8th Grade

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Carbon Cycle Interactive

— The University of Waikato

5-8 0 favorites 0 promising practices https://www.sciencelearn.org.nz/resources/689-the-ocean-and-the-carbon-cycle Last updated: Fri, 08/27/2021 - 11:49 share

How It Works

This website provides a great diagram and overview of the carbon cycle. All labels in the diagram are clickable and informational. This is a great science learning object!

In the Classroom

Use this diagram to have students learn about the carbon cycle in units about matter cycles. Share the diagram on your projector or interactive whiteboard. Create an activity where students use the diagram like a web quest, or have the class interact with the diagram on the interactive whiteboard as a large group instruction activity. Ask students to list the processes and briefly describe them using the information provided in the links. Have students then list the carbon sources and describe them. This is an easy activity and a great interactive alternative to taking lecture notes. As a teacher precaution, you may want to have student use headphones when using the activity as some of the link items are videos.

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  • Find interactive ABC's, colors, etc.
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Tag(s): fossil fuels, matter, carbon dioxide, carbon,

FFFBI: Missions

— WGBH

3-8 0 favorites 0 promising practices http://www.fffbi.com/missions/ Last updated: Fri, 08/27/2021 - 11:49 share

How It Works

FFFBI (Fin, Fur and Feather Bureau of Investigation) Academy is designed to help upper elementary and middle school kids -- especially those with attention issues -- manage the problems they face with schoolwork, homework, and even managing their binders. Each interactive is designed to teach useful skills and strategies, while continually encouraging you to complete increasingly difficult tasks. To increase interest, the FFFBI Academy uses its humorous spy theme and frequent reinforcements for successful game play. National Geographic has partnered to help produce this series of geography-themed missions. In each, students are introduced to a new country and receive a dossier of documents to help complete a mission. Each dossier contains maps, forensic information, media and wiretap intercepts, background information, and images. Each mission requires students to exercise geography skills and basic problem-solving in six interactive challenges. Each mission follows National Geographic’s geography standards. Upon completion, a short Coffee Guy quiz debriefs students about the knowledge they have gained. There is an excellent teacher’s section of the site containing a summary of each activities with tips and an approximate time to complete.

In the Classroom

Share the site on your interactive whiteboard or projector; then assign a challenge each week for students to work on during centers or on laptops in geography/social studies class. Use activities from different countries as an introduction to the country before starting classroom activities. Special Education teachers may want to offer this active alternative to traditional lessons for students with attention issues.

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Tag(s): map skills, problem solving, mysteries,

FORA.tv

— FORA.tv

8-11 0 favorites 0 promising practices https://www.youtube.com/c/foratv/featured Last updated: Fri, 08/27/2021 - 11:49 share

How It Works

FORA.tv’s claim to fame is as the Web’s largest collection of conference and event videos. These videos come from sources such as universities, think tanks, and other intelligent discourses. Videos are hosted on YouTube. If your district blocks YouTube, then they may not be viewable. <br><br> <i>Please preview anything before you share it with your students. At the time of this review there was a subcategory "Sex" which may not be appropriate for most classrooms. But always preview!</i> Teachers may want to share ONLY specific video links.

In the Classroom

Search to find videos relevant to the subjects that you are teaching. Videos are thought provoking and suggest different viewpoints. Once you select a video, show it as an inepth look into a topic you are already studying. Share the video and start a class discussion about the viewpoints of the video and the students’ own viewpoints. From here, students could write a position paper from their own side or do further research for a class debate. Challenge your students to create their own video about topics being discussed/learned in class. Share the videos using a tool such as SchoolTube <a href="/single.cfm?id=9437">reviewed here</a>.

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  • Find interactive ABC's, colors, etc.
  • Donec rutrum congue leo eget malesuada. Mauris blandit aliquet elit, eget tincidunt nibh pulvinar a. Curabitur aliquet quam id dui posuere blandit. Mauris blandit aliquet elit, eget tincidunt nibh pulvinar a.
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Tag(s): sexuality, psychology, genetics, evolution, religions, elections, energy, sustainability, investing, stock market, business, politics, environment, cultures, news, video,

CurriConnects: Explorers

— TeachersFirst

-8 0 favorites 0 promising practices http://www.teachersfirst.com/content/booklist-titles.cfm?id=3 Last updated: Fri, 08/27/2021 - 11:49 share

How It Works

Use this CurriConnects list to find books related to Explorers. CurriConnects thematic book lists include ISBN numbers for ordering or searching, interest grade levels, ESL levels and Lexiles’’’® to match with student independent reading levels to challenge, not frustrate. Don’t miss other <a href="/content/curriconnects.cfm">CurriConnects</a> themes being added regularly.

