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Branches of Power - Annenberg Classroom
Grades
4 to 12tag(s): bill of rights (36), branches of government (60), constitution (99), game based learning (263), supreme court (30)
In the Classroom
Use the Annenberg Classroom Civics Games to introduce Constitution-related topics to your class using an interactive whiteboard or projector. View videos together and pause as needed to discuss information. Challenge students to try the interactive activities on individual computers or at home. Enhance learning by having students use Fakebook, reviewed here, to create a "fake" page similar in style to Facebook about Americans described in the games. Modify classroom technology use and enhance learning by having students create interactive timelines (with photos, text, and more) using Sutori, reviewed here, to trace the path of a bill or the writing of the Constitution.You must be registered and logged in to add items to your favorites.
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ABC Splash - ABC TV and Radio Australia
Grades
K to 10tag(s): addition (127), animals (263), antarctica (25), atmosphere (22), australia (28), cells (82), climate change (110), continents (32), counting (61), decimals (88), division (101), earth (189), earthquakes (50), ecosystems (97), egypt (59), energy (137), environment (246), food chains (21), forces (45), forensics (12), fossil fuels (11), game based learning (263), gold rush (18), human body (95), immigration (81), insects (60), light (55), maps (217), molecules (41), money (112), multiplication (123), nuclear energy (20), nutrition (134), oceans (137), parts of speech (39), percent (62), perimeter (20), place value (38), plants (138), probability (115), rhymes (23), rocks (43), songs (48), sound (74), subtraction (108), time (91), vietnam (39), volcanoes (59), weather (166), whole numbers (8), world war 1 (84), world war 2 (167)
In the Classroom
This site is excellent for enrichment. Include it on your class web page for students to access both in and out of class. Share this link on your class web page and/or in a parent newsletter for help with homework and school projects. These high-quality media resources will engage your students and enhance their learning.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Ask Smithsonian - Smithsonian Institution
Grades
3 to 12This site includes advertising.
tag(s): animals (263), bacteria (19), human body (95), insects (60), plants (138), space (236), time (91)
In the Classroom
Share a few of these short videos on your interactive whiteboard or projector. Choose a video and have students complete a quick write or Know-Want-to-Know-Learned (KWL) chart to put down what they THINK they know about the topic. Find a create a KWL chart using Google Drawing, reviewed here. Show the video and have students write about what they learned. Use some of them as a segue into a subject you will introduce in class or for mini-research.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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National Geographic Education - National Geographic
Grades
K to 12tag(s): animals (263), climate change (110), commoncore (59), earth day (61), ecology (116), energy (137), food chains (21), map skills (64), maps (217), migration (45), multimedia (56), oceans (137), STEM (333), weather (166)
In the Classroom
Be sure to bookmark (or favorite) this site for use throughout the year to find real-world resources for classroom use. Don't forget to look for materials on National Geographic for use with Earth Day and Arbor Day activities! Differentiate easily using the multiple levels of materials found within National Geographic. Some text portions are challenging, so you should pair weaker readers with a partner as they research on this site. Have students create a simple infographic sharing their findings using Venngage, reviewed here. Have students create a word cloud of the important terms they learn from this site using a tool such as WordItOut, reviewed here. If you use Apple products in your classroom, be sure to download the interactive iBooks for use in classroom centers or independent reading.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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CurriConnects Booklist: Animals and Habitats - TeachersFirst
Grades
K to 10tag(s): animal homes (50), animals (263), arctic (32), australia (28), book lists (158), deserts (19), habitats (99), independent reading (82), wetlands (7)
In the Classroom
This collection could accompany a unit about animals, weather, habitats, landforms, or other topics. Some of these books would also connect well when teaching units (or classes) on character, friendship, coping strategies, and more. These books provide experience with both fiction and nonfiction informational texts. They often require students to draw inferences about the "facts." Allow students (or partners) to choose their own book. Share this list with your school library/media specialist or public library, as well, for them to "pull" books in support of your science/social studies units. Extend the experience by having students create visual presentations of the concepts they learn. Share projects using one of these reviewed presentation tools from the TeachersFirst Edge.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Free Online Stopwatch - Ummay
