TeachersFirst: Christmas Resources

TeachersFirst's Christmas Resources

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Visions of Christmas Grade 2 to 12 - American Antiquarian Society- 9764

Original illustrations of classic Christmas memorabilia highlight this no-frills site. If you need a quick explanation, with photos, about the origin of Christmas, Christmas trees, and evolution of Santa, this site will suit your purpose well. The four main topics include: Origins of Christmas, Evolution of Santa, The Christmas Tree, and Twas the Night Before Christmas. Students researching old customs will appreciate the simple approach.

In the Classroom:
Art teachers, enlarge the antique photos and engravings by double clicking on the small picture. The enlarged image can be printed to be included in a vast choice of art projects. Around the holidays, project one of the pictures on your interactive whiteboard or projector for students to use as a writing prompt, as they write a story about what they feel the picture portrays.

Lovely Christmas Grade 1 to 8 - - 8393

This holiday website has a magnitude of information about Christmas. There are close to 100 articles of interest provided. Topics include Christmas around the world, crafts, cooking, entertainment, games, gifts, history and more! My personal favorite aspect of this website was the information provided about the Christmas traditions in America, Australia, England, France, Germany, Mexico, Scotland, Spain and other countries.

In the Classroom:
Be sure to check out this informative website when planning holiday lessons and festivities. Have a worldwide holiday celebration with traditional activities from different cultures and religions or include some of these explanationa as readings during a holiday musical program at your school.

Nineteenth Century Christmas Grade K to 12 - The Colonial Williamsburg Foundation- 7895

Here's a description, written at an adult level, of the ways in which 18th century Christmas celebrations differed from those of today. If' you're planning activities dealing with the history of Christmas customs, this site has good information that you can incorporate. From Colonial Williamsburg.

In the Classroom:
Use this site as a point of reference when studying Christmas customs in the classrooms. The site is text-heavy, but the information is all interesting and factual. It is a little dry for students, but for teachers there is definitely some information here that could be pulled into lectures.

Christmas Celebration Lesson Grade K to 8 - The Colonial Williamsburg Foundation- 7857

Here's a Christmas customs lesson from folks who know what food can do for learning. Let your class try its hand at some colonial Christmas recipes from Williamsburg as they learn about the celebration of Christmas in the 18th century colonies. This lesson plan includes activities and a sampling of recipes.

Christmas Around The World Grade K to 8 - Kaboose- 7851

This British site offers summaries of Christmas customs and traditions from around the world. (Did you know you're supposed to stir the Christmas pudding from east to west?) Your students might like to see what the Brits think of some of our American Christmas traditions, and to learn how these vary in other nations.

The Christmas Story in Art Grade 2 to 12 - The Metropolitan Museum of Art- 9078

This website tells an interactive Christmas story through several famous artists and paintings. You have the option of reading the story or hearing the story. This is the biblical Christmas story, so may not be appropriate in all school settings. What a fabulous way to connect the holidays to famous paintings and to study the relationship between religious iconography and the arts. This website requires FLASH. You can get it from the TeachersFirst Toolbox page..

In the Classroom:
Use your interactive whiteboard (or projector) to share these beautiful paintings. For younger students (or beginning ESL/ELL), turn up the audio and pause the story to discuss the various paintings. With older students, turn the audio off and have the students take turns reading the story aloud. Challenge the students to look for religious and cultural symbolism used to convey meanings in the artworks.

Christmas at the White House Grade 3 to 8 - Abraham Lincoln Presidential Museum- 4771

Are you looking for a creative way to teach students about Christmas and other December holidays? This downloadable PDF file offers a very detailed lesson plan and classroom activities about Christmas At The White House. Although the name uses the word "Christmas," other holidays are mentioned also. There is a link to learn more about Hanukkah, Ramadan, and Kwanzaa at the White House. The PDF file is a Teacher's Guide with background information, printables, discussion questions, writing prompts, and other activity ideas. Presidents are highlighted from George Washington to George W. Bush. This site requires Adobe Acrobat. You can get it from the TeachersFirst Toolbox page.

In the Classroom:
Use this site for research about the history of the White House. The "Teacher's Guide" is ready to go and easily adaptable to various grade levels. Project the discussion questions or writing prompts on your interactive whiteboard or projector. Have students write responses to the questions or create a blog entry. Print out the activities and use during the month of December.

