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Year by Year - Infoplease
Grades
3 to 12
1 Favorites
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Build students' sense of historical context year by year. Help them to realize that Gershwin did not write during the Vietnam War and that World War II preceded the Beatles. ...more
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Build students' sense of historical context year by year. Help them to realize that Gershwin did not write during the Vietnam War and that World War II preceded the Beatles. This site gives an overview of any year students click on from 1900 to the present, including cultural events, national and world news, politics, sports, prize winners, movie releases, deaths, and --for more recent years -- links to news focusing on other topics such as science and people. It provides an interesting summary of any particular year; most students find it interesting to check the year of their birth and those of their family members. Many highlighted keywords link to the Infoplease encyclopedia and other reference sources.
In the Classroom
Ask your students to visit the site and create a multimedia presentation from the information about any specific year they see there. Or have them compare life in two different decades. Have students create online books using a tool such as Bookemon, reviewed here. Or challenge students to create an online poster using Padlet (reviewed here).When studying literature, point out this site as a source authors might use for cultural background information in their writing. Pick out the details while reading a novel, for example, that might be found at this site. Or before studying a historical period, use this site as an anticipatory set or "activator" on a projector or interactive whiteboard. Have students collect information tidbits and predict what might be put into the site for the current year.
Ask your ENL/ELL students to share similar information about the years they were born and the events that occurred in their home cultures. Use the site when preparing a unit on summarizing or informational paragraphs, showing the students how to select and condense relevant information from the site into a few sentences.
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Aspects of the Antebellum Christmas - Tim Crumrin
Grades
7 to 9
1 Favorites
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This site looks at Victorian Christmas observances from the American point of view. Focusing on holiday celebrations between 1830 and 1860, this site examines the growth of the Christmas...more
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This site looks at Victorian Christmas observances from the American point of view. Focusing on holiday celebrations between 1830 and 1860, this site examines the growth of the Christmas holiday as we know it, examining those traditions that have continued into the 20th Century and those that are but a memory.
In the Classroom
Use this website as a resource during a unit on Christmas, or while looking at the differences in American life before and after the Civil War. Extend learning and challenge students to create a Venn diagram using an online tool like 2 and 3 Circle Interactive Venn Diagrams, reviewed here, and then writing about their learning and understanding using Telegra.ph, reviewed here. With Telegra.ph you just click on an icon to upload images from your computer, add a YouTube or Vimeo, or Twitter links. This blog creator requires no registration.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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KidRex - Kid Safe Search Engine - KidRex.org
Grades
K to 7
4 Favorites
1 Comments
KidRex is an engaging, safe search engine for students that is powered by Google Custom Search and Google SafeSearch technology. In addition to typical filters applied to searches,...more
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KidRex is an engaging, safe search engine for students that is powered by Google Custom Search and Google SafeSearch technology. In addition to typical filters applied to searches, the site maintains its own database of inappropriate websites and keywords to further reduce the possibility of inappropriate search returns. The search engine is easy to use and similar to a typical Google search. You simply enter the search term and a list of sites is returned. Inappropriate search terms are returned with an "Oops, try again!" message. Before using the site, be sure to click on the Parents link for a quick overview of how the site works.
This site includes advertising.
This site includes advertising.
In the Classroom
Create a link to KidRex on classroom computers for students to use as a default search engine. Use this site on your interactive whiteboard (or projector) to demonstrate how to search for items or when searching with your students.Comments
A similar site that uses Google SafeSearch, but may be more appropriate for older kids is http://www.KidzSearch.comDaniel, CA, Grades: 0 - 12
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Poetry 4 Kids - Kenn Nesbitts
Grades
4 to 8
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Add this Kenn Nesbitt poetry site to your resource of kid-friendly poetry. This site is a treasure with podcasts, a rhyming dictionary, games, videos, tips and lessons for kid to ...more
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Add this Kenn Nesbitt poetry site to your resource of kid-friendly poetry. This site is a treasure with podcasts, a rhyming dictionary, games, videos, tips and lessons for kid to write poetry. Browse through dozens of examples and choose a few to illustrate rhyme scheme, meter, or alliteration. These are not literary masterpieces, but they will engage your most resistant students, and perhaps inspire some original poetry. If your school blocks YouTube, the videos won't be viewable.
