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The Mind is a Metaphor - Brad Pasanek
Grades
7 to 12tag(s): literary devices (13)
In the Classroom
High school AP literature and history teachers or IB capstone classes will especially love this site. Share a metaphor a day as students are entering the class or on your class web site. Allow a student to choose one as today's Metaphor Master! Discuss the meaning together or use it as a quick writing prompt. Use the time period to discuss the historical context of the metaphor. Use these in your own presentations or require students to create a presentation explaining the metaphors you assign. Younger students just beginning to study metaphors can benefit from trying to interpret the metaphors as a group and presenting them to the class. Challenge students to try to create their own metaphors. Develop a class Metaphor Wiki for students to share metaphors. Not familiar with wikis? Check out the TeachersFirst Wiki Walk-Through.You must be registered and logged in to add items to your favorites.
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The Mississippi Writers & Musicians - Mississippi Writers and Musicians
Grades
4 to 12tag(s): acting (16), artists (101), authors (114), biographies (96)
In the Classroom
Give students a list of fun facts (e.g., "Won a Grammy," "Wrote a bestselling novel") and a list of names from the site. Students can use the website to match each fact with the correct person. Each student selects one writer, musician, artist, or actor from the site and creates a trading card that includes their photo, a brief biography, a notable achievement, and a quote or fun fact. Have them use paper or a template from Canva, reviewed here. Have students research one person from the site and write an imagined interview, with 5-7 questions and answers. They can role-play the interview in pairs or write it as a dialogue script.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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The Molly of Denali Podcast - PBS Kids
Grades
2 to 6tag(s): alaska (22), native americans (127), podcasts (168)
In the Classroom
Molly of Denali is perfect for inclusion with any lessons or units on Alaska or Native Americans. Listen to podcasts together as a class, pausing throughout the episode as needed to identify important information such as different modes of transportation used in Alaska, weather and climate indicators, and geographic locations referenced. Before beginning your unit, engage students by asking them to brainstorm what they know about Alaska or Native Americans using Padlet, reviewed here, where you can add columns for wildlife, transportation, weather, etc. Build upon students' knowledge and address misconceptions based on your brainstorming activities. Consider creating activities within a learning management system such as Actively Learn, reviewed here. Add videos and articles based on your students' ability levels and comprehension. Enhance learning further using Symbaloo, reviewed here, to share bookmarks for further learning and additional activities. To differentiate learning, create two or more Symbaloo pages based on student interests and/or ability levels. Extend learning by participating in a virtual field trip. Choose from several different options found at Gez.la, reviewed here, and then ask students to choose and create their own podcasts featuring any destination using Molly of Denali as a model. Spotify for Podcastors (was Anchor), reviewed here, is one of several free podcasting services suitable for classroom use.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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The Moonlit Road - Craig Dominey
Grades
6 to 9tag(s): halloween (46)
In the Classroom
Reading these stories is a great jump off for an oral story telling project! If you have started to try podcasting, use this as the start of a new story collection on podcasts.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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The Most Dangerous Writing Prompt App - Manuel Ebert
Grades
4 to 12tag(s): creative writing (123), journals (22), writing (308)
In the Classroom
The creator of this app states that it "is designed to shut down your inner editor and get you into a state of flow." Share the app with students to use as a non-threatening way to practice putting their thoughts down without worrying about grammar, spelling, or being graded. Use the app as part of brainstorming sessions before beginning writing projects. Instead of using paper and pencil for journal writing, use this site as students become more comfortable with non-stop typing for a set amount of time (or number of words).Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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The Mother Goose Club - Sockeye Media, LLC
Grades
K to 1This site includes advertising.
tag(s): nursery rhymes (10), phonics (53), preK (323)
In the Classroom
Promote early literacy in a new way. Use this site on your projector or interactive whiteboard. Have students view the activities on laptops. (Don't forget the headsets.) Create a learning center that is sure to keep students intrigued. Use this site to promote early phonemic awareness in a colorful and engaging way. While teaching about Mother Goose rhymes in class, be sure to list this site in your class newsletter or on your class website for students to revisit the classics at home. You would be surprised how many parents do not even know these rhymes!Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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The Noun Project - Sofya Polyakov, Edward Boatman, and Scott Thomas
Grades
5 to 12This site includes advertising.
