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National Book Awards - National Book Foundation
Grades
6 to 12
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The National Book Awards, presented each November, reward the best books each year in several categories, including Young Adult. Find the definitive list of all the winners through...more
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The National Book Awards, presented each November, reward the best books each year in several categories, including Young Adult. Find the definitive list of all the winners through the years here. While visiting this site, read the multitude of interviews of famous young adult authors who have been nominated for this award in the past. If your students do author studies, this site is a necessary stop for them.
tag(s): literature (215), interviews (18)
In the Classroom
Use this site to learn about new literature to use with your students. Share the video clips on an interactive whiteboard or projector. Have students complete author studies and create an interactive presentation: an online book using Bookemon reviewed here, a PowerPoint, or a wiki including all of the author studies.You must be registered and logged in to add items to your favorites.
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PhotoFunia - Capsule Digital
Grades
K to 12
8 Favorites
0 Comments
Use your pictures and PhotoFunia to create photo collages, flyers, family trees, holiday albums, and more. PhotoFunia has hundreds of effects and filters. More are added weekly. To...more
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Use your pictures and PhotoFunia to create photo collages, flyers, family trees, holiday albums, and more. PhotoFunia has hundreds of effects and filters. More are added weekly. To add shadows, age your photo, or render it black and white, visit the Filters category. Add clever features such as an astronaut or a Santa suit, a witch's hat, or a queen's crown. Looking for an attractive frame for your photos? Find one here. Write on the sand or graffiti text on the wall. Carve your name on the ground or create your very own road sign using text effects. The program is as easy to use as picking the effect and uploading a photo. Save it to your computer or email it. Try using PhotoFunia online or get the free app for iOS or Android, and most other smartphones. At the time of this review, all photo effects appeared appropriate for use in the classroom. However, we always suggest you preview the tool before sharing it with students.
tag(s): images (274), comics and cartoons (67), DAT device agnostic tool (135), collages (17), photography (134), posters (44), editing (97)
In the Classroom
You do not need to be artistic to transform a personal or stock photo into a stunning work of art or even an amusing image. Adjust any image's color intensity, value, and hue using the filters. Use this tool anytime that photos need to be edited for use in class blogs, newsletters, wikis, or websites. In primary grades, this tool can be helpful for teachers to use when editing pictures from field trips, science experiments, and other activities. Share the editing process with your younger students using your interactive whiteboard or projector. Edit together! Engage older students by encouraging them to use this site to find images for their projects or presentations. Use the features and effects to edit pictures to fit the styles of photos when doing historical reports or to set the mood.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Mr. Thorne Does Phonics - Christopher Thorne
Grades
K to 5
2 Favorites
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Learn grammar and phonics using short video clips at this YouTube Channel. Videos are divided into categories based on phases of learning (phonics/reading levels), high-frequency words,...more
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Learn grammar and phonics using short video clips at this YouTube Channel. Videos are divided into categories based on phases of learning (phonics/reading levels), high-frequency words, and other criteria. Videos are engaging and short enough to keep students interested (most run 2-4 minutes). This site includes everything from learning the alphabet to consonant blends to pronouns and much more. Note that the speaker is not American, so the accent may be different from what young students have heard before. There are app versions of many of the activities. If your district blocks YouTube, the videos may not be viewable.
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tag(s): sight words (22), vowels (7), verbs (25), pronunciation (31), alphabetical order (9), alphabet (46), grammar (143), spelling (96), phonics (57)
In the Classroom
Use this site to practice word recognition, pronunciation, and phonics rules. This YouTube channel would be an excellent resource for students on classroom computers as a reading/learning center. Or share specific videos with your entire class on your projector or interactive whiteboard. Challenge your students to make their own Mr. Thorne-inspired videos for phonics or grammar. Share student-created videos on your class site or Learning Management System.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Literature and Art Through Our Eyes: The African American Children - Yale University
Grades
3 to 4
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Increase students' awareness of African American culture through a study of books and art that integrates the elementary curriculum. Cultural traditions, extended family relationships,...more
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Increase students' awareness of African American culture through a study of books and art that integrates the elementary curriculum. Cultural traditions, extended family relationships, and life in urban America are the predominant themes highlighted in the selected readings and art works.
