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Education Week - Classroom Q&A With Larry Ferlazzo

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In addition to sharing posts and visualizations offering support to teachers and parents during the school closure crisis (see All Classroom Q&A Posts on the Coronavirus Crisis), I've also been doing a series of videos.

The first one was on " 7 Tips for Remote Teaching."

Next, came " 7 Tips for Parents Supporting Remote Learning."

And, now, today, comes one providing "Tips for Remote Teaching with ELL Students" (our apologies for it being a bit "glitchy," particularly at the beginning):

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Video: 'Tips for Remote Teaching With ELL Students'

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In addition to sharing posts and visualizations offering support to teachers and parents during the school closure crisis (see All Classroom Q&A Posts on the Coronavirus Crisis), I've also been doing a series of videos. The first one was on " 7 Tips for Remote Teaching."

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SYNC is a free summer audiobook program for teens 13+. AudiobookSYNC gives participants two thematically paired audiobooks each week.

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Rarely, do you see me without a notebook. I have kept a journal for the past 20 years and have filled hundreds of notebooks with handwriting expressing my successes, failures, hopes, dreams, and even mundane daily tasks. There is no replacement for the feeling I get when my favorite pen glides across a new page in my journal!

Keeping a journal provides a safe spot for expressing ideas, wrestling with questions, and writing yourself into history. It is both therapeutic and creative. Journaling is inexpensive and accessible; the writing that occurs is self-regulated and shares patterns, behaviors, and experiences that have defined us.

Journaling also provides a unique primary source during historical moments in time for future generations to read and understand. Journals become a collection of thoughts and experiences from the people who lived through it. Currently, we are all living in another one of these historical moments and a Pandemic Journal is a perfect place to record how we are living through these uncommon times, as well as a creative and meaningful way to encourage our students to write.

Here are 5 Must-Have Entries for Your Pandemic Journals:

Pandemic Picture - Inspired by the work of photographer, Gregg Segal, Pandemic Pictures depict a person surrounded by the items that are most important to them during this pandemic (and can be photographed). For instance, I told my daughter to collect 15 things that she couldn't live without, were important to her, that she loved, or that brought her joy while sheltering in place. Her collection was filled with creativity, art supplies, music, technology, as well as TP, hand sanitizer, and a mask. This one photo represents her 12-year-old life during COVID-19 and will ignite memories to be shared with others in the future.

2. T-chart - Create a t-chart somewhere in the journal that will allow you to add to it throughout the pandemic. On one side list "Things I Love Right Now" and the other "Things I Miss Right Now". Bike rides with my children, exploring nature, and the growing bond between siblings are a few things listed on my "Love" side. Flying and travel, extended family and friends, enjoying appetizers and drinks at a restaurant are just a few of the things I miss greatly. Having this space in my journal will allow me a dynamic spot to add to as time goes on.

3. Letter to Future Self - Letter writing has seen an increase during the pandemic. In your journal, write a letter to your future self explaining your current reality. How would you explain what you are experiencing? What would be important to remember? What hopes do you have for the future? Writing to your future will provide a time to not only grapple with current conditions but provide hope to what things will be like in the future.

4. Listicle - A listicle is a piece of writing that is wholly or partly created by a list. This is another entry that can be ongoing, a place to record, in list form, things you want to remember. For instance, the price of gas (wow, is it low), what is missing from the grocery store, what people are hoarding, when businesses and recreation are closed and opened, how social distancing looks in the stores with the plastic guards and dots on the ground. There are many small things that have shifted in our daily lives, it will be important to note these differences.

5. Interview - By our very nature, humans are social. And during these times, sheltering-in-place and social and physical distancing have become the norm, and in some places the mandate. Connecting with others is important for our physical and emotional health, and although we may not be able to meet for dinner or attend a celebration in person, talking with those we care about can be another entry to document in our pandemic journal. Interview a relative or friend and write down the conversation. What does their daily life look like now? What do they miss doing? What have they learned about their neighborhood, family, city, etc.? What sort of social norms are developing? What is closed? What is open? These interviews become part of a living history and help to stay connected to others.

