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Popplet - Notion, Inc.
Grades
K to 12
7 Favorites
1 Comments
Popplet is shutting down on July 1, 2026. Visit their new site at Superstructures, reviewed here. Popplet combines a great number of features...more
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Popplet is shutting down on July 1, 2026. Visit their new site at Superstructures, reviewed here. Popplet combines a great number of features for creating mindmaps into one package. Share and collaborate with others. Create detailed and easily customized mindmaps. After creating a free account, click the "public popplets" tab at the top to see many differnt kinds of example Popplets for inspiration. Change the color of Popplets (mindmap boxes). Draw or insert images and videos from Flickr, Facebook, You Tube, and even your desktop. When you begin your Popplet, follow the mini-tutorial that appears to quickly learn the features. Create one Popplet for free. Though Popplet looks simple and limited, it is probably one of the easiest to use. Have an iPad? Use the Popplet app!
tag(s): concept mapping (18), mind map (33), noregistration (75)
In the Classroom
Users must be able to navigate the simple controls in this online tool. Videos and other information are found on the site and in your account page for a quick overview of learning the tool. If having difficulty saving the Popplet, be sure to remember to save a screenshot using the Print screen function on a PC or the Ctrl/shift/4 on a Mac.Use this tool for brainstorming or creative planning. Create a concept map of facts or concepts in any subject area. Plan an experiment in Science. Determine the sequence of events in History. Create study materials that are easily edited and shared by others. The class can create organizers together, such as in a brainstorming session on an interactive whiteboard or projector. Or you can assign students to "map" out a chapter or story or assign groups to create study guides using this tool. Use this site for literature activities, research projects, social studies, or science topics. Use this site to create family trees or My Plate food group portions in family and consumer science. Have students collaborate together (online) to create group mind maps or review charts before tests on a given subject. Have students organize any concepts you study; color-code concepts to show what they understand, wonder, and question; map out a story, plotline, or plan for the future; map out a step-by-step process (life cycle).
Edge Features:
Parent permission advised before posting student work created using this tool
Includes Interaction w general public/ public galleries with unmoderated content
Requires registration/log-in (WITH email)
Premium version (not free) includes additional features or storage
Products can be shared by URL
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PBWorks - PBWorks. Inc.
Grades
K to 12
3 Favorites
0 Comments
This online tool lets you and your students create a collaborative "space" online in any subject, allowing as many people as you want to edit, make changes, add new content, ...more
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This online tool lets you and your students create a collaborative "space" online in any subject, allowing as many people as you want to edit, make changes, add new content, etc. You may be familiar with wikipedia, but wikis can be so much more! A recent poll of "high tech" educators cited wikis as the one web-based tool they could not live without! If you have not tried a wiki yet, visit the TeachersFirst Wiki Walk-Through for a detailed, step-by-step explanation and starter help, including dozens of ideas for ways to use a wiki in your classroom.
If you are not sure which wiki tool is best for you, see our detailed TeachersFirst review of PBWorks (formerly PBWiki) features, pros, and cons(done as part of the TeachersFirst Wiki Walk-Through). Ignore the persistent and pervasive suggestions that you upgrade to a fee-based membership!
If you are not sure which wiki tool is best for you, see our detailed TeachersFirst review of PBWorks (formerly PBWiki) features, pros, and cons(done as part of the TeachersFirst Wiki Walk-Through). Ignore the persistent and pervasive suggestions that you upgrade to a fee-based membership!
tag(s): social networking (56), wikis (15)
In the Classroom
Click through the first two steps to create a free wiki, including the name (which becomes part of the wiki URL). Be sure to select "education" as the answer to "What is this wiki for?" Wait for your confirmation email (may take a while...check junk mail folder). After the email, choose whether your wiki is public or private (visible to members only or to the public). Set a "key" (password), if you wish. Bypass the offer to PAY. Use the Quickstart steps to configure the wiki just the way you want it or simply play to learn the Clickable editing toolbar. Add and edit pages, invite new members, explore the three template options and a few options for "skins." You may want to become familiar with the tool as a teacher-created site at first so you know its capabilities before turning students loose.See the TeachersFirst Wiki Walk-Through for practical management and safety tips.
