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Blue World - Jonathan Bird - Grades 3 to 12 - permalink -

Watch episodes of the Blue World Series on and learn about the ocean resources around us. View photos in the gallery. Check out the "For Educators" section for study guides that accompany the episodes as well as additional resources.
11195

In the Classroom:
Use the study guides (these open in another browser tab) along with the videos in class. Share on your interactive whiteboard or projector. Use as a whole class activity or in small groups. Discuss issues with the world's oceans, food chains and webs in the ocean, characteristics of marine life, and more. Challenge students to narrate a relevant picture using a tool such as Voicethread reviewed here. Check out the "Did you know" tidbits along the side for great discussions and little known facts.

Elephant Odyssey - San Diego Zoo - Grades 2 to 6 - permalink -

Learn about elephants through this engaging interactive that takes you back to the time of mammoths. Keep your elephant alive by finding food and avoiding dangers such as saber tooth tigers. In addition, there are links to explore the elephant exhibit at the San Diego Zoo, meet the elephants and watch videos of the elephants in action.
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In the Classroom:
Make a shortcut to this site on classroom computers and use it as a center during your animal unit. Introduce this site on your interactive whiteboard or projector. Then have students explore this site independently or in small groups. Use this site as a starting point for individual or group projects on animals and their habitats.

Harmful soda - Term Life Insurance - Grades 4 to 12 - permalink -

Use this useful graphic to understand the many effects from drinking soda. Effects are explained and statistics are provided. An embed code is given to place the graphic directly into any site, blog, or wiki.
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In the Classroom:
Use as an introductory item to a unit on nutrition, health, or systems. Share the graphic on your interactive whiteboard or projector. Divide the issues depicted in the graphic among groups of students and provide time to find additional supporting resources to fact check statistics provided. Students can present their findings to the class as well as add more information for greater understanding. Have groups create interactive online posters ("glogs") using Glogster EDU, reviewed here. Expand the discussion to branch out to other types of food or dietary issues. For example, BPA is mentioned in the graphic. Students can search more information about BPA, its problems, and where it is found. Create different posters (or "glogs") to start an awareness campaign at school to change eating habits.

PWSRCAC - PWSRCAC - Grades 0 to 12 - permalink -

Prince William Sound Regional Citizen's Advisory Council provides a free curriculum that is geared toward teaching about oil and oil spills. While this curriculum is about Alaska's Exxon Valdez oil spill, the information would be very helpful in teaching about other oil spills in recent news. It would be a great place to help develop lessons where students compare and contrast two spills, their magnitude and their effects on the environment.
11343

In the Classroom:
Use the whole curriculum in environmental science classes or pick and choose pieces that you want to incorporate into your curriculum. Have students research and understand about oil spills in general using this tool, and then have students expand by comparing and contrasting the Exxon spill to the BP spill in 2010. Have students create Venn Diagrams using a tool such as Interactive Two Circle Venn Diagram (reviewed here) to compare these two spills or other oil spills.

Oil Spill Lesson Plans and Resources - NOAA - Grades 3 to 12 - permalink -

Learn about the impact of oil spills. Use these lessons and information to compare the impact of spills past and present. The site provides details about cleaning up oil spills, as well as the science of oil dispersal, how to clean animals, and more.
11230

In the Classroom:
Take advantage of the free lesson plans and classroom activities on this site! Be sure to save this site as a favorite to allow for easy retrieval later on. Students can select different aspects of oil spill cleanup and mitigation and play the role of experts in a mock blog post playing their role. Have students continue their role play by commenting on each other's posts.

Oil Spill Crisis Map - - Grades 3 to 12 - permalink -

Learn about the impact of oil spills, specifically the BP spill of 2010. Use this information to compare the impact of this spill to others past and present. The site provides details about the land, animals and human health that have been negatively affected by the spill - all in map form.
11232

In the Classroom:
Use this site as a springboard for discussions about the environmental impact of oil spills and, in a broader sense, of human activity in general. Have student groups explore various aspects of the map, and report back to the class how the environment, wildlife, and humans in the area were affected. Have students use a tool such as Woices (beta) (reviewed here). This site allows students to create audio recordings AND choose a location (on a map) where the story takes place.

