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Fiskkit - John Pettus
Grades
6 to 12tag(s): critical thinking (141), journalism (73), media literacy (105), news (220), newspapers (91)
In the Classroom
Use Fiskkit in your classroom to teach students critical thinking and analysis skills. Share current news articles weekly with students to evaluate and discuss. After students provide their input, share the results on your interactive whiteboard, or with a projector, to review and discuss the reactions as a group. As students evaluate articles, replace paper note cards and suggest they use an online note-taking tool similar to Webnote, reviewed here, to justify their answers on Fiskkit. Webnote allows you to add sticky notes on the computer workspace and share with others using the URL created. Challenge students to find articles they would like to discuss, save, and collaborate on using Raindrop.io, reviewed here. Raindrop.io offers you tools to bookmark and save websites, with the additional feature of allowing participants to add comments to saved information. Raindrop.io can be used for a variety of assignments in any classroom that is integrating technology as an enhancement. Instead of a written report, as students become more comfortable with evaluating online tools, ask them to use a multimedia presentation tool like Sway, reviewed here, to modify technology use and to discuss media bias and offer tips for evaluating online information.You must be registered and logged in to add items to your favorites.
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Game Builder - WiscOnline
Grades
K to 12This site includes advertising.
tag(s): assessment (127), game based learning (218), gamification (75), quizzes (84)
In the Classroom
Take advantage of the games offered on this site to review or introduce content in your classroom. If sharing with younger students, demonstrate on your interactive whiteboard first to show students how to avoid the advertising on the site. Share games on your class website or blogs. Instead of you creating the games, ask students to work together to create their own games for use when reviewing content. Ask students to replace pen and paper and include a link to their games as part of a blog post using edublog, reviewed here. Take this a step further at the end of your unit and modify classroom technology use and extend student learning by having students build an explainer video of the topic using FlexClip, reviewed here, or another video creation tool.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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The Quarry: A Social Justice Poetry Database - Split This Rock
Grades
10 to 12tag(s): authors (101), creativity (79), environment (244), identity (35), poetry (190), sexuality (14), sociology (22)
In the Classroom
Be sure to preview any work on this site before sharing with your students. Take advantage of this database for use when looking for contemporary poetry to use in your classroom. Enjoy sharing poetry with students as models for poetry writing and reading or to introduce poets to your students. Be sure to ask students what the poem says about the poet as part of a self identity unit. Once students have written their own poems, ask them what the poem says about their own self identity. Instead of asking students to create a written journal of poetry, replace the written journal and build a poetry portfolio by having them use a bookmarking tool like Wakelet, reviewed here. Use Wakelet to add links to student-created poetry, poems from their favorite poets, audio recordings of their poetry, and videos sharing different structures of poetry. As a final project, ask students to extend learning and classroom technology by creating podcasts discussing and featuring both their work and the work of favorite poets. Spotify for Podcasters, reviewed here, is a free, easy to use podcast creation and sharing site.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Quatr.us - Dr. Karen Carr
Grades
8 to 12This site includes advertising.
