TeachersFirst - Featured Sites: Week of May 25, 2014

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

 

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A-Z Animals - Millie Bond

Grades
2 to 9
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A-Z Animals is an online animal encyclopedia and much more! Browse through the large list of animals in several different ways. Sort by alphabetical listing, Scientific names, group,...more
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A-Z Animals is an online animal encyclopedia and much more! Browse through the large list of animals in several different ways. Sort by alphabetical listing, Scientific names, group, location, endangered animals, pictures, or favorites. Each selection contains beautiful images and extensive information including basic facts, habitat, and behavior. Click the "listen" icon near the top of the page to listen to all text on each page (read by a synthesized voice). Print each page in PDF format using the Print link also located on a tab near the top of the page. In addition to the animal encyclopedia, explore the large selection of reference articles including many topics such as habitat, life cycle, and evolution. Other great features of this site include online quizzes and games. This site is one you will want to explorer and save! The site was created in the UK, so some of the pronunciations and spellings may differ from those in American English.
This site includes advertising.

tag(s): animal homes (57), animals (288), biodiversity (34), evolution (88), habitats (87)

In the Classroom

Be sure to include this site on your class web page for students to access both in and outside of class for further exploration during and after your animal or biodiversity unit. Explore information about the Animal of the Day. Create a link on classroom computers for students to explore on their own. Print animal pages for use in classroom reading centers or for Guided Reading instruction. This site is perfect for use with Special Education and ENL/ESL students in upper elementary and above-- if their listening vocabulary is strong enough. Provide headphones and allow them to listen to information from any page. Have cooperative learning groups use information from this site to create online books using a tool such as Bookemon, reviewed here. Have students create online posters individually or together as a class using a tool such as Web Poster Wizard, reviewed here, or PicLits, reviewed here.
 This resource requires PDF reader software like Adobe Acrobat.

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The Video Math Tutor - Luis Anthony Ast

Grades
4 to 10
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Video Math Tutor is a YouTube channel offering many math tutorials from basic math operations through Algebra. Find videos using playlists on the site sorted by topics such as Video...more
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Video Math Tutor is a YouTube channel offering many math tutorials from basic math operations through Algebra. Find videos using playlists on the site sorted by topics such as Video Flash Cards, Tips for Students, Calculator Tips, and much more. The site continues to grow and offer a great variety of content. If your district blocks YouTube, they may not be viewable.
This site includes advertising.

tag(s): addition (127), division (97), equations (119), factors (29), inequalities (24), multiples (15), multiplication (121), operations (72), subtraction (108), time (92)

In the Classroom

Visit this channel to find ideas for lessons in the classroom and to find additional support. Luis frequently updates the offerings. Share these videos on your interactive whiteboard or projector. FLIP your classroom and have students view the videos at home and discuss and apply them the next day in class. (This is a great option if YouTube is blocked in your school.) Use the videos to introduce new content or share tips, and assign others in the series for homework. Learning support teachers may find their student prefer learning from a video they can rewind and replay. Be sure to provide this link on your class website for students (and their families) to access at home for additional Math practice.

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Visme - Hindsight Ineractive

Grades
7 to 12
4 Favorites 0  Comments
 
Visme helps you create presentations and documents, charts and infographics, videos and animations (GIFs), documents, and social posts. There's more! Be sure to scroll to the bottom...more
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Visme helps you create presentations and documents, charts and infographics, videos and animations (GIFs), documents, and social posts. There's more! Be sure to scroll to the bottom of the page, find the Create column, and click More to Create. Find templates for all the projects listed, there are 5,000 audio files to select from, and Visme includes the capability of audio voice-over; you can also make your objects into interactive hotspots! At the bottom of the page, under Resources, you'll find the Templates and Video Tutorials for just about anything you want to do. Fortunately, there is a menu on the left for all the video tutorial categories.

To start, choose your type of creation and then a specific template theme. The Navigation area is along the left side. Customize the various tools by clicking on My Files, and upload your Google Drive, Dropbox, and/or OneDrive. The work area is to the right of the Navigation, and where the template you selected appears, various new tools, grids, and texts appear to the left. Drag and drop items into the work area and even include vector images. Click My Files to upload images, audio, and video from your computer. Once placed in the work area, style images the way you want, including animation! Invite collaborators or team members through email. Products created by this tool play on any browser or device or can be embedded in a web page or blog. Free accounts allow 100 MB of storage.
This site includes advertising.

tag(s): animation (64), charts and graphs (171), images (260), infographics (56), multimedia (46), presentations (17), video (262)

