Teachers First - Thinking Teachers Teaching Thinkers

Lifesaver is a crisis simulation that fuses interactivity and live-action film to teach how to help someone during a heart attack and CPR in a new way. View different crisis simulations while reacting within acceptable limits. Scores give feedback at the end of each scenario. In addition to the simulator activities, view answers to medical questions related to heart health, CPR, and choking by scrolling down to choices at the bottom of the home page. This simulator works on any device. However, the CPR demonstration does offer more ease in the free app versions than on a personal computer. This site was created in the UK. American English speakers may notice some slight spelling differences. Tip: you must check that you accept the terms to "Enter" the site!

tag(s): DAT device agnostic tool (147), heart (27), medicine (57)

Looking for a challenge that can really make a change? The Biomimicry Design Challenge encourages participants to solve real-world problems as teams, basing their ideas on nature's own "design." Past challenges include Transportation and Water. You must be in a degree program to participate in the actual challenge, but anyone can read about current and past challenges. Read the Challenge details including judging criteria. View the Submission Gallery and past challenges to get ideas for your own challenge. Refer to the Biomimicry in Youth Education resource, reviewed here, for more information about the basics of Biomimicry.

tag(s): STEM (297)

Find information for backyard wildlife adventurers at this free site! View information on hunting and trapping, backyard habitats, and more. Be sure to check out the Discover Nature tab to view the Teacher Portal and for recipes using animals and plants common to Missouri. (If you live in an entirely different area, you can compare what Missouri has with what you have!) Cick the Wild Life tab at the to to browse through Field Guides organized by species group. There are video clips. Some are hosted on YouTube. If your district blocks YouTube, then they may not be viewable.
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tag(s): animal homes (57), animals (294), cooking (32), environment (252), forests (30), trees (18)

Visit Cool Kid Facts to find information for just about anything in this world or even out of this world! Select from Geography, History, Science, Animals, and Human Body. There are also topics in the right menu on the home page that range from Albert Einstein to Volcanoes and nearly everything else you can think of (alphabetically) in between. There are articles, videos, pictures, and quizzes, too. The videos are from various outside sources and are hosted on YouTube. If your district blocks YouTube, they may not be viewable.

tag(s): animals (294), australia (28), brain (56), china (81), deserts (16), earth (184), egypt (56), greek (47), heart (27), human body (93), italy (30), magnetism (36), mars (26), mexico (37), moon (73), newton (21), photosynthesis (21), rainforests (18), rome (37), sun (71), tornadoes (14), tsunamis (15), volcanoes (55)

This Ted-Ed Original lesson features a video and related activities to understand where energy goes on Earth. This lesson features a multidisciplinary approach to understanding energy: using the natural science, social science, and economics to understand. Watch the video. Think by answering a series of questions. Dig Deeper with more information about the topic and join a discussion.

tag(s): conservation (102), energy (133), fossil fuels (10)

We know our own lifetimes are but a tiny hiccup in the long history of the Earth. But what HAS happened since we were born? The BBC will tell you. Simply enter your date of birth (using the day/month/year format) and some other information (you can choose either metric or Imperial/US measurement), and a wonderful series of charts appears! How many times has your heart beat? How old would you be on Venus? How has the Earth changed since you were born? How has humankind changed the Earth since you were born? How many volcanoes have erupted? What's happened to the sea levels? How many endangered species have become extinct? This site is created by the BBC (United Kingdom). American English speakers may notice some slights spelling differences. It is best viewed in Chrome, Firefox and Internet Explorer 10 and above.
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tag(s): climate change (99), earth (184), earth day (60), earthquakes (46), planets (113), writing prompts (61)

Geography Awareness Week is an annual opportunity for families and schools to engage in educational experiences that draw attention to the importance of place and how we affect and are affected by it. Launched in 1987, this initiative is celebrated during the third week of November. The Awareness Week site offers support through lessons, activities, films, and print materials to spread the word in your community. Each year offers a different theme. Scroll down near the bottom of the home page to find links to free materials, information on local events, and information on how to register your event and receive free supplies to give away!

tag(s): globe (12), map skills (63), maps (220)

EarthEcho International offers a collection of videos, lesson plans, and other materials designed to support high-quality classroom experiences and the exploration and protection of natural resources (scroll to the bottom of the page and find Educator Resources in the right column). Many are correlated to Common Core and Next Generation Science Standards. Find and choose resources by filtering program offerings, grade levels, and type of activity. Program offerings include topics such as rethinking waste, water quality, energy, marine debris, and much more. Register with your email address for free access to materials.

