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The Anne Frank House - The Anne Frank Stichting

Grades
5 to 12
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The Anne Frank House has been a museum since 1960. The history of the former hiding place where the Frank family and four other Jews lived in secrecy comes alive ...more
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The Anne Frank House has been a museum since 1960. The history of the former hiding place where the Frank family and four other Jews lived in secrecy comes alive on this website. Starting with 1940 photographs of the building known as Opekta factory, see and learn how the office space was transformed into the Secret Annex where Anne Frank hid for more than two years until the betrayal and arrest by the Nazis. Find out about the four employees who risked their lives to make the hiding possible. The rooms of the Secret Annex have been preserved in their authentic state and salvaged documents and objects belonging to the eight people in hiding are on display. Three short films are included on the website to place the significance of this personal story in a historical context. See Anne Frank's hiding place in 3D and meet the people that helped those hidden inside. After clicking on the secret bookcase, you will be taken behind the scenes of the house to see how Anne and others lived in the communal room, the front office, the attic and more. View the painstaking ways that were taken to keep them safe, and by looking at the space where Anne ate, slept, and hung her pictures.

tag(s): 1930s (40), 1940s (68), 20th century (169), anne frank (8), holocaust (42), remembrance day (4), women (175), world war 2 (166)

In the Classroom

Use your interactive whiteboard or projector to take your class on a virtual field trip to Amsterdam to visit the Secret Annex where they can realize what it was actually like for Anne Frank's family and four others to live inside a hidden space, with the constant fear of being discovered by the Nazis. Help the words in Anne's diary come alive by showing what the outside and inside of the building looked like, by viewing the painstaking ways that were taken to keep them safe, and by looking at the space where Anne ate, slept, and hung her pictures. Students will be more likely to relate to Anne as a real person, instead of a fictional character, and admire her optimism, courage, and resiliency. Use this to initiate journal entries for students to reflect on how they would handle two years of hiding and sharing a small space with others, as well as what they would do to remain positive, or use the online exhibit to shed some light on a dark period in history and to strengthen the personal account of the hiding period and the deportation to the camps. Assign class members to read about one of the house members or helpers to research, then have them write a diary (or blog entry) from that person's point of view. Assign teams to debate who was the most important member of the household or if this situation could take place in today's society. Not comfortable with wikis? Have no wiki worries - check out the TeachersFirst's Wiki Walk-Through.Have groups compare two people they learned about using a tool such as the Interactive Two Circle Venn Diagram (reviewed here). Create a class wiki for students to share their journal articles and respond to others.

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Historic Maps in K-12 Classrooms - The Newberry Library

Grades
K to 12
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This site has 18 maps with coordinated lesson plans that are designed to help the K-12 student improve their map reading skills. Using historical maps, students learn about history...more
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This site has 18 maps with coordinated lesson plans that are designed to help the K-12 student improve their map reading skills. Using historical maps, students learn about history and how geography has influenced that history. Sample themes include "Environmental History," "The Historical Geography of Transportation," "Political and Military History," and a few others. The themes each have lesson plans by grade level. Some parts of this site use Flash that is no longer supported, however, much of the information is still accessible and relevant for classroom use.

tag(s): critical thinking (146), maps (213), primary sources (120)

In the Classroom

In addition to using the provided lesson plans, use this site on an interactive whiteboard or with a projector. Use the whiteboard tools to highlight special features of the map. Print out the maps and have students label them with the provided vocabulary words. Use a drawing program like KidPix and have students create their own "historical" maps based on their own lives. Use the additional photos from the resource section and have students create an interactive online poster using Genial.ly, reviewed here about why their map is significant to history.
 This resource requires PDF reader software like Adobe Acrobat.