Christmas Resources Grade 3 to 12 - TeachersFirst- 151

Our own collection of Christmas resources concentrates on Christmas customs in other countries and time periods. Lots of resources for an interesting exploration of how the Christmas holiday developed.

In the Classroom:
Try our Giving Tree lesson with your elementary students.

Thought Audio Grade K to 12 - thoughtaudio.com- 11558

This free audio book site offers classical literature and philosophy books in the public domain for download at no charge. In addition to typical classics, it offers recordings of the Declaration of Independence and the U.S. Constitution, some Mark Twain, and a few Christmas recordings for children including "Twas the Night Before Christmas," "The Gift of the Magi," and "Scrooge: A Christmas Carol."

In the Classroom:
Make a shortcut to this site on classroom computers as a reference. Suggest it to students as something they can use on their mp3 players. Share this link on your class website for students and parents to access at home. Learning support teachers may want to use selections from this site as alternatives to reading print literature selections. Play a story on your computer speakers as a listening activity in younger grades.

Christmas Crackers Grade 1 to 6 - - 5507

Bring the spirit of a traditional British Christmas into your classroom with this easy-to-follow plan for creating Christmas crackers. No, they're not edible, but your students can fill them with tiny treats!

Christmas in other Countries Grade 4 to 7 - Rochedale State School- 5501

This comprehensive site, designed by 7th grade students, provides excellent information about Christmas celebrations around the world. While it is still a work in progress, it would be a great starting point for a research project on Christmas traditions.

Christmas Traditions Grade 4 to 6 - - 5499

Explore customs, recipes, and Christmas legends from around the world. This site provides concise descriptions of holiday traditions, but is a bit heavy on text. Use this for background information to design a multi-cultural Christmas celebration in your classroom.

Christmas Around the World Grade 3 to 6 - - 5482

This well-organized WebQuest involves students in investigating how Christmas is celebrated in cultures around the world. Materials and online resources are provided; the only thing you must contribute is the computer lab.

In the Classroom:
Use this webquest on Christmas before the holidays - hopefully in time for a unit or lesson on world religions. While clearly the focus is Christianity, students might still enjoy the varying traditions among other nations - especially the unique ones of Eastern Europe!

Instead of creating a paper or oral report, have students complete the task with an online books using a tool such as Bookemon, reviewed here. The rubric would still apply, and it would be something new to get students interested in the project.

A Victorian Christmas Grade 4 to 8 - TeachersFirst- 173

This unit introduces Victorian Christmas customs and offers several activities which students can complete to show their understanding of Christmas celebrations a century ago.

In the Classroom:
Save this site as a favorite on your desktop and use it to add supplementary activities to your classroom before Winter Break. Many of the sites can be used as webquests, classroom activities or Learning centers. This could be a great way to mix the holidays into content, comparing today's celebrations to those of the 19th century.

Christmas Fun Grade K to 5 - Mrs. Robin Martin- 12061

If you are looking for fun activities to feed the holiday spirit check out Mrs. Martin's blog. Students will enjoy decorating digital gingerbread cookies, "elfing" themselves, making virtual snowflakes, creating colorful sand drawings, and counting down the days to Christmas on advent calendars from around the world.

*BE AWARE: at the time of this review, a few of the links were "under construction." However, what IS available is worth taking a look at!

In the Classroom:
Incorporate fun digital activities into your interactive whiteboard or projector lessons this December. Make a shortcut to links from this site on classroom computers and use it as a center. Read Jan Brett's book "Gingerbread Baby" and then have students create virtual gingerbread cookies from the variety of sites on this blog. Science units covering the states of matter, weather, or water cycle can include a fun diversion to cutting out virtual snowflakes. Schools that celebrate Christmas will enjoy projecting an advent calendar daily and seeing what surprises each new day brings.

General Tips and Reminders: Fully preview the links on this site at school before introducing them to students. Some sites may be down or not accessible on your school network. There is some advertising on a few sites. Students may have the opportunity to create virtual cards. These require users to enter email addresses directly into the site. Advise your students to print their work rather than submitting personal emails. Or use a class email (rather than your personal email, create a class gmail account for all students to use).