Grades
K to 12tag(s): classroom management (108), organizational skills (82)
In the Classroom
There are many uses for this practical online tool. At the beginning of the school year, display on your interactive whiteboard or projector to time or count down any classroom activity. This will get the students in the habit of checking how much time they have left. Project the Stopwatch or Timer while students take a test, solve a drag and drop, practice speeches, rotate between learning centers, or join cooperative learning groups. When rotating between centers or taking turns in a cooperative learning group, schedule the time sequence to keep everyone on track. Use the Date Countdown to share days until any important event via social media. Share this tool on your class website for students to use at home (to practice taking timed math practice tests, practice for a speech, and more).Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Presentious - Presentious
Grades
2 to 12tag(s): blended learning (27), multimedia (56), slides (38)
In the Classroom
Looking for an easy to use tool that gives even the viewer more functionality? Encourage your students to use this tool for projects and reports. Use this tool for analysis of a lab report, a culminating project for literature circles, book reviews, discussion of various historical figures or periods, or a digital portfolio for work completed in class (not just art or music). Students could illustrate a short story they wrote, using the audio to record the story as the illustrations slide past. Use this program when you have to be away from the classroom instead of writing out all the directions for a sub. Use it for absent students to stay on top of what has been discussed, assigned, or completed in class. Consider having students explain how to solve a math problem and posting it on the class website for students to refer to at home. This tool would be useful for blended or flipped learning, giving students time to internalize information about content they have to present, and leaving class time for individualized learning. This tool would be a great one for gifted students to use when reporting on research. Students will love the ability to move through portions easily.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Change Gamer - Mike Farley
Grades
6 to 12This site includes advertising.
tag(s): animals (263), earth (189), ecology (116), energy (137), environment (246), financial literacy (93), fish (16), game based learning (263), human body (95), map skills (64), migration (45), natural disasters (19), planets (123), plants (138), politics (120), problem solving (247), stars (78)
In the Classroom
Use these interactives to review concepts learned during a unit of study. Consider using the interactives at the start of a unit to teach concepts as the material is being learned. Be sure to download the student activity document. Use the pre-questions to identify misconceptions and activate prior knowledge. Directions in the document alert you to the basics of using the interactive. Provide the post-questions to the students as they play the interactive to be aware of what they will be learning. Replace paper and pen and use a blogging tool such as Telegra.ph, reviewed here. This blog creator requires no registration; be sure to have students save the URL to share with you. Students can answer the questions individually, as groups, or as a class to review the concepts learned during the interactive and connect it to class. As a class, discuss how the scenario presented in the interactive is or is not like actual environmental issues of today. Enhance learning and get the shyest of students involved in the discussion by using a backchannel chat such as YoTeach!, reviewed here. Change Gamer would also be an excellent activity for gifted students or for those who are ahead in their work in a differentiated classroom.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Factile - (was Jeopardy Rocks) - Solis Creative LLC
Grades
3 to 12tag(s): gamification (94), quiz (61), quizzes (85)
In the Classroom
Jeopardy games are a great way to review all types of information, in any subject, with your students. As part of the review, have small groups of students take a category and create the Jeopardy game. Have students create a Jeopardy quiz for their classmates to take after they give a presentation. Learning support teachers may want to have small groups create the review quizzes since creating the quiz is a great way to reinforce content. Share a link to any Jeopardy Rocks activity on your class website or blog for student use at home.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Seterra Online Free Map Quiz Games - Seterra Online
Grades
3 to 12This site includes advertising.