Safety concerns: Students need email accounts to have individual log-ins. Note: with this wiki tool, you do not have the option of "locking" certain pages or setting different "levels" of users. You and your students have equal access to make changes, once you make them "members." There are also "plug-ins' (widgets) available from the toolbar, some of which may connect you to sites with unmonitored content. Decide ahead of time what you policies are concerning use of the "plug-ins."
Edge Features:
Parent permission advised before posting student work created using this tool
Includes social features, such as "friends," comments, ratings by others
Requires registration/log-in (WITH email)
Premium version (not free) includes additional features or storage
Products can be shared by URL
Multiple users can collaborate on the same project
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The Economist - The Economist
Grades
9 to 12
0 Favorites
0 Comments
Find interesting graphs and statistics that are published daily on this site by The Economist. Check back daily for new charts to use as openers for discussion and writings in ...more
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Find interesting graphs and statistics that are published daily on this site by The Economist. Check back daily for new charts to use as openers for discussion and writings in your classroom. This site does include some minor advertisements.
tag(s): charts and graphs (196), data (212), statistics (129)
In the Classroom
Use the chart as a basis for writing prompts, fishbowl discussions, blog posts, and more. Create a wiki page about the background information of the chart. Consider using the topics here to conduct your own research and publish your own charts through a wiki or blog. Want to learn more about wikis? Check out the TeachersFirst's Wiki Walk-ThroughAdd your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Easy Prompter - Michael Drob
Grades
4 to 12
3 Favorites
0 Comments
Ever think that you could look more professional if you used a teleprompter just like the President? Try this free version then! Simply copy and paste your text into the ...more
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Ever think that you could look more professional if you used a teleprompter just like the President? Try this free version then! Simply copy and paste your text into the field, highlight words if desired, and then click "Start prompt." Click play on the next screen to start the prompter. Speed up or slow down the speed of the prompter using the "+" or "-" buttons. The size of the prompter text can also be increased easily. Users must be able to copy and past text from one application to another. Player controls look much like standard video player controls. Follow the demo to watch how it is used or take a few moments to play with it. Close the site, and the information in the prompter is lost.
This site includes advertising.
This site includes advertising.
tag(s): speeches (22)
In the Classroom
Use this site to feed information used in group or individual presentations to the class. Set this up on another computer when recording video and audio recordings. Why use this site? Information fed through the prompter can be read at a steady and consistent pace. Teachers promoting oral reading fluency can make practice more engaging by having students pretend they are newscasters. If you advise the school announcement crew, try this handy tool to make them sound and look more professional.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Euronews - Euronews
Grades
9 to 12
0 Favorites
0 Comments
This news aggregator focuses on Europe and provides an overview of political, business, sports, and lifestyle news. Like most aggregators, it features headlines in various categories,...more
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This news aggregator focuses on Europe and provides an overview of political, business, sports, and lifestyle news. Like most aggregators, it features headlines in various categories, video clips, and opinion pieces. There is also a section for user-uploaded videos called "No Comment." Because this user generated content may not be monitored, preview carefully. There is some advertising, although it's fairly unobtrusive.
tag(s): europe (82), news (223), newspapers (88)
In the Classroom
Use this site as a springboard for current events discussions, or as a source for a Euro-centric viewpoint on the news. Display the videos on your interactive whiteboard or projector. Challenge students to read specific articles and create multimedia presentation to share with the class. Have students annotate an image using Fine Tuna, (reviewed here.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Six Word Stories - Pete Berg
Grades
5 to 12
8 Favorites
0 Comments
Six Word Stories challenges students to create a meaningful "narrative," book summary, reaction to a movie, or other literary reflection in just six words. Based on a famous one by...more
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Six Word Stories challenges students to create a meaningful "narrative," book summary, reaction to a movie, or other literary reflection in just six words. Based on a famous one by Ernest Hemingway, the site collects the writings of amateurs and professionals. Readers can search it by theme or by genre or author (including famous ones). Links include places to try similar endeavors including 2-sentence stories and fifty-word stories. Please preview: at the time of this review, there was one inappropriate comment with a curse word.
