Teachers First - Thinking Teachers Teaching Thinkers

The Literacy Design Collaborative supports the development of literacy through a series of templates for use with text when writing. There are also templates for other subjects. Most templates address secondary levels; however, other offerings contain some elementary templates. Template tasks allow you to fill in the blank with learning skills addressed. When completed, you create and produce a high-quality assignment. Three collections are available by choosing the tasks link: the template task collection II, Common Core template tasks, and K-2 template tasks. Use links provided to view instructions and download templates in PDF format. Choose the modules link to view and download complete modules for instruction for English, Science, and Social Studies. Also available at the Literacy Design Collaborative is a series of videos demonstrating changing teacher practice and literacy. Most of the videos are hosted on YouTube. If your district blocks YouTube, then they may not be viewable.

tag(s): american revolution (86), animals (292), biodiversity (36), canada (25), careers (183), china (83), civil rights (221), cold war (31), ecosystems (85), energy (133), evolution (89), gettysburg (15), gettysburg address (12), india (32), industrial revolution (22), lincoln (67), literacy (122), marine biology (31), photosynthesis (21), poetry (195), pollution (53), professional development (395), shakespeare (99)

See what the world was like at that time with Take Me Back To. Type in any date you want to visit. Results offer a short text passage about who was president and what music was popular (if available). See samples of movies, magazines, book charts, advertisements, and more. Unfortunately, the site doesn't go back beyond 1900, so any search before that time will default to that date in 1900. Searches can be done on dates up to the present. Note that clicking on some of the images offered takes you to paid services or current issues of the same magazine.
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tag(s): 1900s (72), 1910s (6), 1920s (14), 1930s (20), 1940s (14), 1950s (8), 1960s (26), 1970s (10), 1980s (7), 20th century (62), decades (7), timelines (57)

This "must-see" site includes many tests for Kindergarten through grade 7. Activities support California State Standards and Common Core Standards. Each activity includes a link with standards addressed. Choose by grade level or topic. Each topic has a drop-down box to further refine choice by grade level and content.

tag(s): addition (127), alphabetical order (8), capitalization (9), decimals (85), division (96), earth (182), fractions (159), geometric shapes (132), homophones (6), keyboarding (28), map skills (64), maps (224), money (112), multiplication (119), number sense (68), reading comprehension (152), sign language (11), spelling (98), subtraction (108), synonyms (15), time (91), vocabulary (242)

Look at political, national and international issues from all sides: left, right, and center. Colored banners identify the perspective. Current content focuses on political discussions, find other topics by clicking the Topics menu tab at the top. There you'll find health care, finances, parenting, abortion, gun control, and many others. Choose from different tabs to view issues, bias, and the site's blog. Especially interesting is the bias section. Readers rate their own bias on several issues to determine their bias toward left, center, or right. Don't miss the Schools tab. Email signup is available to become involved with the site but isn't necessary to access all of the articles and content.
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tag(s): elections (81), evaluating sources (30), media literacy (113), politics (118)

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 (291), resources (83)

Teaching Kids News is an excellent, visual newspaper for kids grades 2 through 8. Set up in a typical newspaper format, articles contain interesting images and easy to read text. Use curriculum connections included with every article for an instant lesson plan or discussion starter. View by choosing category selections such as news, entertainment, science, politics, and more. One interesting and helpful feature is the use of tags with each article. Choose from clearly labeled tags to find other articles with similar topics. Included on the right side of the site are tags used most often on the entire site. Larger and bolder text indicates most widely used tags. Share articles easily using social media links included to most common sites such as Facebook and X (formerly Twitter). Read the How to Use This Site page for ideas on how to make the most of this site with students.

tag(s): literacy (122), news (225), newspapers (93)

This White House tour uses Google Maps street view tools to "tour" the inside of America's home. Use the circle tool in the lower left corner to rotate around the room, and click on objects to get a closer view.

tag(s): presidents (135), virtual field trips (132), white house (15)

With Liberty and Justice for All is a special exhibit at the Henry Ford Museum in Michigan. The focus is on the American quest for equal rights, with a special emphasis on the Women's Suffrage Movement and the Civil Rights Movement. The site includes a video tour of the exhibit and lesson plans with standards for fourth through twelfth grade levels. The lesson plans presume a visit to the museum, but could be adapted fairly easily for groups who are unable to visit the museum itself.

tag(s): branches of government (64), civil rights (221), constitution (99), freedom of speech (14), womens suffrage (52)

Try your fingers at a puzzle similar to the classic word jumbles found in newspapers. Choose a puzzle date; then the timer starts to test how quickly you can find a solution. Unscramble the sets of words by dragging the letters into their correct spot in the word. Then unscramble the circled letters to find the answer to the problem in the puzzle. The cartoon with the puzzle question can be printed in pdf format and colored. Click on the hint button for additional help in solving puzzles.

tag(s): puzzles (148), spelling (98), vocabulary (242), word study (58)

