TeachersFirst - Featured Sites: Week of Jun 21, 2020
Here are this week's features. Clicking the tags in the description area of each listing will present a list of other resources with this topic. | Click here to return to the Featured Sites Archive
Smithsonian Learning Lab - The Smithsonian Center for Learning and Digital Access
Grades
4 to 12In the Classroom
The Smithsonian Learning Lab is a must-add to your list of classroom bookmarks! Search for collections and information throughout the year on all topics. Add a link to classroom computers for the entire site or specific collections. Be sure to take advantage of the many features of this site to create customized collections, then have students add additional resources. Have students create quizzes for review of topics. Enhance student learning by challenging them to create a simple infographic sharing their findings using Canva Infographic Maker, reviewed here.You must be registered and logged in to add items to your favorites.
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Ocearch - Ocearch
Grades
4 to 12This site includes advertising.
In the Classroom
This site has information useful from elementary grades up, but you will need to partner weaker readers with stronger ones in middle grades or use the site as a whole class exploration for the informational text portions in elementary. The videos are great for all ages. When discussing ecosystems, be sure to mention sharks as a vital keystone species of the marine ecosystem. They are also an example of predator/prey balances, keeping the ocean ecosystem balanced as the top predator. Use clips of sharks in movies to discuss how sharks are portrayed and then use research to highlight how many human deaths are actually attributed to sharks vs. the number of sharks killed each year. Enhance learning by developing a food web of ocean ecosystems using Diagramo, reviewed here, or ChartGizmo, reviewed here. Research how other animals are tagged to learn more about their lives and how tagging sharks are different. Be sure to use the Tracking Activity drop down in the Global Shark Tracker to see the paths that the sharks have taken during the period of time you specify (one week or more has better data). Identify other animals in different ecosystems that carry a similar negative stigma and create a discussion around why they have that stigma.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Deep Sea Dive - Harvey Water Softeners
Grades
1 to 10In the Classroom
Use the interactive Deep Sea Dive as an interesting way to introduce an oceans unit. After viewing, have students research different ocean animals and plants, then modify classroom technology use and enhance learning by having students create a simple infographic sharing their findings using Visme, reviewed here. Replace paper and pencil by using an online tool such as the Interactive Two Circle Venn Diagram, reviewed here, to explore ocean animal adaptations. Transform classroom technology use by having students use a mapping tool such as Zeemaps, reviewed here, to create a map of locations used with the Deep Sea Dive (with audio stories and pictures included)!Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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State of the Ocean - Physical Oceanography Distributed Active Archive Center
Grades
7 to 12In the Classroom
Choose a parameter to display, such as wind speed. It is best to choose only one topic (data set) at a time and be sure to instruct students to uncheck previous boxes before choosing a new one. Use as an inquiry activity to look at various parameters around the globe and ask questions about what they see. For example, Sea Surface Temperature Anomaly shows areas of the oceans that are warming and some that are cooling more than others. Provide time for students to spin the globe and zoom in to look at where various changes are occurring and make observations. Enhance student learning by bringing these observations to light in class using Padlet, reviewed here, and brainstorm why the phenomenon exists. If you have an interactive whiteboard, display the Padlet so that students can see theirs and others ideas as they add their observations to the board as they make discoveries. Then, create columns in your Padlet to have students discuss and sort their statements into "proven" and "unproven" columns in the Padlet displayed on your IWB. Research what has already been demonstrated about warming and cooling as well as the potential impacts it may have. Compare these changes with other parameters such as chlorophyll to understand producers and their ocean environment.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Zoo Games - Minnesota Zoo
Grades
3 to 8In the Classroom
Try the activities on your interactive whiteboard or projector as a classroom introduction to an animal-themed unit or research project. Use the trivia questions as a pretest to determine student knowledge. Choose animals used in the activities to research and compare/contrast. Try these interactives to increase student interest before a field trip to the zoo. Be sure to provide this link on your website for students to use both in and out of the class.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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The Florida Aquarium - The Florida Aquarium, Inc.
Grades
K to 12In the Classroom
Use these activities to help teach environmental and biological topics in a hands-on and engaging way. Print materials and make copies for your students or put links to the PDF files on your class website or wiki to allow students 24/7 access to the materials paper-free! 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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ZooBorns
Grades
K to 3In the Classroom
Use this site during animal-based theme units. Project the video clips and pictures on your interactive whiteboard or projector. These photos would make great story-starters for writing activities during Writer's Workshop. Have students include a variety of adjectives to describe these little creatures and their surroundings. Enhance learning by having students use their stories to create online books using a site such as Bookemon, reviewed here.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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SwitchZoo - Tubehead, Inc.
Grades
K to 9This site includes advertising.
In the Classroom
Use this site to teach habitats and animals. Create a short story or poem about a fictitious animal that you create using SwitchZoo. Use the characteristics and the environment of the animal to effectively communicate the information through writing. What would the environment for this organism look like? What would you call this animal? Compare adaptations and requirements of various animal creations and defend the reasoning for these adaptations. Find similarities and differences in animals through engagement in the many activities on the site. Have groups of students build online habitats and collaborate to make it completely compatible for all animals. Have the students share their new animals and stories on an interactive whiteboard. Or enhance learning by creating a class book exhibiting all of the animals at "Mr. Smith's Zoo." Remember that PowerPoint, reviewed here, slides make an easy way to write and incorporate clip art, then combine and print into a big book.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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