tag(s): Teacher Utilities (215), writing (309)
In the Classroom
Have a contest and challenge your students to submit the best 6-word story after finishing a novel, play, or poem. Try creating some together on interactive whiteboard, brainstorming first to generate possible words from which to choose, then dragging to rearrange them into a meaningful story. Make a six word story "sidebar" at the side of your class where students can work together with a partner on the IWB to generate new stories as summaries for an act of a Shakespeare play or in response to a sonnet. In a journalism class, try this for a twist on headline writing. Introduce poetry writing by having your students try their hand at expressing an emotional experience in just 6 words. ESL/ELL students often create unusual combinations in writing; why not have them display their creativity here in an acceptable form? Share this site with world language teachers also.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Harmony and Proportion - John Boyd-Brent
Grades
9 to 12
1 Favorites
0 Comments
These pages attempt to provide a simple introduction to, and explanation of, the principles governing harmony and proportion in space. The concepts link visual art and math/geometry...more
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These pages attempt to provide a simple introduction to, and explanation of, the principles governing harmony and proportion in space. The concepts link visual art and math/geometry in very sophisticated ways. Links include Plato: Composition, Pythagoras: Music & Space, Alberti: Harmony & Proportion, Palladio, and The Square Root of Two. Some sections are quite complicated and are best suited for either gifted students or whole-class exploration; however, there are some interesting concepts to explore within the site. The Pythagoras portion has an interesting audio and visual portion explaining number (weight) and musical tone.
tag(s): ratios (53), square roots (15)
In the Classroom
Explore the site with your class on your interactive whiteboard or projector. Be sure to bring up some sample images on the board and apply or explore some of the concepts and annotate images using the pen tools. Share the site as a resource when researching famous mathematicians. Share the site with music, art, and social studies teachers to use as a resource. Use this site for research and have students complete a multimedia presentation using a site such as Smilebox (reviewed here) to create a slide show, collage, or more.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Flubaroo - Flubaroo.com
Grades
4 to 12
6 Favorites
1 Comments
Use the Flubaroo add-on for Google Docs to create self-grading documents and forms easily. Be sure to check out their 3-minute demo video and overview links to understand how easy ...more
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Use the Flubaroo add-on for Google Docs to create self-grading documents and forms easily. Be sure to check out their 3-minute demo video and overview links to understand how easy it is to use. Flubaroo provides easy-to-use, step-by-step directions. Use this tool for multiple-choice answers to get easy feedback. Students easily see their responses to the questions when grades are emailed, providing feedback.
tag(s): assessment (145), quiz (62), quizzes (91)
In the Classroom
Users must be familiar with Google documents and forms. You must also have a Google account (FREE). Follow the demo and overview to become acquainted with this tool. This tool is best used by teachers for ongoing formative assessment. If allowing students to create formative assessments, be sure to create a separate class Google and Flubaroo account for use. Consider assigning groups to to make daily quizzes for the whole class to take as an ongoing formative assessment. Use for check point quizzes to check on terminology, general understanding, and to identify weaknesses in student understanding. Be sure to save this site in your favorites to use professionally to save time and keep your learning tasks organized.Comments
I would be curious to know how good you have to be with Google docs to be able to use this. Sounds like a summer project for me!Thinking, PA, Grades: 5 - 10
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Phrase Up - Phrase Up
Grades
4 to 12
1 Favorites
0 Comments
Don't ever be caught with a loss for words again! Phrase up is an interactive website that helps you fill in the blank when your mind goes blank! Type in ...more
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Don't ever be caught with a loss for words again! Phrase up is an interactive website that helps you fill in the blank when your mind goes blank! Type in an incomplete phrase, and options are provided for finishing your thought or sentence. Parts of speech, definitions, sentence examples, as well as translations are included. While the sentence generator does provide creative results, occasionally examples are for a more mature user.