tag(s): 1700s (32), 1800s (81), 1900s (79), 20th century (169), medieval (33), renaissance (38)
In the Classroom
Bookmark Quatr.us as a resource for history articles and "on this date" information to share with students. Instead of creating links to bookmarked sites on your class webpage or computer, use Padlet, reviewed here to create an interactive resource for students. Within your Padlet create columns to add websites, videos, or other student resources. Consider using Quatr.us along with other history sites as a resource for students to use and create a weekly or monthly podcast discussing historic events using a site like Podbean, reviewed here. Instead of just learning about historic events, different time periods, or the history of a country enhance student knowledge by having individual students or groups of students use Google My Maps, reviewed here to create a virtual field trip to tell the story. Enhance student learning by asking students to use a timeline creation tool like Time Graphics Timeline Maker, reviewed here, to create an interactive timeline using images, maps, and video.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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History Tech - Glenn Wiebe
Grades
7 to 12tag(s): back to school (52), branches of government (63), digital storytelling (150), game based learning (218), maps (213), politics (119), primary sources (119), social media (51), teaching strategies (57)
In the Classroom
Bookmark this site to reference throughout the school year. Use the keyword search option to find ideas for specific units or technology tools to use. Use a bookmarking tool like Wakelet, reviewed here, to collect and share information from this blog along with your other resources. As you gather lesson ideas and create your unit, use Nearpod, reviewed here, to create differentiated lesson activities for your students.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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The Reformer: An Interactive Tool to Fix Social Security - Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget
Grades
8 to 12tag(s): financial literacy (90), politics (119)
In the Classroom
Include this interactive with your other resources on lessons about government and government spending. Before making choices on the interactive, ask students to interview and record relatives to get their input on Social Security financing. Students may not understand a lot of vocabulary and terms related to Social Security, get a fast assessment of their understanding using Baamboozle, reviewed here. This is a quick and easy game creator that offers users multiple types of games for two teams and keeps score as you play. Consider asking students to create podcasts discussing different issues related to Social Security. Choose from several different free podcasting tools including Spotify for Podcasters, reviewed here.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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What is Fiscal Policy? Interactive Teaching Tools - Peter G. Peterson Foundation
Grades
8 to 12tag(s): financial literacy (90)
In the Classroom
Engage students and extend their knowledge with the interactive offered on this site during your current finance lessons. Ask students to explain a financial concept using Google Drawings, reviewed here. If you need help this tool, you could watch an archived OK2Ask Google Drawings, here. Use Google Drawings with any appropriate image to add links to websites, videos, and images. Upon completion of your finance unit, ask students to create an interactive book using Ourboox, reviewed here. Ourboox offers tools for publishing digital books that include images, video, and audio in addition to textAdd your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Ford's Theatre Education Resources - Ford's Theatre
Grades
3 to 12tag(s): civil war (141), lincoln (65), presidents (145), primary sources (119)
In the Classroom
Use the materials found on this site to supplement your lessons on Abraham Lincoln and the Civil War. Find additional Lincoln and Civil War materials at Actively Learn, reviewed here. Lessons on Actively Learn include embedded questions correlated to Common Core Standards for developing reading and comprehension skills. Organize your entire Lincoln unit and share materials (including videos with embedded questions) with students using Canvas Free LMS, reviewed here. Create an entire learning path with all of your materials using Canvas LMS, reviewed here.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Lincoln's Assassination - Ford's Theatre
Grades
5 to 12tag(s): civil war (141), lincoln (65), presidents (145), primary sources (119)
In the Classroom
Include this website with your Civil War unit, President's Day, or Abraham Lincoln lessons. Instead of gathering information from textbooks to learn about Lincoln's death, ask students to be the investigators and gather and analyze facts on their own. Begin by sharing the questions found on this site using Padlet, reviewed here. Create a column for each question in your Padlet, then have students add evidence found on this site and others to support their answer. To enhance learning and help students organize their thinking, use a timeline creator from ReadWriteThink, reviewed here, to understand the order of events. Transform student learning as a final activity, by asking students to share their findings including evidence in an explainer video created with Typito, reviewed here.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Easy Teacher Worksheets - easyteacherworksheets.com
Grades
K to 12This site includes advertising.