Journaling is not new, what is new is the current reality people across the globe are living through. Everyone's life has been impacted by COVID-19 and it is important for us, and our students to capture our experiences and feelings to write ourselves into history. I encourage you to begin your own Pandemic Journal if you have not already done so, it is not too late. I would also encourage you to have your students and children write their thoughts in a journal during this time. It is not only therapeutic but a creative outlet that will benefit future generations to come.
Have any other Must-Have Pandemic Journal ideas to share? Drop me a comment below!

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Rarely, do you see me without a notebook. I have kept a journal for the past 20 years and have filled hundreds of notebooks with handwriting expressing my successes, failures, hopes, dreams, and even mundane daily tasks. There is no replacement for the feeling I get when my favorite pen glides across a new page in my journal!

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We're here to help you make remote learning accessible and inclusive. Explore curated resources on high-leverage topics that matter to you.

Executive Functioning

Explore how to support working memory, flexible thinking, and self-regulation in remote environments.

DIY Accessible Materials

Let's make sure that learners who need assistive technologies are included, too.

Online Lesson Planning

Accessible and inclusive - designed for all from the start.

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We're here to help you make remote learning accessible and inclusive. Explore curated resources on high-leverage topics that matter to you. Explore how to support working memory, flexible thinking, and self-regulation in remote environments. Let's make sure that learners who need assistive technologies are included, too.

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Try This: 16 Real-World Models for DIY Writing Projects (Published 2019)

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A Pennsylvania teacher transforms a traditional curriculum map into a high-interest “mentor map,” with Times features for inspiration.

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You know that saying ...

"If you build it, they will come."

When it comes to teachers... they show up, they share, they help, they revise, and they make it even better!

Last week I put an idea I created for teachers and literacy leaders I partner with out into the world - a virtual classroom library. I am truly overwhelmed by the response I received from educators across the country. So ...once again, I started thinking. How could I virtually create a space for all of us to work together and share? What virtual structure could I create that would simulate grab-and-go baskets for teachers to simply and quickly take and incorporate into a virtual classroom library or student reading bag? How could we once again work together to empower students and make the book supply seem endless in the eyes of a reader? I fiddled and played and revised. I tested and redesigned and retested.

A virtual bookroom! We all know classroom libraries need to stay fresh and attract readers with a flow of new books. Teachers need a systematic way to rotate the inventory in their virtual classroom library. We need to continue to support our students in developing their reading identities and their reading lives. We need to give them a space that looks familiar to them and supports their continued growth in choosing books that matter to them.

Last week, I used google docs to create the virtual classroom library because many of my partner districts use google classroom. This platform works really well, but the teachers and literacy leaders who have been experimenting with me this week found Padlet to be an easier platform to use. Teachers can literally grab baskets from the Padlet virtual bookroom and send them to their Padlet virtual classroom library or student(s) book bag.

My hope is to create something that is as quick and easy as possible for teachers. Teachers cannot add one more thing to their plate right now. If we work together, we can support each other in provisioning virtual classroom libraries.

Are you ready to see how?

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What Could Be Better Than a Virtual Classroom Library? A Virtual Bookroom!! #booklove #BetterTogether - Clare Landrigan

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You know that saying ... "If you build it, they will come." When it comes to teachers... they show up, they share, they help, they revise, and they make it even better! Last week I put an idea I created for teachers and literacy leaders I partner with out into the world - a virtual classroom library.

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Helping children discover a love of reading

Open eBooks

Open eBooks is a library containing thousands of popular and award-winning titles that are free for children from in-need communities. These eBooks can be read without checkouts or holds. The goal of Open eBooks is to encourage a love of reading and serve as a gateway to children reading even more often, whether in school, at libraries, or through other eBook reading apps.