tag(s): figurative language (19), vocabulary (251)
In the Classroom
Introduce this site on your interactive whiteboard or projector. Then students can use it independently. With grammar classes, you can find interesting synonyms, parts of speech, and definitions while finding ways to fix incomplete sentences. Great ideas for providing details or work with sentence variety accompany each entry. Improve your students' skills with similes and analogies. In writing classes, begin writing prompts with Phrase up results. Phrase up results can start and expand brainstorming in all subject areas. Create your own Phrase up collection with a collection of lists of science, math, and social studies vocabulary for the year. ESL students can learn the nuances of English by trying incomplete phrases and exploring the different ways words can be used. Have ESL or grammar students make simple posters of suggested phrase completions to show different word meanings or idioms used in a variety of ways. Be sure to include this link on your class website as a reference.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Big Huge Labs - Big Huge Labs
Grades
K to 12
3 Favorites
0 Comments
Check Teachers First reviews for specific fun and creative tools from this expansive site. As Big Huge Labs continues to add to their offerings, be sure to check back to ...more
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Check Teachers First reviews for specific fun and creative tools from this expansive site. As Big Huge Labs continues to add to their offerings, be sure to check back to the main page of the site to find what is new. For now check out the Trading Card Maker, reviewed here, the CD Cover Maker, reviewed here, The Big Huge Thesaurus, reviewed here, Mosaic Maker, reviewed here, Magazine Cover Maker, reviewed here, Guess the Title, reviewed here, Captioner, reviewed here, Map Maker, reviewed here, Movie Poster, Badge Maker, Billboard, and Calender. In addition they have many photo editing/photo enchancing tools: Bead Art, Jigsaw, FX, Mat, Wallpaper, Cube, Lolcat Generator, Framer, Color Palette, Pocket Album Hockneyizer, Photobooth, and Pop Art Poster. Some of these tools are more suitable for play, but if you are beginning the process of integrating technology, these will be engaging to your students. Take time to look over some of these tools before sharing the site with students.
Big Huge labs also has some other free services you may want to use such as a ranked list of the Top 100 Digital Camera Makers and Models that is updated weekly. There is also Scout to help you find your photos on Flickr Explore, Random Photo Browser, On Black, Sunset, Favorite Surfer, Flicker DNA, Photo Fortune, Profile Widget, and Writer, reviewed here.
This site includes advertising.
This site includes advertising.
tag(s): collages (17), editing (90), images (267), maps (224), multimedia (62), photography (136), posters (44), thesaurus (21)
In the Classroom
You can choose images from Flickr, Instagram, Dropbox, your files or provide a URL. This tool is so simple with very few steps for creating. Simply upload your photo, select from a few options, and then create.Check out the Big Huge Labs educator account. Easily pre-register students to avoid creating logins, view and download their creations; view the site advertisement free. You will find information about the Educator Account here.
Options here are endless. Find out what students understand about a concept by creating a 6 word story. Students find a suitable picture and sum up the concept in 6 words. Students can use the Motivator tool, reviewed here, to create. Place their creation on a blog, wiki, or web site and have students write about how their understandings of the concept have changed throughout the study of it. Create Badges for field trips and other activities. Use the Trading Card Maker, reviewed here, to identify what a student understands about a concept. Create trading cards of the many species that exist in the world or of places to visit, past leaders of nations, or states and other countries. Create vocabulary trading cards. Use social networking in the classroom? Create an Avatar to use on these spaces. Reading a book or viewing documentaries? Create Movie Posters to share information or to inform others about various times in history. Whatever you use this tool for, it is powerful for students to use a great image and word captions to display their knowledge.
Edge Features:
Includes an education-only area for teachers and students
Parent permission advised before posting student work created using this tool
Requires registration/log-in (WITH email)
Requires registration/log in (NO email)
Products can be embedded
Products can be shared by URL
Includes teacher tools for registering and/or monitoring students
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CNN 10 - Journalists and Educators at CNN
Grades
5 to 12
17 Favorites
0 Comments
The CNN Student News WEB site is the companion to the daily CNN Student News show and is offered free of charge with no subscription. These ten-minute programs and commercial-free ...more
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The CNN Student News WEB site is the companion to the daily CNN Student News show and is offered free of charge with no subscription. These ten-minute programs and commercial-free streamed videos produced by journalists and educators at CNN provide a great alternative to YouTube. A wealth of teacher materials accompanies each video, such as transcripts for each show, discussion questions, the Media Literacy Question of the Day, detailed learning activities, downloadable maps, and additional support materials to help students understand the news. A selection of documentaries is also accessible, with discussion guides for educators. You can sign up for emails to receive Daily Education Alerts to see what information and major stories are being covered that day or choose from previous dates and news stories from the archives. Remember to preview the program before showing it to your class.
