TeachersFirst - Featured Sites: Week of Dec 1, 2013
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
Glossary of Instructional Strategies - Kelly Jo Rowan
Grades
K to 12
2 Favorites
0 Comments
This deceptively simple looking site offers an incredible number of ideas and descriptions of instructional strategies. Scroll through the site to find known and new ideas for teaching...more
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This deceptively simple looking site offers an incredible number of ideas and descriptions of instructional strategies. Scroll through the site to find known and new ideas for teaching any subject. Many topics include links for more in-depth descriptions of the activities. This site was frequently updated. This is one that you definitely want to bookmark or save in your favorites!
tag(s): preK (289), teaching strategies (59)
In the Classroom
This is an excellent site for experienced and new teachers alike! Share ideas with your student teacher or mentoree as examples of different ways to present lessons. Share with other teachers during professional development sessions. Choose one or two new instructional strategies to try each month to liven up classroom lessons. Since this site is frequently updated, check back often after you mark this one in your professional favorites. Instructional coaches will want to keep this as a handy reference.
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Universe Today - Fraser Cain
Grades
8 to 12
0 Favorites
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Find commercial-free Space and Astronomy news articles. The accompanying forum discusses aspects of the news in greater detail. Find book and video reviews as well as great information...more
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Find commercial-free Space and Astronomy news articles. The accompanying forum discusses aspects of the news in greater detail. Find book and video reviews as well as great information about newsworthy topics. Some of the topics at the time of this review include Virtual Star Party, NASA's STEREO Spacecraft Spots Comets ISON and Encke, Volcanic Blast Forms New Island Near Japan, and many others. Most of the videos are hosted on YouTube. If your district blocks YouTube, then they may not be viewable.
This site includes advertising.
This site includes advertising.
tag(s): earth (188), solar system (122), space (234)
In the Classroom
Share the images and articles on your projector or interactive whiteboard. Try using this website as a resource in art class. Have students find a picture and information, recreating it though their own interpretation. Have students in a writing class choose a photograph and create a story about how it came to be as a creative writing exercise. Have students use the news as a jumping point for research and understanding information about the solar system. Post this website on your class page or bookmark on a class computer for use as in reporting Science News. Assign a particular article that relates to a c concept you are studying. Have the whole class read it as homework, and then have them post reactions on a class wiki page. Not familiar with wikis? Check out the TeachersFirst Wiki Walk-Through. Assign students to select a current science news article for "close reading" a la Common Core and share its contents creatively on your class wiki as examples of science in the real world.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Toporopa: Geography of Europe - Toporopa
Grades
4 to 12
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Toporopa provides educational and entertaining quizzes about Europe. The quizzes vary in focus but include Countries of Europe, Rivers of Europe, Ports of Europe, Monarchies of Europe,...more
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Toporopa provides educational and entertaining quizzes about Europe. The quizzes vary in focus but include Countries of Europe, Rivers of Europe, Ports of Europe, Monarchies of Europe, Volcanoes of Europe, and many others. The maps offer a variety of focus from political, geographic, historical, and even economical, making this tools useful in a variety of class/subjects. Most activities are in drag and drop or multiple choice format.
This site includes advertising.
This site includes advertising.
tag(s): countries (69), europe (80), maps (214), rivers (15), volcanoes (59)
In the Classroom
Create a link on classroom computers for students to explore these interactives. This site could be used in world cultures, world geography, world languages, science, government, and many other subjects. Have students try the games and then research further information. For example, after finding all European countries that have a reigning monarch, have students find further information on the monarchies. Challenge the students to use a tool like Slides, reviewed here to share their findings.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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RumbleBlocks - Entertainment Technology Center of Carnegie Mellon University
Grades
K to 6
1 Favorites
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RumbleBlocks is an interactive that teaches students (ages 4-11) how to build and identify stable structures. Build towers by manipulating a series of blocks to help a friendly alien...more
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RumbleBlocks is an interactive that teaches students (ages 4-11) how to build and identify stable structures. Build towers by manipulating a series of blocks to help a friendly alien creature get to its spaceship to return home. The site requires the Unity plug-in and will prompt you to download if your FireFox, Opera, or Internet Explorer browser does not have it.
tag(s): architecture (79), geometric shapes (130), structures (15)
In the Classroom
Demonstrate how to use RumbleBlocks on your interactive whiteboard or projector. Allow students to play and explore on their own. Have students draw examples of structures that were stable and ones that were not. Challenge students journal about the experience and generalize what they have learned. Consider having students exchange their pen and paper journals with a blog entry if you are looking for an easy way to integrate technology and check for understanding. Use a tool like Edublog, reviewed here. Or use a tool such as Interactive Two Circle Venn Diagram, reviewed here, for students to compare and contrast structures.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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