tag(s): images (269), photography (136)
In the Classroom
Students can use the Noun Project for searching for images for various projects while using Google Slides, reviewed here. Students can use Canva Docs, reviewed here to create stories while importing images from the Noun Project. Have students use the images to add to the creation of infographics that they are creating while using Infographics Presentation Templates, reviewed here.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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The Noun Project - The Noun Project
Grades
K to 12This site includes advertising.
tag(s): digital storytelling (166), graphic design (51), images (269), infographics (71), stories and storytelling (77)
In the Classroom
The symbols are useful for autistic support, emotional support, ENL/ELL, and even in world languages. Use these vector diagrams for creating infographics and pictograms in any content area. Use a site such as Snappa. Challenge students to tell a rebus-style story using simple symbols only. This is a fun and imaginative way for students to think creatively. Use these symbols to create classroom signs. Teach students digital citizenship along with creativity by learning to give credit for resources used as they explain. Try using icons like these in the navigation area of a wiki or class website instead of words to increase the accessibility to others. Be sure to include this site as a list of resources for students to use on your wiki or class website. Students can access images to tell their story or to relate/teach content to others. Encourage students to create their own symbols for use in telling a story (great if students have access to programs that can create vector images). Special ed teachers may want to use these symbols on communication boards. Note: since file downloads are slow, you may want to download a collection for your specific lesson or project outside of class time and offer the files to students locally in a shared folder or on a class wiki. Teachers of non-readers will find these symbols useful in making classroom rules or signs.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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The Obsessively Detailed Map of American Literature's Most Epic Road Trips - Richard Kreitner and Steven Melendez
Grades
8 to 12tag(s): authors (114), literature (214), maps (221), mark twain (9), setting (3)
In the Classroom
If your class is reading any of these 12 books, this site is an excellent resource for visualizing the trip described in the book. Share with students before reading as an overview of the journey they are about to take. Use this site when helping students discover books to read, let them explore the various road trips to find one that might interest them. Use this map as inspiration for sharing locations from other works of literature. For the next book share, have students create maps for books they are reading using MapHub, reviewed here. Students can add icons, text, images, and location stops! Challenge students to include images (cited correctly) on MapHub for the books they will share.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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The Official Kwanzaa Website - Official Kwanza Website
Grades
K to 12tag(s): cross cultural understanding (177), holidays (280), kwanzaa (23)
In the Classroom
Enhance student learning by having students create blogs sharing their learning and understanding using Telegra.ph, reviewed here. With Telegra.ph you just click on an icon to upload images from your computer, add a YouTube or Vimeo, or X (formerly Twitter) links. This blog creator requires no registration.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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The Open Canopy - Project Zero
Grades
K to 12tag(s): communication (123), cultures (290), digital citizenship (109), diversity (55), empathy (68), perspective (31)
In the Classroom
Assign students to create a story map of their own lives or family histories, inspired by Paul Salopek's journey. They can use a digital tool such as Google My Maps, reviewed here or Padlet, reviewed here or a physical map to highlight meaningful locations and experiences. If students interact with peers on The Open Canopy, they can develop follow-up questions and create video or written responses to continue cross-cultural conversations. Consider making a shared Padlet to communicate back-and-forth. Students can complete a learning journey activity from The Open Canopy and compare their responses with those from students in other countries. This can lead to class discussions about different cultures, traditions, and perspectives.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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The Plate Show - WNET
Grades
K to 2tag(s): cooking (34), cultures (290), podcasts (168), preK (323)
In the Classroom
Encourage students to share a story about a favorite dish from their own family or heritage. They can draw it, write a short description, or even interview a family member about its history. Have each student contribute a recipe from their culture or a favorite meal at home. Compile these into a classroom cookbook with personal stories or fun facts about each dish. Create this book collaboratively using Google Slides reviewed here or Book Creator reviewed here. Explore the science behind cooking by choosing an episode-related food to investigate (ex., how yeast makes bread rise or why popcorn pops). Conduct a simple experiment and discuss the results. Just like Spoonie and Tongs, students can design their own talking kitchen utensil character. They can write a short paragraph in which they share a fun fact or story about a favorite dish.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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The Pledge of Allegiance - Hubbard's Cupboard