tag(s): cultures (282), african american (129), africa (162)
In the Classroom
Explore some of the readings on this site about African American culture, deepening your student's knowledge about African American cultural traditions, extended family relationships, and life in urban America. Have small groups of students create a mural on a large piece of butcher block paper, reflecting what they have learned.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Documentary Heaven - Documentary Heaven
Grades
6 to 12
2 Favorites
0 Comments
This site has embedded videos from over 1600 documentaries located all over the internet. These videos are not necessarily "short" clips. Some are longer than 15 minutes. Search the...more
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This site has embedded videos from over 1600 documentaries located all over the internet. These videos are not necessarily "short" clips. Some are longer than 15 minutes. Search the videos via several methods: browse the library, most popular, recent videos, or by categories. The categories vary greatly and include the bullying of those with disabilities, 9/11, aftermath of the Japan Tsunami, import and export of oil, and countless other topics. Each video comes with a short explanation and ratings (out of 10 stars). Viewers can also leave their own rating. Many include suggestions for related videos. Be aware: some of topics may not be suitable for the classroom. Please preview before (or IF) you choose to allow students to peruse on their own. You may want to share only specific videos with the class. It has been noted that this website opens rather slowly at the busy times of the day. But it is WELL worth the wait. Note that videos are recommended for inclusion by the video creators, so there could be very strong bias in documentary presentations. What better way to challenge students to stop and ask, "What is the source of this information and can I trust it fully?"
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This site includes advertising.
tag(s): tsunamis (15), senses (21), disabilities (39), bullying (56), sexuality (16), archeology (26), psychology (61), biographies (102)
In the Classroom
View videos on your interactive whiteboard or projector to correspond with classroom lessons. Be sure to discuss the source and possible bias of any documentary. "Documentary" does not necessarily mean "trustworthy" or "unbiased"! Link to specific videos on your classroom computer, website, or blog for students to view on their own. Assign different topics and allow students to choose a documentary to use as part of their research. 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): PBWorks (wiki), Site123 (blog), Renderforest (newscast video), and Genially (poster/bulletin board).Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Canva for Education - Canva.com
Grades
K to 12
10 Favorites
0 Comments
Give students flexible ways to show what they know with Canva for Education, a free design and learning platform for eligible K-12 educators and their invited students. Create presentations,...more
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Give students flexible ways to show what they know with Canva for Education, a free design and learning platform for eligible K-12 educators and their invited students. Create presentations, infographics, videos, whiteboards, worksheets, and other classroom materials using customizable templates and a drag-and-drop editor. Teachers can organize classes, share assignments, review student work, and connect activities with learning management systems such as Canvas and Google Classroom. Educational templates, images, graphics, animations, and multimedia tools support both teacher-created lessons and collaborative student projects. AI tools can help generate lesson materials and activities, with teacher controls for student access. Offering choices in content presentation and student products makes Canva useful for implementing Universal Design for Learning. Educators must verify their eligibility to access the education offering, which includes most Canva premium features.
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This site includes advertising.
tag(s): study aid (171), DAT device agnostic tool (135), graphic design (55), posters (44), slides (40), images (274)
In the Classroom
Demonstrate Canva on an interactive whiteboard or projector, then have students create slideshows, infographics, or photo collages to introduce themselves, share research about notable people, or explain science and math concepts. Offer format choices with a common rubric so students can demonstrate understanding in different ways. Have younger students contribute drawings and ideas to teacher-created projects, while older students collaborate on their own designs. Ask students to sketch plans on paper and consider readability, layout, and image choices before creating. Develop blended or flipped lessons with links to videos, assessments, and learning activities, and share materials through your class website for review or absent students. Share completed projects with families through view-only links.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Flickriver - flickriver.com
Grades
K to 12
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Use Flickriver as a new way to view photos from Flickr. Click the "Explore" tab to view recent pictures uploaded to flickr. Create your own flickriver stream and view all ...more
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Use Flickriver as a new way to view photos from Flickr. Click the "Explore" tab to view recent pictures uploaded to flickr. Create your own flickriver stream and view all photos from other flickriver streams by registering and creating a flickr login. Use the search bar at the top to customize search by users, groups, tags, or places.
