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Region 9 Resources - Reading/English Language Arts Grades 6-12

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General Reading/English Language Arts Resources

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Raise a reader by getting the best book recommendations, reading tips, and discounts delivered straight to your inbox.

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Recursos durante el brote COVID19 - para padres de estudiantes bilingües by Javier De Leon | This newsletter was created with Smore, an online tool for creating beautiful newsletters for educators, nonprofits, businesses and more

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Region 9 Resources - Special Ed Resources

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Collaboration between general education and special education is still imperative during this time. This page will give direction for Special Education accommodations, modifications and other special education related instruction. Please visit the other pages on this Region 9 website for content specific resources.

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The CIRCLE Family Activity Collection provides a variety of hands-on activities that . The activities are provided in families can do at home This collection is organized around seven learning domains: , English and Spanish. , Language & Communication , , Reading & Writing , and Math . These activities will provide an enjoyable learning experience. Take delight in this learning time together! Science, Social & Emotional Physical Development Art & Sensory

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The CIRCLE Family Activity Collection provides a variety of hands-on activities that . The activities are provided in families can do at home This collection is organized around seven learning domains: , English and Spanish. , Language & Communication , , Reading & Writing , and Math .

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Guidance for Talking to Teens and Young Adults About COVID - 19

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Guidance for Talking to Teens and Young Adults About COVID - 19

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Check in on the animals in their enclosures

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English Learners Resources

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Con el cierre de las escuelas por causa del brote de COVID-19 queremos extender la oportunidad de que su hijo(a) siga manteniendo recursos académicos mientras estén en casa. Esta página contiene recursos que los padres juntamente con sus hijos pueden usar durante este tiempo. Trabajando juntos podemos continuar con el éxito de su hijo(a).

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Region 9 Resources - General Social Studies Resources

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IXL Webinars and At-Home Learning How To...

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IXL Webinars and At-Home Learning How To...

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Keep students engaged over winter break and throughout the colder months with this collection of fun IXL skills and challenges! They'll learn and review critical mid-year concepts and reinforce them through fun offline activities.

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Ready to explore Yellowstone? You don't have to wait for your trip out here. You can start exploring now by virtually touring some of the main attractions around the park. Included with each map-based tour is additional information about visiting in person.

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Virtual Tours - Yellowstone National Park (U.S. National Park Service)

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Aprende en casa con IXL. Su estudiante ta tiene un nombre de usuario y el contaseña

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Aprende en casa con IXL. Su estudiante ta tiene un nombre de usuario y el contaseña

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Discovery Education | Your Daily Learning Platform

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Discovery Education inspires educators to go beyond traditional learning with award-winning digital content and professional development. Learn more today!

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Virtual Activities for Teachers and Families COVID-19

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Virtual Activities for Teachers and Families COVID-19

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You might use Amazon Prime for the amazing deals and other perks. But membership also offers access to some exclusive streaming content for kids and adults. We searched and found the best educational shows on Amazon Prime. Check out our choices below.
Note: Grade recommendations were made by our editorial team, but of course you are always the best judge of the appropriateness for own children and students.
Best Educational Amazon Prime Shows for Elementary School

Your animal-obsessed students will love this documentary series.

Want artistic renderings of classic children's stories? In each short episode, an artist helps students visualize classic stories, from Country Mouse and City Mouse to The Goose That Laid the Golden Egg.

What an interesting premise: A rockstar dog can't perform until a story has been read to him. If that's not enough, there are some awesome celebrity cameos!

Give your students a glimpse of what everyday life is like in other parts of the world. These 13-minute episodes are a great way to fill any gaps in the day and get in a lesson on culture and geography. And students will get a look at remote places they've likely never heard of.

More art! In this series, different artists draw and sketch pictures inspired by the stories your kids have come to love.

Dan Henderson is a ten-year-old boy who eats, sleeps, and breathes dinosaurs!

A spinoff of Dino Dan, this series centers on nine-year-old Dana, who learns new things about dinosaurs in every episode.

Based on the book with the same name, you get to know Mouse, Pig, Moose, Dog, Cat, and their favorite humans!

Your kinders will love spending time with Fig and friends as they explore Tumble Leaf Island, play, and learn about the world around them.

Kids will learn a ton about real-world issues that affect animals as the Kratt brothers try to save or protect animals from things that threaten them.

Looking to boost your class's vocabulary? Check out the adventures of the superhero WordGirl who uses her vocabulary to combat crime. The show also has an affiliated site full of vocabulary-building activities.

Best Educational Amazon Prime Shows for Middle School

Get to know preteen scientist Anne and her friends as they use her laboratory to solve real-life problems.

These fast-paced episodes take an unorthodox approach to history and will have your students laughing while they learn. The series mixes in facts about historic people while showing just how horrible-and gross-they were. Trivia questions break up the episode segments.

This animated miniseries tells the story of Colette and Ernest, who are sent to the French countryside during WWII after their dad joins the war and their mother falls ill. Your students will learn about WWII from a refreshing perspective.

A documentary filled with tension and excitement as the men on board the Ocean Explorer come across a strange, massive object on their sonar.

Wildlife conservationist Jeff Corwin explores the mysteries of the ocean. Students will learn about myriad aquatic animals. Prepare to be fascinated.

In this popular series, students will learn how a variety of things operate, from zoos and roller coasters to movie special effects and electricity.

Have a class of curious students who always want to know the history of random things, like the Slinky, area codes, or Popsicles? They'll find out when you tune in to this edutaining series.

Join fave Steve Spangler as he presents scientific concepts in a fun and accessible way. Your students will want to conduct the experiments, and since Spangler uses familiar items, they can!

Best Educational Amazon Prime Shows for High School

A documentary that reveals what it is like to live and work at the bottom of the planet.

Discover the rise of Elon Musk, the man transforming the way we think about travel technology.

Each seven-minute episode provides students with biographical information about some of the world's most important people, from scientists to philosophers, and their ideas and contributions. A great way to begin a unit.

Looking for a serious, in-depth look at current events? There are 12 seasons of Frontline available on Amazon Prime.

About to start a unit on Ancient Greece? This series will serve as a good primer, introducing students to the Greek gods and their stories.

A documentary that follows Harriet Tubman. Includes audio recordings of African-American spirituals sung by former slaves.

Numbers never lie? Maybe not. In this series, Kal Penn goes behind the data, often uncovering unexpected commonalities and introducing different ways of seeing the world around us. Be sure to preview the episodes to make sure they are appropriate for your students.

Have a future Ethan Hunt in your classroom? This series explores codes and how they were broken. From hieroglyphs to the codes that secure today's data, students will be impressed by how these codes were eventually cracked.

This series tackles animal-related questions, everything from how a cow's stomach works to how animals use camouflage to stay hidden from predators.

What will the world be like just a few decades from now? This series explores just that. In about twenty minutes, host Chuck Pell tries to find out what things like STEM, plastic, and DNA will be like in the near future.
We'd love to hear-what are your favorite educational shows on Amazon Prime? Come and share in our WeAreTeachers HELPLINE group on Facebook. Plus, our favorite educational Netflix shows.

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30 Best Educational Shows on Amazon Prime

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You might use Amazon Prime for the amazing deals and other perks. But membership also offers access to some exclusive streaming content for kids and adults. We searched and found the best educational shows on Amazon Prime. Check out our choices below.

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The Monterey Bay Aquarium Sea Otter Program has played an important role in the continued recovery of the southern sea otter population with our research, rescue, rehabilitation, and surrogacy work.

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With ten live cams to choose from, you can experience the wonder of the ocean no matter where you are. Be delighted by the antics of our sea otters or mellow out to the hypnotic drifting of our jellies. Tune in to one of the Monterey Bay Aquarium's web cams.

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PBS LearningMedia | Teaching Resources For Students And Teachers

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Inspire your students with thousands of free teaching resources including videos, lesson plans, and games aligned to state and national standards.

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A beautiful, free online scientific calculator with advanced features for evaluating percentages, fractions, exponential functions, logarithms, trigonometry, statistics, and more.

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Free Texas Instruments Calculator Download

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Free Texas Instruments Calculator Download

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TI websites use cookies to optimize site functionality and improve your experience. To find out more or to change your preferences, visit our cookie policy page. Click Agree and Proceed to accept cookies and enter the site.

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request your free six-month subscription of ti software coronavirus support

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Request your FREE six-month subscription of TI software

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Due to the need for online learning resources during the coronavirus outbreak, we are offering FREE subscriptions of our software which will be valid for six months. They are available for all students and teachers to download.

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Online tours - Enjoy the Louvre at home!

1. Back to Home

2. See all breadcrumbs

3. Online tours

Virtual tours

From afar. Travelling Materials and Objects

Through materials and objects, this exhibition describes exchanges between distant worlds - exchanges often far more ancient than the explorations of the 16th century. From deepest antiquity, carnelian, lapis lazuli, ebony and ivory circulated along trade routes...

Louvre at home

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Online tours - Enjoy the Louvre at home!

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Online tours - Enjoy the Louvre at home! Back to Home See all breadcrumbs Online tours Virtual tours Through materials and objects, this exhibition describes exchanges between distant worlds - exchanges often far more ancient than the explorations of the 16th century. From deepest antiquity, carnelian, lapis lazuli, ebony and ivory circulated along trade routes...

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I often get asked how long and how often families should practice speech and language skills at home.

I recently posted an article on my own site on this very topic.

My professional opinion on this matter is based on what I have seen work the best with my own clients from my clinic.

I recommend that families shoot for two 5-minute sessions per day to target your child's speech and language skills.

The research is showing that shorter, more frequent sessions are more effective for learning and retention than longer, less frequent sessions.

(It's kind of like studying for a test for a few weeks instead of cramming the night before).

Five minutes does not give you much time to work on a lot, which is by design. Most children learn best when they are only working on one skill at a time.

By limiting your sessions to five minutes, you will only have time to work on one skill.

Your child's speech therapist will probably have an idea of what one skill would be best for you to work on at home.

Ask him/her for a recommendation. If your child is not currently seeing a speech-language pathologist, you can choose a skill for your child.

