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In Town - Linguascope.com
Grades
2 to 8
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CLICK IMMEDIATELY on "Free Preview" for the only free portion of this site. This humorous preview section of a larger, paying, site has beginning level vocabulary. Students pick which...more
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CLICK IMMEDIATELY on "Free Preview" for the only free portion of this site. This humorous preview section of a larger, paying, site has beginning level vocabulary. Students pick which activity they want to try after listening and seeing the basic vocabulary. Activities include dictation, writing vocabulary words in response to the pictures, hangman, matching, etc. Teachers or students are able to print some of the activities. This site also include beginner Spanish, French, Italian, and German - all perfect for beginning level world language classes. This site is also useful for ESL and ELL students. Click for a complete, 8-page list of all the vocabulary covered. Unit tests are also provided. This site requires Flash. Get it from the TeachersFirst Toolbox page.
tag(s): french (74), german (51), italian (33), pronunciation (32), spanish (114)
In the Classroom
Send your Spanish, French, German, and Italian beginning level students to this site for review and practice. ESL and ELL students will benefit from the practice. Be sure to list this site in your class newsletter or on your class website, so students can practice at home.
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Humane Society Careers - Humane Society Youth
Grades
6 to 12
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Explore the Humane Society Career page to learn all about animal protection issues like puppy mills, fighting animal cruelty, the fur trade, factory farms, pet homelessness, cosmetics...more
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Explore the Humane Society Career page to learn all about animal protection issues like puppy mills, fighting animal cruelty, the fur trade, factory farms, pet homelessness, cosmetics animal testing, and other sensitive topics and what you can do to stop these tragedies. If you don't see your topic on this main page, type it in the search bar. This site features a FREE online webinar, printable PDF pages on HOT topics, and a podcast section cleverly titled Humane Voices. Other resouces interesting for teachers and students are from Nose to Tail, which has 5 lesson plans, a Farm Disaster Kit, and the Puppy Mills issue has a terrivic resource "7 ways to stop them." There is also an abundance of information in the category for animals, from alligators to zebras, including why they are important to our environment. Be sure to investigate the blog for current issues.
tag(s): animals (283), careers (184), service projects (17)
In the Classroom
Use this eye-opening site in many subject areas. Share the issues on your interactive whiteboard or projector. Present this site and an opposing one as part of a discussion of web sites and even or slanted presentation of information. Ask students to decide whether they see any "bias" on this site. Use this site for research projects. Show students the list of protection issues and suggest they choose one as a service project to earn credit in community service. Use the site as one of several sources for a class debate on animal rights or charge students to explore alternate points of view on animal issues, such as from the AKC or the meat industry. Then invite students to create a multimedia "position" infographic of both sides with supporting facts to share with their peers. Suggested easy infographic creation tools are Canva for Education, reviewed here, and Genially, reviewed here.
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Plurk - Plurk
Grades
9 to 12
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Plurk is a microblogging platform for quick 140 character "plurks" about what you are doing, thinking, or mentally asking. Plurks show as a timeline along with those of your friends....more
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Plurk is a microblogging platform for quick 140 character "plurks" about what you are doing, thinking, or mentally asking. Plurks show as a timeline along with those of your friends. Comments to plurks are attached to the original and conversations are easy to track and continue. Plurk brings interconnectivity between friends and is more like a social network than a blog. Registration with an email is required and managing login and password is necessary. Instant messaging and mobile blogging options are possible. As a reminder to always view content ahead of time.
