3133 social-studies results | sort by:
Spore Creature Creator - Electronic Arts, Inc.
Grades
2 to 12Creature Creator is a free download but is a limited version of the original purchased program. The purchased program provides many more choices for the features and environments used to make the creatures. The download is available for both PC and Mac.
tag(s): adaptations (19), animals (278), animation (62), classification (20)
In the Classroom
User needs to be able to download and install the free program. Easy to use interface. Start with a blob, which you manipulate into a shape, pulling its spinal cord in any direction with the mouse, before adding a head, limbs and various optional extra body parts. Choose your part by using the onscreen catalog. Manipulate it further by changing the position of joints or through adding or deleting segments. Add a background and move your creature by dragging your mouse for it to follow. Continue to alter your creature to get the movement or features needed.Pressing "H" brings up the spore guide which includes topic categories such as "Welcome to Spore," "Getting Started," "Build Mode," "Test Drive," and "Paint Mode."
Check your district policy on downloading and installing of programs. Check with your IT department. Teachers who must request software installation by tech staff may want to try this tool at home and create some sample projects to convince administration of its educational value.
Uploading pictures and videos of creations to You Tube or the spore site may expose students to advertising as well as inappropriately created creatures. You may want to send students directly to URLs for their own projects, maintain the creatures on the classroom computer itself, or use Teacher Tube to upload the creations. Uploading creatures enables outsider comments without teacher control. Outsiders can interact or mark the creations as favorites. Many school policies prohibit such interaction, so be sure to check your school policy. You will want to discuss these features in the context of Internet Safety or establish specific written class rules and consequences for interacting with outsiders. Student work can be saved as a picture and printed, as well, for sharing and showing. Check your school policies on whether student work may be displayed online and what information is permitted, then enforce that policy with your students.
The tool does not show which work is attributable to each student. You may want to require student initials on projects in order to get credit.
Use Creature creator to create an unusual creature as a class project. Create a classification system of all the class creatures to demonstrate biology classification skills. When discussing the groupings in the Animal Kingdom, use Creature Creator to create a new organism for that group. Use the tool to create a class creature with adaptations to a specific environment. Have students create a creature and then write a story or poem about it and how it lives. Have students create a creature as a self-portrait of personality or other traits the students possess. Students can design and draw habitats that would house their creation including the calculation of the volume and area the housing would require. Use a classroom projector or white board to share/create creatures in class and discuss specific features of the creatures.
You must be registered and logged in to add items to your favorites.
Use the form at the top of the page to log in, or click here to join TeachersFirst (it's free!).
Olympics Resources - TeachersFirst
Grades
K to 12In the Classroom
Use these Olympics resources to plan an entire unit during the Olympics or make them available as links from your teacher web page for enrichment if the Olympics fall during school breaks. Not enough time for an Olympics unit? Perhaps students can use these links to generate ideas and projects to share on an Olympics extra credit wiki. Teachers of gifted will find many ways to spark new projects usig these links.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
You must be registered and logged in to add items to your favorites.
Use the form at the top of the page to log in, or click here to join TeachersFirst (it's free!).
bubbl.us - Kirill Edelman and Levon Amelyan
Grades
K to 12tag(s): brainstorming (19), graphic organizers (58), mind map (33), noregistration (74)
In the Classroom
Click "Start Here" to type the subject of your concept map. Hitting your Enter key creates a new level (branch) within the map. Tab creates an additional branch on the same level as the current topic. Experiment with the small icons on each "element" to change colors, drag, make new connections, etc. Save and set sharing (read-only or open access) in the area at the right. You can "send" a read-only link via email or copy the embed code from the Menu at lower right), but you cannot find the URL directly from your map. "Send" it to yourself via email to copy the actual URL.There are countless possibilities at this mental mapping site. Demonstrate the tool on an interactive whiteboard or projector, and then allow students to try to create their own graphic organizers. Use this site for literature activities, research projects, social studies, or science topics of study. Use this site to create family trees. Have students collaborate together (online) to create group mind maps or review charts before tests on a given subject. Have students organize color-code concepts to show what they understand, wonder, question; map out a story, plotline, or LIFETIME; map out a step-by-step process (life cycle); map a real historical event as a choose-your-own-adventure with alternate endings(?) based on pivotal points; plan a "tour" for a "thought museum." Use this mapping website as an alternative to a traditional test, quiz, or homework assignment in literature or social studies: have students demonstrate their understanding by completing a graphic organizer about the main points. To minimize the number of maps on a free account, have students screenshot or print their results to turn them in. See more ideas in the linked example above!