IndyKids is an online newspaper for kids. This online version is the same as the printable version that produces 10,000 copies of each issue, reaching kids in 36 states of the US. Articles are written by both kids and adults, featuring topics related to current events and topics of interest to kids. Articles written by kids are noted as such and include the writer's age. At the time of this review, some of the "kid written articles" included Growing Poverty: Hard to Ignore At Home, Wasps: Do I Know You, and several others. Be sure to check out the category search on the lower right-hand portion of the site with topics such as: Kids Around the World, Culture and Activism, Education, and much more. Newspapers are archived in PDF format for easy printing and dated back several years.

tag(s): creative writing (125), expository writing (31), journalism (74), persuasive writing (58), writing (322)

Nobelprize.org is the official website of the Nobel Prize. Here you find information about Alfred Nobel, the prizewinners, interviews, and photos. Videos of interviews of Nobel peace prizewinners, speeches, ceremonies, interviews, banquets, lectures, announcements, award ceremonies, and documentaries fill the gamut of all of the prizewinners. The Nobel prizes awards are in literature, chemistry, medicine, peace, economics, and physics. Under the Education tab at the top find arieties of educational games/activities and lesson plans help explain many of the Nobel Award winners' work. This site clearly explains and illustrates the purpose of the awards, the award winners, and their ideas. Videos give an insider look at each of the winners.

tag(s): creativity (87), literature (221), medicine (57)

This short animated YouTube clip shares specific copyright issues, focusing on reusing previously developed materials available on the Internet by uploading and presenting them on YouTube. It begins with a written quiz on the right side of the page to assess prior knowledge and also to get viewers thinking about copyright issues. It presents the message that uploading copyrighted material onto YouTube can have serious consequences. It also explores the fact that, in addition to written and broadcast media, performances and other public presentations may also be copyrighted. It explains the concept of Fair Use in easy-to-understand terms and examples. It also points out that you may watch for people who misuse material and report any such items so they will be removed from YouTube. The video is hosted on YouTube. If your district blocks YouTube, then it may not be viewable.
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tag(s): copyright (43), multimedia (55), plagiarism (34)

This PBS site is a reorganized collection of over 16,000+ public media offerings (including radio and photographs), arranged specifically for preK-12 teachers. You can search by subject (the landing page subject is physical education) and grade level across many subjects. After viewing three offerings, you must join (for free) to continue. Membership includes the option of saving favorites. Use the search box at the top to find correlations to state standards. The site is still in development, so material is being added frequently.

tag(s): alphabet (52), careers (183), dance (33), data (150), decimals (85), diseases (66), fitness (39), human body (91), mark twain (8), multimedia (55), music theory (47), percent (59), probability (98), problem solving (233), psychology (65)

Mind 42 is an easy to use mind mapping (or concept mapping) tool. You create the format and easily add links, notes, to do lists, images, or even a Wikipedia article. Import the result into documents or perhaps a Skype conversation. Bring mind maps/concept maps to a new level!

tag(s): concept mapping (15), mind map (28)

This site offers many songs related to math, social studies, and science concepts. Science concepts include water & pollution, scientific inquiry, changes in matter, and much more. Math concepts range from order of operations to quadratic and exponential functions. After choosing a topic, you can listen to the song online, download the mp3, view lyrics, and possibly view an accompanying video. (Not all topics include the video.) Some topics also include a teacher guide with lesson suggestions. This site does mention that you can create your own videos. However, at the time of this review, that feature was not working.

tag(s): africa (170), area (53), atoms (43), bill of rights (34), branches of government (64), cells (82), civil war (142), constitution (99), elements (33), equations (118), exponents (35), factoring (24), factors (28), functions (52), inquiry (30), integers (21), matter (45), nutrition (140), oceans (149), order of operations (29), quadratics (27), rainforests (18), ratios (47), songs (46), sound (71), volume (33), water (105), world war 2 (163)

This interactive graphic organizer helps students develop an outline for one of three types of comparison essays: whole-to-whole, similarities-to-differences, or point-to-point. A link in the introduction to the "Comparison and Contrast Guide" gives students the chance to get definitions and look at examples before they begin working. The tool offers multiple ways to navigate information, including a graphic on the right to move around the map without having to work in a linear fashion. The finished map can be saved, e-mailed, or printed. There are many additional interactives and lesson plans (with standards included!).

tag(s): charts and graphs (169), concept mapping (15), graphic organizers (49)

KidRex is an engaging, safe search engine for students that is powered by Google Custom Search and Google SafeSearch technology. In addition to typical filters applied to searches, the site maintains its own database of inappropriate websites and keywords to further reduce the possibility of inappropriate search returns. The search engine is easy to use and similar to a typical Google search. You simply enter the search term and a list of sites is returned. Inappropriate search terms are returned with an "Oops, try again!" message. Before using the site, be sure to click on the Parents link for a quick overview of how the site works.
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tag(s): internet safety (116), search engines (47)