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Running for Office--Cartoons of Clifford K. Berryman - The National Archives
Grades
7 to 12As an important primary source, political cartoons provide an important insight into the issues and controversies of their time period. More than simply who did what, and what happened where, these drawings show us the emotions and conflict involved in the ugly and messy business of politics.
tag(s): comics and cartoons (55), elections (82), politics (118), presidents (135)
In the Classroom
Students can gain insight into the events of the first half of the 20th century as well as draw parallels between the issues of that time and today. How are Presidential campaigns different and how are they similar? Enhance student learning by challenging them to create their own political comics. Have students create a rough draft of their comic using Canva's Printable Comic Strip Templates, reviewed here. Then, students can create and share their comics online using a tool like ToonyTools, reviewed here, for a single frame comic, or Make Beliefs Comix, reviewed here, for multiple frames.Digg.com - Digg Inc.
Grades
7 to 12tag(s): debate (42), news (228), social networking (61)
In the Classroom
Try using Digg as a warmup Internet activity in the beginning of the school year by having older students sign up for their own account. Have them scan and read as part of current events teaching. The articles can be controversial which provides a great place to start debates. Are you beginning to integrate technology into your classroom? Use a tool such as WeJIT, or if you are a more experienced technology user try Virtual Debate, which has online examples and resources for conducting virtual debates, to formalize a debate topic. Digg also provides an excellent resource for research. Have students make a multimedia presentation using Genial.ly. Genial.ly allows you to add polls, videos, embeds, web links, PowerPoint, PDFs, and you can create a variety of formats like interactive posters, images, infographics, charts, presentations, and more.IndyKids - IndyKids
Grades
3 to 8tag(s): creative writing (124), expository writing (31), journalism (74), persuasive writing (58), writing (325)
In the Classroom
Share this site with students and have students choose an article to read, summarize, or expand upon. After reading articles on the site, have students choose a current topic that interests them and have them write an article as practice of informational writing. In science or social studies, study the newspaper format as students write articles reporting on scientific discoveries or famous people. Use the format of this newsletter as a resource for extending learning and creating and publishing your own classroom newsletter online. During newspapers in education month, use this site to find accessible articles for any age. Create a newspaper using a site such as Printing Press,reviewed here).Smarthistory Art History Conversation - Dr. Beth Harris and Dr. Steven Zucker with Khan Academy
Grades
3 to 12tag(s): art history (102), medieval (32), renaissance (38)
In the Classroom
A must for any art classroom, Smarthistory adds an extra dimension and deeper understanding to any history, social studies, or cultural studies classroom. Use the Smarthistory videos on YouTube to engage and enhance student learning. If the videos aren't viewable in class assign students to watch them at home; that's perfect for the flipped or blended classroom. If you are going to require students to watch the videos from home, consider using edupuzzle, to add your own voice or add questions within the video. Use in writing workshops to provide insights to art and culture and to into thoughts and feelings. Study written works alongside the art of past time periods. Bring unlimited, world-class resources to each class. Gifted classes will devour this website. Provide this link on your class website to offer students extra challenge and exploration.Docs Teach - The National Archives
Grades
6 to 12tag(s): american revolution (82), civil war (139), digital storytelling (154), great depression (30), industrial revolution (22), primary sources (117), Teacher Utilities (198), westward expansion (39), world war 1 (77), world war 2 (161)
In the Classroom
If you teach history or social studies, you know what a great emphasis is being placed on the use of primary documents in helping students develop an awareness of the perspectives of those who lived during a particular era. Use this site to develop sophisticated lessons using primary documents on US History with the activity builder. Use the ready-made activities (the majority of which are available once you've registered), on an interactive whiteboard or projector for the whole class or assign groups of students to work independently at a computer workstation or at home. These activities encourage higher order thinking among students rather than simply the memorization of facts.National Jukebox - Library of Congress
Grades
4 to 12tag(s): composers (14), listening (93), lyrics (15), sound (72)
In the Classroom
Introduce a class novel, a unit in the 20th century, the Great Depression, or WWII by having the class listen to music from that time period. You can also couple this site with the Old Radio World site, reviewed here, to help students get an overview of what life and entertainment was like.Challenge students to create an interactive timeline of artists during a specific musical era. First, show them how to embed media transforming their findings and then challenge them to use a site such as Timeline JS, reviewed here. Timeline JS offers the option to upload and add photos, videos, audio, Tweets, and Google Maps making it interactive.
