TeachersFirst Ready to Go
TeachersFirst’s ready-to-go, projectable classroom activities are designed for either whole class or student-centered use. The range of subjects and grades is broad, spanning from poetry and literary devices to important historic events. All these activities were created by experienced teachers, and many have been used extensively in the teachers’ own classrooms before sharing them on TeachersFirst.
Offer these activities on an interactive whiteboard or projector, on student laptops, or even as a computer center. Be sure to share the links with students so they can access them from home or during study times for self-directed learning, review, or enrichment. Don’t forget to use your free TeachersFirst membership to mark ready to go Favorites or share comments about classroom successes with these activities.
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Gettysburg by the Numbers - TeachersFirst
Grades
5 to 10
11 Favorites
1 Comments
Gettysburg by the Numbers (GBTN) is a web-based, interactive experience of the Battle of Gettysburg through numbers and infographics that raise questions and invite connections. Exploring...more
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Gettysburg by the Numbers (GBTN) is a web-based, interactive experience of the Battle of Gettysburg through numbers and infographics that raise questions and invite connections. Exploring Gettysburg "by the numbers" invites you to move beyond dates and facts to questions that make the battle more meaningful and real. Dig into the numbers to imagine the weather, the clothing, the communications, the people, the weapons, and--yes -- the cleanup from three devastating, pivotal July days in 1863. Delve into the infographics and accompanying questions to connect what was then with what is now. The site includes ideas for families and for teachers to use it in the classroom. Be sure to click on the large color image of the battle to get the "big picture." Teachers will want to explore the extensive "For Teachers" section that offers materials, lesson ideas, Common Core correlations, and much more.
tag(s): civil war (145), gbtn (12), gettysburg (14)
In the Classroom
Gettysburg exemplifies many aspects of the Civil War experience and of U.S. life during the 1860s. Use this resource as a whole class introduction to the Civil War or specifically to the Battle of Gettysburg. Extensive teacher materials include downloadable and customizable handouts for students to "get the basics" about the battle or extend their understanding through small group or individual projects on battle-related topics that interest them. Coordinate with your math teacher to reinforce concepts of proportion, percent, ratio, and graphing with real data about Gettysburg. Differentiate for your students by helping them select from more concrete or more open-ended "questions" included with each detail about the battle. You can make this a one-day "quick tour" or a week long journey. Find project ideas included in these questions. There is even a customizable project rubric in the teacher materials. Be sure to share this link on your class web page for curious students (and families) to explore on their own outside of class!You must be registered and logged in to add items to your favorites.
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Frontier Forts of the American Revolution - TeachersFirst
Grades
4 to 8
10 Favorites
1 Comments
Here's a highly visual look at life on the frontier during the American Revolution, created with the help of several groups of reenactors. The unit includes information on the life...more
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Here's a highly visual look at life on the frontier during the American Revolution, created with the help of several groups of reenactors. The unit includes information on the life of children in this setting.
tag(s): american revolution (95), colonial america (95), evolution (85)
In the Classroom
Use this unit as part of a study of colonial America, or to show what daily life was like in the 18th century. Be sure to explore the Teacher area for specific writing ideas and more. Extend the lesson by having student groups map their own virtual "frontier fort" using an online drawing tool such as Kami reviewed here.Comments
Great to use during my American Revolution Unit!!!Veronica, NC, Grades: 5 - 12
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TeachersFirst Brain Twisters - TeachersFirst
Grades
3 to 9
46 Favorites
0 Comments
These ten-question quizzes are refreshed each Friday -- one edition for middle school students and one for elementary students. Questions are presented one at a time as multiple-choice....more
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These ten-question quizzes are refreshed each Friday -- one edition for middle school students and one for elementary students. Questions are presented one at a time as multiple-choice. You have only ONE try to select the correct answer, so think carefully! Points are awarded for each correct answer, up to a possible 100. When you finish, you see your score. Questions are intentionally designed to stretch thinking: 5-point questions tend to fall at the knowledge/comprehension/application level of Bloom's taxonomy; 10-pointers are more likely cross-curricular; and 20-pointers require analytical thinking, broader experience, or knowledge of current events -- and may benefit from more than one student's input. Printable versions are available for both editions, along with answers to the previous week's Twisters. A new version is also available for students to take on mobile devices.
