Teachers First - Thinking Teachers Teaching Thinkers

Infographic Portal offers an extensive collection of infographics sub-divided into several categories. In addition to viewing infographics on the site, under Infographic Designers, see design tips, and then submit original designs for inclusion on the site. Choose categories from topics listed at the top of the website with an orange background. Infographics in the education section include titles such as Verb Grammar Rules: Your Complete Handbook and A Typical School Week Around the World. Be sure to review the site before sharing with students, some images may not be suitable for all ages or school-appropriate.

tag(s): digital storytelling (154), infographics (56), professional development (385)

Girls Who Code is an organization founded to help close the gender gap in technology. They have several programs offering girls the opportunity to explore coding with peers. The Clubs Program is for girls in grades 3-12 and meets two hours each week in local schools and provides opportunities for computer training for beginners through advanced learner. Click Locations from the top menu to see if there is a school near you. The Summer Program offers a 2-week immersion program or a 6 week self-paced program for 9th-12th-grade students in coding and exposure to jobs in the technology field. No location near you? Click Programs from the top menu and slide down to Code At Home. While most of the content on this site is appropriate for middle school girls, please preview before you share.

tag(s): coding (85), communities (35), computers (109), critical thinking (127), logic (161), women (151)

The STEM Careers Coalition will help you and your students take a real-life view of STEM concepts in action with the activities on this site detailing careers and projects. Click the Getting Started tab at the to and slide down to Educators to find Classroom Activities for interactive lessons correlated to math and science standards. Two examples of the activities are: analyzing irrigation systems (after trying to build a mini one of their own), and discussing renewable and non-renewable energy sources and creating a proposal for a power solution for a ranger station in rural Alaska. There are several others of the same quality. All of the activities include materials lists (when needed) and handouts for students. The Career section contains videos (2 to 5 minutes long), career profiles, and student activation PDFs.

tag(s): energy (133), geology (62), recycling (46), STEM (297), water (102)

HomeAdvisor presents a series of lessons, activities, projects, and videos for grades K-12 introducing young people to the world of construction. Choose a grade level band to begin browsing content. Topics include real-world activities such as viewing and building bird houses, scientific experiments to learn about erosion, and analyzing electric circuits.

tag(s): animal homes (57), animals (295), architecture (75), bridges (11), circuits (20), counting (60), electricity (61), engineering (129), erosion (15), geometric shapes (135), habitats (92), insects (69), makerspace (40), pyramids (21), simple machines (19), solar energy (34), STEM (297), water (102)

Take a stand against bullying with practical ideas and information from Bystander Revolution. Choose the All Videos link to filter solutions from different perspectives, or filter by specific problems or solutions. Most videos run less than two minutes in length. The presenters include well-known celebrities as well as "typical" students. Sign up for the weekly newsletter that includes a simple transformative task to complete each week along with other helpful tips and videos. If your district blocks YouTube, the videos may not be viewable.

tag(s): bullying (48)

SheHeroes is a non-profit organization dedicated to empowering girls from ages 8-14 to dream big and pursue any interests regardless of gender. Articles feature well-known and everyday females that serve as inspiration for young girls. Choose the Interests link to browse articles by topics such as engineering and sports. The curriculum link offers four categories (creators, explorers, analysts, observers) and units for each to explore them. Each unit includes essential questions, learning objectives, procedure, learning activities, and discussion questions. The videos under profiles reside on YouTube. If your district blocks Youtube, they may not be viewable.

tag(s): careers (156), mentoring (6), women (151), womens suffrage (52)

KidsThinkDesign offers insight into the many different areas of design. Choose from several categories to begin exploring design in architecture, fashion, interiors, and more. Each section includes a short overview of the topic and opportunities to meet a designer and think like a designer. In addition, each design section includes instructions for a project for you to complete on your own.
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tag(s): animation (65), architecture (75), design (79), fashion (12), graphic design (49), makerspace (40)

Thrively is a free tool that gives strengths and interests assessments in an engaging and entertaining way. Based on twenty-three factors and developed for children, you receive a profile that is personal, positive, and celebrates each child's core strengths and unique talents. Children, teachers, and parents all have a dashboard displaying activities and videos selected specifically for the child's strengths and interests. Explore a comprehensive activity index with over 120,000 activities and hundreds of videos designed to inspire. The videos feature interesting ideas, leaders, and a range of insights into careers and opportunities that are a good fit for the child's unique strengths. The Activity Boards are a way to discover and research the activities and collect them all in one place. If your district blocks YouTube, the videos may not be viewable.
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tag(s): back to school (55), differentiation (84), multiple intelligences (7), social and emotional learning (102), Special Needs (53), Teacher Utilities (198)

Share positive moments and increase your happiness! Share by describing your happy moment, upload a picture (not required), and place it in categories you create, such as working out, family, and more. Click Share to share with others, including on Twitter or Facebook. Why use categories? If you are lacking motivation for working out, viewing your positive messages from before can definitely help! Connect with others and comment on their happy moments! Read helpful tips to center you on happiness, find mini-courses, and use daily reminders to increase your happiness. Read the many articles on your journey to a happier YOU! This site/app is easy to use with today's busy lives, and interactivity is grounded in actual science.

tag(s): emotions (49), mental health (48), psychology (65), social and emotional learning (102)

Common Core Conversations is your place to find Common Core resources. The Standards, Resources from state education departments, free resources in all subject areas, using tech tools for learning the standards, and a section for parent information provides a great basis for your Common Core needs. Resources include: ENL/ELL, library, careers, family and consumer sciences. Join the online community to join in the conversations.