tag(s): news (223)
In the Classroom
Choose whatever fits your curriculum or as a daily warm-up for current events. This provides a great alternative to reading news articles and is especially motivating for visual learners and students who struggle with reading comprehension. After your class views the video, use the daily discussion activities designed to promote critical thinking. You are also able to print the learning activities to assign as group work or for homework. There is even a news quiz. You may want to distribute copies of the transcripts for ESL students to refer to, for use as a research source, or to use for practicing reading comprehension for state exams and other assessments. Enhance learning by challenging cooperative learning groups to research one topic at this site and share their findings with the class by creating an interactive online poster (infographic) using Canva Infographic Maker, reviewed here.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Sistine Chapel Virtual Tour - Villanova University
Grades
6 to 12
2 Favorites
0 Comments
Tour the Sistine Chapel from every angle. Villanova's virtual tour allows you to fly, rotate, zoom, and scroll over Michelangelo's frescos from every perceivable point of view. They...more
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Tour the Sistine Chapel from every angle. Villanova's virtual tour allows you to fly, rotate, zoom, and scroll over Michelangelo's frescos from every perceivable point of view. They even enhance the chapel's celestial aura with music. If it were not for the wonderful food in Rome, this tour could possibly challenge the merits of an actual visit.
tag(s): artists (99), renaissance (38)
In the Classroom
This site is perfect to support coursework in Art History, Studio Art, and World History. Introduce this site on your interactive whiteboard or projector. Then have students explore this site independently or in small groups. Be sure to include a link to this site in a hot list of sources concerning Renaissance art. Consider asking a group of students to do additional research about the Sistine Chapel and its fresco. Have students act as a virtual docent and record a screencast presentation using ScreenPal, reviewed here or Screencastify (Chrome app). Take still screen shots of the frescos to use in reports or other multimedia presentation format such as Animoto or podOmatic. This site is excellent for enrichment. Include it on your class web page for students to access both in and out of class.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Color Vision and Art - Michael Douma
Grades
6 to 12
5 Favorites
0 Comments
Color, Vision and Art examines both scientific and artistic interpretations of color. This is one of many interdisciplinary exhibits found on WebExhibits online museum. This particular...more
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Color, Vision and Art examines both scientific and artistic interpretations of color. This is one of many interdisciplinary exhibits found on WebExhibits online museum. This particular showcase makes the connection between the birth of Modern art and the scientific revolution of the 19th century. Articles include historic investigations into the psychological effect of color upon the emotions, the anatomy of the human eye, color vision theory, and the brain's perception of color. The site also provides fascinating information about oil and egg tempera painting and how each achieves the illusion of light and space. They examine not only Western Art of the 19th, 20th and 21st century, but also African Art.
tag(s): 20th century (168), art history (104), colors (63), human body (98), newton (24), psychology (60)
In the Classroom
Color, Vision and Art offers students a unique opportunity to make cross-curricular connections and is a great starting point for individual or group projects. Students interested in Anatomy, Neuroscience, Painting, or Art History, will enjoy exploring this site independently. Each individual chapter comes with a selection of extension tasks from which students can choose. The "Exhibit" tab also offers suggestions for directing class discussions and provides tasks that initiate higher order thinking. Guiding questions about the neurobiological interpretation of color, will simultaneously develop student ability to analyze and interpret color used in art. Have students create a multimedia presentation to report about what they have learned using Google Drawings, reviewed here. Not familiar with Google Drawings? Watch an archived OK2Ask session to learn how to use: OK2Ask Google Drawings, here. Challenge students to find a reproduction of a painting (legally permitted to be reproduced), and include a narration about the artist's use of color. There are also interactive activities to demonstrate aspects of color theory. Project these interactive tools on an interactive whiteboard to the whole class and experiment with simultaneous color contrast, and luminance together. Use this site as the starting point for individual or group projects. This site is excellent for enrichment. Include it on your class web page for students to access both in and out of class, especially when they are designing their own multimedia projects and want to take advantage of color's subtleties.
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Do Something.org - Do Something.org Team
Grades
7 to 12
5 Favorites
0 Comments
Do Something.org is one of the largest organizations in the United States that helps young people take action to promote causes they care about and motivates them with realistic,...more
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Do Something.org is one of the largest organizations in the United States that helps young people take action to promote causes they care about and motivates them with realistic, creative inspiration to establish a culture of volunteerism. By tapping into the web, television, mobile devices, and popular media, Do Something.org empowers and celebrates today's youth as the "Do Something" generation: teenagers who recognize the need to do something, believe in their ability to get it done, and then take action. Explore this site for ideas for starting your own project and browse the many causes and volunteer opportunities already in your own area and beyond. Help students discover ways to make a difference. The rules are simple: No Money, No Car, and No Adults permitted for putting your plans into action.
