TeachersFirst - Featured Sites: Week of Aug 9, 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
Grasswire - Grasswire
Grades
8 to 12
3 Favorites
0 Comments
You are the reporter on Grasswire, a collaborative Internet newsroom! Scroll through to read the most current, most popular stories, or view recent submissions on the right-hand side...more
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You are the reporter on Grasswire, a collaborative Internet newsroom! Scroll through to read the most current, most popular stories, or view recent submissions on the right-hand side of the screen. Create an account and sign in to submit your own stories, comment on articles, or up-vote newsworthy items. Since these are user-submitted, take caution in allowing students to explore on their own. Some grammatical errors were noted in a few of the articles. Challenge your students to be the editors and see if they can find any errors.
tag(s): journalism (72), news (228), newspapers (92)
In the Classroom
Share Grasswire on your interactive whiteboard or projector as part of any current events discussion. Since the readers submit the articles on Grasswire, have students browse articles to find information that may be untrue, misleading, or opinion instead of facts. Use articles as examples, and then have students write their own current events submissions. ELA teachers may want to have students correct articles with grammatical errors as a lesson in proof-reading. Have students make a multimedia presentation for the topic of the article they will submit using Zeemaps, reviewed here, where they can include text, audio and images on an interactive map.You must be registered and logged in to add items to your favorites.
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Problems of the Month - Inside Mathematics
Grades
K to 12
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The Problems of the Month offer problems (divided into 5 difficulty levels) to be used school-wide as part of a problem-solving theme. View videos to learn more about the program ...more
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The Problems of the Month offer problems (divided into 5 difficulty levels) to be used school-wide as part of a problem-solving theme. View videos to learn more about the program and get started in your school. Expand the Getting Started link to find scoring guidelines, sample letters for teachers and parents, and more. Video examples demonstrate the use of different levels within each of the problems. Click on the "download problems of the month" link on the left side of the page to access problems by grade level.
tag(s): critical thinking (118), problem solving (224)
In the Classroom
Use this site to supplement your Common Core math teaching materials and problem-solving lessons. Share the site with staff members and use as a professional development resource throughout the school year. Share with parents during your math night or as part of your meet the teacher information. Although the site states for school-wide use, individual teachers can use problems in any classroom.
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The Best and Worst Places to Grow Up: How Your Area Compares - New York Times
Grades
10 to 12
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Take a look at county by county income mobility in the U.S. using this interactive map. Click a county to read about the differences in income for children who grow ...more
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Take a look at county by county income mobility in the U.S. using this interactive map. Click a county to read about the differences in income for children who grow up in that county when they reach age 26, as compared with the national average. Note that the site is "smart" and senses where you are located to tell you about your area. You can also enter in any county in the U.S. in the search box or drag the map to other locations. The accompanying text explains the results in more detail, including differing mobility for boys and girls. The map may surprise you and cause you to wonder why. Read the full explanation or click the link to the related article. Note the importance of education in income results, but that is not the only factor.
This site includes advertising.
This site includes advertising.
tag(s): demographics (13)
In the Classroom
Share this interactive on students' devices for them to discuss in small groups. Share on a projector/interactive whiteboard for whole class discussion of the factors that might lead to these results. Why do poor children have greater income mobility than richer children in some areas? What about gender? What might be misleading about these statistics? Take a broad look at the country to talk about what cultural factors may be different in different areas. For a good exercise in digital citizenship and critical thinking, ask students to find out where the data came from and to write three questions that might dig into the "why" behind these stats. Ask them what else they would like to know after seeing this map -- and how it might influence their own decisions and future plans (if at all). In a government/civics class, the discussion naturally will move to how this information might influence elections and candidates' strategies in one county vs another. This same interactive is also important for teachers as professionals. Know your community and what happens to the children you teach. You may want to share it with administrators for some staff conversations about the impact of your school.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Violin Online - RK Deverich
Grades
1 to 12
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Become the violin virtuoso you always wanted to be! Use Violin Online to begin your free instruction with violin basics. Learn how to hold the violin, basic fingering, bow technique,...more
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Become the violin virtuoso you always wanted to be! Use Violin Online to begin your free instruction with violin basics. Learn how to hold the violin, basic fingering, bow technique, violin tuning, and basic music theory. Join in the interactive violin class and practice what you know. Find ten different pieces of written violin sheet music to apply your new skills. Join the self-guided violin string class and discover violin through the ages: Medieval times, Baroque, Classical, and Romantic periods, moving into the twentieth century, and nontraditional collections. Follow each period with the free sheet music to accompany each piece. Use warm-up exercises to strengthen and improve with scales, technique practice, and etudes. Find links for cello, string bass and viola on this site.
