Teachers First - Thinking Teachers Teaching Thinkers

Create interactive, text-based games with this simple tool. Perhaps you remember a text-based game called "Adventure" from back in the early days of computers. Be sure to use the tutorial on the home page that also teaches you how to navigate the stories themselves. By clicking on the "About Us," you can view the "cheat sheet" that will certainly make your first creative attempt at Playfic more enjoyable. Experiment with Playfic games created by others and time yourself. if you get stuck, you can look at the source code. Create your own Playfic for any topic that interests you, whether it's fiction or not. Note that there is no moderation on games created by others, so preview before sharing with young people.

tag(s): creative writing (124), creativity (86), digital storytelling (154), gamification (83), mysteries (23), puzzles (149)

Let's Play Math! is a blog by a homeschooling mom that shares resources, ideas, and an excitement for teaching mathematics to all students. Find popular posts on the right-hand toolbar or browse by topic tag. Topics with the most entries are highlighted and in a larger font making them easier to find. Search within the blog using the search box included. You may also want to check out the link to the Best of the Blog. This includes some of the author's favorite posts sorted by subject and includes favorite games, puzzles, activities, and more. Although this blog was designed by a homeschooling parent, the information is useful in any math classroom setting.
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tag(s): mental math (19), preK (271), puzzles (149)

Looking for resources to use on your interactive whiteboard? If so, this site is a tremendous resource for all whiteboard users, not just those with a Promethean Board. View, search, and download from over 60,000 resources in all subject areas and grade levels. Use the Resources tab to search by state standard, content, grade level, or resource type. Register on the site to enable download ability as well as many other features such as saving favorites, reviewing resources, asking questions on the technical forum, following specific users, and uploading your own resources. Each resource includes a short description, grade level recommendation, file format, and size. Another great feature is the slide show included with each download for previewing different pages used on each chart.

tag(s): iwb (31), numbers (120), preK (271), resources (84)

Join Word GameTime for language arts, geography, math, and typing activities. Find a variety of games including brain games, crosswords, vocabulary, world capitals, and spelling. Worksheets and educational videos offer further explorations.
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tag(s): capitals (16), countries (73), grammar (137), keyboarding (28), logic (161), reading comprehension (149), spelling (98), states (124)

Find lesson ideas and more for literature and language arts, foreign languages, art and culture, history and social studies at the reworked site that was once part of MarcoPolo. Lesson Plans, Teacher Guides, book articles, data bases, educational gaming, professional development events, sound, film, video resources, and resource website lists all aid teachers and learners. A calendar keeps you up to date with famous dates in history.

tag(s): art history (103), cultures (180), Juneteenth (22), literacy (122)

Try this inference and prediction guessing game for the young. Press "show a clue" to receive clues for the mystery word. Guess the word or press the button again to get another clue. Fifteen child-friendly riddles are available, and the riddles have up to ten clues.
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tag(s): inferencing (7), riddles (16)

Flash to PBS to get a bolt of learning about Nikola Tesla. Discover a compressive view of Tesla from his early years and his coming to America. Follow his accomplishments while harnessing the Niagara. Discover the true mystery about who invented the radio. Trace his inventions and accomplishments. Inside the lab, discover the AC motor, the Tesla coil, radio, remote controls, and improved lightning. Resources include a timeline of electricity and radio, Tesla's patents, and articles about Tesla. Explore discussions from experts about Tesla's life and accomplishments. There are lesson plans for teachers. Some materials are for sale.

tag(s): electricity (61), energy (133), industrial revolution (22), inventors and inventions (80), motion (47), radio (20)

Reading Rockets is a comprehensive guide for parents, teachers, librarians, principals, school counselors, speech therapists, school psychologists, preschool caregivers, summer care providers, and anyone interested in keeping kids reading! This site is an amazing resource to answer your reading needs. Updated continually, it keeps you informed with the latest research. New teachers, seasoned teacher, parents, principals, and anyone who works with students (reading) can benefit from the information included. Teachers will find: classroom strategies, how to help struggling readers, professional development webcasts, how to build strong parent teacher relationships, booklists, and how to use books in your curriculum. For principals, under the Resources tab, discover information on school level leadership, supporting teachers, closing the achievement gap, and working with parents. Find over 100 interviews with award winning authors reviewed here, an author study tool kit, themed booklists, holiday gift guide, research-based articles, parent letters, launching young readers (series) on ipod, reading adventure packs, and other great tools. A librarian toolkit offers free video modules on finding the right book, becoming aware of print, reading as dialogue, and writers secrets. Many detailed articles discuss information about speech pathology, dyslexia, comprehension, motivation, phonics, writing, and spelling.
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tag(s): authors (107), book lists (167), dyslexia (11), literacy (122), literature (221), parents (57), phonics (51), reading comprehension (149), reading lists (77), reading strategies (96), speech (69), spelling (98)

Create a live Internet radio show -- free -- with Spreaker! This super easy online tool creates podcasts instantly for you to share with your own URL, on Facebook, Google +, Soundcloud, X (formerly Twitter), or add to the Spreaker website. Follow others, or invite others to follow your podcasts. With a click of a button you are creating a live podcast. There is a free version and a more deluxe premium version. This review is for the free version.
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tag(s): communication (129), podcasts (108), radio (20)

