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Public Domain Clip Art Blog - sookietex
Grades
K to 12In the Classroom
Find images to illustrate curriculum topics, such as historical photos and cultural images. Include them in activities on your interactive whiteboard or projector. Art teachers can use images freely to illustrate design concepts. Create montages of images from eras in history, a culture, or scientific concepts to give visual learners a way to remember new content. "Harvest" images for students to use in their own projects, saving them on a local drive or computer (copying these images is OK!). Have students select an image as an inspiration for a writing assignment or blog post. Upload images to Google Drawings, reviewed here, and have students critique or explain it orally in a world language, science, or social studies class. Google Drawings allows you to annotate an image with links to videos, text, websites, and more. Have student groups use these copyright-safe images (with credit, of course) in their online Bookemon books, reviewed here, about a curriculum concept.You must be registered and logged in to add items to your favorites.
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Dummies.com - John Wiley & Sons
Grades
6 to 12This site includes advertising.
tag(s): sequencing (18), writing (308)
In the Classroom
Be sure to tell your students that they are NOT the "dummies" referred to in this site! Then go beyond the obvious use of this site as a reference to use it to teach informational writing, reading comprehension, or any curriculum content. Share text-based articles on a projector or interactive whiteboard and have students analyze the keywords and structure of sequential direction-writing or informational writing before they try it on their own. Use the pens and highlighters to note transitions and other ways of organizing directions, including formatting. Use articles to teach basic comprehension skills by copy/pasting sections and having students drag them into the correct sequence on the whiteboard to form logical directions. In science or social studies classes, enhance learning by having students view models on this site, then work in groups to write their own how-to wiki on curriculum topics such as "How to tell a fungus from a bacterium," "How to solve simultaneous equations," or "How to form a government." Use FlexClip, . If you have access to video equipment, have students write scripts and produce video versions of their how-to instructions and post them on a site such as TeacherTube.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Kids Open Dictionary Builder - K12 Open Ed
Grades
2 to 12tag(s): dictionaries (48)
In the Classroom
Imagine the sense of accomplishment your class will feel if you allow them to submit definitions to this site. They become the Merriam Websters in your own classroom. Definitions don't need to be perfect as the online community will continually edit them. One drawback at the present time is that not all words have definitions. This site is still "under construction" and being built upon daily. Classes can get in on the ground floor in providing definitions for these incomplete areas. Assign cooperative learning groups to explore various vocabulary words in social studies, science, math, music, or art class. Have the groups add their new vocabulary words into the "Kids Open Dictionary." You may find the usefulness of this site in the generating of definitions for now. (This will be a moot point as the dictionary becomes filled.) As you study dictionary skills, work as a class on your interactive whiteboard to write definitions together and discuss the format of dictionary entries.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Teams - Microsoft
Grades
K to 12tag(s): virtual field trips (139), webcams (19)
In the Classroom
Download and install the Teams software. If you are not allowed to install software on school computers, ask to have a single laptop available that is Teams-capable, so you can borrow it. Alternatively, explain to your principal that you are planning a series of Teams visits in your classroom, and your techies will install it there. A single teacher-controlled Team call works in most school settings. Anything you can do by telephone or video call, you can do on a projector with your entire class. Connect the computer to a projector or whiteboard for the entire class to see if you are using video. (The video may be fuzzy, but good enough to follow a person's face.) Use Teams to talk to authors (check out their websites or this blog for contact information). Have students write questions in advance. Use your contacts, web page "contact us" emails, and parent contacts to find others willing to Teams call into your classroom. Interview scientists or government officials, deployed military personnel, or classes far away in a different culture or language. Younger students can compare weather, family life, community events, and more.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Newsy - newsy.com
Grades
5 to 12tag(s): news (223), newspapers (88)
In the Classroom
This site is ideal for your interactive whiteboard or projector, learning station, or on individual computers (with headsets). Use this site to keep your students up to date on current events. Have students compare the different versions of the same news stories to try and ferret out the facts and the way points of view affect reporting. Project the scripts on an interactive whiteboard to have students highlight language choices that provide a certain slant. ESL/ELL students will benefit from listening to the short news clips and being able to see the transcript of the report. Have your ESL/ELL students write their own comprehension questions and answers based on the podcast to check their own comprehension and to exchange with classmates. Use an online tool such as Interactive Two Circle Venn Diagram (reviewed here) to compare the differences in two newspapers' versions of the same news. Have ESL/ELL students present the news from a newspaper familiar to them if possible by having them prepare an introduction and questions. Learning support students can use the transcripts and videos in combination to understand and report weekly current events assignments for social studies class.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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The Big Picture - Boston.com (Part of the Boston Globe)