In the Classroom
Brain Twisters work well as a whole-class activity projected on a screen or interactive whiteboard, with students pooling their knowledge to work through questions as a team. Thinking aloud together -- eliminating wrong answers, testing possibilities, debating what they know -- builds both content knowledge and test-taking strategies. Alternatively, use them in small groups with assigned roles: a moderator to guide discussion, a keyboarder to submit answers, and researchers to look up what the group doesn't know. This makes Brain Twisters a natural fit for teaching information literacy and research skills in a high-motivation context.Offer Twisters as an enrichment challenge or extra-credit option for students to complete at home -- consider giving credit simply for completing the quiz rather than for the score, since family members may want to help. The printable version and last week's answers make it easy to use Brain Twisters even without live internet access. Be sure to mark this as a favorite and share it on your class webpage.
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The 50 States - TeachersFirst
Grades
4 to 8
18 Favorites
1 Comments
TeachersFirst's states project for students combines the usual "almanac" facts with narratives on native people, early history, economy, and landforms and geography. The result is a...more
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TeachersFirst's states project for students combines the usual "almanac" facts with narratives on native people, early history, economy, and landforms and geography. The result is a one-stop site for upper elementary and middle school students studying their own states, or someone else's.
tag(s): california (18), new york (23), states (128), texas (7)
In the Classroom
Use this site on a projector or interactive whiteboard to discuss and informally assess prior knowledge as you start your study of the 50 states. One easy use would be for testing students on knowledge of the capitals. Open the site on the interactive whiteboard or projector, and you can test students not only by state recognition on the map but with what the capitals are. State location and capitol information are not clearly stated until clicked on, so this would be a fairly easy formative assessment or review of the information.Comments
Great resource!Ladisha, VA, Grades: 9 - 12
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Biomes of the World - TeachersFirst
Grades
4 to 8
40 Favorites
0 Comments
Introduce the earth's different biomes with this unit, created by TeachersFirst. Biomes include coniferous forest, deciduous forest, tropical rainforest, tundra, ocean, fresh...more
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Introduce the earth's different biomes with this unit, created by TeachersFirst. Biomes include coniferous forest, deciduous forest, tropical rainforest, tundra, ocean, fresh water, desert, and the savannah. Each link includes information and pictures. Students can complete an on-line research project on a biome of their choice, using selected web resources, or they can learn the basics of biomes with the information provided in the unit. There are links to the introduction, to learn more about the project, and even a teachers link (with a TON of class activity ideas).
tag(s): biomes (96), earth (191), earth day (62), ecosystems (109)
In the Classroom
Have students work in cooperative learning groups to explore this site. Transform technology use and student learning by challenging students to create multimedia presentations about the biomes. Use Timeline JS, reviewed here; Timeline JS offers the option to upload and add photos, videos, audio, Tweets, and Google Maps making it interactive, or Canva for Education, reviewed here; a video creation tool where you add images and video, add text, choose templates and layouts, and add music to personalize your work, or Genially, reviewed here, which allows you to insert maps, surveys, video, audio and more. With Genially students will have a choice of presentation styles (posters, infographics, etc.). Other options might include creating a wiki or blog.
This resource requires PDF reader software like Adobe Acrobat.
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The Interactive Raven - TeachersFirst
Grades
6 to 12
23 Favorites
0 Comments
Here's TeachersFirst's famous on-line presentation of Poe's classic poem, with notations explaining definitions and literary devices. Roll over words for definitions, literary devices,...more
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Here's TeachersFirst's famous on-line presentation of Poe's classic poem, with notations explaining definitions and literary devices. Roll over words for definitions, literary devices, and more.
In the Classroom
This is a great on-line independent study for students who need additional help with either vocabulary or poetic devices. Introduce the site on your projector (rollovers will not work on an interactive whiteboard), then have students work alone or with a partner to become acquainted with the full text of Poe's masterpiece, accessing definitions and literary devices on their own. Augment classroom technology use and challenge students to create their own dramatic readings of the poem using a tool such as podOmatic, reviewed here, or accompany their reading with illustrations using ePubEditor, reviewed here, where your can upload images and text and add audio.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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TeachersFirst: The Highwayman - TeachersFirst
Grades
7 to 12
37 Favorites
0 Comments
This online edition of Alfred Noyes' poem introduces both the text and the poetic devices and vocabulary in this famous poem. The unit can serve as an independent study tool ...more
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This online edition of Alfred Noyes' poem introduces both the text and the poetic devices and vocabulary in this famous poem. The unit can serve as an independent study tool or a review for those who need a refresher on poetic devices.
