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Duolingo - Duolingo
Grades
1 to 12
2 Favorites
0 Comments
Duolingo is a free, online language learning class. Sign up with your email. Make a selection from Spanish, French, Portuguese, Italian, Japanese, Arabic, and many others. Earn points...more
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Duolingo is a free, online language learning class. Sign up with your email. Make a selection from Spanish, French, Portuguese, Italian, Japanese, Arabic, and many others. Earn points on different levels as you work towards mastery. Practice provides both seeing and hearing the words. Your responses require choosing the English translation and also spelling the words in the "new" language. Put your knowledge to work in the immersion section and translate a document or even upload a document of your own. Check the vocabulary you have learned and your progress toward mastery. Track your weekly progress. The discussion section answers individual questions. Duolingo is free for schools. There are free iOS and Android apps for Duolingo.
tag(s): arabic (11), chinese (37), DAT device agnostic tool (127), french (69), game based learning (298), german (46), hebrew (17), italian (30), japanese (53), multilingual (77), OER (42), Online Learning (34), portuguese (21), russian (24), spanish (109)
In the Classroom
Use Duolingo in your world language classes as another form of practice and enrichment. Have students sign up to compete against each other in a fun game of language mastery. Have world language students use the immersion tool to help read and translate authentic text. For an ENL/ELL classroom, provide extra, specific practice in beginning English. ENL/ELL students can also use the immersion section to check their own written documents and connect with other ENL/ELL students. Offer this site as a supplement when you study cultures from around the world. Gifted students are sure to enjoy the challenge of learning some language phrases. Is your class remote learning? Duolingo has a guide just for that! Scroll down the home page and find Duolingo for Schools, then click Bring Duolingo to Your Classroom. Find the Guide for using Duolingo at home at the top right of the page.
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Mathematics Enhancements Programme - Center for Innovation in Mathematics Teaching
Grades
K to 12
2 Favorites
0 Comments
The Mathematics Enhancement Programme is a comprehensive resource full of free math curriculum resources for all grade levels. Materials include lesson plans, practice materials, printable...more
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The Mathematics Enhancement Programme is a comprehensive resource full of free math curriculum resources for all grade levels. Materials include lesson plans, practice materials, printable number lines and cards, and student activity sheets. Click any key stage level to download an entire year's worth of course materials. In addition to printed materials, interactive tutorials (offered in a fairly basic-looking computer style) offer lessons and remediation for many math topics. The site was created in the UK, so some of the pronunciations and spellings may differ from those in American English (as well as the type of currency used for money problems). The site dates back a ways, so the actual "look" is a bit old fashioned.
tag(s): counting (66), data (210), fractions (179), functions (59), geometric shapes (151), money (113), number lines (33), number sense (73), numbers (120), percent (63), prime numbers (25), probability (129), time (94)
In the Classroom
Bookmark and save this site for supplemental math resources throughout the year. Explore the lesson plans to use in your own classroom. Create a link to interactive tutorials on your website or classroom computers for student use. Share the excellent Spanish language math materials with your school's ESL/ELL teacher.
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eQuiz Show - eQuizShow
Grades
3 to 12
1 Favorites
0 Comments
Make quizzes from ready-made quiz show templates or create your own using this free tool. NO membership is required, but you will need to remember the password you add to ...more
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Make quizzes from ready-made quiz show templates or create your own using this free tool. NO membership is required, but you will need to remember the password you add to the quizzes you create so you can return to and edit it. Templates can be edited to suit your purpose. Some of the general topics include most subject areas (history, math, science, social studies, languages, and technology). There is also an area related to sports and games. It is helpful to know some html code to make your quiz look the way you wish it to (boldface, etc.), but there are reminders at the side to help with this option. Note that the quizzes do NOT score your results and are intended to be played orally (Jeopardy style).
