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The Foundation for Critical Thinking - Foundation for Critical Thinking
Grades
K to 12tag(s): critical thinking (188), enrichment (20), logic (175), teaching strategies (88)
In the Classroom
Share critical thinking strategies with students and create lists showing how and when to use them in the classroom. Create a bulletin board with critical thinking strategies for your classroom. Use the lessons included on the site as a resource for lessons in your classroom. Bookmark this site and save it in your favorites as a professional resource. Share suggested activities and resources with other staff members.You must be registered and logged in to add items to your favorites.
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The Frayer Model - A Tool to Explain Concepts - Byrdseed, LLC
Grades
K to 12tag(s): graphic organizers (63), professional development (307), thinking skills (137), visual thinking (17), vocabulary (260), vocabulary development (112)
In the Classroom
After spending time learning how to use Frayer Models to develop larger concepts, use this model to introduce big idea vocabulary or complex themes at the start of a new unit. Instead of a standard worksheet, have students collaborate on a digital version of the organizer. After exploring the characteristics of a concept on the site, students can build an interactive infographic using Genially reviewed here to visualize their definitions and examples with embedded media. For a math or science lesson, students could analyze a concept like polygons or mammals and then create a digital concept map in MindMup reviewed here to show how different subtopics branch off from the core definition. To wrap up the activity, have the class vote on the best non-examples provided by their peers to ensure everyone truly understands the term's boundaries.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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The Free Dictionary - Farlex, Inc
Grades
4 to 12tag(s): dictionaries (40), quotations (18), thesaurus (21), vocabulary development (112), word choice (12)
In the Classroom
Set this site as the home page on classroom computers for students to read and find interesting articles and games. Create an account to customize the page to display information to suit class needs. Use information found on this site for quotes, interesting trivia, and much more. Display on your interactive whiteboard (or projector) and discuss articles and information with your class.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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The Fun Theory - Volkswagen & Goodvertising
Grades
K to 12This site includes advertising.
tag(s): psychology (60), science fairs (22), scientific method (48)
In the Classroom
Are you looking to make learning fun? The Fun Theory collection of videos is a great collection of experiments to teach your class the Scientific Method. Use the videos to identify each step of the process. Share the videos on your interactive whiteboard or projector. Challenge your students to brainstorm their own Fun Theory ideas for school, home, or your community. In art or music class, brainstorm ways that you can use FUN methods to learn techniques. Use bubbl.us, reviewed here to organize your ideas. Host your own Fun Theory competition, and invite community and school board members to vote on their favorite experiment. Spice up your traditional science fair project with a fun and engaging fun theory experiment. Use Animoto, reviewed here or another presentation tool to show your Fun Theory experiment and results. Challenge your colleagues to create their own Fun Theory experiment to better the school environment for your students or staff. For Earth Day, make it a class project to design a Fun Theory way to change human behavior to promote greener practices. Explore these ideas in a psychology class about motivation or as part of a study skills unit so students find ways to motivate themselves for better work habits!Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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The Giver (webquest) - Amy Cordy, Jennifer Fouty, Marybeth Malone, and Ekaterina Rohal
Grades
6 to 10In the Classroom
If you do not have enough time for an entire webquest, you may still want to do some of the activities or use the links with your class. A webquest is also an excellent independent activity for your more able students or for a gifted class, allowing you time to work in smaller groups with your struggling students. Bring in laptops for the webquest students to work in the room with you, if you have them available. Consider upgrading from paper to digital copies of the work for students to turn in afterward. Google Docs reviewed here or one of many creative. collaborative web 2.0 tools reviewed in the TeachersFirst Edge would be a great way for students to complete everything without killing trees and without creating a mess of papers on your desk later.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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The Giver - Photo Project - Teachers.Net
Grades
6 to 8tag(s): literature (214)
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The Giving Tree Lesson - TeachersFirst
Grades
2 to 8tag(s): charactered (87), christmas (35), empathy (80), guided reading (31), writing (304)
In the Classroom
This lesson can be adapted for use in a language arts class with students of varying ability levels in grades 2 - 8. This lesson is also well-suited to a multi-age activity with "big buddies" and "little buddies" from upper and lower grades working together. School counselors and emotional support teachers may find this activity helpful for small groups working on social skills, character education, and specific traits such as empathy.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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The Global Read Aloud - Pernille Ripp
Grades
K to 12tag(s): authors (116), collaboration (142), cross cultural understanding (167), guided reading (31), reading comprehension (146), reading lists (79)
