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Alaska Kids' Corner - State of Alaska
Grades
3 to 8
1 Favorites
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Explore and learn all about Alaska with this site dedicated to kids. Learn interesting facts, such as there are 70 volcanoes in Alaska, in the Facts section. Student Information includes...more
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Explore and learn all about Alaska with this site dedicated to kids. Learn interesting facts, such as there are 70 volcanoes in Alaska, in the Facts section. Student Information includes basic state information such as the state motto, nickname, state seal, flag, and state emblems. An especially informative section of the site provides a wealth of information on the state's history. Here, students can explore Famous Alaskans, Homesteading, Russian Heritage, and more. From bear watching to wildlife, many outdoor activities are offered as examples of ways to enjoy all the state has to offer. Another section, Geography, includes information about glaciers, climate, and daylight hours throughout the state. Be sure to check out the portion of the site that addresses common misconceptions about the state.
tag(s): alaska (21), animals (274), flags (18), volcanoes (62)
In the Classroom
Share this site with students when they are researching information for state reports. Have students use a mapping tool such as MapHub, reviewed here, to create a map of local landforms (with display markers featuring text, photos, and videos!), Add this to your list of resources when reading books about Alaska, such as Balto. Ask students to share their thoughts about Alaska, then share the site's common misconceptions section to see if any of your students have these misconceptions.You must be registered and logged in to add items to your favorites.
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Alabama Kids' Pages - Alabama Secretary of State
Grades
3 to 8
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Explore and discover lots of information about the state of Alabama at this site for kids. Learn about state symbols (the state fruit is the blackberry), emblems, the state flag, ...more
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Explore and discover lots of information about the state of Alabama at this site for kids. Learn about state symbols (the state fruit is the blackberry), emblems, the state flag, and much more. Find interesting places to visit in the state such as the State Capitol and U.S. Space and Rocket Center. Find resources about Alabama's part in the civil rights movement. The site also includes a few activities such as a crossword, and coloring pages.
tag(s): branches of government (70), elections (87), flags (18), states (128)
In the Classroom
Share this site with students when working on state reports to use as a resource. For quicker projects, create electronic "posters" using tools such as Piclits, reviewed here. Locate interesting places mentioned on maps when practicing map skills.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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SMART Board Goodies - Amber Coggin
Grades
K to 12
5 Favorites
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This bright and cheerful blog offers original interactive whiteboard resources created by a certified SMARTboard trainer. The site is updated often, get notices of updates by email...more
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This bright and cheerful blog offers original interactive whiteboard resources created by a certified SMARTboard trainer. The site is updated often, get notices of updates by email or by following on X (formerly Twitter) or Facebook. To find archived files, search the site using the search box at the top of the page, search archived files by month, or find links to notebook files on the right-hand side of the home page. Especially helpful are the author's notes when posting new files as she offers tips on how to use it in the classroom. An example is the singing horses file (check it out, very funny!) that she uses to help students get used to using an interactive whiteboard while learning cause and effect. Be sure to check out the Facebook page template which includes a template for student use. Since this teacher uses SMART brand IWB, you may need to use SMART Notebook Express reviewed hereto open some files on another brand of whiteboard.
tag(s): iwb (29), literacy (124), numbers (120), resources (80)
In the Classroom
Shop the site for interactive whiteboard resources to download for classroom use. Use the singing horses to teach cause and effect. Use the Facebook page template for students to create biographies of famous people, of themselves for back to school, or of teachers in your building for Back to School nights! There is much to explore at this "gem" of a site!Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Climate Wisconsin - PBS Wisconsin Education
Grades
6 to 12
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Climate Wisconsin shares powerful stories about how climate change is affecting life in a northern state. Students can explore short videos on familiar activities, such as fly fishing,...more
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Climate Wisconsin shares powerful stories about how climate change is affecting life in a northern state. Students can explore short videos on familiar activities, such as fly fishing, as well as topics like extreme heat, changing ice cover, and shifting ecosystems. The site also includes both narrative-based resources and interactive features, all accessible through the menu at the bottom of the page. These materials help learners understand real-world climate impacts through personal stories and engaging visual tools.
