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Constitute - Comparative Constitutions Project - Univ of Texas at Austin
Grades
8 to 12tag(s): civil rights (201), constitution (93), cross cultural understanding (172), cultures (172)
In the Classroom
Share Constitute on an interactive whiteboard or projector as part of any lessons studying nations around the world. Compare constitutions when discussing current events and cultural differences. Use an online tool such as the Interactive Two Circle Venn Diagram, reviewed here, to demonstrate differences and similarities. Flip learning by sharing a comparison you create, then have students study comparisons before class discussions of materials.You must be registered and logged in to add items to your favorites.
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Seven Digital Deadly Sins - Guardian Weekend Magazine
Grades
9 to 12tag(s): digital citizenship (85), professional development (373), social media (48)
In the Classroom
Be very careful if using this in a classroom as there are discussions of items not appropriate for general consumption, and may be more appropriate as inspiration for discussing the main "sins" in your classroom. At a minimum, be sure to view and screen portions of the site for appropriateness before sharing with students. Have students create an online graph using ChartGizmo, reviewed here, to analyze their digital usage. Share ideas and reflections comparing the positives of digital media versus the negative impacts. Exchange information from the site with your colleagues and school counselors as part of any professional development or discussions about the use of social media and digital tools. Share with parents who have concerns about their student's digital usage.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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iCivics, Win the White House - iCivics
Grades
4 to 12tag(s): elections (83), presidents (135)
In the Classroom
Start out using this site with your projector or interactive whiteboard with the whole class. Walk through the beginning of the game and demonstrate the built-in help which is useful for students who might need additional guidance. Have individuals play or create small group teams of campaign staff to guide the candidates. Students or groups may play multiple times. After registering, the site will save games and students can send messages. Use the Achievements badges and points for student assessments. Have students research the debate topics and compare the different aspects of the game to real-life examples in the news. An easy to use Extension Pack for Teachers provides more activities and assessments.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Diversity Toolkit - USC School of Social Work
Grades
9 to 12tag(s): cross cultural understanding (172), cultures (172), difficult conversations (57), diversity (39), identity (29)
In the Classroom
Take advantage of the activities shared within the guide to use as part of community building in your classroom or to teach diversity and encourage self identity. Have students create a word cloud of the important terms they learn from this site using a tool such as WordItOut, reviewed here. Before and after activities have students or groups collect ideas and thoughts about diversity using Dotstorming, reviewed here. The Dotstorming application creates free online bulletin boards. Embed Dotstorming on your class website for students to access at home.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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STEM in 30 - Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum
Grades
5 to 10tag(s): aviation (40), earth (184), earth day (59), ecology (102), ecosystems (80), flight (34), mars (26), molecules (43), space (216), STEM (288), world war 1 (77)
In the Classroom
For your blended or flipped classroom, share webinars on your class website for students to view at home. Replace pen and paper writing journals by writeing a blog entry that shares their learning and understanding. Use a tool like Telegra.ph, reviewed here. This blog creator requires no registration. If you are teaching younger students and looking for an easy way to integrate technology and check for understanding, challenge your students to create a blog using edublog, reviewed here. Check the site's homepage for upcoming webinars, then participate with your class. Check X (formerly Twitter) to see if your class can follow any of the presenting scientists. If you are lucky enough to live in the Washington, DC area, contact the museum to attend a live taping. After viewing a webinar, have students enhance their learning by creating a multimedia presentation using Visme, reviewed here. Visme allows you to narrate slides. Challenge students to find a photo (legally permitted to be reproduced), and then narrate the photo as if it is a news report. STEM in 30 is also a great resource for gifted students to get involved with their own challenges and pursuits.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Weather Underground - Hurricane and Tropical Cyclones
Grades
6 to 12tag(s): disasters (37), hurricanes (32), weather (160)
In the Classroom
Introduce the class to the most current hurricanes forming with a projector or interactive whiteboard. Challenge students to find similar hurricanes from the past and ask them to make a prediction about the current one. Have them prove their predictions using a tool like the interactive Venn Diagram Three Circle, or the Interactive Two Circle Venn Diagram.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Civil Rights Movement Interactive Map - NewseumEd
Grades
8 to 12tag(s): black history (130), civil rights (201), newspapers (92)
In the Classroom