In the Classroom

Build student literacy skills, reinforce what students are learning about Explorers, and help students build the important reading strategy of connecting what they read to prior (classroom!) knowledge. Share this link on your class web page or wiki so students can select independent reading books to accompany your unit on Explorers. Don’t forget to share the list with the school and local libraries so they can bring in some of the books on interlibrary loan. CurriConnects are a great help for teachers who have lost school library/media specialists due to budget cuts.

Technology Heads-up!
  • Find interactive ABC's, colors, etc.
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Tag(s): book lists, reading lists, explorers,

Biotechnology Institute

— Biotechnology Institute

8-11 0 favorites 0 promising practices http://www.biotechinstitute.org/ Last updated: Fri, 08/27/2021 - 11:49 share

How It Works

Use this site to engage and excite students about the field of life science and biotechnology. Students can use the student resources to learn about biotechnology, prepare for exciting careers, or view a variety of resources. Teachers can find biotechnology facts and great resources for engaging students in inquiry and topics that have applications for their lives.

In the Classroom

Click Programs on the top menu and use the challenges available to pique curiosity in students. There are three types of challenges - Global Healthcare Challenge (Medical Biotechnology), the Global Sustainability Challenge (Agricultural Biotechnology) or the Global Environment Challenge (Industrial/Environmental Biotechnology). Use the Newsroom to view videos and read articles about the latest in biotechnology.

Technology Heads-up!
  • Find interactive ABC's, colors, etc.
  • Donec rutrum congue leo eget malesuada. Mauris blandit aliquet elit, eget tincidunt nibh pulvinar a. Curabitur aliquet quam id dui posuere blandit. Mauris blandit aliquet elit, eget tincidunt nibh pulvinar a.
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Tag(s): genetics, biodiversity,

Safety Education

— U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission

8-11 0 favorites 0 promising practices https://www.cpsc.gov/Safety-Education Last updated: Fri, 08/27/2021 - 11:49 share

How It Works

Students can learn responsible consumerism by becoming active evaluators and reporters of defective products using this site. Unsafe products reported on this site go onto the Product Safety Commission’s publicly available Consumer Product Safety Information Database, after the reported products are evaluated and the reviews are screened by professionals. Along with the founders of the site, students active in reading the database and reporting dangerous products participate in protecting the public from harm, injuries, and possible death. A business portal allows private companies to register and participate in the formation of the database, as well.

In the Classroom

Use this site as the starting point for individual or group projects. Have the students write mock-up reports of defective products they have had experience with. Then they can compare their write-ups with the entries in the database. Students can also learn data base searching while looking for objects of particular interest to them. Have students create online posters on paper or do it together as a class using a tool such as Web Poster Wizard (<a href="/single.cfm?id=7332">reviewed here</a>) or PicLits (<a href="/single.cfm?id=8177">reviewed here</a>.

Technology Heads-up!
  • Find interactive ABC's, colors, etc.
  • Donec rutrum congue leo eget malesuada. Mauris blandit aliquet elit, eget tincidunt nibh pulvinar a. Curabitur aliquet quam id dui posuere blandit. Mauris blandit aliquet elit, eget tincidunt nibh pulvinar a.
  • Donec rutrum congue leo eget malesuada. Mauris blandit aliquet elit, eget tincidunt nibh pulvinar a. Curabitur aliquet quam id dui posuere blandit. Mauris blandit aliquet elit, eget tincidunt nibh pulvinar a.
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Tag(s): safety, consumers,

Geniverse

— Concord Consortium

8-11 0 favorites 0 promising practices https://geniverse-lab.concord.org Last updated: Fri, 08/27/2021 - 11:49 share

How It Works

Run genetic experiments by choosing genotypes and phenotypes while predicting outcomes and observing the actual results. This tool models genetic principles and is a simulation to show genetics and the process of meiosis. This activity specifies that it should be done using the Chrome web browser, though it <i>appears</i> to work in Firefox, as well.

In the Classroom

Use the simulations as a preview activity to generate questions about the models used. Use to discuss major vocabulary and content needed for understanding of meiosis and genetics. Introduce content and use this resource to create a simulation lab that reinforces the content and engages students into predicting outcomes and creating explanations.

