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Gateway to the Summer Games - EdGate
Grades
2 to 8In the Classroom
Use this information to enhance your Olympic unit. The lesson plans and activities require very little preparation. Challenge your students to research the various countries that have hosted the Olympics in the past and create multimedia presentations to share on your interactive whiteboard or projector.You must be registered and logged in to add items to your favorites.
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Map Collections Home Page - Library of Congress
Grades
6 to 12tag(s): battles (18), environment (249), maps (221), transportation (31)
In the Classroom
Teachers with interactive whiteboards or projectors will find these maps a natural companion to lessons involving history, geography, and cultural changes. Sometimes seeing a map drawn at the same time as the event under discussion can lend a whole new understanding of the culture of the people being studied. It's far more dramatic to imagine sailing into the unknown on a voyage of discovery while you look at the only maps available to those aboard.Be sure to have students use the whiteboard tools to draw in their own "corrections" or annotations showing the movement of people or strategies used in battles. Since these resources are in the public domain, you are allowed to copy them into your whiteboard software and keep the student annotations atop the maps, as well. The maps also make good visuals for "mock" blog entries by historical figures!
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National First Ladies' Library - National First Ladies' Library
Grades
6 to 12The National First Ladies' Library, located in Canton, Ohio, is dedicated to teaching others about the contributions of the First Ladies of the United States, as well as other notable women in U.S. History. In fact, the library is housed in the former home of Ida Saxton McKinley, the wife of President William McKinley. The Library is both a physical resource, but also a comprehensive virtual library of information. The site contains biographies of US First Ladies, lesson plans, and a searchable timeline. There is an online catalog of the many resources available in the library itself; those who do not live nearby could still use the catalog to identify resources associated with former First Ladies. This site requires Adobe Acrobat. You can get it from the TeachersFirst Toolbox page.
tag(s): biographies (96), first ladies (4), presidents (151), women (189)
In the Classroom
These resources might be useful to those doing First Lady biographies for Women's History Month or other famous Americans reports. Students doing more in-depth research for History Day projects will find the online catalog helpful. Check out the link to facts and trivia for a good First Ladies Trivia page.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Google Moon - Google
Grades
K to 12tag(s): moon (87), solar system (125), space (249)
In the Classroom
Google Moon is a great way to show what we understand about the moon even though it has been decades since the last moon missions. Even younger students can share the experience on an interactive whiteboard or projector. Discussions of changing technologies and advancements in space missions can easily occur following viewing of the missions. Students can create a time line using conventional or multimedia resources to show the different Apollo missions. Google Moon can be used in history classes as well as literature classes by creating or reading poems and stories about the Moon. Students can generate art and writing to showcase information learned.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Ed Pubs - US Department of Education
Grades
K to 12tag(s): literacy (124)
In the Classroom
Share this site on your class website so parents can learn about this free resource. Include links to specific publications tha fit your class' needs. Or choose helpful information with your particular parents/students and share the pdf files as print-outs at conferences or via email to help parents.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Behind the News - ABC News Australia
Grades
6 to 12Be aware, although most of this site is free, there are a few items (for example, CDs) that are for a fee.