Talking About Grade 8 to 12 - English Portal- 9168

This English language site is great to use for in-context vocabulary acquisition for ELL and ESL students. The site has twenty-five general topics with banks of commonly used words and examples of how they are used in different situations, phrases, and idioms. Some of the topics include weather, telling the time, lies, cars, trips, letters, vacations, Christmas, and numerous others. Definitions and pronunciation (British) of some of the expressions are provided. There are also examples of the expressions used in a variety of sentences. After taking a look at the definition/pronunciation page, students can select a variety of checkups, including drag and drop, true/false, and fill in the blank. This site requires Media Player or Quicktime. You can get this plug-in from the TeachersFirst Toolbox page..

In the Classroom:
Check this page to see if any of the general topics has relevance to your lessons. Students can work on their own to increase their vocabulary knowledge of specific expressions used containing the topic focus word. For example, at Christmas time, ESL and ELL students can add to their cultural knowledge as well as language usage by using the Christmas pages.

Mrs. Cassidy's Web Page - Merry Christmas Grade K to 3 - Mrs. Cassidy- 8845

Visit this seasonal website for some Christmas and general winter fun. Mrs. Cassidy, a primary teacher, has created another useful collection. Some examples of activities include: "Mix and Match Snowman," "Make a Snowflake," and "Trim a Tree." Educational topics include matching, problem solving, logic, art, and others. Many of these activities require JAVA and/or FLASH. Get them from the TeachersFirst Toolbox page..

In the Classroom:
All of these activities would be perfect on your interactive whiteboard. Students would also enjoy independent exploration of the activities on a classroom computer or cluster. Be aware - some of these activities lack educational value, so check out the activity BEFORE using it in your class. Most of the links are very educational and offer excellent enrichment activities. Also, you may notice some spelling differences (since some of the links originate from BC, Canada).

Christmas Activities Grade 1 to 6 - Birmingham Grid for Learning- 8260

This website offers a variety of art and interactive activities based on a Christmas or winter theme. This site requires Acrobat and Flash. Get them from the TeachersFirst Toolbox page..

In the Classroom:
Bookmark the site on a classroom computer for students to use the interactive portions as time permits. Print the directions for art activities and use for center time.

Twelve Books of Christmas Grade K to 12 - The Children's Literature Web Guide- 7896

From the Children's Literature Web Guide at the University of Calgary comes this collection of books for Christmas for students of all ages. There is a short review for each, along with a short excerpt. Lots of good pointers for a trip to the library.

In the Classroom:
Pass this booklist on to parents wanting to encourage their young readers around the holidays to continue to read! Pass along the list via your wiki or webpage, allowing parents to access it whenever and decreasing the odds of the list getting lost in the abyss that is a student's backpack. Not comfortable with wikis? Have no wiki worries – check out the Teacher’s First Wiki Walk-Through reviewed here.

The Giving Tree Lesson Grade 2 to 8 - TeachersFirst- 7894

A Christmas gift from one of our own staff, this lesson based on Shel Silverstein's book The Giving Tree is sure to get you students thinking about the Christmas spirit. We're also offering a place for you to share your students' responses on TeachersFirst's own giving tree.

In the Classroom:
This lesson can be adapted for use in language arts class with students of varying ability levels in grades 2 - 8. This lesson is also well-suited to a multi-age activity with "big buddies" and "little buddies" from upper and lower grades working together. School counselors and emotional support teachers may find this activity helpful for small groups working on social skills, as well.

French and French Canadian Christmas Customs Grade 4 to 8 - - 7893

This site doesn't have a lot of depth, but there are examples of French Christmas traditions and how they have evolved over the last few hundred years. The presentation is extremely easy to navigate. C'est aussi en Français!

Christmas Activities Grade K to 5 - - 7850

Here's a nicely done collection of activities, coloring items, and other Christmas treats for elementary students. Lots of printable sheets to color, letting students make gift tags, cards, and the like.

In the Classroom:
Post this site on your teacher web page to allow parents and students access. Teachers can also use this site in the downtime that sometimes comes in the days before winter break. Share some of the activities on an interactive whiteboard or projector, and help students recreate them.

Christmas Reference from Urban Legends Grade K to 12 - - 7849

While no one doubts the religious significance of Christmas, the origin of many of the customs associated with the holiday is lost in legend. These pages sort out the origins of some of these customs and symbols in instructive fashion. Are poinsettias poisonous? Where did the Yule Log come from? Find out here... and note that not all legends are appropriate for all ages - read first, then use.

WebCam Central Grade K to 12 - Jim Holley- 7848

Want to know what Christmas looks like in Finland, Germany, or Scotland? Here's a multi-page site showing webcam views of Christmas decorations and celebrations around the world. You will have to ignore flashing advertisements on the page that lists the webcams.