Try to choose something that is age-appropriate (other children his age are doing the skill) but that is not too hard for him.

You want to start with some easier skills that he will have success with instead of frustrating him right off the bat.

The key is to take whatever skill your child is missing and break it down to its easiest level.

For example, if you want to teach your child to say /p/ correctly, you should first start by just having your child say the sound by itself, like "p...p...p".

Then, you can make it a little harder by having your child say it in non-sense syllables, like "puh, poh, pah".

Then, you can move up to words, sentences, and conversation.

The same can be done for language skills, just make them as easy as possible to start with and build your way up.

What Do We Do During Our 5 Minutes?

I'm so glad you asked!

The goal of each 5-minute session will be to get your child to practice the skill correctly as many times as possible.

Imagine shooting for 50-100 repetitions of the same skill. You may not always get to that but it's a great goal.

So, if your child is working on saying the "p" sound, you want him to say that sound 50-100 times while you do a quick activity.

Or, if your child is practicing pronouns, you want him to repeat 50-100 sentences that use the pronouns "he" or "she" while doing the activity.

If the skill you're doing takes a little longer to practice, you can reduce the target number of repetitions.

In order to make this happen, you will need an activity that doesn't take a lot of time and won't take away from the goal of the 5 minutes, which is to practice the skill over and over again.

Here are some great ideas of activities you can do while getting your child to practice his skill:

Use a Counter

Go to a sporting goods store and purchase a counter. This is a small, round object with a single button. Each time you push the button, the counter goes up by one.

Set a goal for your child (number of repetitions) and tell him to push the button each time he does the skill correctly. Once he hits the target number, he's done.

Time him and see if he can beat his old score (but he has to say it correctly for it to count, no rushing through and messing up!).

Bankruptcy Game

Put a bunch of plastic coins in a bag but color one of them red. After each repetition, you and your child will both pull out one coin.

If anyone pulls out the red coin, they have to put all of their coins back (bankrupt!).

Whoever has the most coins after 5 minutes wins. (Got this one from www.5minutekids.com , love it!)

Hold Yoga Poses

Look for pictures of yoga poses for kids online. Have your child choose one and hold it while he does his skill.

See how many repetitions he can get in before he loses the pose.

Trace Lines or Shapes

Draw lines or shapes on a piece of paper. Then, laminate that page or put it in a plastic sheet protector.

Have your child trace the lines or shapes with a dry erase marker while repeating his skill. When he's done, erase and use again next time.

Put Blocks on a Tower

Each time your child practices the skill, give him a block to place atop a tower. When the tower falls, take the blocks back and start over.

See how tall he can make it before it falls.

Play Hopscotch

Draw a hopscotch track (or other shapes/numbers) on the ground and have your child do the skill once before each jump or move on the track.

Turtle Race

You need at least 2 people for this but you can be the second person if need be.

Have both people sit on their bottoms with their knees up. Each time your child does the skill, everyone gets to move forward one scoot.

Bottom must stay on the ground, no picking it up and jumping.

Whoever gets the farthest in 5 minutes wins.

Moving Beans or Marbles

Place beans or marbles in a small container. Get a second similar container.

For each repetition, move one bean or marble to the other container. When all the beans/marbles are moved, you're done!

Make Me Jump

Each time your child does the skill, have someone else (you or another adult/child) jump or do another action.

See how many times your child can make that person jump during 5 minutes.

Playdough

Give your child a pinch of playdough (or a similar substance) for every repetition. Once your child has all of the playdough, he can play with it.

Tickle Me

Start with your hand on your child's head or toes.

For each repetition, move slightly closer to his belly. When you get to his belly, tickle him like crazy. Then, start over and repeat until the 5 minutes is up.

Go for a Walk

When you are walking somewhere with your child, have him take one step for every repetition.

Try this one when you're walking to the playground from the car or into the house when you get home.

Stoplight Speech

While you're sitting at a red stoplight, see how many times your child can do the skill correctly before the light turns green.

Playing Cards

Get a playing card for every repetition. When your child has all of the playing cards, you can play the game with him.

Blowing Bubbles

Blow bubbles for every 10 repetitions that your child does.

Puzzle Pieces

Give your child a puzzle piece for every 10 repetitions he does.

Graph Your Results

Count how many correct productions your child can do in 5 minutes.

Graph that on graph paper and see if he can beat it the next time.

Connect Four...Or More!

Drop connect four pieces into the game randomly, one for each repetition. At the end, see if there are any patterns or designs created from where they all landed.

Wind-Up Toys

Wind up a toy and let it go. See how many times your child can do the skill correctly before it runs out of power.

Throw a Ball

Throw a ball back and forth and play catch while your child practices the skill.

There you have it!

Twenty awesome ways to work on speech in five minutes. Make sure that you pay attention to your child's frustration levels.

If your child is getting frustrated with these activities, you will want to either make the skill easier or back off to a shorter time.

You want your child to feel positive about working on speech, it shouldn't be a battle. Thanks so much for reading!

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Twenty 5-Minute Speech Therapy Activities You Can Do at Home

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I often get asked how long and how often families should practice speech and language skills at home. I recently posted an article on my own site on this very topic. My professional opinion on this matter is based on what I have seen work the best with my own clients from my clinic.

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XtraMath - 10 minutes a day for math fact fluency

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XtraMath is a free program that helps students master addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division facts.

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See elephants, lions and naked mole-rats on animal cams streaming live, 24/7 from the Smithsonian's National Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute.

Download Animal Cam Bingo Cards (link opens in new window). These activities are designed to engage learners of all ages in looking closely and thinking deeply about animal behavior and habitats. Welcome to the wild side of learning!

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The Zoo's animal webcams are some of the most famous on the internet. Tune in to watch the Zoo's elephants, lions and naked mole-rats - live, 24/7!

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Technology can be a powerful tool to assist students with special needs or any sort of learning challenge. In particular the Chrome web browser allows users to install a wide variety of web extensions that provide tools that can help all learners, regardless of ability level.

In this blog post we will take a look at over 30 Chrome web extensions that can assist students in five main categories:

Text to Speech

Readability

Reading Comprehension

Focus

Navigation

Some of the tools fit into more than one topic, but each is only listed once. Certainly this list does not cover all of the useful web extensions available for struggling learners, but it is a great place to begin. In addition to the list of extension, I have also linked in the video from a webinar I did a while back on "Google Tools for Special Needs".

Text to Speech extensions

1) Read&Write for Google Chrome
Chrome web extension link
The "Swiss Army Knife" of extensions with tools including word prediction, dictionary, picture dictionary, text to speech, screenshot reader, speech maker, screen mask, translator, highlighters, voice note, and more. Works on webpages, PDFs, Google Docs, and Google Slides.
Note: There is a paid version with all the tools and a free version with a subset of the tools. Educators can get the paid version for a year at no cost by filling out the form at: https://www.texthelp.com/en-us/products/read-write/free-for-teachers/

2) Read Aloud
Chrome web extension link
This text-to-speech extension will read either the entire page or just the text that you have selected. In addition to the normal options to adjust the speed, pitch, and volume of the voice, the best feature is the wide collection of high-quality voices to choose from.

3) Voice Instead
Chrome web extension link
This is another good text-to-speech extension with high-quality voices. The only drawbacks are that you have to select the text you want read (rather than the entire page), and sometimes there can be odd pauses in the middle of a sentence.

4) Announcify
Chrome web extension link
This is another text to speech tool that not only reads a webpage, but also removes distracting elements from the site. The only drawback is the inability to select specific text to read, as the entire page is read aloud.

Speech to Text extensions

5) VoiceIn Voice Typing
Chrome web extension link
This speech-to-text extension allows the user to dictate text for any text box or text entry portion of a web page. You can either click the extension or right-click and choose "Start recording" to use it. Be sure to click the extension again to turn off the speech-to-text function when done.

Readability extensions

6) Mercury Reader
Chrome web extension link
Make any website easier to read by removing ads, comments, and all other distractions, so just the core content remains. Users can also adjust the font size and color scheme of the new text. (For a list of 10 more extensions that clean up webpages, see here: http://www.controlaltachieve.com/2016/11/10-readability-alternatives.html)

7) OpenDyslexic
Chrome web extension link
Override all fonts on a webpage with the OpenDyslexic font, making the text more easily readable.

8) Dyslexia Friendly
Chrome web extension link
This extension replaces the fonts on a web page with either OpenDyslexic or Comic Sans, and provides a horizontal shaded bar to help the user stay on the correct line when reading. The only drawback is there is no easy way to toggle it on and off, so you will want to use an extension management tool to let you turn it off when not in use.

9) BeeLine Reader
Chrome web extension link
This tool creates a more readable version of a web page by removing all the ads, comments, and other extra distracting items, and then applies a color gradient to the page text guide your eye from one line to the next. (Limit of 5 articles per day for free version.)

10) ATbar
Chrome web extension link
Toolbar with features including color overlays for webpages, dictionary, text to speech, word prediction, and more.

11) MagicScroll Web Reader
Chrome web extension link
Turn web pages into a flippable e-book with easy clickable or keyboard control, as well as control over font size and page color as well.

12) Readline
Chrome web extension link
Although originally designed as a speed reading tool, you can slow the WPM rate down so students can use this to focus on one word at a time when reading to not lose their place.

13) Visor
Chrome web extension link
This screen overlay tool darkens out the page except for a horizontal band you can move up and down as you read, helping the student focus.

14) High Contrast
Chrome web extension link
This tool can make webpages easier to read by changing the colors to increase contrast, invert the colors, or switch to gray-scale.

15) Color Enhancer
Chrome web extension link
For people who are partially color-blind, this tool can help adjust and improve webpage colors.

16) CraftyZoom
Chrome web extension link
This extension give you a floating magnifying glass that you can move around the screen to make portions of the page larger. You can adjust the size of the circle and the level of the zoom.

Reading Comprehension extensions

17) Google Dictionary
Chrome web extension link
Don't get stuck on an unknown word. Double-click on any word to get a pop-up definition, as well as spoken pronunciation for many words.

