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Blue World - Jonathan Bird - Grades 3
to 12
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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. |
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| Harmful soda - Term Life Insurance - Grades 4
to 12
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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.
7890
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. |
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| PWSRCAC - PWSRCAC - Grades 0
to 12
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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. |
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| An Oily Problem - CSIRO - Double Helix Club - Grades 5
to 10
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Looking for a good way to explain the Gulf oil spill to your students (or any other oil spill of the past or future)? This is a great lab or classroom activity to demonstrate how emulsions work right in the classroom. Materials list, clear instructions, and variations of the activity are all available at this link.
11312
In the Classroom:
Have students do the basic experiment explained on the website. Then ask how this activity could be related to any possible scientific current events. Have students take pictures of the experiment and compare it to pictures of oil on the surface of the water in the Gulf of Mexico (or other locations). Or, show them some photos before they come to the oil spill conclusion to engage them in the "mystery" of the activity. Have a classroom discussion about how oil on water could be a problem for wildlife and the water environment in general. This could be the beginning of an exciting research lesson and potentially a good classroom debate with more mature students. |
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| VUVOX - VUVOX - Grades 6
to 12
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Teachers First Edge Review: For adventurous technology users. Looking to take your presentation skills to a new level? Enter Vuvox. Use the production tools on this site to produce a richer and more interactive presentation with photos, videos, music, and text. Share your presentation easily. Use one of the three basic tools available on Vuvox: Express, Collage, and Studio. Express is an easy to use and minimalist version of Studio. Use Collage to create panoramic slide shows with interactive text, photos, and videos. Use Studio for the most creative control and ability to create a wide variety of presentations. Use any of these user-friendly tools that feature drag and drop editing. Where to begin? First, collect the media. Then, create the presentation, and share. Choose whether to make the creation public or private. Be sure to note the tabs along the top of your page. Choose the menu options under the "Create" tab, or view "My Stuff." Look under the "Explore" tab to search content created by others.
11247
In the Classroom:
Skills required: No registration is necessary to view content. Registration using an email address is required to create presentations. No email verification is required. Users must be able to find and upload content while using the simple interface that should be easily recognized by all (WYSIWYG.) Once content is uploaded, simply drag and drop your pieces into the presentation. Apply themes already available in Vuvox. Your presentations will remain in your own channel on Vuvox.
Safety/security: Users must create a login and password with an email address. You may allow students to self-register, but be sure to keep a written record of their passwords for when they “forget.” It may be worth your time to do advanced registration for your younger students. Students must have individual accounts (email required). Check your school policies about accessing/sharing student email on school computers. 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. Students are able to pull pictures not only from Flickr and Picasa but also from their Facebook profiles. Pictures can also be uploaded, and students should be aware of copyright and other issues. Be certain to check your district policy of sharing student work on the Internet. Consider making classroom images collections on Flickr for students to access and use.
Possible Uses: This tool would be an asset to any teacher; however, if you are one of the lucky ones (or smart ones) who uses Learning Focused Schools or teaches with essential ideas, it is invaluable. You could map your entire lesson, chapter, or unit on one presentation using Vuvox. Introduce the concept with this tool, and go back to it often with your students as you move to different parts of the unit. Your visual learners will appreciate the context connections. It would provide a great review if you were doing this on your interactive whiteboard or projector. Post this to your wiki, web page, or even give kids the URL of the Vuvox that you have created for them so that they can review as often as they need it or explain it at home as part of study for a test. However, you do not have to stop there. Try having the students map a concept or chapter with this tool. In history class, create time lines of relevant events to the curriculum. Have students create presentations for different events, and then have them post the link of their product to a class blog or wiki. Showcase events and issues such as environmental and world events. Or simply make a timeline of an animal or plant life cycle together as a class or in small groups. Add a peer review component and require students to comment on peer creations. The possibilities are endless! |
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| Prince William Sound: Paradise Lost? - Thinkquest - Grades 6
to 12
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Learn about the impact of oil spills, specifically the Exxon-Valdez spill of year 1989. Use this information to compare the impact of this spill to others past and present. The site provides details about the impact on wildlife and longterm effects of the spill. Great for students working on a research project!
