Students learn how to choose effective KEYWORDS for searching online. Finding the right keyword/s to use when doing research is extremely important so that your search is relevant and you don't waste time during the research process.

A Google Slide Deck introduction to the MITECS competency Knowledge Constructor - Students critically curate a variety of resources using digital tools to construct knowledge, produce creative artifacts and make meaningful learning experiences for themselves and others.

Example: Fifth grade classes sought to find a cure for cancer. They learned about healthy cells, and researched the difference with cancerous cells. The studied and collected information about the social and economic impact of cancer on families and communities with the help of local doctors and nurses who worked in a children’s cancer ward in a local hospital. Because of the health professionals’ schedules, this collaboration was done through video conference and shared documents. The students compiled their findings after much fact-checking, and reported to the community through a free evening dinner at the school. A donation box was present in case anyone wanted to make a donation, with the proceeds going to the American Cancer Society in the name of the hospital children’s cancer ward. That night the students raised over $1000.

Questions for Reflection:
- How do the MITECS complement core content?
- How might you and your colleagues develop cross-curricular experiences to support the MITECS?
- Which of the competencies are you most familiar with?
- Which competency is an area of growth for you, as an educator?

It starts with the snapping of pictures in everyday objects within the classroom and beyond! Then, with an even closer look, students use Skitch an iOS app to enhance their photos to identify geometric vocabulary terms found in our daily lives.

This document provides general ideas by competency. Teachers can use it as a way to think about how to integrate the MITECS in their teaching.

Fifth grade task cards for all seven MITECS and ISTE Standards for Students

First grade task cards for all seven MITECS and ISTE Standards for Students

Fourth grade task cards for all seven MITECS and ISTE Standards for Students

Second grade task cards for all seven MITECS and ISTE Standards for Students

Third grade task cards for all seven MITECS and ISTE Standards for Students

Mystery Doug is a FREE weekly video series where students ask questions. The videos are short, approximately five minutes long. Mystery Doug inspires students to ask questions and investigate. Some videos provide activity extensions. Students are also encouraged to submit questions.

Newsela is a database of current event stories organized by theme. Stories can be assigned to students according to their reading Lexile level. They are assessed with a short comprehension quiz and a writing prompt. Teachers can access data from student quizzes.

Everyone is talking about real and fake news. Even first graders are hearing their parents, teachers and journalists talking about it. Teachers should begin teaching media literacy skills as soon as students begin using the Internet. In the first grade, students will be visiting approved sites that most likely will still have advertisements. The students will learn how to distinguish between the advertisements and the actual content they are supposed to be using.

Classroom environments can have diversity culturally and socially. Within the environment each student has a unique family and family history. Students will investigate, learn, and share information about their own families and heritages including family traditions, cultural traditions, languages, and generational family history (past two generations).

After this unit, students will be able to:
- Demonstrate chronological thinking by distinguishing among past, present, and future using family or school events.
- Investigate a family history for at least two generations, identifying various members and their connections in order to tell a narrative about family life.

The teacher will engage in a read-aloud with the picture book "Me and My Family Tree" by Joan Sweeney or a similar text. As the teacher reads through the story, they will share information about their own family and allow students to share short stories about their families. This project will be done in the Fall while the students are just starting to get to know each other.

Students will interview their families to complete a family questionnaire, a family tree template, and an interactive family timeline. The final product will be a family tree digital book.

The tools that could be used are Google Slides, Padlet, Book Creator, or a Google Docs page with the student work imported. They can also use Powtoons or Adobe Spark to include sound with storytelling.

Use Epic to guide students to learn what a biography is, and have them find information about a specific person.

Students will generate questions regarding a given topic and then research that topic using a kid-friendly search engine. Students will utilize information obtained during their search, in order to create a shared presentation.

Learn how to use PicCollage to create shapes. Add images, snap pictures, doodle, stickers, and safe image searches all inside prebuilt grids

Wordsift is a free online tool where teachers and/or students copy text and put relevant vocabulary words into a word cloud. Unlike WORDLE OR TAGXEDO, where ALL the words are put into a cloud, Wordsift “sifts” through the text and looks at more important academic vocabulary and creates word clouds with the key vocabulary. It can also highlight words for various content areas.

The first thing a child usually looks at when choosing a book to read is the cover. Many great stories do not get read because the cover does not initiate curiosity in the child. In addition, students tend to enjoy reading more when they have a purpose and can take ownership of their learning. In this lesson students will be presented with a real problem to solve. They will read a text and design a new book cover to show their comprehension and thoughts about the text.

The Trading Card tool gives students an alternative way to demonstrate their literacy knowledge and skill when writing about popular culture texts or real world examples. This interactive allows students to create their own trading card about a real or fictional person, place, object, event, or abstract concept.