tag(s): adaptations (19), climate (95), climate change (112), ecosystems (105), water cycle (25)
In the Classroom
Use these resources as a pre-unit activity on ecology or climate change. Brainstorm the issues presented as a class. Ask students what they already know about these problems. After exploring Wisconsin examples, students can research how a similar climate issue (heat, flooding, ice cover, species shifts) appears in their own region. Have them present findings in a short slide or infographic using Canva for Education, reviewed here. Assign students two different stories or interactives from the site. In pairs, they compare how climate change affects different groups, activities, or environments in Wisconsin and have them create a simple chart showing similarities and differences.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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News English Lessons - Sean Banville
Grades
4 to 12
7 Favorites
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This site, created by Australian Sean Banville, offers high-interest, "easier" news for students to read and many teaching materials to go with it. Though the site's look is cluttered...more
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This site, created by Australian Sean Banville, offers high-interest, "easier" news for students to read and many teaching materials to go with it. Though the site's look is cluttered with advertising and plain text, the content is worthwhile. Developed for ESL/ELL students and teachers, the site would also work well in a subject-area, learning-support, or reading classroom. There are MANY articles "ready to go," including mp3 audio files for listening. At the time of this review, there were 200+ new additions! Each article includes several activities, such as "online gap fill" (a Cloze reading activity), vocabulary flashcards, Hangman, and matching. A complete script is available as a PDF. There is also an online, interactive quiz for students. The articles and a lot more activities can be downloaded and printed, too.
This site includes advertising.
This site includes advertising.
tag(s): audio books (43), audtxt (19), diseases (59), listening (117), news (223)
In the Classroom
The articles are short and interesting, a perfect match for non-fiction reading comprehension. With so many different activities to choose from, it will be easy for the classroom teacher to differentiate. There is an mp3 audio version of each article so students can listen as they read. Assign small groups of students to present the news each week, using the interactive whiteboard to show others the country and city from which the article originated. Make the newscasting experience even more real by having students read scripts of these news stories or their own original stories using a EasyPrompter, reviewed here. Students can then go to another news source such as News for Kids, reviewed here, to see what else is happening in the news. For a project and to enhance student learning, have the small groups create a "talking map" using a site such as Zeemaps, reviewed here. This site allows students to create audio recordings AND choose a location (where their article/story took place). What a fabulous way to share the article with the rest of the class!
This resource requires PDF reader software like Adobe Acrobat.
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Florida Kids Page - Florida Division of Historical Resources
Grades
4 to 12
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This site was created to provide resources for students learning about Florida. Categories include state symbols, Florida history, Seminole history, the Capitol, Florida governors,...more
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This site was created to provide resources for students learning about Florida. Categories include state symbols, Florida history, Seminole history, the Capitol, Florida governors, and quick facts. After choosing a category, there are subtopics listed in some of the categories to help narrow down searches for information. There are some images; however, most information is in text and some students may need help reading the information.
tag(s): native americans (130), states (128), symbols (19)
In the Classroom
Share this site with students researching state symbols, native americans, or Florida. For students studying Florida, challenge cooperative learning groups to create online books about one part of this website. Use a tool such as Bookemon, reviewed here.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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The Surprising History of Each of the 50 State Flags - Advance Local Media
Grades
4 to 8
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This very simple site offers a look at each state flag with information on when it was admitted to the union. Scroll down the page of alphabetized states to view ...more
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This very simple site offers a look at each state flag with information on when it was admitted to the union. Scroll down the page of alphabetized states to view your flag of choice, and information about the origins of the state flag appears along with the flag's image. Along with each state flag, a link will take you to that states government home page or a fact filled page about the flag. Be sure students don't scroll beyond the flags. At the bottom of the page are news articles under "Around the Web."
This site includes advertising.