Have your students create an online "scrapbook" of a specific composer using Smilebox, (reviewed here.) Throw out the tests and have students demonstrate what they have learned by creating a scrapbook full of information!
Lyrics Gaps - lyricsgaps.com
Grades
5 to 12This site includes advertising.
tag(s): cross cultural understanding (173), cultures (180), french (75), german (49), greek (47), italian (31), japanese (47), portuguese (22), russian (26), songs (46), spanish (109)
In the Classroom
This is a wonderful find for ENL/ESL and world language teachers. Teachers may prefer to do a class registration and use the offerings of the site with the entire class. Challenge your students to create (and submit) their own songs/activities in a new language. If school policy does not allow students to share songs on a site, have students create their own in-class presentations of songs and similar exercises using one selection from this site as a model.Keeping Score - San Francisco Symphony
Grades
3 to 12tag(s): composers (14), music theory (46), musical instruments (52), songs (46)
In the Classroom
Share this site on your interactive whiteboard or projector. Allow students to explore specific composers on their own (or in cooperative learning groups). Have students make a multimedia presentation using one of the many TeachersFirst Edge tools reviewed here. Some tool suggestions are (click on the tool name to access the review): Adobe Creative Cloud Express for Education, Animatron, Sway, and Microsoft PowerPoint Online.U.S. and world history teachers will love this site! (As well as music teachers) Use interactives to integrate music into history classes, math classes (for timing and fractions), and English classes (reading and writing about music). All teachers can check out the thematic links for their subject to music. Take advantage of the FREE lesson plans. Chances are good that you could incorporate music into every type of class. Simply check out the education link, and your imagination and educational wheels will start spinning!
Culturally Authentic Pictorial Lexicon - Michael Shaughnessy & Jason Parkhill
Grades
K to 12tag(s): arabic (13), architecture (75), china (81), cross cultural understanding (173), cultures (180), france (41), germany (28), japan (56), russia (36), spanish (109)
In the Classroom
Language students can use these images to create online posters using a tool such as Poster Wizard (reviewed here or PicLits (reviewed here. Have students make a visual lexicon of new vocabulary words. Use interest in some of the pics here as a jumping off point for more cultural exploration. Talk about what items we would photograph in the U.S. that are culturally specific and rich in cultural meaning (for example, the Green Bay Packers stadium).ThatQuiz - ThatQuiz
Grades
3 to 12tag(s): africa (148), angles (52), asia (116), cells (82), charts and graphs (171), conversions (37), europe (84), exponents (35), factors (29), fractions (160), french (75), geometric shapes (134), german (49), human body (93), inequalities (25), measurement (122), money (113), north america (15), place value (34), probability (99), quiz (67), quizzes (90), spanish (109), time (91)
In the Classroom
Assign quizzes to students to complete on classroom computers or in computer labs. Modify activities for different student levels. Create a teacher account and modify quizzes to meet your own needs. Challenge students to complete quizzes and then increase the difficulty level. Share this link on your classroom website for students to access (to practice skills) while both in and out of the classroom. Consider allowing students to create quizzes for each other using a class account during review times or in small groups. It is much more fun to "study" by creating a quiz!The History of Thanksgiving and its Celebrations - Holidays on the Net
Grades
K to 8This site includes advertising.
tag(s): blogs (65), crafts (64), thanksgiving (24)
In the Classroom
Lead your students to this site filled with information. Research can determine the many myths and true information about Thanksgiving. Allow students to plan and make parts of their Thanksgiving feast. Find fun activities, crafts, decorations to make your celebration perfect with your students and families. Add at a center for timely fun information and research time. Link this to your class website or wiki for parent information and extensions at home.Plimoth Plantation - Plimoth Plantation
Grades
3 to 8This site includes advertising.