Grades
K to 0In the Classroom
Use this guide during the first week of school. Provide a slide show of snapshots of the flag being flown in various locations around our country using an interactive whiteboard or projector. Record your class saying the Pledge as the audio portion of the slides.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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The Poem Farm - Amy Ludwig VanDerwater
Grades
K to 8In the Classroom
Use this site on your interactive whiteboard (or projector) as inspiration for lessons in poetry writing. Share it on your teacher web page for enrichment. Have students create their own poems using this site as inspiration then augment classroom technology use by having them create podcasts of a poetry reading. Use a site such as podOmatic, reviewed here.Comments
It's impossible to have writer's block after visiting this blog--there are always so many inspiring writing prompts and ideas to try here. (And the blog has a very comfortable, inviting, homey feeling--feels like visiting a friend for tea.)janet, , Grades: 0 - 12
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The Poetry Archive - The Poetry Archive Panel
Grades
K to 12tag(s): poetry (195)
In the Classroom
Enrich and enliven your poetry lessons with recordings and videos of some of the world's best loved poets. One of teachers many frustrations, when trying to inspire students to fall in love with poetry, is not being able to call up the voices of earlier poets. Listening to the poet himself has a magical effect in the classroom and makes the very experience that it describes come alive. Start by projecting the poem on your white board while listening to the recording and then ask students to pick out, highlight, and display words or phrases that appealed to them. Introduce various poetic forms and demonstrate how the sound of a poem is as crucial to its meaning as the printed words on the page. Explore, connect, and make new discoveries for themes you are studying. Have students respond to the power and energy of poetic language and appreciate the beauty of the sounds and images, then move towards an analysis of the underlying meaning. Challenge students to try some creative writing that goes beyond the literal meaning and resonates their "voice." Not studying poetry during April (Poetry Month)? Play a quick Poetry Break from this site as a class starter or bonus moment after finishing a quiz. Make your own class poetry archive by having students create PowerPoint images of their own poems and read them aloud with PowerPoint Online, reviewed here.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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The Polar Express Teacher's Guide - Children's Library Lady
Grades
1 to 5tag(s): polar (11)
In the Classroom
Prediction progression as tied to illustrations, character map ideas, and linked cause-and-effect drawings offer learning assessment ideas.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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The Power of Active Listening - StoryCorps
Grades
6 to 12In the Classroom
Students can create using ScreenPal, reviewed here a short video of examples to show active listening. Students can create a comic using Comic Strip Templates by Canva, reviewed here about active listening. Students can create an image with words to showcase active listening using Magazine Cover Maker, reviewed here.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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The Power of Great Apps and Google - Google for Education
Grades
K to 12tag(s): Teacher Utilities (219)
In the Classroom
Take advantage of the many apps available for integration with Google to enhance current tech tools used in your classroom. Use the provided filters to find "just right" resources for your grade level and content and to provide support for multilingual learners.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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The Purring Test - TED
Grades
3 to 12tag(s): artificial intelligence (322), gifted (63), puzzles (166)
In the Classroom
Use this game as a brain break during those long lessons or indoor recess. Turn the daily puzzles into a friendly competition or debate and pair students to play a Pictionary-inspired game, mimicking how AI might interpret their drawings. After playing, lead a discussion on how AI "thinks" compared to humans.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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The Q&A Wiki - wiki.answers.com
Grades
8 to 12This site includes advertising.
tag(s): questioning (37), wikis (15), writing prompts (55)
In the Classroom
Share the Q&A Wiki with students on your interactive whiteboard (or projector) and explore answers to classroom questions. Post a question, and challenge students to share their response. Use choices of questions from this site as writing prompts for informational writing. Have students find good (and not-so-good) examples of how-to responses as they learn to write their own step by step directions. Challenge students to explore the site to find incorrect or incomplete answers to questions and use this as part of a lesson on evaluating Internet sources. How can you decide whether the information is accurate? Provide this link on your class website for students (and families) to use together.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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