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Newspaper Blackout - Austin Kleon

Grades
4 to 12
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Newspaper Blackout is a clever way to unlock the secret poetry hidden within any printed page. This Tumblr site shares examples (unmoderated, so preview before sharing in a classroom!)....more
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Newspaper Blackout is a clever way to unlock the secret poetry hidden within any printed page. This Tumblr site shares examples (unmoderated, so preview before sharing in a classroom!). Poetry no longer needs to be a gray area; this activity makes it black and white! There are no gimmicks, no magic pens, and no camouflage paper, but this is certainly a tricky way to write a poem! All you need are newspapers and black markers. Hunt for and select a few words from each of the lines as you read a newspaper or magazine article. Remember to start with the title. Instead of the typical bottom-up approach to writing a poem by starting with a blank page and filling it with words, try this fresh, top-down approach by starting with a page already crowded with words. Then use permanent markers to blacken out all the trivial words in each line until the poem appears. (Put something under your page so the ink does not bleed through on furniture!) Click Share your poem to learn how to upload your work to the site.

tag(s): creative writing (123), poetry (189)

In the Classroom

This poetry activity (aka Found Poetry) opens the doors to so many learning objectives. In a social studies or history classroom, you could direct your students to search for newspaper or magazine articles on topics that you have been studying, or current events. Suddenly you have social studies poetry! In an English language arts lesson, you might instruct students to blacken out all the words that are not nouns or verbs or select other parts of speech. You could change the task to eliminate any word that is not part of the simple subject or predicate and simultaneously teach or reinforce main idea. For classrooms with individual computers, students could access articles online. Copy the text into a document. Then, instead of blackening out words with markers, they could get the same effect by highlighting over them with black or changing the font color of the text to white, and printing them or saving a screenshot image. Another option is for students to email their Newspaper Blackout poems to the teacher. Each poem could then be put into a Power Point slide show for the class to see on a projector or interactive whiteboard. Use this site to offer your students a new twist on Poetry Month (April). Enhance classroom technology use and take your new poetry collection to the world by uploading the PowerPoint to Voxer, and have each student record a reading in his/her own voice. Make poetry a participatory experience, no matter what the subject. If your school permits, have students take photos of their paper poems -- or screenshots of ones done on the computer --and share them on Voxer. You may want students to start saving their work in a digital portfolio. Suggestions are Mahara, for high school students, and Seesaw, for younger students.

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Cuban Missile Crisis - Avalon project

Grades
8 to 12
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Lists of primary sources, spanning the Cuban Missile Crisis. ...more
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Lists of primary sources, spanning the Cuban Missile Crisis.

tag(s): 1960s (54), cold war (38)

In the Classroom

Primary sources could be used to teach both the content and historical thinking skills in your classroom. Divide students into 5-6 groups, with each group assigned a different primary source to read and evaluate. (Sources should come from various perspectives to make the game more interesting, but should have the same general topic) Have the groups present quick summaries of their source to the class, making sure to mention who the author is and whether or not there could be bias. After all have presented, have each team pick a representative to argue in front of the class as to why their source is the most reliable and valid. After all have made their argument, have the class vote off the least reliable "survivor style" until you are left with just one!

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Rare Book Room - Octavo

Grades
9 to 12
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The treasury of literary works found on this site provides electronic access many great books of the world. At first glance, it appears to only have advanced level books, ...more
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The treasury of literary works found on this site provides electronic access many great books of the world. At first glance, it appears to only have advanced level books, such as the extensive collection of Shakespeare, Milton, and Johnson. However, look carefully and you will find Aesop's Fables in Verse and multiple versions of Lewis Carroll's Alice's Adventures in Wonderland. The works of renowned musicians such as Beethoven and Mozart, scientists such as Darwin and Galileo, and philosophers such as Benjamin Franklin and Isaac Newton are also stacked on the shelves in the Rare Book Room. There are about 400 books that have been digitized. They include vast array of topics and rarity and come from the greatest collections around the world. You may search by category, author, or the library where the original book or manuscript is housed.

tag(s): literature (207)

In the Classroom

Use a projector or interactive whiteboard so everyone can view the Rare Book Room at once. Small groups can write down their observations about the art and text, and then share out with the whole class. You can also have small groups of students investigate Rare Books from certain authors or time periods. Navigating and annotating the books on the interactive whiteboard and sharing their findings with the whole class. The interactive whiteboard is the ideal tool for annotating. Older students can also annotate them using an online tool such as Fine Tuna, reviewed here : reviewed here.

