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Talking About - English Portal
Grades
8 to 12tag(s): vocabulary (260), idioms (28)
In the Classroom
Check this page to see if any of the general topics has relevance to your lessons. Students can work on their own to increase their vocabulary knowledge of specific expressions used containing the topic focus word. For example, at Christmas time, ESL and ELL students can add to their cultural knowledge as well as language usage by using the Christmas pages.You must be registered and logged in to add items to your favorites.
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The Gift of Gatsby - Anissa Hambouz & Javaid khan
Grades
8 to 12tag(s): new york (24), literature (215)
In the Classroom
The article and the accompanying interactive quiz are online, so it is essential for students to do this in a computer lab or an Internet-ready classroom. The plan includes classroom discussion of the quiz after students take it, homework as follow-up, evaluation, vocabulary, extension and interdisciplinary activities, as well as links to related sites on great books and F. Scott Fitzgerald.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Snoopy - United Feature Syndicate, Inc.
Grades
3 to 8tag(s): comics and cartoons (67)
In the Classroom
Have students utilize and manipulate comic strips for dialog-writing lessons, summarizing, predicting and retelling stories. Use comic strips for literature responses. School counselors will also like the Peanuts strips as conversation starters about feelings. You could even use an online comic strip maker, such as Make Beliefs Comix to create your own class or student comic strips after looking at some examples from Peanuts. Use your interactive whiteboard or projector to share the Fun and Games . Then have students work on individual computers or with a partner to try some of the educational activities.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Seashell Identification Guide - Seashells.com
Grades
2 to 10In the Classroom
Use this site as a kick-off when students return to write their "What I Did on my Summer Vacation" papers. If you're teaching research skills, this site is a good place to start, since it is highly visual but definitive. ESL and ELL students can independently use this site since the vocabulary is limited to names, regions, and sizes. Biology teachers can use this site as a reference when teaching about classification.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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AstroViewer - Dirk Matussek
Grades
3 to 12tag(s): planets (122), solar system (126), stars (78)
In the Classroom
Use an interactive whiteboard or projection screen to share this interactive "sky map" with your class. Identify the changes in constellation location through the months of the year. Track motions of planets across the sky as well as the differences between Southern and Northern Hemispheres. Use these in a presentation about the mythology or significance behind constellation names. Or turn down the lights and use the "night sky" as a writing prompt during a poetry unit.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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The Biography Maker - Jamie McKenzie and the Bellingham Public Schools.
Grades
4 to 12tag(s): questioning (37), writing (301)
In the Classroom
All material at this site is copyrighted, so it must be viewed online. For students who do best with step-by-step instructions, this site is a gem! You might have one group research authors from a particular country while others do artists, musicians, scientists, etc. A class report from each of these groups would do a good job of encapsulating a country or area of the world within any given time period. Teachers seeking independent projects for students who "test out" of a unit can assign this site's step-by-step instructions as a meaningful alternate activity.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Kids' Vid - Mike Keating
Grades
3 to 8tag(s): tutorials (51)
In the Classroom
Start the activity by showing the student-produced videos on the web site. Use the resources on the site for a whole class jig-saw exercise. Assign small groups the task of learning one aspect of the process and then reporting and showing it to the rest of the class. Share the knowledge by creating working groups, which contain an expert from each aspect of the process. Use one of the many class ideas as practice activities for students to learn the finer points of video production before they start their masterpieces.Video is a great tool for authentic assessment - especially for ESL, ELL, and Special Education students. Think about letting each of your students create a short video about what they know for their parent conference meeting or Open House. Explore the realm of possibilities by having students develop and ask peers a "Question of the Week" and document the responses on video. Let students produce a walking tour of the school and key personnel as an introduction for new students. Post this video on the school website, but check the district and students' Acceptable Use Policies before videoing any student faces. You may want to ask your school's funding sources to consider purchasing a few USB plug-in "flip" video cameras that cost about $100 each so students can do these projects with an "indestructible" tool.
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The Enormous Kinder-Garden - Hubbard's Cupboard
Grades
K to 1tag(s): myplate (15)
In the Classroom
Have students go on a simple, primary web quest for additional information relating to the foods listed in the theme. Use time in the computer lab or in small groups on a classroom computer cluster.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Book Wizard - Scholastic
Grades
K to 12tag(s): reading lists (79), book lists (168)
In the Classroom
Teachers, make sure your librarian and even parents know about this wonderful web tool. This could be set up as the homepage for several computers in the library, so students can plug in their levels, their interests, and then enjoy the book recommendations.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Owly Comics - Andy Runton
Grades
K to 4tag(s): vocabulary (260), novels (32), comics and cartoons (67), graphic novels (5)
In the Classroom
Ask students to dictate captions for these stories, write the captions on strips, and put them with the printed pictures. For students able to write, have them write their own captions. Have a caption-writing contest among pairs of students in the classroom. Have ESL and ELL students write simple captions and learn the words for items in the pictures at the same time. Students in foreign language classes can generate desciptions or dialog to go with the stories. Special ed teachers will appreciate the opportunity for students to "narrate" the comics -- and possibly place pages in sequence -- to develop vocabulary. Use printable versions for take-home work with parents, as well. Challenge students to create their own wordless books. Don't forget to check out the twelve lesson plans available at theAdd your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Audio Stories for Children - Light Up Your Brain
Grades
K to 5In the Classroom
Use the stories during listening centers or as enrichment to a theme or shared/group reading during class. Play the stories on an interactive whiteboard or projector and have students draw pictures of the story. If copies of the story are available, have students follow along with a partner during the audio reading. Learning support teachers will like the option of offering stories in audio to help weaker readers.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Mysterious Places: Ancient Civilizations Modern Mysteries - Mysterious Places
