TeachersFirst - Featured Sites: Week of Oct 5, 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
Untamed Science - Rob Nelson
Grades
6 to 12
1 Favorites
0 Comments
Make science fun using Untamed Science. Focusing on biology and ecology, these videos and quick fact pages offer high interest and fast-paced information in many topics. Search or browse...more
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Make science fun using Untamed Science. Focusing on biology and ecology, these videos and quick fact pages offer high interest and fast-paced information in many topics. Search or browse through the full list of videos. Begin at either Tree of Life or Biology to find categories within each section. Be sure to also check out the How-to Filmmaking portion of the site to learn about filmmaking, beginning with the basics through advanced filmmaking approaches. If your district blocks YouTube, the video clips may not be viewable. While most topics are appropriate for teenage students, you may want to preview.
tag(s): amphibians (17), animals (284), biomes (113), cells (82), ecology (98), evolution (86), fish (18), genetics (76), mammals (23), planets (112), reptiles (12), video (260)
In the Classroom
Use videos from this site as an anticipatory set or "activator" to introduce a unit or lesson on a projector or interactive whiteboard. Create a link to videos (or use the embed code from the YouTube page) on your class website or blog for students to view at home. Enhance learning and challenge cooperative learning groups to create their own science videos modeled after these using FlexClip, reviewed here. FlexClip is designed to allow you to create short animated or explainer videos to share on YouTube and other social media sites; then, share them on a site such as TeacherTube reviewed here.You must be registered and logged in to add items to your favorites.
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Lucidchart - Karl Sun and Ben Dilts
Grades
7 to 12
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Lucidchart is a free (and fun!) diagramming tool featuring drag and drop features. Try out the tour to view all the features available such as simple line drawing from the ...more
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Lucidchart is a free (and fun!) diagramming tool featuring drag and drop features. Try out the tour to view all the features available such as simple line drawing from the edge of any object, color themes, and online collaboration. Sign up for a free account, using your official school email address, to create flow charts, mindmaps, graphic organizers, timelines, and more. Share your diagram using social networking links or with your diagram's unique URL.
This site includes advertising.
This site includes advertising.
tag(s): brainstorming (17), charts and graphs (169), graphic organizers (50), mind map (28)
In the Classroom
Take advantage of the "ease" of this fabulous site! Have your class create organizers together, such as in a brainstorming session on an interactive whiteboard or projector. Assign students to "map" out a chapter or story. Assign groups to create study guides using this tool. Use this site for literature activities, research projects, social studies, or science topics. Use this site to create family trees or food pyramids in family and consumer science. Have students collaborate (online) to create group mind maps or review charts before tests on a given subject. Have students organize any concepts you study. They can color code concepts to show what they understand, wonder, and question. Have students map out a story, plot line, or plan for the future. Students can also map out a step-by-step process (such as a life cycle or how to solve an equation).Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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TaleTrove - TaleTrove.com
Grades
K to 5
3 Favorites
0 Comments
TaleTrove is an online collection of user-submitted stories offered in several different formats. Click Good Reads on the top left of the menu and choose from books for young readers...more
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TaleTrove is an online collection of user-submitted stories offered in several different formats. Click Good Reads on the top left of the menu and choose from books for young readers (grades K-3) to browse through book titles. Click on the book icon to choose from different formats to read and hear stories. Options include viewing as PDF, listening to mp3 (audio), or viewing the flipbook. Most stories include all three options; however, a few offer only one or two. Each book also includes a learning guide with suggestions for pre and post-reading discussion as well as ideas for use when reading the book. The Create space menu accesses games, crafts, and other activities to explore and try. Users can submit reviews of the stories available on the site.
tag(s): audio books (23), digital storytelling (150), guided reading (32), preK (261), reading comprehension (142)
In the Classroom
View and listen to stories by opening up two tabs in your browser. Choose one to listen in mp3 format and the other to view using either PDF format or the flipbook reader. View and listen to stories together on your interactive whiteboard or create a link on classroom computers for students to read independently. You could even submit a "review" written by your entire class or have your more able students write one you can submit using a teacher account. Browse for other reading-related activities and crafts. Be sure to include this site on your class web page for students to access both in and outside of class for reading practice.
This resource requires PDF reader software like Adobe Acrobat.
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Chatzy - Chatzy.com
Grades
7 to 12
1 Favorites
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Chatzy offers no-frills, easy to use private chat rooms with no sign-up required! Fill out the simple start-up form with your name, chat title, message, and participant's emails. Participants...more
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Chatzy offers no-frills, easy to use private chat rooms with no sign-up required! Fill out the simple start-up form with your name, chat title, message, and participant's emails. Participants instantly receive an email with your message and a direct link to the room. Room administrator options include allowing or turning off emoticons, images, and videos. The Save/Print options allow administrators to keep a record of any conversations. There is a setting to use Chatzy on mobile devices with smaller screens, as well. Note: Some school networks block all chat tools, so check in advance whether you can access it if you plan to use this tool at school.
