Teachers First - Thinking Teachers Teaching Thinkers

Find hundreds of templates and documents -- for all sorts of needs, not just education -- ready to use at Google Docs (now known as Drive). The best part, the documents are available from any computer with Internet access. This is a device-agnostic tool, available on the web but also available for free as both an Android and iOS app. Important note: To OPEN this link and see the templates, you must have a Google Drive account and be logged in! Use it from any device or move between several devices and still access your work. App and web versions vary slightly. No need to create a new document. Simply search for the template you need and modify it to your specifications. Choose from many categories including resumes, presentations, calendars, budgets, and more. Once you find a document to use, preview to view the full document. Viewed documents will then be available under a link called "Templates I've Used." You can also "save a copy" to change it at will. This makes them easy to find in the future. Upload your own documents for use anywhere and anytime.

tag(s): classroom management (120), DAT device agnostic tool (147), organizational skills (88), rubrics (37), spreadsheets (23)

Explore this useful catalog of all free e-books available for Kindles through Amazon. It is quite extensive with many categories: Advice & How-to, Biographies & Memoirs, Business & Investing, Children's eBooks, Fantasy, History, Literary Fiction, Mystery & Thrillers, Politics & Current Events, Reference, Religion & Spirituality, Science, Science Fiction, Sports, Teens, Travel, and many others. At the time of this review, there were over 69,000 free eBooks listed on the site.

tag(s): book lists (167), independent reading (81)

Living Wage Calculator provides information to estimate the cost of living in any community or region. Enter a location in the search box or choose from the state list to begin. Results are provided for an entire state, county, or specific city. The "calculator" provides typical expenses for the location along with living wage, poverty wage, and minimum wage. View typical wages for different occupations in that location. The wages at poverty level are indicated in red.

tag(s): careers (156), financial literacy (93)

Find videos related to social education, health, citizenship, religions, the environment, crime, and countless eclectic topics at this UK-based site. Though some are controversial, this is a great set of resources for the introduction of difficult subjects to a class. Choose from subjects on the left margin, including Body and Health, Crime, Culture, and more. Many of the videos deal with worldwide issues from a non-U.S. point of view, offering a different perspective. Several videos have lesson plans. Be sure to preview videos before you share. Some do deal with rather controversial topics. If necessary, check with your administration about the appropriate use of these videos before sharing withe the class OR sharing the link on your class website.

tag(s): architecture (75), digital citizenship (85), diseases (67), environment (252), media literacy (109), mental health (48), persuasive writing (58), poetry (193), religions (95), sexuality (15), social skills (22), sustainability (50), writing prompts (61)

Find web lessons, videos, and downloads about timely and necessary financial topics. Learn about credit card financing, hidden costs, and paychecks. Each lesson begins with an introduction to the activity including questions to answer. Feedback is given to the questions, including an explanation of the correct answer. Use the print downloads for creating a budget to use as an activity in class.

tag(s): financial literacy (93), money (113)

Take the world's best courses online for free! Choose courses from 33 universities in 20 different topics ranging from science, business, music and film, and the social sciences. Course information displays start date, length of class, and the source offering the course. View a description/biography of the course instructor, a video explanation of each course, and information on the course format at the homepage for each class. Most courses offer a certificate of completion for successful completion of course requirements.

tag(s): china (81), climate change (99), computers (109), data (151), energy (133), engineering (129), financial literacy (93), gamification (83), greeks (46), immigrants (34), immigration (68), nutrition (140), professional development (385), psychology (65), scientific method (48), sociology (23), solar energy (34), space (222), sports (82)

Originally created for an adult basic literacy audience, TV411 offers lessons and videos covering a variety of science topics. Learn about heat, photosynthesis, carbohydrates, and other topics in easily approachable terms. Each lesson begins with an introduction (typically a video) to the activity including questions to answer. Feedback is given to the questions including an explanation of the correct answer. Math skills are reinforced with the content. Videos can include recipes that reinforce the material discussed. On the right sidebar you will also find a few lesson plans (not formerly written).

tag(s): bacteria (22), charts and graphs (171), nutrition (140), plants (146), water (102)

Find technological improvements and enhancements that make a difference in today's rapidly changing world. This site's goal seems to be "Good design is green design." Search articles about improvements in architecture, interiors, energy, technology, transportation, fashion, art, and kids. Read blog posts about advancements in each of the categories. Below the posts are related topics of additional interest. This site appears to be updated often, so be sure to check back.
This site includes advertising.

tag(s): ecology (103), environment (252), inventors and inventions (80), persuasive writing (58), resources (84)

Looking for resources to use on your interactive whiteboard? If so, this site is a tremendous resource for all whiteboard users, not just those with a Promethean Board. View, search, and download from over 60,000 resources in all subject areas and grade levels. Use the Resources tab to search by state standard, content, grade level, or resource type. Register on the site to enable download ability as well as many other features such as saving favorites, reviewing resources, asking questions on the technical forum, following specific users, and uploading your own resources. Each resource includes a short description, grade level recommendation, file format, and size. Another great feature is the slide show included with each download for previewing different pages used on each chart.

tag(s): iwb (31), numbers (120), preK (271), resources (84)