Share a link to this site on your class website and allow students to explore on their own. Discuss their findings and interpretations of media coverage of civil rights events in class. Replace pen and paper and use an online tool such as Interactive Two Circle Venn Diagram, reviewed here, to compare and contrast media coverage in two different cities. Enhance learning by asking students to investigate newspapers from additional locations, then create a presentation sharing their findings using Presentious, reviewed here.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Making a Change: The First Amendment and the Civil Rights Movement - NewseumED
Grades
8 to 12tag(s): black history (130), civil rights (201), constitution (93), cultures (172), journalism (73), media literacy (107), newspapers (92)
In the Classroom
Use any or all of the units and interactives with any Civil Rights lessons; this site isn't just for Black History Month! Share with journalism students as they explore the role of the press in shaping and telling the story of a nation. Have small groups or pairs of students enhance their learning by making a multimedia presentation exploring the First Amendment and the role of the press using a tool such as Sway, reviewed here. With the web-based Sway, you can include text, images, and video. To illustrate different press coverage around the nation, have students modify their learning by creating maps using Zeemaps, reviewed here. This tool allows students to create audio recordings AND choose a location on a map where the news report takes place.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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'What's News?' Video Lesson - NewseumED
Grades
6 to 12tag(s): journalism (73), news (228), newspapers (92)
In the Classroom
Using the Activity lesson plan/viewing guide, share the before viewing discussion with the class. Consider giving all students a chance to voice their opinions (even the shyest ones) by using a tool like Backchannel Chat, reviewed here. Then, show the video to the whole class, or "flip" the class and have students watch it at home. Either way, the viewing guide questions could be inserted into the video using a tool such as edpuzzle, reviewed here. After the video, use the discussion questions and Backchannel Chat again. Next, have students (or small groups) choose one of the extension activities to complete and share with classmates. Lastly, have students (or small groups) choose one of the extension activities to complete and share with classmates.The reviewers at TeachersFirst have some suggestions for online tools to use for those final (extension) projects: Items 1 and 2 suggest creating a video newscast or newspaper. Consider starting with Copy Edit This!, reviewed here, to give students in the a look at newspaper editing. Possibly follow these up with Pulitzer Center Lesson Plans, reviewed here, that shows students how to identify global issues.
If you don't feel comfortable showing student faces on the Internet via video, you may want to have them create a radio show instead; for that use Anchor, reviewed here, provides free podcasting tools.
Item 3 includes a timeline. Have students create an interactive timeline (it can include text, images and collaboration) using Sutori, reviewed here. Items 4, 6, and 7 suggest making a collage. An easy online tool such as Fotojet, reviewed here, will make beautiful collages for your student projects. Item 5 suggests you use Facebook. If your district blocks Facebook, use Fakebook, reviewed here. For managing projects like #8-10 use a tool like Google Keep, reviewed here, and an animated, multimeda presentation tool like Animatron Studio's Presentation Maker, reviewed here.
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Believe It or Not? - NewseumED
Grades
8 to 12tag(s): evaluating sources (28), media literacy (107), news (228)
In the Classroom
Take advantage of the free lessons, discussion questions, sample articles, and worksheets offered for use in your classroom. Divide students into small groups and assign different discussion questions and activities to each group. Allow all older students to have a voice (and engage their interest) in the small group by using a chat service like Flock, reviewed here. Enhance learning by challenging the small groups to create a slide presentation using the free Microsoft PowerPoint Online, reviewed here, demonstrating information learned. With the online PowerPoint students can add videos, images and documents making them all interactive. Note: with Flock students can also start planning the presentation and keep the plan for 30 days. If you cannot make a field trip to the Newseum for the Gallery Guide Handout, you can do a Google search for Who Controls the News and find many free resources.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Nature Video YouTube Channel - Nature.com
Grades
8 to 12tag(s): animals (295), anthropology (10), cells (83), climate (82), human body (93), planets (111), stars (70)
In the Classroom
Flip your classroom and use a video as homework. Have students take notes on the material and write down questions they still have and topics that confuse them. Or, use a tool like playposit, (formerly eduCanon), reviewed here, for students to pause videos and ask or answer questions right on the video. These activities can uncover misconceptions. Show the video to the class, and then discuss the concept at length. To share a single video from this site without all the YouTube clutter, use a tool such as View Pure, reviewed here, and create a shortcut to the View Pure page directly on the desktop. For more advanced classes, provide time for students to choose a video to view and research the underlying concept.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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National Geographic Kids - National Geographic
Grades
K to 7This site includes advertising.