In the Classroom
Ask your students to choose a favorite poem from this site and use it as a model for their own poem. Have them pay attention to the rhythm and rhyme of the poem they like. Create a class book of poems using Book Creator, reviewed here.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Shmoop Literature - Ellen Siminoff, et. al.
Grades
9 to 12
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Move over, Sparknotes! Shmoop provides students (and teachers) with so much more than summaries and character lists. This is a great site with a unique voice. Written by Ph.D....more
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Move over, Sparknotes! Shmoop provides students (and teachers) with so much more than summaries and character lists. This is a great site with a unique voice. Written by Ph.D. and Masters students at top universities (such as Harvard, Yale, Stanford, etc.), the book resources include such things as Booker's 7 plot analyses, "What's Up with the Title?" and directed links to pictures, movies, and other material on the web(some for a fee). They have a very good page on plagiarism, and this is a growing site. There are also History and Poetry sections to this site.
While actually signing up (which is free) gives you the ability to "clip" files and keep them in a folder, you can access the majority of the information without signing up. Registration does require an email address. Tip: 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.
While actually signing up (which is free) gives you the ability to "clip" files and keep them in a folder, you can access the majority of the information without signing up. Registration does require an email address. Tip: 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.
In the Classroom
Because the style of writing is informal, this is a great site to use for those difficult to explain qualities such as tone and writing style with students. Visit the site together and discuss some of the "brain snacks," experience some of the short video clips on your interactive whiteboard or projector, or talk about the constructive use of a site like this without plagiarizing.Share one of the slide shows on a projector or interactive whiteboard as you introduce a unit or allow students to use portions of the slide shows as part of their own presentations on a specific author or literature topic.
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Letters About Literature - Center for the Book: Library of Congress
Grades
2 to 12
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This site accepts students' letters to their favorite authors, describing why they liked their book(s). Each student may write only one letter. Students can write to any author, living...more
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This site accepts students' letters to their favorite authors, describing why they liked their book(s). Each student may write only one letter. Students can write to any author, living or dead. Each year, judging of the letters takes place in December. So this is a great site during the fall months! On the site, there are links to a teacher's guide for helping the students write the letter and lesson plans about the letter writing.
In the Classroom
Have your class read some of the award-winning letters from other years on the overhead projector, interactive whiteboard, or projector. Talk about what the winning characteristics are. Share the suggestions the site makes to encourage your writers to use clear and metaphorical language. Use this site to teach your students proper letter writing skills. Check out the Letter Generator for some ideas, reviewed here. Check with your administration to see what their guidelines are for submitting contest entries, particularly submitting names and addresses of students. The site is quite flexible about those types of requirements. Have the class share their letters and create a "referral" library for students looking for outside reading materials. Have your international students share letters about international writers to encourage broader reading interests. Why not use the letters to create a class online book of letters, using a tool such as Bookemon, reviewed here.
This resource requires PDF reader software like Adobe Acrobat.
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Sparknotes - Taming of the Shrew
Grades
9 to 12
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Literature summaries and resources created by enterprising Harvard alumni. ...more
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Literature summaries and resources created by enterprising Harvard alumni.
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Biology - Insects - myvocabulary.com
Grades
5 to 12
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As part of their extensive site for vocabulary, roots, and more, MyVocabulary.com has added a themed area for Insects. Find interactive vocabulary activities using Insect-related vocabulary...more
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As part of their extensive site for vocabulary, roots, and more, MyVocabulary.com has added a themed area for Insects. Find interactive vocabulary activities using Insect-related vocabulary words. You will also find printable crosswords, fill in the blanks and more, all using the same theme words. This and other "themes" available on the site will make vocabulary development fun.
In the Classroom
Share the puzzles on your interactive whiteboard or projector. Have students work with a partner to try out the puzzles on their own. Have students (or groups) create their own word puzzles to share as a class challenge as a student-run interactive whiteboard activity or share them on a class wiki.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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African-American Culture Through the Use of Children's Literature - Yale University
Grades
2 to 4
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Explore African-American poetry and fiction in this study using a wide gamut of language arts skills integrated with social studies themes about community, family, and culture. ...more
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Explore African-American poetry and fiction in this study using a wide gamut of language arts skills integrated with social studies themes about community, family, and culture.
