8th Grade

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OpenSciEd

— OpenSciEd.org

5-8 0 favorites 0 promising practices https://www.openscied.org/ Last updated: Fri, 08/27/2021 - 11:50 share

How It Works

OpenSciEd offers high quality open educational resources (OER) curriculum for middle school science educators. Use these materials as part of a coherent sequence that scaffolds curriculum throughout units and across grade levels. Register for your free account to view and download curriculum units. Editor’s note: at the time of writing this review, only one unit per grade level is available; however, the website shares a timeline for the roll-out of all of the units taking place through 2022. In addition to the instructional units, OpenSciEd includes a simulation library with activities to accompany units, and there are several simulations ready for each middle-grade level. Be sure to find the teacher edition for each unit for directions on using the simulations.

In the Classroom

Bookmark this site to use as a resource for middle school science lessons and units. Be sure to check back according to the timeline for additional materials as they are published. Take advantage of the simulation activities to include with your lessons even if you aren’t using the lesson materials on the site. Incorporate the simulations into your interactive lessons using NearPod, <a href="/single.cfm?id=14985">reviewed here</a>. Use NearPod to build and share lessons with opportunities for students to collaborate with peers, share their findings through a variety of different methods, and for teachers to receive formative assessment in real-time.

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.
  • 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.
Tag(s): sound, body systems, human body, energy, matter, molecules, motion,

Open Washington: Open Educational Resources

— Washington State Board for Community and Technical Colleges

8-11 0 favorites 0 promising practices http://www.openwa.org/ Last updated: Fri, 08/27/2021 - 11:50 share

How It Works

Open Washington is a site dedicated to providing resources for learning, finding, and using Open Educational Resources (OER). Designed for use by college faculty, the website provides valuable information for educators in a variety of settings. Information on the site includes an in-depth learning module teaching educators how to find and use OER materials to enhance lessons. The OER search portal includes videos, images, course materials, and textbooks. Learn more about personal stories using OER through short video stories featuring students, educators, and professors.

In the Classroom

Take advantage of the many resources shared on this site to supplement your current classroom instructional materials. Use these materials to find and differentiate learning for students, especially when working with gifted students as you look for content and resources to meet their educational needs that aren’t available within your current curriculum. Offer students a variety of options using those found on this site. Share available student choices using Padlet, <a href="/single.cfm?id=10007">reviewed here</a>. Enhance learning by encouraging students to collaborate in the learning process using Notejoy, <a href="/single.cfm?id=18377">reviewed here</a>. Notejoy offers tools for collaborative note-taking and sharing of ideas through chats, shared images, and more. Ask students to demonstrate their understanding of topics learned by asking them to create a multimedia project sharing their knowledge. Suggestions for multimedia tools include Sway, <a href="/single.cfm?id=16373">reviewed here</a>, Wakelet, <a href="/single.cfm?id=17619">reviewed here</a>, or Adobe Spark, <a href="/single.cfm?id=17152">reviewed here</a>. These multimedia tools present the opportunity to enhance or extend student learning depending on teacher requirements for the project or even student ability; most allow for adding narration, videos, text, and links to help explain what certain parts of the content are about.

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.
  • 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.
Tag(s): Online Learning, OER,

Classroom, Inc.

— Classroom, Inc

4-8 0 favorites 0 promising practices https://www.classroominc.org/ Last updated: Fri, 08/27/2021 - 11:50 share

How It Works

Learn literacy and leadership skills through game play with Read to Lead’s virtual workplace games. The three games offer literacy practice through students participating as the leader of a newspaper, community center, or wellness clinic. Each game also includes many educator resources including mini-lessons, assessments, and further discussion questions. Easily set up your class after creating your account to create usernames and passwords or upload your class roster directly into your account. Performance, Progress, and Student Activity Reports provide individual and class feedback on student activity and progress within the games.

In the Classroom

Use information within the site to choose games for students based on reading levels or topics of interest. Instead of traditional reading homework assignments, assign one of these high-interest games to play. This site is also excellent for use with ESL/ELL students; use the icons in the game to translate speech into over 100 languages. Be sure to check out the many free included items with each game such as pacing guides and challenge activities. After playing the games, use the included ideas to support your career research and planning activities. Have students use a photo collage creation tool like PhotoCollage, <a href="/single.cfm?id=18310">reviewed here</a>, to extend their learning and visualize different aspects of any career. Take it a step further and have students modify their learning by creating a webpage featuring "a day in the life" of their career choice. Carrd, <a href="/single.cfm?id=17342">reviewed here</a>, is an easy to use webpage creator. Replace the traditional final report with a project to redefine learning by challenging students to use a multimedia tool like Canva Infographic Maker, <a href="/single.cfm?id=17570">reviewed here</a>, to share information about their chosen career using information from their research and based on information presented within the games found on Read to Lead.

