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return to subject listingCurriConnects Booklist - Natural Disasters - TeachersFirst
Grades
K to 12tag(s): book lists (161), disasters (36), hurricanes (35), independent reading (85), tornadoes (15)
In the Classroom
This collection of books could accompany a unit on earth science, weather, or even communities and government as your students look at how disasters affect people and how individuals or governments respond to adversity. These books would also connect well to a character education or guidance unit about dealing with a crisis. You could even include this list with a geography unit about differences in weather, climate, and landforms around the world. Talk about WHY natural disasters happen and/or the results afterward: How did communities change? What did people do in response? If having students read independently, you may want to pose a big question or two related to your curriculum for them to think about as they read. Have them return and share their answers after reading, perhaps as a presentation or small group project.You must be registered and logged in to add items to your favorites.
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Nourishing Gifted Through Technology in Any Classroom - TeachersFirst/Melissa Henning and Candace Hackett Shively
Grades
K to 12tag(s): differentiation (84), gifted (65)
In the Classroom
Mark these pages in your Favorites as a reference whenever you have gifted students. These students may or may not be officially identified, but sometimes trying these strategies will save you and the student a lot of frustration. When it comes time to offer choices, share the handpicked tool collections in this article with your gifted students so they have a solid place to start. For more ideas about gifted, try the gifted tag in reviews, use a keyword search including the term "gifted," or browse for the subject "Gifted" in the TeachersFirst Subject/Grade pages.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Classroom Authors - Classroom Authors
Grades
1 to 12tag(s): creative writing (121), descriptive writing (39), ebooks (39), process writing (38), writing (315)
In the Classroom
Research proves publishing improves writing skills. Use Classroom Authors for class newsletters, an anthology of student written stories, and creating "choose your own adventure" type stories. Use this tool for research or opinion pieces in world language classes, science, math, or social studies. Some teachers have their students write novels for National Novel Writing Month, and at Classroom Authors they will be able to publish them.Edge Features:
Includes an education-only area for teachers and students
Parent permission advised before posting student work created using this tool
Requires registration/log-in (WITH email)
Multiple users can collaborate on the same project
Includes teacher tools for registering and/or monitoring students
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Great Lakes Echo - MSU Department of Telecommunications, Info Studies, and Media
Grades
6 to 12This site includes advertising.
tag(s): animals (281), fish (18), insects (69), plants (145), pollution (50), water (102), watersheds (8), weather (164)
In the Classroom
Use this resource in a science or environmental science classroom to identify and learn about various problems affecting the Great Lakes. Many of the concerns are representative of watersheds and freshwater bodies in other locations, as well. These articles are also valuable to examine current events in a social studies or civics classroom, identifying the impact of current environmental challenges on society and of society on the environment. Use these articles to provide experience with reading informational texts. Annotate an article using one of many annotation tools such as Scrible or Crocodoc, as part of "close reading." Compare the environmental issues of the Great Lakes with those of other water areas. Add this link to a bank of resources for students to use in research of issues affecting waterways.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Inequality.org - Institute for Policy Studies
Grades
8 to 12tag(s): inequalities (23), racism (76), statistics (114)
In the Classroom
Have students explore this website then search for alternate points of view. Use this information as a starting point for a classroom debate on current events, economics, racism, and more. Have students create maps using Zeemaps, reviewed here. Zeemaps allows students to create audio recordings AND choose various locations on a map to "map" the information given on this site. Use an online tool such as Interactive Two Circle Venn Diagram, reviewed here to compare and contrast different points of view. Don't be surprised if your more news-savvy students (or those whose parents discuss political views openly) have very strong opinions about the ideas on this site. What better way to spark a discussion in a government/civics class? This would be a useful site to share with your gifted or more able students during an election year and have them create a position paper or video for a fictitious candidate on one of the inequity issues. In a math class, use some of the statistics here to work with plotting and interpreting data. The topics are certain to engage student interest!Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Top Documentary Films - topdocumentaryfilms.com
Grades
7 to 12This site includes advertising.