tag(s): commoncore (73)

This site offers an interactive look at three broad career fields: health care, the performing arts, and television production. Each field has activities, profiles of real people who work in the field, and an overview of the work environment. While it's certainly not a comprehensive career guidance site, it's engaging and will help students understand the possibilities for jobs within these fields.

tag(s): careers (156), medicine (57)

Learn about the history of house structures in Eastern Canada, with connections to home building in general. See how homes adapt to the settings in the Living in the New World section. See a timeline of homes in Canada (similar to homes history in some portions of the U.S.). Learn about the skilled builder trades on the Youthzone. The architectural Glossary is great for learning the names of all those things that stick out or hold up your house! The Homo Renovus section is all about terms and techniques in home renovation.

tag(s): architecture (75), homes (5), structures (18)

View science careers galore! Although this site is rather "plain vanilla," it is filled with sprinkles of knowledge! If you need ideas for science careers in Earth and Physical Science, this is a great resource. Research careers, find out what employees actually do in these careers, learn the requirements to obtain a job. Along with the salary and degree requirements, view the future job outlook in the career. View video interviews of real scientists and profiles of those currently on the job.

tag(s): careers (156), scientists (67)

Gift Cards for Good collects gift cards with a "little" left on them and uses them to buy things for charities. This 501C3 tax-exempt organization, was created by a 10 year old. Explore the links to find out where to send your leftover gift cards. Find the links to various charities around the world. Find other ideas about how to help around your community (without gift cards).

tag(s): service projects (17)

Join the National Park Service and become a Junior Ranger Online! Don your ranger hat and go for a virtual tour and watch videos. Explore the online interactives, including visits to the Everglades and Aztec Ruins National Monument in New Mexico. Choose from over 150 printable activities that offer opportunities to explore careers, build monuments, and learn about national parks across the United States. Learn how to complete activities and receive a Junior Ranger Badge and Certificate from the National Parks Service. The National Park Service also offers materials for educators, although they are a little difficult to find. Select the Menu icon with three bars and click on Educators or go here. Find lesson plans and activities using a keyword search and filters by subject, grade level, and Common Core Standards.

tag(s): animals (295), landmarks (22), national parks (29), plants (146), virtual field trips (128)

Find Positive Behavior Interventions and Supports for problem classroom behaviors at PBIS World. This complete and easy to use resource includes hundreds of interventions, resources, and data collection and tracking tools. There are discussions about behavior, behavior analysis, problem-solving, ideas, and more! Start by selecting the behavior you want to address and proceed through the steps to the interventions and directions for using them. Some of the topics tackled include Anxiety, Disorganized, Poor Coping Skills, Lack of Participation, and many others. Explore ways to help students (or even adults) cope with these issues. There are three tiers to the program with different types of interventions.
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tag(s): autism (15), behavior (45), classroom management (120), difficult conversations (57), emotions (49), Special Needs (53)

Inspire people to practice kindness and empathy and pass it on to others. The Random Acts of Kindness (RAK) Foundation is a non-profit organization founded upon the powerful belief in kindness. It is dedicated to providing resources and tools that encourage acts of kindness. Discover inspirational quotes, stories, and posters. They also have a new program titled Kindness at Home and a new High School Curriculum. Explore lesson plans, classroom materials, projects, ideas for courses, and RAK clubs. Find research, videos, and stories about random acts of kindness. Sign up for the newsletter, daily texts, or join the blog.

tag(s): character education (79), classroom management (120), emotions (49), empathy (34), service projects (17)

Stay up to date with the best research and activities for children's emotional growth and well being. CYKE provides information to parents concerned about their child's emotional health. Discover techniques to manage outbursts and emotional meltdowns. Learn about signs that might warn you to seek further help. There is also in-depth information on a range of medical topics. Many conditions are included (ADHD, Bipolar, eating disorders, OCD, substance abuse, Tourette's, and more). Other specific topics include Bullying, Divorce, Sexual Abuse, Grief, Chronic Illness, and more. Also, find interactive stories and games for younger children to explore, at The Land of Cyke. Find videos, a newsletter to subscribe to, a forum for discussion, and more to help support you as your learn how to better help the students in your life.

tag(s): adhd (28), adolescence (12), autism (15), behavior (45), bullying (48), divorce (6), emotions (49), mental health (48), preK (271)

Discover the science and engineering behind many Hollywood Themes: Zombies, Space, Forensics, and Superheroes. Choose one of the themes to access information, videos, TI-Nspire downloads for interactive activities, and more. Each page also features related Math and Science Activities. The current hosts are Mayim Bialik (The Big Bang Theory) and Dr. Z.
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tag(s): diseases (67), forensics (12), space (222), STEM (297)

Next Vista offers Learning videos for teachers looking for alternatives to YouTube. At the time of this review, they offered over 1,000 videos (most useful for in the classroom). Videos are made by teachers and/or students. Search by three main topics: Light Bulbs, Global View, or Seeing Service. Better yet, use the right sidebar to search by topic: Math, Science, World Languages, History & Culture, Performing Arts, and more.Next Vista offers an extensive collection of career videos to use as a resource for exploring and discovering career opportunities. View videos directly on site or share using the link or embed code provided. Throughout the school year, Next Vista hosts video creation contests for students and teachers. Submit your own videos less than 5 minutes in length using directions provided. They even offer small prizes for winners.

tag(s): africa (148), asia (116), careers (156), computers (109), europe (84), literature (221), musical instruments (52), musical notation (34), north america (15), parts of speech (39), poetry (193), shakespeare (99), south america (47), speech (69), video (266)