tag(s): chat (42), communication (126), microblogging (14)
In the Classroom
This site is not difficult to navigate. Left click on the timeline to drag it to earlier posts. Unread plurks and replies appear as a number beside each plurk and in the timeline. Along the top of the timeline are user controls. "My profile" contains your contact information and details. Upload a photo, customize the colors of your outline, or add a widget to your blog or site that contains your plurks. Use "My friends" to invite friends, create cliques that allow you to segregate who sees certain plurks, and blocking other users. "Alerts" contain friend requests sent to you. Click on "Interesting plurkers" to see plurks from everywhere which you can customize to gender, age, city, state, or country. Use "My account" to change privacy settings and set up instant messaging. Create your plurks below the timeline and use the dropdown to change your verb from "is" to "says," wishes," "feels," and many others. Hover over a person's picture or name to send a private plurk. Plurk messages can be edited but replies cannot. Pictures, images, and links can be added as well. Also below the timeline are tabs to see plurks from you and your friends, your plurks alone, and private plurks. View your Karma -- which increases with plurks and friends and unlocks new features. Use "Embed your Plurk widget" easily to your blog by simply entering your login information.Create a written and signed classroom policy that outlines necessary privacy settings and actions that would be considered misuse. Check these regularly and take appropriate actions to enforce rules when needed. Students need to be guided in how to safely blog and share information. Students may come across questionable content if reading through the "interesting plurkers" tab. As with all social networking sites, students need to be aware of proper ways to communicate at school and at home. Teachers should be a part of all student groups to monitor use.
Students can use Plurk to discuss group work on a project, create study groups, ask for help, or communicate with those who can mentor their class or subject they are learning. Many students will find success with sending bits of information at a time and letting the conversations evolve from there. Literature teachers may want to require students to plurk their thoughts within small groups as they read chapters or acts of longer works for homework, generating discussion and active reading. Social studies teachers could assign a similar task as students read about history. Math teachers may want to encourage "plurking" as students work on longer, more complex problems. Those writing lab reports for science class may find that plurking will help them collaborate in interpreting data. Consider setting up a regular class "plurk time" in the evening on certain nights of the week or for snow days.
Edge Features:
Parent permission advised before posting student work created using this tool
Includes Interaction w general public/ public galleries with unmoderated content
Includes social features, such as "friends," comments, ratings by others
Requires registration/log-in (WITH email)
Products can be embedded
Products can be shared by URL
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Teen Safety Blueprint - Bill Belsey
Grades
2 to 12
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This portal site is loaded with links, information, and resources to use in your classroom to teach about this timely issue. Although it is a Canadian affiliated site, information applies...more
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This portal site is loaded with links, information, and resources to use in your classroom to teach about this timely issue. Although it is a Canadian affiliated site, information applies to all youth around the world. Highlights of this site include fact sheets (in PDF format), examples, warning signs, links to more resources, and others. Especially take note of the Resource tab on the top menu. Sliding down to Students find Tik ToK, Digital Dating Abuse, Cyberbullying Fact Sheet: Identification, Prevention, and Response, an several others.
tag(s): artificial intelligence (354), bullying (55), cyberbullying (52), internet safety (120)
In the Classroom
This is a great site for computer teachers (and regular education teachers using computers in their classrooms) to share with their students and parents. Please review the "What Can Be Done" section with students. Cut and paste, then laminate the rules into small posters to be hung near all computers. Create a notebook of cyberbullying facts, and include the fact sheets at this site. Be sure to share the link with parents and your PTO/PTA, as well.
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Google Lit Trips - Google Earth
Grades
3 to 12
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Google Lit Trips collects annotated maps on Google Earth to illustrate the travels found in great works of literature. The site presents the work of teachers and others and continues...more
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Google Lit Trips collects annotated maps on Google Earth to illustrate the travels found in great works of literature. The site presents the work of teachers and others and continues to add maps and content. Literary works are divided by grade level. Each map also provides links to other online material related to the work illustrated, and some trips are accompanied by related podcasts.
"Lit trips" can be reviewed by users so teachers can see comments left by other users. This site uses Google Earth which must be downloaded first. Find full info on Google Earth in the TeachersFirst review, including the link to download.