Do Lectures are like TED Talk videos, inspiring talks from people who are changing the world. Choose to view talks about Big Ideas, Challenging Talks, Funny Talks, Informative Talks, Inspiring Talks, and Soulful Talks. Some examples of titles are Why Going Down Mountains is Harder than Going Up and Why is Beauty Such an Important Word? Search by topic (business, creativity, environment, food, sport, technology, or well-being) or by speaker. Learn more about lecturers by clicking the link to their bio, or find similar videos with the links included with each talk. Share videos easily on social networking sites with buttons included with each talk, or use the embed code to embed talks into your blog or website. Even more simply, copy/paste the url for the video to share it.

tag(s): business (52), careers (156), creativity (86), debate (42), environment (252), nutrition (140), psychology (65), sociology (23), video (266)

Explore the science behind the food you eat. View interesting short videos on food science. The films cover a variety of topics: sensory science, food security, nutrition, and crop technology. YouTube hosts the videos, and they can be shared by embedding or using a link. The videos are hosted on YouTube. If your district blocks YouTube, then they may not be viewable.

tag(s): nutrition (140)

YPulse is the authority to consult when you want to know more about tweens, teens, and the young adults of today. This is where you can learn more about the tech savvy youth culture who will soon shape our world. There are several categories to choose from: age, education, style, culture and trends, movies, music, gaming, and media and entertainment. There are also main pages across the top. At the time of this review, the Point of View page was full of informative articles about what the millennial citizen does and does not consider risky behavior. The Millennial Voices page has the latest blog posts from some of their Youth Advisory Members. These members are from all around the world and their ages vary from 13 to 23. YPulse's primary audience is media and marketing professionals; however, there is much to glean for parents, teachers, and counselors. Stay informed by signing up for their daily insight newsletter on the Point of View Page.

tag(s): careers (156), media literacy (109)

Recyclebank offers current information to help live "greener." Their goal is to realize a world without waste, one person or community at a time. Recycling information is easy to understand and engaging. Register to become a member and earn points by taking quizzes on environmentally friendly topics, by reading articles and learning more about recycling, and by recycling (if your center or borough participates in the Recyclebank program). Earned points lead to rewards of grocery or entertainment coupons and some gift cards. No registration is required to read resources posted on the website.
This site includes advertising.

tag(s): earth (184), earth day (60), environment (252), recycling (46), sustainability (50)

Do advertisers market to boys and girls differently? The answer is obvious: Yes! Beyond that, how does that affect children's development and society in general? This site does not offer a specific answer to those questions, but can make distinctions between boy-girl-centric advertising painfully clear. It is a simple concept: run the audio portion of an ad targeting boys under the video of an ad targeted to girls, or vice versa. Then consider what this "mashup" now communicates. The directions ask you to drag and drop icons; do not drag them to the big open box in the center of the page. Instead, drop one ad on the "audio" icon, and the other ad on the "video" icon; the mashup plays in the middle. If you go to the home page for the project, there are other "mashups" available focused on certain kinds of toys and advertising. You can view in either HTML 5 or Flash.

tag(s): advertising (26), consumers (14), media literacy (109), psychology (65), sociology (23), women (151)

Like the looks of Infographics but wish it were as easy as creating a Powerpoint? This website aims to empower you to easily create infographics in a short time. It is worth the free registration to gain access. Create beautiful Infographics by creating a title and then choosing a template or color scheme. Create your own templates using a range of color, label, and font choices. Click on the elements on the template to change the words, add widgets, create charts, and more. Use the slider along the top right to move between edit mode and preview mode. Go beyond traditional charts by including word clouds, treemaps, bubble charts, and more. Click Save as Template (helpful in creating labels and examples for students to follow) to save your style for later. Click Publish to make the Infographic public or private. You can save the Infographic as an image, share via URL, or use an embed code to place on a wiki, site, or blog. Click on your dashboard to view additional templates shared by creators and to find your Infographics. With the free plan you can create 5 infographics.

tag(s): data (151), infographics (56), posters (43), vocabulary (238)

Where's George? let's you track the travel of dollar bills through circulation. Enter the serial number on the bill, enter a current zip code, and learn where their bill has been. Choose from two options on the site: find out where a bill has been or enter a current bill to begin tracking from its current location. Finding where a bill has been gives a list of known cities, states, and countries. It also includes travel time, distance, and speed of its journey. Email registration is necessary to follow the travels of a bill and receive notification of current location. One word of caution: it may be wise to enter serial numbers of bills before sharing with the class in case they have been in locations that may need to be screened. Also, be aware this site contains advertisements. At the time of this review, there was a questionable advertisement. Please preview and OPEN, before sharing with your class.
This site includes advertising.

tag(s): currency (14)

As the title implies, this site provides information and resources about financial literacy. It is organized along "life stages," beginning with teens and tweens and progressing through retirees. You can access information by selecting a life stage or by selecting a key word like "debt and credit" or "paying for education." Each section contains articles, Q&A exchanges, and other relevant resources.

tag(s): consumers (14), financial aid (13), financial literacy (93), money (113)

What is a credit score? Why is it important? How do you build a credit score? Find answers to these and more with this puzzle/infographic. Follow through the puzzle to find out what information is used in a credit score and the best way to build your credit.

tag(s): banks (8), financial literacy (93)

Make steps towards sustainable living. Find practical and inspiring tips to use at your job, at home, or when traveling. Find incredible resources, ideas, and tips for a better quality life for you, your family, and the planet.
This site includes advertising.

tag(s): environment (252), natural resources (37), recycling (46), resources (84), sustainability (50)