Teachers First - Thinking Teachers Teaching Thinkers

Explore the many resources shared by National Geographic at their home base created for educators. Monthly features highlight and share information related to current events. Select the "Teaching Resources" link to find ideas, activities, lessons, and units all searchable by grade and topic. Also, this section includes educational games and teacher guides. Choose the "Reference" link to find news and media information from the past plus current events. Be sure also to visit the "Mapping" section to find printable maps, mapmaking kits, and interactive maps.

tag(s): animal homes (57), biodiversity (36), climate (84), climate change (99), democracy (24), energy (133), habitats (92), map skills (63), native americans (109), oceans (149), planets (113), preK (271), space (222), stars (71), women (151)

Here you will find the home page for the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). Choose from different areas on the site to search for environmental data, government policies, and the latest environmental topics. Use the "Your Community" area to search for information within a specific zip code or state. There are also many EPA videos that reside on YouTube. If your district blocks YouTube, the videos may not be viewable.

tag(s): chemicals (41), environment (252), pollution (52), recycling (46), water (102)

Learn what to do before, during, and after a disaster with these fact sheets from FEMA (Federal Emergency Management Agency). From the top menu select Information and slide down to Immediate Needs and a topic to view information (some in PDF format). There are several available types of disasters including hurricane, drought, tornado, and more. Each fact sheet is two pages long and includes a quick fact check, words to know, and advice for dealing with the disaster.

tag(s): disasters (37), earthquakes (46), fire safety (16), floods (10), heat (15), hurricanes (32), snow (17), tornadoes (14), tsunamis (15), weather (160)

Practice vocabulary terms for biomes with this online crossword puzzle. Click a puzzle word to see the clue then type in your response. When complete, the puzzle shows correct responses in black and incorrect in blue.
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tag(s): biomes (110), crosswords (19), puzzles (149)

Tour some of the Smithsonian Museum's most treasured objects through 3D models and scientific missions. Through the use of 3D digitization techniques, the museum is rapidly adding content and collections to this site telling never-known stories about the museum's treasures. Use the site's search features to find models; some also include tours with additional information. Choose videos to learn how curators on the 3D team captured and shared information. Select the educators' portion of the site to download an ebook interdisciplinary learning experience combining technology and history in the study of Abraham Lincoln. For help in using this site, click About to find EducatorTools, How to Use the 3D Viewer, and Videos. If your district blocks YouTube, the videos on this site may not be viewable.

tag(s): coral (11), dinosaurs (43), electricity (61), fossils (41), jamestown (6), lincoln (66), magnetism (36), museums (52), presidents (135), space (222), STEM (297), virtual field trips (128)

Cabinet of Curiosities is a site created by the grandson of famed oceanographer Jacques Cousteau to introduce STEM careers to young people. Links on the left menu of the cabinet take you to eight different categories which include short video explanations by professionals within the field. Click on any image within the cabinet to view a short description of an item used for a STEM career and one or more videos. If your district blocks YouTube, then they may not be viewable.

tag(s): anthropology (10), careers (156), communication (129), ecology (103), engineering (129), marine biology (31), oceans (149), STEM (297)

The Time Now provides accurate synchronized time information from anywhere in the world. Add multiple locations to compare current local time. This site also features several tools including currency converters and travel information. This site meets Web Content Accessibility Guidelines 2.0 (WCAG) standards by providing tools making content useful to all users including those with disabilities including sight impairments.
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tag(s): calculators (36), calendars (37), moon (73), space (222), sun (71), time (91), time zones (7), weather (160)

The Climate Explorer uses information from global climate models to create graphs and projections for future climate predictions. Also, this site displays weather observations from the 2000s through the early 2023s. Use filters to search by location, topic, or variables including temperature and precipitation.

tag(s): climate (84), climate change (99), floods (10), temperature (35), weather (160)

Explore and learn about biomes through this interactive resource from the biologists at Arizona State University. Choose a particular biome to read and listen to information describing the definition and characteristics of the biome. The show/hide words portion of each section provides definitions of vocabulary included in each part of the site. Other information on the site includes worksheets and coloring pages to print.

tag(s): biomes (110), deserts (16), forests (30), oceans (149), rainforests (18), rivers (16), tundra (14)

Timeline Eons presents the history of the world from the Big Bang through current time on an interactive timeline. Additional events predict changes to the earth 22,000,000,000 years in the future. Scroll left or right to move through developments on the timeline or set the timeline to run automatically. Zoom in to view events or use the search feature to find specific events. Many events feature an illustration or photograph; others include a short video. When viewing, choose the link with three dots on the upper-left side of the screen to see information on the timeline's features.

tag(s): climate change (99), conservation (102), geologic time (12), space (222), timelines (56)

Miles of Ice Collapsing Into the Sea is an animated three part dispatch from a reporting trip to Antartica. Complete with images and text with links. This site tells the story of scientists researching the collapse of vulnerable portions of the Antartic ice sheet. Scroll through the page to learn about the mission and research taking place.

tag(s): antarctica (30), climate (84), climate change (99), oceans (149)

See how the earth is changing by going backward and forward in the Climate Kids Time Machine. Choose a topic to begin from sea ice, sea level, carbon emissions, or average global temperature. Drag the slider on each timeline to view representations of change over the span of time.

tag(s): carbon (17), climate (84), climate change (99), earth (184), oceans (149), temperature (35)

Anyplace America provides an extensive resource of free topographical maps of the United States. Choose maps by water, land or man-made features, or browse maps featuring each state. Maps include local information as well as nearby points of interest, weather statistics, and photographs. Most also have a link to download a color PDF of the featured map. Google and the U.S. Geological Survey provide the maps used on this site.

tag(s): bridges (11), glaciers (17), landforms (39), maps (220), mountains (10), national parks (29), natural resources (37), rivers (16), volcanoes (55), water (102)

This short YouTube video describes a proposal to reconsider how earth's biomes are mapped taking into consideration the effect of humans and urban populations. The discussions reflect upon the changing environment due to changes over extended periods of time. Also, the video points out some criticisms in this plan indicating that it may diminish the importance of environmental awareness and protection. If your district blocks YouTube, the video may not be viewable.

tag(s): biomes (110), conservation (102), ecology (103), population (51)

This short, but informative, site shares information about the grasslands biomes. Learn about the differences between savannah and temperate grasslands. Explanations include detailed information on locations, climate, and vegetation found in each biome.

tag(s): biomes (110), climate (84), environment (252)

Explore the grasslands biome in-depth with this article from Encylopedia Brittanica. Read through to learn about the origins of grasslands, the type of environment necessary to maintain a grassland, and common uses such as grazing and agricultural production. Be sure not to miss links near the top of the page to View All Media, and to Print, Cite, and Share the article.

tag(s): biomes (110), ecology (103), environment (252)