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Cool Sites for Kids

Build Your Wild Self
Create a digital human and then add animal characteristics.
Educational Games and Activities
This fun, interactive site allows kids to learn in the form of games and activities
GamesGoo
A fun spot for K-2 students to hone their language arts skills along with computer and internet skills.
Kidz Club
This site specializes in language arts activities for PK and elementary students. Printable worksheets too!
Math Games
Hundreds of pages of basic math skills, interactive practice on every page, and an explanation of the math topic on each page.
PBS Kids
Web sites of the children's shows, features activities, stories, and much more.
Primary Games
Great learning games and games just for fun!
Switch Zoo
This fun website allows users to learn different facts about animals and habitats. There is also a section where you can switch
Up to Ten
This site contains more than 600 games and activities
Fun Brain
Funbrain offers more than 100 fun, interactive games that develop skills in math, reading, and literacy.

Poetry

Cinquian Poetry
ReadWriteThink lesson on creating a cinquain poem using basic parts of speech.
Creating a Poetry Anthology
ReadWriteThink ideas and checklist for creating a poetry anthology
Creating Color Poetry
ReadWriteThink lesson about using your five senses to create color poetry.
Diamante Interactive Template
This site forms a complete diamante poem; all students need to do is plug in adjectives into the box.
Diamante Poems
ReadWriteThink lesson on creating diamante poetry.
Dr. Seuss Poem examples
This site, developed by a third grade class, shows examples of Dr. Seuss poetry
Earth Verse: Using Poetry in Science
ReadWriteThink lesson on creating poetry in science.
Haiku Examples
Great examples of haikus written by third and fourth graders from around the country.
Magnetic Poetry
Website lets the user pick from a variety of backgrounds and word banks to create poems.
Seasonal haikus
ReadWriteThink lesson on writing seasonal haikus.

Mr. Knips' Favorite Sites

Wordle
Wordle is a toy for generating “word clouds” from text that you provide.
KidBlog
Our classroom blog - check often at home or school for new questions!
Storybird
Storybirds are short, art-inspired stories you make to share, read, and print.
IXL Math
Log in and practice math skills at home or school.
Study Jams
Great site short videos on a number of different topics we cover in 3rd grade

Writing

Interactive Writing Resources

Wordle
Wordle is a toy for generating “word clouds” from text that you provide.
Kerpoof
This website allows you to make artwork, create an animated movie, make a printed card, tell a story, or make a drawing.
Interactive Newspaper Template
This template walks students step-by-step through creating a newspaper.
Storybird
Log-in, select pictures, and then create your own story!
Comix Creator
A fun way for students to show their creativity and writing ability through comic strips.

Descriptive, Persuasive, Expository, Narrative Writing

Using Comic Strips in Narrative Writing
ReadWriteThink lesson that introduces students to narrative writing with the use of comic strips
Using Descriptive Writing to Create Monster Trading Cards
ReadWriteThink lesson that details how to use descriptive writing to create monster trading cards

Writing Sentences and Paragraphs

Step Up To Writing Examples
Great introduction to paragraph writing using the stoplight approach.

Writing Lesson Plans

Using Alphabet Books in Writing
ReadWriteThink lesson that shows how to create alphabet books for struggling writers.
Writing a Newspaper
ReadWriteThink lesson plans for creating a classroom newspaper.
Sequencing Activities
A fun, interactive site that allows students to put events in sequential order.

6 Writing Traits

Reading

Author Study

Chris Van Allsburg
Submit a story to Van Allsburg's "Mystery of Harris Burdick."
Chris Van Allsburg - Official Site
Official site of author and illustrator Chris Van Allsburg
Chris Van Allsburg - Lesson Plans
Lesson plans and ideas for many of Van Allsburg's books.

Book Study Guides

Because of Winn Dixie
Activities, lesson plans, and questions related to the book by Kate DiCamillo
The Chocolate Touch
Printable questions and vocabulary for each section.
Cricket in Times Square
Questions and vocabulary words for each chapter.
Fantastic Mr. Fox
Roald Dahl - questions, worksheets, and vocabulary
Midnight on the Moon
Magic Treehouse Series
Sarah, Plain and Tall
Vocabulary, questions, and activities.
Stone Fox
Great resource for backround info on the book.
Reading Unit Lesson Plans
Great reading units created by Gay Miller
Because of Winn Dixie Resources
ReadWriteThink lesson plans on the novel - Because of Winn Dixie
Be a Perfect Person in Just Three Days
Comedy Unit - Great resource for the book Be a Perfect Person in Just Three Days

Reading Lessons

Create your own Book Cover
Read-Write-Think link that has useful handouts and templates to create a book cover or dust jacket.
Teaching Point of View with Two Bad Ants
ReadWriteThink lesson that uses the book Two Bad Ants to discuss point of view.
Time for Kids
This website is an outstanding resource for kid-friendly news stories.
What's in a mystery?
ReadWriteThink lesson on the elements that make up the mystery genre.
Character Trading Cards
ReadWriteThink site that allows user to create a trading card based on a book character

