Teachers First - Thinking Teachers Teaching Thinkers

The African American History Online Primary Source Collection from the Library of Congress provides educators with photographs, manuscripts, maps, and audio recordings documenting African American history. This site allows teachers to integrate authentic primary sources into lessons on topics such as slavery, the Civil Rights Movement, cultural contributions, and political activism. Students can engage in critical analysis, historical inquiry, and multimedia exploration with materials spanning centuries. The collection is ideal for fostering discussions on African American experiences, resilience, and the ongoing impact of historical events on society today.

tag(s): african american (115), civil rights (209), maps (220), multimedia (53), photography (130)

The Camilo Jose Vergara Photograph Collection on the Library of Congress website documents African American communities through a powerful time-lapse photography project spanning several decades. Vergara's images capture the evolving landscapes of neighborhoods, businesses, and cultural landmarks, providing a unique visual history of urban change, resilience, and struggle. This collection is a valuable resource for teachers looking to explore themes of community development, social change, and historical documentation. By analyzing time-lapse images, students can observe the transformation of places over time, fostering discussions on urbanization, gentrification, and the impact of historical events on African American communities.

tag(s): african american (115), communities (35), photography (130)

Discover this vast collection of historical images documenting key moments, figures, and events in the fight for civil rights. The site offers primary source materials, including photographs from protests, leaders, and everyday activists, making it a valuable resource for classroom discussions and research projects. The site also includes bibliographies and related resources to deepen students' understanding of African American history and civil rights movements.

tag(s): african american (115), civil rights (209), photography (130)

Ducksters Ancient Africa's Kingdom of Kush link gives a brief overview of the Kingdom of Kush. It highlights its location, length, capitals, similarities to Ancient Egypt, iron and gold, culture, and interesting facts. There is a ten-question multiple-choice quiz. If you scroll to the bottom, the site can be read aloud.

tag(s): africa (148)

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 (177), blended learning (37), flipped learning (9), Teacher Utilities (198)

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 (177), assessment (147), Formative Assessment (74), game based learning (205), gamification (83), Teacher Utilities (198)

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 (177), professional development (385), Teacher Utilities (198)

The U.S. National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) website is valuable for teachers seeking primary sources, historical documents, and government records to enhance their lessons. It provides access to a vast collection of materials, including the Declaration of Independence, Constitution, and Bill of Rights, as well as photographs, letters, and military records. Teachers can use NARA's educational resources, lesson plans, and digital exhibits to bring history to life in the classroom. The site also includes interactive tools, such as DocsTeach, which allows students to analyze and engage with historical documents meaningfully. If your district blocks YouTube, then the videos may not be viewable.

tag(s): bill of rights (33), constitution (96), declaration of independence (16), photography (130)

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 (107), book lists (167), digital reading (17), Research (87), resources (84), Teacher Utilities (198)

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 (177), assessment (147), cross cultural understanding (173), differentiation (84), rubrics (37), social and emotional learning (102), Teacher Utilities (198), vocabulary (238)

PBS Learning Media's Banking and Finance collection features various resources, including videos, audio, documents, lesson plans, webpages, and collections for kindergarten through grade 12. There are thousands of resources available to search. Video topics include loan officers, federal reserve banks, financial literacy, and goods and services. Lesson plans on financial literacy, homesteading supplies, manufacturing, and more. Lesson plans include 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. You can share everything in the collection via Google Classroom, a link to students, and social sharing.

tag(s): banks (8), careers (156), financial literacy (93)

The Latin Rhythms of Despacito lesson plan from TeachRock introduces students to four Latin American music styles- Reggaeton, Musica Jibara, Cumbia, and Salsa- and examines their influence on Luis Fonsi and Daddy Yankee's hit song "Despacito." Through video content and musical analysis activities, students learn how producers Mauricio Rengifo and Andres Torres incorporated elements from these genres into the track. This lesson encourages students to identify and discuss the integration of these musical styles within "Despacito" and to explore the broader impact of Latin American music on popular culture.

tag(s): hispanic (36), music theory (46), rhythm (21)

