TeachersFirst - Featured Sites: Week of Mar 18, 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
John F. Kennedy Presidential Library - JFK Library
Grades
7 to 12tag(s): history day (39), kennedy (20), presidents (131), vietnam (38)
In the Classroom
All of these topics are of interest to students doing research into 20th century US and international history, and might be particularly useful to students working on in depth projects for National History Day. After researching a specific topic, have students make a multimedia presentation using one of the many TeachersFirst Presentation tools reviewed here. Some tool suggestions are (click on the tool name to access the review): Adobe Creative Cloud Express for Education, Vevox, Animatron, Renderforest, and Microsoft PowerPoint Online.You must be registered and logged in to add items to your favorites.
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Duck Duck Go - ddg.gg
Grades
2 to 12tag(s): search engines (50), search strategies (22)
In the Classroom
Provide a link to Duck Duck Go on your class website or as a start page on a classroom computer. Use Duck Duck Go to teach about search strategies and help students think of search terms. When discussing searching in class, compare Duck Duck Go to other search engines, noticing the differences between the search experience and results between the various search engines. Be sure to discuss the advantages, disadvantages, and reliability of the search results with each of the various search engines. Be sure to point out the additional search terms and how these terms can provide more targeted search results. Try a game where students predict what other terms might show up from a given starting search. This will teach the mental flexibility to realize what else the search engine might "think" you mean. For example, if we enter "apple," what other terms might we see?Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Springo Kids - Springo, Inc.
Grades
K to 5This site includes advertising.
In the Classroom
Have younger students use this site when doing research or information searches. You can feel more comfortable allowing students to search the web. Show them how to mark it as a Favorite or make a shortcut on classroom computers to access it directly. Share some of these activities on your interactive whiteboard or projector as a small group center. Allow students to explore the sites shared on their own.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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New Math - Craig Damrauer
Grades
6 to 12This site includes advertising.
tag(s): creativity (90), logic (163), puzzles (142), vocabulary (238)
In the Classroom
Display a new slide on your interactive whiteboard (or projector) weekly as a conversation-starter in a math class, social studies class, or gifted classroom. Ask students to explain what the equation might mean. Challenge students to create their own new math word equations and share them using a talking avatar using a photo (legally permitted to be reproduced). Use a site such as Blabberize, reviewed here. Much of the vocabulary used with the equations is very advanced. Use this in English class for vocabulary development. Then challenge students to create some of their own "equations" with other new vocabulary words.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Money Management - Money Management International
Grades
2 to 12This site includes advertising.
tag(s): financial literacy (89), money (114)
In the Classroom
Have students create "talking pictures" to illustrate financial concepts learned on the site using Blabberize, reviewed here. Have students take the online quizzes on the site including the one asking kids how much allowance they should get. Compare the online results to your classroom results. To show what they have learned from this site, challenge students to create an online graphic to share using DesignBold, reviewed here.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Poster My Wall - 250 Mills LCC
Grades
4 to 12In the Classroom
Have students create posters to demonstrate understanding. After an assigned reading, have them create a poster to explain the text. Have students email their finished product to you as an informal assessment. Create a quick presentation of the best posters to share with the class when discussing the reading the next day. Offer posters as one of several options for students to share what they know with you and their peers. Of course, you will want to require proper credit for any images students use in their posters. Use student-made posters to reinforce class rules at the start of the year or to visually display concepts such as branches of government or story elements.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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