Teachers First - Thinking Teachers Teaching Thinkers

Enjoy science interactives ideal for elementary children through middle grades. Topics include Life Cycles, Seasons, Dinosaurs, Cells, Consumers, Nutrition, Digestion, Skeletal system, and many others. Most resources indicate the appropriate level for their use.
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tag(s): animal homes (57), animals (293), body systems (40), cells (82), dinosaurs (42), life cycles (21), nutrition (140), oceans (149), periodic table (43), preK (289), seasons (37)

Use this tool to find the calories and nutrient content in a large variety of foods. Search among popular brands or chains or search from categories of foods. This site features a search bar for easily finding the nutrient information. Nutrition facts include carbohydrates including fiber, fats (saturated and trans,) and proteins. Choose to compare foods to find the differences in nutrients. Beside the nutrient information, learn how many minutes of various exercises are needed to burn off those calories. Use the box on the site to determine the calorie requirements for your height, weight, and age.
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tag(s): calories (6), nutrition (140)

GE Focus Forward offers a series of 30 three-minute videos featuring stories about innovators. Directed by award-winning documentary film makers, the films range in topics from a "Journey Under the Sea" to a look at the "Secrets of Trees." Hover over any film icon to view a short description of the topic. Click to begin. Share films using social networking buttons within the film. Copy the code (click the video you want, then, click the third symbol in the upper right corner to copy the code) to embed on any website or blog. Videos are hosted on Vimeo, which is accessible in most schools.

tag(s): environment (251), inventors and inventions (81), medicine (57), mental health (50), nutrition (140), oceans (149), robotics (26), solar energy (35), STEM (310), trees (19), video (267)

Visit this incredible site to bring students of all ages into a positive relationship with food by connecting it with nature and culture. Click Resources from the top menu bar and the Resource Library to discover a sustainable food curriculum that includes Farm to School ideas and much more. This project shares a food curriculum for schools around the world to put into practice. Search and explore inspiring ideas, programs that work, and the voices of the movement. Add your own story or classroom to the project to share with others around the world.

tag(s): nutrition (140), plants (148), sustainability (51)

Use this tool to find the calories and nutrient content of a large variety of foods found in the popular chains. Search a variety of restaurant names or search categories of foods from the chains. This site features a search bar for finding the nutrient information of the food easily. Nutrition facts include carbohydrates, fiber, fats (saturated, cholesterol, and trans fat), proteins, and sodium.

tag(s): calories (6), myplate (18), nutrition (140), obesity (8)

Create and explore different budgeting options using this online tool. View proposed options in several categories such as housing, food, and personal expenses. Adjust your budget as desired to view various proposals and outcomes. Choose the link to print your finished budget.
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tag(s): careers (182), financial literacy (95), percent (59)

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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tag(s): addition (127), area (53), calculators (36), division (96), fractions (159), measurement (123), multiplication (120), percent (59), quadratics (27), subtraction (108), volume (33)

Find lesson plans at the Pulitzer Center for grades 3-12 that identify global issues and ways to address them. Topics include subjects such as International Adoptions: Ethics and Effects and America's Responsibility for the Welfare and Safety of Chinese Workers and many other intriguing topics. Each lesson plan includes big ideas, essential questions, Common Core standards, vocabulary, assessments, and additional resources. Bring lessons to life through journalist visits (in larger cities) or Skype visits.

tag(s): africa (170), careers (182), china (83), debate (42), earthquakes (47), ethics (21), food chains (19), hiv/aids (15), india (33), journalism (74), media literacy (113), water (105), women (154)

Learn to manage money while having fun living on a 20 "bean" salary using this printable game. Use the directions and discussion questions to play two rounds of the game. Although it is possible to play with individual players, the site recommends groups of between 2 and 5 players for optimal results. Even though this game is "low tech," it is a great teaching tool!

tag(s): financial literacy (95), game based learning (206)

Watch full length documentaries online for free. Find your favorites through daily suggestions, browsing the top 100, or searching categories: 9/11, activism, art, aviation, business, comedy, crime, disaster, drugs, economics, environmental, food/drink, health, media, medicine, music, nature, performing arts, philosophy, political, religion, science, social, sport, strange, technology, travel, and many more. Look at film festivals and films featured in each. If you do not find what you are looking for, submit your request. A link to Amazon brings you to DVD's. Some are free, and others are for sale.
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tag(s): video (267)

Dive into Documentary Storm to discover 100% free documentary films. The goal of the website is to share knowledge spread ideas, and have fun. Search the different channels to find exactly what you are seeking. Topics included are art, biography, conspiracy, culture, drugs, environment, health, indie films, lifestyle, mockumentaries, money, nature, politics, psychology, religion, science, society, sports, technology, war, and many more. Search in the top 100 documentaries, or click use"surprise me." Connect with Facebook, RSS, X (formerly Twitter), or email.

tag(s): video (267)

Learn about basic money tools and other financial matters with Hands On Banking. Courses are provided for kids through adults with topics such as using credit, budgeting, and smart investing. Under the heading Practioner find the online activities, PowerPiont Slides and instructor guides (in PDF format) available for all age and grade ranges. Courses are also available for use on mobile devices.

tag(s): financial literacy (95), money (113)

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 (118), DAT device agnostic tool (146), organizational skills (88), rubrics (36), 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 (168), independent reading (82)

Find a great source for all your energy information at Energy Kids! Discover energy sources, forms of energy (renewable and non-renewable), electricity, hydrogen, and recent statistics on energy use. There are games and activities to help reinforce the concepts presented. Detailed lesson plans, science fair experiments, field trip information, and more help you provide a more comprehensive unit. Don't miss the history of energy timeline with all the famous people. There is even a link "For Teachers" where you can find lesson plans from K to secondary.

tag(s): conservation (101), energy (133), natural resources (37)

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 (95), money (113)

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 (21), charts and graphs (169), nutrition (140), plants (148), water (105)

Candy Experiments offers several great experiments to explore concepts such as sink/float, density, and color separation. Everyone loves a science experiment, especially if it involves food! Choose an experiment to find a list of materials, activity procedures, and a short explanation of the science. Some experiments also include a YouTube video demonstrating the experiment. If your district blocks YouTube, they may not be viewable. Be sure to check out the words of caution at the bottom of the list of experiments before attempting to do them.
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tag(s): acids and bases (8), colors (63), density (17)

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.
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tag(s): ecology (105), environment (251), inventors and inventions (81), persuasive writing (58), resources (83)

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 (121), preK (289), resources (83)