Teacher Planet offers a comprehensive collection of lesson plans, worksheets, activities, and teaching resources to help students explore the Mayan civilization. Educators can find engaging materials on Mayan history, culture, achievements, and daily life, making it easy to integrate into social studies lessons. With printable worksheets, interactive activities, and creative project ideas, this resource supports diverse learning styles and helps bring ancient history to life in the classroom!
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tag(s): mayans (23), mexico (37), south america (47)

PBS Learning Media's Agriculture collection features various resources, including videos, audio, documents, lesson plans, and collections for grades kindergarten through 12. There are over nine hundred resources available to search. Videos are available on going green, genetically modified food, the food chain, regenerative agriculture, and many more. Lesson plans include organic v, non-organic farming, the food chain, global oneness project, 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. You can share everything in the collection via Google Classroom, a link to students, and social sharing. Members can build on the lessons once they log into the site.

tag(s): agriculture (49), careers (156), ecology (103), food chains (19)

PBS Kids' Community Helpers features media clips, printables, games, extension activities, articles, and crafts. The helpers include bankers, bus drivers, dentists, farmers, firefighters, meteorologists, paleontologists, scientists, and veterinarians. The videos feature characters from other PBS shows such as Clifford, Sid the Science Kid, Daniel Tiger, Nature Cat, Dinosaur Train, and Peg and Cat. Videos range from one to five minutes. Resources are also available in Spanish.

tag(s): careers (156), communities (35), preK (271)

This engaging lesson plan from BrainPOP Educators helps teachers introduce students to the Maya Civilization's rich history and cultural contributions. It features interactive videos, discussion questions, and activities. The lesson encourages critical thinking and historical analysis. Teachers can access various resources, including quizzes, graphic organizers, and extension activities, to deepen student understanding. With its user-friendly format and standards-aligned content, this lesson is a great way to bring ancient history to life in the classroom!

tag(s): mayans (23), mexico (37)

Sesame Street Career Exploration Games is an interactive site that visits different careers. The first interactive activity features neighborhood jobs with Elmo and Abby. The highlighted jobs include scientists, firefighters, architects, musicians, delivery persons, and veterinarians. Other games include Elmo and Grover visiting a farm, Cookie Monster's Foodie Truck Game allowing for following a recipe, and Bert and Ernie's Super Salad for finishing food orders.

tag(s): careers (156), preK (271)

The Teach Democracy section on the Share My Lesson website provides educators with a wide range of resources to teach civics, democracy, and government to students. View lesson plans, activities, and multimedia materials designed to help students understand democratic principles, the Constitution, and the importance of civic participation. These resources are ideal for grades K-12 and include engaging materials like simulations, debates, and primary source analyses. The website helps teachers foster critical thinking, civic engagement, and active citizenship, aligned with national and state standards. The videos are hosted on YouTube.

tag(s): bill of rights (33), civil rights (209), constitution (96), democracy (24)

The Getty Center's Who's Afraid of Contemporary Art? challenges students to discover how "traditional" works of art have inspired and informed contemporary artists. On the right side, "For the Classroom" links directly to lesson plans, image banks about contemporary art, and a glossary bank. The four lessons featured are titled A Bug's Journey, Chairs, Rooms, and Time Travel, Moving Pictures, Moving Stories, and Sculptural Space/s. Each lesson tells you the time allotted, an overview, the objectives, materials, steps, assessment, and extensions. The lessons are aligned with the California Visual Arts Standards and the Common Core Standards for English Language Arts.

tag(s): art history (103), artists (85)

Visit the items shared in this group by BookWidget users to find and use several different SDG-related activities. After registering for a BookWidgets account, you can use all the items for free. Resources include an invention timeline, quizzes, flashcards, and more. Click on any link to view the resource. Share activities using one of the options to share items with students, including links to send activities to Google Classroom and Microsoft Teams.

tag(s): climate change (99), cross cultural understanding (173), energy (133), flash cards (44), nutrition (140), sustainability (50), timelines (56), women (151)