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Shmoop - Civics - Shmoop University Inc

Grades
9 to 12
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If your students think civics is boring then they will love Shmoop - Civics. This website is an interactive study guide that will help you and your students deeply ...more
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If your students think civics is boring then they will love Shmoop - Civics. This website is an interactive study guide that will help you and your students deeply explore the topic of Civics. The site has hot topics, study guides, timelines, quotes and links to additional information. All of these make learning more interactive for the students. Material is available in PDF and eBook format. Links can also be shared through Facebook and X (formerly Twitter).

tag(s): branches of government (63), constitution (100), politics (120), presidents (150)

In the Classroom

Students will not be bored when you turn them on to this site. The links can be put on a classroom webpage or blog. Use the primary resources section under Best of the Web to help students make real world connections. Students can use the photos provided on the site to create a PhotoStory or iMovie. The provided questions would be great to use for a classroom debate. To make learning more accessible, students can even download the guides to any handheld device that supports ebooks such as ipod touches or Kindles. Please note that some videos are from You Tube so they may be blocked by your school's filter.
 This resource requires PDF reader software like Adobe Acrobat.

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US Census Resources - TeachersFirst

Grades
2 to 12
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This collection of reviewed resources from TeachersFirst is selected to help teachers and students learn about the United States census and to plan related projects and classroom activities...more
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This collection of reviewed resources from TeachersFirst is selected to help teachers and students learn about the United States census and to plan related projects and classroom activities for both math and social studies classes at all levels. The census gives us a new lens to view geography, economics, history, current events, pop culture, and-- of course-- math!

tag(s): census (13)

In the Classroom

Whether you spend one class or an entire unit on the census, the ideas included within the "In the Classroom" portion of reviews will launch discussions and meaningful projects for student-centered learning. Consider other census connections, such as using a data or graphing resource to collect and manipulate data from a school mini-census, learning math skills at the same time.

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A Better Future - Let's Be Counted - Steven J. Logwood

Grades
2 to 12
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Wow! What a creative way to introduce a census unit, or to just make your students aware of the importance of the census. This is a four minute video, "Music-Based ...more
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Wow! What a creative way to introduce a census unit, or to just make your students aware of the importance of the census. This is a four minute video, "Music-Based Messaging Prototype encouraging young Hispanics and African Americans to participate in the census." It is a YouTube video with a catchy tune and photos of every ethnic group one can think of. The information in the song is also printed on the screen. The video is available in Spanish and English. As they say in their pitch: "It's fun, motivating, digital, downloadable, overcomes literacy issues, and is environmentally friendly." If YouTube is blocked in your school, the video may not be viewable.

tag(s): census (13), literacy (120)

In the Classroom

Share this video and song on your projector and screen, or whiteboard, as students come into the classroom. Use it as a lead-in to a discussion about the importance of the census. You can post some of the information from "Statistics - Census in Schools," reviewed here. From this same site you can go to "Fun Facts," that you can use in elementary, middle school, and high school classrooms. One last suggestion: Once you've completed your census unit, discussion, etc. You might want to have your class participate in the "100 People: A World Portrait" reviewed here. Don't forget about the possibility of using the census in math class to understand data and graphing, as well.

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Statistics - Census in Schools - U.S. Census Bureau

Grades
K to 12
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This census site is huge! It will help you teach your students what they count and why! This site is for grades K-12. "Statistics - Census in Schools" has so ...more
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This census site is huge! It will help you teach your students what they count and why! This site is for grades K-12. "Statistics - Census in Schools" has so many resources they can't all be given justice here. There are four tabs at the top for Activities, Resources, Standards, and About. scroll down the page to find Classroom Activities by subject; however the Activities tab includes grade levels and Home and Distance Learning. The Resources tab has Games, Maps, Fun Facts, Videos, Warm-up Activities, and more. There are a plethora of links to other sources on each page.

tag(s): census (13), statistics (113)

In the Classroom

The K-4 lessons are perfect to use the way they are, or you might want to do some comparing of information between the different grade levels within your school. Another idea is to pair up third and fourth graders with the kindergartners or first and second graders to read the story and work on the worksheets together. Of course, using your projector and interactive whiteboard with the whole class is a must for explanations of the lessons. This site is very colorful, so project what you can! You may want to introduce this unit with a catchy, educational song and video about the census. For teachers of older students there are "Lessons Using the 2000 Census Data," "Quick Facts," and much more. One last suggestion: Once you've completed your census unit, discussion, etc. You might want to have your class participate in the "100 People: A World Portrait" project.