Grades
6 to 12You are able to post comments. You may want to preview the comments before allowing students to view. Posting comments requires an email address. Check your school's acceptable use policy regarding student email use. Rather than using your personal or work email, create a free Gmail account to use for memberships. If you plan to have students register individually, you may want to create your own Gmail account with up to 20 subaccounts for each group of students (by code name or number) within your classes. Here is a blog post that tells how to set up GMail subaccounts to use for any online membership service.
tag(s): news (223)
In the Classroom
This site would be great for a multitude of subjects and may be best implemented with an interactive whiteboard or projector. One suggestion is to show a picture on the board as students enter the room and pose one question about it. It would create a great prompt for discussion or journaling. Students could also access pictures and create their own stories or presentations of the actual events. Students could create a news story and post it to the classroom wiki where available. Do you want to learn more about wikis? Check out the TeachersFirst's Wiki Walk-Through.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Short Stories of Science and Invention - Today in Science History (Stories are from Charles Kettering)
Grades
6 to 12There are a number of short stories from all areas of science taken from Kettering's Radio talk shows. The general topics include "Introduction to Science and Invention," "Science and Invention in Transportation," "Science and Invention in War." Specific topics vary from Energy from the Sun to The Wright Way to Unraveling the Atom and many others.
tag(s): aviation (51), history day (38), inventors and inventions (88), scientists (72), sun (87), transportation (31)
In the Classroom
This site would be a helpful alternative text in the science classroom. Use this site for research projects or explaining some famous inventions. Extend reading into an online journaling project or even a classroom blog or wiki. Not comfortable with wikis? Have no wiki worries - check out the TeachersFirst's Wiki Walk-Through. The opportunity for collaboration, reflection, and eventually creating their own stories of their projects is wonderful. Have cooperative learning groups create multimedia presentations. To show what they have learned from this site, challenge students to create an online graphic to share using Lucidpress, reviewed here. Have groups create news reports using Adobe Express Video Maker, reviewed here, and share them using a tool such as SchoolTube, reviewed here.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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KML Factbook - CIA World Factbook
Grades
4 to 12tag(s): countries (73), data (211), population (53), transportation (31)
In the Classroom
Assign students various countries within a data set to make comparisons. Tie the data to biological, geographical, cultural, and social issues that exist in the world. Bring a greater understanding to economic and environmental issues currently a problem in many countries throughout the world. World language classes can see this data to help students understand the cultures of the countries where the language is spoken. Have students use an online graphing tool such as Chartgo, reviewed here, to display results. Compare specific attributes of two countries using an online Venn Diagram, such as the Interactive Two Circle Venn Diagram, reviewed here. Another idea: have cooperative learning groups use this resource to create online books about the country using a resource such as Bookemon, reviewed here. How about having students research using this site and then create a project using Zeemaps, reviewed here. Zeemaps allows students to create audio recordings AND choose a location (on a map) where the story takes place.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Election Comic Strip - Myvocabulary.com
Grades
4 to 10tag(s): presidents (153)
In the Classroom
Have students work in cooperative learning groups, divide up the vocabulary words, and have each group find the definitions for their assigned vocabulary words. Have the groups share the meaning of a few of their words, by narrating a political picture using ThingLink, reviewed here. Have the groups share the pictures/stories on your interactive whiteboard or projector. Be sure to also check out the interactive word puzzles! They are of varying difficulty levels.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Audio Pal - Oddcast
Grades
1 to 12tag(s): communication (122), speech (66), text to speech (23)
In the Classroom
If using a phone, understanding calling plans and additional charges is needed. You must know how to use embed codes to place audio files within your blog, wiki, or website. No login is required! Simply click the "Get Yours It's Free" button. Choose the method to create the audio and preview and edit the file. Enter your email address to receive a link to your file. Click on the link to grab widgets. Copy the code and place in your blog or website.The tool does not show which work is attributable to which student. You may want to require that students mark their contributions in order to get credit. Consider using a class email account set up for this purpose. Be sure students understand the appropriate use of this email account.