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.
  • 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.
Tag(s): careers, literacy,

#ThisIs18 Around the World

— New York Times

8-11 0 favorites 0 promising practices https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2018/10/11/style/this-is-18.html Last updated: Fri, 08/27/2021 - 11:50 share

How It Works

#ThisIs18 is an interactive photo essay from the New York Times that shares images of everyday life for 18-year-old girls around the world. Pictures and interviews conducted by young women accompanied by professional mentors produce the content shared in this interactive. A look at girls’ lives across 15 languages including 21 subjects providing an insightful snapshot into their everyday life across the globe.

In the Classroom

Be sure to allow some time for students to explore all of the information shared in this incredible interactive. After students have looked through this site on their own, take a deeper look together by displaying the site on your interactive whiteboard and discussing together as a class. Have student share the portions that had the deepest impact on them, compare and contrast their everyday life to those in the interactive, and define topics for further exploration. Use this site as a starting point for a biography project or unit on cultures within your school or community. One great resource for starting a biography and enhancing student learning is the Cube Creator, <a href="/single.cfm?id=15265">reviewed here</a>. Instead of just using written notes, extend students’ learning by challenging them to take audio recordings of interviews using Vocaroo, <a href="/single.cfm?id=9921">reviewed here</a>. Use #ThisIs18 as a model to create your own interactive sharing student interviews and biographies. Sway, <a href="/single.cfm?id=16373">reviewed here</a>, is an excellent multimedia tool to enhance learning and for publishing and sharing content. Include audio and video interviews, student writing, and more to create your storytelling project.

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.
  • 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.
Tag(s): women, cultures, cross cultural understanding,

MySciLife

— TeachersFirst

5-8 0 favorites 0 promising practices https://myscilife.org/ Last updated: Fri, 08/27/2021 - 11:50 share

How It Works

MySciLife is a free social learning platform for middle school classes. Join a MySciLife cohort after participation in a one-month online training cycle. Students participate in monthly exchanges with a global community through research and sharing science connections through writing activities. This platform works with any curriculum and includes a complete set of resource materials aligned to Next Generation Science Standards. MySciLife requires parental permission for student participation; all students post anonymously using their science "identity" names.

In the Classroom

Join MySciLife to bring excitement and energy to your science classroom. As you complete activities in the platform, use a concept mapping site like MindMup, <a href="/single.cfm?id=14407">reviewed here</a>, to replace paper/pencil version of a concept map. Alter students’ learning by asking them to create and share infographics based on their research and sharing of ideas. Canva, <a href="/single.cfm?id=17570">reviewed here</a>, is an easy to use site for creating infographics using pre-made templates or from scratch. Take student learning to a whole new level by redefining it and having them create a game-based learning activity for their peers using Symbaloo Learning Paths, <a href="/single.cfm?id=17347">reviewed here</a>. Symbaloo Learning Paths offers many options for creating differentiated learning using video, quizzes, and more.

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.
  • 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.
Tag(s): OER, plants, volcanoes, animals, STEM, writing, descriptive writing, critical thinking, digital citizenship, scientists, social media,

Virtual Tidepool

— NOAA

3-8 0 favorites 0 promising practices http://oceanexplorer.noaa.gov/edu/learning/10_tides/activities/tidepool.html Last updated: Fri, 08/27/2021 - 11:50 share

How It Works

Learn the basics about tidepools through images and short text explanations at the Virtual Tidepool. Viewers have an introduction to tidepool features through three components: Tidepools, Challenges, and Inhabitants and Adaptations. Scroll down the page to view the images and hover your mouse over captions and red dots to learn more about specific features and survival strategies.

In the Classroom

Include the Virtual Tidepool with your other resources for teaching about biomes and oceans. Share the images and information with students on an interactive whiteboard or with a projector. Before hovering over captions or red dots ask students to predict what the information is. As students share questions about tidepools use an online sticky note tool like Sticky Notes: Just Popped Up!, <a href="/single.cfm?id=18084">reviewed here</a>, to save their questions and research information throughout your unit. Have students create their own interactive images about tidepools using Thinglink, <a href="/single.cfm?id=13216">reviewed here</a>, to add text, video, and more to their own image.