tag(s): advanced placement (26), animals (281), artists (77), biographies (93), drugs and alcohol (27), environment (240), evolution (85), hiv/aids (16), humor (16), media literacy (102), mental health (34), money (119), politics (112), psychology (67), religions (75), sports (77), vietnam (35)
In the Classroom
Use this site to find videos in a wide range of topics to share on your interactive whiteboard, on a projector, or as a link on your class web page. Use videos to demonstrate different points of view. Then use an online tool such as Interactive Two Circle Venn Diagram, reviewed here. to compare and contrast information. Have students create a word cloud of the important terms they learn from any film using a tool such as WordItOut, reviewed here. Want to engage students WHILE they watch a video? Why not set up a backchannel chat using GoSoapBox, reviewed here. Be sure to ask your class if there could have been any bias in the video you watch together. What film techniques influence our thinking?Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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TinEye Labs - Idee, Inc.
Grades
2 to 12tag(s): colors (64), creative commons (29), design (82), graphic design (50), images (262), media literacy (102), psychology (67)
In the Classroom
Use this tool when you seek specific color(s) to coordinate with a presentation or other class project. Use it to talk about the emotional impact of different colors, such as during a psychology unit on perception, a media literacy lesson on advertising color, or a discussion of color schemes in art class. Be sure to discuss the ethical use of images with proper credit, including Creative Common images. Start by having students carefully NAME files as they download and save them (include the photographer's name and a title). Remind them that they still need to give credit even if it is Creative Commons. This is a great site for looking at contrast, analogous and complementary color schemes, and other artistic expressions. Use TinEye Labs to uncover various elements of graphic design found in images. Art teachers will love the many options for demonstrating different color palettes on a projector or interactive whiteboard. Use the photo examples from Tineye Labs together with a tool such as Color Hunter, reviewed here, or Colour Lovers, reviewed here, to play hands-on with digital color. Share this with your gifted students who are especially interested in art or design.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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OECD Better Life Index - OECD Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development
Grades
8 to 12tag(s): communities (36), cross cultural understanding (157), environment (240), politics (112), safety (71)
In the Classroom
A great classroom discussion starter, and perfect for displaying on an interactive whiteboard, the Better Life Index allows students to consider and debate what makes for a "better life." And once (or if) they can reach a consensus on those factors, where could that life be found in the world? Of course, once you discover that people are healthiest, for example, in Australia, what does that mean? Why are they healthy there? What community, government, and institutional factors make Australia healthy? Do they make choices other countries don't? This is a wonderful tool for guiding discussion about the public policy decisions made by citizens and governments, and how those decisions affect the quality of life. It would also provide powerful information for persuasive writing or debates. If you talk about utopias and dystopias, this is another way for students to decide what the criteria are for each. If you study world cultures, this site can provide a whole different lens to promote crosscultural understanding. Assign students to compare and contrast factors that matter most to them across multiple countries. Gifted students who are designing an "ideal civilization" can find meaningful data here to use as part of their plans.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Meeting Words - Meetingwords.com
Grades
5 to 12tag(s): editing (89), proofreading (21), writing (315)
In the Classroom
Have your students set up collaborative groups for projects, lab data, and more. Anything students can do on a single computer, they can do collaboratively on this tool, accessing their work from any online computer. Be sure to test out this tool before using with your class. It may be a good idea to set up the groups with the teacher as a "member" but have students work from home for group projects. Make sure you are protecting the safety of student work and identity and are within your school's Acceptable Use Policy.Create an innovative, exciting revision experience for students to suggest revisions to each other's writing and instantly engage in the peer review process by using Meetingwords. This tool facilitates teacher comments on student essays by not having to wait until students turn in their papers. Have them share links with you to their works in progress. Check essays online, monitor progress, and even make suggestions for revisions to provide feedback along the way and drive successful evidence support, proofreading, and editing skills. Challenge gifted students on their drafts and push their thinking further, adding questions or responses. Since most if us do not have time to provide such individual challenge throughout the writing process, why not connect them with other gifted students to collaborate and debate beyond just your classroom? Obviously, this tool is also fabulous for collaboration among students or teachers creating a shared writing piece at any level. You could even use it for parent input into draft IEPs.