In the Classroom
Start using The Global Read Aloud program before the school year begins. The author study can help students who have difficulty reading chapter books. Picture books are also available for younger students. Choose the book early, or get your students involved once school starts. Have students vote for the book they want to read by using a program like Wheel Decide, reviewed here, or use Dotstorming, reviewed here, which allows students to write why they want to read that book. As you are reading the book, you may want to have small groups research and investigate the setting, author, inferences, references, and allusions to other books, history, and places. Researching and presenting their findings will support the deep reading experience required by the Common Core Standards.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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The Good Project Resource Center - Harvard Graduate School of Education
Grades
4 to 12tag(s): thinking routines (62), thinking skills (137)
In the Classroom
Present a short ethical or classroom-based dilemma (for example, including others during group work). Have students move to the corners of the room labeled with different choices and briefly explain why they chose that response. After reading a story, have students create a collage on paper or using Photo Collage, reviewed here that highlights a character's values and choices. They then compare whether the character's actions were responsible or harmful. In small groups, students can act out both sides of a conflict or dilemma from a book. They focus on empathy by discussing how each person feels and why they feel that way.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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The Great Backyard Bird Count - Cornell University
Grades
3 to 12tag(s): birds (47), service projects (16)
In the Classroom
Involve your class in discovering the world of birds, the environments, and how they effect ecosystems. Determine the birds in your area and ways to attract birds. As a class or at home, have students participate in Project Feeder Watch and analyze their own data. Compare with other places in the country or world. Have students create a multimedia presentation to share their results. Use one of the many Presentation/multimedia tools reviewed by TeachersFirst here.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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The Halloween Collection - PBS Learning Media
Grades
K to 12tag(s): emotions (78), halloween (44), macbeth (9), preK (352), salem (5), shakespeare (98), sound (71), spiders (9)
In the Classroom
Instead of viewing videos on this site as a class, enhance student understanding by using edPuzzle, reviewed here to create a complete lesson within the video. Students could then view videos in class as partners, or at a learning center on their own. In blended learning classes, students could watch the videos on their own at home if you post them on your website. edPuzzle offers features for inserting questions into videos and provides quick feedback on student understanding. To wrap up your unit, substitue a paper and pen project by having younger students work together to create a class book using WriteReader, reviewed here to share different types of scary situations and suggestions on how to address them. For older students, have them redefine their learning by using a multimedia tool like Book Creator, reviewed here to analyze supernatural or historic events like the Salem Witch Trial included in this site.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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The Harry Potter Lexicon - Steve Vander Ark, editor
Grades
3 to 12tag(s): authors (116), harry potter (9), literature (214)
In the Classroom
The graphics alone on this site make it worthwhile! Students will be captivated by the artwork. The Wizarding Maps are great for your visual students and in case you're worried about your science-minded kids trying the magic spells or potions, those pages direct students to the pages in the different books where they are referenced. A site to use and get lost in for both you and your students.Invite your students do a "book report" on another author by making a simple "page" of their own using PowerPoint to emulate a portion of this site.
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The History of Thanksgiving and its Celebrations - Holidays on the Net
Grades
K to 8This site includes advertising.
tag(s): blogs (80), crafts (109), thanksgiving (24)
In the Classroom
Lead your students to this site filled with information. Research can determine the many myths and true information about Thanksgiving. Allow students to plan and make parts of their Thanksgiving feast. Find fun activities, crafts, decorations to make your celebration perfect with your students and families. Add at a center for timely fun information and research time. Link this to your class website or wiki for parent information and extensions at home.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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The Hunger Games Gender Empowerment Lesson Plan - Glenn Wiebe
Grades
8 to 12tag(s): book reports (26), characterization (16), creative writing (123), sociology (23)
In the Classroom
Download and save this lesson plan for use when reading The Hunger Games in your classroom or as an extension when discussing gender roles and stereotypes. Have students share what they have learned by creating personalized images (with text) using PicFont, reviewed here. Have students use Fakebook, reviewed here to create a "fake" page similar in style to Facebook about one of the main characters in The Hunger Games . Use these lesson ideas less formally in an afterschool book club.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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The Inflation Calculator - Morgan Friedman
Grades
5 to 12This site includes advertising.