This site includes advertising.
tag(s): american flag (9), colonization (21), flags (18), states (128)
In the Classroom
Share this site on your interactive whiteboard or projector as a fun way of exploring state flags. Create a link on classroom computers for students to explore the site on their own. Use the site as a way for students to choose a state for research projects, let them pick a flag and that will be the state they will research!Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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South American Cultures - Discovery Education
Grades
5 to 9
3 Favorites
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At this site you will learn about festivals in South America and create charts and essays based on the research. There is a lesson plan complete with discussion questions, links ...more
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At this site you will learn about festivals in South America and create charts and essays based on the research. There is a lesson plan complete with discussion questions, links (one of which was not working at the time of this review), vocabulary WITH audio, and more. Classes with international students can draw on them for knowledge and cultural object contribution. A video is available for purchase to add to information about South America, but the lesson plan suggestions will work without it.
This site includes advertising.
This site includes advertising.
tag(s): cross cultural understanding (178), portuguese (21), south america (80), spanish (112)
In the Classroom
Use this when studying South American countries or at a time when Americans celebrate traditional rites, such as Thanksgiving. This site offers a great opportunity to make your Mexican and other Spanish speaking students feel valued in the classroom. This is an excellent site for research.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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School Digger - Schooldigger.com
Grades
K to 12
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This site has assembled statistical data about the best and worst schools, public and private, state by state. Besides ranking, the site compares schools by student test scores. It...more
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This site has assembled statistical data about the best and worst schools, public and private, state by state. Besides ranking, the site compares schools by student test scores. It also offers tons of other data about student and teacher make up. The school search feature is invaluable to parents who are contemplating moving their student to a different school, district, or area. Before moving, parents can check the school in the area and even find a list of homes for sale in the district.
This site includes advertising.
This site includes advertising.
tag(s): statistics (129)
In the Classroom
Refer visiting parents to this site when they make an initial school visit.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Kids and Guns - Common Sense
Grades
5 to 12
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This site strives to present facts, news headlines, safety issues, gun information websites, and state by state information about gun safety and the dangers of guns in the home. Although...more
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This site strives to present facts, news headlines, safety issues, gun information websites, and state by state information about gun safety and the dangers of guns in the home. Although the site is definitely pro gun control, the presence of many fact pages and articles by reputable sources provides balance and objectivity.
This site includes advertising.
This site includes advertising.
tag(s): safety (63)
In the Classroom
Use this site when students are preparing to debate the controversial topic of guns. Have students work in cooperative learning groups and explore a portion of this site and then complete a multimedia project using one of the many TeachersFirst Edge tools reviewed here.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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The Kids Should See This - Rion Nakaya
Grades
K to 8
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This site offers media (found on YouTube, Vimeo, and Flickr) on a broad spectrum of topics, not created for kids but appropriate and interesting for children 3 years old and ...more
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This site offers media (found on YouTube, Vimeo, and Flickr) on a broad spectrum of topics, not created for kids but appropriate and interesting for children 3 years old and up. Media isn't divided into categories. The newest items appear first. However, you can search the site by keyword. Information ranges from animal stories of a dog without legs to video of Ella Fitzgerald scatting. Obviously, this site is updated frequently, so contents will change. Students and adults alike will love browsing for interesting stories and information.
tag(s): news (223), speaking (22), writing prompts (55)
In the Classroom
Check first to be sure the media are not blocked by school web filtering. Choose one item from the site to share on your interactive whiteboard or projector as a class discussion starter on current topics or as a lead-in to a lesson. (Example: show the YouTube video about order of the planets when beginning an astronomy unit). Share the site with students and let them explore to find interesting topics for research reports. Ask students to choose one item from the site to share with other students as a way to practice oral presentation skills. Use videos or images as writing prompts or blog prompts. ESL/ELL students can practice their language skills by retelling a favorite video. Challenge your students to create their own informative videos on a topic that your class is exploring. Share the videos using a site such as TeacherTube reviewed here.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Kids Web Japan - Ministry of Foreign Affairs Japan
Grades
3 to 9
2 Favorites
0 Comments
Introduce Japan to school-aged students around the world through this site. It is divided into several different portions for exploring, beginning with Explore Japan (scroll down to...more
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Introduce Japan to school-aged students around the world through this site. It is divided into several different portions for exploring, beginning with Explore Japan (scroll down to Learn) which contains maps, calendars, and basic facts about Japan. Learn about popular culture in the Play portion where information is presented about biggest fads in Japan, virtual culture to try out online, games, and quizzes. Another interesting part of the site is the Explore section to discover different aspects of the country from climate to housing and government. Find out about Japanese schools, cities, and young artists in the Try box that offers information and virtual visits to different areas of the country. This site is viewable in seven different languages.
