Teachers First - Thinking Teachers Teaching Thinkers

Ice Age Floods offers photographs, information, and video explanations. Learn about how the Ice Age created various lakes and dramatically altered the Earth's landscape. Explore different sections with specific lakes and areas or choose feature types to learn about different features such as drop stones and coulees. Choose the video section to explore the many videos offered including some interesting 2 minute Geology sessions.

tag(s): glaciers (17), landforms (39), rock cycle (12), rocks (35), volcanoes (55)

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 (148), careers (156), china (81), debate (42), earthquakes (46), ethics (21), food chains (19), hiv/aids (15), india (32), journalism (74), media literacy (109), water (102), women (151)

GR8CTZ - Great Cities of the World is a geoguessing game where you are transported to a world city and have to guess the location based on views from Google Maps street views. Look and walk around a bit before attempting a guess. You have three tries to get it right. Start the game after choosing options such as levels, language (English, Portuguese, Russian, and Spanish), and city subset options. Although very simple looking, this is an intriguing option for exploring the world without leaving home!

tag(s): countries (73), cross cultural understanding (173), map skills (63), maps (220)

Develop your vocabulary and understanding of culture through words. The site offers a series of short videos presented by experts from the University of Nottingham's School of Cultures, Languages, and Area Studies. Each video takes an in-depth look at the story behind many words of the world, including where they came from, what they mean, and how the words have changed over time. Simply click on any word in the visual to view the video. Most videos are less than 5 minutes in length. This site was created in the United Kingdom, so you may notice some slight pronunciation (or spelling) differences from American English. Many of the videos are hosted on YouTube. If your district blocks YouTube, then they may not be viewable.

tag(s): cross cultural understanding (173), vocabulary (238), vocabulary development (94), word study (59)

Ultimate Titanic is a site put together by teachers and historians dedicated to giving a clear understanding of the people and the events related to RMS Titanic. The site contains hours of footage from survivors, animations, and documentaries as well as hundreds of photographs and documents to explore. Use the categories listed at the top of the page to find and narrow information to view. Choose from options such as the ship, the tragedy, or news. Within the education section are links to teaching ideas, a timeline, and several documentaries. The site has a few occasional typos but is still worthwhile. (Give bonus points to students who find a typo!) Some of the video clips are hosted on YouTube. If your district blocks YouTube, then they may not be viewable.
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tag(s): 1910s (6), 20th century (62), disasters (37)

Use web-mapping applications to display, explore, and search different bombing locations across London during the Blitz from July 10, 1940 through June 6, 1941. Click on any icon on the map to view the type of bomb, date recorded, and view images taken nearby during that time period. Zoom in and out. Many icons also include links to people's stories relating to the area during the time of the bombings. Choose the Explore London option to select particular areas of London with additional information about bombing activity in that area.
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tag(s): churchill (8), england (50), hitler (6), maps (220), world war 2 (161)

Use visual clues to guess where you are in the world. View images taken from Google Street View alongside a map of the world. Click on the map to indicate where the photo may be located. GeoGuessr reveals the actual location. Points are based on how close your guesses are to the original location. Share the location by Facebook, Google plus, email, and more. GeoGuessr is a cool new tool similar to the View From Your Window Game.

tag(s): countries (73), cross cultural understanding (173), cultures (180), maps (220)

See an amazingly detailed map of the vegetation found on the Earth. Data for the interactive is collected by a satellite every week so the image is up to date. Use tools to rotate or zoom in/out. Allow a few second for the zoomed in view to fully load and for the image to get "sharp."

tag(s): forests (30), plants (146), producers (6)

Choose from almost 300 courses to take for free at Saylor. Topics range from general education to computer science and professional development. There is a K-12 area that includes Common Core information (for teachers or parents), test prep, and English lessons. Explore a specific area of study to find courses or choose the course list to view all offerings. Some courses include a full textbook and/or a full set of video lectures and are listed on the content matrix. Each course lists learning outcomes, course requirements, and a course overview. Create your own eportfolio to enroll in courses, track progress, download transcripts, and engage with the online community. Pass the final exam of each course to receive a certificate of completion.

tag(s): professional development (385)

The World Digital Library makes it possible to discover, study, and enjoy digitized cultural treasures from around the world. Resources include manuscripts, maps, rare books, musical scores, recordings, films, prints, photographs, and architectural drawings. Browse by place, time, topic, type of item, and contributing institution, or use the open-ended search available in many languages. Information included with items includes a description, place of event or item, date, location of the item, and tags for viewing items similar in nature or topic. Move the timeline to view items for specific time periods.

tag(s): 1600s (20), 1700s (36), 1800s (75), 1900s (72), 20th century (62), africa (148), asia (116), australia (28), china (81), cross cultural understanding (173), europe (84), images (263), north america (15), south america (47)

As school district budgets continue to be cut, field trips are more and more difficult. Enter the online panoramic virtual tour. The Smithsonian Institution's Museum of Natural History can now be "visited" using a computer or a handheld device like a smart phone or tablet. Choose to tour several featured areas such as Permanent Exhibits, Current Exhibits, Past Exhibits, Narrated Tours, and a couple of others. Click on a featured exhibit and view a map of the exhibit area. Hover over one of the hotspots to see what is included in that exhibit. Choose to view the Hope Diamond, for example, and access panoramic views of the artifact or the exhibit hall. Follow the arrows to travel through the museum. Maybe a virtual tour of a museum isn't quite as good as the real thing, but you won't have to deal with crowds, noise, and that really tall person who always seems to be standing between you and the exhibit you want to see. Click the Education tab at the top, to find Teaching Resources with 300 options, that includes activities, videos, and science literacy resources for Grades K to 12.