"Lit trips" can be reviewed by users so teachers can see comments left by other users. This site uses Google Earth which must be downloaded first. Find full info on Google Earth in the TeachersFirst review, including the link to download.
tag(s): earth (188), literature (214), maps (223)
In the Classroom
Each "lit trip" is extensively annotated and linked to further content, making this an incredibly rich resource for teachers to use in conjunction with teaching works of literature. Students can see graphically the travels of such characters as the Joads in The Grapes of Wrath , or Odysseus in Homer's Odyssey . Using these lit trips on an interactive whiteboard or projector will greatly enhance a class study of the associated work of literature. Alternatively, students might be encouraged to explore these lit trips independently, at home, or in a computer lab, so they can follow links that are of particular individual interest. As a really ambitious project, make it a class task to create a lit trip for a work of literature you are studying, assigning student groups to choose locations and create the placemarkers, then submit it to the Lit Trips site.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Define It Fast - WordNet 3.0 Princeton University
Grades
K to 12
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The goal of this website is to become the easiest, fastest online dictionary available. Is it? Try it, you'll be impressed. An exciting tool is the audio component, allowing ...more
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The goal of this website is to become the easiest, fastest online dictionary available. Is it? Try it, you'll be impressed. An exciting tool is the audio component, allowing you to listen to the English pronunciation for selected words ( the triangular "play" button will show next to the word on the entry) . DefineItFast.com has a bookmarklet that you can drag and drop to your browser's link bar (if your computer is not "locked down" at school). When you look up definitions, highlight the word and click the linkbar button or you can directly type the word by clicking the button and click 'OK'. View the tutorial video to learn more about the bookmarklet feature.
Note: The dictionary, like many real-world dictionaries, includes words that may not be classroom-appropriate. Decide how you will handle students who make inappropriate choices in using this tool.
tag(s): dictionaries (48)
In the Classroom
Definitely investigate the free Search Engine download that's available to make this tool even more useful. This may become your favorite dictionary-- bar none. You may want to save this site in your favorites on your class computer(s), but see the cautionary note above about the FULL database of words available.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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TeacherTube - Teacher Tube, LLC
Grades
K to 12
4 Favorites
0 Comments
Move over YouTube! Teachers now have their own place to learn and to teach: TeacherTube.com. Since this site is designed specifically for education, there is not as much concern about...more
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Move over YouTube! Teachers now have their own place to learn and to teach: TeacherTube.com. Since this site is designed specifically for education, there is not as much concern about "public" contributions and appropriateness for school! Teachers will find videos suitable for classroom instruction, such as Ben Franklin chatting with a group of students, or there are also professional videos ideal for staff training (such as Classroom Strategies for Differentiated Instruction). Search and view videos or click on the subject area that interests you, and then click on a video to view. To leave comments, save your favorites, or upload your own video, you will need to register. It's all free. Obviously, this isn't a site for students; however, there are many educational videos suitable for all subject areas that you could share with your students. If your school blocks streaming video sites, consider accessing this site and choosing videos at home, or they may not be viewable.
In the Classroom
If you are looking for a specific topic, save time and use the search option If you wish to add comments or upload your own Teachertube video, you must register as a user at the site. Create and save your edited videos where you can find them on your computer. (Windows Movie Maker or iMovie are great, free tools for video). Then upload to TeacherTube. You will also receive comments on your uploaded videos. If the teacher is the one uploading, the only potential concerns include posting videos with identifiable information or images about your students, school, or class. Check your school policies about posting pictures of your school. If you post student videos, obtain written parent permission to post student work, again within school policies. Any student visible in a video should also have parent permission in accordance with school policies. The most common classroom use would be viewing many videos that match curriculum content. Rap math, visit Anne Frank's historical locations, or view a grammar lesson--these are just a sampling of videos that you may want to use to enhance your curriculum lessons. Use your interactive whiteboard or projector to share the videos with the class. Use the site's videos as an anticipatory set to a new unit or lesson on a specific topic. Have your students create their own TeacherTube video together as a class on any lesson/topic that you are teaching. Have a contest for the best videos and upload the winners to the site (within school policies, of course). Once the class has videos hosted at TeacherTube, you can also embed them in your class bog or wiki for easy sharing with those in your extended online "community."Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Spore Creature Creator - Electronic Arts, Inc.