Ifitwasmyhome - Ifitwasmyhome.com - Grades 3 to 12 - permalink -

This site hosts an interactive map, along with bountiful information about the BP Gulf of Mexico oil spill of 2010. The interactive map updates daily during the aftermath of the spill, allowing users to chart the gradual growth of the spill in the Gulf Coast. It also allows users to "move the spill" to their hometown, providing a better perspective of how big the spill actually is. The information on the site is mostly specific to this spill, but there are connections to how wildlife has been affected by this and others like it in the past. Note the links on the bottom that host information about other spills, and the dramatic pictures of the wildlife suffering from the sludge. The images are graphic, so use with caution in an elementary classroom where students are apt to react strongly to images of animals suffering.
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In the Classroom:
This site and information it hosts are great at capturing two essential skills in Social Studies. To begin with, it's an excellent map reading source, especially to demonstrate regarding map distortions and how they can change the shape of something like a projected oil spill. It also highlights concerns about deep-sea drilling, a heavily contested topic, particularly after the oil spill of 2010. Both government and earth science classrooms could investigate aspects of drilling as real world topics related to the curriculum.

Introduce the site on the interactive whiteboard before allowing cooperative learning groups to explore, giving the teacher a chance to explain how the map works and what kind of information is on the site. Have cooperative learning groups explore the site and summarize important details, such as how people and wildlife are affected by environmental disasters. This would be a great review activity before a debate on deep-sea drilling. Classes can also chart the growth of the spill for a period of days to trace how much it changes, providing evidence for the debate. Government classes could use this and other references as part of a simulation on how the U.S. government reacts to environmental disasters and discussions of related policy issues. Younger students will need assistance reading some of the text-based material.

Rainforest SOS - The Prince's Charities - Grades 0 to 12 - permalink -

Find a wealth of information, first hand accounts from an explorer in the Amazon, and resources on this site. Learn about the great resources in the Amazon, dangerous critters, and threats to the diversity and survival of these creatures. Click on the “Teachers” link to find lesson ideas, class activities, factsheets, videos, photos, and more for all levels –even primary grades.
11197

In the Classroom:
Share this site on your interactive whiteboard or projector. Use this site to introduce biodiversity and identify food chains and webs in the Amazon. Discuss medicines and other resources the Amazon provides. Identify threats to the biodiversity in the Amazon and report group findings to the rest of the class. With younger students, take advantage of the detailed lesson plans to introduce the Rainforest in a Day. Create multimedia or conventional displays that showcase rainforests. Have your students create an interactive online poster ("glog") using Glogster EDU, reviewed here or create one as a class in lower grades.

Timelines.com - Timelines, Inc. - Grades 4 to 12 - permalink -

Teacher's First Edge Review: For moderately adventurous technology users. This site, containing tons of timelines is great for a number of different content areas. There are many video clips included. Search for the timeline of your choice, browse topics or people, or play timeline trivia. Topics range from Mark Twain to Women’s Suffrage to The Beatles to Lord of the Rings (and countless others). There is a lot of information written in a clear, understandable manner. Plus, the pictures help tell the story of the timeline. You can also contribute by creating events, voting, commenting, and adding descriptions, photos, and videos to this site.
10926

In the Classroom:
Skills needed: To contribute to the site, you must register. Registration requires an email address. To add events to the site, locate the "add event" found at the bottom of the Timelines.com homepage. Follow the very clear (with samples) directions to insert your own event. Viewing the timelines is simple. Click to watch videos, view the maps, click “Like” or “Dislike” or make comments by clicking on the words.

Safety Concerns: Monitor what students are viewing in the premade timelines. Also, teach students appropriate events to include and check their work before having them submit work so that they are more accurate. Registration requires an email address. Create a free Gmail account to use for memberships. If you plan to have students register individually, you may want to create your own Gmail account with up to 20 subaccounts for each group of students (by code name or number) within your classes. Here is a blog post that tells how to set up GMail subaccounts to use for any online membership service.

Possible uses: Use the timelines on the site in science class to help students understand the history behind discoveries that they take for granted, such as the the space race. Today's students have never lived in a world where traveling to the moon was not possible, and understanding the history of the event could be very helpful in understanding the magnitude of such an event. This site would also be useful in art or music class. Have students investigate the history of their favorite group or type of music and create a multimedia presentation to share with the class. How about a video (including music, of course). Share the videos on a site such as SchoolTube (reviewed here).