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In the Classroom
Create Jeopardy style quizzes for review and reinforcement of classroom content. Have groups of students create a quiz to share with the class or with other groups. Students can brainstorm what they liked about each of the different activities for more analysis on their strengths and weaknesses and how they learn best (metacognition). Have student emcees operate the student-made quizzes on an interactive whiteboard or share them by url on a class wiki so every student can take try. Create pretests to offer to gifted students to "test out" of already learned material. Challenge your gifted students to create pretests for the rest of the class. Learning support teachers may want to have small groups create their own review quizzes, since creating the quiz is actually a way to reinforce content.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Cloze Test Creator - l.georges
Grades
2 to 12
5 Favorites
0 Comments
Create your own cloze quizzes out of any piece of text. Paste the text into the box and select how you want the cloze test made. Select different sentence functions. ...more
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Create your own cloze quizzes out of any piece of text. Paste the text into the box and select how you want the cloze test made. Select different sentence functions. Choose to have every few words eliminated, or choose your own items to be removed for the cloze. Participants can choose either interactive or text only quizzes. The missing words appear at the top of the quiz. With the interactive quiz, the player types the missing word in the blanks. The site has a lot of flexibility in creating cloze tests. The site will work with world languages as well, but instructors have to choose the every few words option since the site will not recognize, for example, prepositions in another language.
tag(s): quizzes (88), reading comprehension (145), reading strategies (92)
In the Classroom
Use this site to review parts of speech or sentence functions. Teach ESL/ELL students to succeed in adding troublesome prepositions or articles, especially in their writing, since the missing word is at the top. Use a cloze test to have students review terms and concepts in science, geography, and history. Use this site in world language classes to help understand verb tenses and more!Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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101 Science - Science 101.com
Grades
3 to 12
1 Favorites
0 Comments
Science 101 is a science Internet portal. Although rather "plain vanilla," this site has a LOT to explore. After choosing a subject area: astronomy, bacteria, biology, books, calculations,...more
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Science 101 is a science Internet portal. Although rather "plain vanilla," this site has a LOT to explore. After choosing a subject area: astronomy, bacteria, biology, books, calculations, chemistry, data, earth, electronics, or ethics, find articles or website links for further information. This site includes over 30 subject areas on a variety of science and math topics. Use as a resource to begin explorations. Some links may lead to flash activities, not all browsers support flash.
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This site includes advertising.
tag(s): resources (79), science fairs (19), scientific method (48)
In the Classroom
In the classroom, use Science 101 as a reference site for finding further material. Under each subject, find articles, videos, or experiments. Use parts of this site at a center. List as a resource on your class website. Be sure to have the link available when students work on research projects or even during free exploration time.
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Intel Education Units - Intel
Grades
K to 12
1 Favorites
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Find engaging, challenging units to begin your Common Core journey. Intel Education Units are complete and include assessment tools. Search by grade level or subject. Find the basics...more
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Find engaging, challenging units to begin your Common Core journey. Intel Education Units are complete and include assessment tools. Search by grade level or subject. Find the basics for planning units. Also find sequencing maps, sequencing activities, classification charts, and prioritizing listings. Instructional Strategies include activating prior knowledge, graphic organizers, cooperative learning, and questioning strategies.
tag(s): literacy (125)
In the Classroom
Begin your curriculum planning here. After reviewing exemplary units, use as they are, or modify to fit the needs of your students, content, or even resources adding your own personal touch. They will inspire you to dig deeper and go further with Common Core! Be sure to bookmark this site (or save in your favorites) as your go to resource for Common Core.
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Learn 45+ Languages Online for Free - Open Culture
Grades
4 to 12
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0 Comments
Find a complete listing of places to learn many, many languages, including free apps and websites. Among the languages one can study for free are Arabic, Chinese, French, German, Italian,...more
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Find a complete listing of places to learn many, many languages, including free apps and websites. Among the languages one can study for free are Arabic, Chinese, French, German, Italian, Spanish, Danish, Dutch, English, Finnish, Greek, Hebrew, and Hungarian, as well as many others from around the globe. Each language has different offerings available. The language lessons are available in many different formats, including YouTube videos, MP3s, feeds, apps, iTunes lessons, text, and websites. Since there is a variety of resources for most languages, pick the one that offers the way you are most comfortable learning. Although most of these resources were developed with secondary students (or adults) in mind, a few are appropriate for upper elementary grades.
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This site includes advertising.
tag(s): chinese (37), french (69), hebrew (17), italian (30), portuguese (21), russian (24), spanish (109)
In the Classroom
Share this site on your interactive whiteboard or projector in world language classes. This is a great tool for students to use to explore MORE of their new language, both in the classroom and at home. Use this tool to enrich your classroom during world cultures units and let students explore a new language. Offer this site to gifted students to explore and learn (or compare) new languages on their own. This is a great site to help YOU learn some of the native languages of your ESL/ELL students, even how to say "hello" could make their day! If your school celebrates an ethnic heritage festival, you will find activity ideas among these many resources.
