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Canva offers a variety of customizable Mother's Day gift certificate templates that educators can use to create personalized vouchers for classroom activities or gifts. These templates are fully editable (could be used for mom, dad, or anyone), allowing teachers to add specific details such as the recipient's name, the nature of the gift, and a personal message. The user-friendly drag-and-drop interface makes the design process simple and accessible. Additionally, Canva allows you to edit the templates in multiple languages, making it a versatile option for classrooms with diverse linguistic needs. Once customized, the gift certificates can be printed or shared digitally.

tag(s): crafts (76), mothers day (23)

ArtSteps is a web-based platform that enables members to create immersive 3D virtual exhibitions and spaces. Educators can utilize ArtSteps to design interactive virtual galleries, allowing students to showcase their artwork, historical artifacts, or project work in a dynamic online environment. The platform supports integrating images, videos, text, 3D models, music, and narration, offering a versatile tool for digital storytelling and creative expression. ArtSteps also facilitates guided tours within these virtual spaces, enhancing the educational experience.

tag(s): digital storytelling (155), fathers day (17), mothers day (23), portfolios (24), virtual field trips (131)

Jennifer Findley's blog post, "Digital Mother's Day Gift," offers educators a free, Google Slides-based project for students to create personalized digital gifts for Mother's Day. The resource includes four customizable themes--such as "Top Ten Things I Love About You" and "Top Ten Greatest Moments with You"--allowing students to craft heartfelt "Top Ten" lists for their mothers or other caregivers. Alternative versions are provided to accommodate diverse family structures, ensuring inclusivity. The project is designed for easy integration with Google Classroom, and upon completion, students can share their presentations via email or view them together with their mothers.

tag(s): mothers day (23)

This YouTube video Mother's Day Card and Gift Ideas showcases a variety of creative and beautiful craft projects that students can make to celebrate mom and other loved ones. It begins with an adorable multi-folded card that opens uniquely and surprisingly, followed by several one-of-a-kind card designs students can customize with personal messages. The video also includes a simple message that students can write inside their cards to express their love and appreciation. Additional projects include a 3D heart-shaped card, a swirly origami rose tutorial, and a hands-on guide to creating fabric roses from scratch--perfect for upper elementary students ready for a creative challenge. The video wraps up with a cute gift-wrapping decoration idea that can be added to any handmade gift (to any friend or loved one), making these projects meaningful and memorable. If your district blocks YouTube, then the video may not be viewable.
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tag(s): crafts (76), mothers day (23)

View these diverse creative projects and engaging activities suitable for various grade levels to celebrate Mother's Day. Highlights include a free printable Mother's Day questionnaire that captures students' heartfelt sentiments, a "WOW-MOM" card integrating symmetry concepts, and a recycled bouquet project promoting environmental awareness. Each activity fosters creativity and personal expression, providing detailed instructions and printable resources to facilitate easy classroom implementation.
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tag(s): crafts (76), mothers day (23)

Jennifer Findley's blog post, "Mother's Day Gift Ideas and Activities for Upper Elementary," offers educators a variety of creative and meaningful projects tailored for upper elementary students to recognize Mother's Day and the mother figures in their lives. The article features activities such as crafting acrostic poems using the letters in "MOTHER," compiling Top 10 lists highlighting reasons students appreciate their mothers, and assembling personalized coupon books offering helpful tasks or special experiences. Additionally, the post provides links to simple craft ideas, including "You Are My Sunshine" noodle cards and pom-pom flower magnets, complete with detailed instructions and printable templates. These activities foster students' creativity and writing skills, resulting in heartfelt gifts that caretakers will cherish.

tag(s): crafts (76), mothers day (23)

ABCDee Learning offers a collection of 15 easy and adorable Mother's Day crafts specifically designed for young students. These crafts are tailored to be simple and engaging, making them ideal for young children to create heartfelt gifts for their mothers or grandmothers. Notable projects include the Handprint Flower, where children use their handprints to craft colorful blooms; the Shrinky Dink Keychains, allowing kids to design personalized keychains that shrink when baked; and the Picture Flower Craft, which combines a child's photo with a handmade flower for a personalized touch. Each craft includes detailed instructions and material lists, ensuring educators can easily implement these activities in the classroom. If your district blocks YouTube, then the videos may not be viewable.

tag(s): crafts (76), mothers day (23), preK (289)

The Yellow Birdhouse offers a collection of 18 free printable Mother's Day crafts suitable for children, providing teachers with accessible and engaging project ideas. These crafts are designed to be simple and heartfelt, allowing students to create meaningful gifts for their mothers or other important adults. Examples include printable Mother's Day cards, decorative items, and personalized gifts students can easily assemble in a classroom setting. These resources enable educators to facilitate creative activities without requiring extensive materials or preparation.