In addition to teaching materials, follow past EarthEcho expeditions with updates from the field. If your district blocks YouTube, they may not be viewable.

tag(s): environment (252), oceans (149), recycling (45), water (102)

Free Video Lectures is a resource offering over 1000 free (upper high school and college level) online courses and 25,000 video lectures from more than 30 universities. Begin your search by choosing a subject or university to explore. Use the search bar to find specific content. Icons for each course offer a short description along with the number of included videos. Find topics ranging from accounting to web designing to business management and many others. Download or embed any videos using links and download instructions. Ignore the advertising; the site content is worth it. Note that these videos are NOT hosted on YouTube so may or may not be locked at your school.
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tag(s): business (52), cultures (180), genetics (80), literature (221), medicine (57), oceans (149), psychology (65), video (266)

Use this interactive online ear diagram to examine the workings of how we hear sounds. Click each dot to see that part of the ear and to view the name and read about the function. Click on Anatomy of the Ear from the menu on the right to see a short video of the ear explaining the parts and their functions. There is a transcript for the video beneath it. The video resides on YouTube. If your district blocks YouTube it may not be viewable for your classroom

tag(s): human body (93), senses (20)

Make science fun using Untamed Science. Focusing on biology and ecology, these videos and quick fact pages offer high interest and fast-paced information in many topics. Search or browse through the full list of videos. Begin at either Tree of Life or Biology to find categories within each section. Be sure to also check out the How-to Filmmaking portion of the site to learn about filmmaking, beginning with the basics through advanced filmmaking approaches. If your district blocks YouTube, the video clips may not be viewable. While most topics are appropriate for teenage students, you may want to preview.

tag(s): amphibians (17), animals (294), biomes (110), cells (82), ecology (103), evolution (89), fish (18), genetics (80), mammals (22), planets (113), reptiles (12), video (266)

National Geographic offers collections of resources aligned to Common Core ELA standards for grades K-12. Begin your search by exploring non-fiction resources grouped by grade range. If you prefer, use a keyword search to find specific content. When searching by grade range groups, scroll through the presentation slide show to view all resources and click links to go directly to the page. Be sure to take some time to find all the collection offers; there is a great deal of content available. Look for Geostories, Article, or Encyclopedic Entry to find reading resources. Don't miss the Common Core Toolkit offering a large variety of lesson plans and media aligned to National Geographic books.
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tag(s): charts and graphs (171), guided reading (33), reading comprehension (149)

Find the best information for safely handling food on this website. View alerts of recent recalls and food safety problems. Download useful food safety tip sheets to share. Find resources in the tabs along the top for Food, Health, Fitness, and and others. View videos and find links to resources, and material to understand all about food safety. Find games and other activities under the Kids tab. Be sure to look at the Downloads and Videos tab for more great resources! The videos are hosted on YouTube. If your district blocks YouTube, they may not be viewable.

tag(s): cooking (32), diseases (66), nutrition (140), safety (68)

Estuary Education is a great site to dive into learning about estuaries. Explore NOAA's living classrooms and laboratories. Scientists working for NOAA's National Estuarine Research Reserve System produce and/or review the current and cutting edge content on the site. Skim the surface of estuary education on the "About Estuaries" page or use the "Video Gallery" page to dive deeper into your learning of estuaries. The video clips are the next best thing to visiting a real estuary. The Estuaries 101 Curriculum modules for grades 6 through 12 feature hands-on learning, experiments, field work, and data explorations. It deepens students understanding about estuaries and how estuaries affect their daily lives. The resources page provides information and links to different sources outside of the estuaries.gov site that have been carefully reviewed and chosen to expand understanding on a particular topic and deemed to be scientifically accurate. Try the interactives from the link on the student page to test your knowledge or take the quiz! Estuary Education is a great site to connect with the coastal environment.

tag(s): biomes (110), ecology (103), ecosystems (83), marine biology (31)