Christmas/Holiday Traditions Grade 4 to 12 - myvocabulary.com- 9903

Check out this site all about vocabulary words for Christmas (and other holiday traditions). Find interactive vocabulary, extensive information about the vocabulary, roots, printable crosswords, fill in the blanks, and more! All activities use the same 18 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 try to create their own word puzzles and share them on a class wiki.

Christmas Scavenger Hunt Grade 5 to 7 - Pleasant Grove Elementary- 5506

This collection of four Internet scavenger hunts challenge students to discover fascinating information about Christmas observances throughout the world. You’ll need to contribute a paper answer sheet for recording answers.

Christmas Around the World Worksheet Grade 3 to 6 - Aussie SchoolHouse- 5505

Guide your students' research of Christmas customs with this printable worksheet.

Christmas Web Hunt Grade 4 to 7 - Woodlands Junior School- 5504

Learn about Christmas traditions in England with this well organized, ready-to-go Web hunt. Students must read each question, click on a link to visit a specific portion of the site, locate the answer, and type it in the space provided. Includes an option to print the completed Web hunt.

Christmas around the World Grade 2 to 4 - northpole.net- 5498

Click on the name of a country to access several facts about holiday celebrations there. These brief descriptions of Christmas observances in more than a dozen countries can easily be incorporated into a Web search activity for younger elementary students.

Notes on A Christmas Carol Grade 8 to 12 - GradeSaver- 5480

Supplement a unit on Dickens and the Victorian novel with this site that focuses on A Christmas Carol. Highlights include brief overviews of the major themes, discussions of the characters, biographical information about the author, summaries and analyses of each stave, and links to related resources. Use the 40-question interactive quiz as a review after reading the novella or viewing a film adaptation in class.

Holidays Grade 1 to 3 - Manatee School District- 9544

Need some information or class ideas about Christmas, Kwanzaa, Ramadan, Yom Kipper, or New Years? Check out this interactive, easy to follow website. Each holiday has an individual page with several links to photos, historical information, vocabulary definitions, reference information, and more. There is also a Read feature available with each paragraph. This allows students to hear the paragraph read aloud (a great feature for non-readers and ESL or ELL students). Most holidays also include an online quiz.

At the time of the review, the link on the Yom Kipper page to Hear the Sound of a Shofar was being updated. All of the other many links and information worked perfectly. This site requires Flash. You can get it from the TeachersFirst Toolbox page.

In the Classroom:
Save this site in your favorites to share during the holiday seasons. Assign research groups to investigate the holidays listed at this site. Have students report their findings to the class. Create a class wiki for students to share holidays they celebrate and holiday traditions that they follow.

Six Calendars of Special Days and Festivals Grade K to 8 - Woodlands Junior School( Project Britain)- 8284

This informative and resourceful website provides information about numerous holidays collected into six different calendar pages. The pages are created by Woodlands Junior School, a British school well known for their online interactive activities, many created by students and teachers together! Although this website was created for use in the United Kingdom, it provides a great deal of knowledge about holidays celebrated in many countries throughout the world. Be aware that there are some links within these pages that do not seem to work, but most do. The content seems to be updated in time for new calendar years, at least on some of the calendars. Some of the specific topics include New Years, Valentine's Day, St. Patrick's Day, Easter, Christmas, and other holidays. Use this website to help your students gain a better understanding of numerous holidays in other cultures. This website provides information about the history of holidays, how the holidays are celebrated and much more.

In the Classroom:
As you study other cultures, be sure to include this resource for students to research the celebrations there. Or include the link on your teacher web page with the title "Every Day is a Holiday?" asking students to use the holiday calendar to become more be aware of different cultures. Instead of reporting on a current event from the newspaper, give them the option of reporting on a holiday that occurred this week in another part of the world.

Christmas Cookie Archive Grade K to 12 - - 7855

We could claim that this site made the cut because it has recipes from all over the world. Frankly, we liked it because we suspect every classroom needs a good cookie recipe at this time of year. This site has dozens of tempting recipes you may want to try. Try mixing the recipes with some of the international customs described in the sites below.

Christmas Carol Words Grade K to 12 - - 7854

What it says is what you get - the words to dozens of different carols, displayed in a format that should be easy to print out and use. Can't remember the second verse to Silent Night? Look no further! Privately published.

