TeachersFirst - Featured Sites: Week of May 10, 2015
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
Classmill - Tariq Rauf
Grades
6 to 12
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Classmill allows you to create your own online classes by uploading videos, links, files, and images. Create your account to start your own class or explore classes already online....more
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Classmill allows you to create your own online classes by uploading videos, links, files, and images. Create your account to start your own class or explore classes already online. When creating a class choose from privacy options such as invite only for attendees. Add content within modules for each class using tabs to upload or embed information. Once your content is complete, use the "Ready" toggle switch to make it accessible to participants. Use the "Invite" button to invite users using their email address.
tag(s): classroom management (122)
In the Classroom
Create your course and offer it to your students for greater interaction and learning through community building. Find great ideas from other existing courses. Teachers of gifted can use courses to challenge students in their areas of interest. You can also have gifted students create or collaborate on a student-made "course." Explore the topics yourself for some new, engaging topics to round out your own expertise. Allow students to enroll in a course that would fit into their career goals as an exploratory opportunity in that field.You must be registered and logged in to add items to your favorites.
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GraphFree - Donovan Harshbarger
Grades
8 to 12
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GraphFree is an online graphing tool built by a high school math teacher to meet the needs he didn't find in other online tools. Choose the User's Guide to get ...more
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GraphFree is an online graphing tool built by a high school math teacher to meet the needs he didn't find in other online tools. Choose the User's Guide to get started. The Quick Start feature provides basic information on using the graphing features. Short videos explain other options for drawing and labeling graphs. When finished, follow instructions for saving graphs to your computer or into popular office software programs.
This site includes advertising.
This site includes advertising.
tag(s): calculators (37), charts and graphs (169), data (147)
In the Classroom
Use GraphFree in place of expensive graphing calculators that many students may not have. Be sure to provide the link on your teacher page or blog for easy access. This is a wonderful tool for use in the 1:1 classrooms.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Random.org - Dr. Mads Haahr
Grades
K to 12
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Do you need to choose items in a truly random way? If so, this site is for you! Random.org offers many different categories for receiving randomized information. Choose from the ...more
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Do you need to choose items in a truly random way? If so, this site is for you! Random.org offers many different categories for receiving randomized information. Choose from the links for random lists, coin flippers, dates, passwords, dice rolls, and much more. Follow directions on each page to set the form and receive results. There is also an app for both Android and iOs devices.
tag(s): DAT device agnostic tool (148), gamification (78), probability (98), resources (88)
In the Classroom
Use Random.org to generate any kind of list you need such as groups for field trips, random dates for history research, and random places on a map. Use the name generator to select a student to do an activity or to answer a question. Allow students to use the name generator to choose the classmate who comes next. Use the generator tools as part of your probability unit to chart how often names or coins appear with random selections.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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A Journey to a New Land - Simon Fraser University Museum of Archaeology and Ethnology
Grades
1 to 12
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Venture over 12,000 years into the past to look at the first people to live in the Canadian regions of North America. This site from a B.C. museum offers different ...more
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Venture over 12,000 years into the past to look at the first people to live in the Canadian regions of North America. This site from a B.C. museum offers different levels of information, videos, and interactive media about the first peoples and their migration across the land bridge from Europe. The site is available in both English and French language. Instructor materials support use from primary to post-secondary levels. Watch native video greetings in several languages, learn about settlements, the geography and change of the actual water and land masses, the archaeology and dating of artifacts, and much more. The Site Map offers a good way to see the scope of the offerings.
tag(s): archeology (25), native americans (92)
In the Classroom
Include this resource as you teach about Native Americans. These peoples did not divide themselves as "Canadian" or "American," so much of the information here is applicable in a U.S. classroom as well! Differentiate for high or low students easily using the different levels of the site. The primary level requires far less reading so offers a good introduction for weaker readers or ESL/ELL students. Have students write a script and create a video or simply compose a blog post about daily life as one of the people migrating into North America (but be sure to talk about the fact that they probably did not actually know how to write). Extend learning by using a visual blogging tool such as Telegra.ph, reviewed here, for students to share their learning and understanding. With Telegra.ph you just click on an icon to upload images from your computer, add a YouTube or Vimeo, or Twitter links. This blog creator requires no registration.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Science Trek - Idaho Public Television
Grades
K to 6
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Science Trek is an integrated web and broadcast T.V. project introducing science topics to elementary students. In addition to the broadcasts, Science Trek provides accompanying material...more
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Science Trek is an integrated web and broadcast T.V. project introducing science topics to elementary students. In addition to the broadcasts, Science Trek provides accompanying material for teacher and parent use. Each month of the school year a new broadcast answers students' science questions and provides additional resources. Currently, there are more than 90 topics available. Choose from any topic to view the web broadcast and explore resources such as games, facts, and glossaries. Some games lead to outside resources such as PBS and NASA.
This site includes advertising.
This site includes advertising.
tag(s): animal homes (56), animals (284), archeology (25), body systems (41), brain (56), earthquakes (45), ecology (98), endangered species (27), food chains (17), forces (37), fossils (40), gravity (42), habitats (86), heart (27), human body (94), mass (19), moon (72), planets (112), plants (147), rocks (35), simple machines (17), soil (16), sound (73), STEM (269), volcanoes (56), water (101), weather (161)
In the Classroom
Take advantage of the free resources on the site to supplement your current teaching materials in many science topics. Create a link on classroom computers for students to view videos and share a link on your class website for students to view at home. 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. Don't forget to find the standards link within each resource to align to Common Core Standards.