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Prezi - Prezi

Grades
3 to 12
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Prezi is a visual, "zoomable" presentation tool. It is similar to PowerPoint and Keynote, but there is so much more to Prezi! You can graphically arrange a large amount of ...more
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Prezi is a visual, "zoomable" presentation tool. It is similar to PowerPoint and Keynote, but there is so much more to Prezi! You can graphically arrange a large amount of content, such as a big idea with its supporting information. It creates very dynamic presentations. See samples by clicking "log in" then "Explore" (instead of logging in). Choose a background, follow the instructions and prompts of the program, and before you know it, you will have your very own Prezi to share. If you like to see directions, watch the quick intro video. You can also view Prezis created by others and use them as templates for your own work. Check out the sample created by the TF Edge team "http://prezi.com/xmqcaib7z1uj/teachersfirst-edge-review/. This tool works in ANY device's web browser, from iPod to Android to laptop. Collaborate on a Prezi with other Prezi members in real time using the Share function. Have a "meeting" to work on the same Prezi in real time. There is a free "edu enjoy" level of membership (requires a school issued email and verification) that allows you to keep your Prezis private, out of public sharing. The regular "enjoy" membership is free for only one month, and its Prezis are public. After 30 days you will be asked if you want to upgrade or continue with the free Prezi, which has File storage limits for free accounts.

tag(s): graphic organizers (50), slides (38), visualizations (11)

In the Classroom

You could map your entire lesson, chapter or unit in one Prezi. Once you introduce the concept with this tool, you can go back to it often with your students as you move to different parts of the unit. It would provide a great way to connect prior knowledge with the next step if you share this on your interactive whiteboard or projector throughout the unit. Or you could post it to your web page or give kids the URL so they can review as often as they need it. Try having the students map a concept or chapter with this tool. In history class, create timelines of relevant events, or in science or math class have them map steps in a process. Have students create Prezis for different events, and then have them post the link to their product on a class blog or wiki. Add a peer review component and require students to comment on at least two other Prezis. The possibilities are endless!

If you have gifted students n your class, offer Prezi as one alternative for sharing extensions to the regular curriculum. If they already know the material, have them investigate a related process or example and share it in the form of a Prezi.

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Dare to Compare - Nation Center for Education Statistics

Grades
4 to 12
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Students will enjoy comparing their knowledge with students around the country and the world through the interactive quizzes on this site. Six subject categories are offered (math,...more
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Students will enjoy comparing their knowledge with students around the country and the world through the interactive quizzes on this site. Six subject categories are offered (math, civics, history, geography, science, and economics)at 3 different grade levels (4th, 8th, and 12th). You can also choose 5, 10, 15, or 20 questions. Upon completion of quizzes, scores are shown along with all correct answers. Questions are provided from Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS), Civic Education Study (CivEd) and National Assessment of Education Progress (NAEP) - all are institutes which are involved in assessing student achievement and performance. The questions are higher level, and many include diagrams and other visual aids.

tag(s): quiz (63), quizzes (85)

In the Classroom

Introduce this site on your interactive whiteboard or projector as a pre-assessment for a new unit or as a mind bending class challenge. Reinforce and review lessons previously learned with your students. This is a terrific site during the run-up to high stakes testing. Use the questions as classroom conversation starters after taking the quizzes. Print out questions from the quizzes and provide your students with the correct answers and see if they can match them up with the questions. List this link on your class website for students to practice at home. Challenge small groups of students to create their own set of 5 questions about a current unit of study and create a multimedia presentation. Why not have cooperative learning groups create online books (one question per page) using a tool such as Bookemon, reviewed here.

