SMART Exchange for SMART Board Activities

Yes, I am revisiting something that we have already shared, but I still run into people who have not heard about this excellent resources so I thought it was worth revisiting. SMART Exchange is a website where you can find thousands of lesson plans and activities for your SMART Board or other SMART tools. The site is supported by SMART Technologies. All activities must go through a screening process before they are available so the resources here are quality resources. To get started, you now have to log in. If you do not have an account they are free and easy to set up. Once you are logged in, you can use the search menu to locate a lesson on a specific topic, for a specific academic area, and for a specific grade level. Not only will you find SMART Notebook files here, you can also find questions sets for the SMART Response clickers. Once you find an activity that you like, simply click on the download button and save the activity wherever you like. Once downloaded, you can make any changes you like to an activity in order to customize for your class. If you are searching at home and you do not have the SMART Notebook software, you can use the "Open in SMART Notebook Express" button to view the file and make simple changes. If you cannot remember the web address, no worries. A SMART Exchange button now appears on your toolbar in SMART Notebook!

A Long Time Ago in a Galaxy Far, Far Away...

This weekend Star Wars returned to the big screen.  The Phantom Menace in 3D gave us a glimpse of a galaxy far, far away... and as much of a sci-fi geek as I am, I couldn't help but think about a galaxy much closer... our own!  NASA has a comprehensive website with great education resources for lots of different subject areas and grade levels.  Check it out:

Start here at the main education web site and look around to find teacher resources, lesson plans, and links to other great activities and resources.

Image of the Day Gallery and Nasa Images can be used to illustrate concepts in Science, to explore the history of space flight, to inspire your class for a writing activity, to visualize mathematical concepts in nature, or even to simply enjoy the beauty of outer space!

eClips is a collection of educational videos from NASA with topics ranging from space vehicles to snowflakes!

Kids Club provides games and activities for younger students, and they include reading and math skills as well as science topics.





Enjoy!

Exploratorium

The Exploratorium isn't your usual museum - it is a place to watch, play, and learn about science, art, and the human perspective!  There are tons of interactives, websites and activities to explore.  See how to create a Math Walk for your students, track the cabs in San Francisco, watch a dissection of a cow's eye, and find out your weight on other planets - just to name a few.  There are resources for educators and a special section just for teens.

Enjoy!

Check out this great new way to organize your web resources.  The video below is an intro into symbalooedu.com

Enjoy!

http://www.screenr.com/xg5s

TerraClues

TerraClues is the ultimate Google Maps scavenger hunt game! Your students can follow clues to find hidden locations on a google map. Students can enter the public classroom and play anonymously. Here are just a few of the hunts you can check out.

Grades 5 and under: continents, oceans, longitude and latitude, age of exploration
Grades 6-8: origin of North American settlers, satellite image find, North American landmarks, seven wonders of the ancient world
High school: American Revolution, famous quotations, natural wonders, American History

Teachers, you can create a private area for your students with hunts relevant to your age group and course matter. You can talk to other teachers in the forums and you and your students can create TerraHunts that can be played by students around the world. This is a fun way for your students to solve problems, search the world, learn about new places and learn about a variety of cultures.

Check it out at this link: TerraClues

Zoo Burst

Create your very own pop-up books, either using your own photos or images already saved. Zoo Burst allows you to create a book that is 3-D. What a great way to review content or introduce a new one! Visit Zoo Burst to learn more about how to create a pop-up book. Registration is free but of course, if you want more bells and whistles, there is a cost. A free subscription gives you the ability to create books that have up to 10 pages.

Go!Animate

Looking for a way to get your students' creative juices flowing? Why not have them create a movie using Go!Animate? Go!Animate is an online tool that allows students to create simple cartoon movies on any subject imaginable. The site is very easy to use. Students simply choose a setting and characters and then they create the dialogue. This can either be typed in or recorded. Although a full version can be purchased, you can make simple movies using a free account. Here's a sample movie:


Like it? Create your own at GoAnimate.com. It's free and fun!