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StoryToolz - Chuck Heintzelman
Grades
2 to 12
2 Favorites
0 Comments
StoryToolz offers many different tools for authors: story generators, word count meters, a readability analysis, a random conflict generator, a title generator, a cliche buster, and...more
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StoryToolz offers many different tools for authors: story generators, word count meters, a readability analysis, a random conflict generator, a title generator, a cliche buster, and more. Choose any of the topics to begin. Story generators offer suggestions for conflict within a story or half a title. Choose from random title beginnings and endings to generate your title. Don't miss the Readability area: paste up to 5K of text in the box to check the readability of any source. Registration isn't required; however, it offers the opportunity for additional resources within the word count meter section and a larger portion of text for analyzing in the readability section.
tag(s): creative writing (126), readability (5), stories and storytelling (72)
In the Classroom
Enhance and modify student writing by having them use StoryToolz. First, share it with students with a projector in your writing class to generate ideas for stories, possible centers of conflict to map out the new tale, and show them how to use the tool. Use the readability section with any writing to determine appropriateness for use with students. Have students paste their writing in the readability section to determine if their writing is at an appropriate grade level or to note information such as words per sentence or use of various parts of speech. Paste into the cliche buster to point out ho-hum wording and overused expressions. Suddenly, students may begin to write more complex sentences or use more vivid language. Be sure to include a link to this site on your class webpage and classroom computers for use throughout the year. The readability portion of the site is a great resource for ESL/ELL and Special Education teachers to help determine the appropriateness of reading materials.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Calkoo - Trinity Capital
Grades
4 to 12
3 Favorites
0 Comments
Other online calculators don't add up to the diverse collection of calculators Calkoo has to offer. Browse categories including measurement, wage, taxes, stock analysis, mathematics,...more
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Other online calculators don't add up to the diverse collection of calculators Calkoo has to offer. Browse categories including measurement, wage, taxes, stock analysis, mathematics, loans, health, saving, investing, real estate, and more! Calkoo can handle many tasks, including some rather complex calculations. Complete the various fields based on the type of calculation. Some utilize radio buttons and drop down boxes, while others ask for numbers only. Create almost any kind of calculation you need with this easy accessible calculating tool. Language options include English, German, French, Spanish, Italian, Portuguese and Russian.
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This site includes advertising.
tag(s): addition (137), area (54), calculators (35), division (109), fractions (179), measurement (126), multiplication (133), percent (63), quadratics (28), subtraction (118), volume (35)
In the Classroom
Calkoo is a great free tool to replace expensive graphing calculators that many students may not have. Calkoo works well on computers, mobile devices, and interactive whiteboards. Use this site during a unit on careers, economics, or financial literacy. Include it as part of a measurement unit. Share during Family and Consumer Science units to explore the cost of living and have students put together a mythical "budget" for living in their chosen career. Have students send you on a vacation and include calculations for the currency converter, fuel cost calculator, sales tax for souvenirs, and more! This is a great site to support many experiments in science. Calculate acceleration, velocity, and time, or use the mathematics category to complete problems. Use this tool in social studies class for quickly calculating years or months from important timelines or when figuring out geographical distances. In English or L.A. classes, quickly figure out the life span of authors or how long ago a story took place. In health or science classes, use the BMI calculator or get other accurate measurements. Visit Calkoo and select a calculator to meet your needs! Include this site on your class web page for students and parents to access as a reference. The various languages make this tool very useful for ESL/ELL students.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Rewordify - Neil M. Goldman
Grades
4 to 12
9 Favorites
0 Comments
Rewordify helps you understand what you read. Paste any text or website into the box to rewordify the text into simpler language. Easier to understand words replace difficult text shown...more
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Rewordify helps you understand what you read. Paste any text or website into the box to rewordify the text into simpler language. Easier to understand words replace difficult text shown with highlighting. Click on the highlighting to view the original, more difficult word(s). View excellent student and teacher demonstrations showing how to use the website. You have the option to choose how Rewordify displays the results using the options in the settings. Several options allow for easy personalization of results.