Khan Academy - Sal Khan - Grades 4 to 12 - permalink -

There are plenty of helpful sites to learn content. What makes this so special? Created by an uncle wanting to help his nieces learn material, Khan Academy has grown into a Creative Commons attributed site for helping all students. What information is available? Maybe one should ask: What are you looking for? View a vast array of videos on many topics: SAT prep, Algebra, Geometry, Chemistry, Biology, History, Trigonometry, Calculus, Economics, Brain Teasers, Banking and Money, Statistics, Finance, Physics, and more....Whew! The only problem? The videos are hosted on You Tube. If your district blocks You Tube, then they may not be viewable. You could always view that at home and bring them to class “on a stick” to share. Use a tool such as Vixy reviewed hereto download the videos from YouTube.
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In the Classroom:
Share the site with your students in order to access at home for homework help. List this link on your class website. If you are unable to view this site on student computers but You Tube is unblocked for teachers, consider using a projector or interactive whiteboard to show to the whole class. Use your google account to log in once you click on the exercises link. From there, find access to exercises that students can complete that are related to each video. Encourage students to share links to specific videos they find helpful on a "Video Reviews" (yes, that is a pun) page of your class wiki. For a very real challenge, have students create their own simple review videos in the Khan Academy style and upload to SchoolTube, TeacherTube, or YouTube, whichever works best in your school. Embed them on your class wiki for a year-to-year student-made study guide!

TeachersFirst's Study Skills Resources - TeachersFirst - Grades 3 to 12 - permalink -

This collection of reviewed resources from TeachersFirst is selected to help students learn their most effective study strategies. The collection includes specific study tools, reading strategies, review ideas, and notetaking methods that students and teachers can try as lessons in themselves or --even better-- as they go about the regular curriculum. Whether you want to use a graphic organizer, create your own electronic flash cards, or simply learn how to approach a test, there is a resource to help. Learning Support teachers and teachers of gifted will also want to share these alternate ways for students to organize and retain concepts, vocabulary, and more.
11134

In the Classroom:
Make learning how to learn part of your class routine at any grade level and in any subject. Feature one or more new study strategy each month and share this entire list as a link from your class web page for students and parents to access both in and out of school.

Text 2 Mind Map - Text2Mindmap.com - Grades 3 to 12 - permalink -

Text 2 Mind Map is an online graphic organizer creator and it requires NO membership! An outline can be turned into a visual map that is easy to interpret and modify. The font, colors and line size can easily be changed using an online toolbox. Switching to full screen mode is with one click in the toolbox. Maps can be saved as .jpg files for use in other programs such as a word processor or presentation program. No sign up is required, and the program is free. However, pop-up blockers need to be turned off to save a map.
11112

In the Classroom:
This is a great program to use with an interactive whiteboard and projector with entire class for brainstorming a topic or concept. Ideas can be manipulated and changed as fast as they can be shared. To save time, an outline that has been started and saved as a text file can be copied and pasted into a Text 2 Mind Map. The map can be color coded by branch or level to help organize information. After the map is complete, copy and past the outline in a word-processing program. Save the map as a jpg file. The map and the outline can be used by students as a guide for writing and further research. Text 2 Mind would be a great tool for use small groups to help students organize and manage a project.

Kids Science Experiments - Kids Science Experiments - Grades 3 to 8 - permalink -

This site provides kid friendly science experiments for categories ranging from electricity to plants and flowers. Specific topic examples include gravity, absorption, pressure, reactions, matter, properties, heat, magnetism, and many others. Although this site is rather “plain vanilla,” it does offer a lot of great ideas to get you started! Check out the sections entitled science facts and science dictionary.
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In the Classroom:
Ask your students to create a lesson or presentation based on an experiment listed on the site. Have cooperative learning groups create online books using a tool such as Bookemon, reviewed here. Students can become teachers and lead the class through a simple experiment. Each concept area offers choices of appropriate experiments, so different groups can try different experiments to “teach” a concept. This site would make an excellent resource for finding hands on activities to support curriculum.

SciGirls - Twin Cities Public Television, Inc. - Grades 4 to 10 - permalink -

Looking for a way to motivate girls to pursue science? This is the spot on the web for you! SciGirls, created by PBS, has all of the archived episodes of this show online. More than this, there are projects that can be done and a place to add your very own project. The format for the projects is set up like a simplified lab report. Very fun! SciGirls is energetic and interesting. There are audio directions as well as onscreen instructions that make navigation through the site very easy!
10922

In the Classroom:
Add this site to your class wiki or website. Assign students to view a specific episode and start an online class discussion. Not comfortable with wikis? Have no wiki worries – check out the Teacher’s First Wiki Walk-Through reviewed here. Encourage students, especially girls to try experiments. Perhaps, have students design their own projects and post their instructions as part of a laboratory activity in class.