Holiday Traditions Grade 4 to 6 - Museum of Science and Technology- 5526

This guide to Christmas celebrations around the world focuses mainly on the greetings, decorations, and traditions that are part of this religious holiday. But the site also includes descriptions of other cultural celebrations, including Diwali, Hanukkah, Ramadan, and Kwanzaa. This is an excellent resource for a seasonal multicultural unit. Younger children may need a bit of help with the text, so consider developing a simple Web hunt to focus their exploration.

World Traditions Grade 4 to 7 - History Channel- 5500

Click on the interactive map to discover facts about how Christmas is celebrated in that part of the world. Be sure to visit the "Evolution of Santa" link for an interesting glimpse of St. Nick's progression from 3rd century Turkey to the American shopping mall.

In the Classroom:
Use the video on this site to show students how the tradition of Santa Claus has evolved over the years. The section about the Christmas Truce of 1914 would be a really great find for a class working on WWI, particularly if the timing is right before the holidays. There is a video to accompany the article, but teachers can just as easily display or print the article to share the same information. This would be a really great way to show the human side of the war instead of an endless list of battles and alliances.

Scrooge for Mayor Grade 8 to 12 - - 5481

This Web Quest engages students in examining the complexities of Victorian society through the eyes of Ebenezer Scrooge. Having developed a new attitude after visitations from the three spirits, Scrooge is ready to change the world by running for mayor of London. Students – working as campaign managers - must help Ebenezer develop campaign points and outline strategies to woo the public into accepting his ideas for social reform. Aspects of Victorian life described in A Christmas Carol, form the basis for this activity, although it could easily be adapted to any of his other novels.

In the Classroom:
This would actually be a great resource for a government class working right before the holidays! During a unit on campaigns, use this activity as a way for students to think outside of the box in applying their lessons. This could even be used alongside a language arts classroom studying "A Christmas Carol," to ensure all students are up to snuff on Scrooge's character. This is a fun way to look at political campaigns with an interdisciplinary focus.

Colonial Williamsburg - History for Kids Daily Jigsaw Puzzles Grade 3 to 8 - Colonial Williamsburg- 11046

This site provides a daily jigsaw puzzle depicting an aspect of life at Colonial Williamsburg. Choose the current daily puzzle or a different one from the archives. Archive categories are broken down into: Trades, Animals, Spring, Sites, People, Misc, Winter, Military, Valentines, Christmas, Autumn, and Thanksgiving. Jigsaw puzzles teach visual/spatial skills in addition to providing an engaging way to present history.

In the Classroom:
This site can be used in several different ways. Use it on an interactive whiteboard or projector as a center during social studies time. Have students solve the puzzle and then write about what they've revealed. Put it on classroom computers and have students use it for a morning warm up. This site will work for all ability levels because you are able to change the number and style of the pieces in the puzzle window.

Gingerbread Project Grade K to 3 - Mrs. G's Class- 10046

What better way to share this beloved Christmas story than to create a website for it. Consider this Gingerbread Boy site a model of what a teacher can do with a favorite story or character. Scrolling photos of her class, podcasts of the students’ Gingerbread stories, and activities and games are some of the features of this site. This site requires Flash. You can get it from the TeachersFirst Toolbox page.

In the Classroom:
If you love the Gingerbread Boy story, you may want to incorporate podcasting your students’ versions. Or, perhaps you have another theme in mind. This site shows the potential of sharing students’ stories via the web. Looking for a tool to use for podcasting? Why not use podOmatic (reviewed here).

Real Trees 4 Kids Grade K to 12 - The National Christmas Tree Association- 9677

Trees, trees, and more trees - that is what you find at this site. There are lesson ideas and activities for all grade levels (K-12). The activities are broken down into grades K-2, 3-5, 6-8, and 9-12. Each level includes several "Teacher's Guides." In grades K-2, the site's goal is for students to learn about trees and their parts using writing, science, and math! The Grades 3-5 section focuses on the life cycle of conifer trees. This level also discusses how real trees are recycled, the types of trees grown on farms, and new vocabulary words. In grades 6-8 students learn about the life cycles and scientific names of the trees and take a look (first-hand) into the life of a real tree grower. Grades 9-12 challenges students to dig deeper into the soil and check out how REAL TREE growers keep their crops healthy, how supply and demand works, and more details about conifers. There are many other highlights at this site: ready to go units, photos, and more. The TF editorial staff checked many of the links; there were two not working at the time of this review. However, the other 30-40 links did work. This site requires Flash. You can get it from the TeachersFirst Toolbox page.

