your student's knowledge by adding layers to your maps to show new information. Teachers of younger students can create maps for student viewing to map a story or show animal habitats.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Educational Podcasts for Students - TeachersFirst
Grades
K to 12tag(s): podcasts (65)
In the Classroom
Share these podcasts with your students to use when learning related material. Share a link to this collection on your school web page and in your school newsletter (or email). Find podcasts to incorporate into your lessons.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Resources related to Source Reliability/Checking Sources - TeachersFirst
Grades
K to 12tag(s): media literacy (96), Research (79)
In the Classroom
We have included resources for all grades. Remember, our "In the Classroom" suggestions with each reviewed resource, give you ideas about using these tools in your classroom.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Resources related to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) - TeachersFirst
Grades
K to 12tag(s): climate (78), energy (129), recycling (49), sustainability (42), water (101)
In the Classroom
Help to deepen your students' understanding (and your own) of the Sustainable Development Goals. Share these resources with your colleagues and students by emailing the page or sharing the link from your school web page and in your school newsletter. Find resources to incorporate into your lessons.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Do's and Don'ts of Teaching Black History - Learning for Justice
Grades
K to 12tag(s): black history (112), civil rights (187), cross cultural understanding (149), cultures (125), difficult conversations (54), martin luther king (41), politics (109), racism (74), rosa parks (9)
In the Classroom
Bookmark and use the information provided in the article as a guideline for teaching Black history, not just during Black History Month but throughout the year. Find many Black History resources at the TeachersFirst Black History Special Topics page, found here, or within many of the Reading Treks, found here. The Reading Treks share virtual field trips of resources based upon literature and include many Black history selections. Celebrate your students' learning throughout the year using digital tools to create virtual field trips using Google My Maps, reviewed here, or creating interactive infographics using Canva Infographic Templates, reviewed here.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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20th Century America (1945-2000) Resources - TeachersFirst
Grades
K to 12tag(s): 20th century (50), black history (112), civil rights (187), cold war (28), korea (18), martin luther king (41), middle east (43), rosa parks (9), segregation (16), vietnam (33)
In the Classroom
Use these resources as you prepare social studies lessons related to American History 1945-2000. Each review includes technology integration ideas. This list includes resources for elementary and secondary students.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Oxfam's Education Resources - OXFAM
Grades
3 to 9tag(s): civil rights (187), climate change (84), environment (231), immigration (63), nutrition (132), sustainability (42), women (116)
In the Classroom
These units are very comprehensive! Choose a unit to complete as a class using your interactive whiteboard or projector to show students all activities, links, and other resources. Then go through some titles and descriptions of several units and ask the class which ones they would be interested in exploring. You may want to use a tool such as Padlet, reviewed here, to keep this organized and eventually form student groups. Students interested in the same topic can form small groups to explore their topics. For younger students, structure this in a very organized way in that all students will look at the links for their unit on a certain day and divide them up with their group to explore and share with other group members after a given time. For older students you could modify their technology use using a tool like Workona, reviewed here, to keep student groups organized and moving forward in their research. At the end of the research, enhance student learning by having student groups share with the class what they learned using a multimedia tool like Genially, reviewed here. With Genially, students can choose what type of presentation they want to use (interactive poster, infographic, videos, games, etc.).Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Resources to Nurture Critical Thinking - TeachersFirst
Grades
K to 12tag(s): critical thinking (106), media literacy (96), problem solving (219)
In the Classroom
Help your students to practice critical thinking skills using these engaging resources. Share these resources with your colleagues and school parents by emailing the page or sharing the link from your school web page and in your school newsletter.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Global Citizenship Resources - TeachersFirst
Grades
K to 12tag(s): collaboration (86), cross cultural understanding (149)
In the Classroom
Help your students to become global citizens using these engaging resources. Find ways to connect with other schools around the country or even around the world. Share these resources with your colleagues and school parents by emailing the page or sharing the link from your school web page and in your school newsletter.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Social and Emotional Learning Resources - TeachersFirst
Grades
K to 12tag(s): emotions (46), empathy (26), social and emotional learning (73)
In the Classroom
Find resources to educate yourself and your students about various topics related to social-emotional learning. This collection includes lesson plans, digital check-ins, toolkits, professional resources, and more. Share this curated list with your colleagues and families.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Extra, Extra, Read All About It: Looking at Current Events with an Analytical Eye - TeachersFirst
Grades
4 to 12tag(s): climate change (84), critical thinking (106), immigrants (31), native americans (86), point of view (7), racism (74)
In the Classroom
Use the information shared on the site to find resources and activities that teach students to think critically about their information. Take advantage of the suggested books and ideas that extend learning through the use of technology. Consider using Wakelet, reviewed here, as a curation tool to share information with students and to share your students' work products.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Critical Media Project - Alison Trope
Grades
3 to 12tag(s): bullying (48), cultures (125), difficult conversations (54), disabilities (28), identity (26), racism (74)
In the Classroom
Discover the many ready-to-go, short, focused activities found on this site during any lessons on social issues and current events. Each lesson features discussion questions, after class discussions ask students to share their thoughts using an online blogging tool such as edublogs, reviewed here. Have students include information and links that reinforce their ideas. For older students, use Perusal, reviewed here, as a collaborative tool for sharing and discussing issues and ideas in online articles.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Diversity Toolkit - National Education Association (NEA)
Grades
K to 12This site includes advertising.