tag(s): photography (134), images (274)
In the Classroom
Users must be familiar with how to use Flickr reviewed here.Create a class Flickr account to upload pictures of experiments, student projects, and items related to class content. Use Flickriver to pull these pictures in to view by the class. Use pictures to represent Math concepts, poems and stories, science concepts in the real world, or items belonging to cultures. Create a flickriver of art projects to display to the world. If students are allowed individual accounts, they could use this as a way to share their portfolios of artwork or digital images.
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Classroomscreen - Laurens Koppers
Grades
K to 12
3 Favorites
0 Comments
Classroomscreen is a background utility for use with interactive whiteboards or projector screens. Choose from Product (top menu) or from the middle of the screen to add 5 widgets including...more
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Classroomscreen is a background utility for use with interactive whiteboards or projector screens. Choose from Product (top menu) or from the middle of the screen to add 5 widgets including Engage Students, Control the Clock, Customize Your Screen, Replace Your Daily Slides, and Make Learning Fun. Drag items to place them on the screen as desired. You can use Classroomsceen without signing up, but will get more features, for free, if you create and account. There is also a premium version, but this review is only for the free versions.
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This site includes advertising.
tag(s): iwb (29), time (97), functions (60), classroom management (155), emotions (82), Teacher Utilities (234), social and emotional learning (235), multilingual (84)
In the Classroom
Use Classroomscreen on your interactive whiteboard for quick access to many commonly used tools. Enhance SEL for your students by using the backgound widget to set a calm tone for learning as students enter the classroom, use the timer for destressing during activities. Add to student computers for access to a calculator and text box for notes. ENL/ESL teachers will enjoy the multi-language feature, set it up under Personalize. Use the different backgrounds as inspiration for creative writing projects.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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LITCHARTS - Get Lit - LitCharts
Grades
6 to 12
5 Favorites
0 Comments
LitCharts is an online site similar to the familiar Cliffs Notes but with their own spin. Charts are available for literary classics such as Romeo and Juliet, Lord of the ...more
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LitCharts is an online site similar to the familiar Cliffs Notes but with their own spin. Charts are available for literary classics such as Romeo and Juliet, Lord of the Flies, Jane Eyre, and several more. Charts can be viewed online, downloaded in a PDF file, or accessed through an iPhone app (apps are 99 cents each). Each chart offers a side by side summary and analysis of story events making events easier to follow and understand than typical summaries. In addition, they include a color coded theme tracker to help follow themes throughout the book. Each LitChart is 10 pages or less, making them concise and easy to use.
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This site includes advertising.
tag(s): summarizing (30), literature (215)
In the Classroom
LitCharts is a great resource to use with ESL/ELL and intervention students to reinforce concepts in texts provided. It is also helpful for students who lack experience with challenging literary classic. Share a LitChart with your class when reading one of the books on the site then have students create their own LitChart for the next book or to improve on the ones offered here. Provide a link to LitCharts to students to use as a study resource for end of novel assessments. Hint: make sure any assessments you use ask questions that go beyond what these charts offer, or students will not even try to read the actual texts! An intriguing challenge would be to ask them what else they would include in a study guide for the work.
This resource requires PDF reader software like Adobe Acrobat.