tag(s): chat (41), communication (138)
In the Classroom
Use this site to connect to other classes to open up discussion between your students in one convenient place. Safety is not a concern with this site, since only those with an email invitation/link can participate in a chat. (Your students need not have email. You can simply email the link to yourself and share it with students to enter into their browsers.) Teach good digital citizenship of chat etiquette while using this activity to learn. Connect with other classes to learn about other locations, learn various perspectives, find animals that are similar yet different, learn about the different books others are reading, or survey students on various economic, political, or environmental topics. Be sure to plan content ahead of time, so students have the opportunity to think through the material and formulate a response. Discuss appropriate ways to communicate to others prior to connecting with another classroom. Use Chatzy as a place for students to brainstorm and share ideas about a topic. Use as a simple help forum for students to ask questions of each other and of you. Share a chat room with parents once a month for a question and answer session at a scheduled time.Use backchannel chat on laptops during a video or student presentations. Pose questions for all to answer/discuss in the backchannel, or ask students to pose their own "I wonder if..." questions as they watch and listen. Keep every student engaged and THINKING as an active listener. The first time you use backchannel, you will want to establish some etiquette and accountability rules. The advantage of backchannel chat is that every student has a voice, no matter how shy. Use this in world language classes, ESL/ELL classes, or autistic support classes for backchannel chat. Challenge students to use their new language skills by acting out a scene from a video or describing the feelings of the actors. When studying literature, collaborate with another class to have students role-play a chat between two characters. In a history class, create fictional conversations between soldiers on two sides of the Civil War or different sides of the Scopes Monkey trial.
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Ziggity Zoom - Ziggity Zoom LLC
Grades
K to 3
7 Favorites
0 Comments
Ziggity Zoom provides games, activities, and craft ideas for young children. Scroll down the home page or explore menus to find the many categories and resources available. The online...more
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Ziggity Zoom provides games, activities, and craft ideas for young children. Scroll down the home page or explore menus to find the many categories and resources available. The online games include memory games, puzzles, and mazes. There are also printable craft and skill activities. Be sure to view the Story section (from a link at the very top) with several interactive books for students to read on their own (or have read to them).
This site includes advertising.
This site includes advertising.
tag(s): crafts (53), digital storytelling (150), interactive stories (21), preK (261), puzzles (143), video (260)
In the Classroom
Introduce Ziggity Zoom on your interactive whiteboard or projector. Then have students explore this site independently. Be sure to show them how to AVOID the many advertisements! Make a shortcut to individual activities on classroom computers and use it as a center. Include this site on your class web page for students and parents to access at home. Explore this site to find crafts and activities for classroom use.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Eat Right - Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics
Grades
3 to 12
3 Favorites
0 Comments
Find the best information for safely handling food on this website. View alerts of recent recalls and food safety problems. Download useful food safety tip sheets to share. Find resources...more
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Find the best information for safely handling food on this website. View alerts of recent recalls and food safety problems. Download useful food safety tip sheets to share. Find resources in the tabs along the top for Food, Health, Fitness, and and others. View videos and find links to resources, and material to understand all about food safety. Find games and other activities under the Kids tab. Be sure to look at the Downloads and Videos tab for more great resources! The videos are hosted on YouTube. If your district blocks YouTube, they may not be viewable.
tag(s): cooking (29), diseases (67), nutrition (136), safety (69)
In the Classroom
Use all of these resources in a Family and Consumer Science class or health unit on foods. Find great downloads that are of use to students as they begin cooking such as Kitchen Safety Checklist and Cooking with Microwaves. Allow time for students to look over the site and find information they did not know. Challenge students to create a one minute lecture series using Prezi, reviewed here, where they give their tips, along with researched information to understand the "science" behind the tips. You or students can create posters that remind students of best practices using a tool such as Web Poster Wizard, reviewed here, or PicLits, reviewed here. Have students create a checklist they can take home to evaluate the practices in their household. Report back on the most ignored practices that others should follow.
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Send Anywhere - ESTmob, Inc
Grades
K to 12
1 Favorites
0 Comments
Send Anywhere offers simple, unlimited, instant file transfers across any device. Drag and drop or click to add files. Simply click to send files. A pop-up box appears with a ...more
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Send Anywhere offers simple, unlimited, instant file transfers across any device. Drag and drop or click to add files. Simply click to send files. A pop-up box appears with a QR code and a 6-digit numerical code for downloading the file. The pop-up remains active for 10 minutes. The countdown on the screen shows the time remaining. Mobile users need to download the free Send Anywhere app to their mobile device. When sharing across computers, go to the Send Anywhere site to input the 6-digit code to receive files.
tag(s): DAT device agnostic tool (148)
In the Classroom
Use Send Anywhere to quickly transfer files and images between devices in your BYOD or 1:1 classroom. Student groups working on projects in class can gather and share files easily. This tool would work well when students do not have email addresses or Google Accounts for sharing work with their teachers or each other. What a great way for students to turn in work done on their devices! Just make sure you retrieve it before the time limit expires. During curriculum development and other professional development activities, members of a department (or even school-wide) can share resources and documents easily with each other.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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WikiArt - Visual Art Encyclopedia - Wikipaintings
Grades
3 to 12
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WikiArt is a visual art encyclopedia for anyone looking for high quality images of public domain and copyrighted artwork. The artwork featured in this tool includes both classical and...more
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WikiArt is a visual art encyclopedia for anyone looking for high quality images of public domain and copyrighted artwork. The artwork featured in this tool includes both classical and contemporary art. WikiArt is a wiki and editing of contents by participants is encouraged. Moderation of the updates ensures consistent and accurate content. The site includes both public domain artwork as well as those protected by copyright. SIte owners stipulate that the protected works on the site are displayed in accordance with Fair Use. The images can only be used for informational and educational purposes and are readily available on the Internet. The images are low resolution copies of the original artworks.
tag(s): art history (86), artists (80), images (261), painting (54)
In the Classroom
Use an interactive whiteboard or projector and this site to view many different works of art for discussion and comparison. Compare student artwork to that of masters to understand various design principles. Use the images in any class as a prompt for written or artistic expression. View paintings of various periods of history to identify various events that shaped life at that time. Invite students to select their "dream" art gallery and write a script for an audio tour of the gallery with links to the paintings. They can record their podcast tours using a tool such as Spreaker (reviewed here).Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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