Teachers First - Thinking Teachers Teaching Thinkers

ePals, a global community, offers students the chance to connect with other students around the world (200+ countries). This site is one of the largest worldwide communities for global collaboration. Don't worry about student email accounts as they are no longer needed! Don't worry about the language barrier either, there is a built-in language translation! This content-rich site offers a free "how to" webinar on the Support page on the bottom menu. There are several support videos on YouTube. If you district blocks YouTube they may not be available in you classroom. The program offers teacher to teacher and teacher to student communications, pen pal exchanges, Classroom Collaborative Projects, Spark!Lab Invent It Challenges, and more. In addition, you can click on the Collaborative Projects link to find several ready to use projects (Self Driving Cars, Hamilton, Habitats, Maps, Natural Disasters, Water, and others).

tag(s): black history (133), collaboration (93), communication (129), disasters (37), environment (252), habitats (92), maps (220), natural disasters (18), water (102)

Want to know what's new in Antarctica? Read the online version of the daily paper published during the "summer" season that begins in October. This one's interesting as much for its insights on life in Antarctica as for its scientific substance.

tag(s): antarctica (30), arctic (40)

This collection of Cinco de Mayo videos and more from The History Channel explores many angles on this important day. Learn about the food and fun! Learn about the historical impact of the holiday and its significance to Mexicans (and folks from other countries, as well). There is even a Meciao Memory game (click "interactives"). Read the backgound historical information and explore related articles, even a Mexico timeline.

tag(s): cinco de mayo (10), hispanic (36), mexico (37)

Forvo offers word pronunciations in a whopping 213 languages, with more words recorded every day. Besides common languages, there are a host of unusual and even rare and old languages whose words students can hear on the site: Lithuanian, Latin, Tibetan, Franco-Provencal, Walloon, and many others. Speakers of other languages may wish to contribute their own pronunciations for unusual words; all of the speakers on the site are native speakers! Words are organized by languages and also in 6 very general categories which include people, music, countries, etc. The site also includes Google Maps of the areas where the languages are spoken. Files are downloadable to mp3's and other types of recorders. But you can also listen to them directly online without downloading. Native speakers can also dispute recorded pronunciations and request for new languages to be added. There is free membership, but this is only needed if you wish to rate recordings or participate as a contributor.

tag(s): maps (220), pronunciation (34)

This site offers an interactive world map quiz. You are asked to type in your name and click Start Game. The site asks you to identify various countries on the map by clicking on them. If you are incorrect, the correct location is highlighted. You can play again and again, with a new game (and a chance to correct your wrong answers and new llocations) each time. This is great for reinforcing world map skills!

tag(s): countries (73), maps (220)

The China Guide offers a fantastic panoramic video of the Great Wall of China. Throughout the panoramic video, viewers can choose to enter various areas of the structure and "walk" to other areas and towers along the wall. Snippets of history and other explanations are provided while taking the tour. The site provides a realistic opportunity for students to view the Great Wall of China in a manner other than pictures. Many of the photos appear in pop-up windows, so you need to turn off your pop up blocker for THIS site only. Be aware: this site was created by a travel agency, so you will encounter some advertisements for booking trips.

tag(s): china (81), virtual field trips (128)

This site shows a short but powerful video that breaks down the demographic makeup of the world if it were reduced to 100 people. Besides ethnic differences, it also shows statistics for sex divisions, urban vs. rural living situations, percentage of people with disabilities, general living conditions, literacy/educational level, computer ownership/internet hookup, military presence, economic conditions, religions, and general material possessions.

The site can be viewed in English, Portuguese, Spanish, French, or German. Although the text and statistics are familiar, they have been updated for this video with its vivid closeups and haunting music. The text upon which the video is based is also online here.

tag(s): population (51), religions (95)

Explore vocabulary and word activities related to vacations on this extensive site for vocabulary, roots, and more. Find interactive vocabulary activities the same list of using vacation vocabulary words. There are printable crosswords, fill in the blanks and more, all using the same theme words. This and other "themes" available on the site will make vocabulary development fun.

tag(s): back to school (55), vocabulary (238)

You might not want to do an entire lesson on St Patrick's Day, but a few short activities in observance of the holiday could be a nice addition. This site offers just that. The best feature is a short video that delves into the history of the holiday and explains why it is still celebrated today, but there are several other options. Test your students' knowledge of St. Patrick's Day trivia with two interactive quizzes. Or use some of the site's other links as the basis for a teacher-created "treasure hunt." Other highlights include recipes, reference information about many famous Irish men and women, parade information, and more.

