TeachersFirst - Featured Sites: Week of Jan 10, 2021
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 go to the Featured Sites Archive
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American Experience - PBS
Grades
8 to 12
4 Favorites
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American Experience is a PBS documentary program featuring stories about important and interesting experiences in American history. This site provides films, videos, and feature articles...more
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American Experience is a PBS documentary program featuring stories about important and interesting experiences in American history. This site provides films, videos, and feature articles to support and provide additional information to the series' documentary presentations. Browse through the homepage to find images that include a link to the supporting information, including a link to the original documentary. Most of the original programming is not online; however, there is typically the option to view the trailer for the program along with a transcript of the full story.
tag(s): 1800s (57), 1900s (48), civil rights (141), great depression (28), heroes (22), medicine (60), presidents (127), weather (198), womens suffrage (30)
In the Classroom
The films, videos, and articles provided on this site offer many opportunities to include primary sources within any American or world history unit. Bookmark this site to share first-hand information on world events with your students. Enhance learning by asking students to create video timelines using Timelinely, reviewed here, that includes maps, videos, and links to relevant information as a way to understand the complete picture of world events. For students who enjoy drama or journalism, ask them to produce podcasts using Buzzsprout, reviewed here. Use podcasts for students to role-play events throughout history as told from a variety of perspectives.
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Virtual Field Trip Resources - TeachersFirst
Grades
K to 12
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This collection of reviewed resources includes our best virtual field trips. Peruse the list of websites and many suggestions for ways to use them in teaching almost any subject or...more
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This collection of reviewed resources includes our best virtual field trips. Peruse the list of websites and many suggestions for ways to use them in teaching almost any subject or grade. Be sure to read the "In the Classroom" suggestions for examples of ways to use virtual field trips as part of a lesson or unit.
tag(s): virtual field trips (72)
In the Classroom
This collection includes virtual field trips for all grades. Each review includes several classroom use ideas. Get out your projector (or interactive whiteboard) and take your students on an adventure. Have students go on a "field trip" with a partner or independently on laptops or other devices. Explore the activities suggested.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Constitutional Rights - Constitution Center
Grades
7 to 12
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Explore the rights the United States shares with other countries around the world with this interactive from the Constitution Center. Begin by selecting a constitutional right from...more
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Explore the rights the United States shares with other countries around the world with this interactive from the Constitution Center. Begin by selecting a constitutional right from the list next to the globe to highlight the countries that also include that right for their citizens. Select any highlighted country to compare their version with the U.S. In addition to sharing the text from each country, this interactive includes the percentage of text with content that matches between the two chosen countries.
tag(s): bill of rights (25), constitution (92), countries (83), cross cultural understanding (148)
In the Classroom
Include this interactive with any lessons on constitutional rights or when studying different nations. Create a Padlet, reviewed here, for your class to add and comment on constitutional rights around the world. Create columns on your Padlet by country or specific rights, then enhance learning by asking students to share information and articles detailing information on that right. Use an online news site like World News, reviewed here, for students to find news from around the world and search by regions. Extend learning by challenging computer-savvy students to create a game using Scratch, reviewed here, that takes players around the world to learn about rights and freedoms found in different nations. Ask other students to create podcasts discussing current events and freedoms from around the world. Buzzsprout, reviewed here, is an excellent podcast creation tool and includes features for adding links and lists to shows, and allows users to schedule podcast releases for specific dates and times.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Virtual Field Trip to Ellis Island - Scholastic
Grades
3 to 8
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This 30-minute video guides viewers through the history of Ellis Island and the process faced by immigrants reaching the island. The narrator shows different areas of the buildings...more
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This 30-minute video guides viewers through the history of Ellis Island and the process faced by immigrants reaching the island. The narrator shows different areas of the buildings on Ellis Island and interviews park rangers sharing stories of their families along with personal stories of immigrants. Choose from the links at the top for the Teacher's Activity Guides for additional Scholastic resources for teaching about immigration and Ellis Island.