tag(s): multilingual (77), reading comprehension (145), vocabulary (248), vocabulary development (100)
In the Classroom
This site is a must for saving and bookmarking for classroom use! Start the school year out by posting the link to Rewordify on your class website and parent newsletter for student and parent access from home. Be sure to share with learning support and ENL/ELL teachers and students. Save a link to Rewordify on classroom computers for students to easily paste text from any website to read in a simpler format. Copy and paste any difficult text into Rewordify and display on your interactive whiteboard (or projector) to enhance student understanding or show meaning in complex texts. Have students guess meanings from context clues in the more complex version, then share the "rewordified" view to test their guesses. Have students create a word cloud of difficult words identified using a tool such as WordItOut, reviewed here. Have students take a screen shot of passages that have been "rewordified" to share and discuss.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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MFL Ideas Factory - Eleanor Gordon
Grades
6 to 12
1 Favorites
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Visit the MFL Ideas Factory blog to find language teaching ideas to use in your classroom. Developed by teachers of world languages, each post is an activity that is context-free ...more
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Visit the MFL Ideas Factory blog to find language teaching ideas to use in your classroom. Developed by teachers of world languages, each post is an activity that is context-free so you can adapt to your planning. Tags accompany each activity to make your search more efficient. Sample tags are "Will it take long?" or "Does this require photocopying?" Various search options make it easy to navigate the MFL Ideas Factory. The search box on the right side of the page will search all text in the entire blog. Filter the activities by category in the box on the left side of the page or click on the tag that interests you. Click on "vocabulary" to find all the vocabulary activities posted. Some of the pronunciations and spellings may differ from those in American English because the site administrator resides in the UK.
tag(s): french (69), italian (30), russian (24), spanish (109), vocabulary (248)
In the Classroom
Search the archive of ideas for your language teaching techniques and activities. Find great ideas to introduce or conclude lessons. Search by categories or tags to find the best activities to meet your needs. Share this site with your world language teaching colleagues or ESL/ELL teachers. Adapt the activities for learning support students.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Weird Road Signs - TODAY; Paul A. Eisenstein
Grades
6 to 12
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Take the road less traveled by and check out these 14 wild, weird, and wacky street signs that were finalists for a Today Show contest. You will find humor, irony, ...more
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Take the road less traveled by and check out these 14 wild, weird, and wacky street signs that were finalists for a Today Show contest. You will find humor, irony, and signs that require a law degree to comprehend among the entries. Ignore the advertising on the site; the signs are worth it. Be aware of the content: some may not be suitable for middle school classrooms.
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This site includes advertising.
tag(s): creative writing (126), figurative language (19)
In the Classroom
These signs can spark writing, geography, and visual communication lessons. Project selected signs on the interactive whiteboard as ideas for students to use for creative writing pieces. Have the students create a fictional scavenger hunt of several signs around the world. Have students use a mapping tool such as MapHub, reviewed here, to create a map showing the sign locations (with stories and pictures about what happened when people encountered the sign)! Use the locations offered in some of the descriptions for geography lessons to integrate geography with writing. Use the images on a bulletin board and have students write captions for the signs. Have student editors find grammatical errors on the signs. Students could create an annotated image including text boxes with captions and related links using a tool such as Thinglink, reviewed here. Have students upload a sign image and add voice bubbles with narration using a tool such as Phrase.it, reviewed here. Use the signs for ESL/ELL students to teach about the nuances of text translation.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Educaplay - Multimedia Learning Resources - Adrformacion
Grades
3 to 12
4 Favorites
0 Comments
Create many educational multimedia activities in one place using Educaplay. Create interactive maps, riddles, slide shows, fill in the blanks, crossword puzzles, word search puzzles,...more
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Create many educational multimedia activities in one place using Educaplay. Create interactive maps, riddles, slide shows, fill in the blanks, crossword puzzles, word search puzzles, jumbled word, jumbled sentence, dictation, or create a collection of several of these based on a theme. Registration is required. Your results will be consistent and professional looking. Also, browse and use activities and collections others have created. Download and print the activities or complete them online by embedding them on your website or sharing the URL. Results can be registered in your learning management system (online grade book). Though originally a Flash program, Educaplay converted to HTML5 and should work on any computer.