Project Partners

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Helping children discover a love of reading Open eBooks is a library containing thousands of popular and award-winning titles that are free for children from in-need communities. These eBooks can be read without checkouts or holds.

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Flip is where social and emotional learning happens! The leading video discussion platform for millions of PreK to PhD educators, students, and families.

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Top Picks for Connecting the Classroom and Real World | Common Sense Education

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Top Picks for Connecting the Classroom and Real World is a list of 34 apps, games, and websites curated by Common Sense Education editors.

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The Everywhere Book Fest was a virtual celebration of authors, books, and readers that brought the book festival experience to everyone on May 1 & 2, 2020. You can catch all the festival panels on our YouTube channel!
Our YouTube Channel

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The Everywhere Book Fest was a virtual celebration of authors, books, and readers that brought the book festival experience to everyone on May 1 & 2, 2020. You can catch all the festival panels on our YouTube channel! Our YouTube Channel

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Virtual field trips are a game changer. Not only do they fill in for real field trips when budgets and other roadblocks prevent in-person options, but virtual field trips also open doors to educational experiences all over the country and the world, both past and present. No fundraising or permission slips required!

(Note: For anyone who needs it, YouTube offers a closed-captioning option. Just click the CC button in the bottom right-hand corner.)

Amazon Career Tours are free virtual field trips that inspire students to pursue careers of the future. Tour whenever, wherever on Kahoot! Each tour comes with a Teacher Toolkit that includes a facilitation guide and student worksheets.

2. The Zoo

There are so many amazing online options when it comes to zoos that we couldn't narrow it down to just one. Most zoos have live webcams in some of their most popular exhibits, such as the KC Zoo Polar Bear Cam and the Giant Panda Cam at Smithsonian's National Zoo. However, some zoos offer a more in-depth look. You'll definitely want to check out the San Diego Zoo as their site for kids includes behind-the-scenes videos and stories, as well as a variety of printable activities and online games. Check out our full list of virtual zoo goodness.

3. The Aquarium

It's a similar story with aquariums. You have your pick of live webcams, but our favorites are the Georgia Aquarium's Ocean Voyager webcam (wait for the whale shark!) and the "Jelly Cam" at Monterey Bay Aquarium (so soothing). The Seattle Aquarium even has a 30-minute video tour. Want more under-the-sea fun? Here's our ultimate list of virtual aquarium field trips.

4. The Farm

The classic preschool field trip goes online! You can have your pick of dairy farm field trips, but we like this one from the Dairy Alliance and this one from Stonyfield Organic. Farm Food 360 gives students the opportunity to immerse themselves in Canadian farm and food tours-from raising pigs to making milk and cheese. We're also loving these virtual egg farm field trips from the American Egg Board.

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5. An Art Museum

We found 20 art museums with virtual tours, including the Metropolitan Museum of Art's # MetKids and its awesome Where's Waldo? setup. And you can't miss the world-famous Louvre in Paris (no passport needed!). Check out the current virtual tours: Traveling Materials and Objects, the Advent of the Artist, the Body in Movement, and Founding Myths: From Hercules to Darth Vader!

6. A National Park

From webcams at Hawaii volcanoes to a virtual run along the rim of the Grand Canyon, you have tons of options here. Our top pick would have to be Yellowstone. The interactive maps are a great way to see the Mammoth Hot Springs and Mud Volcano, but we think kids will be psyched about the Old Faithful Geyser livestream and the opportunity to make their own predictions for its next eruption. Check out everything the National Park Service has to offer virtually.

7. A Planetarium

Through Stellarium Web, kids can explore over 60,000 stars, locate planets, and watch sunrises and solar eclipses. If you enter your location, you can see all the constellations that are visible in the night sky in your corner of the world.

Take your students on a virtual field trip of a recycling center and a modern landfill. Plus, there's a full-on curriculum that includes lesson plans, take-home handouts, and more.