tag(s): civil rights (187), difficult conversations (54), diversity (34), racism (74)
In the Classroom
Use this toolkit to identify different facets of diversity to include in your lessons about social justice and inequalities in society. Consider using Wakelet, reviewed here, as a resource to create and share your lessons with students. Create a Wakelet that includes links to your instructional resources, including videos, online information, and uploaded documents. Include in your Wakelet a link to a different collection that is created as a collaborative space for students to add text responses, videos and reflections. Have students upload a video into the collection directly from Flip, reviewed here. For example, visit this collection entitled "Diving into the Civil Rights."Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Global Climate Change - Laura Faye Tenenbaum, Randal Jackson, Holly Shaftel
Grades
4 to 12tag(s): climate change (84), glaciers (16)
In the Classroom
Share this site with students and provide time for them to explore on their own. Ask them to share their findings and observations using sticky notes posted to a collaborative Google Jamboard, reviewed here. Enhance student learning using Newsela, reviewed here, to assign texts and articles related to glaciers and climate change. Use Newsela's teaching tools to assign writing prompts and quizzes within any shared articles. Differentiate instruction with Newsela by choosing texts that match the different reading and comprehension levels of your students. Extend learning by asking individuals or groups of students to use Juxtapose, reviewed here, to create a before and after image to demonstrate changes of ice formations over time. Be sure to follow the tips and tricks found on Juxtapose as your students build their interactive images.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Change Begins at School - Morningside Center for Teaching Social Responsibility
Grades
K to 12tag(s): bullying (48), climate change (84), conflict resolution (9), disasters (36), diversity (34), elections (78), holidays (149), Juneteenth (18), politics (109), racism (74), religions (71), social and emotional learning (73), women (116)
In the Classroom
Engage students in any of the provided lessons by starting with a simple poll using Slido, reviewed here. For example, ask students if they are familiar with the topic discussed, have experienced a similar emotion, or display an image on your whiteboard and ask students if they know what it represents. Enhance learning throughout any of the lessons by sharing additional resources using a curation tool such as Padlet, reviewed here. Add links to videos, articles, or online activities related to the lesson's content. As you complete lesson activities, extend learning by asking students to share their understanding by creating digital books using Book Creator, reviewed here, flyers made with Adobe Creative Cloud Express for Education, reviewed here, or infographics created with Canva Infographic Maker, reviewed here.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Discussing Tragic Events in the News - Morningside Center
Grades
K to 12tag(s): differentiation (74), disasters (36), social and emotional learning (73)
In the Classroom
Bookmark this site to use as a resource for fostering productive class conversations as needed when discussing difficult events. Be sure to share this site with parents who are also dealing with students that are dealing with tragic events at home. After allowing time to reflect upon the events and your classroom discussions, some students may need additional time to process the information. Provide an additional outlet using Google Jamboard, reviewed here. Create a Jamboard that allows students to add sticky notes anonymously that share their feelings or solutions to difficult problems. Curate resources for students (and parents) that include age-specific information such as news articles, videos, and background information using a curation tool such as Wakelet, reviewed here. Consider creating a Wakelet for parents and guardians with information to use at home to support students in meaningful ways. Provide students a creative outlet to share their emotions by suggesting they create short videos, flyers, or websites using the free tools found at Adobe Creative Cloud Express for Education, reviewed here. Find more resources to help facilitate difficult conversations on this Special Topics Page.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Earth School - TEDEd
Grades
3 to 12tag(s): agriculture (48), climate (78), climate change (84), design (85), forests (28), oceans (139), recycling (49), remote learning (62), solar energy (33), STEM (243), Teacher Utilities (133), water (101)
In the Classroom
Bookmark this site as a resource for science and nature lessons to supplement current materials in your classroom. Because lessons were created for use in remote learning situations, they are perfect for including during elearning or digital learning days. Create an account and customize lessons to personalize activities to fit your curriculum and students. For example, customize lessons easily to change discussion questions to adapt to student abilities, then share the differentiated lessons to different groups of students. Extend learning by adding links to additional activities such as asking students to write a short blog post using edublogs, reviewed here, or create a cartoon based on the activity's content using ToonyTool, reviewed here. Extend learning for all students using Anchor's audio podcasting tool, reviewed here. Begin by creating a discussion question, then share the topic with students. An idea would be to have small groups of students hold a podcast "conversation" about the topic.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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