This resource requires PDF reader software like Adobe Acrobat.
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The Rainforest Concern - Rainforestconcern.org
Grades
K to 12
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Transport yourself to the rainforest, the richest and most important environment on the planet! Use the links to find out why the rainforest is important. Become acquainted with the...more
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Transport yourself to the rainforest, the richest and most important environment on the planet! Use the links to find out why the rainforest is important. Become acquainted with the plants and animals that call the rainforest their home. Learn ways that everyone can help the rainforest in the For Children section. In addition, find out how much rainforest is being depleted. Solve the Rainforest Riddle and take a Quiz about the rainforest.
tag(s): animals (284), ecology (98), ecosystems (72), environment (237), medicine (56), natural resources (38), plants (147), rainforests (18), resources (88)
In the Classroom
The Rainforest Concern will make a colorful overview introduction to the rainforest. Learn about its features as a class using an interactive whiteboard or projector. As you read about the various animals or plants, discuss what the animals would sound like or what the plants would hear around them. You could use Listen to nature sounds, fall in Love with the Earth, reviewed here. Create a travel brochure about the rainforest with the information that you find on this site. Expand your research to find more information than found on this site. For example, assign a project to find other rainforest plants with the potential for medicinal use. Find other items from the rainforest that are useful to others (and whose harvest does not destroy the rainforest). Create a pledge campaign, informing others and joining in to reduce the purchase of items that destroy the rainforest. Become a plant or animal from the rainforest and write a short story from that organism's point of view including the interaction with other organisms it would encounter. Use one of the many Digital Storytelling tools, reviewed here. Publish the class stories as "Stories from the Rainforest."Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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American Rivers: Rivers Connect Us - American Rivers
Grades
6 to 12
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Discover the uses and challenges for rivers throughout the United States! This organization has a record of protecting and restoring rivers. Find your region of the US under My Regions....more
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Discover the uses and challenges for rivers throughout the United States! This organization has a record of protecting and restoring rivers. Find your region of the US under My Regions. Find Regional Projects and News about environmental issues. Click on What We Do to read about initiatives the group works on in the various areas. Find a current Most Endangered Rivers list. Also, see the slide shows for Featured Rivers. There is an engaging three-minute video about why one child loves the Northwest's Rivers. It is hosted on YouTube. If your district blocks YouTube, the video may not be viewable.
This site includes advertising.
This site includes advertising.
tag(s): pollution (51), rivers (14), water (101), watersheds (8)
In the Classroom
Waterways are an important resource for wildlife, the economy, and recreation. Find great information about their usefulness on this site when discussing waterways with your class. Compare the various regions in terms of waterway use, conservation issues, and wildlife. Use a tool like Calemeo, reviewed here, and this site to create a recreation pamphlet outlining the highlights of different waterways. Bring a local water expert into the class to talk about water resources. Find inspiration for helping a local waterway. This would be a great activity for an ambitious class, environmental club, gifted students, or those looking for community service. Join in the undertakings of this site or find a local group to take action.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Photos for Class - Clever Prototypes, LLC
Grades
K to 12
5 Favorites
0 Comments
Here is an excellent site for finding images for non-commercial use that will have the proper citation downloaded with it. Find a photo you want to use. Click the download ...more
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Here is an excellent site for finding images for non-commercial use that will have the proper citation downloaded with it. Find a photo you want to use. Click the download link under the picture. The downloaded image will have the appropriate attribution information with it. Note: right clicking on the photo will not produce the attribution information. Our editors found all photos to be "class appropriate." However, it is always best to use caution with image searching. Provide students with clear guidelines and expectations.
tag(s): images (261), photography (118), search engines (49)
In the Classroom
Have students use this site for Creative Common images for any report, newsletter, or project. The images from this site are all supposed to be G-Rated for classroom use. The search engine uses Flickr safe search, and other built-in filtering so all images produced should be appropriate for school use. Have students create an annotated image or build a story including text boxes and related links using images found on this tool and a tool such as Thinglink, reviewed here. Be sure to keep a link to this site on your wiki, blog, or web page for students to use whenever they are working on a project.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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US States & Cities With the Best Summer Weather on Cool Maps - Honolulu HI5
Grades
5 to 12
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Explore two interactive maps to find the number of "ideal" summer days per month (70F -90F degrees) or Temperature & Rain averages in over a thousand cities in the United ...more
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Explore two interactive maps to find the number of "ideal" summer days per month (70F -90F degrees) or Temperature & Rain averages in over a thousand cities in the United States. Click on any state and choose a city to view graphs displaying monthly averages of summer days for each place. Select the Temperature & Rain Averages map to see a graph of any city displaying average high and low temperatures, as well as inches of rain per month. Remember, if the temperature is above 90F, the amount of "ideal" summer days may be less in that state. Comments from this site can be shared on Facebook.
tag(s): seasons (37), temperature (35), weather (161)
In the Classroom
Include these maps for use with any weather unit to find data for your location and compare to others across the country. Ask students to use data from the maps when researching states for reports. Have students explore on their own and choose the places they would and would not like to live. Use the information in a persuasive writing project. Use the provided embed code to put information directly on your class website or blog for students to access at home. Use an online tool such as Interactive Two Circle Venn Diagram, reviewed here, to compare and contrast two different locations.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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