Nickelodeon teamed up with two astronauts on the International Space Station to demonstrate how slime reacts to microgravity and had kids reproduce those same demonstrations back here on Earth. It makes for an amazing 15-minute virtual field trip.

The Nature Conservancy has a brand-new virtual field trip entitled "You're the Scientist! Citizen Science, Frogs & Cicadas." Check out their full library of videos on topics like climate change and water security.

Discovery Education hosts a variety of virtual events -each with a companion guide with hands-on learning activities. Current offerings include "Making a New Life: The Courage of a Refugee" and "The Future Is Now" (architectural and engineering innovations). Stay tuned for their upcoming civics virtual field trip, "The American Ideal."

This virtual field trip from Great Lakes Now has three components: coastal wetlands, algae, and lake sturgeon. Each video is a quick five minutes long.

Explore online exhibits and discover the history and evolution of play. Check out board games that changed play, sports video games that shaped digital play, and the making of Monopoly to name a few.

Kids can learn about the most recent Census and how census data is collected and used. This virtual field trip also features interviews with subject matter experts and an interactive challenge.

The "Museum of We the People," the Constitution Center serves as a "headquarters for civic education." Check out the Interactive Constitution section, and be sure to watch the virtual tour.

Houston, we have a virtual field trip. Three, actually. All with companion educator guides. The star of the show is the behind-the-scenes tour of the Johnson Space Center.

Boise State put together this fully interactive virtual field trip with text, photos, audio, and video about the history of music. The four featured music locations are: Vienna, Austria; New Orleans, Louisiana; Cleveland, Ohio; and Bristol, Tennessee-Virginia.

This living-history museum provides a look into life in an early American community. The website offers five different webcams featuring areas such as the tavern and the armory.

This virtual experience of George Washington's home is incredibly well done. Enter the different buildings-from the opulent mansion to the chilling slave quarters-and click on different items for video and text explanations.

This virtual tour comes with a real tour guide! Blaine Kortemeyer is the Assistant Chief of Interpretation and Education, who lends his expertise on the building of this national monument. The 3D Explorer is also an excellent tool.

Take a visit to the National WWII Museum for "a cross-country virtual expedition to discover the science, sites, and stories of the creation of the atomic bomb." Don't forget to download the classroom guide!

For a look inside the iconic building, check out the 360° tour of some of the most historic rooms of the People's House, from the Situation Room to the Oval Office. Examine each room and check out the contents up close.

The National Museum of Natural History's virtual experiences are self-guided, room-by-room tours of permanent, current, and past exhibits. Be sure to send kids to the second floor Bone Hall so they can take a look at all different kinds of skeletons.

A collaboration with over 1,200 leading museums and archives, Google Arts & Culture is an incredible storehouse of monumental works of art. We recommend the Street View and Play sections.

Boasting the world's largest collection of 360° image videos, 360 Cities provides kids with the opportunity to see stunning panoramas across the globe, including their video of the ice floe on the Vistula River in Poland.

It's the official residence of the Queen of England, and boy, is it opulent! Get a peek inside the gorgeous Grand Staircase, White Drawing Room, Throne Room, and Blue Drawing Room.

See one of the wonders of the world with this amazing, thousands-year-old fortification system known the world over. This virtual tour has four scenes available (you have to pay to get access to all 14). The bird's-eye view of Mutianyu pass is a highlight.

Most of us recognize the giant stone statues of Easter Island, but what's the story behind them? Nova's online adventure "Secrets of Easter Island" delves into the mystery with a virtual tour.

National Geographic lets you explore the world's largest cave, located in Vietnam. Use the interactive map to enjoy the fully immersive experience (sound on!).

You don't need a time machine! Discovering Ancient Egypt has a ton of free resources, but it's the interactive pyramid map and 3D temple reconstructions that really give it a field trip feel.

