Teachers First - Thinking Teachers Teaching Thinkers

View this engineering collection, which includes various resources, including videos, audio, documents, lesson plans, webpages, and collections for kindergarten through twelfth grade. There are over two thousand resources available to search. Videos on robotic and biochemical engineering, parachute design, engineering for the red planet, the reality of plastic, and more are available. Lesson plans range from introducing the engineering process to communicating the solution to magnetic train engineering and more. Lesson plans contain a summary, time allotted, learning objectives, preparation, procedure, and standards. Filters are available to sort by grade level, subject, resource type, length of video/audio, language, accessibility, and additional features. Everything in the collection can be shared via Google Classroom, a link to students, and social sharing. Lessons can also be built upon once you log into the site.

tag(s): careers (183), engineering (137)

PBS LearningMedia's New York portal offers a curated collection of educational resources focused on the electrician profession, suitable for K-12 learning. This collection includes engaging videos that introduce students to the roles and responsibilities of electricians, highlighting the skills and knowledge required in the field. Resources such as "The Electrician: I Can Be What?!" and "Electrician: Job Pop!" provide insights into the daily tasks and career pathways of electricians, making them valuable tools for career exploration and STEM education. Teachers can utilize these materials to enhance lessons on electricity, circuits, and vocational studies, fostering students' understanding of the electrical trade and its significance in various industries.

tag(s): careers (183), electricity (60), STEM (312)

Explore this collection about culinary jobs featuring a variety of resources, including videos, audio, documents, lesson plans, webpages, and collections for grades kindergarten through twelfth. There are thousands of resources available to search. Videos are available on future jobs, culinary chefs, culinary instructors, math at a restaurant, and more. Lesson plans contain a summary, time allotted, learning objectives, preparation, procedure, and standards. Filters are available to sort by grade level, subject, resource type, length of video/audio, language, accessibility, and additional features. Everything in the collection can be shared via Google Classroom, a link to students, and social sharing. Lessons can also be built upon once you log into the site.

tag(s): careers (183), cooking (33)

Discover this Automotive collection provides a wide range of resources for grades K-12, including videos, audio clips, documents, lesson plans, webpages, and curated collections. With over a thousand materials to explore, topics cover areas such as automotive technology instruction, the history of cars, NASCAR, and careers in transportation. Each lesson plan includes a summary, estimated time, learning objectives, preparation guidelines, step-by-step procedures, and alignment to standards. Resources can be easily filtered by grade level, subject, type, media length, language, accessibility, and additional features. Materials are easily shareable via Google Classroom, direct student links, and social media, and registered users have the option to modify and expand upon existing lessons.

tag(s): careers (183)

View this Aviation collection, which offers various resources for grades K-12, including videos, audio clips, documents, lesson plans, webpages, and curated collections. With over a thousand resources available, topics range from helicopter pilots and aviation careers to how bees have influenced flight. Lesson plans highlight figures like Amelia Earhart and explore the science of things that fly, each featuring a summary, time requirements, learning objectives, preparation steps, procedures, and standards alignment. You can filter resources by grade level, subject, resource type, media length, language, accessibility options, and more. Materials can be easily shared through Google Classroom, direct links, or social media, and logged-in users can customize and build upon existing lessons.

tag(s): aviation (41), careers (183)

"I Can Be What?" gives a sneak peek into the world of STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Math) careers. Careers highlighted include diesel mechanic, helicopter pilot, wildlife technician, chocolatier, athletic trainer, and more. Each career contains a video explaining it and additional information. Some of the additional information includes links to jobs, related careers, and discussion questions.

tag(s): careers (183), engineering (137)

With this poem generation tool, you can generate poems in several styles from a prompt. Add your prompt, choose a style, and select the poem's length, and voila, your poem appears! Download your poem as a docx document, copy the text, or download it to your device. As you select a poem style, scroll down the page to learn about the style. For example, choose Haiku to read a description of Haiku poetry, information on how Haikus differ from English poems, and FAQs about the origin of Haiku poetry.
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tag(s): artificial intelligence (188), digital storytelling (157), poetry (195)