tag(s): animals (295), blended learning (36), countries (72), endangered species (27), environment (246), plants (147), reading comprehension (149)
In the Classroom
This site is perfect for interactive whiteboards or projectors. Display the site on your whiteboard to use as a learning center for students. Select videos for lesson introductions for flipped or blended learning activities. For language arts, practice finding the main idea or summarizing stories using these interesting informational texts. ENL/ESL learners can also find accessible news stories here. Choose words from stories to include with weekly spelling tests or as vocabulary builders. Assign different stories to groups of students to summarize and present to the class. Enhance learning by challenging cooperative learning groups to create videos about any article on the site. Upload images (use Creative Commons or other copyright-safe pictures) and use 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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World Population History - Population Connection
Grades
6 to 12tag(s): advanced placement (26), conservation (97), environment (246), population (50)
In the Classroom
Try using this website in science class during environmental science units on human population growth. Start the class by sharing this site on an interactive whiteboard (or projector) for students to see. Provide time for students to look at the material and to generate questions about it. Brainstorm not only questions but what students learned from it. Allow groups time to research the economic and social issues that have caused such a change in population and how people live. Challenge students to make a multimedia presentation using Sway, reviewed here, about what they learned from the different time periods or themes. With Sway, you can have music, photos, videos, and even make it interactive.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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USA Today Rio Olympics Guide - YouTube - USA Today
Grades
4 to 12tag(s): olympics (44), south america (40), sports (81)
In the Classroom
Share videos with your students as you follow the Summer Olympic games from your classroom. Use the "how to watch" sports videos as a model, then have students create their own videos describing how to watch their favorite sport. Share their videos on a site such as TeacherTube, reviewed here. Research Olympic athletes and their countries, then have cooperative learning groups create podcasts sharing news about the Olympics. Use a site such as podOmatic, reviewed here to complete a podcasting project.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Protecting Children's Privacy Guide - Paul Bischoff
Grades
K to 12tag(s): internet safety (113)
In the Classroom
Share information from this article with students as part of your ongoing lessons in cyber safety. Share a link on your class website as a resource for parents. Have cooperative learning groups create podcasts sharing online safety tips and suggestions. Use a site such as PodOmatic, reviewed here, for a podcasting project.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Filming a Beluga Whale - National Geographic
Grades
3 to 12This site includes advertising.
tag(s): climate change (94), migration (45), oceans (147), whales (11)
In the Classroom
Share this video on an interactive whiteboard or projector, or ask students to watch at home as an introduction to a unit on ocean animals or climate change. Challenge students to research whales further and learn more about their migrations and interactions as a unit. Have students use Vibby, reviewed here, to grab more information from other YouTube videos to share with the class about whale behavior. Have students create maps using Zeemaps, reviewed here, to show locations of whales around the world and their migration patterns. Zeemaps allows students to create audio recordings AND choose various locations on a map to show the locations of the whales.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Rio 2016 Olympics - International Olympic Committee
Grades
3 to 12tag(s): olympics (44), seasonal (16), south america (40), sports (81), summer (28)
In the Classroom
Introduce this site on your interactive whiteboard and allow students to explore on their own. Create a bulletin board to display the latest medal counts, have students update daily with information from the Olympics site. Have students create a simple infographic on their favorite sport using Venngage reviewed here. Have cooperative learning groups create daily podcasts to share the latest news from the Olympics. Use a site such as PodOmatic (reviewed here).Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Global Conflict Tracker - Council on Foreign Relations
Grades
8 to 12tag(s): conflict resolution (9), cross cultural understanding (172), cultures (172), journalism (73), maps (215), terrorism (41), terrorist (12)
In the Classroom
Bookmark this interactive for use throughout the year when discussing current events or studying different regions around the world. Share the locations using Google Earth, reviewed here, to get a first-hand look at the geography of the region. This tool is a great find for gifted students. Have them explore different regions of conflict and research the background of events in the area. Challenge students to make a multimedia presentation using information found in their research. Use a tool like Vevox, reviewed here. Vevox offers interactive features such as real-time polls and comments to keep viewers interested and involved in the presentation. Vevox allows adding polls, videos, embeds, web links, and PowerPoint. Have students create & embed a timeline to their presentation using Time Graphics Timeline Maker, reviewed here.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Data USA - Deloitte, Datawheel, and Cesar Hidalgo
Grades
6 to 12tag(s): cities (17), communities (33), data (151), demographics (13), population (50), states (124), statistics (120)
In the Classroom
Bookmark Data USA to use as a resource for finding and comparing U.S. statistics. Explore information about your city or state and compare to other locations. Show students a purpose for these facts by assigning different articles from the Stories section. Dig deeper into current events using this site. Explore the demographics and economy of any place in the news to help understand local issues. If your class has a partner class in another part of the country, Data USA is a perfect resource for sharing and comparing community information. Depending on the topic of study, after exploring this site, Redefine learning by challenging students to make a multimedia presentation such as a poster using Marq (was Lucidpress), reviewed here, infographic with Infogram, reviewed here, or a slide show using Google Slides, reviewed here.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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SciTech Daily - scitechdaily.com
Grades
8 to 12This site includes advertising.
tag(s): news (228), newspapers (92)
In the Classroom
SciTech Daily is a great addition to science classrooms as a source of current information. Bookmark this site on classroom computers and allow students to explore and find information of interest. Share pertinent articles on your interactive whiteboard to discuss together. Use SciTech Daily in your English/Language Arts classroom as an excellent resource for non-fiction reading. Have students extend their learning by creating a newspaper with science news using a site such as Printing Press, reviewed here. Have students modify their learning by collecting media (videos and more) from multiple online sources including SciTech Daily to show their research findings using a tool such as Dragontape, reviewed here. If articles are too long for some readers, consider using Skim.it, reviewed here, a Chrome extension that reduces articles into a 100-word summary.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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