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Foodista - Foodista
Grades
3 to 12This site includes advertising.
In the Classroom
Capture every student's heart (or stomach) with Foodista! Introduce on your interactive whiteboard or projector for learning how to write, read, and follow directions. This site is sure to make some stomachs grumble and some mouths water! In math class, explore or multiply fractions used in recipes. In science, Family and Consumer Science (FACS), or health class, explore the nutrition side of Foodista. Help students gain a better understanding of diabetes or food allergies. Use to create food for special celebrations of literature or in social studies as you study cultures around the world. Allow students to choose food for special class celebrations. In your FACS class, use the blog area as a weekly update for new recipe, home care, and nutrition ideas.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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School Report Writer - School Report Writer
Grades
K to 12This site includes advertising.
tag(s): assessment (146)
In the Classroom
Avoid writers' block and embarrassing misspellings or errors by perusing through ready-made comments. Why reinvent the wheel when so many great comments are already available! If you choose to create your own comments, be sure to share them. Add your own topics, assignments, and lists to save to your free account. Save your best comments from each narrative to share with others or for years to come. Save time and sanity on report cards using this fabulous resource. You might even ask your students to suggest some positive comments they would like to see on their own report cards. If they know you have them ready to use, they may strive to achieve them!Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Hashify - David Chambers
Grades
6 to 12tag(s): blogs (66), communication (136), creativity (91), social networking (67)
In the Classroom
Use this minimalist tool for a student scribe to keep track of key terms during a class discussion. Share the url with classmates for them to add their thoughts, as well. When brainstorming with a class, use this simple tool for students to add ideas or make lists. It is so simple it does not take up space with lots of fancy toolbars and gadgets. It also does not offer spell checker, so it could be a useful way to have students write without all the "crutches" of grammar and spell checkers.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Remind - Remind 101
Grades
K to 12tag(s): chat (42), communication (136), DAT device agnostic tool (143), microblogging (18), Teacher Utilities (146)
In the Classroom
Set up accounts for all your classes, and even your extracurricular activities, to send homework, project, and supply reminders. Remind students of upcoming events, practices, or things they need to bring to class or practice. You could also use this to communicate with parents (allow them to sign up for text message updates at back to school night). Share this site the first week of school to save time throughout the entire year. Remind parents of big tests, report cards, field trips, deadlines, back to school night, sneaker days, conferences, and more. Set up a faculty reminder group within your school for emergency closures and more.Comments
Love this site! I'm using it to send reminders to students about overdue library books and/or fines!Terri, VA, Grades: 9 - 12
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TeachersFirst's Editors' Choice Tools for Pretests - TeachersFirst
Grades
K to 12tag(s): differentiation (84), gifted (65)
In the Classroom
You may not always be able to pretest at the start of a new unit, and sometimes an informal assessment will tell you that a student is ready to move beyond the regular curriculum content right away. You may want to wait a day or two before offering a retest, since many truly gifted students will absorb or even seem to "intuit" the full unit of content very quickly after a short exposure. The great thing about using online pretests is that once you create them, you have them for the next year. Consider teaming up with other teachers in your subject/grade to build a library of pretests that you can share.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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60-Second Civics - The Center for Civic Education
Grades
7 to 12tag(s): bill of rights (28), branches of government (62), constitution (87)
In the Classroom
Need a quick lesson starter or attention grabber at the beginning or end of each class? Try a 60-second Civics lesson. If you access the day's podcast via the website, you'll also find a one-question multiple choice quiz that relates to the podcast so you can check for content acquisition. These podcasts are perfect for a civics or government class! Share the podcasts on your projector (or interactive whiteboard) so the entire class can hear the podcast and see the quiz at the end. If you are the adviser for the school news program, these would be a terrific addition, ready to go for you every day. During the run-up to Consitution Day in September, include these in the morning PA announcements. Load the podcast on iTouches or other mobile devices in the media center for students to browse and learn. Encourage students to create their own "stump the teacher" or "stump the student citizen" quizzes based on these podcasts. Use one of the many poll/quiz tools in the TeachersFirst Edge.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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GDP: Measuring the human side of the Canadian Economic Crisis - National Film Board of Canada