Padlet TA is a helpful assistant for creating many educational work documents without requiring registration for most tasks. Options include lesson planning, worksheet creation, text-leveling tools, and more. After choosing a tool, complete the form that asks for information like grade level, topic, and additional context. Add a file, content from Google Drive, a link, or a YouTube video. Adding content from Google Drive requires logging in to a Padlet account. After adding information, click the bright yellow/green bubble next to the form to generate content. When finished, copy the text to a document, export it to Google Docs or PDF, or use the share link to share the URL of a view-only version of your prompt and output.

tag(s): artificial intelligence (188), assessment (146), images (263), qr codes (19), quizzes (90), rubrics (36), Teacher Utilities (202), worksheets (71)

Jigsaw Planet is an online platform allowing players to create, share, and solve jigsaw puzzles using personal images. While the platform is accessible to participants of all ages, it's important to note participants must be 13 years or older to use certain features according to their Terms of Service. For younger students in grades 4-8, educators can guide them in creating puzzles using age-appropriate images, ensuring compliance with the platform's guidelines. This activity fosters creativity, enhances problem-solving skills, and provides an engaging learning experience.

tag(s): fathers day (17), holidays (194), mothers day (23), puzzles (149)

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 (188), Teacher Utilities (202)

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.

tag(s): aircraft (17), critical thinking (137), inquiry (30), museums (52), space (220), virtual field trips (131)

The African American Innovation and Invention guide from the Library of Congress highlights the significant contributions of African Americans in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM). This resource provides access to primary sources, including patents, photographs, and historical documents, showcasing groundbreaking achievements in medicine, agriculture, and transportation. Teachers can use this collection to introduce students to influential inventors, start discussions on perseverance and creativity, and encourage research projects on African American innovators. The site supports cross-curricular learning by connecting history, science, and social studies, making it a valuable tool for exploring both historical and modern advancements.

tag(s): african american (121), agriculture (52), photography (131), STEM (312), transportation (30)

NASA's official website is a rich educational resource for teachers, offering a vast collection of space-related content, lesson plans, videos, and interactive activities. Educators can access STEM-focused classroom materials, student challenges, and real-time NASA mission updates to engage students in space exploration and scientific discovery. The site includes sections on astronomy, engineering, Earth science, and robotics, with resources tailored for different grade levels. Teachers can also find virtual field trips, citizen science projects, and career insights to inspire students interested in space and technology. The videos are hosted on YouTube. If your district blocks YouTube, then they may not be viewable.

tag(s): moon (72), planets (113), solar system (108), space (220), stars (71), STEM (312)

The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) website is a valuable resource for teachers seeking reliable, science-based information on geography, geology, natural hazards, ecosystems, water resources, and climate change. It provides interactive maps, real-time data, lesson plans, videos, and research articles that help students explore earthquakes, volcanoes, and landforms. The site also offers educational resources aligned with STEM learning, making it an excellent tool for engaging students in earth and environmental sciences through real-world data and scientific inquiry.

tag(s): climate change (101), earthquakes (47), ecosystems (85), geology (61), landforms (39), map skills (64), maps (224), natural disasters (19), STEM (312), volcanoes (55)

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 (188), 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 (188), 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.

tag(s): artificial intelligence (188), professional development (393), Teacher Utilities (202)

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.

tag(s): authors (108), book lists (168), digital reading (18), Research (88), resources (83), Teacher Utilities (202)

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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tag(s): artificial intelligence (188), assessment (146), cross cultural understanding (178), differentiation (86), rubrics (36), social and emotional learning (110), Teacher Utilities (202), vocabulary (241)

Cooling and Heating is a resource that contains activities in which students will learn about AC and heaters and the best ways to use them. In the Pay Me game, students use fake money to understand the dollar cost of their energy habits. In the Make Your Own Ice Air Conditioner activity, students will create an air conditioner with a bowl of ice and a simple fan. The lessons align with the NGSS (Next Generation Science Standards). Resources are available to post on Google Classroom, and the link can be shared with students. In addition, the resources are available in Spanish.

tag(s): careers (183), STEM (312)