The Florida Aquarium - The Florida Aquarium, Inc. - Grades 0 to 12 - permalink -

This site, brought to you by Florida Aquarium Incorporated, offers teaching materials that can be printed and kids activities. Teaching materials are PDF formatted. Kids activities such as build a hydrometer, press seaweed, or create a mangrove tree are simpler activities that could be used in lower grades or at home.
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In the Classroom:
Use these activities to help teach environmental and biological topics in a hands-on and engaging way. Print materials and make copies for your students or put links to the pdf files on your class website or wiki to allow students 24/7 access to the materials paper-free! Not comfortable with wikis? Have no wiki worries – check out the Teacher’s First Wiki Walk-Through reviewed here.

The Florida Aquarium - The Florida Aquarium, Inc. - Grades 0 to 12 - permalink -

Kids' Cicada Hunt - Eric D. Gyllenhaal - Grades 1 to 6 - permalink -

This delightful and well-photographed site allows students to follow along the author's family as they hunt for annual cicadas. After seeing how they find the bugs, students can click on other links that answer common questions about these types of cicadas and find out how to create their own searches and preservation of dead cicadas. The photos themselves generate the children's interest! For information about the cyclical cicadas that come every few years, there is a link for that.
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In the Classroom:
Use this site as a jumping off point for science projects on entomology. Share this site on your projector or interactive whiteboard. Listen to the cicada songs as an introduction to learning about insect stages and annual shedding.

Pollinator Live - USDA Forest Service - Grades 0 to 12 - permalink -

Build understanding of the important work of pollinators in our lives. Find great lesson plans that follow the National Science Education Standards for all grade levels (including pre-K.) Find web based activities and lesson plans in PDF format. Also find gardening information and other resources. What a perfect way to grab your students’ attention during the months of Spring. Although TeachersFirst does not usually review “hotlists,” this topic-specific collection will be “all the buzz” in your classroom!
11004

In the Classroom:
When discussing insects and the role of pollinators, increase understanding of the insects that "bug" us and their commercial impact. Following use of some of the activities, research specific pollinators and the crops that benefit from them. With younger students, create a whole –class interactive book on the Power of Buzz using a tool such as Bookemon, reviewed here.

Earth Milestones since First Earth Day - MSNBC - Grades 4 to 12 - permalink -

Despite scary environmental news, what have we done to make progress in taking care of the Earth? Find major milestones since the advent of the first Earth day with this timeline. Follow from 1970 to the present by clicking through the items or choose from the icons in the smaller timeline along the top. Click on the photos to enlarge. Read articles below about the environment or about Earth Day and Earth Week activities.
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In the Classroom:
Search each event listed to learn more about the opinions, circumstances, and facts surrounding each event. Use the timeline as a springboard into discussions of various environmental topics. Use other applications such as Google Earth or sites that provide pictures and articles from past events. Compare air, water, or other pollution by viewing information or pictures from yesterday and today. Create campaigns of environmental issues. Use multimedia or conventional posters, websites, and podcasts to pass on important information. Have your students create an interactive online poster ("glog") using Glogster EDU, reviewed here. Have students create podcasts using a site such as PodOmatic (reviewed here).

52 Totally Awesome Science Experiments - Phlebotomy Technician Schools - Grades 4 to 12 - permalink -

Looking for cool science experiments for school or home? Find great ones on this surprising site. Read short descriptions of the resource and find more detailed information by clicking through to the linked site. Some of the experiments include interactives, video clips, and more. Advise students that ads or other links can appear along the bottom and they should not click on these.
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In the Classroom:
Find great inspiration for class demonstrations that can also be performed by students in teaching others about concepts. For example, find great ideas for making your own volcano, tsunami, or finding out how much sugar is in a can of soda. Follow up these experiments with discussion of the impact on the lives of students, society or resources. Create awareness campaigns of natural disasters, effects of resources and foods on health, etc. Have cooperative learning groups create an interactive online poster ("glog") using Glogster EDU, reviewed here.

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