tag(s): ellis island (10), immigrants (29), immigration (70)
In the Classroom
Include this video with your other resources for students using a bookmarking tool like Symbaloo EDU, reviewed here. Symbaloo includes icons to make organizing and sharing information easy for any topic. Enhance learning by asking students to interview family members to learn about immigrants in their family tree or research famous immigrants. Have them create a webpage using Hashify, reviewed here, to share information about their family member including country they came from, reasons for leaving, their immigration experience, and their life in America. In addition to telling stories about immigrants, create a timeline using Timeline Maker, reviewed here.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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National Geographic Education - National Geographic
Grades
K to 12
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Explore the many resources shared by National Geographic at their home base created for educators. Monthly features highlight and share information related to current events. Select...more
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Explore the many resources shared by National Geographic at their home base created for educators. Monthly features highlight and share information related to current events. Select the "Teaching Resources" link to find ideas, activities, lessons, and units all searchable by grade and topic. Also, this section includes educational games and teacher guides. Choose the "Reference" link to find news and media information from the past plus current events. Be sure also to visit the "Mapping" section to find printable maps, mapmaking kits, and interactive maps.
tag(s): animal homes (68), biodiversity (34), climate (95), climate change (72), democracy (17), energy (198), habitats (113), map skills (71), native americans (85), oceans (166), planets (134), preK (277), space (233), stars (69), women (103)
In the Classroom
Bookmark and include the National Geographic site with your resources for planning social studies and science lessons. Share resources from the site on your interactive whiteboard then include a link on classroom computers for students to explore independently. There are many interesting articles and activities for students. Have them choose one; then, replace paper and pen by having them use an online notetaking tool like Webnote, reviewed here, to take notes or write questions as they research information online. Replace paper pen by asking students to write blogs sharing information learned using a site like Edublog, reviewed here. Edublog offers tools for creating class and individual blogs.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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National Geographic Kids - National Geographic
Grades
K to 7
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National Geographic offers this kid-centric site as a companion to National Geographic Kids magazines and Little Kids magazines. The focus is on information about animals, geography,...more
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National Geographic offers this kid-centric site as a companion to National Geographic Kids magazines and Little Kids magazines. The focus is on information about animals, geography, and the natural world presented in a fun and engaging format. Use this busy interactive site for free, register to gain access to more content. Buttons on the home page lead to short videos, images, stories, polls, news bites, games, and activities. The site includes heavy advertising for the magazine subscriptions. A search box at the top right allows for exploration of the extensive content. Students may submit photos or comments to the "My Shot" picture gallery all of which are selected to be posted by site administrators.
This site includes advertising.
This site includes advertising.
tag(s): animals (319), countries (83), endangered species (39), environment (289), plants (169), reading comprehension (121)
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. ESL/ELL 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 moovly, 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 video 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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History for Kids - history-for-kids.com
Grades
K to 6
13 Favorites
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Join lyrical rhyming adventures of history in poetry! Find poems summarizing famous people or periods from history. Explore the topics in the left sidebar: Ancient History, Middle Ages,...more
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Join lyrical rhyming adventures of history in poetry! Find poems summarizing famous people or periods from history. Explore the topics in the left sidebar: Ancient History, Middle Ages, British History, American History, Myths & Legends, and Pirates. The American History poems include: The California Gold Rush, The Statue of Liberty, The Moon Landing, The Voyage of the Mayflower, The Boston Tea Party, and a few others. Each poem includes additional facts about the event or people, along with drawings submitted by students. You will also find coloring pages, interviews, jokes, and more. Be aware: this site does include a lot of advertisements. At the time of this review, all advertisements were completely "kid-appropriate." However, it may be wise to advise students not to click on any of the links/pictures.
This site includes advertising.