Grades
2 to 12
7 Favorites
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Use Creature Creator to make interesting and imaginative animals. Your students may recognize it as a tool for making characters for the Spore video game, but it is actually a ...more
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Use Creature Creator to make interesting and imaginative animals. Your students may recognize it as a tool for making characters for the Spore video game, but it is actually a useful tool for learning, as well. Use a pre-made creature or create your own custom creature. Add carnivore features to your creation that include mouths, ears, eyes, arms, hands, feet, and legs. Weapons such as horns, spikes, and clubs can also be added to the creature as well as wings. Change the position of the features and alter them through unbelievable joint changes which then alter how your creature walks and moves. Paint your creation when done and place it in its woodland environment. The creature can walk, show emotion, have offspring, and make sounds. Use the software to take a picture, record a movie, and make an avatar. By adding a description and tags, your creation can be uploaded to the spore website or to a You Tube account. Here is the first Spore tutorial , which is hosted on YouTube. If your district blocks YouTube, it may not be viewable.
Creature Creator is a free download but is a limited version of the original purchased program. The purchased program provides many more choices for the features and environments used to make the creatures. The download is available for both PC and Mac.
Creature Creator is a free download but is a limited version of the original purchased program. The purchased program provides many more choices for the features and environments used to make the creatures. The download is available for both PC and Mac.
tag(s): adaptations (21), animals (283), animation (72), classification (20)
In the Classroom
User needs to be able to download and install the free program. Easy to use interface. Start with a blob, which you manipulate into a shape, pulling its spinal cord in any direction with the mouse, before adding a head, limbs and various optional extra body parts. Choose your part by using the onscreen catalog. Manipulate it further by changing the position of joints or through adding or deleting segments. Add a background and move your creature by dragging your mouse for it to follow. Continue to alter your creature to get the movement or features needed.Pressing "H" brings up the spore guide which includes topic categories such as "Welcome to Spore," "Getting Started," "Build Mode," "Test Drive," and "Paint Mode."
Check your district policy on downloading and installing of programs. Check with your IT department. Teachers who must request software installation by tech staff may want to try this tool at home and create some sample projects to convince administration of its educational value.
Uploading pictures and videos of creations to You Tube or the spore site may expose students to advertising as well as inappropriately created creatures. You may want to send students directly to URLs for their own projects, maintain the creatures on the classroom computer itself, or use Teacher Tube to upload the creations. Uploading creatures enables outsider comments without teacher control. Outsiders can interact or mark the creations as favorites. Many school policies prohibit such interaction, so be sure to check your school policy. You will want to discuss these features in the context of Internet Safety or establish specific written class rules and consequences for interacting with outsiders. Student work can be saved as a picture and printed, as well, for sharing and showing. Check your school policies on whether student work may be displayed online and what information is permitted, then enforce that policy with your students.
The tool does not show which work is attributable to each student. You may want to require student initials on projects in order to get credit.
Use Creature creator to create an unusual creature as a class project. Create a classification system of all the class creatures to demonstrate biology classification skills. When discussing the groupings in the Animal Kingdom, use Creature Creator to create a new organism for that group. Use the tool to create a class creature with adaptations to a specific environment. Have students create a creature and then write a story or poem about it and how it lives. Have students create a creature as a self-portrait of personality or other traits the students possess. Students can design and draw habitats that would house their creation including the calculation of the volume and area the housing would require. Use a classroom projector or white board to share/create creatures in class and discuss specific features of the creatures.