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Geoffrey Chaucer Web Site - Harvard University
Grades
9 to 12
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This is the web home for Harvard University's Chaucer courses. It offers interpretive information and historical context for each section of Canterbury Tales, along with synopses of...more
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This is the web home for Harvard University's Chaucer courses. It offers interpretive information and historical context for each section of Canterbury Tales, along with synopses of the various sections. Interesting, useful information for motivated students.
tag(s): literature (215), medieval (36), chaucer (5), authors (116)
In the Classroom
Use the "teach yourself Chaucer" section of this website to show students how Middle English was spoken, and what Chaucer's work would have sounded like to his contemporaries. In this section are quick "lessons," aka brief excerpts explaining pronunciation in various parts of the book. Use the language charts over the interactive whiteboard to quickly explain the difference between Modern and Middle English. This would be great in an English or Social Studies class studying Chaucer and the Middle Ages.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Kahoot! - Mobitroll
Grades
K to 12
9 Favorites
1 Comments
Ask meaningful questions and see responses in real-time while creating an exciting, game-like environment. Build instant polls, quizzes, or responses through a simple drag and drop...more
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Ask meaningful questions and see responses in real-time while creating an exciting, game-like environment. Build instant polls, quizzes, or responses through a simple drag and drop interface. Once you create your account, be sure to take the Intro Quiz to learn how to use this tool. When you start the quiz, you will be prompted to open a new tab, create a nickname, and enter the game pin. Now you will be able to take the quiz to learn how Kahoot! works AND be able to see what a teacher sees in your original tab. You will have to go to the Main tab to launch the next question in the Quiz. Find ready-made quizzes on the public Kahoot! menu by entering search terms. Create questions, quizzes, and polls with an optional uploaded image. Kahoot! also has a team option. Groups can use one computer to answer questions. The best part about the team option is it allows groups wait time to discuss their answer before submitting it. The teacher gets the data back instantly, and it is stored on the site or can be downloaded. This is superb for checking the knowledge of your audience/students or to see if they are still paying attention and understand concepts. Scroll past the 3 plans that cost money to find the basic plan that allows for upto 40 participants, multiple choice quiz questions, 5 teams, and more.
tag(s): Formative Assessment (52), assessment (144), gamified learning (61), quizzes (83), polls and surveys (44), DAT device agnostic tool (135), game making (58)
In the Classroom
This is a powerful formative assessment tool that is also fun! Create pretests to offer to gifted students to "test out" of already learned material. Students can easily see the choices and choose answers using a browser on a laptop or any device. Make it a class challenge! Use this tool at the start of a new chapter or unit. Project your quiz to the entire classroom using a whiteboard or projector. Students can easily see the choices and choose answers using a browser on a laptop or any device. Use the Team choice when reviewing for a unit test. Students can see who is at the top of the leaderboard during the play and can even ask questions while going through the quiz. Use this tool often to obtain a snapshot of each student's understanding of content.Edge Features:
Includes an education-only area for teachers and students
Includes Interaction w general public/ public galleries with unmoderated content
Requires registration/log-in (WITH email)
Requires registration/log in (NO email)
Premium version (not free) includes additional features or storage
Products can be embedded
Products can be shared by URL
Includes teacher tools for registering and/or monitoring students
Comments
What makes a good web tool? In my opinion, a web tool should be two things. They should be easy to look at, and easy to use. When you use these tools you need to be able to see clearly what a site does and the purpose it serves. Not only do you need to be able to see what you are doing, but do it easily. If it takes students more effort and energy to use a web tool or website, they will stop using it. You have to be able to keep the attention of the user. Beyond that an education tool needs a few additional items. Education tools need to be fun and interactive to continuously grab the attention of students. Students should have fun when using the site/tool.Ad, , Grades: 0 - 12
Kahoot fits all the above criteria. Not only is it fun and easy for students to use, but easy for teachers to set up and use for students. Kahoot is a fun quiz tool that teachers can use to build discussions, polls, and quizzes for the classroom. Students can then log into the quiz using smartphones, tablets, or computers. The tool is designed for students and works for students. Kahoot is well thought out, and well executed. This tool really brings the learning experience to students who are so familiar with technology.