Grades
4 to 12In the Classroom
This site might be offered to students doing independent research or included as "real" mysteries during a reading or literature unit on mysteries. The information could augment a lesson plan from a standard text with its lovely photos. It could be an option for exploration by accelerated students who have completed a unit on ancient history. Teachers should be aware that there is an on-line forum as a part of this site which requires registration. Its content is completely peripheral to the site, and students should simply be instructed to avoid it.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Hubbard's Cupboard - a joyful journey into learning - Hubbard's Cupboard
Grades
K to 1tag(s): eggs (4), holidays (294), easter (8), literacy (121)
In the Classroom
Use the site as a guide for planning a traditional holiday celebration in your classroom!Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Comic Creator - ReadWriteThink.org
Grades
2 to 12tag(s): comics and cartoons (67), summarizing (30), sequencing (22)
In the Classroom
Instead of writing boring summaries, why not summarize through a comic strip. It's much like storyboarding, but the drawing has been left to the Comic Creator pros. Make a class book of the comics created throughout the year. That book will become the most read classroom book of all in an elementary classroom. Use comics to show sequencing of events. When studying about characterization, create dialog to show (not tell) about a character. Another idea - why not use the comic strips for conflict resolution or other guidance issues (such as bullying). Sometimes it is easier for students to write it down (or draw the pictures) than use the actual words. World language and ESL/ELL teachers can assign students to create dialog strips as an alternate to traditional written assessments.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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TeenInk Online Magazine - The 21st Century and the Young Authors Foundation
Grades
5 to 12tag(s): writing (301), poetry (196), photography (134)
In the Classroom
English teachers, create your own TeenInk publication in your classroom. Work with your school's technology teacher to have students set up an online publication like the one at this site--perhaps on a wiki. Don't dare call it a literary magazine these days. Use TeenInk as a prototype of an edgy, creative outlet for your students. Put Shakespeare on the shelf for a few weeks and consider using the TeenInk site's content to show story elements and literary devices. If school policies prohibit publishing content online, make the wiki private and share the password with invited guests. Learn more about wikis at the TeachersFirst's Wiki Walk-Through.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Online Newspapers - Web Wombat Pty Ltd.
Grades
5 to 12tag(s): newspapers (86), news (221), middle east (47), central america (24), asia (137), africa (162), australia (27), europe (83)
In the Classroom
Students can update reports and research by accessing newspapers from around the world. Any of your favorite newspaper learning activities can transfer to a newspaper in another part of the USA or world. Foreign language teachers and students will enjoy using the foreign presses for authentic learning. Social Studies teachers can assign students to compare points of view on world issues or perceptions of the U.S. via various newspapers.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Reading A to Z - learninga-z.com
Grades
K to 6Caution: although you are able to use many of these items for free, most downloads ask that you input your email address. You can bypass this by clicking submit without inputting your email address.
tag(s): worksheets (72), reading comprehension (145)
In the Classroom
Tell your students' parents about this site to encourage them to read, download, and print more stories for their children. Include the link in your class newsletter or on your website. Beginning readers, ELL, and ENL students will enjoy the wordless books whose stories they can tell themselves or tell in their own languages. Students may want to create their own wordless picture books after seeing these examples.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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ESL Writing Wizard - Nick Ramsay
Grades
K to 6tag(s): writing (301), handwriting (14), alphabet (46), multilingual (84)
In the Classroom
Use the cursive option with even your advanced level ESL and ELL students, some of whom have only learned to write English by printing. With ESL and ELL students, combine writing practice with survival word lists, such as colors, numbers, days of the week, months of the year etc. Use this for extra practice for your students learning to print or learning cursive. Although this site was created for ESL and ELL students, it would be useful in any elementary classroom learning printing, cursive writing, or even spelling words. For kinesthetic practice with any students, project the worksheet on an interactive whiteboard for use with a finger as a "pencil." Children with special needs will find this kinesthetic option very helpful and engaging.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Grammar Girl's Quick and Dirty Tips - QDTips
Grades
6 to 12The site includes ads and each podcast starts with a short commercial announcement. The transcript can be accessed online, sometimes with a short accompanying video that illustrates the grammar issue of the day. Grammar Girl tips can be heard as podcasts, which are played through an embedded online audio player. The podcasts can also be downloaded as Mp3 files and played through iTunes, QuickTime Player and RealPlayer installed on a local computer. You can get QuickTime and RealPlayer from the "Teachers First Toolbox page.
This site includes advertising.
tag(s): grammar (143)
In the Classroom
Check with your Information Technology Department to make sure the site is unblocked at school. If it is blocked, consider installing the free iTunes, QuickTime Player or RealPlayer on a computer at home and downloading the Mp3 files to play later at school. External speakers connected to the computer will help broadcast the sound throughout your classroom. IMPORTANT NOTE: This site includes tools for blog users to interact with others. Any visitor can comment on the posts and podcasts or participate in Forums. There are also links to other tip blogs on the web page. Check your school policies on students posting comments, etc. to the web and whether they are permitted to do so anonymously and/or with name or initials. Extend the concept of Grammar Girls by having students write and produce their own Grammar Girls style podcasts to explain the grammar demons that haunt their writing.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Webbing into Literacy - University of Virginia Curry School of Education
Grades
K to 1tag(s): alphabet (46), nursery rhymes (10), rhymes (24), preK (352)
In the Classroom
Kindergarten teachers, make activity centers using these easy-to-print worksheets or send them home in a learning packet for additional practice. Intended for Head Start teachers, you will find most activities are perfect for Kindergarten students.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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