In the Classroom
Take advantage of the free lesson plans and activities hosted on this site! Be sure to save this site as a favorite to allow for easy reference later on.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Creative Writing Prompts - Shery Ma Belle Arrieta-Russ
Grades
6 to 12
2 Favorites
0 Comments
Looking for some "quick and easy" writing prompts, check out this list! While this site has multiple offers for you buy books (and some other unobtrusive advertisements) on writing,...more
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Looking for some "quick and easy" writing prompts, check out this list! While this site has multiple offers for you buy books (and some other unobtrusive advertisements) on writing, the key is the list of 329 numerals. Rolling your mouse over each number gives a different writing prompt-- some very simple, some more thoughtful, and several downright challenging. They are all rather unique which makes student writing and response more interesting and offer more variety for you.
In the Classroom
If you use journaling as a tool, this is one way to keep it fresh. Assign different numbers to each student in the room and rotate. With 329 there are almost endless permutations of writing possibilities among your students. You can choose to have them write a sentence, a paragraph, or a longer piece based upon the prompt. A student anthology might be a good publication opportunity for you students. Create a class wiki using one (or several) of these prompts. Not sure what a wiki is? Check out the TeachersFirst's Wiki Walk-Through.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Celtic Studies Reading Lists - Privately Published
Grades
9 to 12
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An interesting list of links to information on Celtic studies, with links and annotations. ...more
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An interesting list of links to information on Celtic studies, with links and annotations.
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Sparknotes - Twelfth Night
Grades
9 to 12
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Literature summaries and resources created by enterprising Harvard alumni. ...more
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Literature summaries and resources created by enterprising Harvard alumni.
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Limerick Savant
Grades
10 to 12
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This is much more than a mere collection of contemporary limericks. It is rather a witty and provocative poetic commentary on politics, government, and economics from 2004 through August...more
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This is much more than a mere collection of contemporary limericks. It is rather a witty and provocative poetic commentary on politics, government, and economics from 2004 through August 2018. Original creations - inspired by what was in the news - were posted each day, and previous contributions can be perused by scrolling. It's acerbic ("Mr. Bush, we have heard you would banish our national anthem in Spanish...") and not for the easily offended, but it does provide a creative way to begin a class discussion on a hot topic of the past. This is a personal blog site, so preview carefully before sharing with students.
In the Classroom
Enhance student learning by challenging students to combine their creative writing skills with knowledge of poetic forms to fashion their own limericks using headline news as a prompt. For those who need help with the limerick format, use Poetry Generators, reviewed here, or Poem Generator, reviewed here. Next, have students publish their limericks to a class poetry web page using Straw.Page, reviewed here. Extend learning by asking students to explain why they chose their current event and to read their poem on Gravity, reviewed here, requiring them to comment on other students' poems and current events.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Extreme Sentence Surgeons - Mr Nussbaum
Grades
3 to 8
7 Favorites
1 Comments
Critically injured paragraphs are in desperate need of repair. The goal of this activity is to find all of the grammar errors such as spelling, punctuation, word usage, and other ...more
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Critically injured paragraphs are in desperate need of repair. The goal of this activity is to find all of the grammar errors such as spelling, punctuation, word usage, and other mistakes. After 3 incorrect tries your patient (the paragraph) will "die" so it is critical that you have the skills necessary to make repairs. Upon successful completion, you can earn their PhD in extreme sentence surgery. Upon entering the game, the paragraph needing repair is shown along with a list of errors to find. This site does include minor advertisements. There are "sound effects" at this site.
In the Classroom
Correct sentences together on the interactive whiteboard or projector (with the volume turned down). Print paragraphs for each student to correct before completing this activity at a computer center. Challenge students to write their own paragraphs that need repaired by the rest of the class. If you are having students use this site independently, you may want to use headphones or have them mute the volume.Comments
Jayne, NJ, Grades: 6 - 8
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Ramona the Pest - Lesson ideas - Easyfunschool
Grades
3 to 6
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Here's a site by Easy Fun School that is a very mini-unit. It has a brief Book Summary of Beverly Cleary' story , a paragraph About the Author with a ...more
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Here's a site by Easy Fun School that is a very mini-unit. It has a brief Book Summary of Beverly Cleary' story , a paragraph About the Author with a few details, 9 vocabulary words suitable for 4th and 5th Grade students, and 5 questions that lack depth. Teachers may be able to use this site for information to share with younger students while the book is being read aloud in class, or as individual assignments for the older student who need a starting place for a book report. We wish there were more detailed classroom applications.