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4teachers.org - ALTEC.org
Grades
K to 12
8 Favorites
0 Comments
At 4teachers.org find resources to help infuse and develop your classroom technology with online tools and resources for teachers and students. Discover ways to integrate technology...more
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At 4teachers.org find resources to help infuse and develop your classroom technology with online tools and resources for teachers and students. Discover ways to integrate technology with teacher success stories, technology assessment, resources in Spanish, and technology use policies and safety. Educator's resources include: explore assessment, technology planning, special needs, assistive technology, grant resources, and bilingual tutorials.
You will also find links to make your own rubrics (or adapt others), adapt or create problem-based checklists, find Webquests or Thinkquests, find tools for students to write persuasively, and you can view online lessons or create your own. Those are just a few of the resources you'll find at 4teachers.org. Enjoy 4teachers video channel to see tutorials and educational videos. You might also consider joining in a weekly teacher blog on structured topics and see the featured site of the week.
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You will also find links to make your own rubrics (or adapt others), adapt or create problem-based checklists, find Webquests or Thinkquests, find tools for students to write persuasively, and you can view online lessons or create your own. Those are just a few of the resources you'll find at 4teachers.org. Enjoy 4teachers video channel to see tutorials and educational videos. You might also consider joining in a weekly teacher blog on structured topics and see the featured site of the week.
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tag(s): spanish (110), note taking (35), persuasive writing (46), rubrics (40)
In the Classroom
This site is a great site to begin with basic understanding of technology in education. Tutorials explain many of the basics educators must have. Ready to use lessons, rubrics, and calendar resources are easily available. This is also a great site for Spanish resources. Share with colleagues to help boost your technology savvy classroom!Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Author Name Pronunciation Guide - TeachingBooks.net
Grades
1 to 12
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0 Comments
Hear over 1000 authors pronouncing and explaining their names. One minute audio recordings give a brief hello and some interesting facts about their name. There is also a Challenge...more
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Hear over 1000 authors pronouncing and explaining their names. One minute audio recordings give a brief hello and some interesting facts about their name. There is also a Challenge Quiz for the pronunciation of several author's names, downloadable in PDF format. Hear what the author actually sounds like and try to imagine that author sitting right next to you! (Many links on the site go to paid materials.)
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This site includes advertising.
tag(s): authors (116)
In the Classroom
Make author studies come alive by having the authors introduce themselves! Add an author recording link in a QR code attached to book jackets in your classroom or school library, making your library interactive. On your class website, have your student writers make their own introductions to their written pieces using a site such as Spreaker, reviewed here. Enjoy at your literary celebration!
This resource requires PDF reader software like Adobe Acrobat.
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CNN 10 - Journalists and Educators at CNN
Grades
5 to 12
17 Favorites
0 Comments
The CNN Student News WEB site is the companion to the daily CNN Student News show and is offered free of charge with no subscription. These ten-minute programs and commercial-free ...more
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The CNN Student News WEB site is the companion to the daily CNN Student News show and is offered free of charge with no subscription. These ten-minute programs and commercial-free streamed videos produced by journalists and educators at CNN provide a great alternative to YouTube. A wealth of teacher materials accompanies each video, such as transcripts for each show, discussion questions, the Media Literacy Question of the Day, detailed learning activities, downloadable maps, and additional support materials to help students understand the news. A selection of documentaries is also accessible, with discussion guides for educators. You can sign up for emails to receive Daily Education Alerts to see what information and major stories are being covered that day or choose from previous dates and news stories from the archives. Remember to preview the program before showing it to your class.