Ignite interest in STEM and bridge the gap between learning in the classroom and the real world! Peruse from a variety of short 10 minute interactive videos that highlight real-world problems. Videos are aligned to STEM curricula throughout the US and contributed by partnerships with businesses, government agencies, non-profits, and academic institutions. Use the resources to engage your students in problem-solving and inquiry based learning. Videos and resources are found in the Science, Technology, and Math tabs. Be sure to click the Educator tab for downloadable resources to help you Plan, Engage, and Inspire with your students. While looking at the materials in the Educator tab, find a Best Practices webinar date you can attend (held monthly). This one hour training session is instrumental in using the interactive video and instructional materials to facilitate inquiry based learning effectively and increase 21st century skills in your students. Each video includes resources developed by Industry, lessons by educators, and education pathways for students seeking careers in certain STEM careers.

tag(s): STEM (297)

Big History Project is a free, online social studies course designed for secondary students tracing from the Big Bang through the history of humanity. This course takes a VERY broad view of the "big picture" to provide greater perspective in how we see history. View course information in 2 sections with 10 units covering a time span of 13.7 billion years. Each unit contains between 20-30 modules including projects, discussion topics, and assessments. All are aligned to Common Core Standards. Other course offerings include Project Based Learning activities, videos, animations, infographics, and much more. A simpler, shorter version of the course for the general public is available under "Not an educator?. Click on "Check out our public course." You will need to sign up for a free account to view this resource.

tag(s): agriculture (49), geologic time (12), industrialization (12), Project Based Learning (23), Research (87), solar system (110)

Inspire your students to SEE the natural world differently! Biomimicry is the imitation of nature's best design ideas to solve human problems. Immerse yourself in the lessons, videos, activities, and tools offered in this resource. Be sure to check out the links along the side that include Resource Types and Resource Audiences (Youth (K-12), and University). Be sure to notice the extensions, homework, assessments, and other ideas offered with each of the activities. Lessons in the toolkit are arranged in sections: Introduction (exploring what is Biomimicry), Exploring Nature (connecting students with nature), Case studies, Function (how strategies of other organisms can help with our own functioning), Pattern, and Design Projects (to teach the design process). Battle of the Beaks and Velcro Race Game are lesson examples in the Function section. Join the Biomomicry network and connect with others. Find examples of Biomimicry and Cool Biology topics under the Categories section of this resource. Note: Not sure what Biomimicry is? Learn more about Biomimicry in this article.

tag(s): design (79), engineering (129), STEM (297)

Supplement math instruction in the classroom using OnLineMathLearning. Find videos explaining concepts, worksheets for practice, games, and activities. The site material correlates to Singapore Math but is assessable to all learners. Explore math by grade level, or by topic. Find math worksheets by grade level or even by topic. There is also Test Prep for SAT, ACT, GMAT, GRE, ESL, IELTS, or TOEFL. Furthermore, this site has instruction on Biology, Chemistry, Physics, Animal facts, Programming, or English help. Find many science project ideas, listed by subject area.
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tag(s): parents (57), video (266), worksheets (69)

Find science current events and more with this wonderful site. This section also includes information on STEM careers and teaching science to teenagers. Find interesting articles and information about Atoms and Forces, Earth and Sky, Humans and Health, and more. Below each article is words used in the article and their meanings. Find information about science projects in the Student Resources section.

tag(s): news (228), science fairs (20), scientific method (48), scientists (67)

Top Documentary Films contains a large collection of documentaries from around the world. Choose "Browse" to explore the films available, or use the Categories menu on the right to view by topics such as Politics, Science, etc. Choose List from the top menu to view a complete listing of all available films. Each listing includes a short description along with a link to view the video. Videos are hosted on YouTube. If your district blocks YouTube, they may not be viewable. Be sure to PREVIEW videos before showing to a class as they are unmoderated. Comments are also unmoderated. There is a wonderful disclaimer at the lower left of the home page about bias and documentaries. It is well worth noting as you watch ANY "documentary."
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tag(s): advanced placement (26), animals (294), artists (84), biographies (94), drugs and alcohol (28), environment (252), evolution (89), hiv/aids (15), humor (15), media literacy (109), mental health (48), money (113), politics (118), psychology (65), religions (95), sports (82), vietnam (38)