There are suggestions, resources, and support to empower young people and give them the energy to take action and make a difference. Whether their passion is to feed the homeless, end bullying, help even the playing field of educational inequalities, or many more needy causes, this website is chock full of easy to access information and strategies that encourage teenagers to decide for themselves how they can contribute their time and desire to make a difference.
There are suggestions, resources, and support to empower young people and give them the energy to take action and make a difference. Whether their passion is to feed the homeless, end bullying, help even the playing field of educational inequalities, or many more needy causes, this website is chock full of easy to access information and strategies that encourage teenagers to decide for themselves how they can contribute their time and desire to make a difference.
tag(s): charactered (86), Project Based Learning (28), service projects (17)
In the Classroom
Do you believe that kids can change the world? What are you doing about that? If you have been thinking about involving your class in some type of community service and project based learning, but need some direction, DoSomething.org is a phenomenal place to "shop" around for ideas. Perhaps you may want to start by showing the film, Pay It Forward, or with a writing prompt, "If you were given time in school to come up with one idea that could be put into action right now by people your age that would make this school or this community a better place, what would it be and how would you put your plan into action?" Have students share ideas in small groups, then introduce them to DoSomething.org by projecting it on your classroom whiteboard or projector, viewing some of the short videos, and using the power of the internet to empower them to act now. Challenge students to collect Internet resources for their cause using Wakelet, reviewed here, where they can add a cover image, background, collaborate with others, and chose the layout they prefer. Next, enhance learning by asking your students to create an interactive infographic using Canva Infographic Maker, reviewed here, to explain their ideas about their cause and how they would put their plan into action. Club advisers, school counselors, and teachers of gifted can use the empowering resources of this site to inspire students to ACT.
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Teacher's Portal - American Bar Association
Grades
6 to 12
0 Favorites
0 Comments
Each year, teachers are asked to observe Constitution Day with special instruction on one of the United States' founding documents. This site provides sample lesson plans and resources...more
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Each year, teachers are asked to observe Constitution Day with special instruction on one of the United States' founding documents. This site provides sample lesson plans and resources for all grade levels, including some flash-enabled interactive lessons and activities on specific aspects of the Constitution's application.
tag(s): bill of rights (39), constitution (105)
In the Classroom
Use the lesson plan suggestions to meet the mandate for instruction on Constitution Day, but be sure to check out the other resources for lessons on civics, government, current events, and the Constitution itself. The section called "Dialogues" provides resources to engage students and community members in discussion of fundamental American legal principles and civic traditions.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Smartboard in the Classroom - Eduscapes
Grades
K to 12
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This website provides information and practice on using interactive whiteboards in the classroom. All activities are geared toward SmartBoards but can be used with any brand of interactive...more
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This website provides information and practice on using interactive whiteboards in the classroom. All activities are geared toward SmartBoards but can be used with any brand of interactive whiteboard. Practice activities are provided for exploration of what is available to use on whiteboards at all classroom levels from elementary to high school and is also categorized by subject. The homepage offers a list of all topic areas included. After exploration, participants follow the workshop ideas which provide ideas for using interactive whiteboards in the classroom. Information is provided on using the SmartBoard - this is more specific to this brand but may be helpful for users of other brands. Many of the activities could be completed on laptops, rather than interactive whiteboards.
tag(s): iwb (29)
In the Classroom
Explore the sites provided to use as classroom resources in the computer lab, on classroom computer centers, and on your interactive whiteboard. The lessons/interactives could be used to enhance a unit on simple machines, dinosaurs, vaccines, panda bears, tornados, and much more. If an interactive whiteboard is not available, complete the activities in the computer lab or on laptops.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Image Detective - Library of Congress
Grades
5 to 12
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In this activity, you select a photo from a topic of interest. Topics include: Immigration, Cities, Industrialization, The West, Leisure and Amusement, Progressive Reform, Woman & Suffrage,...more
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In this activity, you select a photo from a topic of interest. Topics include: Immigration, Cities, Industrialization, The West, Leisure and Amusement, Progressive Reform, Woman & Suffrage, Children, and World War I. Next you create a story background for the photo you have chosen. Select a question to answer on each page or create your own question about the photo. Click to the next screen to gather clues as you mouse over different sections of the photo and type in information gained from observing closely. Another screen yields background information on the photo. In the second to last screen, combine the clues in order to safely draw conclusions about the information the photo provides. A comparison screen at the end lets you see information others have deduced from the photo.