18) SMMRY
Chrome bookmark link
While not technically an extension, this tool functions very much like one and is launched from your Chrome bookmarks bar. Summarize any online article with a simple click of the SMMRY bookmark link. This will generate a simplified version with fewer sentences (7 by default) and just the most important information. Settings can be adjusted for longer or shorter summaries, as well as emphasis on certain desired words..

19) TLDR: Summarize Anything
Chrome web extension link
This extension will generate a summary of any web page you are on. There are three levels of summarization - short, medium, and long, in addition to the original full version of the page.

20) Resoomer
Chrome web extension link
This is another summarization tool for web pages. It opens up a new tab with a cleaned up version of the page, as well as three levels of summary.

21) Internet Abridged
Chrome web extension link
This article summary tool gives you a pop-up window with a short bullet list of the main sentences from the page.

22) Auto Highlight
Chrome web extension link
This extension takes a different approach to summarizing. Instead of removing the non-essential portions of the text, it highlights what is most important. This allows the reader to still look at the rest of the article if needed. Three levels of highlighting can be chosen.

Focus extensions

23) Simple Blocker
Chrome web extension link
This tool helps students to stay focused on their work by blocking distracting websites. The user can choose the sites to block, how long to block them, and optional password protection.

24) uBlock Origin
Chrome web extension link
A simple but powerful ad-blocking extension to help remove distracting ads from websites, making pages less cluttered and easier to read.

25) Move It
Chrome web extension link
For students who need a break, this extension can be set to periodically have them stop working and do something physical for a moment.

26) Google Keep
Chrome web extension link
Keep allows users to save and retrieve any information they come across including text, links, pictures, speech, handwriting, doodles, and more. The tool works as an extension, web site, Android app, and iOS app, and integrates into Google Docs, Slides, and Drawings.

Navigation extensions

27) CrafyCursor
Chrome web extension link
This extension makes it easier for the user to find and track the mouse cursor by putting a highlighted circle around it. The user can choose between several colors for the cursor spotlight.

28) Click-free Browsing
Chrome web extension link
For users who have a difficulty clicking a mouse, this extension adds on-screen navigation buttons the user can simply hover over to use.

29) Vimium
Chrome web extension link
Provides keyboard shortcuts for navigation and control for someone with difficulty using a mouse.

30) CrxMouse
Chrome web extension link
Use mouse gestures to navigate including forward, backward, scrolling, refreshing, switching tabs, and more. The user can even program their own custom mouse gestures to open programs and perform other tasks.

31) Caret Browsing
Chrome web extension link
This extension gives you a movable cursor in any web page, allowing you to move through the text with your arrows keys and select text with the keyboard.

Additional Resources

Video training webinar (1 hour)

What other Chrome web extensions have you found that can assist students with special needs and struggling learners? Share your suggestions in the comments below.

Post by Eric Curts. Bring me to your school, organization, or conference with over 50 PD sessions to choose from. Connect with me on Twitter at twitter.com/ericcurts and on Google+ at plus.google.com/+EricCurts1

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Chrome Extensions for Struggling Students and Special Needs

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Technology can be a powerful tool to assist students with special needs or any sort of learning challenge. In particular the Chrome web browser allows users to install a wide variety of web extensions that provide tools that can help all learners, regardless of ability level.

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Maureen Young with Historic Scotland scans Borglum's historic model in the Sculptor's Studio.
NPS

Scanning Team and Partners

The scanning team consists of members of the Memorial's technical ropes team, scanning specialists from the Kacyra Family Foundation and their project CyArk, Historic Scotland, and the Glasgow School of Art, as well as local technical consulting staff from Respec Engineers, Inc., Wyss and Associates, Inc., and the South Dakota School of Mines and Technology. The scanning of Mount Rushmore is also a part of a scanning project called the Scottish 10 by Historic Scotland and the Glasgow School of Art. The goal of the Scottish 10 is to scan the 5 World Heritage Sites in Scotland and 5 international heritage sites, with Mount Rushmore as the first international site. All of these projects, including the scanning of Mount Rushmore, are among the CyArk 500 initiative which is a global effort to digitally preserve 500 of the world's heritage sites.

Laser Scanning Process

Laser scanning accurately records the 3-D surface of objects in a digital form. The team uses a mix of lasers mounted on tripods including three machines developed by Leica: The Leica Scanstation C10, Leica HDS6100, and the Leica Scanstation 2. The scanners project millions of points which are collected and put together to create a 3-D model of the object being scanned. These points are called 'cloud points' by scientists and give will the information needed to create an extremely accurate 3-D model. Laser scanning is capable of capturing sub-centimeter details.

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Virtual Tour - Mount Rushmore National Memorial (U.S. National Park Service)

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Scanning Team and Partners The scanning team consists of members of the Memorial's technical ropes team, scanning specialists from the Kacyra Family Foundation and their project CyArk, Historic Scotland, and the Glasgow School of Art, as well as local technical consulting staff from Respec Engineers, Inc., Wyss and Associates, Inc., and the South Dakota School of Mines and Technology.

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Grand Canyon Virtual Run Rim to River with Ambient Sound

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Ellis Island Interactive Tour With Facts, Pictures, Video | Scholastic.com

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Learn about immigration on Ellis Island in this interactive, virtual tour. Facts about immigration, pictures of Ellis Island, oral histories, and videos help explain the immigration process to kids.

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Google Arts & Culture features content from over 2000 leading museums and archives who have partnered with the Google Cultural Institute to bring the world's treasures online.

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© Copyright 1997 - 2023 Audible, Inc Conditions of Use…

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Writing and grammar curriculum designed for today's classrooms

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Access thousands of reading lessons and our comprehensive ELA curriculum, CommonLit 360.

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The CommonLit assessment questions are aligned to our ELA standards, which is extremely helpful when prepping for the state exam.

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CommonLit | Free Online Reading Passages and Literacy Resources

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CommonLit is a comprehensive literacy program with thousands of reading lessons, full-year ELA curriculum, benchmark assessments, and standards-based data for teachers.

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It's time to improve literacy skills during social studies instruction and ensure that readers of all abilities have what they need to access grade-level social studies concepts.

Join us on Thursday, December 7 for a look at scaffolded materials that provide extra literacy support while building key social studies concepts and skills.

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Newsela | Content and assessment platform

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Content Aligned To National & State Standard, Flexible To Support Relevant Curriculum. Find the Perfect Piece Of Content For Lessons. Go beyond the book.

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Raise a reader by getting the best book recommendations, reading tips, and discounts delivered straight to your inbox.

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Teach and learn with The Times: Resources for bringing the world into your classroom

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Freckle by Renaissance - Differentiation Platform for K-12

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Accelerate literacy equitably with differentiated resources.

K-12 coverage of standards and skills

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Freckle by Renaissance | Reach Every Student at Their Level

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Freckle helps K-12 teachers differentiate instruction and reach every student at their own level across Math, ELA, Social Studies and Science.

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Region 9 Resources - Social Studies Grades 6-12

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The College & Career Planning Source - Gr 9 & 10

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The College & Career Planning Source - Gr 9 & 10

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March's Share Your Road Theme: Architecture and Construction Plus Hospitality and Tourism

JOBS & CAREERS

In March, our career focus is architecture and construction along with hospitality and tourism! We look to educators like you to help us collect stories for Share Your Road based on these specific career clusters. Do you know any fellow Texans working in these fields?

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Plan for College and Career in 9th and 10th Grade

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March's Share Your Road Theme: Architecture and Construction Plus Hospitality and Tourism JOBS & CAREERS In March, our career focus is architecture and construction along with hospitality and tourism! We look to educators like you to help us collect stories for Share Your Road based on these specific career clusters.

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The College & Career planning Source - Gr 11 & 12 Late HS

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The College & Career planning Source - Gr 11 & 12 Late HS

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Late High School

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Prepare students for the SAT with lessons and practice tests from this official partner of the College Board.

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Plan for Life after Graduation in 11th and 12th Grade

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Late High School 11th and 12th grade JOBS AND CAREERS Discover opportunities you never knew existed! Texans share their career journeys. Explore their stories and get inspired. Middle School Early High School Late High School COLLEGE PLANNING | FINANCES Compare colleges and universities based on information such as average cost, graduation rate, and salary after graduation.

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Play millions of free online trivia quizzes. There is a fun quiz about virtually every topic imaginable: Geography, History, Sports, Music, TV and more!

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Learn for free about math, art, computer programming, economics, physics, chemistry, biology, medicine, finance, history, and more. Khan Academy is a nonprofit with the mission of providing a free, world-class education for anyone, anywhere.

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Khan Academy has recently partnered with the College Board, the makers of the SAT, to produce free and official SAT prep materials. Unfortunately, there's currently no official Khan Academy ACT prep; however, students can still use Khan Academy's resources to help them prepare for the ACT.

This guide will go over what materials Khan Academy offers, why you should consider using them, and exactly which resources will be most helpful and which topics you will need to use additional review materials for so that you can be as well-prepared for the ACT as possible.

What Is Khan Academy?

Khan Academy is a non-profit education site that was founded in 2006. The site offers thousands of free videos on a wide variety of topics, including math, computer programming, and chemistry. The videos typically go over sample problems step-by-step to help viewers understand the concepts behind solving the problem. It's free to join, and anyone can create an account.

In 2015, Khan Academy and the College Board (the organization that designs and administers the SAT, PSAT, and AP exams) announced that they had created a set of free SAT study tools. These resources include quizzes, tests, video tutorials, and personalized practice recommendations. Because these tools were developed in collaboration with the College Board, they are official prep resources and give an accurate representation of what the actual SAT will be like.

Check out our guide to learn more about Khan Academy and its SAT prep resources.

Can You Use Khan Academy for ACT Prep?

Unfortunately, there is currently no official Khan Academy ACT test prep , however; students planning on only taking the ACT can still use and benefit from Khan Academy's resources, including the SAT prep resources.

How can you do this? And why would you want to?

First, Khan Academy offers lessons on a wide range of subjects. Their emphasis is on math, but they also have lessons on other subjects the ACT tests, such as parts of speech and grammar. Therefore, you'll be able to find resources for many of the topics the ACT tests on Khan Academy.