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This site includes advertising.
tag(s): gifted (65), music theory (45), musical instruments (49), musical notation (33)
In the Classroom
Try something new and learn to play the violin. Offer as a way to challenge gifted students and highlight the multiple intelligence of music. Need to have sound for screencasts, digital storytelling, or videos without copyright problems? Have students learn to play the violin. After-school ensembles have a great variety of lessons and free music. Offer to parents as a way to enrich their student's learning. Investigate before you take a field trip to the orchestra, and help student's gain a better understanding and appreciation. Music class comes alive with violins and music theory! Use as a way to add to Odyssey of the Mind or Destination Imagination tournaments.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Make Your Own Bingo Cards - Christopher Herdt
Grades
K to 8
5 Favorites
0 Comments
Create Bingo cards in no time with Make Your Own Bingo Cards. In the boxes provided, enter any word list and choices for free space, card size, and number of ...more
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Create Bingo cards in no time with Make Your Own Bingo Cards. In the boxes provided, enter any word list and choices for free space, card size, and number of cards to make. When finished, choose the "Generate Bingo Cards" to print.
tag(s): game based learning (182), printables (37), worksheets (70)
In the Classroom
Use Make Your Own Bingo Cards to create Bingo games to review any topic with small groups. Instead of saying the word that is on the Bingo card, give the definition (so students must find the term) or a math problem whose answer is among those on the card. Create sight word bingo cards for younger students and ESL/ELL students. Bingo is an excellent review tool for science or social studies. Put a short description of a vocabulary word into the space. Tell students the name of the vocabulary word and see if they can find it on the Bingo card. Alternatively, do the reverse and write the vocabulary word on the card and read the definition to the class. Encourage students to create bingo games for each other as a review or to engage the audience during oral presentations. Learning support teachers can create them together with students as an engaging way to review. World language teachers (and students) can create bingo cards to reinforce vocabulary.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Capitalize My Title - Robert Kania
Grades
3 to 12
1 Favorites
0 Comments
Avoid capitalization confusion! This simple tool does it for you using The Chicago Manual of Style rules. Enter your title to view it correctly in several different formats. Choose...more
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Avoid capitalization confusion! This simple tool does it for you using The Chicago Manual of Style rules. Enter your title to view it correctly in several different formats. Choose from title, upper or lower case, start case, or sentence case. Click "Copy" to copy and paste into your document. This is a very simple tool to use. There are many advertisements on the site. Ignore the ads, and use this great freebie!
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This site includes advertising.
tag(s): capitalization (9)
In the Classroom
Share a link to Capitalize My Title on your class web page for student use at home. Use this tool on your interactive whiteboard or projector with students to display correct format for titles for papers, proper capitalization in sentences, blogs, and more. Have students write titles then check for correctness using this tool. Use this tool to polish your professional writing, parent newsletters, blog posts, and papers for grad classes!Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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80 Years of Canadian Geographic Maps - The Royal Canadian Geographical Society
Grades
6 to 12
2 Favorites
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Explore nearly 50 maps created over the past 80 years of publication of Canadian Geographic Maps. Browse through themes such as Exploration, Conflict and Borders, People, Wildlife,...more
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Explore nearly 50 maps created over the past 80 years of publication of Canadian Geographic Maps. Browse through themes such as Exploration, Conflict and Borders, People, Wildlife, and more. Choose Cartography 101 to find explanations of mapping techniques and technologies, and learn more about map making. Be sure to explore the Learning section to find several interesting lesson plans based on topics such as natural disasters and wildlife in an urban world. The lessons can be downloaded in Word or PDF formats.