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bubbl.us - Kirill Edelman and Levon Amelyan
Grades
K to 12
15 Favorites
1 Comments
This simple and free online tool allows you to brainstorm ideas and create concept maps with no special software! Bubble.us offers several highly interactive features: saving your mind...more
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This simple and free online tool allows you to brainstorm ideas and create concept maps with no special software! Bubble.us offers several highly interactive features: saving your mind map as an image, sharing (emailing) your work with a friend, printing your organizer, creating colorful mind map organizers, embedding your work on a website or blog, and collaborating with friends. You can "play" on this site without registering; however, registration is required to save, embed, email, and use other features. NOTE: The free version only allows you to SAVE three maps, so you will want to save your completed maps as images, then delete them from your membership to make room for more freebies.
tag(s): brainstorming (17), graphic organizers (60), mind map (31), noregistration (74), study aid (177)
In the Classroom
Click "Start Here" to type the subject of your concept map. Hitting your Enter key creates a new level (branch) within the map. Tab creates an additional branch on the same level as the current topic. Experiment with the small icons on each "element" to change colors, drag, make new connections, etc. Save and set sharing (read-only or open access) in the area at the right. You can "send" a read-only link via email or copy the embed code from the Menu at lower right), but you cannot find the URL directly from your map. "Send" it to yourself via email to copy the actual URL.There are countless possibilities at this mental mapping site. Demonstrate the tool on an interactive whiteboard or projector, and then allow students to try to create their own graphic organizers. Use this site for literature activities, research projects, social studies, or science topics of study. Use this site to create family trees. Have students collaborate together (online) to create group mind maps or review charts before tests on a given subject. Have students organize color-code concepts to show what they understand, wonder, question; map out a story, plotline, or LIFETIME; map out a step-by-step process (life cycle); map a real historical event as a choose-your-own-adventure with alternate endings(?) based on pivotal points; plan a "tour" for a "thought museum." Use this mapping website as an alternative to a traditional test, quiz, or homework assignment in literature or social studies: have students demonstrate their understanding by completing a graphic organizer about the main points. To minimize the number of maps on a free account, have students screenshot or print their results to turn them in. See more ideas in the linked example above!
Comments
david, TX, Grades: 9 - 12
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World Stories Bank - Whootie Owl Productions
Grades
1 to 6
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0 Comments
This site has free stories, mainly fairy tales and folk tales, indexed by topic. Highlights include various holidays, international stories of all types, free reader's theater pieces,...more
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This site has free stories, mainly fairy tales and folk tales, indexed by topic. Highlights include various holidays, international stories of all types, free reader's theater pieces, and free online recorded stories (click "Stories on CD" to access free downloads). All stories are "kid-tested" and uplifting. Students can make comments (and read other viewers' comments). They can search for stories by age (6-14), theme, story type, and location.
tag(s): cross cultural understanding (175), folktales (34), listening (119)
In the Classroom
Use this site to find stories that represent the cultures of the students in your classroom, whether they are ESL students or from different ethnic backgrounds. Also, use this site to find stories for various school holidays. Play a story aloud on your speakers, then allow students to record their own stories with musical backgrounds.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Patriotic Songs - The Kiboomers - Kids Music Channel
Grades
K to 8
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The Kiboomers- Kids Music Channel has a YouTube playlist of patriotic songs for students to listen to and learn the lyrics. Some of the songs featured include: You're a Grand ...more
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The Kiboomers- Kids Music Channel has a YouTube playlist of patriotic songs for students to listen to and learn the lyrics. Some of the songs featured include: You're a Grand Old Flag, America the Beautiful, 4th of July Fireworks, and Yankee Doodle Dandy. Each song is animated with cartoon characters. If your district blocks YouTube, you will not be able to access these.
This site includes advertising.
