Teachers First - Thinking Teachers Teaching Thinkers

Estuary Education is a great site to dive into learning about estuaries. Explore NOAA's living classrooms and laboratories. Scientists working for NOAA's National Estuarine Research Reserve System produce and/or review the current and cutting edge content on the site. Skim the surface of estuary education on the "About Estuaries" page or use the "Video Gallery" page to dive deeper into your learning of estuaries. The video clips are the next best thing to visiting a real estuary. The Estuaries 101 Curriculum modules for grades 6 through 12 feature hands-on learning, experiments, field work, and data explorations. It deepens students understanding about estuaries and how estuaries affect their daily lives. The resources page provides information and links to different sources outside of the estuaries.gov site that have been carefully reviewed and chosen to expand understanding on a particular topic and deemed to be scientifically accurate. Try the interactives from the link on the student page to test your knowledge or take the quiz! Estuary Education is a great site to connect with the coastal environment.

tag(s): biomes (110), ecology (103), ecosystems (83), marine biology (31)

Explore Ancient Egypt! Choose from topics such as hieroglyphs, pyramids and temples, or kings and queens. Topics includes descriptions, maps, videos, and more to take an in-depth look. Be sure to check out the cool hieroglyphic typewriter for typing names and sending or printing secret messages! The videos from this site are hosted on YouTube. If your district blocks YouTube, they may not be viewable.
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tag(s): egypt (56), pyramids (21)

Free Map Tools provides tools for measuring, marking up, and using overlays with maps. Scroll through to find tools for discovering the radius around any point on a map, calculating the area of the enclosed point on a map, or determining the distance between any two points. Choose any of the tools to begin and follow directions to find results. This site has some clickable advertisements, so be cautious where you click.
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tag(s): area (53), map skills (63), maps (220), measurement (122)

Totally History offers a brief overview on many historical events and topics. Choose from categories including art history, U.S. history, world history, famous history, and the history of technology. Within each topic, find facts and a several paragraph overview of the content.
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tag(s): american revolution (82), art history (102), civil war (139), presidents (135), religions (95), vietnam (38), world war 1 (77), world war 2 (161)

View this interactive Google map to discover where "fraccidents" have occurred and a description of what happened. A "fraccident" is when something goes wrong at a fracking site. Hydraulic fracturing, or "fracking" is drilling to fracture shale rocks to release natural gas. Fracking is a controversial technology, and this site is one organization's efforts to slow the pace of industrial gas development. So you will notice some bias. Find out if anything like this has happened near you. At the bottom of the page is a video, "Finding Their Way." It is about a Williamsport, PA couple who developed strategies to stop industrial gas development in Rider Park, land consisting of forests, rivers, and fields. The video also gives statistics about how quickly fracking wells were built in Pennsylvania from 2007 - 2010.

tag(s): disasters (37), energy (133), environment (252), geology (62), natural resources (37), oil (22), resources (83)

Find a constantly updated collection of informational articles about the environment of the Great Lakes. Subscribe to receive news of current feature articles. The variety of article topics is sure to catch the interest of almost any reader. The articles have Creative Commons Attribution - Share Alike licenses so are free to use and recopy (be sure to attribute!).
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tag(s): animals (294), fish (18), insects (68), plants (146), pollution (52), water (102), watersheds (8), weather (160)

From Botswana to Zimbabwe, explore the diverse nations that make up the continent of Africa. Begin by choosing a country from the list to read short articles including information about the history, climate, culture, and highlights of each area. This site is rather text-heavy, but includes a lot of useful information.
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tag(s): africa (148)

The Young People's Trust for the Environment (UK) offers a large selection of fact sheets about animals and environmental issues. The information is primarily text-based. Scroll through the alphabetical list of animals to view available fact sheets. Sheets contain an image along with other pertinent information such as habitat, size, food, and daily life. Click the blue box on the upper left side of the page to download and print all information in PDF format. Note: Only text appears on downloaded sheets; images appear as X's. Choose the Environmental Facts link to explore fact sheets with subjects ranging from Acid Rain through Zoos. This site was created in the United Kingdom, so you may notice some slight spelling differences from American English.