You can also use Khan Academy's SAT prep resources to prepare for the ACT. How is this possible when they are two different tests? First, there is a large overlap in the topics the ACT and SAT test, particularly since the SAT has recently undergone major changes that make it much more similar to the ACT. Both exams test math, science, critical reading, and writing and language skills. This means that much of what you study for the SAT, including Khan Academy's resources, will be useful for the ACT, and vice versa.

Additionally, Khan Academy's SAT resources are official resources, which means they were developed by the same people who write the real SAT questions. This means that Khan Academy's practice questions give an accurate look at how official test questions are written and which topics they cover. While these questions won't be exactly the same as those found on the ACT, they can often be much closer to real ACT questions than many unofficial prep resources which can differ greatly from the real ACT.

How to Use Khan Academy to Prepare for the ACT

For full details on how to set up an account on Khan Academy and navigate its resources, check out our guide on how to get the most out of Khan Academy. After setting up an account (it only takes a few minutes), you'll be able to choose which subject you want to start studying. We'll go over the most topics to focus on with Khan Academy ACT prep below.

The sections below each over a specific section of the ACT: English, Math, Reading, Science, and the optional Writing section. For each section, we'll explain which Khan Academy materials are most useful and if there are any topics you should use additional resources to prepare for.

ACT English

What the ACT English Section Covers

The ACT English section is 45 minutes long and contains 75 questions. The section includes five essays or passages, each accompanied by a series of questions. ACT English covers two main topics: Usage and Mechanics and Rhetorical Skills. Usage and Mechanics tests your knowledge of grammar, punctuation, usage, and sentence structure, while Rhetorical Skills tests "bigger picture" ideas such as the ideas, style, and organization of each passage. Spelling, vocabulary, and obscure grammar rules are not tested on ACT English.

Khan Academy Resources You Can Use for ACT English

Within Khan Academy's SAT prep resources, there are two sections that correspond to ACT English: Writing and Language as well as Grammar and Effective Language Use. Writing and Language has three subsections which focus on making revisions to argumentative, informative, and non-fiction narrative passages. Grammar and Effective Language Use has 21 subsections focusing on different grammar and punctuation concepts such as possessive pronouns, modifier placement, and pronoun clarity. These sections will help prepare you for the majority of the ACT English section, particularly the Usage and Mechanics questions.

Beyond the SAT prep resources, Khan Academy also has other grammar videos under "Arts and Humanities." These videos focus on parts of speech, punctuation, and syntax, and they're a good resource to start with if you want to brush up on your grammar before answering practice questions.

Topics Khan Academy Doesn't Cover for ACT English

The SAT Writing and Language section recently underwent major changes, and, as a result, it is now much more similar to ACT English. Both test sections now use a completely passage-based format, and both test similar grammar rules. Because of this, Khan Academy's SAT prep resources and grammar resources cover most of what you'll need to know for ACT English. However, ACT English does include main-idea questions, which you won't see covered on Khan Academy, so if you want more practice with those, be sure to use other, ACT-specific resources (discussed more at the bottom of this article).

ACT Math

What the ACT Math Section Covers

ACT Math is 60 minutes long and contains 60 questions. There are six main topics ACT Math covers. They're listed below, along with the percentage of the section that includes questions on that topic (the total is more than 100% because some questions fit into more than one category).

Pre-Algebra (20-25%)

Elementary Algebra (15-20%)

Intermediate Algebra (15-20%)

Coordinate Geometry (15-20%)

Plane Geometry (20-25%)

Trigonometry (5-10%)

So overall, ACT Math has the most questions on algebra, along with a substantial amount of questions on geometry and a few trigonometry questions.

Khan Academy Resources You Can Use for ACT Math

The SAT Math section emphasizes algebra more than ACT Math does, so Khan Academy's SAT prep resources, specifically the Heart of Algebra and Passport to Advanced Mathematics sections, have a lot of material to help you study algebra. Khan Academy also has additional algebra videos under its Math resources to help you reinforce your algebra knowledge.

For geometry, Khan Academy has geometry videos under its Math resources. These videos cover both coordinate and plane geometry. Within its SAT math resources, the Additional Topics in Math section includes geometry questions.

There are only a handful of trigonometry questions on ACT Math, but you can still prepare for them by reviewing the Additional Topics in Math section under SAT resources and the Trigonometry videos under Khan Academy's Math resources.

There are also two differences to note between SAT Math and ACT Math that you might be confused by if you use the SAT prep resources. First, a calculator is not allowed on part of SAT Math, but you can use a calculator the entire time for ACT Math, so disregard any remarks about not being able to use a calculator. Second, on the SAT, you'll get a formula sheet with relevant math formulas, but you won't receive this on the ACT, so you'll have to put in more of an effort to memorize important formulas.

ACT Reading

What the ACT Reading Section Covers

ACT Reading contains 40 questions that you have 35 minutes to answer. The section contains three single passages and a set of paired passages. The five passages will always co me from four topic areas: humanities, literary fiction, natural sciences, and social sciences. You're not expected to have any prior knowledge of the passage topics. The questions in ACT Reading test your skills in understanding main ideas, locating details, and interpreting purpose and voice.

Khan Academy Resources You Can Use for ACT Reading

The SAT Reading and ACT Reading sections are quite similar. All the questions are related to passages, the passages come from similar categories, and, for both exams, and both include a set of paired passages. This means you can use all of Khan Academy's SAT Reading resources to help you prepare for ACT Reading. Khan Academy's SAT Reading resources include videos, examples, and practice questions for four types of passages: science, literature, history, and social science.

Using these resources can help you become more comfortable with critically reading different types of passages and answering questions on main ideas, vocabulary-in-context, inferences, and details from the reading. This is also good because Khan Academy doesn't have any general resources on improving critical reading skills, so only their SAT resources are relevant for prepping for ACT Reading.

So Khan Academy's SAT Reading resources do a pretty thorough job of covering the topics ACT Reading tests, however; there are a few differences between the Reading sections of the two exams. First, the science passages on SAT Reading will include charts and graphs, which you won't see in ACT Reading. However, you should still study and answer these questions since you will see similar questions on the ACT Science section. Also, on the SAT, questions for passages always go in chronological order. On the ACT, you can (and likely will) be jumping around throughout the passage as you move from question to question, so be prepared for that difference.

ACT Science

What the ACT Science Section Covers

The ACT Science section is 35 minutes long and contains 40 questions. Like the Reading section, on ACT Science there will be several passages with questions following each passage. There are seven passages on ACT Science, and these passages could contain graphs, charts, diagrams, experiment summaries, or conflicting viewpoints from multiple scientists. Each passage will be followed by four to seven questions. As opposed to testing specific facts or topics, ACT Science tests your knowledge of scientific skills such as data analysis, hypothesis evaluation, and how to summarize research.

Khan Academy Resources You Can Use for ACT Science

Due to the skills ACT Science tests and because there is no science section on the SAT, Khan Academy's resources don't prepare you for this section of the ACT as well as they do for other sections. Khan Academy does have a science section with videos on numerous scientific subjects, but this isn't much use to you because it mostly covers scientific facts you don't need to know for the ACT. For example, on ACT Science, you don't need to know the steps of cell division (which Khan Academy goes over), but if you're given a passage that explains research on cell division, you'll need to be able to analyze that research and its results (which Khan Academy doesn't focus on).

However, there are some resources you can use to help you prepare for ACT Science. Under Khan Academy's SAT prep resources, questions from SAT Reading and SAT Writing and Language that include graphs or charts are often similar to some questions seen on ACT Science. The SAT has no science section, so questions testing some of the same skills ACT Science tests are spread throughout other sections.

Therefore, if you're studying the SAT Reading or Writing and Language sections and come across a problem with a graph or chart, know that you won't see questions like that on ACT Reading or ACT English, but it can help you prepare for ACT Science.

Topics Khan Academy Doesn't Cover for ACT Science

As mentioned before, this is the section of the ACT you'll need to use the most outside resources to prepare for. You can get some practice by answering SAT questions that include charts, graphs, and data analysis, but to be fully prepared for ACT Science, you'll want to spend time studying resources specifically focused on the topics this section tests. We'll go over some of these resources at the bottom of this guide.

ACT Writing

ACT Writing is an optional section where you'll be given 40 minutes to write a persuasive essay. Khan Academy does not have any resources on essay writing, even for the SAT essay (which is different than the ACT essay so it wouldn't help you much anyway). If you choose to take the ACT Writing section, you'll need to use outside resources to prepare for it.

Other Resources to Use for Your ACT Prep

Khan Academy can be a helpful resource, but it definitely shouldn't be the only one you use to prepare for the ACT. Make sure to attack the ACT specifically with ACT prep books and practice tests. Official ACT practice tests will be particularly helpful because they'll help you become familiar with how the ACT words questions and how those questions differ from the SAT's.

Khan Academy ACT prep will give you the best preparation for the ACT English, Math and Reading sections. You will definitely need supplementary prep materials for ACT Science and, if you choose to take it, ACT Writing. Check out our ultimate guide for ACT Science, as well as these guides on the best way to prepare for ACT Science and the only science you need to know for ACT Science. We also have a complete guide to ACT Writing and tips for how to get a perfect score on your essay.

Another major skill you can't get from Khan Academy is strategies to help you answer ACT questions. The ACT asks similar types of questions on each of its exams, and by knowing different strategies, you can tackle specific problems faster and more easily. To learn these strategies, you'll need to use prep materials specifically designed for the ACT. The ACT prep books mentioned above often include strategies for different ACT problems, and you can also check out all our guides to the best ACT strategies you should know.

Khan Academy ACT Prep: Final Notes

Even though Khan Academy does not have resources designed specifically for the ACT, you can still use them to prepare for the exam.

Because there is quite a bit of overlap on what the ACT and SAT test, much of Khan Academy's SAT prep materials are relevant for the ACT, particularly because the SAT has recently undergone significant changes that make it closer in content and style to the ACT. Khan Academy also has general resources that can help you study for the ACT.

You'll definitely need additional review materials, particularly for the Science section, but Khan Academy can still be a useful resource and get you more prepared for how official test questions are worded and what they test.

What's Next?