Virtually visit Turn Back the Clock, a museum exhibit that ran for two years at the Museum of Science and Industry, Chicago. Through compelling personal stories, innovative interactive media, and pop culture artifacts, the exhibit takes guests through seven decades of history-from the dawn of the nuclear age to significant policy questions our leaders face today.

No, really! You can absolutely "go" to the red planet. With Access Mars, you can see the actual surface of Mars, recorded by NASA's Curiosity rover. Trust us-don't skip the intro. And if your kids liked that, check out this 4K tour of the moon. These may go down in history as some of the best virtual field trips your students get to experience.

Take a virtual tour of this historical battleship located on the Camden waterfront. This battleship has traveled more miles than any other!

No need to travel to Rome! Take in the amazing art and architecture located in the Vatican Museums with these 360-degree views.

Download the app and climb aboard the virtual tram line! Take a virtual walk through the Space Center Houston with informational stops along the way.

Virtually visit museum rooms in the famous Louvre located in Paris. Even check out The Louvre kids' site for student-friendly galleries and stories. You can't visit The Louvre without seeing the Mona Lisa, so check out their immersive Mona Lisa experience available in the app store.

This interactive tour of Ellis Island lets students explore places like the Baggage Room and the Stairs of Separation through short stories, historical photographs, videos, and audio clips. Students can also hear the stories of real kids who recently immigrated to the United States, explore colorful charts and graphs with immigration data, and watch a 30-minute movie that includes a Q&A with National Park Service Rangers who explain what coming to America was like for many immigrants.

38. Plimoth Patuxet Museums

Travel back to the 17th century with options for free, on-demand, digital resources or a live, 1-hour virtual school program led by a Plimoth Patuxet Contemporary Indigenous Museum Educator. Students explore Wampanoag daily life and history; discover the real history of Thanksgiving and the legend behind it; meet a 17th-century Pilgrim; get an interactive sneak peak into 17th-century wardrobes; and learn about simple machines and water power at the Plimoth Grist Mill. There are also options for virtual hands-on history workshops, including Wampanoag Pottery and Write Like a Pilgrim.

When you can't visit the museum in person, 3D virtual field trips to the Children's Museum Houston are the next best thing. All videos are produced and curated by museum educators and feature hands-on activities that can be done in the classroom. Topics include nutrition, math, states of matter, forces and properties of water, and more.

Beyond the Battle Field is a virtual field trip for grades 2-8 hosted by Lauren Tarshis, author of the I Survived historical-fiction series for kids. Students will meet a museum educator as well as the museum curator, and explore artifacts and documents from the American Revolution. Plus they'll hear the stories of teens who served during the war. There's also a Classroom Kit available with a vocabulary list and discussion questions by grade level.

If you liked this roundup of the best virtual field trips and want more resources like this, be sure to subscribe to our newsletters.

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40 Amazing Educational Virtual Field Trips

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You can't always get there in person, but lots of places will let you "visit" online. These are the best virtual field trips out there!

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Visit the Smithsonian Museum of Natural History virtually

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Visit the Smithsonian Museum of Natural History virtually

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Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History

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The Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History virtual tours allow visitors to take self-guided, room-by-room tours of select exhibits and areas within the museum from their desktop or mobile device. Visitors can also access select collections and research areas at our satellite support and research stations as well as past exhibits no longer on display.

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As the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) continues to spread and " social distancing" becomes a household term, more and more Americans are halting their travel plans and staying home in an effort to flatten the curve.

For those sitting on the couch with a travel itch they can't scratch, here's some good news: There are tons of tourist attractions across the globe - from palaces and art museums to aquariums and zoos - that you can visit virtually, from the comfort of home for free!

Skim through the list below, broken down by category and alphabetized, and come out of isolation more worldly than ever!

American Museum of Natural History: Explore three virtual exhibits at this New York City institution (yes, the one featured in Night At the Museum!). The exhibit "Highlights from the American Museum of Natural History," shows off many of the museum's most famous features.