In the Classroom:
Use this site to "spruce" up Earth Day or your study of plants and trees! The Teacher's Guides are basically ready-to-go units of study. Some of the activities are more interactive than others. If you are looking for a more "technology" friendly activity, consider having students create a wiki guide to the various trees in their hometowns (or around their school). Or have them create a video “Tree Tour.” Share the videos using a tool such as SchoolTube (reviewed here).

Colonial Williamsburg Lesson Plans Grade 4 to 8 - Colonial Williamsburg Foundation- 8142

Sixteen interdisciplinary lesson plans capture the essence of Colonial Williamsburg. The background research for the plans are hotlinked into each lesson.

In the Classroom:
These lessons make it easy to plan an entire unit on life in Williamsburg, from mathematics to a colonial Christmas. While you are at this page, sign up for the free e-newsletter to keep up to date on offerings to teachers from Williamsburg. Make sure you visit the Kids Zone games and information for additional research to enhance your lessons.

World Advent Calendar Grade 2 to 6 - Woodlands Junior School- 5503

Make this interactive calendar part of your daily routine during the holiday season. Each day of Advent, students can click to open a window and discover answers to questions about Christmas celebrations throughout the world.

Multi-Media Text of A Christmas Carol Grade 8 to 12 - Mitsuharu Matsuoka- 5479

Dickens' beloved Victorian novella may be a bit daunting for some students because of unfamiliar 19th century vocabulary and references. This complete, online version provides readers with assistance in the form of links to definitions and explanations, illustrative media clips from film adaptations of the work, and helpful summaries.

Abraham Lincoln Library Education Grade 4 to 8 - Abraham Lincoln Library- 3969

This site offers information for those visiting the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum. However, even if you can't physically go to the museum there are some create resources! If you click on the Teacher Resources, you will find several activity guides to use in your classroom. Learn more about the Gettysburg Address, First Ladies, Women's History Month, Black History Month, Christmas at the Whitehouse, and more! Most of the guides require Adobe Acrobat. You can get it from the TeachersFirst Toolbox page.

In the Classroom:
Use the activity guides in your classroom. Most include printables, higher order thinking questions, and even activities that could easily be displayed and discussed using your interactive whiteboard or projector.

Organs for Christmas Grade 9 to 12 - Genentech, Inc.- 2646

This is a lesson from Genentech's Access Excellence collection, which contains several hundred detailed lesson plans for high school level biology topics. Each lesson includes objectives, instructions, methodology, and outcomes.

Virtual Chanukah Grade 3 to 8 - - 196

A Hanukkah site with lots of resources, information, and activities. There is also content to teach students the origin and meaning of this Jewish festival.

In the Classroom:
Share this site on an interactive whiteboard or projector around the holiday season. Allow students to peruse the site on their own to gain a better understanding of the holiday. In addition to Christmas activities, recreate some of the Hanukkah activities in the preceding days before winter break.

Origami club Grade K to 8 - Fumiaki Shingu- 12267

The Origami Club makes the art of folding paper child's play. The animated video tutorials and printable directions take the guesswork out of making origami. There is a wide variety of directions for creating animals, creatures, food, holiday gifts, and accessories. The site also includes printable origami paper, links to other origami sites and new designs each month. There are some minor advertisements at this site.

In the Classroom:
Learn about the culture of Japan, geometry, and art with Origami. Use these video tutorials to create clever objects for holiday gifts while teaching mathematical principals about 2D and 3D figures, line, area, perimeter, and planes. Demonstrate how to create an origami object by projecting the site's animated videos directions. Stop and pause the video as students follow along. Save this site in your favorites on classroom computers so students can practice paper folding independently. Afterward, discuss the benefits of oral, visual, or animated directions. Ask students to describe the folding process with geometric terms such as fractional parts, symmetry, faces, edges, rotations, lines, triangle, angles, and shapes. Consider having students use a variety of multimedia presentation platforms to publish their personal version of directions. Have students create multimedia presentations that add narration to each fold with Voicethread reviewed here. Alternatively, share video directions on SchoolTube reviewed here or TeacherTube reviewed here. Have cooperative learning groups create podcasts demonstrating how to create origami with sites such as PodOmatic (reviewed here).