tag(s): news (221)
In the Classroom
Choose whatever fits your curriculum or as a daily warm-up for current events. This provides a great alternative to reading news articles and is especially motivating for visual learners and students who struggle with reading comprehension. After your class views the video, use the daily discussion activities designed to promote critical thinking. You are also able to print the learning activities to assign as group work or for homework. There is even a news quiz. You may want to distribute copies of the transcripts for ESL students to refer to, for use as a research source, or to use for practicing reading comprehension for state exams and other assessments. Enhance learning by challenging cooperative learning groups to research one topic at this site and share their findings with the class by creating an interactive online poster (infographic) using Canva Infographic Maker, reviewed here.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Keeping Score - San Francisco Symphony
Grades
3 to 12
1 Favorites
0 Comments
Keeping Score takes you on a creative historical journey through the composers, conflicts, and culture of some of music's most beloved and classical works. This first-class website...more
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Keeping Score takes you on a creative historical journey through the composers, conflicts, and culture of some of music's most beloved and classical works. This first-class website contains interactives for composers such as Beethoven, Copland, Stravinsky, and Tchaikovsky. You can see pictures and listen to stories about the lives and times of the composers, hear the music, read personal reflections or quotes of the composers, and listen to commentary of other musical professionals. Also included are podcasts from the San Francisco radio show 13 Days When Music Changed Forever, which focuses on musical revolutions. The education link is full of ideas for incorporating music into any and all subjects. It also includes time-saving, standards-aligned lesson plans for use in all educational settings. Musical education websites do not get cooler than this! This type of site can connect with today's learners by bringing them all the information that they need in a one-stop, multimedia package. It is classy, concise, and easy to navigate.
tag(s): musical instruments (63), songs (50), music theory (49), composers (22)
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!
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Folktales Through African Art - Yale University
Grades
3 to 5
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The cultural and religious beliefs inherent in traditional African society are explored in this unit that exposes students to the sculpture and stories of three different African cultures....more
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The cultural and religious beliefs inherent in traditional African society are explored in this unit that exposes students to the sculpture and stories of three different African cultures. By examining artwork with an understanding of the people who created it, students develop a more authentic impression of this ethnic group. A variety of art-related activities are included in this eight-week unit.
In the Classroom
Have students read a selected African folktale from the unit, then view examples of traditional African masks. They can sketch or write a brief response explaining how the themes, characters, or symbolism in the story connect to the masks' imagery and design. Have students design their own mask inspired by a character or spirit, then write a short folktale that features the mask in a meaningful way. They can share their mask and story with classmates to experience how art and storytelling work together in African traditions.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Documenting the American South - University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Grades
8 to 12
0 Favorites
0 Comments
Documenting the American South, commonly called DocSouth, is a free digital archive of primary sources related to the history, literature, and culture of the American South. The browse...more
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Documenting the American South, commonly called DocSouth, is a free digital archive of primary sources related to the history, literature, and culture of the American South. The browse page organizes materials into sixteen thematic collections that include digitized books, letters, speeches, manuscripts, photographs, oral histories, and other historical documents. Topics include enslavement and emancipation, the Southern Black church, North Carolina history, Southern literature, the Civil War, World War I, and oral history. Users can also browse by author, title, Library of Congress subject heading, or geographic location. Many texts include searchable transcriptions alongside scanned pages, making close reading easier, although the older site design and the length and complexity of some documents may challenge younger learners. Teachers should preview selections because some primary sources contain racist language, descriptions of violence and enslavement, and other historically sensitive material.
tag(s): civil war (148), primary sources (184), emancipation proclamation (15), north carolina (7), slavery (82), african american (129)
In the Classroom
The images and primary sources all show different perspectives of what society was like in our Southern States during this time. Teachers can also use this site as an example of great primary sources or to demonstrate the kinds of evidence historians can draw from sources like this by having group work focused on analyzing a particular source from the site. Have students create a source-based timeline with Timeline Tool by ReadWriteThink, reviewed here, using brief quotations, dates, captions, and citations from DocSouth.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Wordsmyth Kids! - Wordsmyth
Grades
K to 5
2 Favorites
0 Comments
Wordsmyth Kids! is a visual dictionary for young children. Search for any word to read the definition, view an image, see the Spanish translation, and hear the word pronounced (click...more
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Wordsmyth Kids! is a visual dictionary for young children. Search for any word to read the definition, view an image, see the Spanish translation, and hear the word pronounced (click the little speaker). Choose "Places with this word" to find books and activities that include the word. Every icon will "speak" if you roll the mouse over it, so navigating is easy for almost anyone, even low level readers. Be sure to check out tools at the bottom of the page in the World portion of the site to add labels, highlight different areas of pictures, and launch activities using the kite icon.
