TeachersFirst - Featured Sites: Week of Oct 12, 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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Voting America: United States Politics 1840-2008 - University of Richmond

Grades
7 to 12
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Find interactive maps examining the results of elections from 1840 through 2008. With US politics increasingly dominated by election year strategizing, a historical look at how Americans...more
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Find interactive maps examining the results of elections from 1840 through 2008. With US politics increasingly dominated by election year strategizing, a historical look at how Americans have voted in both Presidential and Congressional elections can provide useful context. In a democracy, the power of popular elections to affect the lives of all citizens cannot be understated. In order to understand how changes in population--demography and distribution--have affected popular elections, it's important to see those changes in perspective. On this site, you can look at Presidential elections or Congressional elections, as well as population maps focused on African American and White population changes over the time period. Most of the maps are based on an advancing time line that maps data over time. For Presidential elections, there are also more detailed maps for each separate election.

tag(s): congress (38), elections (82), electoral college (22), maps (207), presidents (133), timelines (55)

In the Classroom

These maps, powerful when projected on an interactive whiteboard (or projector), make the impact of changes in population demographics and distribution visual. The maps might also provide a good resource for students studying a particular President or time period. Challenge students to create a newspaper about what they have learned (about the President or time period). Use a tool such as Zinepal (reviewed here). Click to "Start with a blank e-Book."

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Ba Ba Dum - Aleksandra MizieliA...

Grades
K to 12
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Use these interactives to learn up to twenty-one new languages (English, French, German, Italian, Polish, Spanish, Portuguese, Arabic, Chinese, Lithuanian, and more) by choosing from...more
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Use these interactives to learn up to twenty-one new languages (English, French, German, Italian, Polish, Spanish, Portuguese, Arabic, Chinese, Lithuanian, and more) by choosing from various options that include matching images to a spoken word, filling in the blanks, or multiple choice responses. Audio options are available for non-readers. No registration is required. Registration allows you to save your progress and compete to earn the highest scores in each activity.

tag(s): arabic (13), chinese (44), french (75), german (47), italian (29), multilingual (69), portuguese (22), spanish (106)

In the Classroom

Use your interactive whiteboard (or projector) to introduce this site in your world language class, ENL/ELL class, or young elementary classroom. Make a shortcut to Ba Ba Dum on classroom computers for use as a center in a language class or world cultures. Use this tool with young students who are learning the English language to build up their vocabulary. The website offers audio options on many of the interactives, making this site ideal for non-readers (even kindergartners). Share this site with your gifted students looking for individual challenges. Why not learn a new language that is not offered in school, such as Lithuanian or Chinese? Be sure to share a link to this site on your class website or blog for students (and possibly parents) to use at home. Have cooperative learning groups create online picture books or ABC books featuring a different language using a tool such as Bookemon, reviewed here.

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Buena practica de vocabulario Claudia, TX, Grades: 1 - 7

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Prodigy Math Game - Rohan Mahimker and Alex Peters

Grades
K to 7
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Prodigy offers engaging interactives for seven to twelve-year-olds to practice their math! Use the anime-style avatars to travel the world and meet wizards and confront challenges....more
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Prodigy offers engaging interactives for seven to twelve-year-olds to practice their math! Use the anime-style avatars to travel the world and meet wizards and confront challenges. As math skills improve, your characters earn new spells that can be used only when math proficiencies are strengthened and expanded. The activities will differentiate, assigning and reviewing new math skills. Track your success and get help in areas where you are struggling. Some of the instruction videos (for parents and teachers) are hosted on YouTube. If your school blocks YouTube, you may want to familiarize yourself with this site at home.

tag(s): addition (127), division (97), fractions (158), game based learning (181), number sense (70), numbers (119), subtraction (108)

In the Classroom

This activity would be perfect for practicing math concepts just introduced in class! Share this tool on your interactive whiteboard or projector. This site offers applied experience with math skills and provides critical thinking experience. Students will learn at their pace, and you can get real time reports about how and what your students are doing. There is an option to have the questions read aloud, so have the headphones/earbuds ready. Students will love the multiplayer experience and will forget they are practicing math. Bookmark this tool on your classroom computers and post it on your website for students to use at home. This is perfect to recommend to prevent summer slide.