Classroom use: Use this service to record audio of passages used in class, homework assignments, and other written material. Young students can practice reading aloud at this site (and listen to themselves), showing improvement in fluency as the year goes on. Have students use this site in place of a traditional book report. Have cooperative learning groups create a news broadcast and share it using this site. Use this site with ESL/ELL students just learning the English language. Use this site in world language classes for students to hear and learn the pronunciations. Place the embed code in a site that students can access outside of class for review, identifying directions, and listening to text. Speech and language teachers can use this tool to record student articulation and demonstrate progress through the year.
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The Differentiator - Ian Byrd
Grades
K to 12tag(s): blooms taxonomy (7), critical thinking (179), differentiation (92), newbies (9)
In the Classroom
As an example, use a verb from Bloom' taxonomy such as "evaluate." Click on the part of the sentence at the top, in parenthesis, to enter your content such as "patterns of environmental issues." Choose the resource you want students to use, the product you want them to make, and the number of students in a group by clicking on the tabs. Example objective: Students will evaluate the patterns of environmental issues using websites to create a news report in groups of two. Save your objective by copying and pasting it into any document or online tool. The Differentiator will give you many project ideas that you may not have thought of yourself, and serves as a welcome reminder of different activities and expectations you can use in your classroom. Take a look at this site at the beginning of the school year or when creating a new unit (or project). Find new ways to differentiate for your gifted students using this creative and powerful tool. If your gifted students test out of your current math lessons, use this site to find new material to challenge their minds. This site is deceptively quick and simple, but it could be very useful when writing detailed, powerful lesson plans.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Study Stack - John Weidner
Grades
4 to 12tag(s): flash cards (44), greek (45), hebrew (17), latin (23), test prep (71), vocabulary (251)
In the Classroom
Encourage parents to use this site as a study-at-home tool for their students. Link your blog or website to this site by entering your url at the bottom of the homepage. Make sure your guidance counselor at your school is aware of this site as a tool for studying those college entrance tests. Be sure to save this site in your favorites.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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UN Water - United Nations Development Programme
Grades
4 to 12tag(s): climate change (112), conservation (109), earth (194), earth day (62), pollution (55), resources (80), sustainability (54), water (104)
In the Classroom
Identify similarities and differences in water issues around the globe. Have cooperative learning groups create online Venn Diagrams comparing two distinct areas and their water issues. Use an online tool such as Interactive Two Circle Venn Diagram, reviewed here.Students can choose an area or topic of interest either individually or as a group. Look at water issues that many students may not be aware of including water quality and distribution. Create a campaign to increase water awareness that may or may not coincide with world water week (or day.) Have students create a video or podcast sharing their campaigns. For podcasts, use a site such as podOmatic, reviewed here. If creating videos, use a tool like FlexClip, reviewed here, where you can add music and the computer microphone to make comments, explain, etc. Share them on a site such as TeacherTube, reviewed here. Use these resources to determine how to help other countries in their need for clean water and how everyone can conserve.