Looking for a top ACT score? Learn how to get a perfect 36 on the ACT by reading our guide, written by an ACT full scorer.

Wondering if you should take the ACT Writing section? Check out our guide to learn how to decide what to do.

Want more information on ACT Science? Our guide goes over everything you need to know to ace the ACT Science section.

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How to Use Khan Academy for ACT Prep: Complete Guide

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Khan Academy has recently partnered with the College Board, the makers of the SAT, to produce free and official SAT prep materials. Unfortunately, there's currently no official Khan Academy ACT prep; however, students can still use Khan Academy's resources to help them prepare for the ACT.

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We offer free practice tests and learning resources to help students prepare to succeed on each of the ACCUPLACER tests.

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Download eight official SAT practice tests for free. For practice on the digital SAT, explore full-length linear (nonadaptive) practice tests and full-length practice tests on Bluebook™.

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Downloadable Full-Length SAT Practice Tests

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Eight official SAT practice tests are available for free, both online and on paper.

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English Practice Using Current Events

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Breaking News English Lessons - 3,369 FREE Easy News English lesson plans. EFL/ESL graded news lessons, news in 7 levels, current events.

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Practice and formative assessments for math, ELA, science, and social studies built specifically from your state standards.

As you know, the recent reports of COVID-19, or coronavirus, has led to the closure of many schools and districts globally. Edmentum is offering free program access to Study Island for 2 months to any school or district who has shut down due to this virus.

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Practice and formative assessments for math, ELA, science, and social studies built specifically from your state standards. As you know, the recent reports of COVID-19, or coronavirus, has led to the closure of many schools and districts globally.

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Our connections to our class, context, and community are what make us impactful as educators. James Comer (1995) puts it well: "No significant learning occurs without a significant relationship." As former teachers, we know that keeping those relationships and connections through distance learning and new challenges can be difficult.

This toolkit is designed to help you connect to student choice, your curriculum and content, and your communities in this uncertain time. Newsela is built to help educators connect students to the world around them and we feel now more than ever our charge to Unlock the Written Word for Everyone means helping to connect.

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Our connections to our class, context, and community are what make us impactful as educators. James Comer (1995) puts it well: "No significant learning occurs without a significant relationship." As former teachers, we know that keeping those relationships and connections through distance learning and new challenges can be difficult.

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It's time to improve literacy skills during social studies instruction and ensure that readers of all abilities have what they need to access grade-level social studies concepts.

Join us on Thursday, December 7 for a look at scaffolded materials that provide extra literacy support while building key social studies concepts and skills.

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Newsela | Content and assessment platform

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Content Aligned To National & State Standard, Flexible To Support Relevant Curriculum. Find the Perfect Piece Of Content For Lessons. Go beyond the book.

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It's time to improve literacy skills during social studies instruction and ensure that readers of all abilities have what they need to access grade-level social studies concepts.

Join us on Thursday, December 7 for a look at scaffolded materials that provide extra literacy support while building key social studies concepts and skills.

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Newsela | Content and assessment platform

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Content Aligned To National & State Standard, Flexible To Support Relevant Curriculum. Find the Perfect Piece Of Content For Lessons. Go beyond the book.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
It's time to improve literacy skills during social studies instruction and ensure that readers of all abilities have what they need to access grade-level social studies concepts.

Join us on Thursday, December 7 for a look at scaffolded materials that provide extra literacy support while building key social studies concepts and skills.

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Newsela | Content and assessment platform

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Content Aligned To National & State Standard, Flexible To Support Relevant Curriculum. Find the Perfect Piece Of Content For Lessons. Go beyond the book.

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It's time to improve literacy skills during social studies instruction and ensure that readers of all abilities have what they need to access grade-level social studies concepts.

Join us on Thursday, December 7 for a look at scaffolded materials that provide extra literacy support while building key social studies concepts and skills.

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Newsela | Content and assessment platform

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Content Aligned To National & State Standard, Flexible To Support Relevant Curriculum. Find the Perfect Piece Of Content For Lessons. Go beyond the book.

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It's time to improve literacy skills during social studies instruction and ensure that readers of all abilities have what they need to access grade-level social studies concepts.

Join us on Thursday, December 7 for a look at scaffolded materials that provide extra literacy support while building key social studies concepts and skills.

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Newsela | Content and assessment platform

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Content Aligned To National & State Standard, Flexible To Support Relevant Curriculum. Find the Perfect Piece Of Content For Lessons. Go beyond the book.

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I had a student that was struggling and I could not figure out what she was struggling with. But IXL's Analytics allowed me to see that what she couldn't do was add and subtract integers-she could multiply and divide them-but not add and subtract. So without that data, I would never have been able to figure out where she was struggling.

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I had a student that was struggling and I could not figure out what she was struggling with. But IXL's Analytics allowed me to see that what she couldn't do was add and subtract integers-she could multiply and divide them-but not add and subtract.

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Watch on-demand videos for tips and strategies on how to increase student achievement with IXL.

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TexQuest provides access to authoritative digital resources for educators, students, and students' immediate families in Texas K-12 public schools and open-enrollment charter schools.

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Critical thinking activities

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Not your everyday calendar, here you can find important events in literary history, authors' birthdays, and a variety of holidays, all with related activities and resources that make them more relevant to students.

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Critical thinking activities

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Not your everyday calendar, here you can find important events in literary history, authors' birthdays, and a variety of holidays, all with related activities and resources that make them more relevant to students.

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News Resources related to the Coronavirus

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Coronavirus Outbreak - GeekWire Special Coverage

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Ongoing coverage of the novel coronavirus, and its impact on Seattle and the technology industry.

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The 8 Ivy League schools are among the most prestigious colleges in the world. They include Brown, Harvard, Cornell, Princeton, Dartmouth, Yale, and Columbia universities, and the University of Pennsylvania.

All eight schools place in the top fifteen of the U.S. News and World Report national university rankings.

These Ivy League schools are also highly selective and extremely hard to get into. But the good news is that all these universities now offer free online courses across multiple online course platforms.

So far, they've created over 700+ courses, of which around 500 are still active. Combined, they received at-least 40 million enrollments

Class Central has made a collection of all these, which you can explore below. I've split these courses into the following categories:

Computer Science

Data Science

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I've also assembled these courses on Class Central's collection page for Ivy League online courses. This collection gets updated automatically as new courses are added. You can subscribe to receive updates by clicking the blue "follow" button there.

Note that some of the Coursera courses are a bit harder to access, so I wrote this guide to show you how. And if you are new to online learning, check out these 30 actionable tips to stay focused.

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Here are 500+ Ivy League courses you can take online right now for free

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The 8 Ivy League schools are among the most prestigious colleges in the world. They include Brown, Harvard, Cornell, Princeton, Dartmouth, Yale, and Columbia universities, and the University of Pennsylvania. All eight schools place in the top fifteen of the U.S. News and World Report national university rankings. These Ivy

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Oceans Initiative Free Virtual Marine Biology Camp

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Oceans Initiative Free Virtual Marine Biology Camp

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For Immediate Release: 8/26/20 - Seattle, WA
Download Press Release as PDF
Download Photographs

Photo credit: Laura Bogaard, Oceans Initiative

SUMMARY
A group of partners working to improve salmon stocks have deployed a newly developed device on the west side of the Ballard Locks that uses underwater sound to keep harbor seals away from this salmon migration bottleneck. If effective, the device may help salmon populations in jeopardy by reducing predation without harming marine mammals.

STORY
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and Oceans Initiative, with support from Long Live the Kings, University of St Andrews, Genuswave, Puget Sound Partnership, Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife, Muckleshoot Indian Tribe, and other partner organizations have deployed a Targeted Acoustic Startle Technology (TAST) on the west side of the Ballard (Hiram M. Chittenden) Locks. The TAST is intended to keep harbor seals away from the fish ladder allowing salmon to reach the Lake Washington Ship Canal from Puget Sound. Seals and sea lions are known to linger at this migration bottleneck and consume large numbers of salmon returning to the spawning grounds. If successful, the device may help recover dwindling salmon runs, without harming marine mammals.

"We are always looking for new innovations to help the environment," said USACE spokesperson Dallas Edwards. "We are excited to see the results of this study."

Every salmon and steelhead originating from the Sammamish or Cedar river must pass through the Ballard Locks twice during its life, once as a young smolt and again as an adult. With limited routes to get through the locks, salmon are funneled through a small area. This makes an easy meal for some marine mammals that use this human-made obstacle to their advantage.

Over the past 50 years, observers have also seen a spike in marine mammals near the locks, compounding the significant habitat declines over the past century across the watershed. This combination of factors has led to the lowest returns of salmon and steelhead in history, resulting in fishery closures and populations on the edge of extinction.

During the summer and fall salmon migration, the area is being monitored by scientists from Oceans Initiative, a Seattle-based marine conservation research nonprofit. The scientists are observing marine mammal behavior when the device is on and comparing that with their behavior when the device is off.

"Everyone at Oceans Initiative is excited to see whether this benign use of acoustic technology can protect endangered salmon, without harming seals," said Laura Bogaard, who is leading data collection at the Locks. "During the first week of observing with the TAST on, it feels like the seals have shifted away from the fish ladder compared to observation days when the TAST was off. We are keen to see if this observation is also reflected in our data when it comes time for analysis."

If the device is effective at reducing the presence of marine mammals at the Locks, it may then be deployed at other locations in Puget Sound, giving resource managers a sorely needed tool to prevent marine mammals from consuming large numbers of salmon and steelhead at migration bottlenecks.

Designed at the University of St Andrews in Scotland, the TAST uses sound to startle animals and induce a flight response, causing the animal to leave the area, with the intention of training the animals to keep away altogether. It produces short sounds that are unexpected and startling, but does not lead to hearing damage, as is often the case for other acoustic methods. This helps to maintain its effectiveness much better over time. Recently, a Scotland-based company, Genuswave, brought the device to market after a number of peer-reviewed articles showed positive results.

Prof Vincent Janik, the Director of the Scottish Oceans Institute and one of the developers of the system remarked: "My colleague Thomas Goetz and I came across this very specific acoustic method after testing many commercially available devices and generally aversive sounds on seals. The reactions in our tests were in stark contrast to the habituation we saw in response to all other sounds. Seals avoided the area of exposure more and more over time, even when freely available food was presented next to the device."

