TeachersFirst - What's Popular

This page shares the 25 resources most frequently marked as Favorites by TeachersFirst Members in the past 60 days. See what tops the list of TeachersFirst's database of well over 15,000+ educator-reviewed web resources. Find out what other teachers are excited about. Not a TeachersFirst member yet? See the time saving benefits of free TeachersFirst membership.
Sports Resources - TeachersFirst
Grades
K to 12In the Classroom
This collection includes resources for all grades. Each review includes several classroom use ideas. These are excellent tools to use to study science, math, and more! Save (or bookmark) this list for students to use to review tough concepts. Explore the activities suggested.You must be registered and logged in to add items to your favorites.
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Science Review Games - Science Review Games
Grades
6 to 12This site includes advertising.
tag(s): crosswords (17), game based learning (159)
In the Classroom
Use this site for section, chapter, quiz, or test review. Provide student(s) with a topic of study and an assignment to create questions to make their own review game. Assist students in identifying the important material and creating questions. Students can play each other's review game and discuss the questions that were helpful. Replace paper and pen by having students create their review game online using Blended Play, reviewed here. Create a class wiki to discuss, compare, or constructively critique the student created review activity! Not comfortable with wikis? Have no wiki worries - check out the TeachersFirst's Wiki Walk-Through.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Whiteboard.chat - whiteboard.chat
Grades
K to 12tag(s): collaboration (83), differentiation (65), iwb (32)
In the Classroom
Use Whiteboard.chat to collaborate with students to share and organize information instantly. This tool even allows educators to auto-correct all boards with a single click! Use the PDF document feature to differentiate instruction with groups of students or individuals. Use the breakout feature to conduct small group meetings or provide personalized instruction to individual students. Allow students to create collaborative drawings as responses to literature. They can map out the plot or themes, add labels, create character studies, and more. Have a group of students create a drawing so that another group can use it as a writing prompt. Use Whiteboard.com as a brainstorming or sketching space as groups (or the class) share ideas for a major project or for solving a real-world problem. Use this site in a computer lab (or on laptops) to draw the setting in a story as it is read aloud. As an assessment idea, have students draw out a simple cartoon with stick figures to explain a more complex process, such as how democracy works. If you are lucky enough to teach in a BYOD setting, have a blended classroom, or are distance teaching, use Whiteboard.chat to demonstrate and illustrate any concept while students use the chat and drawing tools to interact in real-time. If you are studying weather, have students diagram the layers of the atmosphere and what happens during a thunderstorm, for example. Introduce this tool to students who are working on group projects. Alternatively, have students use this to work as partners or as a small team within a breakout area to complete complex math problems or equations.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Research Resources - TeachersFirst
Grades
K to 12tag(s): citations (31), inquiry (23), media literacy (87), Research (57), summarizing (18)
In the Classroom
Use these tools to help students to understand research, summarizing, citations, and more. Find tools for students to use to research when doing projects or studying for an exam.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Getting to Know You Ideas from TeachersFirst - TeachersFirst
Grades
K to 12tag(s): firstday (18)
In the Classroom
Try these activities from TeachersFirst to help you and your students get to know each other early in the school year or for a "fresh start" for a new semester or move-in students.Comments
I love the ideas and activities for helping students get to know each other early on in the new school year. In the Headstart program we focus on parent involvement and I like to do activities that involve the parents and help them to get to know each other as well. The classroom and education experience is so much more successful when everyone is working together: children , families, and teachers.Teresa, FL, Grades: 0 - 1
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Earth Science Week - American Geological Institute
Grades
K to 12tag(s): ecology (96), minerals (15), resources (85), rocks (36)
In the Classroom
Bring Earth Science into your class no matter what subject you teach. Earth Science has broad applications in almost all sciences and many other subject areas as we are connected to the Earth. Use the information, videos, and pictures to create discussions and inquire about topics in your classroom. Many of the activities in "For Educators and Students" are great for demonstrations and generating interest in phenomenon. For example, use Sinkholes in a Cup to demonstrate how fast removal of groundwater in an area can cause sinkholes. Follow this demonstration with Google Earth, reviewed here, layers that show this phenomenon in various areas of the world or research of where these have occurred. Find videos, large-scale maps, and other resources to share via an interactive whiteboard, wiki, or blog.Students can create public service announcements about earth science issues to raise awareness and provide learning opportunities to others.