Spelling

Fun School Spelling
Can you spot the misspelled words? Click on this site and see!
Houghton Mifflin Spelling Lists
Our reading textbook publisher, Houghton Mifflin, has a site that matches spelling lists to our reading stories.
Little Explorer's Dictioary and Spelling
This isn't for babies either!! The amount of information on the site just "boggles the mind"!!!!
Spelling City
An interactive spelling site the helps kids learn their spelling words each week. Type in "Knips" under "Find List" for our week
Kids Spell
A fun site that offers lots of free games to help with spelling
Spin and Spell
Spin a wheel and spell the picture you see!
16 Spelling Games
GamesGames offers 16 fun and interactive spelling games.
Catch the Spelling
Online games to practice spelling and vocabulary.

Misc. Links

Etherpad
Notes from Best Websites Class
Graphic Organizers
The best collection of graphic organizers available on the Web!
PBS: Lesson Plans
Over 4,500 lesson plans and activities that are in sections that are easy to find.
Simple Truths
Free Inspirational (short) video clips.
The Webquest Page
This site, by Bernie Dodge, will orient you to webquests concepts and training materials and a bulletin board, plus a collection
Zamzar
convert teacher tube and utube videos to files that you can save.

Creating Art

Art Institute of Chicago
Users can learn about art, its history, and the various artifacts in the Art Institute of Chicago.
The Art Zone
Excellent resource for kids to learn more about art, art history, and artists.

Language Arts

Grammar Games

Grammar Ninja
Grammar Ninja is a fun game for students to play as they develop a working knowledge of the parts of speech.
Grammar Blast
35 interactive grammar activities for students in grades two through five.
Grammar Practice Park
The Grammar Practice Park produced by Harcourt School Publishers provides 12 games for students in grades three, four, and five.
Grammar Games
This interactive website allows users to practice grammar skills through games.

Parts of Speech

Adjectives and Synonyms
ReadWriteThink lesson on using adjectives and synonyns in writing.
Homophones
ReadWriteThink lesson on understanding homophones.

Social Studies

Communities

Government

Geography

Other Resources

K-8 Social Studies Ideas
Hundreds of useful social studies related sites
National Geographic
Short, free online videos to supplement content
Education Place: Social Studies
Houghtain Mifflin provides this site as an excellent resource and has many parts that are not part of a specific textbook

Early America

Colonial Times
Excellent resource for information on colonial America.
Scholastic First Thanksgiving
A step-by-step tutorial of the First Thanksgiving.
The First Thanksgiving
Another useful site with information on the First Thanksgiving
Life on the Plymouth Plantation
This interactive site introduces students to what life was like on the Plymouth Plantation in the early 17th century.

Early Exploration

Why Explorers Explored
Webquest activity for K-4. Students explore on preselected website. One of six major topics of humban interest. Good Activity!

Science

Animals

Food Web - Interactive Map
Adjust population of animals/plants to see how it affects a food web.
Food Chain and Food Web
Useful notes about food chains and food webs.
Food Chain - Slide Show
Good visual to walk kids through the food chain and the life cycle.
Vertebrates
Good description of each type of vertebrate
Vertebrates Site
Great summary of each type of vertebrate.
Butterfly Life Cycle
Good site to show the stages of a Monarch Butterfly life cycle
Animal Life Cycles
Interactive life cycle of a frog, butterfly, and an apple tree.
Butterfly Art Project
Art project that ties into 3rd grade life cycle standards
Frog Life Cycle
Good, brief description of each stage of the frog life cycle.
Frog and Butterfly Life Cycles
Food Chain Links
Great site for various resources on the food chain

Plants

Plant's Structure
This is an awesome website that introduces students to a plant's structure, life cycle, and parts
Seeds, Fruit, Crayfish, Life Cyles
Learn about seeds and fruits and life cycles.
The Great Plant Escape
Good site that walks the user through the various parts of the plant and their function.
Classifying Living and Nonliving Things
Useful chart that helps students distinguish between living and nonliving things.
Living/Nonliving Quiz
By looking at a picture, students are asked to classify each thing has living or nonliving.

Earth's Surface

Biomes
Worksheets, tables, and loads of information about the different biomes of the world.
Volcanoes, Earthquakes, Tsunamis
Great site at kids' level for weather and Earth's physical features.
Water
Learn how the special properties of water allow life on the water planet—Earth.

Energy and Change

Matter

Scientific Method

Solar System

Weather

Misc. Science

Human Body
Here students can play games, view posters, and watch movies about the human body.
3rd Grade Science Skills
Invaluable site that lists 3rd grade science skills and websites that match.