tag(s): acid rain (3), animal homes (57), animals (294), climate (84), energy (133), environment (252), habitats (92), pollution (52)

Visit four of the world's poorest slums through this powerful collection of stories, images, and sounds. Following the introduction, choose a city: Caracas, Venezuela, Nairobi, Kenya, Jakarta, Indonesia, or Mumbai, India. Hear each family's story by choosing from images at the top of each page or view the slideshow including images, audio, and facts about the region.

tag(s): africa (148), cross cultural understanding (173), india (32)

This tool is a stunning 3D reconstruction and tour of the Giza pyramids, Sphinx, and other structures. Watch a guided tour both around and inside the structures. This tour also shows structures at various points in history. To view in 3D, the 3D Lifeplayer needs to be installed. Note: This site may take a little time to load.

tag(s): architecture (75), egypt (56), pyramids (21)

Create highly stylized map images with this tool. This tool is very similar to the Photoshop layers palette and easily creates map layers using data already available in Open Street Map. Create layers using backgrounds, roads, labels, and satellite imagery. Modify the layers' color, opacity, and brightness. Easily highlight or color portions of the map you want to standout. Share the image you create via Pinterest or Tumblr. Share your map image also by a link. Use precision detail with image overlays and layer effects, even creating masks for other layers. The tool can also be used to create a regular map in the colors you want. This site takes some tinkering to figure out but yields colorful and interesting maps.

tag(s): images (263), maps (220)

The State Archives of Florida provides online access to resources that had a significant impact in Florida's history. The collection includes over 176,000 photographs, more than 110 videos, an audio collection, historical and genealogical collection, exhibits, and an online classroom. The online classroom contains lesson plans, online activities, and primary documents of Florida's past. Enjoy folk music from Florida's past or look at Florida in the Civil War. There is a lot here to explore about Florida and beyond.

tag(s): black history (133), civil war (139), florida (12), hurricanes (32), states (124)

Generate maps with unlimited markers easily with this tool! NO membership is required to create, save, or collaborate on maps, and you do not need to install software. Enter a title, description (optional), an admin password for others to collaborate, and a starting location to create your map. Add simple or detailed markers to your map. Input data from multiple formats: KML, CSV, Excel, and more. Add video, audio, and information to each of the markers. Markers can also be customized icons. Be sure to check out the menu options available such as Additions, where areas of the map can be highlighted and Annotations can be added to the markers. Share your map by URL or publish on a webpage.

tag(s): directions (11), map skills (63), maps (220)

Explore award-winning resources related to British History presented by the British National Archives. Choose from Medieval Times through the present. You can also choose by Key Stage (similar to grade level bands). If you aren't familiar with Key Stages: Stage 1 is K-2, Stage 2 is grades 3-5, Stage 3 is grades 6-8, Stage 4 is grades 9-10, and Stage 5 is grades 11-12. While this site does have materials for all stages, there isn't a huge selection for Stage 1.

Download lessons, Resource Packs, and Podcasts. Be sure to check out the extensive section for students including games, study skill tips and advice, and information on using primary sources. Learn about important people, government officials, and heroes of the past and present such as Charles Dickens and Florence Nightingale. Explore and research famous events/times such as American Civil Rights Movement or Life During War Times. The site was created in the UK, so some of the pronunciations and spellings may differ from American English. A very few resources require Flash, but there is so much more here, that the site is worth your time.

tag(s): dickens (10), great britain (16), heroes (24), industrial revolution (22), medieval (32), victorian (16), world war 1 (77), world war 2 (161)

The Authentic History Center provides a catalog of popular culture images and primary sources from the 1600's throughout American history (final timeframe is 2009 - 2020). Explore by time period: World War I, The Decision to Use the Atomic Bomb, Great Depression, and more. Artifacts range from posters to magazine covers to cartoons. There are also audio and video recordings. You can "hear" what popular music was like in the lead-in to World War II, for example. Many topics include a great deal of text to read and explore. Choose a specific time period and category such as photographs, music, or technology to explore content. Most sections include a short overview of the time period with links to artifacts. What makes this collection especially useful is the sorting and grouping they have done for you so you can choose and experience an era. A few of the video clips are hosted on YouTube. If your district blocks YouTube, they may not be viewable. Most of the materials are Creative Commons licensed, so they can be used in multimedia projects if you give proper credit. Click the CC icon on the page where you find a clip or source to see specific rights.