11227
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 oil spills and report to the class, perhaps sharing visuals form this site on an interactive whiteboard or projector. As a class or in groups, collect oil spill information on a class wiki, GlogsterEDU (reviewed here) or good, old-fashioned bulletin board. |
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| Prince William's Oily Mess: A Tale of Recovery - NOAA - Grades 6
to 12
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"How does an ecosystem recover from a major one-time insult such as an oil spill?" This site provides details about the impact the Exxon-Valdez spill of 1989 on the environment, as well as how the recovery that has occurred in the area. Learn about the impact of oil spills, in general. Use this information to compare the impact of this spill to others past and present.
11228
In the Classroom:
Use this site as a springboard for current events or environmental science 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 oil spills and report to the class, perhaps sharing visuals form this site on an interactive whiteboard or projector. As a class or in groups, collect oil spill information on a class wiki, GlogsterEDU (reviewed here) or good, old-fashioned bulletin board. |
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| Prince William Sound: An Ecosystem in Transition - NOAA - Grades 6
to 12
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Learn about the lasting impact of oil spills and how the environment does and does not recover, specifically from the Exxon-Valdez spill of 1989. Use this information to compare the impact of this spill to others past and present. The site provides details about the impact the spill had on the sound and wildlife, as well as how recovery has progressed over the years.
11229
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. Share some of the text portions on a projectir or divide up the site among different student groups. Have student groups explore various aspects of oil spills and report to the class, perhaps sharing visuals from this site on an interactive whiteboard or projector. Have students create a multimedia presentation using Voicethread reviewed here. This site allows users to narrate a picture. Challenge students to find a photo of the oil spill (legally permitted to be reproduced), and then narrate the photo as if it were a news report. |
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| Oil Spill Lesson Plans and Resources - NOAA - Grades 3
to 12
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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. |
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| Tracking the Oil Spill in the Gulf - NY Times - Grades 6
to 12
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Follow the footprint of the Gulf Oil Spill 2010 in this interactive map. Use this information to compare the impact of this spill to others past and present. The site provides details about mapping the spill, as well as the geographic range the spill has affected.
11231
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. Use the map on the interactive whiteboard or projector to show students the physical location of the spill, as well as where the spill has had an immediate impact. For another view of the map, try this resource which allows you to superimpose the area effected onto your home town. |
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| Oil Spill Crisis Map - - Grades 3
to 12
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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.
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| Ifitwasmyhome - Ifitwasmyhome.com - Grades 3
to 12
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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.
11221
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. |
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| Rainforest SOS - The Prince's Charities - Grades 0
to 12
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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. |
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| Timelines.com - Timelines, Inc. - Grades 4
to 12
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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).
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| Microbial Life - Science Education Resources Center - Grades 6
to 12
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Explore the unbelievable world of bacteria using webquests that provide guided discovery of microbes. Find a wealth of related resources about bacteria including teaching strategies and a variety of activities. Search activities for the classroom, webquests, standards, and other resources concerning microbes.
10629
In the Classroom:
Use great webquests such as "The microbes within" that explores the role of bacteria in evolution and human health. Use the webquest information to identify the task, process, resources to be used, suggestions for evaluation, and conclusion. Find standards by clicking on "Teachers" and viewing the standards and suggestions for the webquest. Expand the webquest by having students ask questions that expand their knowledge and use of the information. Develop a class site wiki, or blog that displays information that others can use to understand human biology and our interaction with microbes. Not comfortable with wikis? Have no wiki worries – check out the Teacher’s First Wiki Walk-Through reviewed here. |
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| Khan Academy - Sal Khan - Grades 4
to 12
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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.
11142
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! |
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| TeachersFirst's Study Skills Resources - TeachersFirst - Grades 3
to 12
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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. |
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| Text 2 Mind Map - Text2Mindmap.com - Grades 3
to 12
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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. |
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| Kids Science Experiments - Kids Science Experiments - Grades 3
to 8
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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.
10674
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. |
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| SciGirls - Twin Cities Public Television, Inc. - Grades 4
to 10
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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. |
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