This site includes advertising.
tag(s): boston (13), california (25), dinosaurs (48), england (56), gold rush (19), greece (29), myths and legends (25), olympics (47), romans (37), vikings (11)
In the Classroom
Make history (and mythology) come alive in your classroom with a little rhythm and rhyme! Use the poems to supplement your instruction while even adding tambourines, clapping, tapping, or toe tapping reaching all learners. Share the actual poem on your projector or interactive whiteboard. If you want students to have a hard copy of the poem (to use as a study guide), print it out. Otherwise, save paper and share the link on your class website. If you can't find the history or mythology topic you are studying, it is time for your students to make their own rhymes. Enhance learning by having students use the formate for one of the History for Kids poems and create their own poems with photos and images using UtellStory, reviewed here. This tool allows narrating and adding text to a picture. To find Creative Commons images for student poems (with credit, of course), try PhotoPin, reviewed here. Have a poetry day featuring what you have studied in history. Be sure to add your students' projects to your class website or blog. Gifted students will enjoy the challenge while struggling learners will enjoy the reinforcement of the main ideas.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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AirPano - AirPano.com
Grades
3 to 12
6 Favorites
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AirPano is a stunning collection of aerial panoramic 360-degree images of famous locations around the world. They incorporate Google map technology. Peer down at the hustle and bustle...more
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AirPano is a stunning collection of aerial panoramic 360-degree images of famous locations around the world. They incorporate Google map technology. Peer down at the hustle and bustle of Hong Kong harbor or the tranquil scenery of Fiordland in New Zealand. At the time of this review, there were well over 100 AMAZING images to view. Rotate any 3D image and zoom in to see the details in finer clarity. Click on links within images to view nearby sites of interest. Read articles included with panoramas for an overview of locations. Embed a rotating image on to your site using the link found at the top left corner of each panoramic photo. Zoom in and out of photos, read articles about each location, turn sound on and off using links included with images. Based on the device used for viewing, choose from high or low resolution and iPhone or iPad links to view panoramas. Panoramas open in a new tab/window.
tag(s): asia (72), australia (35), canada (28), china (62), england (56), europe (73), france (34), germany (31), images (270), india (30), italy (15), maps (286), new york (29), north america (16), pyramids (28), russia (35), south africa (11), south america (40)
In the Classroom
Bookmark and save this site for use when discussing well-known places around the world. View 3D panoramic images on your interactive whiteboard or projector. Take your students to Moscow, Paris, Vietnam, the Grand Canyon, on a hot air balloon, or many other options. This tool could be useful in science, social studies, and current event classes. Share these panoramas with world language and world cultures classes and when literature settings include some of these famous sites. Have students give a class tour, explaining as they navigate on an interactive whiteboard or projector. Use the embed function to embed panoramas on your website or blog for student use at home. Share this site with students to use for research projects.
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Arizona Kid's Page - State of Arizona
Grades
3 to 8
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Learn more about the state of Arizona with this site offering facts and information just for kids. Choose the Natural Wonders link to learn about the many natural wonders and ...more
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Learn more about the state of Arizona with this site offering facts and information just for kids. Choose the Natural Wonders link to learn about the many natural wonders and national parks within the state such as the Grand Canyon, the town of Tombstone, and the Apache Trail. Get a brief geographical background on the formation of the state by choosing the Arizona History link tracing the known time range of man living in the state back 20,000 years. Learn about state facts, emblems, motto, and much more in the facts section (did you know Arizona has official state neckwear?). Be sure to check out the state photos section for realistic images of many portions of the state and of it's natural wonders.