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Lessons From Literature - NCTE, Family Violence Protection Fund
Grades
9 to 12
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This site offers lesson plans for teachers using Their Eyes Were Watching God and Lord of the Flies and other poems and plays from the point of view of preventing ...more
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This site offers lesson plans for teachers using Their Eyes Were Watching God and Lord of the Flies and other poems and plays from the point of view of preventing and dealing with violence and abuse in teens' lives. Besides the specific lesson plans, it offers a complete manual explaining to teachers how to help their students with these too-common problems, particularly focusing on relationship abuse. Other supports on the website include a printable poster, a resource library, extensive materials on how to help teens with date abuse, and links to NCTE standards as well as to other support organizations. This site requires Adobe Acrobat. You can get it from the TeachersFirst Toolbox page.
In the Classroom
Read these materials carefully to learn how to introduce lesson plans that focus on relationship abuse. As with all sensitive issues, be sure you are within school policies in holding discussions, perhaps by involving the school counselor or health teachers, as well. Share this site with your counseling staff and psychologists. Create a class wiki to discuss this and other "hot topics." Obviously, students should not share specific personal experiences, but create more of a "what to do" type of wiki. Not sure what a wiki is? Check out the TeachersFirst's Wiki Walk-Through.
This resource requires PDF reader software like Adobe Acrobat.
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A Timeline of Poetry In English - RPO Eds., U Toronto Eng. Dept & Press
Grades
8 to 12
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This is a very simple site with a wealth of information presented in a straightforward manner. It divides-- by years-- the traditional progression of English from Early to Middle to...more
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This is a very simple site with a wealth of information presented in a straightforward manner. It divides-- by years-- the traditional progression of English from Early to Middle to Early Modern to Present Day. Within Early Modern and Present Day English it also divides into categories within the genre. Present Day begins with the Romantics and continues through Post-modernism. Throughout the timeline there are links to representative poems included in the RPO database. Most of the poets have biographical information included with their poetry (family information, languages, education, religion, and more).
In the Classroom
Many of the poets mentioned along the timeline will be unfamiliar to students. Students might choose a poet and create a "life" for him/her within the culture and society in which he lived and present the poet with one of his works to the class. Challenge cooperative learning groups to create their own interactive timelines about the poet they research using a site such as Sutori, reviewed here, that can include images, text, and collaboration.Another project might be to have groups of students choose poems from each time period within present day English and compare the poems based upon the society of the time in which they were written, incorporating humanities and historical analysis. Use the biographical information provided with some of the poets to engage your students in the life and times of the poet. Have students complete research projects about one of the poets highlighted at this website or create a fictitious blog of his/her life. Challenge students to create their own original poetry in similar form to the poet they have researched.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Edward Albee
Grades
9 to 12
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This site provides a synopsis, reading list and student/teacher comments on American playwright Edward Albee's 1962 play "Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?" ...more
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This site provides a synopsis, reading list and student/teacher comments on American playwright Edward Albee's 1962 play "Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?"
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Pics4Learning - Tech4Learning,Inc.
Grades
2 to 12
1 Favorites
0 Comments
Pics4Learning offers free, safe images for educational use. Find pictures using the search feature or by choosing from the categories listed on the home page. Download selected images...more
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Pics4Learning offers free, safe images for educational use. Find pictures using the search feature or by choosing from the categories listed on the home page. Download selected images quickly using the included links to download to computers or Google Drive. Although it isn't required, each image also includes the citation for attributing work to the source.
This site includes advertising.
This site includes advertising.
In the Classroom
Use images from this site with any classroom activities including research papers, blogs, and multimedia presentations. Have students create a simple infographic using images from this site using Canva Infographic Maker, reviewed here, or Venngage,reviewed here. Include images from Pics4Learning when creating screencast explanations. Use a tool like Free Screen Recorder Online, reviewed here.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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ERIC - Educational Resources Information Center - ERIC
Grades
1 to 12
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The most recent version of the Educational Resources Information Center provides a single-point reference to the various ERIC resource databases and clearinghouses. This bibliographic...more
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The most recent version of the Educational Resources Information Center provides a single-point reference to the various ERIC resource databases and clearinghouses. This bibliographic information is intended for teachers, administrators, and researchers seeking education-related materials. This updated site contains links to the full-text of articles where available.
In the Classroom
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