tag(s): museums (52), natural resources (37), virtual field trips (128)

3D Toad offers many images for viewing items in both 3D and 360 degree rotation. The site offers an assortment of categories such as Dissections, Human and Animal Skeletons, Fossils, and an extensive listing of Chemicals. There are also categories not typically associated with a "toad" such as: Yoga, Music, Dental Hygiene, History, Ballet Positions, Computer Networking, Emergency Preparedness, and more! The History link is interesting and includes American 1700-1800 and American Civil War: both packed with artifacts. Choose any image then drag your mouse to view or zoom in and out as desired.
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tag(s): 1700s (36), body systems (40), chemicals (39), civil war (139), coral (11), dance (31), dissection (6), elements (33), fossils (41), rocks (35)

Listen to famous speeches by influential leaders of the twentieth and twenty-first centuries. Choose from the list of leaders including Winston Churchill, Richard Nixon, and Martin Luther King, Jr, and many others. View a short biography and background along with links to a famous speech (or speeches) given by that person. Some speeches are audio only, others are YouTube videos. If your district blocks YouTube, videos may not be viewable.
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tag(s): churchill (8), declaration of independence (16), inauguration (10), kennedy (20), martin luther king (45), persuasive writing (58), presidents (135), roosevelt (15)

The Digital Public Library of America is a central portal pulling together the collections of US libraries, archives and museums. These individual collections are available in a single large database. The DPLA does not actually have any collection of its own; rather it provides direct links to individual artifacts that reside in other collections across the US. Artifacts include text, images, video clips, and more. You can search the DPLA using a timeline, using a map, or using a more traditional search box. The timeline feature makes accessing topics such as "civil rights" by decade very helpful. Creating a free account allows you to save searches. The DPLA also "collects" groups of artifacts into exhibitions.

tag(s): 1910s (6), 1920s (15), 1930s (20), 1940s (14), 1950s (8), 1960s (26), 1970s (10), 1980s (7), 20th century (62), data (151), museums (52), primary sources (117), Research (87)

What was life like for a teenager in ancient Rome? Watch the clever portrayal of the life of Lucius Popidius Secundus, a seventeen-year-old living in Rome in 73 AD. Packed full of information about life in ancient Rome, it is hard to believe this video is just short of seven minutes long. Along with the video is a feature called Dig Deeper where you will find explanations and links to more detailed information about ancient Rome. The video is hosted on YouTube. If your district blocks YouTube, then it may not be viewable.

tag(s): romans (52), rome (37), video (266)

Be inspired to love American History! Development citizenship and awareness by using this ten-part curriculum of short stories, speeches, and songs. The curriculum consists of three categories. The Meaning of America explores the American character and identity through the "close reading" of classical short stories such as "To Build a Fire" and "Man Without a Country." The American Calendar examines the purpose of the American holiday, proposing the celebrations help to unite us and attach us to our country. Songs for Free Men and Women scrutinizes national songs for meaning and how they emotionally attach us to our nation. All of this curriculum is inquiry based. It also offers suggested discussion questions, study guides, author biographies, and video discussions to model how higher-level-thinking conversations about each text should sound. What So Proudly We Hail uses primary texts, has rigor, is inquiry based, and has many essay topics and writing prompts aligned to the Common Core Standards for English Language Arts and Literacy in History/Social Studies. A few of the blog entries include helpful information about the Common Core standards.
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tag(s): democracy (24), guided reading (33), holidays (187), literacy (122), literature (221)

Use this colorful map to locate and read newspapers from around the world. Click on map pins to locate newspapers or search using filters such as languages. Use the key to locate newspapers in each language. Yellow pins indicate English language newspapers, Spanish pink, etc. Don't worry if newspapers are not in a language you need. Choose the links provided to translate into one of many options. When ready, click on a pin to go to the newspaper's home website.

tag(s): arabic (13), cross cultural understanding (173), french (75), german (49), japanese (47), media literacy (109), newspapers (93), portuguese (22), russian (26), spanish (109)

ESL Discussions is a resource of over 600 discussion questions. They could be used in ESL/ELL lessons, speaking practice, debate clubs, and as needed for any speaking activities. Categorized alphabetically, topics include everyday themes such as donuts as well as more controversial topics such as marijuana. Teachers working with K-12 students will want to select the questions rather than sending students to the site since there are also some very sensitive topics. Choose a topic to view two sets of questions to spark conversations: one for student A and another for student B. Choose the link to print questions in either Word or PDF. Although this site has a lot of advertisements, there are some very interesting topics to discuss/share.
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tag(s): debate (42), speaking (26)

Stick Figure Hamlet brings comic visuals and imagery to this classic work of Shakespeare. Each act and scene is represented. Simply start at the beginning to view all cartoons or choose any act or scene desired. This site is sure to motivate and interest even the most reluctant reader!

tag(s): comics and cartoons (55), hamlet (8), literature (221), shakespeare (99)

If it Were My Home compares living conditions of one country to those of another. Allow the site to use your location when accessing the home page. This allows a comparison from your location to others places around the globe. Select a region on the globe to compare. Choose from countries included in that region. View a map comparison. See statistics and comparisons such as oil consumption, economic statistics, and birth rates. Expand comparisons by clicking on the arrow. Scroll down the page to view more information and suggested reading materials about your chosen country. Share comparisons using social media buttons located below the map or email using the link provided.
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tag(s): africa (148), asia (116), australia (28), canada (24), cross cultural understanding (173), diseases (66), europe (84), globe (12), hiv/aids (15), south america (47), statistics (121)