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Create a Hero Trophy - Swati Mody-Thirteen Ed Online

Grades
6 to 8
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Are you looking for an idea to spark the beginning or culmination of your school year? Perhaps you favor jump starting with a timeless theme that lends itself throughout the ...more
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Are you looking for an idea to spark the beginning or culmination of your school year? Perhaps you favor jump starting with a timeless theme that lends itself throughout the entire year. This hero unit is complete with ongoing lesson plans, links, printable handouts, activities, and projects for students to research and write about the lives of some famous American heroes. They will examine the qualities that make or made these people heroes and how the time period they lived in influenced their images as heroes. After reading about some famous heroes, students will take a look at some lesser-known heroes as well. They will reflect on critical thinking questions, such as how those heroes are different from the heroes that students admire and respect today. National standards for English/Language Arts, History, and Technology are included.

tag(s): heroes (24), writing (303)

In the Classroom

This hero unit includes endless ideas, from comparing and contrasting real life heroes with fictional superheroes. Have your students try an online Venn diagram tool.

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Marco Polo's Route to China and Back - EDSITEment

Grades
2 to 8
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Marco Polo's Route to China and Back shows students the travels of two historical journeys of Marco Polo. As students correctly answer questions about each route, they travel further...more
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Marco Polo's Route to China and Back shows students the travels of two historical journeys of Marco Polo. As students correctly answer questions about each route, they travel further along on the map. If students answer the questions incorrectly, they are given the opportunity to click on a resource link that takes them to the correct answer. This site is not only challenging but fun for young explorers. The site also includes some wonderful authentic photos and drawings.

tag(s): explorers (63), marco polo (2)

In the Classroom

Incorporate this site into a web quest to build student knowledge of Marco Polo, interesting geography facts, and the history of Asia. Create a class wiki about Marco Polo and have students add different facts they learned or questions they might have. Not sure how to create a class wiki? Check out the TeachersFirst's Wiki Walk-Through.

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A Family Farm Album: The Photographs of Frank Sadorus - Illinois State Museum

Grades
3 to 12
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Take a journey through the life of Frank Sadoras. This site has a wonderful collection of photographs and biographical documents that chronicles Frank's life growing up on a farm in...more
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Take a journey through the life of Frank Sadoras. This site has a wonderful collection of photographs and biographical documents that chronicles Frank's life growing up on a farm in Illinois from 1898-1912. By using this site, you and your students will get a view of what life was like growing up on a farm as well as the photographic techniques Frank used to take his photos.

tag(s): agriculture (46), genealogy (8), photography (124), primary sources (120)

In the Classroom

This site is a good site to use if you want to introduce more primary sources into your teaching. There is an extensive activities and resource section that covers the topics of photography, history, farming and genealogy. In addition, the PDF entitled the Turning Point would be a good resource to use in a lesson on narrative writing. Share the photos in art (or photography) class on your projector or interactive whiteboard. Have students create blog entries from the perspective of Frank Sadorus. Use the pictures for creative writing exercises. Why not have a photo of the week and have students write a short piece on the class wiki about what they feel the picture represents, what is happening in the photo, what the animal or person was doing/thinking in the photo, or whatever else is applicable in your class.
 This resource requires PDF reader software like Adobe Acrobat.

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Visual Thesaurus Vocab Grabber - Thinkmap,Inc.

Grades
3 to 12
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The Visual Thesaurus VocabGrabber is a captivating interactive resource which can be used from elementary school to the college level for improving vocabulary in the context of your...more
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The Visual Thesaurus VocabGrabber is a captivating interactive resource which can be used from elementary school to the college level for improving vocabulary in the context of your selected content. The online VocabGrabber tool quickly extracts vocabulary from a text within seconds to help teachers and students generate a list of the key vocabulary and see how those words are used in context. Additionally, by clicking on a word, the part of speech is revealed, and students can listen to the correct pronunciation. The format is easy to use simply copy text from any document or online source, (such as passages of literature found on the Gutenberg Project free website), paste the copied text into the box, and click the Grab Vocabulary button! In just seconds, an interactive concept map of vocabulary words and phrases appears. Can't find an online version of the text? No worries...type the text directly into the text box and voila! The words are "grabbed" or organized in comparison to the frequency of these words in standard written English. VocabGrabber can be used with any type of text: a newspaper article, a book chapter, a speech, or a historical document. There are additional features if you choose to subscribe, particularly the Visual Thesaurus interactive word maps, which can be saved and printed, and an online edition in multiple languages for English-speaking students learning other languages and ESL/ELL students.