This site includes advertising.
tag(s): holidays (292), lyrics (16), memorial day (26), presidents (151), songs (51)
In the Classroom
Enhance your reading program with music. Have students listen to the songs while following the lyrics. Keep this site handy for those patriotic holidays. Use this site in social studies classes to learn the meaning behind some of the most popular patriotic songs. Play the sound in the background during class skits for Presidents' Day or other patriotic occasions.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Lit2Go - Florida Educational Technology Clearinghouse
Grades
K to 12
1 Favorites
0 Comments
Now you can listen to and read along with the classics and poems, thanks to the generosity of this site's creators. Download story files to your mp3 player or listen ...more
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Now you can listen to and read along with the classics and poems, thanks to the generosity of this site's creators. Download story files to your mp3 player or listen to the files on your computer. Don't want to listen to the classics and other stories? Then, view the text on a webpage or in a printable PDF. Easily browse the site by author or title to locate literature. You can also search by reading level; the levels are broken down by month (ranging from 0.0 to 12.0). Stories and poems are added frequently to this site, so check back often.
tag(s): audbk (25), audio books (42), folktales (34), literature (214), nursery rhymes (10), rhymes (24)
In the Classroom
Print out up to 25 PDF copies of stories and poems if you do not have print versions. Make your own books and leave blank sections for illustration to aid comprehension. If you have iTunes installed on your computer, you can download many of the selections directly into your iTunes library. Use individual laptops to read the stories online or as downloads. Make sure your sight-impaired students are aware of this helpful site. Special ed teachers and ENL/ELL teachers will love the availability of audio files alongside text.
This resource requires PDF reader software like Adobe Acrobat.
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Kids and Reading - John Rowlinson, Kids and Reading, UK
Grades
K to 8
1 Favorites
0 Comments
Geared to teaching parents about reading, this site offers a great review of reading methods, classroom methods, special needs (i.e. ADHD, autism), booklists, motivation, tool and techniques...more
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Geared to teaching parents about reading, this site offers a great review of reading methods, classroom methods, special needs (i.e. ADHD, autism), booklists, motivation, tool and techniques to use, etc. Even though it is a British site, it is totally applicable to the USA and other areas throughout the world. You will find a wealth of information to share with your students' parents at Open House and throughout the year. There are some minor advertisements at this site (all related to the topic).
tag(s): adhd (21), dyslexia (11), guided reading (31), learning disability (20), learning styles (23), neurodiversity (15), Special Needs (46)
In the Classroom
Sign up for the newsletter to receive new information every month. Provide the link to this site in your class newsletter or on your class website so parents can sign-up for the newsletter also (and use the free resources).Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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transl8it! - Translate it!
Grades
3 to 12
4 Favorites
0 Comments
Impress your class when you give them a taste of their own lingo. Stay informed about what your students are writing. Just key ( or paste) in your regular ...more
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Impress your class when you give them a taste of their own lingo. Stay informed about what your students are writing. Just key ( or paste) in your regular text (in ENGLISH) or your SMS (short message service) , TXT, emoticon, smiley, slang, or chat room lingo and let this site translate it. The site can translate "lingo" to English or English to "lingo." Since we always cry that regular English is going down the tubes, reverse the trend by giving students a dose of their short-cut text English and have them re-write it into normal English. Teach grammar skills by coming in the back door...this time the back door is the door most frequently entered by our youth. Want to give it a try? Translate this: dEr claS, I knO U typ wds dat L%k lIk DIS wen Im not l%kin. It iz important 4 U 2 knO how 2 wrte propR eng. n employer wiL eva hire U f U wrte lIk DIS. pls transl8 DIS pargrph in2 propR eng. U wiL earn a gud grade f U do. --yor Tcha
What's the translation? Dear class, I know you type words that look like this when I'm not looking. It is important for you to know how to write proper English. No employer will ever hire you if you write like this. Please translate this paragraph into proper English. You will earn a good grade if you do. -Your teacher
Translations are not always perfect, but you will get "the gist." Parents will also appreciate this site as a tool to help them understand their children's writings. There are some minor advertisements at this website. There is also a place to "log-in." Registration is free but is not required to use this site.