Armory Art Center: Explore a virtual gallery tour of this Florida art center's 2020 All Artists Show, an annual exhibition held at the institution.

The Art Institute of Chicago: A large catalog of pieces are available for virtual viewing at this world-renowned art museum, hosted by Google Arts and Culture, which has grouped the works by style of art.

The British Museum: Check out ancient mummies, the Rosetta Stone and so much more with this virtual tour of the world's oldest national public museum.

Detroit Institute of Arts: This art museum has four different online exhibits, including two focused on feminist icon Frida Kahlo.

Georgia O'Keeffe Museum: Explore six virtual exhibits at this Santa Fe-based museum, which preserves Georgia O'Keeffe's artistic legacy.

High Museum of Art: Explore four exhibits - including an awe-inspiring Civil Rights Photography show - at this Atlanta museum.

Hockey Hall of Fame: Learn about hockey's finest players, moments and artifacts with a 3-D tour of this Toronto museum. Don't stop until you find the Stanley Cup!

Getty Museum: Travel through two different virtual exhibits from this Los Angeles landmark with Google Arts and Culture.

The Guggenheim: The entire contemporary art collection is available for online viewing from this New York City art museum. Enjoy walking (virtually) through its famous spiraling halls!

The Louvre: Take a quick trip to Paris with virtual tours of three stunning exhibits at this world-renowned museum.

Metropolitan Museum of Art: Explore 26 online exhibits at this famous New York City icon. A 360 degree peek behind the scenes of The Costume Institute Conversation Lab (the world's largest costume collection) is a must-see.

Michigan Science Center: Curious minds of all ages can enjoy a virtual tour of this science center, including their planetarium, health and wellness gallery, science stage and more.

MoMA (The Museum of Modern Art): Viewers can go on a virtual tour of the New York City-based museum's exhibit of Swiss artist Sophie Taeuber-Arp.

Museum of Fine Arts, Boston: Embrace your artistic side with 16 virtual exhibits. Fashionistas in particular will fall head over high heels for their 21st Century Designer Fashion and 20th and 21st Century Fashion Accessories exhibits.

National Historic Museum of Chile: Learn about the history and culture of the South American country of Chile with a 360 degree tour of this Santiago museum, located in a 19th-century royal palace.

National Portrait Gallery: Take an audio-guided virtual tour through this historic art gallery with Smartify, an app that has partnered with many museums worldwide. In the wake of the coronavirus crisis, Smartify has made all of their museum audio tours free to the public, including the Louvre, the Met and the Royal Academy.

Smithsonian: Explore a self-guided tour of the D.C. museum's National Museum of Natural History.

Van Gogh Museum: The largest collection of Vincent Van Gogh pieces is located at this museum in Amsterdam, and you can explore it with a 360 degree virtual tour. Don't forget to stop and smell the "Sunflowers!"

The Vatican Museum: Explore the New Wing, Sistine Chapel and more with 360 degree virtual tours.

Animals, Aquariums, Zoos and Gardens

Atlanta Zoo: This Georgia institution has a dedicated panda cam sure to put a smile on kids' - and grown-ups' - faces.

Cincinnati Zoo: Every day, this zoo is hosting "Home Safari Facebook Lives" showcasing one of their animals and offering a fun, educational activity you can do at home. Pull up the zoo's Facebook page every day at 3 p.m. EST. All of the safaris will also be posted to the zoo's website and on their YouTube page for later viewing.

Daniel Botelho IGTV: See what it's like going no-cage diving with a school of Great White Sharks on this National Geographic wildlife photographer's IGTV channel.

Georgia Aquarium: Have a soothing look under the sea with live cams of beluga whales, African penguins, jellyfish and more.

Houston Zoo: This Texas zoo has webcams focused on gorillas, giraffes, rhinos, elephants, leafcutter ants and more for your viewing pleasure.