tag(s): maps (213), reading comprehension (141), synonyms (14), vocabulary (243), writing (303)

In the Classroom

Teachers and students can use the VocabGrabber on an interactive whiteboard, projector, or individual computers to highlight vocabulary specific to a literary work or curricular subject area, to improve reading comprehension by choosing key concepts and literary terms, and to build background knowledge for a given text. As an added benefit, have students click on the VocabGrabber when typing their own assignments such as a poem or an essay, to avoid repeating the same word. They simply type in a word and generate a list of synonyms and more descriptive words. VocabGrabber enables students to see how words are used in context, instead of memorizing word lists. Additionally, VocabGrabber is extremely helpful for students preparing for standardized tests. Be sure to include this site on your class web page for students to access both in and outside of class for further practice.

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Westward Ho - Cyberbee and Darlene Andre, The Wagonmistress

Grades
2 to 9
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Are you ready to travel the Oregon Trail? For eighteen years Westward Ho has allowed classes to role play and virtually travel the Oregon Trail. This website provides a 5 ...more
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Are you ready to travel the Oregon Trail? For eighteen years Westward Ho has allowed classes to role play and virtually travel the Oregon Trail. This website provides a 5 week collaborative adventure where students have to make decisions together in order to safely navigate the trail. Lesson ideas, resources, and tip sheets are all provided. Click on the "Scouts/Teachers" link to learn more.

tag(s): pioneers (12), westward expansion (41)

In the Classroom

Plan to use this site as the hub of your social studies units on westward expansion or related American History topics. What makes this site exciting is that students interact with other students from around the country. Through technology they get to meet online to make decision and chat with each other. At the end of the 5 weeks students could create a living museum by dressing up in character and present to parents how they accomplished their "journey." Have students videotape the living museums and share them using a resource such as SchoolTube reviewed here.
 This resource requires PDF reader software like Adobe Acrobat.

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Law Focused Education, Inc. - Law Focused Education, Inc

Grades
3 to 12
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This site provides good lesson plans and interactive web activities for civic and law-related education. Click on the "Lesson Plan & Curriculum Store" link for a simple search engine...more
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This site provides good lesson plans and interactive web activities for civic and law-related education. Click on the "Lesson Plan & Curriculum Store" link for a simple search engine that accesses a large database of PDF lessons plans from Law Focused Education, Inc. related to your search. Search by topic and grade level, to narrow your results to make selection easier. Click on "Online Games & Student Involvement" for interactive games designed for the Middle School level that deal with a wide variety of US Law related topics. Although this site is designed for educators in the state of Texas, most of the resources deal with topics that relate to US civics and Law.

tag(s): constitution (100)

In the Classroom

The lesson plans are in PDF format, so they can easily be saved and printed. While the lesson plans are aligned to Texas State standards, they can easily be adapted to other state standards. The activities are easy to follow, and all the materials needed are generally supplied in the PDF document. The interactive activities can used in conjunction with many lesson plans for grades 5-8. They are perfect for your interactive whiteboard or projector. Have cooperative learning groups investigate various parts of this site and create multimedia presentations such as podcasts demonstrating their understanding of one of the concepts. Use a site such as PodOmatic.

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iCivics - iCivics Inc.