tag(s): crosswords (21), multimedia (58), puzzles (160), quizzes (88), slides (38), word study (58), worksheets (70)
In the Classroom
When configuring a quiz you will have the ability to have the questions presented randomly, decide the number of questions, and the threshold to pass the quiz, among other choices. When adding the questions, you will be able to add an image, audio, or video. Why should you make all the activities for your class? Assign students to create crossword puzzles and such for a story or unit the class is studying. Consider having a small group create a "collection" of activities around an area of study. Be sure to put a link to the program for parents to create study activities for their student to use at home.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Newsela - Matthew Gross
Grades
2 to 12
19 Favorites
2 Comments
Newsela offers four leveled news articles at five reading levels for teachers to choose from. The articles will be available for four weeks; Newsela Lite is free for any teacher ...more
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Newsela offers four leveled news articles at five reading levels for teachers to choose from. The articles will be available for four weeks; Newsela Lite is free for any teacher to access four pre-selected news articles, select and lock reading levels for students, see alignment to state standards, schedule assignments and set due dates, access students' quiz scores, and respond to students' writing prompt submissions and annotations. Many of these features were on the "premium" account until the 2023-2024 school year.
In case you're wondering - Newsela features current events stories tailor-made for classroom use. Click "Products" on the top menu and slide down to browse content in subject areas (social studies, science, etc.). Stories are student-friendly and can be accessed in various formats tailored to different reading levels. Use Newsela to differentiate nonfiction reading. Newspaper writers rewrite a story four times, resulting in a total of five Lexile levels per story. All articles feature embedded Common Core-aligned quizzes that align with reading levels, allowing for checking comprehension, customizable assignments, writing prompts, and annotations. An account is required to use Newsela, both for teachers and students. However, students sign up using a teacher- or parent-provided code rather than an email address. Click the Resources tab at the top to find guides and short webinars. Teachers can create classes and assign reading-level-specific articles to individual students or download printable PDF copies of the article in any of its reading-level versions. There is no outside advertising.
In case you're wondering - Newsela features current events stories tailor-made for classroom use. Click "Products" on the top menu and slide down to browse content in subject areas (social studies, science, etc.). Stories are student-friendly and can be accessed in various formats tailored to different reading levels. Use Newsela to differentiate nonfiction reading. Newspaper writers rewrite a story four times, resulting in a total of five Lexile levels per story. All articles feature embedded Common Core-aligned quizzes that align with reading levels, allowing for checking comprehension, customizable assignments, writing prompts, and annotations. An account is required to use Newsela, both for teachers and students. However, students sign up using a teacher- or parent-provided code rather than an email address. Click the Resources tab at the top to find guides and short webinars. Teachers can create classes and assign reading-level-specific articles to individual students or download printable PDF copies of the article in any of its reading-level versions. There is no outside advertising.
tag(s): DAT device agnostic tool (127), differentiation (87), guided reading (32), independent reading (80), news (224), reading comprehension (145), remote learning (32)
In the Classroom
Achieve two goals here: help students improve their reading comprehension and keep them current with what is happening in our nation and the world. When assigning articles, choose to have the class read at one reading level, or select individuals and set the reading level for them. There are five categories from which to choose. You may want to set up different articles at different learning stations on the computers in your room. Have the students rotate daily through the stations, completing one or two a day until they have completed all five articles. Since Newsela is cloud-based, even students absent from class can easily complete the missed work. If you and your students are teaching and learning remotely, or you have a blended classroom, Newsela will work perfectly for those! Teachers of gifted students can utilize this site to accelerate or enrich their students' reading skills. Find each student's individual levels for reading nonfiction. Teachers of Learning Support and ENL//ESL students will love this alternate way for their students to meet nonfiction/current events requirements.Comments
This is an excellent article. Thanks for sharing this information. Please keep sharing content like this.Cassandra, IL, Grades: 0 - 12
This is an excellent site and allows differentiation while everyone is reading the same text.Renee, NC, Grades: 0 - 5
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Quest - Alex Warren
Grades
5 to 12
1 Favorites
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Create text-based adventure games and interactive fiction using Quest! No programming language required. You can also play games already designed by others. Choose the "play" option...more
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Create text-based adventure games and interactive fiction using Quest! No programming language required. You can also play games already designed by others. Choose the "play" option from the top of the web page to view and play games such as The Mansion or Shipwrecked. Play games online or download to your Windows computer. Design your own games online using your web browser or download software to your Windows PC to work offline. Create an account in Quest to begin creating activities. View the video tutorial for an overview of the activities and creation processes. Create rooms and objects or tasks for each room. Create more complex games by following complete instructions found in the web browser version of the game system creator. Add sound files and even videos to games in addition to tasks. An option allows players to choose their own endings to games. There is a documentation wiki and a forum to get help. This site may require some tinkering around to figure it out! But it is well worth the time. Note: since games available for Play are created by the general public, you will want to preview for appropriateness.