Loggerhead Marinelife Center: While the Florida marine center is closed to the public, they're continuing to take care of their sea turtle patients behind the scenes. Monday through Friday they will be streaming live from the sea turtle hospital and teaching viewers about ocean conservation.

Monterey Bay Aquarium: Dive under water with livestreams of sharks, sea otters, jellyfish, and turtles. A live cam of the crashing waves in the Monterey Bay itself is particularly calming.

National Aquarium: Explore winding, sea life-filled floors with this virtual tour of the Baltimore-based aquarium.

New England Aquarium: This Boston-based aquarium is serving up a schedule of animal feedings, tours and behind-the-scenes content on their Facebook Live.

Ocean Ramsey IGTV: Often described as a "sharfluencer," this diving expert swam with one of the largest Great Whites ever recorded. Now, she's sharing her adventures on her IGTV channel.

Oregon Zoo: This zoo is sharing daily video updates on their Facebook page of different animals during their temporary closure.

Paul Nicklen IGTV: Got heart eyes for humpbacks? This wildlife photographer and National Geographic contributor is taking to his IGTV channel to stream all the whale content you could dream of.

San Diego Zoo: This zoo has a number of different live cams monitoring their furry and feathered friends, including penguins, pandas, koalas and elephants.

Volunteer Park Conservatory: This Seattle greenhouse is taking to Instagram to livestream their lush gardens in the midst of their closure to the public. Though the streaming schedule depends on their gardeners, they plan to livestream seven days a week around 2pm.

RELATED VIDEO: Broadway Star Laura Benanti Wants to 'Build a Community' Through #SunshineSongs Amid COVID-19

International Landmarks

Buckingham Palace, England: Flights to the U.K. may be canceled, but you can still visit Buckingham Palace thanks to the official Royal website, which offers a virtual tour of the Queen's official residence.

Doge's Palace, Italy: Google Arts and Culture offers a virtual tour of one of Venice's most iconic landmarks - a 14th century palace - complete with views of the canals that surround it.

Easter Island: Explore this Chilean territory - chock full of artistic and architectural treasures - with Chile 360, a free app that can be used on your phone or paired with VR glasses.

Galapagos Islands: Embark on a guided video tour of the incredible wildlife and culture of the Galapagos with National Geographic Expeditions.

Great Barrier Reef, Australia: Swim through Australia's Great Barrier Reef with the help of several David Attenborough-narrated videos and an educational, interactive map.

Great Wall of China: Take a virtual tour of one of the Seven Wonders of the World with The China Guide and explore its most visited sections.

Hang Son Doong, Vietnam: Take a 360 degree adventure through the world's largest cave, located in Vietnam, with National Geographic.

Johnson Space Center, USA: Boeing and Discovery Education take viewers on a virtual field trip through this innovative, Houston-based space center.

National Parks, USA: 113 virtual tours of National Park Service locations are available on Google Arts and Culture. Some favorites include Yellowstone National Park (for miles and miles of beautiful views), Kenai Fjords National Park (for an icy adventure) and Hawai'i Volcanoes National Park (for lots of lava).

NYC Street Art Murals, USA: Explore nine of the most vibrant and unique street art murals across New York City - from Banksy to Keith Haring - with this virtual tour.

Tower Bridge, England: This famous London bridge isn't going down anytime soon - and you can explore it virtually (by boat!).

White House, USA: No need to look your best for this trip to the White House in Washington, D.C.! Google Arts and Culture has virtual tours of several of the presidential spaces.

The Gardens of Versailles, France: Choose your own adventure and virtually explore the famously over-the-top royal gardens of King Louis XIV.

Theater, Film, Symphonies and Operas

Ann Arbor Film Festival: This popular Michigan film festival is going virtual this year, livestreaming both films and discussions for free from March 24-29. Check out the schedule here.