In the Classroom

Use Visme to create educational slideshows and Infographics to introduce and interest students in a topic of study. Use to generate questions before the discussion of topics. Create a multi-image slideshow where students brainstorm how the images are all connected. Have students create projects for the class using this easy-to-use tool. Include this tool on your blog, wiki, or public page for easy student access. Depending on school policies, you may consider allowing your older students to create an account. Read tips for safely managing email registrations here. Create a project site for students to upload images and videos found when studying any subject. Find images with various shapes when discussing geometry or shapes in nature. Find pictures of plants or animals for a science unit, etc. World language students can create digital photo stories to narrate using new vocabulary: present teacher professional development or an end-of-year display for the school media center.

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Jumpshare - Ghaus Iftikhar

Grades
K to 12
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Download the Jumpshare tool for sharing and viewing files easily. Create an account with your name, email, and password to begin. Drag and drop files to share. Use the link ...more
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Download the Jumpshare tool for sharing and viewing files easily. Create an account with your name, email, and password to begin. Drag and drop files to share. Use the link to browse and find files on your computer. Jumpshare supports 200 file types including images, videos, and documents. Once uploaded, use links to share documents via email or social networking options. In addition to the file sharing you can now create screenshot capture and screen recordings (making your screenshot into a video. Free accounts include storage of up to 2 GB and a limit of 100 MB on individual files.

tag(s): collaboration (94)

In the Classroom

Eliminate file sharing challenges during projects with penpals or people from other schools anywhere in the world. Create a class account (or several) for students to upload completed class projects. Share this site with older students to use when collaborating on group projects. Collaborate easily on lesson plans with other teachers by uploading and sharing files from anywhere.

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The Historical Marker Database - HMdb.org

Grades
5 to 12
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The Historical Marker Database is an illustrated and searchable website for finding and viewing historical road markers. Information includes photographs, marker locations, and more....more
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The Historical Marker Database is an illustrated and searchable website for finding and viewing historical road markers. Information includes photographs, marker locations, and more. Search and browse the site in several ways. Find markers near your location, enter a keyword in the search bar, or choose from category options. Most entries include a short description, map location of the marker, the transcription, and links to other nearby markers. This site is rather text-heavy. It is full of great information. There is also a link to a free Google Field Trip app that uses these markers.
This site includes advertising.

tag(s): 20th century (62), american revolution (82), anthropology (10), california (16), civil rights (200), civil war (136), disasters (37), explorers (66), heroes (25), hispanic (32), immigration (68), labor day (5), mexico (30), native americans (95), natural disasters (16), natural resources (38), texas (7), vietnam (38), war of 1812 (15), world war 1 (78), world war 2 (161)

In the Classroom

Use the Historical Marker Database to find information and locations of important events near your hometown or relating to any area of study. For example, choose the Civil Rights link to find markers noting important events related to Civil Rights. Then have students enhance their learning and create a simple infographic sharing their findings. Use Canva Infographic Maker, reviewed here. Have students create maps using Zeemaps, reviewed here. This tool allows students to create audio recordings AND choose a location on a map (Alaska) where the report takes place. Transform learning by having students create timelines of historic events near your school; use Timeline JS, reviewed here. Timeline JS also offers the option to upload and add photos, videos, audio, Tweets, and Google Maps making it interactive.

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Hiroshima Peace Museum - Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum

Grades
8 to 12
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Explore the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum site to learn about the effects and aftermath of nuclear war. Click Learn from the top menu, then, look at the menu on the ...more
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Explore the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum site to learn about the effects and aftermath of nuclear war. Click Learn from the top menu, then, look at the menu on the right titled Learn About the A Bomb and Peace. There you will find a link to view images of monuments located in Hiroshima. These monuments were constructed as memorials to those who lost their lives. Visit the Kids Peace Station for activities geared toward younger students. Explore the virtual museum to view exhibits such as damage caused by the atomic bomb blast and recorded testimony of survivors.

tag(s): atomic bomb (8), japan (56), world war 2 (161)

In the Classroom

Take your class on a digital field trip to the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum to get a first-hand look at the effects of an atomic bomb. Display on your interactive whiteboard or projector. Provide students time to explore on their own. Have students use Fakebook, reviewed here, to create a "fake" page similar in style to Facebook about a survivor of the bomb. Have students create interactive timelines using Preceden, reviewed here, for events leading up to the bombing and following. Be sure to include a look at the museum during your World War II unit. This site would also provide good research material for a class debate about nuclear weapons.

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