tag(s): interactive stories (21), process writing (35)
In the Classroom
Challenge students to create games when studying process writing of essays. Instead of writing a dry essay, create an object of entertainment with an interactive story. Use steps of the game to provide supporting evidence for the essay. Create simple text games to show the typical patterns of stories. Have a contest to see which group of students in your class can imagine the best game scenario. In science class, have student groups create games that follow the life of a plant or animal where players collect all the needed nutrients or conditions the plant/animal needs to survive. In civics/government class, have students create a game around getting elected, passing a bill, or ending Washington gridlock! Don't have time to have your students actually CREATE a game? Create your own "review" game for your students to use to prepare for the big test. This would be ideal if it is a unit that you teach yearly; you can reuse your game! Share some of the ready-made games on your interactive whiteboard or projector. Share this link with parents on your class website. Students may enjoy the challenge of creating a game during summer break.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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FindIcons - findicons.com
Grades
K to 12
3 Favorites
0 Comments
FindIcons.com is a search tool that helps you find free icons. Type your term in the search bar to view icons in FindIcons database. Choose from several different options to ...more
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FindIcons.com is a search tool that helps you find free icons. Type your term in the search bar to view icons in FindIcons database. Choose from several different options to download icons in the file format desired, such as png. Convert to jpg, bmp, or several other file options. Each icon includes licensing information so you can look for icons that are Creative Commons or public domain. Create an account then make user sets of your favorite icons. Access your user sets from anywhere through the FindIcons website. Explore the TAGS button to find search ideas. Be aware: ANY word/term can be searched; some may not be appropriate for the classroom. If you plan to allow young people to use this site independently, be sure to discuss appropriate searching.
This site includes advertising.
This site includes advertising.
tag(s): images (263)
In the Classroom
Bookmark this site as a resource for finding and saving icons to use on your website, or to include with class projects. Share this site with students to find icons for projects. If you make a whole-class account, you can create user sets in advance of projects to save time. In primary grades, these icons are terrific for teacher use! Use icons to create non-verbal signs for your non-readers in your classroom. Special education, world language, and ELL/ESL teachers can create non-verbal prompts for language learning. Use icons on your interactive whiteboard as drag and drop or labeling activities to build vocabulary and more.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Nulu - nulu.com
Grades
7 to 12
2 Favorites
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Learn English or Spanish through news stories. Use this site to become more fluent in Spanish or English (for ESL/ELL learners). Start by registering (with email or Facebook). Choose...more
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Learn English or Spanish through news stories. Use this site to become more fluent in Spanish or English (for ESL/ELL learners). Start by registering (with email or Facebook). Choose the language you wish to learn at the top of the screen ("English please"). Adjust other settings in your profile. You may have to click to "try" the premium version. No charge is collected for trying it, and the tools seem to all work for free. Read or listen to news articles about engaging topics. Select the type of news of interest to you. Use the audio button to listen to the story while reading. With a mouse over, a translation pops up. After learning more and more language, less translation will be necessary. Create flashcards by clicking on any difficult word. Select the level of difficulty for each word so that the word will reappear until you learn it. Stories may be in narrative or dialogue form. You can change the speed of the oral reading with a simple click. The site also offers review questions.
In the Classroom
Encourage ESL/ELL students and Spanish learners to increase their fluency by selecting news articles that appear interesting. Have one student prepare a story each week by having him or her preview the reading, prepare the flash cards, and also write additional comprehension questions. If permitted by your administration, students can log in with Facebook (or email) and make comments about the site and/or the stories there. Be sure to review good Netiquette about online commenting.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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What So Proudly We Hail: Making American Citizens Through Literature - Amy and Leon Kass
Grades
5 to 12
3 Favorites
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Be inspired to love American History! Development citizenship and awareness by using this ten-part curriculum of short stories, speeches, and songs. The curriculum consists of three...more
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Be inspired to love American History! Development citizenship and awareness by using this ten-part curriculum of short stories, speeches, and songs. The curriculum consists of three categories. The Meaning of America explores the American character and identity through the "close reading" of classical short stories such as "To Build a Fire" and "Man Without a Country." The American Calendar examines the purpose of the American holiday, proposing the celebrations help to unite us and attach us to our country. Songs for Free Men and Women scrutinizes national songs for meaning and how they emotionally attach us to our nation. All of this curriculum is inquiry based. It also offers suggested discussion questions, study guides, author biographies, and video discussions to model how higher-level-thinking conversations about each text should sound. What So Proudly We Hail uses primary texts, has rigor, is inquiry based, and has many essay topics and writing prompts aligned to the Common Core Standards for English Language Arts and Literacy in History/Social Studies. A few of the blog entries include helpful information about the Common Core standards.
