TeachersFirst - Featured Sites: Week of Feb 19, 2012
Here are this week's features. Clicking the tags in the description area of each listing will present a list of other resources with this topic. | Click here to return to the Featured Sites Archive
ALTs altastic - Altastic.com
Grades
K to 5tag(s): alphabet (51), flags (17), flash cards (42), handwriting (16), iwb (33), numbers (119), verbs (27)
In the Classroom
Display the handwriting flashcards on your interactive whiteboard as a student-operated center to practice letter writing skills. Choose random letters, and have students make a list of words beginning with that letter. The What's This activity would be great vocabulary practice for ELL students or speech/language students. Use the Timekillers on your interactive whiteboard (or projector) for a quick 5 or 10 minute class or center activity.You must be registered and logged in to add items to your favorites.
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IndyKids - IndyKids
Grades
3 to 8tag(s): creative writing (121), expository writing (31), journalism (72), persuasive writing (56), writing (319)
In the Classroom
Share this site with students and have students choose an article to read, summarize, or expand upon. After reading articles on the site, have students choose a current topic that interests them and have them write an article as practice of informational writing. In science or social studies, study the newspaper format as students write articles reporting on scientific discoveries or famous people. Use the format of this newsletter as a resource for extending learning and creating and publishing your own classroom newsletter online. During newspapers in education month, use this site to find accessible articles for any age. Create a newspaper using a site such as Printing Press,reviewed here).Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Infographics Archive - Infographics Archive
Grades
7 to 12This site includes advertising.
tag(s): charts and graphs (170), data (148), graphic design (49), infographics (56)
In the Classroom
Use as an introduction to a lesson or unit. Use Think-Pair-Share to list and share information provided by the graphic. Develop questions to be answered to understand the information or questions that they just wonder. Allow students or groups of students to choose an Infographic that interests them and report on the information given. Consider assigning the creation of an Infographic as an assignment to understand content and connect it with the real world, such as showing the many ways electricity is used in the world or the impact of slavery on an economy. Or have them explain an experiment and report the results with graphical information to provide meaning. Since infographics are often key to understanding an article, reading teachers will appreciate this large collection to use in teaching/practicing how to interpret informational graphics within a text. Share one each day for students to practice telling you the "main idea" of the graphic.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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BBC - Sing - Learn to Sing - BBC
Grades
2 to 12tag(s): music theory (45), sound (73)
In the Classroom
This site would be great for music, choral teachers, musical directors, or individual students hoping to improve their singing. Use the tutorial with students who are new to singing and group performance. The more students know and practice, the more comfortable they will be with their own abilities. Assign this link from your webpage or wiki so that students may access the lessons from home to practice in their own comfort zone. This would also be great if you are the adviser of a musical club or group. Guitar clubs could even benefit from this, as they could learn how to sing better along with their instruments. In science class, include this site in a unit on sound as you investigate how human anatomy creates and adjusts sounds in singing.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Tricider - tricider.com
Grades
3 to 12tag(s): brainstorming (17), conflict resolution (9), debate (40), persuasive writing (56), polls and surveys (48), questioning (35)
In the Classroom
Introduce Tricider on your interactive whiteboard or projector. Use this site to develop arguments sides for an upcoming debate or persuasive writing assignment. Promote higher level thinking by asking students to brainstorm options and set criteria to choose. Build mental flexibility as they see alternate points of view on an issue. Encourage your students to use this tool for projects, decision making, and organization.If you have students create book ads in your class, or projects, your students can vote on which book they want to read next or which project they would like to investigate further, etc. Teachers can also use Tricider to survey students about what resources on your website are the best, what further explanation they may need about a unit in math or science, which project students would like to do as a summative assessment, or ways to encourage "green" practices in your community. Be sure to have your students use a code or number instead of an actual name.
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