Google Treks Grade K to 12 - Dr. Alice Christie- 12233

GoogleTreks™ allows teachers and students to synthesize information in one easy-to-use Google Map that places text, pictures, audio files, video files, and much more in one central location. This site offers possibilities for exploration in all subject areas for all grades. The site is organized by both subject and grade-level tasks. Currently there are only a few examples to follow; however, they offer a variety of material and ideas for creating your own Google Trek or for students to create their own. After choosing a pre-made GoogleTrek, you are directed to a Google Map with different tasks and links.

There is an excellent tutorial for creating your own GoogleTrek that includes step-by-step directions with pictures. After creating a GoogleTrek, it can be posted to the site for others to use. Also included is a rubric that can be downloaded in pdf form. More information on Google Maps can be found at the TeachersFirst review. You can also view the maps in Google Earth. To learn more about Google Earth, see the TeachersFirst review (here).

In the Classroom:
Introduce this site on your interactive whiteboard or projector. Then have students explore independently or in small groups. Older students can create their own GoogleTrek after viewing examples for any subject. To post the GoogleTrek, you must email the creator (directions are explicitly explained on the "Posting Your Own GoogleTrek" link. Have students create GoogleTrek's about Christmas Around the World, routes of explorers, famous landmarks, and important inventions. While presenting a GoogleTrek, have students identify points displayed on paper maps located at their seats.

Activity TV Grade K to 8 - activitytv.com- 11863

This site contains how-to videos and printables for kids. Topics include science, paper airplanes, cooking, origami, cartooning, puppets, music, dance, math, and holidays. A summary next to the activity title gives the appropriate level, the number of views, and a starred evaluation of the demonstration. Holiday craft ideas and demos finish up the educational portion of the offerings.

In the Classroom:
Share the video clips on your interactive whiteboard or projector to accompany curriculum topics in science, art, physical education, language arts, health, or family/consumer science. Or show the videos to a class as examples for writing how-to (demonstration) speeches and/or videos done in language arts classes. Challenge students to create their own videos using a site such as SchoolTube (reviewed here). Look here also for ideas of holiday craft projects. Share the link on your class web page for students to try activities at home during breaks.

Paper Toys Grade 1 to 4 - Marilyn Scott-Waters- 11827

Designed by an artist, this site offers a number of free toy patterns to print out and put together. Students can choose toys that spin and fly as well as learning toys that teach math concepts and problem solving. Also featured are an array of toy patterns organized by themes as well as miniature toys. An option at the bottom of the pattern page allows the directions to be translated into 6 other languages. The simplicity of the patterns on the site allows students to use their creativity and individuality.

In the Classroom:
Check out the learning toys; students will enjoy making their own tools to learn multiplication or to solve puzzles. Use the gift boxes patterns for students to put small Christmas, Mothers' and Fathers' Days gifts in. After examining some of these patterns, ask your students to design their own folding patterns. Use the printables and images from this site for your bulletin boards. Use this site as the starting point for individual or group projects.

Voices in the Dark Grade K to 12 - Sean Puckett and Dawn Keenan- 11399

The website "Voices in the Dark" is a source for audio recordings of classic novels, legends, poems, and essays. There are approximately 150 ageless titles such as Charles Dickens’s "Christmas Carol" and Washington Irving's "Legend of Sleepy Hollow.” Each audiobook comes with an accompanying text transcript and are typically short. Receive regular updates by subscribing to their syndication feeds through RSS or podcasts. The audio files come in both low and high bitrates MP3 files that will match your computer's storage space and Internet bandwidth capabilities.

In the Classroom:
Engage your class in real world learning while building fluency and reading skills. “Voices in the Dark” is always looking for people to contribute to their on-line library of audio books. Consider having your class submit an audio recording of their own to the collection. First choose a genre to focus on such as Fairy Tales or Aesop Fables. Review the page that contains directions on how to select stories, create a recording, and submit work. There is a list of links full of public domain books from which to choose. They provide tips on how to record your reading and directions on how to submit your work. Sites such as Audio Pal reviewed here may be helpful in creating your recordings. Of course, check with your administrator before attempting this project and obtain parent permission before sharing or posting student work.

The Metropolitan Museum of Art – Explore and Learn Grade 3 to 12 - Metropolitan Museum of Art- 9173

Explore and Learn is your gateway to educational fun and learning at the Metropolitan Museum of Art! This area is organized into themes such as "Just for Fun," "A Closer Look," "Artists," "Themes and Cultures," "What’s New," "Timeline of Art History," "Read All About It," and "Publications for Educators." Built around the world-class collections of the museum, the Met provides interactive learning games, virtual scavenger hunts, activities, worksheets, commentary, and resources for students and teachers. This site requires Flash. Get it from the TeachersFirst Toolbox page..