This site includes advertising.
This site includes advertising.
tag(s): democracy (26), guided reading (32), holidays (283), literacy (125), literature (213)
In the Classroom
This comprehensive program can be a bit overwhelming at first look. You might want to pick just one, high interest short story lesson, perhaps Jack London's "To Build a Fire." This lesson and many others lends itself to small group discussion and work. The introduction makes observations and asks questions to encourage active reading and deep discussions that you may want to use as a class. Whether you and your students complete the lesson as a class or in small groups, you may want to use a program like Answer Garden reviewed here to enable all students to have a voice. A teaching team could make this site the focus of a year-long effort with so much material available. Upper elementary teachers and higher can make holidays and patriotic songs far more meaningful through close reading and class discussionsAdd your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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ESL Discussions - Sean Banville
Grades
7 to 12
2 Favorites
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ESL Discussions is a resource of over 600 discussion questions. They could be used in ESL/ELL lessons, speaking practice, debate clubs, and as needed for any speaking activities. Categorized...more
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ESL Discussions is a resource of over 600 discussion questions. They could be used in ESL/ELL lessons, speaking practice, debate clubs, and as needed for any speaking activities. Categorized alphabetically, topics include everyday themes such as donuts as well as more controversial topics such as marijuana. Teachers working with K-12 students will want to select the questions rather than sending students to the site since there are also some very sensitive topics. Choose a topic to view two sets of questions to spark conversations: one for student A and another for student B. Choose the link to print questions in either Word or PDF. Although this site has a lot of advertisements, there are some very interesting topics to discuss/share.
This site includes advertising.
This site includes advertising.
In the Classroom
Bookmark this site to use anytime you want to develop and promote discussion skills in your classroom. After students have completed their discussion questions, have them present their findings to the class then create a quick poll using using Poll Everywhere, reviewed here. Share with ESL/ELL and Special Education teachers as a resource for promoting discussion and speaking skills with their students. Use this site for teacher-selected topics in debate club, speech class, and more. Some of the topics could even make good blog prompts.
This resource requires PDF reader software like Adobe Acrobat.
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Lessons on American Presidents - Sean Banville
Grades
4 to 12
3 Favorites
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This American Presidents website contains lesson plans for teaching about each of the US presidents from Barack Obama (with a note that Donald Trump is coming soon) all the way ...more
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This American Presidents website contains lesson plans for teaching about each of the US presidents from Barack Obama (with a note that Donald Trump is coming soon) all the way through George Washington. The site uses the informational text about each president to teach, reinforce, and review English language concepts. This resource is directly geared toward ENL/ELL students. However, all users will benefit from materials provided. Choose any president to view a short biography. There are also language lessons such as fill in the blank and writing activities. Choose from links at the top of the page to print the lesson in PDF format, hear the article read in mp3 format, and view additional activities such as flash cards and word jumbles. There is some advertising, but this site is worth a look as a resource for activities and lessons about US presidents.
This site includes advertising.
This site includes advertising.
tag(s): jefferson (21), kennedy (26), lincoln (66), presidents (150), reading comprehension (145), washington (34)
In the Classroom
Bookmark and save this site as a resource to accompany US presidents units or to supplement current materials used in teaching about the presidents. This is a great tool to use in English/language arts class for nonfiction readings. For younger students and weak readers you may want to use an annotation tool tool such as eMargin, reviewed here. If you want to remove distracting advertisements, use a tool such as Readability Test Tool, reviewed here. Print activities and biographies about several different presidents to add to your substitute folder. Share this site with ENL/ELL and Special Education teachers as a resource for materials.
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