tag(s): cross cultural understanding (178), japan (62), virtual field trips (139)
In the Classroom
Introduce this site on your interactive whiteboard and allow students to explore on their own or in pairs. Use the site to create Venn Diagrams to compare and contrast life in Japan with life in the United States. Take a virtual field trip to Japan by exploring different cities and cultural activities offered on the site. Find a recipe for one of the Japanese foods listed on the site and make it to try in class. Assign cooperative learning groups a specific part of this site to explore. Challenge groups to choose and make a multimedia presentation using Genially, reviewed here where they will find nteractive prese ntations, images, infographics, charts, and more.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Soungle - Southern Codes
Grades
5 to 12
3 Favorites
0 Comments
Royalty Free Sound Effects Library for Download by Soungle.com is a go-to resource to keep in your bookmarked favorites for easy, free downloads of sounds, and the best part ...more
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Royalty Free Sound Effects Library for Download by Soungle.com is a go-to resource to keep in your bookmarked favorites for easy, free downloads of sounds, and the best part is it is searchable! The sound effects are short, and there is no membership required. Cautionary advice would be to direct students to type in a search term and avoid clicking on word links which will actually lead away from the webpage.
This site includes advertising.
This site includes advertising.
In the Classroom
Try sharing this resource with students when they are creating podcasts, slideshows, and other media projects. This would also be great for performance groups such as drama clubs or musicals that need sound effects. Very creative students might like to actually tell a story through nothing but sound effects. Have them try making a "sound rebus" story on your class wiki, with words and sound links to tell what happens. Download sound effects and add them, worry-free, to projects or productions. Make sure students realize that "royalty free" does not dismiss the need to give proper credit for their source!Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Paper Rater - paperrater.com
Grades
6 to 12
18 Favorites
0 Comments
At Paper Rater you can check your grammar, detect plagiarism, and find writing suggestions all at one place. Use this site for sixth grade writing and above. With the free ...more
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At Paper Rater you can check your grammar, detect plagiarism, and find writing suggestions all at one place. Use this site for sixth grade writing and above. With the free version you are able to check for plagiarism, grammar, vocabulary, word choice and style (transitions). No login is required. PaperRater offers a premium version for a fee.
tag(s): book reports (26), editing (90), essays (18), grammar (139), plagiarism (33), proofreading (17), writing (309)
In the Classroom
Users must be able to find their document and copy and paste into the correct fields. Follow the easy directions to determine grammar errors and create a better document. Use without a login or sign up. Have students use Paper Rater to check their rough drafts. Have students work in pairs, as a peer review, to help each other improve their papers using the suggestions given by Paper Rater. Provide this link on your class website for students to access both in and out of the classroom.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Everyday Mysteries - Library of Congress
Grades
3 to 12
1 Favorites
0 Comments
Find answers to the most interesting and intriguing questions that can be asked. Uncover cool science facts by looking at these answers. Enter a search term to find related questions...more
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Find answers to the most interesting and intriguing questions that can be asked. Uncover cool science facts by looking at these answers. Enter a search term to find related questions and answers. Browse categories such as Agriculture, Zoology, Meteorolgy, Food and Nutrition, and Technology. View related resources and other interesting information on each page.