Cut the Rope is an action puzzle physics game. The goal in each level is to drop a piece of candy--suspended by a series of ropes--into the mouth of a cuddly little monster named Om Nom that is located somewhere on the screen. To do that, you have to cut the ropes in a way that makes the candy swing, jump, or fall into the little guy's mouth. Along the way, you also have to try to pick up all the star items in each level. But this is a puzzle game, so you have to put on your thinking cap to figure out which ropes to cut and in what order. To make things more complicated, you also encounter movable pegs; spikes; electricity; bubbles that make the candy float; and whoopee cushions, which send puffs of air that can blow the candy in different direction

tag(s): inquiry (24), logic (161), problem solving (233)

Steve Spangler has brought his fun and educational science experiments to his YouTube page. At the time of this review, the channel had over 400 science experiments in short (approx. one minute) videos. Each video demonstrates step by step how to conduct the experiment but leaves it up to you to decide the science involved. Choose from the featured playlist, browse through uploaded videos, view by fan favorites, or search the channel using a keyword or term to find experiments. Videos can also be sorted by newest or oldest additions. Subscribe to the channel (using your YouTube login) to receive updates when new videos are added. Many include links to further detail and experiment how-tos on Steve's regular web site. The videos are hosted on YouTube. If your district blocks YouTube, then they may not be viewable.
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tag(s): experiments (55), optical illusions (10), solar energy (34), water (102)

Blog your way into the latest social technology using edublogs. Use the free service to set up a blog as a student, teacher, or campus. This education friendly tool avoids some of the "public interaction" that can offer inappropriate content. Upgrade to more advanced features, to include more options. The additional information on blogging makes this site very valuable even if you already have a blogging platform. Find a plethora of advice, tutorials, PDFs, and lesson plans for blogging. This site is a great reference site for all who are beginning to use blogs, or even look for more varied and effective ways to blog with students, or even other classes. Compare this tool to other free blogging tools mentioned in TeachersFirst's Blog Basics for the Classroom . This is a device-agnostic tool, available on the web but also available for free as both an Android and iOS app. Use it from any device or move between several devices and still access your work. App and web versions vary slightly.
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tag(s): blogs (65), communication (129), writing (325)

Practice spatial awareness, logic, and reasoning skills with this Tetris site. Choose a level and click play to begin. Actions are controlled by the use of arrow keys on the computer keyboard and directions are included by clicking on the game surface. Progress through levels by successful completion of building lines with Tetris blocks. Game status is shown including lines created and total score.

tag(s): logic (161), problem solving (233), puzzles (149)

A Thunk is a beguilingly simple-looking yes/no question that stops you in your tracks to look at the world in a whole new light. Over a thousand Thunks are included on the site with simple yes or no responses. View results easily, read comments, or submit your own comment by including your name, email (will not be displayed), and comment. Thunks can be chosen by categories such as good and bad, human condition, or friendship. At the time of this review, we found no evidence of inappropriate public comments (and we looked hard!) , but you might want to preview before turning young people loose on the site.
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tag(s): logic (161), problem solving (233), questioning (36)

Wondermind is a set of four mini-activities with accompanying videos, illustrating the fascinating ways our brains work. Experience the activities/illustrations to help prepare for the interactive video that explains an aspect of the brain, such as how we learn language, how the brain develops from childhood to adulthood, how memory works, how we sense our own location, and how we learn self-control. Wondermind, set to the theme of Alice in Wonderland, will delight you with the quirky, clever, or just plain weird art inspired by Alice in Wonderland and used as part of the designs. The activities can be skipped if you prefer to just view the videos.

tag(s): body systems (40), brain (56), human body (93), logic (161), psychology (65)

Try your fingers at a puzzle similar to the classic word jumbles found in newspapers. Choose a puzzle date; then the timer starts to test how quickly you can find a solution. Unscramble the sets of words by dragging the letters into their correct spot in the word. Then unscramble the circled letters to find the answer to the problem in the puzzle. The cartoon with the puzzle question can be printed in pdf format and colored. Click on the hint button for additional help in solving puzzles.

tag(s): puzzles (149), spelling (98), vocabulary (238), word study (59)

Improve brain functioning with this challenge. A series of 21 different "brain games" gets your brain thinking. Activities focus on different areas of brain training. Compete against yourself to improve. While most of this site is free, full access requires membership.
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tag(s): logic (161), multiple intelligences (7), puzzles (149)

Find science news featuring the latest research, discoveries, and questions facing science today. Find interesting questions to inspire all of your students to wonder why and continue guessing. Examples of articles include: Second "Mozart effect" Premature Babies May Grow Faster, Huge Hidden Saturn Ring Found, and New Anti-Cancer Strategy Makes Tumors Age. Latest breaking news and science in images add a greater depth to the site.
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tag(s): animal homes (57), animals (295), diseases (67), genetics (80), news (229), planets (113)

Enter the world of Syvum, a site of logic, math, reasoning, words, and general knowledge puzzles. Join others in playing the many games offered. Every challenge offers background information to help you understand the puzzle. With a free membership you can even create your own quizzes and puzzles.
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tag(s): creativity (86), critical thinking (127), logic (161), problem solving (233)

Investigate the world of art history accompanied by two professors at the Fashion Institute of Technology, Dr. Beth Harris and Dr. Steven Zucker. Smarthistory started as a a blog featuring free audio guides, podcasts, and videos. Later it became an interactive exploration of eras, styles, and artists. Smarthistory has recently merged with KahnAcademy utilizing the same concept: that high quality education should be free and available to all. You can watch Smarthistory videos on YouTube. If your district blocks YouTube, the videos may not be viewable in class.

tag(s): art history (103), medieval (32), renaissance (38)