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Break Your Own News - Jon Cresswell
Grades
4 to 12This site includes advertising.
tag(s): digital storytelling (157), images (262), newspapers (89)
In the Classroom
This site contains some ads that may be distracting; however, a quick lesson on avoiding them and engaging with only the desired content is all that is needed to keep most students from following advertising links. Add a link to the Break Your Own News Generator to your lists of other tools to use with images for many different purposes. One excellent tool for organizing and sharing resources with students is Padlet, reviewed here. Create columns in Padlet to organize different resources and then add links to make it easy for you and your students to find what they need. For example, engage students at the beginning of a new lesson or unit by creating a breaking news image to introduce the content. One example might be for a science lesson featuring simple machines with a headline sharing a runaway object that leads into your study of inclined planes. Extend learning and ask students to become creators and share breaking headlines to discuss new information they learned, share important information about story characters, or create a made-up headline about historical events. Include breaking headline images as part of multimedia presentations built using Google Slides, reviewed here, or Canva Edu, reviewed here.You must be registered and logged in to add items to your favorites.
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Strip Background - Zygomatic
Grades
K to 12This site includes advertising.
In the Classroom
Before asking students to use Strip Background, demonstrate how to create and save images. Consider recording a tutorial using Free Screen Recorder Online, reviewed here, then sharing a link on student and classroom devices. Discussing copyright and fair use best practices is always an excellent idea when editing images. Use Strip Background to enhance students' presentations and stories. For example, remove the background from a student's picture and then add a background with them in a location or setting that is part of their project. Choose a background image of a city being studied, a different time, or a far-away setting like the moon, then place your student image on top. Resize the image to fit the scene. Include this image as a starter for class projects. Use images on top of book covers for book talks, create images for story characters and heroes, or use them for weather reports. The ideas for using this tool are only limited by your imagination and that of your students. Include the new images as part of larger multimedia projects created using Canva Edu, reviewed here or maps created using Google My Maps, reviewed here.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Narakeet - Gojko Adzic
Grades
K to 12tag(s): chinese (41), conversions (38), german (45), greek (46), italian (30), japanese (52), multilingual (74), portuguese (21), russian (25), spanish (108), text to speech (22)
In the Classroom
Although presentations are uploaded as PowerPoint documents, Narakeet is still easy to use with Google Slides. Upload your Google Slide presentations to the Free Office Online Apps, reviewed here, and save as a PowerPoint presentation. Use Narakeet to share information with world language learners to hear the text spoken in the native language. Use this site with ENL/ELL students to convert small pieces of text to their native language. Use this site with students who have difficulty reading, especially when working with more challenging passages and text. Use the video options to convert student presentations into videos, then share presentations on your class website. Narakeet is also a handy option to use when creating flipped learning lessons. Upload the lesson as a slide presentation, and then convert it to a video file for easy viewing by students.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Juneteenth Activities and Lesson Plans for Students - Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Shaped Staff
Grades
K to 12tag(s): 1800s (83), civil rights (218), emancipation proclamation (14), Juneteenth (23), slavery (78)
In the Classroom
Include the teaching ideas and activities provided on this site with your other lessons on Juneteenth, Emancipation, or slavery. Engage students in learning about Juneteenth by sharing a timeline of events leading up to Emancipation and beyond, including the recognition of Juneteenth nationally. Create your timeline using the timeline creator Wikipedia Timeline Generator, reviewed here, provided by Class tools. Extend learning by asking students to share their understanding of Juneteenth using a presentation tool such as Genially, reviewed here, to create interactive images and presentations. Once you are signed in, members can search Genially's Inspiration area to find a reproducible template for a Juneteenth interactive image.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Free Comic Strip Maker - Adobe Express
Grades
K to 12tag(s): comics and cartoons (61), graphic design (48)
In the Classroom
Engage students by using the templates to display the day's vocabulary word, the math puzzle of the week, or a concept your students are learning in social studies or science, for example. Have students create comic strips for dialog-writing lessons, summarizing, predicting, and retelling stories. Use comic strips for literature responses. For pre-reading students, create a comic of pictures and tell the story based on the pictures/scenes. It's a good idea to require students to create a rough draft of their comic using Canva Comic Strip Templates, reviewed here. Make a class book of the comics created throughout the year. That book is likely to become a class favorite! Use comics to show the sequencing of events. For example, when studying characterization, they create a dialog to show (not tell) about a character. World language and ENL/ESL teachers can assign students to create dialog strips as an alternative to a formal assessment. Have students share all of their comics on your interactive whiteboard or projector.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Felt - Interactive Map Creator - felt.com
Grades
K to 12tag(s): map skills (67), maps (222)
In the Classroom
Visualizing data and creating maps just became easier for teachers and students. Help your students understand current events worldwide by creating a map and embedding it on your classroom website or learning management system. For example, use maps in science to track migration patterns, explore climates, or map weather events. Teachers of students aged 13+ years can have students create and edit maps in real-time from anywhere. Build upon your student's knowledge by adding layers to your maps to show new information. Teachers of younger students can create maps for student viewing to map a story or show animal habitats.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Free Video Downloader Online - Geekersoft
Grades
K to 12tag(s): movies (52), multimedia (56)
In the Classroom
Many schools and districts block YouTube; use this resource to download videos for classroom viewing. Share videos on classroom devices for students to view anytime, even when Internet access is unavailable. Use this tool to download and save videos you wish to show students, especially if they are blocked at school. Save video conversions to a USB stick for easy viewing on many devices.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Geekersoft PDF Converter Online - Geekersoft
Grades
K to 12tag(s): conversions (38), editing (88), worksheets (71)
In the Classroom
Bookmark and save this site for any number of classroom uses. Convert PDF worksheets to Word documents, then edit and change information to fit your needs. Differentiate learning by adapting information on a PDF document to fit the learning needs of students that need additional support or provide extended education for gifted and advanced learners. Take advantage of file converters such as this one to create unique class books. For example, after converting a PDF template to a Word document for students to create a newsletter about features of different states, convert each student's word document back to a PDF file using PDFaid, reviewed here. Then upload all class newsletters into one document using PDF to Flipbook Converter, reviewed here to create an online flippable book.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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AI PNG Enlarger - Background Generator
Grades
K to 12This site includes advertising.