The TAST deployed at the locks is a marked improvement over similar devices used in the past. Some other devices using noise to deter marine mammals have seen very limited success and rely on high-volume sounds that risk damaging the hearing of marine mammals. The TAST being deployed at the Locks emits sound at volumes that do not harm seals or sea lions, and at frequencies outside the hearing range of salmon and other marine mammals, such as whales.

Marine mammals are notorious for eating fish at the Locks thanks to Herschel, an 800-pound sea lion that, with other sea lions, was a significant factor contributing to the decline of the nearly extinct steelhead population in the watershed. Almost every strategy available, including other acoustic devices, has been used to separate marine mammals from salmon at the Locks, but none have proven successful. While Herschel hasn't returned to the locks since the 1980s, other sea lions appear annually, and smaller harbor seals are now seen camping in the fish ladder to intercept returning fish.

If the Locks are reopened this summer to the thousands of tourists who visit each year, they may be able to see the device in action or see scientists observing marine mammals in the area. Operation of the device should not affect visitors to the locks.

The effort to deploy and evaluate the TAST at the locks is made possible through a grant from the Puget Sound Partnership to build on the findings from the Salish Sea Marine Survival Project, an international research effort led by the salmon recovery nonprofit, Long Live the Kings and their Canadian co-leaders, the Pacific Salmon Foundation.

Other partners have invested time to make this effort possible including, NOAA Fisheries and the Suquamish Tribe.

PHOTOS
Album by Laura Bogaard, Oceans Initiative

FOR MORE INFORMATION, CONTACT:
Laura Bogaard, Oceans Initiative, laura@oceansinitiative.org, Phone: (206) 334-4743
ALT: Rob Williams, Oceans Initiative, rob@oceansinitiative.org

Lucas Hall, Long Live the Kings, lhall@lltk.org, (206) 382-9555 Ext. 30

Prof Vincent Janik, University of St Andrews, vj@st-andrews.ac.uk, +44 1334 467214

On Thursday, April 16, we have a very special guest, Sophia Trinh, joining our Virtual Marine Biology Camp. Sophia has very generously offered to lead a free ocean-themed painting class for kids of all ages. In this hour-long session, we'll be learning to paint the iconic killer whale!

Sophia Trinh is an American-Vietnamese watercolor artist from Seattle, Washington. She started painting at the age of four and soon developed a love for watercolors. Today, Sophia's work is a synthesis of creativity, and imagination, science, and geometry. She is inspired to use art as a tool to engage others, and communicate ideas. Sophia's hope in sharing her art with the world is that others will be encouraged to find space in their lives for art and creativity. You might enjoy following Sophia on Instagram.

In addition, Sophia has kindly agreed to donate an original painting of an endangered North Atlantic right whale (shown above) to Oceans Initiative. Oceans Initiative works with colleagues at New England Aquarium and NOAA to try to help protect these endangered whales by reducing impacts of ocean noise, ship strikes, and entanglement in fishing gear. We invite you to make a donation to support our conservation mission. Sophia will select the winner of the painting.

Visit our Get Involved page to make a tax-deductible donation in the USA.

Our Canadian friends and neighbours may make a tax-deductible donation here.

Whether you donate or not, please know the art class is free, like all of the sessions we've done so far. We hope to see you online Thursday, April 16, at 11 am (Seattle time) for this very special ocean-themed painting class with Sophia! Watch for updates, as we identify the best free platform to use, so you can watch Sophia live on Thurs. Please have ready your watercolor paints, paintbrushes, paper, and a rag or towel. We can't wait to see what you create!

A few of you have asked for projects for your kids to do between our episodes. We'd love to see your kids coloring these images of the outline of a Chinook salmon, a spyhopping orca (check out our social media logos for inspiration), and a pair of leaping Pacific white-sided dolphins. Email colored images, or your own drawings, to team AT oceansinitiative DOT org. Need some inspiration for your drawings? Check out our photos by following us on Instagram.

We are thinking about summarizing these interviews into an e-book of the most commonly asked questions. We'd make it free to download, with a suggested donation to support our conservation mission. If you submit your images by email, we may use your child's drawing (with first name and age) in our book.

FAQs
Hi all. We apologize for not being able to respond personally to the thousands of messages we are receiving. We're two scientists (with a kid stuck at home) and are struggling to keep up with this venture on top of our workloads doing science and running a nonprofit. Thanks for your patience. If you see someone asking a question you can answer, please do! We're all trying to get through this mess together.

Here are the most frequently asked questions:

1. What time is it where you are? Here is a great tool to find out your local time at 11 am Pacific https://www.timeanddate.com Or google "Current time in Seattle" to see the time difference between your home and Seattle. (Yes, that is a typo in the graphic. It should say PDT, not PST, because we're in Daylight Savings Time. But you can still type Seattle into Google or timeanddate.com to find out the corresponding time in your time zone.)

2. Where can I see the first two videos? They should be on a videos tab on our Facebook page. (Most people are seeing it on the left in their computers but we're not sure about the app.) We're trying to copy these videos to our website (or YouTube) for families and teachers who don't use social media. Thanks for your patience.

3. Can we add subtitles or translations? We'd love to! We don't know how. We're trying to copy the videos to our webpage. When we do, we'll make them downloadable in case anyone wants to translate or add captions. Please know we're volunteering as much and as fast as we can.

4. How can I help? First, you already are helping by spreading the word about Oceans Initiative's work. Many of the foundations and individual donors who support our conservation nonprofit measure impact by the size of our audience. It's a measure (albeit an imperfect one) of our reach. Like, comment, share, and invite friends to join us.

For those asking, here is the best way to make a tax-deductible, charitable gift in Canada or USA. Those donations go directly to our nonprofit's conservation mission. But please know that there is no charge to join these events, and there is no pressure to give. We understand first hand that families have been hit hard by this challenge. We'll keep up these events as long as there is need, interest, and capacity.

Thank you for your support. We love seeing your kids' photos and drawings. Thanks for joining us. Please stay safe and healthy.

During the school shutdowns, we've decided to launch a (very) informal, impromptu, virtual marine biology camp. Follow us on Facebook or Instagram, and you should see us in your news feed when we go live, Mondays and Thursdays at 11 am Pacific time. For Paddington Bear fans, you'll note that this is conveniently timed to coincide with elevenses. We've been using this as an excuse to bake yummy treats, for educational purposes of course. The recipes help us practice our reading and math skills. What are you making for Monday's elevenses?

Thanks, GeekWire, for the great profile of this event. We did this primarily as parents of an almost six-year-old kid who is really missing her friends. Please like, comment, share, and tell us in the comments below what you'd like to see us cover in future episodes. We'll keep this up as a free community service as long as schools are closed, kids are interested, and our nonprofit team has the capacity to keep up with demand.

We're scientists. We're also parents. Our daughter is stuck at home as public schools in our area have been closed for 6 weeks. Yikes! How do we entertain and educate them, while we all figure out how to work from home?

We have a fantastic team of biologists at Oceans Initiative, each of whom runs at least one fascinating project. We're planning to live stream an event Monday 16 March 2020 at 11 am (Pacific). Choose your favourite platform. We'll be streaming simultaneously on Instagram and Facebook. No need to sign up. Just like and follow the pages, and we'll "see" you Monday at 11. (When we studied at University of St Andrews, we loved the tradition of "elevenses" when scientists met in the lobby every morning at 11 to drink tea and coffee, eat pastries, and talk about science.)

Feel free to email us your questions ahead of time, to get the conversation started. We'll start out by talking about southern resident killer whales. But let's brainstorm the next topic for our meeting. This quarantine may last a while. We could talk about Pacific white-sided dolphins, including Erin's work collecting breath samples to understand diseases in wild dolphins. (That may be an age-appropriate way to talk about viruses.) We could talk about our efforts to keep whales, dolphins, and porpoises safe from fishing gear. One of our team, Natalie Mastick, could talk about her studies of parasites in marine mammals - if we talk on a Thursday, she could stream from her lab and show you some worms, in jars. Or maybe we can figure out how to invite guest speakers when we run out of topics.

Let us know in the comments below if this is a community service you'd use. How are you keeping your kids entertained and educated at home these days? We're all in this together.

"Parasitism may play a role in the recovery of at-risk marine mammals, but without digging in and figuring out if this is a new problem or status quo, we won't know."
- Natalie Mastick

Posted originally at nataliemastick.com/blog/

There are indents on my nose, my hair smells faintly of ethanol, and I am actively working on realigning my spine after several hours hunched over a microscope. I have just wrapped up a fish dissection, but not a normal fish dissection of a fresh or even thawed fish. This fish was caught in 1985. Once captured, it was fixed in formalin and then stored in ethanol, living in a jar in the Burke Museum's fish collection at the University of Washington for the last 35 years. This dissection is a small piece of the Wood lab's effort to reconstruct the past of Puget Sound, and the parasites that lived in it. Each fish preserved contains a snapshot of what parasites infected it when it was caught and subsequently stored in ethanol, to live on a shelf for eternity. By dissecting the species commonly caught in Puget Sound and stored over the past century (that's right, 100 year-old fish!) we are able to see how parasite diversity has changed in the region.

This has important implications for the fish that these parasites infect. Some of the parasite species found in fish use that fish as their definitive host; they'll live in that fish for the rest of their lives. Other species, however, use the fish as a stepping stone-or intermediate host-to get to their ideal definitive hosts. These parasites wait until their intermediate host gets eaten, hopefully by a definitive host that they can infect for the rest of their lives. The parasites found in the fish represent the transferable parasites that were inhabiting the environment at that time, available to be eaten by a definitive host.