tag(s): calendars (34), grammar review (30), graphic organizers (50), holidays (229), organizational skills (80), substitutes (25), worksheets (71)
In the Classroom
Use instructions found on the site to print materials as a PDF document. Use worksheets as a starting point for assessing student knowledge at the beginning of a unit. Have students use information on the worksheets as a starting point for research. Have them locate sources and websites that explain further and share that information in a blog post using a tool like Edublog, reviewed here. Include information from this site with your other resources and create games for review using Baamboozle, reviewed here. Baamboozle is a quick and easy game creator that makes multiple types of games for two teams and keeps score as you play.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Center for News Literacy - Stony Brook University
Grades
8 to 12tag(s): internet safety (110), journalism (73), news (220), newspapers (91)
In the Classroom
Bookmark this site to stay up to date on the latest information on news literacy. Take advantage of the free lessons and courses to include with your lessons on evaluating news and news sources. Ask students to review online news and take notes with a tool such as Webnote, reviewed here; tell students to be sure to save the URL to share their notes and questions with you and their peers. Ask students to create a screencast using Free Screen Recorder Online, reviewed here. In their screencast ask them to share different online articles and compare and contrast information shared by different sources. Share with parents as a resource for finding information to discuss with their student regarding the reliability of information and sources.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Circle Round - WBUR
Grades
K to 6tag(s): charactered (78), diversity (49), folktales (34), podcasts (137), stories and storytelling (65)
In the Classroom
Place the link To Circle Round on your teacher web page for students to share stories at home, too. The stories would make an excellent classroom listening center with headphones. Let younger students listen over and over. Use these delightful stories as opportunities to develop listening skills by playing the story, then asking questions. Ask listening comprehension questions, or talk about story structure with older children (rising action, climax, and falling action, for example). Consider having your younger students share their own favorite stories with a tool like Gravity, reviewed here, and then encourage students to respond to each others favorites. Inspire your older students to build fluency and expression by creating their own podcasts after listening to these. For this have students plan their story with digital "post its" that can be moved around using a tool like Pinup, reviewed here. Once students are ready, have them record their podcast using a tool like RedCircle, reviewed here. Be sure to post student podcasts on your website or wiki to share with parents.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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One World Education Student Writing - Eric Goldstein and Emily Chiariello
Grades
5 to 12tag(s): persuasive writing (53), sociology (22), writing (307)
In the Classroom
Share the student writing samples with your class to model grade-level writing and research skills. On your interactive writing board upload an example and use highlighting and drawing tools to point out examples of good writing including use of specific examples, text structure, and vocabulary. Ask students to share their first draft on a site like Peergrade, reviewed here. This site allows teachers to create an assignment with a rubric and automatically distributes uploaded assignments to peers for review. As a follow-up, after students complete their writing project, ask them to create podcasts sharing additional information and reflections on the social justice issue they researched. Buzzsprout, reviewed here, is an excellent tool for creating and sharing podcasts.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Immigration Nation - iCivics
Grades
5 to 8tag(s): game based learning (218), immigration (78), landmarks (20), politics (119)
In the Classroom
Since the topic of immigration can be a sensitive issue in any American classroom today, you may want to use the lessons in From Provocative to Productive, reviewed here to introduce how to have a respectful discussion (and develop critical thinking skills along the way). Once you feel students are versed a bit in diplomacy, use Immigration Nation as an introduction making sure students know the facts about becoming a citizen in the United States. Share the game on an interactive whiteboard or with a projector. In order to assure your students know the requirements before participating in a discussion of this hot political issue, you may want to play with the entire class first, reminding students they need to learn the facts before they can effectively debate the issues. Then allow students to play on their own on the whiteboard or classroom computers, keeping a log of their actions and results. Once students know the facts, you could set up a discussion using Thinkalong, reviewed here to practice their discussion and argument strategies. With older students, a next step might be to take the debate public using Virtual Debate, reviewed here which has online examples and resources for conducting virtual debates.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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CurriConnects Booklist: The Artist's Eye - TeachersFirst
Grades
K to 12tag(s): artists (88), colors (62), drawing (58), perspective (24)
In the Classroom
This list will be a natural fit for anyone teaching art whether in elementary, middle, or high school. Use the books to introduce concepts in art and have students create digital sketchbooks about the styles and concepts they like. Replace the paper journal or sketchbook with one that can be accessed anywhere and never left behind. Use a digital "idea bin" collector like Padlet, reviewed here, that offers tools for creating shelves or grids to organize information about the concepts learned and post ideas and photos. Be sure to share this list of CurriConnects books about art with parents on your teacher webpage.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Musicmap - Kwinten Crauwels
Grades
6 to 12tag(s): 1800s (81), 1900s (79), 20th century (169), music theory (47)
In the Classroom