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MetKids - The Metropolitan Museum of Art
Grades
2 to 12tag(s): africa (140), art history (75), artists (72), asia (70), china (60), europe (71), inventors and inventions (69), japan (55), middle east (40), myths and legends (21), russia (33)
In the Classroom
This site is perfect for use on classroom computers or for a blended class for students to explore on their own. Streghthen student learning by asking them to find information for a specific period of time or country and label what they find important using Webnote, reviewed here; tell students to be sure to save the URL to share their notes and questions with you and their peers. Next, transform classroom technology and extend learning by showing students how to embed media into an interactive time line using Sutori, reviewed here. With Sutorie you can include images, text, and collaboration, or Preceden, reviewed here, for creating multi-layer timelines for over lapping events.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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OK2Ask: Effective Feedback for Student Growth - TeachersFirst
Grades
K to 12Helpful feedback can...more
Helpful feedback can come from a variety of sources. If you're wondering how to use tech tools to give your students better feedback then this session is for you! Learn effective feedback strategies to drive achievement and nurture your students as they acquire new skills like self-reflection and peer review. Explore tech tools that facilitate teacher and community feedback to help students understand the value of feedback from multiple sources and realize the growth potential of embracing both positive and negative responses. As a result of this session, teachers will: 1. Learn components of effective feedback, 2. Explore methods for providing feedback to students; and 3. Plan for the instructional use of feedback mechanisms in the classroom. This session is appropriate for teachers at all technology levels.
tag(s): professional development (282)
In the Classroom
The archive of this teacher-friendly, hands-on webinar will empower and inspire you to use learning technology in the classroom and for professional productivity. As appropriate, specific classroom examples and ideas have been shared. View the session with a few of your teaching colleagues to find and share new ideas. Find additional information and links to tools at the session resource page. Learn more about OK2Ask and upcoming sessions here.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Visionlearning - Visionlearning, Inc
Grades
6 to 12tag(s): acids and bases (8), carbon (14), cells (82), darwin (11), earth (173), energy (126), gravity (43), light (47), matter (44), molecules (38), optics (12), paleontology (26), periodic table (41), photosynthesis (21), planets (111), reading comprehension (127), rock cycle (11), rocks (36), scientific method (47), scientists (62), space (204), water (96), waves (14)
In the Classroom
Include this site to supplement your current grade 6-12 science curriculum. Use the resources to differentiate instruction for gifted students in lower grades or as remediation for struggling students in older grades. Use the student materials for differentiating instruction or as homework. Have students share their learning or understanding of a topic with video explanations using a tool like FlipGrid, reviewed here. FlipGrid is an augmentation tool for video responses to a question along with comments from peers. Transform technology use in your classroom and take student learning a step further by asking them to create and share their own multimeda presentation along with suggestions for learning about their topic of interest. Use a tool like Sway, reviewed here. Sway is a presentation tool that offers multimedia options including text, video, and images.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Science Buzz - Science Museum of Minnesota
Grades
5 to 9The articles contained in this site are to the point, clear to understand, and in a large font. There are very few distractions going on in the site. It is easy to navigate and has a cool teacher tool in the buzz blog. Click on the Community tab, and the blogs are indexed by standards and grouped into topics such as earth science and physical science with subtopics.
tag(s): animals (266), endangered species (28), news (233), nutrition (132), weather (156)
In the Classroom
This site would be a great resource for current events projects. To augment the use of technology in your classroom, students could be assigned a specific article to read, and then post to a discussion board like Slack, reviewed here. Or transform technology use by having students make a multimedia presentation using one of the many TeachersFirst Edge tools reviewed here. Some tool suggestions are (click on the tool name to access the review): Adobe Creative Cloud Express for Education, Animatron, Sway, and Beautiful.AI.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Timeline Infographic Templates - Canva
Grades
K to 12tag(s): graphic design (49), images (247), timelines (47)
In the Classroom
Timelines aren't just for dates and events! Use the templates found at Canva to create timelines showing the different stages of the growth of flowers, lay out the step-by-step process of lab experiments, and more. Create a timeline to share with your students that includes deadlines and a time frame for long-term projects or defines the semester's syllabus. Ask students to create timelines as part of a book report that creates a visual look at important events in the story. Include student-created timelines as part of larger multimedia projects created using Sway, reviewed here, or in video presentations made with Biteable, reviewed here.Edge Features:
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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Shop Til You Drop - TeachersFirst
Grades
6 to 8tag(s): money (121)
In the Classroom
Teachers may also find this lesson useful with older special education or life skills students. Technology options include using web sources for shopping information and coupons and for creating the student projects.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Study Jams Science - Scholastic
Grades
3 to 8tag(s): earth (173), ecosystems (66), inquiry (23), matter (44), motion (44), weather (156)
In the Classroom
Use this site as an anticipatory set or "activator" to introduce a Science unit or lesson on a projector or interactive whiteboard. Share the videos and/or karaoke with your students. Have students sing along and learn more about science. Especially younger students will enjoy this feature. Create a link to the site on your classroom website or blog for students to use for review and practice at home. Include a link on your classroom newsletter so that parents can use the site at home with their student. Make a shortcut to this site on classroom computers and use it as a center. View the videos on your interactive whiteboard, print out the quizzes for students to take as an assessment.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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PDF to Flipbook Converter - Heyzine