A group of these parasites are parasitic nematodes (worms) of the family Anisakidae, or anisakids, which I discussed in my blog post "Anisakid risk to endangered marine mammals." These nematodes have multiple life stages, in which they depend on different hosts. Their first host, or primary host, is a copepod, which then gets eaten by a small fish or squid. In this second host, the nematode encysts in the muscle and waits to get eaten by the next biggest animal, hopefully a marine mammal (a whale, dolphin, seal, sea otter, or sea lion). Unfortuantely for the worm, from there it gets eaten by another fish. But evolution prepared them for this! Anisakids can keep getting eaten by fish and encysting them until they finally reach a marine mammal. Then, once they finally reach a warm-blooded host, they inhabit the stomach or intestine and reproduce. Those eggs are then sent out into the marine environment through the host's feces, where they can get eaten by a copepod and the whole life cycle can begin again.

Aniskaids might play a bigger role in marine mammal health than previously thought. Once in the intestinal tract of a marine mammal, anisakids absorb nutrients from the host, taking up energy that would otherwise be used by the host alone. At larger burdens, large amounts of energy can be taken from the host, effectively acting as an energy sink. The whale or seal needs to eat more to account for this energy lost to its parasitic stowaways. But for at-risk or endangered species like the southern resident killer whale, which is already nutritionally stressed, parasitism by these nematodes may represent an additional stressor inhibiting the recovery of the species by acting in concert with other stressors.

In the lab today I was dissecting herring. Herring are an important forage fish in the Pacific Northwest. They form large schools and can be found in open ocean as well as bays. Herring are eaten by humans, fish, and birds, and they also make up a large part of the diet of some marine mammals, including whales, seals, sea lions, and porpoises. They form a foundation of the food web, so that the parasites that they harbor can continue on to a marine mammal, even if they are not consumed by one directly. By assessing how the abundance of anisakid nematodes has changed in herring and other fish, both small and large, that are common prey to marine mammals, I am uncovering how the risk to anisakid infection has changed locally over the past century.

While we are still in the dissection stages and not the analysis quite yet, I think we may see an increase in anisakid abundance. Marine mammals are key to the spread of anisakids in the marine environment, and surprisingly enough some marine mammals in this area have been increasing in number since protections were put in place in the 1970s (think of the skyrocketing populations of sea lions and harbor seals in the area). With more definitive hosts shedding eggs into the environment, the likelihood of infection of fish and subsequently of other mammals increases. I expect that this will be evident through the historical record we're currently examining.

It is important to determine what parasite abundance in the ecosystem was like in the past because it provides context for what we see today. A component of my research is assessing how parasitized marine mammals in the area are now, and if parasites are likely impacting the health of marine mammals more than they were in the past. If we don't know what the past was like, we can't tell if marine mammals today are any worse off now than they were before, especially the at-risk ones like the endangered southern resident killer whale. If at-risk species are facing a more significant threat from parasites today than they were in the past, then those threats could be incorporated into their management. Parasitism may play a role in the recovery of at-risk marine mammals, but without digging in and figuring out if this is a new problem or status quo, we won't know.

UPDATE (March 05, 2020): Thank you to everyone who has submitted an application. We were truly impressed by both the number (almost 200!) and quality of applicants. Due to our organization's small size and the sheer number of applicants, we had to interview people on a rolling basis and are currently in the the final stages of the interview process. Thank you again for your time and interest in working with Oceans Initiative and please keep an eye on our social media channels for information on upcoming projects and job openings in Canada and the US.

Four PAID Field Technician Positions Available: Southern Resident Killer Whale (SRKW) Research, Summer 2020.

June 25 - September 4, 2020 (1 month minimum; start/end dates flexible; preference given to applicants available for the entire period), with a possibility of extending fieldwork through September.

Oceans Initiative is a team of scientists on a mission to protect marine wildlife. Our US team is based out of Seattle, WA. We are currently recruiting 4 highly motivated field technicians to collect behavioral and AIS data on killer whales and vessels from land-based study sites on San Juan Island for our summer 2020 field season. Experience with theodolite tracking of cetaceans, and SRKW identification skills, are highly valued. Must be able to work independently and as part of a close-knit team where a positive attitude is essential. Applicants with substantial experience in theodolite tracking, project leadership, and project management may be considered for a coordinator role. Applicants must be eligible to work legally in the U.S. for the duration of the employment period.

The primary goal of this project is to measure the effectiveness of recent efforts to reduce impacts of vessel noise and disturbance on foraging of SRKWs. Data collection involves: recording behavioral observations of SRKW activity in Haro Strait, theodolite tracking of vessel and whale movement, storing and processing AIS data, and documenting small vessel presence and activity within 1000m of the whales.

Qualification requirements: Student or recent graduate of a biology/marine biology, marine science, oceanography, zoology or related program, or related experience. Excellent communication skills. Experience working as a naturalist on a whale watching boat in the Salish Sea would be helpful. Genuine interest in killer whale behavior, and conservation. Valid driver's license and clean driving record. Must be able to collect data on uneven terrain, in variable weather conditions (4-37C, 40F-100F, rain, humidity and biting insects). Knowledge of digital SLR cameras and lenses an asset. Familiarity with data storage and management processes. Ability to work on-call, dawn-dusk, for multi-week shifts with scheduled days off.

Duties include: staying current on location of SRKW through frequent monitoring of sightings network, high-quality data collection, data management, meticulous note-taking, providing daily communication with executive team via Slack, maintenance of field equipment, and some content creation for social media posts.

Preferred applicants will be available for the entire 2 month period, with the potential of extending into September. Those with first hand marine mammal observing experience and/or experience working on whale-watch vessels in the San Juans, are especially encouraged to apply. If you have experience with theodolite tracking of cetaceans, please mention this clearly in your cover letter, and mention the software you have used to track cetaceans.

This position is PAID (remuneration dependent upon qualifications and experience) and housing on San Juan Island will be provided. While technicians will have to provide their own food and transportation to and around the island, one round-trip ferry ticket will be provided-any additional trips off-island must be covered by the individual.

Interested applicants must send a cover letter, CV and dates of availability to team@oceansinitiatve.org before April 3rd, 2020 to be considered. Applicant must be authorized to work in the US as we cannot sponsor overseas visas. Preference will be given to applicants who can stay through the entire project. Application review will begin immediately. More information about Oceans Initiative can be found at www.oceansinitiative.org or by contacting us directly at team@oceansinitiative.org.

Thank you,
Erin Ashe, PhD
Rob Williams, PhD
Laura Bogaard, BASc

PS: We have seen this ad shared to other sites, where it has been described as a paid internship. This is well suited for an early career researcher, or a naturalist wishing to gain experience in science, but our team is unable to provide the one-on-one mentorship we would normally expect in a paid internship. We are looking for people who are ready to work as paid field technicians. These are short-term, contract positions to carry out specific tasks. They are not intended to become full-time salaried positions, or to support data collection for your graduate degree.

"There are vulnerable marine mammals around the world. If these species are also facing an increase in parasitism, that may be an added stress impacting their rate of recovery."
- Natalie Mastick

Posted originally at nataliemastick.com/blog/

Until last year, my research revolved around whale foraging behavior. I studied the foraging behavior of humpback whales for my masters and spent several summers in the San Juan Islands studying southern resident killer whale behavior in response to shipping noise with Oceans Initiative. When I met Chelsea Wood, a parasite ecologist at the University of Washington, while scoping out PhD advisors it dawned on me that there was a whole other scale of foraging ecology to consider in whales- that of the parasites living within them.

I had worked with sick marine mammals before and assisted on a handful of necropsies at that point. Parasites were relatively commonplace, but generally not the cause of rehabilitation for the sick animals or death for those we necropsied. I had grown accustomed to ignoring parasites and assuming their effects were negligible. But after meeting Chelsea, it was clear that parasites may play a bigger role in animal health and survival than I had given them credit for. I had been studying southern resident killer whales with Oceans Initiative for several years, working on assessing the impacts of a suite of threats to the population. I thought more about the role parasites might play in an endangered species like the southern resident killer whales, whose recovery is inhibited by multiple stressors. For marine mammals that are already facing a multitude of threats, parasites could be an additional burden that might make the difference between a healthy and a sick animal.

Marine mammal parasites are nearly as widespread as their hosts. Parasitic nematodes of the family Anisakidae, or anisakids, are transmitted to marine mammals through the fish that they eat. Anisakids travel up the food web from copepods to fish or squid until they reach a marine mammal, their definitive host. They inhabit their host's intestinal tract, reproducing and sending their eggs back into the ocean via their host's feces to continue the cycle. These parasites can infect a wide range of fish species, leaving many marine mammals vulnerable to infection if their prey harbor anisakids.

There is evidence that anisakids are on the rise around the world. This led me to wonder, are these parasites increasing in the prey that marine mammals eat? And could the most vulnerable marine mammals be at risk to increases in parasitism? This seemed like an important question to address from a recovery and management standpoint. There are vulnerable marine mammals around the world. If these species are also facing an increase in parasitism, that may be an added stress impacting their rate of recovery.

The first chapter of my PhD has focused on answering these questions in some of the most at-risk species- those listed as threatened or endangered in the Endangered Species Act and the IUCN Red List. My lab-mate Evan Fiorenza recently completed a major meta-analysis of the publications on anisakid prevalence over the last 60 years. I compared the ranges and diet species of all IUCN listed species and ESA listed populations, resulting in 14 populations that overlapped with this meta-analysis dataset, ranging 30 years. I also subset the data to look at the species with the most data to see if there was a trend in any of the most well-represented diet species, grouped by the mammal that eats them.

As I am still actively analyzing the data, it is too soon to say whether there has been a change in anisakid abundance in the prey that endangered marine mammals are eating. That being said, I am excited to be presenting my preliminary data and analyses at the World Marine Mammal Conference in Barcelona this week. With any luck, I will be able to talk to some of the experts on these endangered marine mammals to gather more information about their diets to improve the resolution of my study. When I return, I plan to work on increasing the scope of my study to include species listed under Canada's Species At Risk Act (SARA), and working with the experts at Oceans Initiative to improve range estimates of these species. But for now, I am excited to soak in new information more from the world's marine mammalogists over the next week.