What's the translation? Dear class, I know you type words that look like this when I'm not looking. It is important for you to know how to write proper English. No employer will ever hire you if you write like this. Please translate this paragraph into proper English. You will earn a good grade if you do. -Your teacher
Translations are not always perfect, but you will get "the gist." Parents will also appreciate this site as a tool to help them understand their children's writings. There are some minor advertisements at this website. There is also a place to "log-in." Registration is free but is not required to use this site.
tag(s): bullying (55), internet safety (120), safety (62)
In the Classroom
Teachers (or administrators), you may need this translator to decode SMS/TXT text lingo used by your students when you cannot decipher it. You may also have concerns about your students' online behavior and need some assistance monitoring for bullying or risky behavior. Just type (or paste) in the message and click on the 'transl8it' button. Presto...it's English again.Use this site on an interactive whiteboard or projector during the first day of school to introduce yourself to the class using "their" language (and your expectations to use proper English). Be sure to share it on your teacher web page as a tool for parents, as well.
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Wildlife Filmmaker - National Geographic
Grades
2 to 12
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Animals from National Geographic allows you to step into the world of animals, from wildlife to beloved pets. The site allows you to learn about nature's most incredible species through...more
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Animals from National Geographic allows you to step into the world of animals, from wildlife to beloved pets. The site allows you to learn about nature's most incredible species through recent discoveries and groundbreaking studies on animal habitats, behaviors, and unique adaptations.
In the Classroom
Students of all ages can create simple films for use in presentations about a specific biome, food chains, or reports about specific animals. Students can play their film on a screen with a projector or with an interactive whiteboard. Students can use created films for language arts exercises such as poems, storytelling, informational writing, or journal writing. Have students exchange retrieval codes/URLs and write a story about each other's films. Or have students put links to their original films on a class "Nature Film Festival" wiki.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Interactive Two Circle Venn Diagram - ReadWriteThink
Grades
2 to 6
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This online tool allows students to generate clear and easy to use "2 circle" Venn Diagrams. The opening page asks you to name the project and then label the two ...more
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This online tool allows students to generate clear and easy to use "2 circle" Venn Diagrams. The opening page asks you to name the project and then label the two circles in the Venn Diagram. When you click NEXT a professional looking Venn Diagram will be created based on your project and labels. The interactive Venn Diagram allows you to generate concepts (type words) and place them in circle 1 or circle 2 by clicking and dragging the word. You are able to place the word in either circle, or the overlapping area. When inputting a concept word a text box is provided to type in a detailed description. There is also a demonstration video that shows how to type concept words and descriptions and how to drag and place the concepts onto the Venn Diagram. The program allows you to edit and print (but not SAVE!) the finished Venn Diagrams.
tag(s): graphic organizers (60), summarizing (30), venn diagrams (13)
In the Classroom
Use this handy tool to guide your students through the process of organizing information in Venn diagram form. View the demonstration video together on an interactive whiteboard or projector. Complete a Venn Diagram as a class activity. Then have students work on individual computers to create their own Venn Diagrams to correlate with a language arts, social studies, or interdisciplinary lesson. Have students print out their Venn Diagrams and share them with the class. Once they have mastered this skill and underlying concepts, allow them to create even more colorful Venn diagrams using colorful Autoshapes circles, clip art, and text boxes on PowerPoint slides or using Inspiration software. Show them how to use color as a way to communicate meaning by color-coding, as well.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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A Timeline of Poetry In English - RPO Eds., U Toronto Eng. Dept & Press
Grades
8 to 12
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This is a very simple site with a wealth of information presented in a straightforward manner. It divides-- by years-- the traditional progression of English from Early to Middle to...more
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This is a very simple site with a wealth of information presented in a straightforward manner. It divides-- by years-- the traditional progression of English from Early to Middle to Early Modern to Present Day. Within Early Modern and Present Day English it also divides into categories within the genre. Present Day begins with the Romantics and continues through Post-modernism. Throughout the timeline there are links to representative poems included in the RPO database. Most of the poets have biographical information included with their poetry (family information, languages, education, religion, and more).
