Teachers First - Thinking Teachers Teaching Thinkers

This activity simulates some of the real-world mechanisms that cause and sustain poverty in 3rd World countries. You get to manage an African farm and are soon confronted with the difficult choices that poverty and conflict can cause. Unlike typical interactives where it's always possible to prosper by playing cleverly and making the right choices, it is not always like that in 3rd World Farmer. Just as real people die from starvation in desperate situations that they are not responsible for, all it takes for things to go wrong in this activity is one bad harvest, an unfortunate encounter with corrupt officials, a raid by guerrillas, a civil war, a sudden fluctuation in market prices, or another random event that might never happen in industrialized countries. Begin by buying crops, place them in your fields, then continue on to the next steps. A short commercial plays when you enter the site and before access to the activity.
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tag(s): africa (139), agriculture (47)

With SignUp, formerly VolunteerSpot, manage classroom helpers, conference nights, and much more with this easy to use web service. This is a real time-saver since everyone schedules their own time online - no more gathering and sorting papers, and preparing schedules! After signing up for free at the site, teachers can create items and add to a calendar along with different length time spots, as needed. Once the event has been set up, share the URL with parents and others via a web page link, email, or school newsletter. Once a participant has signed up for a time spot they receive email confirmation and an email reminder close before their assigned time. (WOW!) They can also go in and cancel their assigned time completely or choose another time. This feature can be locked if you don't want changes close to the event. Schedules are printable so that they can be posted and used during the event period. For a quick overview of how to use the site, be sure to watch the short video tour included on the home page. Video tutorials reside on YouTube. If your district blocks YouTube, the videos may not be viewable.
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tag(s): calendars (37), parent conferences (21)

This collection, provided by the National Fire Protection Association is amazing. Here you will find fire prevention facts, products to help families stay safe, special materials for parents (and teachers, too), an online quiz for both students and families, and more! At the time of this review, the message for the year was "Protecting Your Families and Loved Ones From Fire." The approach, at the time of this review, is multimedia; in addition to the quiz, there are audio public service announcements, a blog, an upcoming webinar, and safety videos. For younger children, the familiar Sparky the Dog offers fun activities. Accompanying safety tip sheets benefit everyone, and a focus on high-risk populations assures you that everyone will have a fighting chance against fire.
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tag(s): fire prevention (16), fire safety (16), homes (4)

What did one math book say to the other? Don't bother me I've got my own problems! Are you looking for more bad jokes like this for your math class or perhaps a staff presentation? This site is for you! Choose from over 40 math jokes listed on this site, or send in your own. Who says math teachers can't be funny?

tag(s): riddles (16)

How Things Fly offers a self guided, interactive resource to understand how space and air flight happen. This site delivers information clearly and effectively about lift, drag, thrust, and weight. It is very easy to navigate and there is a ton of information to gained! This answers a lot of questions that students tend to ask when talking about space and some physics.

tag(s): aircraft (15), aviation (38), flight (31), space (214)

As of January 2019 Teen Read Week has been sunset and replaced with a new, month long celebration called TeenTober. You can still find all the ideas and information for Teen Read Week on the Wiki for Teen Read Week. Use TeenTober and Teen Read Week to raise teen interest in reading and reading related activities; encourage your teens to participate in some of the Teen Read week activities! This annual event is held in mid-October. Be sure to sign up for updates to TeenTober.

tag(s): creativity (90), posters (43)