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yEd Live offers tools to create diagrams from scratch or using ChatGPT AI capabilities. Open the sample diagram to view the different types of diagrams, or enter a prompt to generate a diagram. Use yEd's editing tools to change colors, add or remove information, or make additional adjustments to a diagram. You can also use the AI-prompt feature to edit the diagram. When complete, share your diagram by URL, print it, or download it to your device.

tag(s): artificial intelligence (187), charts and graphs (169), drawing (62), graphic organizers (49), mind map (28)

School Pages is a free site that offers various lessons already created in many subject areas. Lessons can be sorted by grade level (grades 1 through 10) and subject - English, environmental studies, Hindi, math, physical education, science, and social studies. You can access both AI Tools and AI chat if you create a free account. AI tools include a Quiz Generator, a Similar Question Generator, a National Curriculum Framework Assistant, a Lesson Plan Generator, an Opening Hook Generator, an Assignment Generator, and Bloom's Question Generator. The AI chat is similar to a chatbot in that it can assist with teaching strategies, topic explanations, or any other teaching-related questions.

tag(s): artificial intelligence (187), Teacher Utilities (202)

Urban Dictionary is a crowdsourced online dictionary that defines slang words, phrases, and cultural expressions. While it can be useful for understanding contemporary language and informal speech, educators should use it with caution, as definitions are user-submitted and often contain inappropriate or unverified content. Teachers may find it helpful for discussing evolving language trends, idioms, or figurative language in media, but it is best suited for teacher reference rather than direct student use in the classroom.
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The Smithsonian Institution website is a valuable resource for educators, offering access to a vast collection of digital exhibitions, lesson plans, and interactive learning tools. Teachers can explore history, science, art, and culture topics through virtual tours, online activities, and curated educational materials from Smithsonian museums, research centers, and libraries. The site includes resources for all grade levels, including printable worksheets, videos, and inquiry-based lesson plans designed to engage students in critical thinking and discovery. It is an excellent tool for supplementing classroom instruction with high-quality, museum-based learning experiences. The videos are hosted on YouTube. If your district blocks YouTube, then they may not be viewable.

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Creating effective and engaging blended learning lessons requires time and professional knowledge. The Blended Learning Planner uses AI to increase productivity by providing ideas and learning activities based on your input. Start by following the steps to create a class, then add the lesson topic, length of class time, and the blended learning components to include. Use the request changes and Beans, the chatbox, to request modifications and additions to the completed plan.
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tag(s): artificial intelligence (187), blended learning (36), flipped learning (9), Teacher Utilities (202)

Create learning games with the AI-based Learning Game Generator for any topic or grade level. Begin by adding vital information, including grade level, learning outcome or objective, and the game's length. The Game Generator provides a document with instructions for playing the game, any required materials, and setup instructions. Use the provided tools to request changes to create a game that works for your classroom. Copy or download the document using the Manage Content Dropbox options when satisfied.
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tag(s): artificial intelligence (187), assessment (146), Formative Assessment (73), game based learning (206), gamification (86), Teacher Utilities (202)

Planning lessons that provide engaging activities and meet curriculum standards can be challenging. The Plan My Lesson Tool uses AI to match both objectives in just a few seconds. After selecting start, complete the form by adding grade level or band, subject, and learning outcome and selecting to generate the result. After creating the document, use additional features to edit and adjust the activity to fit your needs. You can also choose sections of the document to request changes by chatting with Beans, this site's chatbot. Find options to download or export the finished document by visiting the Manage Content dropbox at the top of the page. You do need to create a free account to access this feature.

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Making Manufacturing Cool! The "What's So Cool About Manufacturing?" lesson plan on PBS LearningMedia, provided by WQED, helps students explore careers in the manufacturing industry while building English literacy skills. This resource includes videos, discussion prompts, and activities highlighting the importance of manufacturing jobs, the required skills, and how these careers impact everyday life. It's a great way for teachers to connect career exploration with reading, writing, and critical thinking, making manufacturing an exciting and accessible topic for students.

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WorldCat is a global library catalog that allows teachers to search for books, articles, and other educational resources available in libraries worldwide. By entering a title, author, or keyword, educators can locate materials in nearby libraries, access digital resources, and discover new teaching materials. WorldCat is beneficial for finding hard-to-access texts, historical documents, and academic research. Teachers can use it to expand their classroom library, recommend reading materials to students, or enhance lesson plans with diverse sources.

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Yourway offers a suite of AI-generated tools for educators. Choose from many generators to create lesson plans, assessments, and classroom activities. After selecting a generator, follow the prompt to access a form to add information such as grade level, topic or learning objective, and other directions. After the tool generates a response, you can request changes, edit the information manually, or save the document. Choose the Manage Document dropdown box to copy the document to your clipboard, save it as a PDF file, export it to Google Docs, or download your activity as a Microsoft .docx file. As you create activities, they are saved in the My Content area to revisit and reuse as needed.
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The MLA Digital Escape Room, developed by the John S. Bailey Library at The American College of Greece, is an interactive online tool designed to help students master MLA citation style in an engaging and fun manner. Through a series of challenges, participants learn to navigate the MLA Citation Guide, distinguish between various in-text and works cited citations, and identify the components of an MLA-formatted paper. Upon completing the escape room, students receive a score and a downloadable certificate, making it an effective resource for reinforcing citation skills in the classroom.

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Take your students on a citation scavenger hunt with this engaging activity designed to enhance students' research and analytical skills. In this exercise, students are challenged to locate and cite textual evidence supporting specific details about characters, plot points, or themes within a text. This interactive approach reinforces the importance of backing assertions with concrete evidence and aids in developing critical thinking and comprehension abilities. Accompanying resources, such as the Citation Hunt Printout, are provided to facilitate the activity and guide students in recording their findings.

tag(s): character education (81), critical thinking (137), plot (15), reading comprehension (149), themes (16)