tag(s): australia (28), news (223), point of view (9)
In the Classroom
Use this site as a way to teach point of view and bias in news reporting. Have students compare the Australian broadcast on topics that are also covered by U.S. media. How do the presentations of the main points differ? Have your students rewrite an American news story from what they think the Australian point of view might be. Use this site when teaching current events or world cultures, particularly Oceania. If you have technically-capable students, have them create annotated, side-by side comparisons using multimedia/video software and clips from these and American broadcasts (with appropriate citations, of course).Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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TeachersFirst Wiki Walk-Through - TeachersFirst
Grades
K to 12tag(s): wikis (15)
In the Classroom
This is listed as a TeachersFirst "edge" entry, but our step-by-step walk-through takes the edge off and makes your wiki a walk in the park. Check it out now, while there is still FREE classroom wiki space available from the three wiki tools we review in detail.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Little House Books - Harper Collins
Grades
1 to 5tag(s): reading comprehension (146)
In the Classroom
Teachers, mark this site as a favorite to use when you plan your Little House or pioneer unit. If you need a quick quiz for any of the Little House books, you will find one already prepared for you. Directions to make your own autograph album, scrapbook, "Little House" recipes, and more are located in the Teachers section. The classroom activity guide features 17 pages of ideas!Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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World History for Us All - San Diego State University
Grades
7 to 12Present a sweeping historical overview with any of the nine Big Eras in a few class periods or delve into an era in deeper detail with their students. Each of the nine Big Eras of world history, plus the History, Geography, and Time and the Past and Future sections, offers one Panorama Teaching Unit with a PowerPoint Overview presentation. Panorama units address large-scale developments in world history through landscape and close-up teaching units.
Besides helping teachers meet state and national standards, this site offers fabulous research-based curricular activities and makes history a manageable content area for instruction. The site includes a clickable "Curriculum at a Glance" overview feature that takes you to the standards, teaching units, three essential questions, and seven key themes. This site requires Flash and Adobe. You can get it from the TeachersFirst Toolbox page..
tag(s): continents (29), evolution (85), industrial revolution (21), migration (45), oceans (142), world war 1 (86), world war 2 (168)
In the Classroom
World History for Us All provides teachers with pedagogical support to develop a curriculum and a mindset to present history, engage students and elicit curiosity. Use this informational, user-friendly site to augment your current curriculum. As you select materials from the site to share with your student, use Fiskkit, reviewed here to collaboratively annotate and discuss the information on any shared page. For example, ask students to highlight and discuss information that is opinion vs. fact, or focus on vocabulary terms to ensure student understanding. Be sure to include components of historical thinking using the poster reviewed here to encourage students to consider history from many different perspectives.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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The Nile File - Liverpool Musems.org
Grades
3 to 6tag(s): art history (105), egypt (60)
In the Classroom
This site can be a great introduction to a unit on Egypt for young learners. Put a link to this site on a classroom computer that can be used as an activity center for the Egyptian unit of study. Use an interactive whiteboard or projector to take the entire class on an interactive tour of life on the Nile.As a language arts activity, have students adopt the persona of an ordinary Egyptian and write a week-long journal or blog entries about their daily life. Tie in the visual arts by posing and tracing students' outlines on butcher paper on the floor. Students can strike an Egyptian-style pose that reflects their chosen person or occupation, and then draw in the clothing, headwear, and jewelry. Cut out these life-size images and combine them to create an Egyptian wall of stories. Let students fill in the background with hieroglyphic symbols.
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DocsTeach - National Archives Foundation
Grades
4 to 12tag(s): civil rights (220), congress (39), courts (25), first ladies (4), immigration (85), inventors and inventions (89), Juneteenth (32), lewis and clark (15), presidents (151), primary sources (133), slavery (77), womens suffrage (64), world war 1 (86), world war 2 (168)
In the Classroom
Select a document, photograph, or artifact from DocsTeach and display it without providing background information. Have students act as historians, making observations and inferences about what the source reveals before learning its historical context. Students can use the site's Compare and Contrast tool to analyze two primary sources from the same historical event or time period. Have them identify similarities, differences, and what each source contributes to their understanding. Have students select primary sources around a historical theme, such as immigration, the American Revolution, civil rights, or westward expansion. They can create a digital exhibit using ThingLink, reviewed here with titles, descriptions, and explanations of why each source is important to understanding the topic.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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American Airlines: CR Smith Museum - learningbox.com
Grades
4 to 10tag(s): air (28), aviation (51), world war 2 (168)
In the Classroom
Use this website as a resource for a research project about inventors. Share the timeline on an interactive whiteboard or projector during a unit about inventors, engineers, or aviation.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Community Club - Scholastic
Grades
K to 3In the Classroom
Use this site to help your students understand the concepts of community and community helpers. Use your interactive whiteboard or projector to share these useful people with your class. Highlight a career each week (or day) during a unit about community. Divide students into 8 groups (2-3 students per group) and have each group learn about a different career. Have the groups create simple PowerPoint presentations with the free Microsoft PowerPoint Online, reviewed here, to share with the class on your interactive whiteboard or projector. Remember that PowerPoint shows print well into "big books." Extend your "community" by creating a class wiki about your school community, complete with digital pictures and interviews! If you want to learn more about wikis, check out the TeachersFirst Wiki Walk-Through.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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The Romans - BBC
Grades
3 to 6In the Classroom
Read through all the pages to learn more about this website and the numerous activities available. Use this site on an interactive whiteboard or projector. Print off some of the worksheets for additional extension activities. Teachers of gifted will appreciate this site for students to explore on their own as part of a study of ancient cultures or mythology.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Teachers' Guide: internet Field Trips - Scholastic, Inc.