tag(s): cities (17), continents (32), countries (71), game based learning (263), maps (217), quizzes (85), states (126)
In the Classroom
Share this link on your class projector or interactive whiteboard. This is a perfect addition if your students are learning the 50 states, capitals, or even countries throughout the world. Be sure to include this site on your class web page for students to access both in and outside of class for further practice. Share this tool as an excellent study guide for learning locations around the world. Challenge students to increase time and accuracy in completing these map activities.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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The Battle of Appomattox - Civil War Trust
Grades
6 to 12tag(s): 1800s (82), civil war (141), DAT device agnostic tool (125)
In the Classroom
Use one of the short videos hosted by National Park Service historians to give students the context and details about the Battle of Appomattox and Lee's surrender. Share the video clips on your projector or interactive whiteboard. Some nice graphics give a summary of the battle, a map shows troop movements, and a gallery of photos can give students a look at the battlefield today.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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The World Cup of Everything Else - Wall Street Journal
Grades
6 to 12tag(s): cross cultural understanding (177), demographics (14), statistics (123)
In the Classroom
This site would fit well in a world cultures/social studies class or even as part of an information literacy lesson. Math teachers can use it to show the usefulness of statistics. World language teachers may want to include it as part of cultural study. Share this site briefly on an interactive whiteboard or projector to spark discussion about what statistics can tell you about a country. Then turn groups loose to predict the outcomes of the "competition" in various categories. Have them keep a record: What do they predict? Why? Were they right? What might be the possible reasons for the "winner" (or loser) in the category they chose? What other statistical competitions would they like to see to gain the best profile of a country? As a class, try to name the top ten most revealing statistics they would like to see that are not already listed here. Then have them look for sources where they might find that information! Extend the findings by having student groups create infographics about their chosen "world cup" topic. Use a tool such as Venngage reviewed here. In a government class, use this site to open discussion about the role of statistics in governing and meeting the needs of your citizens. For more demographics resources, try these or Knoema, a worldwide data source.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Typeform - Robert Munoz
Grades
K to 12This site includes advertising.
tag(s): DAT device agnostic tool (125), polls and surveys (40), quizzes (85)
In the Classroom
This free tool is an excellent way to determine the value or rating of various items. Use this in science class to poll students on multiple types of renewable and nonrenewable energies as cheap/expensive and clean/dirty for the environment. Poll students on types of cars, rating the cost and gas mileage. Follow up with research into the various makes and models. Poll about famous presidents and multiple influences on the economy and society. Compare characters in various novels in terms of motivation and other characteristics. In younger grades, gather data about students' favorite animals and why (such as fluffy/ferocious) or favorite colors and mood. Learn more about your students by polling them on various social and cultural topics, such as fashion, movies, and songs. Use this to identify misconceptions and resistance to various subject areas. Identify foods and feelings for each specific kind of food in Family and Consumer Science or attitudes towards multiple sports. Conduct specific polls for Introduction to Psychology or Sociology about various topics and reactions to the issues. Use to poll students on project ideas or to determine responses to current events. Older students may want to include polls on their student blogs or wiki pages to increase involvement or create polls to use at the start of project presentations. Use polls to generate data for math class (graphing), during elections, or for critical thinking activities dealing with the interpretation of statistics. Use "real" data to engage students in issues that matter to them. For Professional development, rate different technology tools based on ease of use and difficulty, as well as high and low value for instruction. Place a poll on your classroom web page as a homework inspiration or to increase parent involvement. Gifted students would love this tool to dig deeply into the multiple facets of issues they worry about.Edge Features:
Parent permission advised before posting student work created using this tool
Requires registration/log-in (WITH email)
Premium version (not free) includes additional features or storage
Products can be embedded
Products can be shared by URL
Multiple users can collaborate on the same project
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Pinup - Martin Tajur
Grades
5 to 12tag(s): bulletin boards (13), homework (25), organizational skills (82)
In the Classroom
There are any number of ways to use Pinup! Introduce how to use Pinup on your interactive whiteboard or projector. Demonstrate how to use the checklist to mark off completed items. Have students use this as a way to organize their reminders and homework. With younger students use with a whole-class email account and list items to be accomplished for the day. Display the list on your interactive whiteboard or projector. Have a student scribe check off completed items. Use this site with a whole-class email account to organize a major research project. Keep track (or share) sites to help students study for the big test. Provide this link on your class website for students (or parents) to access at home. Help students build organizational skills with this engaging and useful tool. If your students have a whole-class email account, use a class canvas to display ideas as student brainstorm or respond from their smart phones (if allowed in class). With the canvas open on a projector (interactive whiteboard), their ideas will appear instantaneously. Use Pinup to display and label images. Beginning ENL/ELL students can drag and drop images and label them in their new language. Use Pinup as and idea bin for writing or projects or any brainstorm list.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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JFK Assassination Timeline - Washington Post
Grades
7 to 12This site includes advertising.