This site is very well done and offers a lot of information. If you are doing any activities about St. Patrick's Day, don't miss this site. Be aware: there are advertisements.

tag(s): holidays (187), ireland (11), st patricks day (12)

This gallery of World War II-era cartoons by Theodor Geisel, reveal the acerbic wit and political philosophy of the beloved children's author. The site also features audio and video clips from Dr. Seuss on his career and a brief history of political cartooning. Two lesson plans - focusing on the American themes and social messages addressed by Geisel - are available for downloading (and include McRel standards).

tag(s): comics and cartoons (55), dr seuss (12), world war 2 (161)

Create maps -- for multiple reasons -- with ease. As you 'travel' through your geography or history course, create an ongoing map of the places you've visited and embed/post it on your blog or any webpage. Simply type in the title of your map, choose the land masses you wish to include, and then click on the correct boxes for your particular locations. When finished, click the You're Ready box at the bottom of the screen. Now scroll to the top to see what your map will look like. The embed code (geek-speak term for computer gobble-dee-gook that tells your computer how to find and display the map you have made) for your map is ready to copy and paste into your webpage. You can find the embed code to the right of the map. There is also a button to Reset and Start Over.

tag(s): maps (220)

Take a short journey to learn about the Blues' history, including audio presented by the Kennedy Center. Begin by learning about the roots of blues found in songs and spirituals of Black field workers in the 1930s, then travel on a four-part journey through the decades to discover "new" blues heard in the music of modern artists such as Cat Power and Gnarls Barkley. Audio recordings are available to download to your device as an MP3 file.

tag(s): blues (22), chicago (4), jazz (16), louisiana (6), mississippi (5)

Need a PowerPoint? Check this site first to find one on a topic you need from the vast array available. The free PowerPoints and interactive activities are easily downloaded. To find the FREE PowerPoint presentations, click on the FREE Presentations in PowerPoint Format link found directly under the red train. There are literally hundreds of topics (over 1,200 at the time of this review). Topics are listed in alphabetical order. There are so many topics: Plagiarism, Integers, Interjections, IQ Tests, Nathaniel Hawthorne, Graphic Organizers, Graphs, Gold Rush, the Bible, Economics, Amelia Earhart (and many other heroes), Descriptive Writing, Coral Reefs, Civil Rights Movement, Autism, Ancient Civilizations, Presidents, Louisiana Purchase, Money, Music Instruments, How to Write an Outline, Rosa Parks, Resumes, Terrorism, Vietnam War, and many MANY others. Primary teachers will appreciate simple activities on Dolch words and other sight vocabulary! Pages are arranged in topics such as "Plants and Animals," "World History," "Biology, Chemistry, and Physics," and "Problem Solving." There are many professional topics on exceptionalities, as well. Each page includes a vast array of subtopics. Other links on the page include "Greta's Game Station" and "Hannah's Help" which offers information on researching.

tag(s): 20th century (62), adhd (28), back to school (55), electricity (61), flight (34), inventors and inventions (80), literature (221), parts of speech (39), polar (10), politics (118), speech (69), states (124), war of 1812 (15), world war 1 (77), world war 2 (161)

This site from the American Radioworks series uses a series of documentary audio recordings along with text and images to tell the story of the Jim Crow segregation laws in the United States. Featuring remembrances by those who where there, the site offers an engaging perspective on an era that ended more recently than many realize. If you teach American History, or have any lessons around Black History month, there is so much information to learn at this site, that you don't want to miss it!

tag(s): africa (148), african american (115), black history (133), civil rights (209), racism (79), segregation (18)

View this Youtube Playlist to see a PBS special focused on the last five years of Dr. Martin Luther King's life, from his "I Have a Dream" Speech in 1963 to his assassination in 1968. Highlights include a discussion of his non-violence philosophy. This is a great resource for a 20th century American history class. If your district blocks YouTube, the video may not be viewable.

tag(s): 1960s (26), africa (148), african american (115), black history (133), civil rights (209), martin luther king (45)

The department of history at the University of Pennsylvania developed this searchable collection of primary source materials dealing with the Civil War. The collection includes editorial cartoons, images, and manuscripts, all grouped by subject and time period. While some of the material will require interpretation, this would be a useful site for secondary research that requires the use of primary sources. Some of the sources require Adobe Acrobat. You can get it from the TeachersFirst Toolbox page.

tag(s): civil war (139), lincoln (66), primary sources (117)

Those interested in the Civil War will enjoy this one. The simple timeline offers a comment about the events of the day drawn from Civil War history. From the menu on the right, find interesting topics like Civil War Facts, Trigger Events of the Civil War, The Reason for Secession, and others, with links to additional information.

tag(s): civil war (139), lincoln (66)

This site, created by The History Place offers a chronological listing of Civil War events (with pictures) and is easy to navigate. This site features topics such as Fort Sumter Attacked, Gettysburg, Shiloh, and several others. The timeline format is easy to understand. The photos are authentic and informative.

tag(s): civil war (139), lincoln (66)

Although this site is "plain vanilla," it offers some nice research information and photos of five "Lincoln" topics: Lincoln Becomes President, the Emancipation Proclamation, the Battle of Gettysburg, the Kansas-Nebraska Act, and the Dred Scott Decision. Nearly all of this site is displayed in a timeline format. There are some basic advertisements at this site, nothing too distracting.

tag(s): emancipation proclamation (13), gettysburg (15), gettysburg address (12), lincoln (66)