Grades
K to 12tag(s): field trips (6), virtual field trips (142)
In the Classroom
This is a good practice site for working with students, particularly younger ones; and it advises you on how to accommodate the different skill levels students have with the Internet.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Test Maker - Help Teaching
Grades
K to 12tag(s): quiz (64), quizzes (89), vocabulary (254)
In the Classroom
Use this website to create personalized quizzes and tests for your students. You could also ask students to design their own tests for each other to review using your teacher log-in or appoint a student "quizmaker" each week for the content your class has covered, making this an assignment that each student does once per semester.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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You Quote It, You Note It - Acadia University
Grades
6 to 12tag(s): plagiarism (34)
In the Classroom
This is a great follow-up site when discussing plagiarism with students. If you have access to a computer lab, students can work independently or in pairs through the tutorial and then check each other's work.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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The Monticello Classroom - Thomas Jefferson Foundation
Grades
4 to 12tag(s): black history (131), jefferson (20)
In the Classroom
This site can serve a a hub for your unit on colonial life, Jefferson, or even inventors. If you wish your students to register for accounts, be sure to check the students' acceptable use policies or get parent permission in writing. Instead of students using their real first and last names, have students create their own colonial names for registration. Be sure to keep a list of these names to be able to review and assess student work. Give a class introduction to the Monticello Classroom using an interactive whiteboard or projector. Be sure to help your weaker readers and ESL and ELL students by sharing the vocabulary words prior to reading, either on a handout or by projecting on an interactive whiteboard or projector. Highlight the vocabulary words in the text as you come to them. Search the lesson plans, and teachers will find a few that will be particularly helpful for Black History month!Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Digital Dialects - Craig Gibson
Grades
2 to 12tag(s): arab (9), arabic (11), chinese (38), french (72), german (49), greek (45), hebrew (17), italian (31)
In the Classroom
Try a few words in another language with your class as you study world geography and history! This site is especially useful in ENL/ESL and world language classrooms. Have your students plan a pretend vacation and study a few words of the target language before they go. Ask students to go beyond the games by guessing the answers before they appear on the screen.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Profile Publisher - ReadWriteThink.org
Grades
3 to 12tag(s): literature (214)
In the Classroom
Teach Internet safety by having students create a mock profile to use on social networking sites. Printing out those profiles makes editing in small groups a breeze. Yearbook or newspaper staff may want to use this Profile Publisher to gain more information about people of interest. History comes alive when you profile historical figures or interview veterans and generate profiles of local heroes. Imagine students creating a blog entry by George Washington. Or ask students to profile a type of cell, an endangered animal, or a science concept such as climate change. With this tool and some creative thinking, anything is possible.Be SURE to warn students to PRINT before closing. The site does NOT save work. You may want them to draft their work in a saved document before pasting it into the profiler, just in case work is interrupted by a fire drill or the bell.
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