If you teach music, be sure to include this as a starting point for teaching music history and different formats. This site isn't just for music teachers. In Social Studies, use this site to provide context to different periods of history through music and as a starting point for student research on music styles and life during any period. If you teach Reading and Language Arts, use this site to find and share music from the period found in novels and current reading materials. Take advantage of students' interest in music to use this Musicmap as a starting point for research and biography projects. As students complete their research, enhance their learning by asking them to share their findings on a website created using Webnode, reviewed here. In addition to student writing, include audio, video, and images to tell their story. For a different take on research projects, use Odyssey, reviewed here, using maps to tell a story with images, text, video, and more.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Is That a Big Number? - Andrew Elliott
Grades
6 to 12tag(s): measurement (116), number sense (62), numbers (108), ratios (45)
In the Classroom
Bookmark this site to use for reference throughout the year. Use it as a 5-10 minute fill-in when you have a little bit of extra time. Get your interactive whiteboard or projector ready and challenge students to provide numbers to use as a comparison or take the numbers quiz together to learn more about numbers. As a substitute to paper and pencil, have students create explainer videos using Typito, reviewed here, to demonstrate the power and size of large numbers. To extend student learning and understanding, challenge students to create a web page using Carrd, reviewed here, to share information learned after researching numbers and statistics found on this site and others.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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YoTeach! - PALMS
Grades
7 to 12tag(s): chat (36), communication (113), social networking (53)
In the Classroom
Use this site to connect to other classes to open up a discussion between your students in one convenient place. Safety is not a concern with this site since only those with an email invitation/link or the QR code can participate in a chat. (Your students need not have email. You can simply email the link to yourself and share it with students to enter into their browsers.) Teach good digital citizenship of chat etiquette while using this activity to learn. Connect with other classes to learn about other locations, learn various perspectives, find animals that are similar yet different, learn about the different books others are reading, or survey students on various economic, political, or environmental topics. Be sure to plan content ahead of time, so students have the opportunity to think through the material and formulate a response. Discuss appropriate ways to communicate with others before connecting with another classroom.Use backchannel chat on laptops during a video or student presentation. Pose questions for all to answer/discuss in the backchannel, or ask students to pose their own "I wonder if..." questions as they watch and listen. Keep every student engaged and THINKING as an active listener. The first time you use backchannel, you will want to establish some etiquette and accountability rules. The advantage of backchannel chat is that every student has a voice, no matter how shy. Use this in world language classes, ESL/ELL classes, or autistic support classes for backchannel chat. Challenge students to use their new language skills to describe a scene from a video or the feelings of the actors. When studying literature, collaborate with another class to have students role-play a chat between two characters. In a history class, create fictional conversations between soldiers on two sides of the Civil War or different sides of the Scopes Monkey trial.
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Choice of Games - Choice of Games LLC
Grades
6 to 12tag(s): coding (90), creative writing (126), gamification (75), interactive stories (21), STEM (328), writing (307)
In the Classroom
Introduce this site to your students on an interactive whiteboard or with a projector and explore one or two of the games together. Create a short story together to learn about how to use the different story-writing options. As students begin creating games using this site, consider having students create explainer videos to enhance their learning using CapCut, reviewed here, and to demonstrate tools that need a more detailed explanation than what is on the site. Have students create stories to show what they have learned about literature, geography, history, science concepts, and more. As a more "serious" approach, use Choice of Games to present opinion pieces where you take a position and allow readers to click on questions about it. They could also click on statements expressing opposing views, so you can write counterarguments to their points. This idea could prove to be a powerful way to present an argument and evidence as required by Common Core writing standards. Extend student learning by having them include their text-based game as part of a collaborative multi-media presentation created using Sway, reviewed here. In addition to their game, ask students to include their written documents, images, and video creations.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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KidCitizen - Congress, Civic Participation, and Primary Sources Project
Grades
K to 5tag(s): american flag (8), communities (37), congress (40), game based learning (218), national parks (28), symbols (17)
In the Classroom
KidCitizen works across all devices, share a link to episodes on classroom computers for students to watch as a learning center activity. Flip your classroom and have students view at home before discussing concepts in class. As students interact with content in the episodes, take advantage of the many resources found at Classtools, reviewed here, to create concept maps, quizzes, and online games. If you teach younger students, create additional interactive games with your own content using oodlu, reviewed here. Ask older students to create their own games using oodlu. As a final project, have students create books using WriteReader, reviewed here. Write Reader is a very easy to use tool for even young students and includes features for sharing invented writing along with correct spelling. For older students, consider using Book Creator, reviewed here that features more robust digital storytelling tools.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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