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Over the Top - Canadian War Museum
Grades
3 to 12tag(s): europe (82), world war 1 (87)
In the Classroom
Share this site on your interactive whiteboard or projector, if individual computers aren't available. If students are working in groups or individually, don't forget the headsets! Students can pass through the scenes by recording vocabulary words. Have students identify the minor and major difficulties that soldiers during world War I faced. Research how the needs of soldiers were met those days and the agencies or people that helped the troops. Have students create a podcast, or other multimedia project to share their findings. For a podcasting site, try PodOmatic. Compare and contrast military stories today with those of the past to find parallels and differences in military service throughout history. Have groups create an online Venn Diagram comparing the similarities and differences, try a FREE site like this one. Create class discussions of propaganda, expectations of the military, and different ways that soldiers are portrayed by the media, the public, and in other print materials.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Bubbabrain - Bubbabrain
Grades
K to 12tag(s): psychology (60), sociology (24), time (94)
In the Classroom
Use these activities for review of concepts or terminology with your class on specific topics/subjects. Wish there were a review game for a missing topic? Request a teacher ID, and have groups of students create the questions. Enter the information for the game and students can review by playing their game or one created by another group. Share the student-created games on your interactive whiteboard or projector.These games would be great to both help students review and help them figure out what kind of study methods work best for them.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Teaching with Historic Places - National Park Service
Grades
4 to 12tag(s): cities (17), inventors and inventions (88), landmarks (20), maps (224), states (128)
In the Classroom
Search for your state and see what this site has to offer. Looking for a specific topic (i.e. Civil War or Pearl Harbor), search using topics. Take advantage of these ready to go lesson plans. Infuse your lessons with technology by creating a class wiki about the lesson/topic being discussed. Maybe make a wiki guidebook to your state. Not comfortable with wikis? Have no wiki worries - check out the TeachersFirst's Wiki Walk-Through. Save this site in your favorites, and check back as you plan throughout the year.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Stop Disasters - United Nations Office for Disaster Reduction
Grades
4 to 12tag(s): disasters (35), earth (194), earthquakes (52), fire (23), fire prevention (16), fire safety (16), floods (11), hurricanes (36), natural disasters (21), sun (87), tsunamis (15)
In the Classroom
Create groups of students to run scenarios. Student groups can analyze and determine best scenarios and courses of actions for prevention. After play, groups can analyze past disasters for real life perspectives as well as current conditions in the world for current disaster prevention measures. Use an interactive map to plot locations students find for each disaster. Have students use a mapping tool such as MapHub, to create a map with stories, pictures, and video included! Student groups can create a conventional or multimedia presentation on the different types of disasters and possible locations around the world.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Online Exhibitions--National Library of Australia - National Library of Australia
Grades
6 to 12tag(s): australia (27)
In the Classroom
For those in classrooms outside Australia (or already living "Down Under"), save this site in your favorites as part of resources on other countries; students doing projects on "the land down under" will find valuable information here. Those in Australia can use this information in teaching about the country's history and culture. Have cooperative learning groups research specific areas of this site. Then have the groups share what they learned by creating online books using a tool such as Bookemon, reviewed here.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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AllMyFaves - AllMyFaves
Grades
4 to 12tag(s): dictionaries (48), literature (215)
In the Classroom
Why search for these sites, when the links can all be found in one place? Use this site in combination with TeachersFirst's rich reviews. Students can use these links as a springboard to research and projects. Be sure to save this site in your personal favorites! There is a lot to explore. List this site on your class website and/or wiki 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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Martin Luther King Jr. Day - Myvocabulary.com
Grades
4 to 10tag(s): african american (130), black history (131), civil rights (219), holidays (283), martin luther king (42), vocabulary (251)
In the Classroom
Use this site to reinforce and support vocabulary as you study MLK Jr. Share the word puzzles on an interactive whiteboard or projector. Have students create their own word activities from the same vocabulary list, such as matching or ranking challenges for their peers to try on the interactive whiteboard.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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