Math

Cool Math 4 Kids
Games, cool illustrations of mathematical concepts & principles. All levels.
IXL Math
Kids can log in and practice third grade mathematical concepts at home.
Math Cats
Site for Elem and MS level students to discover the logic and beauty of math. Lots of activities!
Virtual Math Manipulatives
Great site to show students virtual manipulatives for math.
Math Dictionary for Kids
Phenomenal resource for difficult to explain math concepts

Geometry

Project-Draw
Website that lets users drag shapes/objects into a grid to create their own architectural designs.
Area and Perimeter Slide Show
Interactive site that explains the difference between area and perimeter using a real world example.
Perimeter and Area Game
Fun game to review the concept of area and perimeter.
Area and Perimeter Spaceships
Use geometric shapes to create a spaceship.
Perimeter Slideshow
Downloadable lesson on understanding perimeter by building a fence
Interactive Geoboard
Virtual Manipulative - Geoboard. Use when discussing area, perimeter, and geometic shapes.

Graphing

NCES Kids' Zone
Engage in several games, quizzes and skill building about math, probability, graphing, and mathematicians.

Math Facts

Multiplication

Advanced Skip Counting
Practice finding the missing multiples in the pattern.
Beat the Clock
Answer the multiplication facts by clicking on the product.
Dice Multiplication Game
Roll two dice and then click on the correct product.
FunBrain Multiplication
Practice multiplication facts with an interactive baseball game.
Math Trainer
Multiplication table training online that responds to your answers and will train your weaknesses.
Multiplication Facts
At this site, students can practice their math facts and play games.
Multiplication Worksheets
Over 40 multiplication sheets to print and practice.
Quiz Hub Multiplication
Click on corresponding pairs to match math facts with their products.
Skip Counting
Fun, interactive game to skip count and practice multiples.
Target the Right Answer
Target practice - shoot at the correct product to a multiplication sentence.
Times Table Fun
Drag the correct product to the times table.
Times Table Practice
Practice skip counting by filling in the multiplication chart.

Division

Addition

Measurement

Money

Banking and Money
Students will learn about money, savings, interest, checking, and electronic banking in this very interactive site.
Farm Stand
Use money and multiplication to buy produce from a farm.
Change Counter
Calculate the correct change and find the appropriate coins.

Place Value and Rounding

Rounding Game
Easy game to review rounding to the nearest 10 and 100.
Place Value - Largest Number
Draw and discard different cards to make the largest possible number.

Probability

Time

Clock Matching
Pick the digit time that matches the analog clock.
Clock with Quarter Hours
Another site to review and practice telling time to the nearest quarter hour.
Elapsed Time Clock
Great manipulative to show elapsed time.

Picture and Video Editting

Photo Fun

Big Huge Labs
After learning how to take/capture pictures, users can upload them to the site and use any of the 20+ applications to create uni
Create Logos, Signs, and More!
Says-It.com image makers allow you to create your own funny photos and graphics.
Tuxpi
This site is similar to Big Huge Labs. It allows the user to upload pictures and create different projects.

Video Fun

Voice Fun

Teacher Resources

Crossword Builder
Read, Write, Think offers this FREE and easy crossword builder.
Just Crosswords
Another good collection of age-appropriate crosswords - also the ability to create your own.
Sweet Search
Over 35,000 websites reviewed and approved by librarians and teachers.

Teacher Websites

Beth Newingham's Website
Created by a third grade teacher, this website is full of great resources and ideas.
Mrs. Walker's Frog-Tastic Website
A 4th grade teacher's website chock-full of ideas and useful links.

Alternatives to YouTube

Teacher Tube
Similar to YouTube, this site is safe to use in school and has lots of useful videos.
Teacher TV
Free educational resources and videos for professional development. for
i Tunes U
More than 250,000 free lectures, videos, films, and other resources — from all over the world.
Viddler
Upload and share your videos for FREE
How Stuff Works
Learn how everything works!
History Channel
Videos similar to what is found on TV.
Discovery Channel
More useful educational videos free to users.

Web 2.0 Tools

Prezi
Allows you to create stunning and moving presentations by being able to zoom in and out of key points in your presentation.
Glogster
Create a digital poster using a combination of images, videos, music, text and animations.
Museum Box
Provides the tools to build up a description of an event or person by placing items in a virtual box.
Animoto
Animoto produces TV-quality music videos using your photos and video clips in just minutes!
Tagxedo
Tagxedo turns words into a visually stunning tag cloud,
Go Animate
Free online tool that allows you to create short animations.
Big Huge Labs
Included are tools that create jigsaw puzzles, badge makers, mosaics, magazine covers, movie posters and trading cards.
Kafafa
The simplest website-building tool there is!
Piki Strips
Create photo strips from your photos.
Connect, Collaborate, Create
Great list of Web 2.0 resouces.
Foto Babble
A site that adds a voice recording to any photo.