tag(s): logic (166), photography (136), scientific method (49), world war 1 (87)
In the Classroom
Share the photos on your interactive whiteboard or projector. Use the series of steps on this activity to teach students the skills of observation, deduction, and drawing intelligent conclusions. Have students do this activity in pairs in a computer lab. The steps are available to use on paper or printable in pdf format, so students can select their own mystery photos and create a similar activity away from the computer. ESL/ELL students can benefit from using the steps in this process. Images will help them understand material better, and they can also create their own presentations. Have students bring and exchange mystery photos; see if the conclusions they draw match the family stories the photo owners have. Science teachers can use this photo activity to teach about scientific method and, in particular, making observations. Start with the offerings on this site, then try it with more "scientific" images.
This resource requires PDF reader software like Adobe Acrobat.
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Penzu - Alexander Mimran and Michael Lawlor
Grades
4 to 12
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Penzu offers a FREE service to write journals or diaries online with exceptional privacy options. As an added benefit, you can add images or your own artwork as illustrations. There...more
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Penzu offers a FREE service to write journals or diaries online with exceptional privacy options. As an added benefit, you can add images or your own artwork as illustrations. There is a very short demo video on the home page. On Penzu, you can keep everything completely private or share selective posts by email or URL. Perhaps share selections on a class wiki page? Don't have a wiki? See the TeachersFirst Wiki Walk-Through for practical management and safety tips for a class wiki. Note: Premium service is available, but this review is for the free version.
tag(s): communication (122), DAT device agnostic tool (129), journals (22), writing (309)
In the Classroom
A class journaling program has limitless possibilities. Engage students in discussions using a topic from current events, current social issues, independent reading, literature, and more. Any class using a journal can use Penzu. For example, science lab write-ups or the problem of the week in math. Penzu can even be used for homework. Just think, no more lugging heavy boxes full of notebooks around! In language arts, students journal daily and harvest from their musings and ideas to create a short story or a poem. They can even use Penzu to develop their brainstorms and rough drafts. For social studies classes, students can write posts and ideas about famous people or daily life in a time period being studied, then create a "diary" for the famous person in Bookemon, reviewed here or a poster using Genially, reviewed here about daily life. For either of these ideas, once they are ready to present their final project, have them share it with their peers and others, and consider adding other media. See more ideas for student blogging/journaling at TeachersFirst's Blogging Basics for the Classroom. Share journals with parents as appropriate by URL. Be sure to respect student privacy before sharing.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Independence National Historic Park - NPS.gov
Grades
5 to 12
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Independence National Historic Park is the National Park which encompasses Independence Hall and the surrounding area. Visitors can tour Independence Hall, visit the Liberty Bell, and...more
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Independence National Historic Park is the National Park which encompasses Independence Hall and the surrounding area. Visitors can tour Independence Hall, visit the Liberty Bell, and learn about the signing of the Declaration of Independence and the drafting of the Constitution. This site provides directions, operating hours, and other information for those planning a visit. There are also pages which provide additional details on the history of the various buildings and the events that happened in them.
tag(s): colonial america (97), constitution (105), philadelphia (10)
In the Classroom
Share this and other sections of the TeachersFirst Colonial America tour as part of your study of the colonies so students can see what these historic locations look like today.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Fort Caroline - NPS.gov
Grades
5 to 12
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This fort was built by the French in 1562. It lasted only a few years until the Spanish arrived to claim the territory. You can visit a reconstruction of the ...more
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This fort was built by the French in 1562. It lasted only a few years until the Spanish arrived to claim the territory. You can visit a reconstruction of the fort buildings.
tag(s): colonial america (97), florida (12)
In the Classroom
Share this and other sections of the TeachersFirst Colonial America tour as part of your study of the colonies so students can see what these historic locations look like today.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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