tag(s): 1600s (20), 1700s (36), 1800s (75), 1900s (72), 20th century (62), civil war (139), cold war (30), great depression (30), photography (130), vietnam (38), world war 1 (77), world war 2 (161)

Why just read about polar bears in the news? Follow polar bears with the Bear Tracker. Learn about their habitat and efforts to save them. Use the "About Bears" tab to find the "Polar Bear Tracker Map" and watch polar bears traverse the sea ice. Be sure to look at the unit and lesson plans that accompany the Tracker Map. Learn about Global Warming, Polar Bear Facts and Information, and more in the "About Bears" section. Click on the Science tab to view research projects, status reports, and care guidelines for polar bears. Find lesson plans, WebQuests, and mini courses for teacher use.
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tag(s): animals (294), biomes (110), conservation (102), ecosystems (83), polar (10), tundra (14)

Find high interest primary sources for anything from teddy bears to Abraham Lincoln to King Kamehameha and much more. There are also primary sources for world connections for Serbia, Iran, and Cambodia. Common Core emphasizes "reading" of visual sources of information, and this is the perfect source. Be sure to click on Learning Resources and Teaching Resources for lesson plans for Literature Links, Lesson Plans, Tech Tools, Integrating Tech, and much more. This is a growing resource, so be sure to sign up for their newsletter. The Primary Source Nexus is the online support resource for the TPS-Barat Library of Congress Teaching with Primary Sources Program. This is a great place to look for ideas to use for History Day! For instance, use the search bar to find several resources for Juneteenth. Preview before sharing with students.

tag(s): advertising (26), black history (133), cross cultural understanding (173), history day (39), immigration (68), journalism (74), Juneteenth (22), lincoln (66), martin luther king (45), poetry (193), presidents (135), primary sources (117), professional development (385), roosevelt (15), slavery (79), writing prompts (61)

Immerse yourself in soundscapes from around the world! Soundscapes feature recordings of bird songs, frogs, insects, hippos in a pool, and more. Hover over the location points to view the title. Choose one of the locations on the World map to view information about the nature of the recording, a picture of the organism featured, a link to the recordist and videos, and a "Listen" button to play the recording. Move around the map as you would in Google Maps, reviewed here. Zoom in and out to see locations all around the world.

tag(s): animals (294), biomes (110), cultures (180), environment (252), habitats (92), plants (146), sounds (43)

Use Image Atlas to search images from several countries instantly! Click the words "Atlas selection" to checkbox the countries you want from among several dozen. Enter the image search term and choose to either sort them alphabetically or by GDP. For example, search the word "beauty" to view the differences in images of beauty in a variety of countries. Try "home" to see different homes or "lunch" to see differing foods. Try "school" or "teacher" to see how differently they are portrayed (or are they?). Click on each image to view the article from which the image originates. Some of this content may not be appropriate for the classroom. You may want to preview search results, before you share them. Or better yet, complete the searching together with a student or class.

tag(s): cross cultural understanding (173), images (263), photography (130)

The Presidential Classroom offers resources for students and teachers that provide insight into historic events, the presidency, and U.S. government. Contents include lesson plans, presidential profiles, video clips, and teachable exhibits. Click either Presidency or Educational Resources in the upper left corner to find these. Explore exhibits by historical event or sort by administration. Exhibits provide a look at specific moments during a presidential administration including transcripts, videos, and audio of events. Choose the presidents link to get a look at each of the US presidents including quick facts, personal information, and cabinet members. Lesson plans include topics such as Space, Vietnam, and Cuba and include correlations to Virginia state standards.

tag(s): jefferson (19), kennedy (20), lincoln (66), presidents (135), space (222), vietnam (38), washington (28), white house (16)