tag(s): animal homes (57), canada (23), disasters (37), explorers (66), maps (207)
In the Classroom
Even if you do not teach in Canada be sure to explore this site for lesson plans and map making information applicable to any country. Adjust lesson plans to your particular area of study. Challenge advanced students to create a presentation using Swipe, reviewed here, demonstrating similar themes. Use an online tool such a Canva, reviewed here, to create diagrams, mindmaps, and other visual graphic organizers comparing and contrasting information found on different maps.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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The eLearning Coach - Connie Malamed
Grades
5 to 12
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Get ready to sharpen your information and visual presentations! Discover resources to make your presentations pop at The eLearning Coach. Find downloadable storyboard templates, editing...more
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Get ready to sharpen your information and visual presentations! Discover resources to make your presentations pop at The eLearning Coach. Find downloadable storyboard templates, editing tools, and examples of online learning. Included are various podcasts to support instructional design. Articles also support audio, authoring tools, graphics, video, mobile learning, and more. The site also provides support and advice. They offer many free templates, ready to go! This site contains some products for purchase. This review is for the free part of this tool.
This site includes advertising.
This site includes advertising.
tag(s): digital storytelling (152), multimedia (46)
In the Classroom
Bring students to the next level of technology literacy. Bring the eLearning coach into your classroom to present different ideas and lessons. Begin with an article and allow exploration time. Offer as a resource when using multimedia. Use as a resource for yourself to make your presentations more professional and stand out! Be sure to share this tool with other teachers.
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NetSafe Utah - UEN-TV and partners
Grades
K to 12
5 Favorites
0 Comments
NetSafe Utah provides a variety of online Internet safety resources for students, parents, and educators. Begin by choosing a category to find resources. Student information is available...more
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NetSafe Utah provides a variety of online Internet safety resources for students, parents, and educators. Begin by choosing a category to find resources. Student information is available for younger kids or teens. All sections include videos, stay safe information, and links to Get Help (such as the Utah Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force). The teen section also includes an interactive, and the link will take you outside the site to Google's Interland. The NetSmart Games goes is not working.
tag(s): cyberbullying (40), digital citizenship (89), internet safety (112)
In the Classroom
Take advantage of the many resources on this site when teaching Internet safety lessons. Download materials from the Trainers Toolkit for use with lessons. Create a link to videos on classroom computers or share a link on your class web page for students to view at home. Ask students to visit the site and create online posters, individually or together as a class, about the information they learn there. Enhance learning by having students use a tool such as Web Poster Wizard, reviewed here, or PicLits, reviewed here.
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FreeTechBooks - FreeTechBooks
Grades
6 to 12
2 Favorites
0 Comments
Expand your technology library for free at Free Tech Books! Find a variety of ebooks with topics such as computer science, math, operating systems, programming, scripting, web design,...more
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Expand your technology library for free at Free Tech Books! Find a variety of ebooks with topics such as computer science, math, operating systems, programming, scripting, web design, electrical circuits, and engineering. Join the RSS feed to keep up with the latest new additions. Although this site is plain vanilla in appearance, it is full of "sprinkles" of information!
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This site includes advertising.
tag(s): book lists (164), STEM (284)
In the Classroom
In a middle or high school program dig deeply into math, science, or engineering. Find materials to supplement in-depth studies. Challenge gifted or advanced students. Use this as a way to check the validity of your source, whether it is a textbook or another Internet resource. Challenge students to write their own ebooks on their topic of interest in groups collaboratively or individually. Have students use a tool such as Ourboox, reviewed here. Ourboox creates beautiful page-flipping digital books in minutes, and you can embed video, music, animation, games, maps and more.
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