tag(s): vocabulary development (111), dictionaries (40), spanish (110), parts of speech (38), thesaurus (21)
In the Classroom
This site is a must-add to any elementary classroom's bookmarks! Demonstrate Wordsmyth Kids! on your classroom whiteboard or projector, bookmark it in your favorites, and make it directly available to students from your class webpage. Tell parents about it, too. Elementary students will enjoy defining their spelling words or content area vocabulary. Have students categorize words by parts of speech or create a list of synonyms. Have students create their own word "sticky note boards" for new vocabulary words using a tool such as Lino, reviewed here (no membership required) to create and share their sticky notes. Be sure to share this site with parents for use at home too! Speech and language and ESL/ELL teachers will love the audio possibilities and the activities related to many of the basic vocabulary groups, such as animals, etc.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Google Sites - Google
Grades
K to 12
3 Favorites
1 Comments
Need to create a simple website without cost? Google Sites offers a simple interface that is easy to use to build websites. Use some advanced features such as fonts, text ...more
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Need to create a simple website without cost? Google Sites offers a simple interface that is easy to use to build websites. Use some advanced features such as fonts, text size, text color, and headings. Add images and videos from You Tube to your site. Revert to previous versions of the pages you create through the revision history. Add a Google map to your page easily. Use other Gadgets that are easy to plug in by choosing one of the many Google Gadgets. Create many different kinds of pages in your site. Choose your own privacy rules for the site as well.
tag(s): wikis (15)
In the Classroom
Users must have a Google account or sign up for an account. View the controls in Google sites before creating to get an idea of usable features. Find great hints and tips about using Google sites here.Click "Create a new site" to name your site and begin the process. Choose from a variety of templates and begin building your pages. Click "Edit" on your page to bring up the editing options. Use the buttons on the editor bar to change font sizes, color, etc. Click "Insert" to view a drop down menu of a variety of content that can be included on the page. Use the other tabs such as "Format," "Table," and "Layout" to change other aspects of the page. Be sure to click the "Save" button when finished editing a page. Create a new page within the site by clicking "Create a page." Choose from a variety of pages that have different formats suited for a web page, announcements page, file cabinet, or list. Be sure to select where the page will be found such as the top level menu or as a subpage under a different page in the site. Click on "More actions" to bring up other menu items such as "Manage Site," changing page settings, moving or deleting a page, and more. Share your site with others and invite users who can also make changes on the site.
Use a Google Site to create a simple web page for communication with students and their families at any grade level. In middle and high school, use student-created site(s) as a way for students to collaborate and share with many of the same features as a wiki.
Comments
Very versatile for portfolios. Does take some work, not particularly well-documented.Frances, CT, Grades: 6 - 8
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Sweet Search - Dulcinea Media, Inc.
Grades
K to 12
2 Favorites
0 Comments
Use Sweet Search to search the web for student friendly and informative sites for students of all ages to use. Simply enter your search term in the box. Use "Get ...more
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Use Sweet Search to search the web for student friendly and informative sites for students of all ages to use. Simply enter your search term in the box. Use "Get Widget" to place on a wiki, site, or blog for easy access by students. Use resources listed on the search page for more effective searching and specific lists for various subjects such as Social Studies. Although the search tool does not include TeachersFirst's teacher-friendly review and classroom use suggestions, the sites they find are solid.
tag(s): search strategies (19), search engines (41)
In the Classroom
Provide Sweet Search for your students to find some of the best student friendly material on the web. For older students, evaluate Sweet Search with other search engines to determine which provides the best information.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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