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Random Name/Word Picker - Russel Tarr

Grades
K to 12
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When it seems the same students always volunteer with answers and help, try the Random Name Picker. Get your entire class involved using this colorful "game-like" tool. This colorful...more
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When it seems the same students always volunteer with answers and help, try the Random Name Picker. Get your entire class involved using this colorful "game-like" tool. This colorful wheel clicks when you spin. It cheers when you land on a name. The site uses HTML5 so it will work on iPads as well as laptops and PCs. There is no registration required. Input the names, (enter each name or word on a different line, copy and paste from a spreadsheet or word document if available), save your lists with a password, and embed the Picker into your blog or website. You can even get a QR code. Choose the typewriter to view a scrambled word letter-by-letter. The fruit machine reveals a choice with a slot machine, choose the button Remove to delete used names/words from the list as you play. For safety, use first names only!

tag(s): classroom management (123), Teacher Utilities (159)

In the Classroom

The obvious use for this tool is for selecting students to answer a question or do an activity. Other uses could include forming groups/pairs or creating seating charts. Allow students to use it when it's time to choose the next student. Instead of names, enter activities for P.E., rainy day recess activities, the next book your class will read together, or anything where you need to make a choice. Use for vocabulary practice, too. You may want to save one wheel as a template when you know you'll be selecting several students. That way you can remove names from the list on the wheel you are using, but will have the original for the next time.

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QR Droid Zapper - Droidla LTD

Grades
5 to 12
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Instantly create a QR code for many purposes using the QR Code Generator at QR Droid Zapper. Choose the tab for the type of code to generate such as a ...more
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Instantly create a QR code for many purposes using the QR Code Generator at QR Droid Zapper. Choose the tab for the type of code to generate such as a URL, your contact information, a calendar event, or a location. Add information to the required boxes and personalize size and color, if desired. Click to generate your code. Right-click to save the generated QR code to your computer or use the link provided to share through email or social networking. Embed the QR code in a webpage using the embed code provided.

tag(s): gamification (78), qr codes (16)

In the Classroom

Create a QR code that directs to your class website or blog. Include it on handouts for Back to School night. Create a QR code scavenger hunt for students or make a webquest more engaging. Add QR codes to documents for students to check their answers. Further develop knowledge of a topic by adding a QR code to a site that expands upon what is in the textbook. Create a data chart accessible via a QR code. Students can access the data and manipulate the information. Have students create a book trailer or review and affix a QR code to the outside of the book. Students may be more apt to read a book that has been reviewed by another student. Make a display completely interactive with a QR code that describes the assignment, the process, the research, students' reactions and more! Add extra help information to any assignment that asks students to solve problems. Create an online help tutorial accessible via a QR code, and place the code beside a similar problem. Link directly to a Google Map. Place QR code contact information for you and your school on contact cards to give to parents. Attach QR codes to physical objects around the room to provide information about the object. Instead of copying/pasting links in a newsletter, put them into QR codes for easier access by readers. Post QR codes to resource sites and new articles on your BYOD classroom bulletin boards for students to access information on their tablets or smartphones. As a time saver, post a QR code to the class wiki or web page.

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The Interactive Ear - Hearing Center of Excellence

Grades
2 to 12
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Use this interactive online ear diagram to examine the workings of how we hear sounds. Click each dot to see that part of the ear and to view the name ...more
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Use this interactive online ear diagram to examine the workings of how we hear sounds. Click each dot to see that part of the ear and to view the name and read about the function. Click on Anatomy of the Ear from the menu on the right to see a short video of the ear explaining the parts and their functions. There is a transcript for the video beneath it. The video resides on YouTube. If your district blocks YouTube it may not be viewable for your classroom

tag(s): human body (94), senses (20)

In the Classroom

Use this resource during a unit on perception, the senses, or human body systems (nervous system). Use the model to identify problems that can occur with the ear and hearing. Be sure to discuss many current issues such as noise and hearing problems. Students can research the various types of noises that one can encounter and the decibel levels and hearing problems that can result from exposure to the sounds. Research sources of hearing impairment and new technology to correct these problems. Have students create posters about hearing and noise using Adobe Creative Cloud Express for Education, reviewed here.

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