In the Classroom
PNG images often lose quality when enlarged; using this program offers the opportunity to retain image quality for multiple applications. For example, increase the size of PNG images when creating presentations made with Google Slides, reviewed here, or to include images on web pages created on sites such as Carrd, reviewed here. Share this site with students for book reports, research presentations, or any other digital writing projects to enhance the quality of finished work and provide additional options for including images.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Ditch That Textbook - Matt Miller
Grades
K to 12tag(s): assessment (135), blogs (71), Formative Assessment (45), Google (21), professional development (295)
In the Classroom
This resource is a treasure trove for new and experienced teachers, bookmark and save it for use throughout the year. If you are looking for the latest teaching trends, take advantage of the many templates and ideas shared through the blog. For those wanting to try new ideas, begin with the free templates that make it easy to introduce gamification and interactive activities into any classroom. Ditch That Textbook is an excellent site to use for ongoing professional development. Choose a blog post or activity monthly to discuss with peers and implement in your classroom. Use a curation tool such as Wakelet, reviewed here, to share and discuss resources found on Ditch that Textbook along with your ideas as a way to easily access your favorite ideas.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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National Museum of the American Indian - Smithsonian Institution
Grades
K to 12tag(s): explorers (63), native americans (131), primary sources (124), professional development (295), thanksgiving (25), westward expansion (41)
In the Classroom
Be sure to bookmark this site for use with lessons on Thanksgiving, using primary sources, or when teaching about Native Americans. Consider using curation tools such as Padlet, reviewed here, or Wakelet, reviewed here, to organize resources for easy retrieval. Padlet and Wakelet are also handy when sharing information and resources with students. As you begin your lessons on American Indians, begin with a formative assessment to gauge your students' understanding of the topic. Use an easy online quiz tool such as Baamboozle, reviewed here, to engage students in your learning activities. As you continue in your lessons, continue to motivate and engage students using Wooclap, reviewed here, to review information either in class or as a homework activity. Instead of testing to assess knowledge upon completing your unit, offer students the opportunity to share their understanding of content in various ways. Examples include creating an infographic using Canva Infographic Maker, reviewed here, an explainer video made using Clipchamp, reviewed here, and an interactive map built using Google My Maps, reviewed here.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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TEACHFLIX - Ditch That Textbook
Grades
K to 12tag(s): coding (96), computational thinking (43), computers (107), digital citizenship (102), engineering (135), noregistration (81), problem solving (262), social and emotional learning (144), STEM (340), virtual field trips (135)
In the Classroom
Use this curated collection of videos to engage students in lessons in all subjects. Use edpuzzle, reviewed here, to enhance the video content by adding comments, questions, and more within the video. Create interactive lessons with videos from this collection, formative assessments, and other interactive content using Pear Deck, reviewed here, to present material in a deeper, more robust manner. Upon completion of your lesson, extend learning by asking students to share their learning using a simple web page builder such as Straw.Page, reviewed here.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Geography Games - Crazy Games
Grades
K to 6This site includes advertising.