Grades
5 to 10
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iCivics is a free, web-based platform founded by Justice Sandra Day O'Connor to teach students civics and inspire democratic participation. The main site offers interactive games, webquests,...more
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iCivics is a free, web-based platform founded by Justice Sandra Day O'Connor to teach students civics and inspire democratic participation. The main site offers interactive games, webquests, and comprehensive lesson plans covering topics like government structure, civil rights, elections, and constitutional law. Teachers can access standards-aligned resources, student progress tracking, and printable materials. The separate Vision.iCivics.org site outlines the organization's framework for civic learning, offering insights into six core civic competencies to guide long-term, inclusive civic education. Many lessons include videos hosted on YouTube; if your district blocks YouTube, these may be inaccessible. iCivics continues to grow with new tools, updated games, and professional development resources for educators.

tag(s): bill of rights (36), branches of government (63), congress (40), constitution (100), courts (24), democracy (25), elections (83), game based learning (242), presidents (150), supreme court (30)

In the Classroom

As you study the Constitution or U.S. government, have students participate in the activities, stopping to write blog entries as their legal character discussing the results they have achieved in court or in their role within other interactive simulations. Students can work individually or with a partner. Be sure to demonstrate the activities on an interactive whiteboard or projector so students understand how they work. Another option is to enhance student learning and modify classroom technology use by having students create a multimedia guide to one of the constitutional rights learned in the games. Use a tool such as Canva Infographic Maker, reviewed here, to make an interactive poster or infographic on each right. If your class is remote learning, try using Zoom, reviewed here, or another video conferencing tool, to demonstrate or introduce your class to iCivics and the individual activities.

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Google for Education - Google

Grades
K to 12
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Google for Education's Learning Center Course Catalog is a comprehensive professional development platform offering free training for educators at all skill levels. The catalog includes...more
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Google for Education's Learning Center Course Catalog is a comprehensive professional development platform offering free training for educators at all skill levels. The catalog includes a variety of learning resources ranging from quick, focused Google lessons that take under 10 minutes to complete, to in-depth courses organized into units that require 30 minutes to a few hours of study time. Sample topics include "Manage Your Files in Google Drive," "Organize and Search Your Gmail," "Create Surveys and Quizzes in Google Forms," and many others. Teachers can filter courses by their expertise level (such as beginner) and build a customized learning curriculum to master Google education tools for classroom use and beyond. The platform also features community-created resources--guides and video tutorials submitted by fellow educators--allowing teachers to learn practical tips and strategies from peers who are implementing these tools in real classrooms. This structured approach helps educators become more effective by progressively developing their technology integration skills.
This site includes advertising.

tag(s): Google (21), organizational skills (80), professional development (273)

In the Classroom

Even those familiar with the Google tools will find information and uses they did not know about. Consider posting a link to your class web page for parents and students to access. Also, share this resource with your colleagues.

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Moviesheets - Christopher Sheehan

Grades
6 to 12
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Use this database to find teacher created sheets that follow movies shown in the classroom. Provide a change of pace for your students by using different questioning to challenge them....more
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Use this database to find teacher created sheets that follow movies shown in the classroom. Provide a change of pace for your students by using different questioning to challenge them. Be sure to preview, as this collection is only as good as the materials submitted. Check with your administration on rules for using "home videos" as they can be a violation of licensing or deemed inappropriate. Even though videos appear here, they may not be educationally appropriate. Be sure to check out the notices at the start of any "entertainment" video to be sure of legality. Keep in mind that these worksheets should not replace good interactive and thought provoking activities. Be sure to use other means to involve students in thought and action beyond the worksheets themselves. Find worksheets in either PDF or Word formats.

tag(s): business (46), climate (87), geology (60), movies (50)

In the Classroom

Use the worksheets to get students thinking about the science (or math, or other subjects) beyond these videos. Encourage students to create their own questions from the movie (reminding them of the relevance to your subject area) and choose the best worksheets to use and submit. Require students to add additional questions that are thought provoking and tied to the content for additional consideration. Use questions that go beyond factual recall to tie concepts together, explain phenomena, or uncover misconceptions. Continue discussion of concepts further than the paper through open discussion or blog posting. Rather than creating a worksheet, have your students create an interactive online poster using Genial.ly, reviewed here.
 This resource requires PDF reader software like Adobe Acrobat.

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