Technology Heads-up!
  • Find interactive ABC's, colors, etc.
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Tag(s): meiosis, genetics,

Kids Web Japan

— Ministry of Foreign Affairs Japan

2-8 0 favorites 0 promising practices https://web-japan.org/kidsweb/ Last updated: Fri, 08/27/2021 - 11:49 share

How It Works

introduce Japan to school-aged students around the world through this site. It is divided into several different portions for exploring, beginning with Explore Japan which contains maps, calendars, and basic facts about Japan. Learn about popular culture in the play portion where information is presented about biggest fads in Japan, virtual culture to try out online, games, and quizzes. Another interesting part of the site is the Explore section to discover different aspects of the country from climate to housing and government. Find out about Japanese schools, cities, and young artists in the Try box that offers information and virtual visits to different areas of the country. This site is viewable in seven different languages.

In the Classroom

Introduce this site on your interactive whiteboard and allow students to explore on their own or in pairs. Assign different portions of the site to groups of students to create multimedia presentations for the class. Use the site to create Venn Diagrams to compare and contrast life in Japan with life in the United States. Take a virtual field trip to Japan by exploring different cities and cultural activities offered on the site. Find a recipe for one of the Japanese foods listed on the site and make it to try in class. Assign cooperative learning groups a specific part of this site to explore. Challenge groups to make a multimedia presentation using one of many TeachersFirst Edge tools <a href="/content/edge.cfm?c=16">reviewed here</a>.

Technology Heads-up!
  • Find interactive ABC's, colors, etc.
  • Donec rutrum congue leo eget malesuada. Mauris blandit aliquet elit, eget tincidunt nibh pulvinar a. Curabitur aliquet quam id dui posuere blandit. Mauris blandit aliquet elit, eget tincidunt nibh pulvinar a.
  • Donec rutrum congue leo eget malesuada. Mauris blandit aliquet elit, eget tincidunt nibh pulvinar a. Curabitur aliquet quam id dui posuere blandit. Mauris blandit aliquet elit, eget tincidunt nibh pulvinar a.
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Tag(s): virtual field trips, japan, cross cultural understanding,

Aspects of the Antebellum Christmas

— Tim Crumrin

6-8 0 favorites 0 promising practices https://wthhistory.wordpress.com/2014/12/24/a-history-of-christmas/ Last updated: Fri, 08/27/2021 - 11:49 share

How It Works

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 comparison chart using an online tool like Xmind, <a href="/single.cfm?id=16452">reviewed here</a>, and then writing about their learning and understanding using Telegra.ph, <a href="/single.cfm?id=17846">reviewed here</a>. 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.

Technology Heads-up!
  • Find interactive ABC's, colors, etc.
  • Donec rutrum congue leo eget malesuada. Mauris blandit aliquet elit, eget tincidunt nibh pulvinar a. Curabitur aliquet quam id dui posuere blandit. Mauris blandit aliquet elit, eget tincidunt nibh pulvinar a.
  • Donec rutrum congue leo eget malesuada. Mauris blandit aliquet elit, eget tincidunt nibh pulvinar a. Curabitur aliquet quam id dui posuere blandit. Mauris blandit aliquet elit, eget tincidunt nibh pulvinar a.
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Tag(s): civil war, christmas, victorian,

JA Titan

— Junior Achievement

8-11 0 favorites 0 promising practices https://titan.ja.org/ Last updated: Fri, 08/27/2021 - 11:49 share

How It Works

This FREE online simulation is designed to give students experience in running a business. Registration is required to participate. Players can take on others in their geographic area, or play against the computer. Using variables like price and production quantity, players allocate their money to particular parts of the business, and consider advice from computer generated stakeholders as they compete against other "businesses" to make a profit. The graphics are fairly rudimentary, but there is plenty of complexity here for students to evaluate as they work through the game. You will need to spend a little time yourself in playing a practice game in order to be able to prepare students to get the best learning experience; otherwise they will just randomly click options without thinking about the impact on their business plan.

In the Classroom

Consider dividing your class into teams, and pit them against each other to design a winning business plan. This is an exercise that could continue over a long period of time, or could be undertaken in a marathon session, but students will need to focus on the variables carefully in order to get the most out of the experience. Have students create a multimedia presentation sharing their business plan and outcome using one of the many TeachersFirst Edge tools <a href="/content/edge.cfm?c=16">reviewed here</a>.

Technology Heads-up!
  • Find interactive ABC's, colors, etc.
  • Donec rutrum congue leo eget malesuada. Mauris blandit aliquet elit, eget tincidunt nibh pulvinar a. Curabitur aliquet quam id dui posuere blandit. Mauris blandit aliquet elit, eget tincidunt nibh pulvinar a.
  • Donec rutrum congue leo eget malesuada. Mauris blandit aliquet elit, eget tincidunt nibh pulvinar a. Curabitur aliquet quam id dui posuere blandit. Mauris blandit aliquet elit, eget tincidunt nibh pulvinar a.
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Tag(s): business,
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