tag(s): 1900s (87), 20th century (170), calculators (39), financial literacy (90)
In the Classroom
Although this calculator seems relatively simple, use it for many purposes in your classroom. When reading stories set in different times throughout the 1900's use the calculator to compare costs in the story to 21st-century costs. Use the calculator for student writing projects set in the past to add authenticity to information included. Take student learning a step further and ask them to create an infographic comparing prices, technology, populations, workforce, or other important indicators of two different eras. Canva Infographic Maker, reviewed here, will modify student learning and is a very easy to use tool for creating infographics using their many available templates. Challenge math or economics students to enhance learning and create an inflation calculator based on different sets of statistics using Microsoft Excel or Google Forms. Work together with a history teacher to include those statistics on a history timeline with a tool like Time Graphics Timeline Maker, reviewed here.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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The Kennedy Center Ballet Collection - The Kennedy Center
Grades
K to 12tag(s): dance (42), russia (32), stories and storytelling (81)
In the Classroom
This is an excellent site to use when introducing students to ballet as a form of dance or as an option to use with girls who are interested in athletics and sports. Consider including resources found on the ballet site as part of a storytelling unit or sharing ideas with students for finding role models when writing biographies. As you share information from this site and others, consider using curation tools such as Symbaloo, reviewed here, and Wakelet, reviewed here, to share information with students in an organized manner. Add information from this collection into an interactive lesson using Curipod, reviewed here. Include videos, articles, quizzes, and documents as part of your interactive lesson.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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The Kennedy Center Dance Collection - The Kennedy Center
Grades
K to 12tag(s): chinese new year (5), cross cultural understanding (167), cultures (302), dance (42), hispanic (53), jazz (17), native americans (169), poetry (194), stories and storytelling (81)
In the Classroom
Take advantage of the many free resources on this site to add dance to music lessons and cultural units and enrich topics featuring people and places worldwide. Each resource includes tags, and the lessons include suggested grade levels, use these links to find additional resources for classroom use. As you include information from this site, use an online whiteboard tool such as FigJam, reviewed here, to engage students in learning. For example, add a link to a video from the site about a featured artist and ask students to share their learning or post questions to explore further. Ask students to share their understanding using one of the many tools found Adobe Creative Cloud Express for Education, reviewed here. For example, ask students to create a website of a featured dance style, while other students create a video sharing dance and cultural information about their chosen group of people or country.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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The Kids Should See This - Rion Nakaya
Grades
K to 8tag(s): news (222), speaking (23), writing prompts (56)
In the Classroom
Check first to be sure the media are not blocked by school web filtering. Choose one item from the site to share on your interactive whiteboard or projector as a class discussion starter on current topics or as a lead-in to a lesson. (Example: show the YouTube video about order of the planets when beginning an astronomy unit). Share the site with students and let them explore to find interesting topics for research reports. Ask students to choose one item from the site to share with other students as a way to practice oral presentation skills. Use videos or images as writing prompts or blog prompts. ESL/ELL students can practice their language skills by retelling a favorite video. Challenge your students to create their own informative videos on a topic that your class is exploring. Share the videos using a site such as TeacherTube reviewed here.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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The Life and Voyages of Henry Hudson - Ian Chadwick
Grades
7 to 12In the Classroom
Have the students make a cumulative map of all Hudson's voyages together in order for them to get a chance to become intimately familiar with the map making process. Try a site such as Zeemaps, reviewed here. Zeemaps allows students to create audio recordings AND choose a location on a map where each story takes place. Have each cooperative learning group focus on a different exploration. Compare their creations with the online map which has all four voyages combined. Assign students in a group each a few pages of an imagined journal Henry might have written on each voyage. The most interesting part will be to imagine what happened to him after people no longer heard from him! Use this site as the starting point for individual research papers. Encourage students to find other resources that contribute to their knowledge of Henry Hudson. Have students write a talk Hudson might give if he suddenly woke up today (like Rip Van Winkle). Or make it more Web 2.0 and have students write blog entries. The text passages on this site are also ideal for reading comprehension practice. Project them on an interactive whiteboard for practice in main idea, summarizing, and more.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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The Lifetime Reading List - TeachersFirst
Grades
6 to 12tag(s): reading lists (79)
In the Classroom
Share this list with students as a challenge, and make the link available on your class web page. Consider conducting a year-long independent reading challenge, asking students to read from this list and create their choice of media "advertisement" or critique of the book using one of the many tool options in the TeachersFirst Edge. Ask students to generate a personal goal "Lifetime Reading" or "Book Bucket List" and share it in their own creative way.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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