tag(s): poetry (197)
In the Classroom
Share the start of the poem on your projector or interactive whiteboard. Then turn students or partners loose to explore the poem and discover the details on laptops or at home. Transform classroom technology use and extend the unit by challenging groups or individual students to create their own visual interpretations of a stanza using a tool such as Poster My Wall.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Activities: Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows - TeachersFirst
Grades
4 to 8
2 Favorites
0 Comments
TeachersFirst offers a chapter-by-chapter set of activities for Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows. Designed to be used after each chapter, the activities include science searches,...more
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TeachersFirst offers a chapter-by-chapter set of activities for Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows. Designed to be used after each chapter, the activities include science searches, writing, and art projects suitable for individual or group use. The ideas and activities ask you to respond, extend, discuss, create, and more. There is simply no better way to try new "After Reading" strategies. Don't miss this great collection as a way to encourage anyone to get the most from reading and re-reading a new favorite. Find links to two other sets of Harry Potter book activities on the Intro page.
tag(s): harry potter (9)
In the Classroom
Share this link on your teacher web page or in a parent newsletter, if you don't have time to do all the activities at school. Ask students to design their own activities to accompany other Harry Potter books.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Dates That Matter - TeachersFirst
Grades
5 to 12
21 Favorites
1 Comments
Dates That Matter provides a new perspective on history by placing each day-in-history event in a broader context and explaining its long-term impact. History is a fabric woven of many...more
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Dates That Matter provides a new perspective on history by placing each day-in-history event in a broader context and explaining its long-term impact. History is a fabric woven of many events, and Dates That Matter helps students see the full tapestry. Each entry opens with a date and a single intriguing sentence about the event. A set of guiding questions then appears one at a time -- click Reveal to uncover each answer and surface the next question. When all questions have been explored, the full historical event is named, and a Why It Matters explanation fills in the remaining context and offers curated links to learn more. Teachers who work with struggling or reluctant readers may find these daily entries a natural way to practice the reading strategy of connecting new information to prior knowledge. You can also preview upcoming dates to select entries that align with your current unit -- but be aware that the preview page shows the answers, so keep it for your planning only.
tag(s): calendars (36), substitutes (25)
In the Classroom
Begin your social studies class once or twice a week by projecting a Dates That Matter entry and working through the guiding questions together as a class -- clicking Reveal one at a time to spark discussion before the answer appears. Use the Why It Matters links as extra credit or enrichment opportunities, or ask gifted students to investigate one entry per month and become the class "expert" on that event. Add a link to your teacher's webpage so students and families can explore it together outside of school. Substitutes will also appreciate this meaningful, discussion-ready routine that connects today's lesson to students' prior knowledge -- no prep required.Comments
This is a terrific site for daily writing and "Do Nows" for my ELA classes. In addition, the site can be used for Morning Meeting/Advisory.Patricia, NJ, Grades: 6 - 12
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Activities: Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix - TeachersFirst
Grades
4 to 8
1 Favorites
0 Comments
TeachersFirst offers a chapter-by-chapter set of activities for Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix. Designed to be used after each chapter, the activities include science searches,...more
Here is the direct link to share this resource review. Feel free to copy and paste this URL into an email or place it on your web page or blog so others can read this TeachersFirst review:
TeachersFirst offers a chapter-by-chapter set of activities for Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix. Designed to be used after each chapter, the activities include science searches, writing, and art projects suitable for individual or group use. The ideas and activities ask you to respond, extend, discuss, create, and more. There is simply no better way to try new "After Reading" strategies. Don't miss this great collection as a way to encourage anyone to get the most from reading and re-reading a new favorite. Find links to activities for two other Harry Potter books on the Intro page.
tag(s): harry potter (9)
In the Classroom
Share the link on your teacher web page or in a parent newsletter, if you don't have time to do all the activities at school. Challenge students to design similar activities to accompany other Harry Potter (or other favorite) books.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Activities: Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince - TeachersFirst
Grades
4 to 8
2 Favorites
1 Comments
TeachersFirst offers a set of chapter-by-chapter response activities for Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince. Use art, writing, and web research to answer questions or think about...more
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TeachersFirst offers a set of chapter-by-chapter response activities for Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince. Use art, writing, and web research to answer questions or think about the issues in a particular chapter. Ideal for individual use, and many of these could serve as the basis for a group discussion on topics like loyalty and leadership. The ideas and activities ask you to respond, extend, discuss, create, and more. There is simply no better way to try new "After Reading strategies. Don't miss this great collection as a way to encourage anyone to get the most from reading and re-reading a new favorite. Find links to two other sets of Harry Potter book activities on the Intro page.
tag(s): harry potter (9), reading strategies (87)
In the Classroom
Share the link on your teacher web page or in a parent newsletter, if you don't have time to do all the activities at school. Ask students to design similar activities to accompany other Harry Potter (or other favorite) books.Comments
Very good way of planning.kel, GA, Grades: 3 - 5
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