Grades
9 to 12tag(s): canada (23), media literacy (102), photography (126)
In the Classroom
This site can put a human face on the numbers for students studying current events, economics, or social studies. The site may also be useful as an example of how to tell stories related to history. Consider asking students to analyze HOW the stories are told, either using film or still photography. How can we use these media to illustrate a historical event? For students considering a History Day exhibit or documentary, these stories may provide inspiration and direction. As Common Core calls on students to engage in digital writing, showing these examples to help students plan student-made media will be more meaningful than simply talking about it.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Brief.ly - Brief.ly
Grades
K to 12tag(s): bookmarks (47), organizational skills (90)
In the Classroom
Brief.ly is a lifesaver for every classroom, teacher, or school. Whenever you are sharing multiple sites at centers, during small or whole group presentations, or even sites gathered for a research projects, Brief.ly takes away frustration and saves time! Save different content areas, subjects, or study links in one simple click. Gather all grade level websites on your school webpage, and list all classes. Unclutter your own class webpage or blog with just a few links. Sending links to parents or colleagues could not be any easier! Collaboration within classes, groups, or home is a snap! Improve organization for yourself and your class. As students work on group projects, they can share their link list easily. Use a class account so students do not have to register, and you can watch what they are using for sources.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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NCES Kids' Zone - NCES
Grades
4 to 12tag(s): charts and graphs (169), probability (96)
In the Classroom
Strike an interest in your school and community by finding out where you rank. Investigate college choices. After short quizzes, have a daily comparison of your students to see how they compare in civics, economics, geography, history, mathematics, and science at multiple grade levels. Inspire students to collect data and make their own graphs about school wide topics. Have students create an online graph using ChartGizmo, reviewed here. Dig into probability problems to discover the odds.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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4 Free Photos - 4freephotos.com
Grades
K to 12This site includes advertising.
tag(s): copyright (46), creative commons (29), images (262), photography (126)
In the Classroom
Starting a lesson on copyright? With so much social media and access to almost anything on the web, it is important to teach students about copyright and about owner's rights. Use this site to search for photos for presentations, photos, projects, or research. For your ENL/ESL students or speech/language, use the images for them to create their own visual dictionary. World language teachers can also challenge students to use images to illustrate vocabulary or accompany writing. Use images for writing prompts or even to create descriptive sentences. Have one student describe the image as another sketches the image. Now compare the described image to the real image. To find more Creative Commons images for student projects (with credit, of course), try Vecteezy, reviewed here, or Pikwizard, reviewed here.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Random Acts of Kindness - Random Acts of Kindness Foundation
Grades
K to 12tag(s): character education (76), classroom management (128), emotions (47), empathy (26), service projects (17)
In the Classroom
Become a "RAKTIVIST" and start a kindness raid on unsuspecting communities, classes, or schools! Give children power and voice through their actions. Partner this with character education programs to make a difference in all the lives you touch. For example, you may want to use the Ripples of Kindness activity included in the Empathy videos at the Big Ideas Video Series, reviewed here. During social studies, find ways kindness has changed the world. Look for times in which kindness was thwarted, such as during civil wars, dictatorships, or wars. Start a research project on world leaders who have changed the world through nonviolence, education, or generosity. Explain the power of nonprofit organizations and all the lives affected. Look into your own community and school to find needs that are waiting for active, caring participants. Create school or classroom rules to promote the power of kindness. Show your students how to embed media transforming their work and enhance their learning by challenging students to create "kindness" commercials and share their knowledge with their peers in a multimedia presentation using Adobe Creative Cloud Express for Education, reviewed here. Alternatively, students could create a video using Typito, reviewed here. Share them using a tool such as SchoolTube, reviewed here. Emotional Support or Autistic Support teachers may find some of the ideas here helpful for talking about how others feel and ways to show kindness in a very deliberate way.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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