Grades
K to 12tag(s): conversions (32), digital storytelling (128)
In the Classroom
Make a flipbook of a presentation as an engaging alternative to a web page or PowerPoint. Share classroom information such as rules and expectations in an easy to read format. Use for a great way to bring digital storytelling upfront in your classroom. Make photosynthesis a story instead of bits of equations and information. Portray a period in time in history or create books of different political or societal opinions. Create a flipbook with the viewpoints and personalities of characters in a story. Practice a different language by creating a themed flipbook. Lower grades can combine writing into a class flipbook to be shared online or read aloud. Any written assignment can easily be re-visioned as a flipbook! Make your literary magazine a flipbook or build new poetry collections during poetry month. Share all your flipbooks on individual laptops, or the interactive whiteboard or projector. Create simple flipbooks of Dolch words for beginning readers.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Desygner - Desygner
Grades
K to 12tag(s): graphic design (49), images (247), posters (44)
In the Classroom
This tool is perfect for enhancing, modifying, or transforming classroom technology in the classroom, depending on the requirements of the assignments. Create invitations, flyers, or newsletters for your classroom. Share what you created on your website or blog for students to review or for absent students. Deliver blended or flipped lessons using Desygner by adding links to videos, assessment information, and other learning activities. In the younger grades, teachers would be the ones creating the project. However, older students could easily create their own Desygner presentations. Have students use this online tool as they would any presentation tool or image enhancing site. Use this site for research projects about famous people from the past and present. Have cooperative learning groups create presentations about science or math topics. Have students create presentations to "introduce" themselves to the class during the first week of school. Link or embed the introduction presentations on your class wiki or website and have others guess who they are. Use this tool with your 1:1 art class to practice design principles and techniques. Share student projects with parents and others via URL. Be sure to demonstrate how to use this tool on your interactive whiteboard or projector or create a series of video instructions. Use Free Screen Recorder Online, reviewed here, to create and share video screencast tutorials.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 shared by URL
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Draw A Stickman - drawastickman.com
Grades
1 to 10tag(s): creative writing (114), digital storytelling (128), directions (12), drawing (58), interactive stories (18)
In the Classroom
Aside from just fun practice at following instructions, Draw a Stickman would be a great fictional story prompt. Students have the bones of a story and can fill in details, vivid verbs, adjectives, etc. to tell the story. This would be a good practice activity with writing sequences of "first, then, and next." Students can elaborate on their hero, the plot of the story, the details, the setting, etc. Students can write a moral for a story to add in the customized ending. These stories would be fun to share as a class...how wide a variety can come from the same basics? Share finished stories with a talking avatar using a photo or other image (legally permitted to be reproduced). The avatars can "read" the story. Use a site such as Blabberize, reviewed here. Teach story mapping easily with this activity: On an interactive whiteboard (or projector), students can go through the stick figure story together, labeling the different parts of the story (beginning, problem, climax, resolution, ending). This interactive can help students identify story elements, including setting, characters and plot. This site would also be perfect for ENL/ESL students for practice in reading and following directions or for speech/language students to practice retelling a story from the visual prompts. Another idea: use this activity for verb/vocabulary practice in a world language class.Comments
This will be a great fill-in activity when my students finish their assignments. I can't wait to use it!Beverly, TX, Grades: 6 - 12
Love this! So creative. I know the kids will love it too and I think the learning activities sound very promising too.Jeannie, MI, Grades: 0 - 5
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Spinner Wheel - spinnerwheel.com
Grades
K to 12tag(s): preK (238), probability (94), statistics (108), Teacher Utilities (124)
In the Classroom
Simultaneously spinning multiple wheels opens the door to unlimited uses to engage students. For example, create six wheels with the numbers on dice as a virtual dice roller. In addition, customize wheels for creative story writing prompts that include options for random characters, setting, and story theme. Use this tool to practice math facts by creating wheels that prompt players to solve math problems based upon a spin of the wheel. Engage students when reviewing for upcoming quizzes and tests by creating wheels to check facts. For example, in social studies, create one wheel with names and another with characteristics such as date, place, important event, other characters involved, etc. Use during math lessons on probability to have students record outcomes when spinning the wheel.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Earth Science Teaching Activities and Lesson Plans - Geology.com
Grades
4 to 12This site includes advertising.
tag(s): earthquakes (43), erosion (13), fossils (37), hurricanes (28), maps (213), rocks (36), tsunamis (14), volcanoes (51), water (96), weather (156)
In the Classroom
Use your interactive whiteboard or projector to view videos and images from the site with your class. Use lesson plans provided as additional resources within Earth Science units. Augment technology use in your classroom and enhance learning by having cooperative learning groups create online books using a tool such as Bookemon, reviewed here. Or, challenge students to narrate an image using a site such as Thinklink, reviewed here. Extend learning and transform the use of technology in your classroom by assigning students different portions of the site to review and prepare multimedia projects to share with the class with Sway, reviewed here, or give students a choice of projects to complete with Genial.ly, reviewed here. Both Sway and Genial.ly will allow your students to create multimedia projects.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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