tag(s): countries (71), flags (18), game based learning (284), states (126)
In the Classroom
Before sharing with students, consider demonstrating how to play and avoid ads on your interactive whiteboard. Then, add a link to student computers to use during computer centers to become familiar with the locations of states and countries and learn how to identify nations' flags. After learning about geographic areas, ask students to choose a country or state to research. As students learn about their selected country, use FigJam, reviewed here, to create a template for students to add facts and information by creating a frame for each country or state. Finally, extend learning using Google My Maps, reviewed here, to create an interactive map with links to each location that includes images, videos, and descriptions of the site written by students.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Indigenous Peoples of the Americas - The Kennedy Center
Grades
K to 8tag(s): cross cultural understanding (178), cultures (268), dance (41), holidays (246), native americans (131), north america (15), stories and storytelling (71)
In the Classroom
Print lesson plans during Native American Month, as a supplement to social studies lessons about cultures and states, or during geography lessons. Lesson plans are available in PDF format or as Google Documents; save any lesson to your Google Drive as a copy of the original document and edit it to fit your curriculum or adapt it as desired to fit current lessons. Use any or all materials found on this site as a personalized learning lesson for students to complete in person or remotely. For example, add a video, poem, and reflective activity, and additional materials to a SchoolStack, reviewed here, an activity that offers students a choice of learning materials and activities. Consider asking students to work in collaborative groups to research indigenous people based on their interests. For example, have a group explore dance, another their art and sculpture, and a group that researches geographic locations of the different tribes. Ask each group to share their learning by creating simple websites made with Telegra.ph, reviewed here. Telegra.ph provides simple website creation tools without all the distractions of backgrounds, templates, and other distractions. Easily add text, images, and links to any Telegra.ph site.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Native American Heritage Collection - PBS LearningMedia
Grades
3 to 12tag(s): native americans (131)
In the Classroom
Use this collection during Native American Heritage month to dive deeply into studying America's Indigenous people and culture. Teachers can enhance learning by downloading videos and creating interactive questions using tools such as Edpuzzle, reviewed here. Resources from this collection include support materials that you can use with Kami, reviewed here, or upload to your learning management system. Many included resources have comprehension or discussion questions that classes can discuss digitally with tools such as FigJam, reviewed here.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Password Folder - PasswordFolder.net
Grades
K to 12tag(s): digital citizenship (102), internet safety (118), Teacher Utilities (199)
In the Classroom
Add Password Folder to your Windows device for many different uses. For example, protect sensitive student files, private data, or financial information. In addition, use a password when sharing files with parents to ensure that only authorized viewers access personal information. Adding a password to folders also provides an extra layer of security if your device is hacked.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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PDF Converter - PDF Candy
Grades
K to 12tag(s): conversions (38), editing (88), worksheets (71)
In the Classroom
Bookmark and save PDF Converter for any number of classroom uses. Easily convert any document into a PDF for easy sharing and use, add comments and notes to PDF documents, or convert PDF files to images or PowerPoint presentations. Use the Sign PDF option to make classroom documents electronic; for example, use this option for field trip permissions or to verify that parents view essential information. Use the Protect PDF resource to add a password to sensitive documents. Use the merge tool to combine several PDF documents submitted by students to create a class book, then use PDF to Flipbook Converter, reviewed here to make an online flippable book for all to view and enjoy.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Let Dia de los Muertos Stand on Its Own - Learning for Justice
Grades
2 to 8tag(s): aztecs (10), cross cultural understanding (178), cultures (268), fall (12), fall festival (14), hispanic (54), holidays (246), mexico (50)
In the Classroom
Bookmark this article for use during your fall festivals activities or cultural diversity lessons and while explaining the difference between Dia de los Muertos and Halloween. Show the video on Edsitement, reviewed here, which shows celebrations of Dia de los Muertos, as an introduction to the class. Enhance learning by asking students what they observed and document this on a two-column Padlet, reviewed here, with one column labeled Dia de los Muertos and the other Halloween. Take advantage of the other links on this site by challenging students to research the two holidays and continue with the Padlet comparison.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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How to Celebrate Dia de los Muertos with Activities to Teach and Excite Kids - Colleen Bonnett twinkl
Grades
K to 5tag(s): aztecs (10), crafts (90), cross cultural understanding (178), cultures (268), fall (12), fall festival (14), hispanic (54), holidays (246), mexico (50)
In the Classroom
Whether you go all out with a Dia de los Muertos celebration in your class or only do a lesson, this holiday will help to introduce your students to various cultures. This site has so many ideas for your classroom that you may want to refer to it year after year; be sure to bookmark it. Also, if you have students who celebrate this festival, you may want to ask them and their parents to help you with classroom activities. Since this festival occurs at the same time as Halloween, do a little study about the history of Halloween and have older students compare the two celebrations using an Interactive Two Circle Venn Diagram, reviewed here.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Diwali Activities - Teachwire
Grades
K to 6This site includes advertising.
tag(s): crafts (90), cultures (268), fall (12), fall festival (14), holidays (246), religions (121)
In the Classroom
Take advantage of the ideas shared on this site to find hands-on crafts and activities to enhance your lessons on Diwali and fall festivals. Use Bloomz, reviewed here, to schedule volunteers to assist students when making crafts. As students learn about Diwali, use an online game resource such as Baamboozle, reviewed here, to practice and learn about the terms associated with this celebration. As a final project, create a class book using Imagine Forest, reviewed here, that includes text, videos, and images to tell the story about Diwali.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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