tag(s): agriculture (54), animals (274), climate (95), energy (139), planets (123), plants (141), questioning (37), resources (80), seasons (59)
In the Classroom
Use as a reference to answer questions that students have. Use this site to also apply information learned in the classroom. For example, when discussing light energy and wavelengths, use the explanation of why it is hot in the summer and cold in the winter to apply the information about energy and wavelength. Follow the use of this site with related labs and other activities. Follow up also with more research. For example, after learning about how an hour glass works, research, report, or create other timepieces used throughout history focusing on the advantages and disadvantages as well as the limitations and changes in technology over time.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Number Base Clock - Shodor
Grades
3 to 12
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This site provides practice in converting from base 10 to other values up to base 16. Three clocks are displayed and options are provided for choosing the value used on ...more
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This site provides practice in converting from base 10 to other values up to base 16. Three clocks are displayed and options are provided for choosing the value used on the clocks. Upon entering the choice, the hands on the clock turn to show the appropriate representation in the chosen base. The learner section provides information on base number systems and how they have been used in the past. The instructor section provides links to standards, place value in the curriculum, possible issues that may arise in the classroom and links to additional resources including an activity sheet.
tag(s): base ten (5), number sense (74)
In the Classroom
Provide students with the exploration questions and let them work with a partner to solve. Display the site on the interactive whiteboard or projector as a springboard to introduction of bases other than the base 10 system. Use when studying Ancient Mayans to demonstrate their counting system that used base 20.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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A Colonial Tour from TeachersFirst - TeachersFirst
Grades
4 to 12
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Take a virtual tour of major colonial sites along the U.S. east coast using reviewed resources from TeachersFirst. If you are planning a real vacation or simply want to tour ...more
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Take a virtual tour of major colonial sites along the U.S. east coast using reviewed resources from TeachersFirst. If you are planning a real vacation or simply want to tour via computer, this collection offers information and places to see in Boston, Plymouth, Philadelphia, Williamsburg, Jamestown, Roanoke Colony, and St. Augustine.
tag(s): boston (11), colonial america (97), jamestown (6), philadelphia (10), roanoke (6), williamsburg (8)
In the Classroom
Use this colonial tour as a starting point for a virtual experience of colonial America. Assign different student groups to each colonial location, and have them create an extended virtual "tour" using a tool such as Google Earth, reviewed here, or (simpler) MapHub, reviewed here. Then have the groups take each other's tours to "discover" the colonies! If you don't have enough time for an extended project, share aspects of the tour and supplement by sharing photos from Google Earth's Panoramio layer on your projector or interactive whiteboard.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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WordSift - Stanford University
Grades
4 to 12
10 Favorites
0 Comments
WordSift helps anyone easily sift through texts -- just copy and paste any text into WordSift and you can engage in a verbal quick-capture! The program helps quickly identify important...more
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WordSift helps anyone easily sift through texts -- just copy and paste any text into WordSift and you can engage in a verbal quick-capture! The program helps quickly identify important words in the text. After entering text, several items will appear; first, a word cloud will display the 50 most frequently used words in the text. The most frequently used word will display as a word web in a visual thesaurus. Google image and video search results are also shown. One interesting feature is the ability to click on any word in the word cloud to display it in the thesaurus and in Google image and video searches. A great way to understand the WordSift tool is to try one of the sample texts offered, such as Martin Luther King's "I Have a Dream" speech. Be sure to check out the "About" link to discover many ideas for use in the classroom. Tips and videos are also available as guides. If you type in a shorter sentence, the site still creates a word cloud using its own related words (not in your original text). Be aware of the advertisements that appear with the word clouds. Advise students not to click on the ads.
This site includes advertising.