In the Classroom:
Pick a theme and jump in! The themed areas lend themselves to whole class viewing with an interactive whiteboard or projector. Mark this site as a Favorite and turn those classroom computers into activity centers where students can explore and learn with interactive art games. Base a hands-on art activity around the themes "A Closer Look" and "Artists." Visit "Themes and Cultures" for a multicultural tour and discussion about art styles around the world. Create a classroom art gallery of student art in time for Open House. Don’t forget to take digital pictures for your “archives” and as examples for another year.

Holiday List to Santa Grade K to 2 - Funbrain- 8859

Children type in their Holiday wish list through this interactive site. There is some advertising, but it is easily ignored. After keying in the list, print it and send it on to...Santa? Home in the backpacks? This site requires FLASH. Get it from the TeachersFirst Toolbox page..

In the Classroom:
Turn this experience into a service project by creating holiday wish lists of items to collect and give to needy families. Or make "pretend" lists of items your favorite characters from books would ask for and posting them in your classroom. Sometimes it is hard for students to "put themselves in someone else's shoes" during the holiday season, but this activity might provide the incentive to think less selfishly.

Spirit of the Season Grade 5 to 12 - NY Times- 8849

This site is a collection of seasonally-appropriate lesson plans for winter and the holiday season, including philanthropy, winter sports, and weather. In addition to lesson plans, there are timely crossword puzzles and questions and answers about winter weather.

In the Classroom:
Use this to find a curriculum-appropriate way to include the holidays in your plans. It's a great place to give students info about symbols of international religions, for example, or to explain the history and applications of volunteerism and giving. If you advise a service club, there are fresh ideas here, as well.

Word Search Puzzles Grade 1 to 5 - Primarygames.com- 8699

This site offers user-friendly, interactive word search puzzles for vocabulary and reading enhancement. Some of the topics include the Olympics (both summer and winter), Dinosaurs, Farm Animals, Earth Day, butterflies, and various other topics and holidays. These are computer-based word searches, not printables. There is a link to a companion site with printables. NOTE: this site does include unobtrusive advertisements. The site requires Java. Get it from the TeachersFirst Toolbox page.

In the Classroom:
Share a search on your interactive whiteboard (use student FINGERS to circle the words!). Or make it a center as one of several options for spelling and vocabulary. Your students may ask you to include the link on your teacher web page so they can try some from home, as well.

Magic Vocabulary Grade K to 5 - Viktor Gayol- 8271

This online tool and vocabulary site creates up to thirteen games, puzzles, and worksheets from a word list the teacher inputs on the home page. The working database contains about 2000 English singular words, but doesn't include abstract nouns. There are some ready-made activities already done for you as examples: body parts, Christmas, family, feelings, foods, and more. Typical activities include findaword, matching, multiple choice quizzes, memory, word scrambles, and labeling. There is a charge for subscription to the services, but users who recommend someone to this site receive a one-year subscription free. One caution: set the speed to "tortoise" on the "STOP" game. Even adults can't click the mouse fast enough above that speed!page. This site requires QuickTime to hear the audio. Get it from the TeachersFirst Toolbox. .

In the Classroom:
Use this for a center with vocabulary review activities in any primary classroom or with speech and language or special ed students for vocabulary development. Using it in ESL classes will also be great, even on an interactive whiteboard with a small group. Students can also use the games on their own to practice vocabulary outside of class, so be sure to include the link on your teacher web page.

Drama Workshop: Ideas for teaching drama Grade 1 to 8 - Andrew McCann- 7263

Looking for a variety of improvisational activities for your students? Or perhaps an original play? This site offers several of these that are varied and interesting. Worth a look for a change of pace. While the site is a little cluttered with ads, the links in the left side column provide a lot of activities filed under categories (such as animals, Christmas, etc.) as well as two plays written by the creator of the site that are quite cute for middle school students. This provides some variety in the activities that you may have planned, particularly if you like looking for holiday focused activities.

In the Classroom:
Use improvisation as a springboard to writing in your language arts classes. Once students have tried acting, have them write "plays" or do brief improvisations to illustrate concepts from socisl studies or science!