tag(s): 1960s (54), kennedy (25), presidents (151)
In the Classroom
This site is ideal for an interactive whiteboard or projector. Open the site and view together as a class during a study of the presidents or elections. Use an online tool such as Interactive Two Circle Venn Diagram, reviewed here, to compare and contrast presidential security for JFK to today's president. Have students use Fakebook, reviewed here. Have them create a "fake" page similar in style to Facebook from the perspective of John Kennedy, Lee Harvey Oswald, or a Secret Service agent documenting the day's events.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Cinco de Mayo Study Guide - The History Channel
Grades
4 to 9tag(s): cinco de mayo (10), mexico (53)
In the Classroom
This site is ready to use in class. Have cooperative learning groups debate the discussion questions. Better yet, turn the discussion questions into a class wiki, allowing students to input their thoughts on the wiki. Have students write a journal entry (as a blog) highlighting one of the discussion questions or from the perspective of someone living during the 1800s. If you are beginning the process of integrating technology, have students replace pen and paper and create blogs sharing their learning and understanding using Penzu, reviewed here. If you are teaching younger students and looking for an easy way to integrate technology and check for understanding, challenge your students to create a blog using Edublog, reviewed here. Share maps of Mexico on your interactive whiteboard or projector. The Extension Activity calls for students to create and label a map. MapStory, reviewed here, would be the perfect tool for redefining student learning since you can have images, text, and video in the annotation, and it has a timeline feature. Have cooperative learning groups create commercials enhancing and highlighting what they have learned (be sure they include some new vocabulary words) or transform learning by having students create a video advertisement for your class's Cinco de Mayo celebration. Use a tool like Typito, reviewed here .Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Mental Floss - Felix Dennis
Grades
6 to 12This site includes advertising.
tag(s): animals (263), famous people (35), grammar (138), quizzes (85), trivia (17)
In the Classroom
Share Mental Floss on your class web page in any science, history, health, or reading class in middle school and up. Use it as a place for students to discover research topics related to your subject or as prompts for blog posts to get kids writing about something that interests them. Make a regular extra credit offering for students to write a blog post responding to something they learn here. If you have trouble getting students to read informational text, use these factoids as introductions to draw their interest before offering a longer article. Use these articles as starters for information literacy activities. Have partners research to find a corroborating (or debunking) source for the trivia offered here. English teachers will love some of the quick articles on misused or frequently misspelled words. Invite your students in any subject to find an article related to your subject and to create a poster version of that tip or tale using a tool such as Web Poster Wizard (reviewed here).Comments
Awesome for so many topics. Blog post ideas! Love the layout and diversity.Patricia, NJ, Grades: 6 - 12
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David Rumsey Historical Map Collection - Cartography Associates
Grades
6 to 12tag(s): 1700s (33), 1800s (82), map skills (64), maps (217), north america (15), south america (79)
In the Classroom
Use this historical map collection to highlight contemporary views of places featured in your history, literature, or geography lessons. Consider asking students to create a slideshow of maps that show how a location has changed over time, or how political boundaries have changed. Use a tool like Google Slides, reviewed here.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Formative - Newsela
Grades
K to 12tag(s): assessment (130), commoncore (59), personalized learning (10), playlists (5), polls and surveys (40), quizzes (85)
In the Classroom
Use this tool at the beginning of chapters or units to identify information students are already familiar with. Be sure to use this tool to check for understanding. Use as an exit slip, to identify material that needs to be retaught, or to locate specific students that need remediation. Students can easily see the choices and choose answers using a browser on a laptop or any device. Use this formative assessment tool to create pretests to offer to gifted students to "test out" of already learned material. Make it a class challenge! Project your quiz to the entire classroom using a whiteboard or projector. Use this tool often to obtain a snapshot of each student's understanding of content. Use this tool to give students the opportunity to predict the content of tomorrow's lesson based upon today's.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Teampedia - Seth Marbin
Grades
K to 12tag(s): back to school (52), creativity (82), firstday (22), problem solving (247)
In the Classroom
Use this site to find Icebreaker activities and options for the first week of school community building. Bookmark this tool for the first week of school or any time that you want to experience some "team-building" in your class. Use this site if you have weekly classroom meetings to build relationships among students. Share this site with students and have them create their own games based on research projects or as a review for major tests. Share this site with parent helpers to find ideas for classroom parties.Comments
So wonderful to develop creativity using tech. Love the idea of creating games based on research.Patricia, NJ, Grades: 6 - 12
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