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.
  • 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.
Tag(s): tides, marine biology, oceans, biomes,

Healthy Relationship Middle School Educators Toolkit

— Love is Respect

4-8 0 favorites 0 promising practices http://www.loveisrespect.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/08/middle-school-educators-toolkit.pdf Last updated: Fri, 08/27/2021 - 11:50 share

How It Works

This 25-page booklet provides a guide for middle school educators for teaching about violence and domestic abuse. Information includes guidelines for distinguishing between healthy and unhealthy relationships along with warning signs of abuse. Also, this guide provides suggestions for helping students in unhealthy relationships.

In the Classroom

Take advantage of the information shared in this free booklet for use in classroom lessons on violence or during counseling sessions. Create a link to this booklet on your class website for parents to access. Several portions in the booklet include scenarios and questions for discussions. Challenge student groups to create weekly podcasts addressing common social issues along with suggestions for dealing with them. Podcast Generator, <a href="/single.cfm?id=17654">reviewed here</a>, offers free tools for podcasting.

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.
  • 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.
Tag(s): conflict resolution, school violence,

Commaful

— UsePencil, Inc

8-11 0 favorites 0 promising practices https://www.commaful.com/ Last updated: Fri, 08/27/2021 - 11:50 share

How It Works

Commaful provides short stories and poetry presented in picture book style. Scroll through to find a story or choose from different categories including humor, poetry, and romance. After selecting a story, the content pops up in the form of a book with an image background. Click to continue reading, images change throughout the story. Share your original work by creating an account and following directions to upload content. <b>Note: Some stories contain inappropriate language and content. Be sure to preview material before sharing with students.</b>

In the Classroom

Share stories from this site with students as inspiration for creative writing and poetry projects. Be sure to preview all material before sharing with students. Enhance this learning experience before publishing student writing, by having peers provide collaborative feedback using FlipGrid, <a href="/single.cfm?id=17677">reviewed here</a>. Flipgrid allows students to record video discussions on any topic easily. When complete, have students publish their work using this site or Book Creator, <a href="/single.cfm?id=17988">reviewed here</a>. Book Creator offers tools for creating online books that include video, images, and audio recordings.

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.
  • 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.
Tag(s): poetry, creative writing,

Data Analysis and Probability Resources - Grades 9-12

— TeachersFirst

8-11 0 favorites 0 promising practices http://www.teachersfirst.com/spectopics/dataprobability912.cfm Last updated: Fri, 08/27/2021 - 11:50 share

How It Works

This is your one-stop resource if you are a high school statistics teacher! Peruse this collection of data and probability resources for grades 9-12. Use these resources to meet the NCTM standards. Many of these tools are ideal for use on your interactive whiteboard or in your BYOD (or 1:1) classroom. Find topics that relate to the content being taught in your classroom. Read each reviewed resource to find a thorough description and classroom ideas.

In the Classroom

Share these resources with students on your class website. Use these tools for remediation and review with all students. Share these tools with families for at-home practice. Have students work independently or with a partner on laptops or other devices.

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.
  • 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.
Tag(s): probability, data, charts and graphs,

NCTM Illuminations Data and Probability Resources Grades 9-12

— NCTM

8-11 0 favorites 0 promising practices https://illuminations.nctm.org/Search.aspx?view=search&amp%3Btype=ac&amp%3Bst=d&amp%3Bgr=9-12 Last updated: Fri, 08/27/2021 - 11:50 share

How It Works

Explore and find interactives correlated to NCTM or Common Core Standards for data analysis and probability in 9th through 12th grade at this excellent site from NCTM. Scroll through to choose from interactives including an Advanced Data Grapher, a Fraction and Percent Tool, a Random Drawing Tool (that allows for exploring the relationship between theoretical and experimental probabilities), and several others. All interactives include complete instructions, an exploration, and correlation to standards.

In the Classroom

Bookmark these interactives for use during your unit on data and probability or to provide hands-on activities throughout the year. Share interactives on your whiteboard or during small group lessons and discuss problem-solving ideas with students. Add a link to interactives along with other online games to your class website for game play at home. Consider adding favorite links from this site to a bookmarking tool for student use. Padlet, (<a href="/single.cfm?id=10007">reviewed here</a>), offers several options for sharing and organizing bookmarks. After completing activities, ask students to reflect upon their learning and share problem solving ideas through a blog post. Telegra.ph, <a href="/single.cfm?id=17846">, reviewed here</a>, creates "quick and easy" blogs to be used one time only. A unique URL is provided, and with Telegra.ph you just click on an icon to upload images from your computer, add a YouTube or Vimeo, or Twitter links. It’s as easy as using a basic Word program!

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.
  • 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.
Tag(s): problem solving, probability, mode, mean, median, financial literacy, measurement, charts and graphs, data, order of operations,
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