This site includes advertising.
tag(s): dictionaries (48), reading comprehension (146), reading strategies (93), thesaurus (21), vocabulary (251), vocabulary development (102), word clouds (12), word study (58)
In the Classroom
This is a classic tool to promote "before reading" strategies and vocabulary development. Use WordSift to preview text to be used in class and define vocabulary before reading to increase reading comprehension. Have students use WordSift with different portions of text to identify key words and vocabulary for class presentations. Use WordSift to discuss different meanings of words using images presented through the site. This site isn't only for English teachers, share with Science and Social Studies teachers to use in their classrooms with reading texts in their content areas. ENL/ELL and learning support teachers will want to share this as a support for any reading assigned in regular classes. Be sure to show students how to copy/paste to WordSift texts from informational web pages and news stories on the web, as well. Share this link as a Favorite on your public page so students can use it anytime.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Old Radio World - OldRadioWorld.com
Grades
4 to 12
6 Favorites
0 Comments
Find a treasury of old radio shows from the 1930s, 1940s and 1950s. There are seven genres from which to choose (comedy, mystery, western, drama, etc.), and each genre has ...more
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Find a treasury of old radio shows from the 1930s, 1940s and 1950s. There are seven genres from which to choose (comedy, mystery, western, drama, etc.), and each genre has at least ten different old radio shows for your selection. There is a miscellaneous section that has such treasures as "Voices From History," "World War II News Broadcasts," and "Fireside Chat with Franklin D. Roosevelt." Downloading of the Mp3 files takes a while, so be patient.
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This site includes advertising.
tag(s): 1930s (40), 1940s (70), 1950s (33), 20th century (168), listening (117), oral history (13), radio (16), world war 2 (169)
In the Classroom
As a class, listen to a couple of radio shows, taking note of the sound effects heard. Use your interactive whiteboard or projector to list the sounds. Have the class speculate about what objects could have created each sound. Post the radio site on your web page and assign the students to determine what household objects are responsible for the sounds for homework. Back in class the next day, use your interactive white board to share the student discoveries. From here it would be natural to have your students create a two- or three-minute radio show for a topic being studied in history or science. Students could also turn part of a short story into reader's theater (including sound effects) and record it as a radio broadcast. Use a site such as PodOmatic reviewed here. Another idea would be to introduce a unit on the 20th century, the Great Depression, or WWII or by having the class listen to a broadcast from that time period. Have them experience radio as it was, with everyone huddled around to listen (and no multitasking!). Talk about how the changes in entertainment formats have changed the way we interact in our homes. To hone in listening skills, you could create a worksheet with questions to answer, or have students take two column notes, asking questions about what they are hearing in the left column.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Multicultural Canada: Wayang Kulit - Lynn Copeland, Simon Fraser University
Grades
3 to 12
2 Favorites
0 Comments
This unique site by Multicultural Canada is part of a digitization project that aims to tell the stories of the cultures that make up Canada. Other modules include Chinese, ...more
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This unique site by Multicultural Canada is part of a digitization project that aims to tell the stories of the cultures that make up Canada. Other modules include Chinese, Japanese, Scottish, Indonesian, Italian, Jewish, Vietnamese, and Pakistani collections. Detailed lesson plans, related resources, and rubrics are included. In this module, Simon Fraser University shares its collection of Wayang Kulit, or Indonesian shadow puppetry. Wayang Kulit often portrays moral or political messages. The university featured the exhibit, Crossing Oceans, Crossing Cultures, which includes the shadow puppets and stories about good and evil, respect, duty, friendship, and loyalty. The website shows some Wayang Kulit shadow puppets and provides information on traditional stories. Photographs of several intricate shadow puppets are included. Ideas for projects using a variety of free downloads are suggested. There is also an introductory video.
This site includes advertising.
This site includes advertising.
tag(s): canada (23), myths and legends (44), readers theater (11), stories and storytelling (75)
In the Classroom
In language arts classes, students study universal stories and myths while discovering Indonesian culture and shadow puppetry. Dramatize the elements of good versus evil, characterization, and plot. Discover a unique twist to Readers' Theater. Storyboarding opportunities allow for simpler construction of a story performance, with fewer background scenery or props required. Sound and musical accompaniment can enhance the creativity of the performance. Reluctant readers through gifted learners will enjoy the flexibility and creativity of shadow puppetry.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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