TeachersFirst - Featured Sites: Week of Oct 8, 2017
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
Twig Science Reporter - Twig Education and Imperial College London
Grades
K to 8
tag(s): animals (259), endangered species (27), energy (136), environment (245), glaciers (18), human body (91), insects (60), oceans (137), weather (166)
In the Classroom
This site is a must-include for any elementary classroom (and perhaps middle school). Subscribe to receive emails with weekly updates. Include a link on classroom computers to use for both a science and non-fiction reading center. Have students create blogs using Telegra.ph here. Telegra.ph will create a "quick and easy" blog to be used one time only. A unique URL is provided, and with Telegra.ph you just click on an icon to upload images from your computer. Add a YouTube or Vimeo link. It's as easy as using a basic Word program!You must be registered and logged in to add items to your favorites.
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Earth - NASA
Grades
3 to 6tag(s): air (27), carbon (16), climate (95), climate change (110), energy (136), glaciers (18), oceans (137), weather (166)
In the Classroom
Include Earth with any unit on oceans and climate change. Share the site on your whiteboard to feature specific games and articles for your students. Upon completion of your unit, enhance learning and modify classroom technology by having students create a simple infographic sharing information about climate change using Infogram, reviewed here. Extend learning by having students take pictures of your local environment, then create an annotated image sharing potential effects of climate change, including text boxes and related links, using a tool such as a tool such as Image Annotator, reviewed here, for younger students, or Google Drawings, reviewed here, for older students. Google Drawings allows you to annotate an image with links to videos, text, websites, and more.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Weather Lab - Smithsonian Science Education Center
Grades
5 to 12tag(s): air (27), oceans (137), temperature (33), weather (166)
In the Classroom
Use this interactive as an introduction to weather patterns and wind movements in North America. Provide time for each student or group of students to play with the different options and make observations about the resulting weather. Make this assignment an online lab activity, including an analysis portion about what temperature variations create similar weather outcomes. If they are able, have students research online or consult a textbook to identify reasons for the weather patterns. This activity can also be used after a class discussion to check for understanding of the concepts.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Life of a Can - Novelis
Grades
3 to 6tag(s): conservation (103), earth day (61), recycling (43)
In the Classroom
Take advantage of the free lesson plans shared on this site for use with Earth Day activities, or recycling and conservation units. Share a link to the interactive on classroom computers or your class website. Ask students to create a concept/mind map to organize the information they are learning. This could be done conventionally or digiatally. Consider using a digital concept mapping tool to replace the paper/pencil version of a concept map with MindMup, reviewed here. Next ask students to create a simple infographic sharing information on recycling using Visme, reviewed here, or create an interactive poster using Adobe Express for Education, reviewed here.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Science4Fun - Abdul Wahab Malik
Grades
K to 5This site includes advertising.
tag(s): animals (259), density (20), earth (188), electricity (60), energy (136), forces (45), friction (11), gravity (49), heat (13), magnetism (36), mass (21), motion (53), periodic table (46), planets (123), plants (136), preK (290), temperature (33)
In the Classroom
Bookmark Science4Fun as a resource for interesting, classroom-friendly science experiments. Share a link to experiments on your class web page for families to complete at home. Consider taking photos of the different stages of an experiment your students are doing in class. Use Google Slides, reviewed here, to display them on your webpage for students and families to view at any time.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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2 Minute Geology - Nick Zentner and Tom Foster
Grades
6 to 12tag(s): earthquakes (50), floods (11), geology (61), rocks (43), volcanoes (59)
In the Classroom
Flip your classroom and use a video as homework. Have students take notes on the material and write down questions they still have and topics that confuse them. Or, use a tool like EdPuzzle, reviewed here, for students to pause videos and ask or answer questions right on the video. These activities can uncover misconceptions. Show the video to the class, and then discuss the concept at length. Use these videos to introduce geology concepts, then have students choose an idea to research further. For more advanced classes, provide time for students to choose a video to view and research the underlying concept. Challenge students to make a multimedia presentation of their findings using Sway, reviewed here, or Vevox, reviewed here. Vevox offers interactive features such as real-time polls and comments to keep viewers interested and involved in the presentation.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Global Forest Change Explorer - Univ of MD, Google Earth Engine & Science in the Classroom
Grades
6 to 12tag(s): conservation (103), forests (30), maps (215)
In the Classroom
Encourage students to explore this tool with a focus on a specific area or country. Have them create a simple infographic sharing their findings using Visme, reviewed here. Have students create commercials with their ideas for saving the forests using a tool such as Powtoon, reviewed here.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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National Geographic Kids - National Geographic
Grades
K to 7This site includes advertising.
tag(s): animals (259), blended learning (27), countries (69), endangered species (27), environment (245), plants (136), reading comprehension (141)
In the Classroom
This site is perfect for interactive whiteboards or projectors. Display the site on your whiteboard to use as a learning center for students. Select videos for lesson introductions for flipped or blended learning activities. For language arts, practice finding the main idea or summarizing stories using these interesting informational texts. ENL/ESL learners can also find accessible news stories here. Choose words from stories to include with weekly spelling tests or as vocabulary builders. Assign different stories to groups of students to summarize and present to the class. Enhance learning by challenging cooperative learning groups to create videos about any article on the site. Upload images (use Creative Commons or other copyright-safe pictures) and use Adobe Express Video Maker, reviewed here, for this project. Then share the videos on a site such as TeacherTube, reviewed here. Use the site for learning games that will appeal more to younger students. Preview all videos since some feature animals hunting, which may upset some students.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Climate Change Resources - TeachersFirst
Grades
K to 12tag(s): climate change (110)
In the Classroom
Use these resources with your students to find ways you can all make a difference. Use this opportunity to teach about persuasive writing (letters to the editor or government officials), careers in science, current events, and more.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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CurriConnects Book List - Earth Science - TeachersFirst
Grades
K to 12tag(s): book lists (154), earth (188), reading lists (75)
In the Classroom
Build student literacy skills, reinforce what students are learning about Earth Science, and help students build the important reading strategy of connecting what they read to prior (classroom!) knowledge. Share this link on your class web page or wiki so students can select independent reading books to accompany your unit on Earth Science. Don't forget to share the list with the school and local libraries so they can bring in some of the books on interlibrary loan. CurriConnects are a great help for teachers who have lost school library/media specialists due to budget cuts.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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