tag(s): national parks (22), native americans (85), natural resources (55), westward expansion (34)
In the Classroom
Share this site with students when working on state research projects. Display photos included on the site with your interactive whiteboard or projector when discussing Arizona, the Grand Canyon, or other areas of the state. Copy and use the coloring pages with the state seal, flag, and other images when learning about the state of Arizona. Rather than having students create a traditional research project, enhance learning by having students create a multimedia presentation using Thinglink, reviewed here. This site allows you to narrate a picture.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Prohibition and Temperance - OSU Department of History
Grades
9 to 12
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From the Ohio State University history department, this site includes resources related to the prohibition and temperance movement in the US. There is a good, straightforward summary...more
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From the Ohio State University history department, this site includes resources related to the prohibition and temperance movement in the US. There is a good, straightforward summary of prohibition including hyperlinks, information about the Women's crusade against alcohol and the Women's Christian Temperance Union, and contemporary opinion pieces about prohibition. Of particular use is a series of political cartoons from the period which illustrate contemporary political viewpoints. There is a brief audio clip of prohibition era music (ragtime).
tag(s): 1920s (5), 1930s (18), drugs and alcohol (29)
In the Classroom
This site is best used as a supplementary set of resources for further exploration. Teachers might use some of the contemporary illustrations or narratives to expand understanding, or students working on an independent project might find the resources helpful. You could use TrackStar, reviewed here, to design a brief web scavenger hunt within the site to engage students and introduce the topic in a new way.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Photography from National Geographic - National Geographic
Grades
2 to 12
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Photography can be both an art form and a form of scientific inquiry. Photos of People and Cultures can promote human understanding better than any written words. This site from ...more
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Photography can be both an art form and a form of scientific inquiry. Photos of People and Cultures can promote human understanding better than any written words. This site from National Geographic can serve both ends if used properly. Art teachers "focus" on tips and techniques and photography advice areas, while science/social studies teachers will easily locate a wide range of plant, animal, culture, and geography images. As always, the photos themselves are exquisite. You will need to sign up for the free newsletter (with email) to view the photos.
tag(s): animals (319), photography (142)
In the Classroom
Share a photo of the day as an activator at the start of a lesson on your projector or interactive whiteboard (IWB). Allow a student of the day to select his/her photo of the day as a class inspiration. Share a photo as a visual writing prompt. Use tools on your IWB to discover and reveal design elements in the photos in art class. Use selected collections on laptops with student partners (galleries) to provide a visual experience of a location or culture you are studying, engage students and enhance learning by asking students to use Padlet, reviewed here, to record their observervations for visual evidence of some of the major concepts you have discussed in class.
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Smithsonian Jazz - Smithonian Institution
Grades
6 to 12
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Designed to both inspire and teach, the Smithsonian's Jazz site offers several online instructional modules that do a nice job of introducing the history and structural elements of...more
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Designed to both inspire and teach, the Smithsonian's Jazz site offers several online instructional modules that do a nice job of introducing the history and structural elements of jazz. Students can learn about particular composers and performers, and how their work built on the experiences of other jazz musicians. You'll want a fast connection and the Flash player to use this one effectively.
tag(s): africa (155), african american (104), jazz (15)
In the Classroom
Use the audio on this site to supplement a lecture or class discussion about the Harlem Renaissance and the Jazz era. Use the menu on the left to allow students to explore and area of interest and then report out to the class using Flipgrid, reviewed here, to share what they learned and comment on their peers' are contributions.
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Ellis Island Records - Ellis Island Foundation
Grades
6 to 12
1 Favorites
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Created by the Ellis Island Foundation with assistance from the genealogy experts in the Latter Day Saints Church, this site has become instantly popular. Its online database lets you...more
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Created by the Ellis Island Foundation with assistance from the genealogy experts in the Latter Day Saints Church, this site has become instantly popular. Its online database lets you search for immigrants who passed through Ellis Island between 1892 and 1924. Viewers will be interested in the sections on the history of American immigration, as well as the "American Histories" section, which shows how people have traced their own ancestry.
tag(s): ellis island (10), immigration (70), migration (61), new york (29), states (155)
In the Classroom
This would be a great site for your flipped or blended classroom. Engage students by having them do a little research on their family, or some one a parent knows whose family immigrated through Ellis Island. Enhance learning by challenging students to create blogs sharing what their learning and understanding using Telegra.ph, reviewed here. 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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