Comments
Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
You must be registered and logged in to add items to your favorites.
Use the form at the top of the page to log in, or click here to join TeachersFirst (it's free!).
World Stories Bank - Whootie Owl Productions
Grades
1 to 6tag(s): cross cultural understanding (177), folktales (34), listening (117)
In the Classroom
Use this site to find stories that represent the cultures of the students in your classroom, whether they are ESL students or from different ethnic backgrounds. Also, use this site to find stories for various school holidays. Play a story aloud on your speakers, then allow students to record their own stories with musical backgrounds.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
You must be registered and logged in to add items to your favorites.
Use the form at the top of the page to log in, or click here to join TeachersFirst (it's free!).
Patriotic Songs - The Kiboomers - Kids Music Channel
Grades
K to 8This site includes advertising.
tag(s): holidays (280), lyrics (15), memorial day (27), presidents (151), songs (50)
In the Classroom
Enhance your reading program with music. Have students listen to the songs while following the lyrics. Keep this site handy for those patriotic holidays. Use this site in social studies classes to learn the meaning behind some of the most popular patriotic songs. Play the sound in the background during class skits for Presidents' Day or other patriotic occasions.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
You must be registered and logged in to add items to your favorites.
Use the form at the top of the page to log in, or click here to join TeachersFirst (it's free!).
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.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
You must be registered and logged in to add items to your favorites.
Use the form at the top of the page to log in, or click here to join TeachersFirst (it's free!).
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
You must be registered and logged in to add items to your favorites.
Use the form at the top of the page to log in, or click here to join TeachersFirst (it's free!).
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
You must be registered and logged in to add items to your favorites.
Use the form at the top of the page to log in, or click here to join TeachersFirst (it's free!).
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
You must be registered and logged in to add items to your favorites.
Use the form at the top of the page to log in, or click here to join TeachersFirst (it's free!).
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
You must be registered and logged in to add items to your favorites.
Use the form at the top of the page to log in, or click here to join TeachersFirst (it's free!).
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.
Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
You must be registered and logged in to add items to your favorites.
Use the form at the top of the page to log in, or click here to join TeachersFirst (it's free!).
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
You must be registered and logged in to add items to your favorites.
Use the form at the top of the page to log in, or click here to join TeachersFirst (it's free!).
American Airlines: CR Smith Museum - learningbox.com
Grades
4 to 10tag(s): air (27), 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
You must be registered and logged in to add items to your favorites.
Use the form at the top of the page to log in, or click here to join TeachersFirst (it's free!).
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
You must be registered and logged in to add items to your favorites.
Use the form at the top of the page to log in, or click here to join TeachersFirst (it's free!).
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
You must be registered and logged in to add items to your favorites.
Use the form at the top of the page to log in, or click here to join TeachersFirst (it's free!).
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
You must be registered and logged in to add items to your favorites.
Use the form at the top of the page to log in, or click here to join TeachersFirst (it's free!).
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
You must be registered and logged in to add items to your favorites.
Use the form at the top of the page to log in, or click here to join TeachersFirst (it's free!).
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
You must be registered and logged in to add items to your favorites.
Use the form at the top of the page to log in, or click here to join TeachersFirst (it's free!).
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
You must be registered and logged in to add items to your favorites.
Use the form at the top of the page to log in, or click here to join TeachersFirst (it's free!).
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.
Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
You must be registered and logged in to add items to your favorites.
Use the form at the top of the page to log in, or click here to join TeachersFirst (it's free!).

Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
Close comment form