"It's always such a privilege to study marine wildlife. I am especially grateful to join Oceans Initiative in their research with Pacific white-sided dolphins in truly one of the most beautiful places on Earth."
- Laura Bogaard

This summer marks our 11th year of Pacific white-sided dolphin research in the Broughton Archipelago of British Columbia, Canada. Since the birth of this project with Dr. Erin Ashe's PhD research, we have learned so much about this fascinating and under-studied species. The Broughton Archipelago also provides a rare opportunity to study a generally pelagic (open ocean) species in inshore waters. We now think that this habitat may be crucial to their feeding on herring. It also acts as a nursery for rearing their babies. The initial goal of our study was to use dorsal fin photographs for identification to model population level changes from year to year. You can read more about the post-season intricacies of this work from Natalie Mastick's blog post on our website.

It's a 3-day trip on our research vessel, Wishart, from Seattle to Malcolm Island in British Columbia. On the way, we stopped briefly at San Juan Island to check in on our Southern Resident killer whale field team. As we navigated up the inside waters between Vancouver Island and the mainland of British Columbia, we spotted a plethora of marine mammal species including humpback whales, transient killer whales, harbor seals, harbor porpoise, Dall's porpoise, and Steller sea lions.

We were also delighted to be joined for a few days by Ryan Tidman and Chelsea Xavier-Blower of SeaLegacy. They brought lots of creative energy (and of course, their drones) and helped us with building some fun new behind the scenes content that we are very excited to share on social media in the upcoming months.

Photo credit: Ryan Tidman

The two action-packed weeks that followed covered three research aims: investigate the effectiveness of a fishing pinger on dolphin avoidance behavior, collect breath samples in order to better understand their individual health, and capture as many identification photographs as possible. We collected almost 700 GB of identification photos and 17 breath samples, and conducted 30 experimental trials for our pinger study. Satisfied, fulfilled, and exhausted we ended our expedition on a high note.

On our last day in the Broughton, we had a rare opportunity to re-sight my favorite humpback whale, Lucky, whom I wrote about in my first blog post as an intern three summers ago. We even got to watch as she and another humpback were bubble-net feeding! This is where humpback whales blow bubbles in a large circular motion, creating a "net" around a school of fish. Then, they lunge up through the school, mouths open wide, gulping large quantities of prey.

It is always such a privilege to study marine wildlife. I am especially grateful to join the Oceans Initiative team in one of the most beautiful places in the world.

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For Immediate Release: 8/26/20 - Seattle, WA Download Press Release as PDF Download Photographs SUMMARYA group of partners working to improve salmon stocks have deployed a newly developed device on the west side of the Ballard Locks that uses underwater sound to keep harbor seals away from this salmon migration bottleneck.

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Find out how strong your vocabulary is and learn new words at Vocabulary.com.

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Vocabulary.com helps you learn new words, play games that improve your vocabulary, and explore language.

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Tools and advice on Remote Learning

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From using video to project-based learning, get recommendations on the best tools for distance learning.

Schools across the United States and the world are closing due to the coronavirus pandemic and the urgent need for social distancing. This leaves teachers and schools scrambling to figure out how to keep kids learning at home during this time.

Whether you're used to teaching with tech or not, transitioning to distance learning is a big undertaking. So many variables will determine your specific needs -- from your students' ages and access to technology, to the goals and expectations your school district has outlined for you.

While you're ultimately going to know which tools are best for you and your students, we're here to provide inspiration and support. We have thousands of reviews that dig into the pros, cons, and "how-tos" of each app, website, and game. To make sifting through these reviews easier, we've put together this collection of our most relevant Top Picks lists.

Getting Ready for Distance Learning

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Free Resources

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How to Find Great Learning Resources for Your Students During School Closures | Common Sense Education

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Schools across the United States and the world are closing due to the coronavirus pandemic and the urgent need for social distancing. This leaves teachers and schools scrambling to figure out how to keep kids learning at home during this time. Whether you're used to teaching with tech or not, transitioning to distance learning is a big undertaking.

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STEM Resource Finder | Concord Consortium

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The STEM Resource Finder is a collection of the Concord Consortium's best resources for science, math, and engineering education. Our curated collections offer lesson plans and units for your class based on these resources. All for free!"

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request your free six-month subscription of ti software coronavirus support

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Request your FREE six-month subscription of TI software

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Due to the need for online learning resources during the coronavirus outbreak, we are offering FREE subscriptions of our software which will be valid for six months. They are available for all students and teachers to download.

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Govern

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In this new Private i History Detectives unit, Elementary students analyze primary sources to discover how Constitutional Amendments attempted to address slavery's wrongs, how the courts challenged unfair laws, and how individuals and groups fought for civil rights.

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In this new Private i History Detectives unit, Elementary students analyze primary sources to discover how Constitutional Amendments attempted to address slavery's wrongs, how the courts challenged unfair laws, and how individuals and groups fought for civil rights.

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We're committed to providing educators accessible, high-quality teaching tools. That's why all our lessons and assessments are free. Please consider donating to SHEG to support our creation of new materials. All gifts are made through Stanford University and are tax-deductible.

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Economics Education

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As part of the nation's central bank, the Dallas Fed plays an important role in monetary policy, bank supervision and regulation, and the operation of a nationwide payments system.

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The world’s largest library. View historic photos, maps, books and more. Contact experts for help with research. Plan a visit. Home of U.S. Copyright Office.

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Change is a fact of life-sometimes good, sometimes bad. Here are some tips for helping your teen manage change, stay positive and keep learning:

All teenagers experience change at school-new teachers, different classes, new timetables. Some will also experience changes in friendships or family circumstances. Sometimes these changes can affect their learning, but they don't have to.

Encourage your teenager to see change as an opportunity-the chance to gain new skills, to grow, to learn something new, to think and move outside the square.

Help them to put things in perspective. Encourage your teen to take a step back, give themselves time, and think about when they've dealt with a similar change in the past.

Fear of the unknown can make change more difficult, so help your teen learn more about what's happening. If they're changing school, for example, encourage them to find out more about the new school-look at their website, arrange a school tour, meet their year coordinator or one of their new teachers.

Keep up a regular routine. Having a predictable routine at home can help teens to feel safe and secure, and can provide stability in a time of change.

Encourage your teen to talk to someone about how they are feeling. Sometimes the best person to talk to will be you, but other times it will be a friend, a teacher, another relative or a mentor. If they are finding it hard to cope with change, encourage your teenager to talk to someone like a school counsellor, doctor, or support service.

Give your teen the chance to get away from it all, mentally or physically. Even a short break doing something completely different can help to create a new perspective. Encourage them to take a walk in the park, watch a movie, visit an art gallery, or go out for an ice-cream with you.

Make sure your teen gets enough sleep, nourishment and exercise. Healthy minds and bodies are better equipped to cope when something out-of-the-ordinary occurs.

With these strategies and your support, your teenager may be better equipped to cope with most changes without an impact on their learning. If you are worried, check out the resources below for more ideas and specialist support.

Online resources include ReachOut and Student Wellbeing Hub.

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Change is a fact of life-sometimes good, sometimes bad. Here are some tips for helping your teen manage change, stay positive and keep learning: All teenagers experience change at school-new teachers, different classes, new timetables. Some will also experience changes in friendships or family circumstances.

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Family Dinner Project

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Contributed by The Family Dinner Project Team

When you think about it, on even our worst days, we can still find things to be grateful for. Go around the table and have each family member share something for which he or she is grateful - but in alphabetical order. So maybe you're thankful for animals, your son is grateful for bananas, and so on until everyone is feeling gratitude from A to Z!

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Contributed by The Family Dinner Project Team When you think about it, on even our worst days, we can still find things to be grateful for. Go around the table and have each family member share something for which he or she is grateful - but in alphabetical order.

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Author: Healthwise Staff

All Healthwise education is reviewed by a team that includes physicians, nurses, advanced practitioners, registered dieticians, and other healthcare professionals.

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Stress Management: Breathing Exercises for Relaxation

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Top of the pageActionsetStress Management: Breathing Exercises for RelaxationOverviewHave you ever noticed how you breathe when you feel relaxed? The next time you are relaxed, take a moment to notice how your body feels. Or think about how you breathe when you first wake up in the morning or just before you fall asleep.

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YouTube - World History Crash Course Videos

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YouTube - World History Crash Course Videos

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In 42 episodes, John Green will begin teaching you the history of the world! This course is based on the 2012 AP World History curriculum, from growing the f…

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YouTube - World History 2 Crash Course Videos

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YouTube - World History 2 Crash Course Videos

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In 30 episodes, John Green rethinks world history! In round two we take a different approach and try to think more thematically rather than chronologically. ...

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YouTube - US History Crash Course Videos

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YouTube - US History Crash Course Videos

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In 48 episodes, John Green will teach you the history of the United States of America! This course is based off of the 2013 AP US History curriculum. By the ...

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In 35 episodes, Adriene Hill and Jacob Clifford teach you economics! This course is based on introductory college level curriculum and the 2015 AP Economics…

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YouTube - US Government & Politics Crash Course Videos

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YouTube - US Government & Politics Crash Course Videos

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In 50 videos, Craig Benzine (aka WeezyWaiter) teaches you U.S. government and politics! The course is based on the 2014 AP U.S. Government and Politics curri…

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YouTube - Psychology Crash Course Videos

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YouTube - Psychology Crash Course Videos

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In 40 episodes, Hank Green will teach you psychology! This course is based on the 2013 AP Psychology curriculum. By the end of the course, you will be able t…

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Remember to set your filters as '9-12' and choose your content

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Illuminations Home - National Council of Teachers of Mathematics

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Founded in 2002 by Nobel Laureate Carl Wieman, the PhET Interactive Simulations project at the University of Colorado Boulder creates free interactive math and science simulations. PhET sims are based on extensive education research and engage students through an intuitive, game-like environment where students learn through exploration and discovery.

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A collection of virtual labs created by glencoe. Many of these allow students to manipulate variables and conduct tests that might be too dangerous or expensive to perform in class.

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Science News Explores publishes news from all fields of science for students from middle school and up, with resources for parents and educators.

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First published in 1869, Nature is the world's leading multidisciplinary science journal. Nature publishes the finest peer-reviewed research that drives ground-breaking discovery, and is read by thought-leaders and decision-makers around the world.

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STEM Activities from The National Inventors' Hall of Fame

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STEM Activities from The National Inventors' Hall of Fame