tag(s): colonial america (95), pilgrims (12), thanksgiving (24)
In the Classroom
Change the commercial traditions of tradition and bring on a study of history. Fascinating worlds of primary resources are at your computer! Virtual field trips, historical sleuthing, genealogy, and so much more. Challenge your students to take a closer look and decide for themselves. Debate information lines the pages of this website. Have students keep a virtual journal about what they are learning (that is new to them) from Plimoth Plantation. Use an easy virtual journaling tool such as Penzu. With Penzu you can add images or your own artwork as illustrations. Study history not false information. Share this and other sections of the "http://www.teachersfirst.com/lessons/colony/index.cfm" TeachersFirst Colonial America tour as part of your study of the colonies so students can see what these historic locations look like today.Groundhog Day: (Punxsutawney) Phil Your Day With Fun - Education World
Grades
K to 12This site includes advertising.
tag(s): animals (294), charts and graphs (171), holidays (187), light (56)
In the Classroom
These FREE lesson plans are ready to go for you on Groundhog's Day. Connect your students with current events, science, research skill, math, and more using these fabulous lessons.Regents Exam Prep Center - Oswego City School District Regents Exam Prep Center
Grades
6 to 12tag(s): test prep (69)
In the Classroom
Use this site as a great review of information about various topics in the subject. This activity would work well for individual or pairs of students in a lab or on laptops. Make a shortcut to this site on classroom computers and use it as a center. Be sure to include this site on your class web page for students to access both in and outside of class for further practice.Blog Divided - Dickinson College
Grades
7 to 12In the Classroom
While the site might be useful to students doing higher level research or working on a National History project, teachers are the principal audience. If this is a passion of yours, add it to your RSS feed or bookmark it and add to your own knowledge base on this important topic. Share relevant blog entries with your class on your interactive whiteboard or projector. Challenge cooperative learning groups to read one of the blogs and share the information with the class by creating online posters on paper using a tool such as Web Poster Wizard (reviewed here) or PicLits (reviewed here).Kennedy Center Digital Resources - Formerly ArtsEdge - Kennedy Center
Grades
K to 12This site includes advertising.
tag(s): african american (115), baseball (32), civil war (139), comics and cartoons (55), dance (31), folktales (34), greece (47), habitats (92), immigration (68), literature (221), mexico (37), musical instruments (52), myths and legends (37), native americans (108), painting (54), surrealism (2)
In the Classroom
Search this site for a topic that you are teaching in your class. Share the lesson on your interactive whiteboard or projector. Better yet, make the video or slideshow a learning station for students to watch in small groups. This site is so wonderful and HUGE, that after students are one with the resources you have for them, you may want to allow them to explore on independently or in small groups for a specific interest of theirs.Mr. Donn's Social Studies - Mr. Donn
Grades
K to 8This site includes advertising.
tag(s): 1920s (15), africa (148), archeology (28), china (81), civil rights (209), civil war (139), colonial america (95), egypt (56), great depression (30), greece (47), holidays (187), immigration (68), india (32), industrial revolution (22), japan (56), mayans (23), mesopotamia (32), native americans (108), psychology (65), religions (95), renaissance (38), resources (83), rome (37), slavery (79), westward expansion (39)
In the Classroom
This is the perfect site for Social Studies and History teachers. Use this site for background information when planning lessons. Place this link on your classroom computers to provide students with safe places to research. Several topics have video clips that are perfect for showing on a projector or interactive whiteboard. If using this site for research, enhance learning by challenging students to create a multimedia presentation using one of the many TeachersFirst Edge tools reviewed here.South American Cultures - Discovery Education
Grades
5 to 9This site includes advertising.
tag(s): cross cultural understanding (173), portuguese (22), south america (47), spanish (109)
In the Classroom
Use this when studying South American countries or at a time when Americans celebrate traditional rites, such as Thanksgiving. This site offers a great opportunity to make your Mexican and other Spanish speaking students feel valued in the classroom. This is an excellent site for research.A Colonial Tour from TeachersFirst - TeachersFirst
Grades
4 to 12tag(s): boston (10), colonial america (95), jamestown (6), philadelphia (10), roanoke (6), williamsburg (7)
In the Classroom
Use this colonial tour as a starting point for a virtual experience of colonial America. Assign different student groups to each colonial location, and have them create an extended virtual "tour" using a tool such as Google Earth, reviewed here, or (simpler) MapHub, reviewed here. Then have the groups take each other's tours to "discover" the colonies! If you don't have enough time for an extended project, share aspects of the tour and supplement by sharing photos from Google Earth's Panoramio layer on your projector or interactive whiteboard.Important Dates and Events in History - Hisdates.com
Grades
6 to 12This site includes advertising.