tag(s): poetry (197)
In the Classroom
Many of the poets mentioned along the timeline will be unfamiliar to students. Students might choose a poet and create a "life" for him/her within the culture and society in which he lived and present the poet with one of his works to the class. Challenge cooperative learning groups to create their own interactive timelines about the poet they research using a site such as Sutori, that can include images, text, and collaboration. Another project might be to have groups of students choose poems from each time period within present day English and compare the poems based upon the society of the time in which they were written, incorporating humanities and historical analysis. Use the biographical information provided with some of the poets to engage your students in the life and times of the poet. Have students complete research projects about one of the poets highlighted at this website or create a fictitious blog of his/her life. Challenge students to create their own original poetry in similar form to the poet they have researched.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Google Moon - Google
Grades
K to 12
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Use Google Moon to explore the Apollo moon landings. Explore the lunar maps and charts from past missions that include visible images and lunar terrain maps that show elevations. Find...more
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Use Google Moon to explore the Apollo moon landings. Explore the lunar maps and charts from past missions that include visible images and lunar terrain maps that show elevations. Find the placemarks of the Apollo landings that include stories, quotes, images, panoramas, audio clips, and links to videos of past mission adventures on the moon. Click on a landing mission to access the many placemarks in each mission.
tag(s): moon (88), solar system (126), space (250)
In the Classroom
Google Moon is a great way to show what we understand about the moon even though it has been decades since the last moon missions. Even younger students can share the experience on an interactive whiteboard or projector. Discussions of changing technologies and advancements in space missions can easily occur following viewing of the missions. Students can create a time line using conventional or multimedia resources to show the different Apollo missions. Google Moon can be used in history classes as well as literature classes by creating or reading poems and stories about the Moon. Students can generate art and writing to showcase information learned.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Ed Pubs - US Department of Education
Grades
K to 12
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0 Comments
This site offers free publications about teaching, literacy, reading instruction, child development, math, and school safety. The offerings include materials for all levels (brochures,...more
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This site offers free publications about teaching, literacy, reading instruction, child development, math, and school safety. The offerings include materials for all levels (brochures, posters, videotapes, newsletters, and more). The intended audiences include students, teachers, parents, and administrators. Many publications and also site information come in Spanish and English.
tag(s): literacy (122)
In the Classroom
Share this site on your class website so parents can learn about this free resource. Include links to specific publications tha fit your class' needs. Or choose helpful information with your particular parents/students and share the pdf files as print-outs at conferences or via email to help parents.
This resource requires PDF reader software like Adobe Acrobat.
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AdLit - adlit.org
Grades
4 to 12
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The focus of this site is to encourage better literacy and reading enjoyment among pre-teens and adolescents. Sister sites Reading Rockets, Colorin'Colorado, Start with a Book, and...more
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The focus of this site is to encourage better literacy and reading enjoyment among pre-teens and adolescents. Sister sites Reading Rockets, Colorin'Colorado, Start with a Book, and LDonline offer summer reading strategies, book lists, book clubs, classroom technique hints that encourage the development of reading attack skills, and a special section on authors and their best books. This site has everything you need to know about teaching reading in easy-to-use formats.
tag(s): authors (116), independent reading (85), reading strategies (85)
In the Classroom
If you need ideas to get students reading for fun and to help develop their confidence, try this site. Highlight this on your class website so parents can try the activities with their older students. When doing author biographies, share this site with your class using an interactive whiteboard or projector. Be sure to check out the "Classroom Strategies" link for even more literacy ideas.
This resource requires PDF reader software like Adobe Acrobat.
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