BroadwayHD: This site has streamed favorite Broadway shows - like Cats, Kinky Boots and Phantom of the Opera - straight from New York and London for years, but they're currently offering a one week free trial before their $8.99 monthly subscription fee kicks in.

Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center: This New York-based chamber music ensemble is currently streaming several recorded performances.

Melbourne Symphony Orchestra: This Australian symphony is livestreaming their performances on Youtube while they are closed to the public through April 13. The shows will then be saved to the Youtube channel for later viewing.

Metropolitan Opera: Every night at 7:30 EST, New York City's Metropolitan Opera will be streaming a Live in HD viewing of an opera performance, which will then be viewable for 20 hours.

OperaVision: This website offers free streaming of a number of recorded opera performances from famous opera houses across Europe and beyond, including the Royal Swedish Opera, Teatro dell'Opera di Roma and National Theatre Prague.

Philadelphia Orchestra: Conducted by Yannick Nezet-Seguin, this orchestra will be livestreaming performances on their Facebook page, which will then save for later viewing.

The Philharmonie Berlin: With plans to be closed until April 19, this symphony opened its library of digital performances to the public. More than 600 shows will be available for free for 30 days if you use the code BERLINPHIL by March 31.

The Rossini Opera Festival: This yearly festival, based in Pesaro, Italy, celebrates opera composer Gioachino Rossini, who called Pesaro home. They are currently streaming one previously-recorded opera a day for free.

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Stuck at Home? You Can Visit These 56 World-Famous Sites, Museums, Zoos and More for Free from Your Couch

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Tour Buckingham Palace, swim through the Great Barrier Reef, take in a Broadway show and so much more with just the click of a mouse

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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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40+ Field trips you can take from your couch

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Take Your Kids on a Free Virtual Field Trip

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Free virtual field trips can turn an ordinary day into an extraordinary day. Whether it is with your virtual classmates, as part of a distance

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Social Studies- Tenement Museum Teacher resources

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Social Studies- Tenement Museum Teacher resources

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Great set of resources for distance learning- includes videos, oral histories, nonfiction stories.

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At the Tenement Museum, we strive to support learning by helping students draw inspiration from the distant and recent past. Our stories of newcomers persevering through great uncertainty and hardship offer lessons on community, family, and navigating challenges together. The Tenement Museum offers a unique variety of teacher resources to support history being taught in the classroom.

You'll find a variety of Tenement Museum teacher resources for in-person and virtual instruction - including lesson plans perfectly adaptable for any classroom, virtual or in-person, digital exhibits , virtual field trips , writing activities, English-language learning workshops, teacher professional development, and more. Our teacher resources are designed by teachers and tested by teachers!

Onsite School Visits

Through interactive tours of the tenement buildings and Lower East Side neighborhood, students investigate universal themes of cultural identity, discrimination, and human rights. All programs are led by skilled Educators who engage students in activities, storytelling, and conversation to connect their experiences to the past.

Onsite School Visits

Through interactive tours of the tenement buildings and Lower East Side neighborhood, students investigate universal themes of cultural identity, discrimination, and human rights. All programs are led by skilled Educators who engage students in activities, storytelling, and conversation to connect their experiences to the past.

Virtual Field Trips

The Tenement Museum's virtual school programs offer your class a chance to "visit" our recreated apartments from anywhere in the world. Our Educators take students into the building and apartments using pre-recorded video, 360° images, and primary sources, drawing lessons suited to your curriculum to share stories of the families who lived in our historic buildings.

Virtual Field Trips

The Tenement Museum's virtual school programs offer your class a chance to "visit" our recreated apartments from anywhere in the world. Our Educators take students into the building and apartments using pre-recorded video, 360° images, and primary sources, drawing lessons suited to your curriculum to share stories of the families who lived in our historic buildings.

Lesson Plans

With Tenement Museum teacher resources, students become historians. Using our teacher-tested lesson plans, students engage in inquiry and learn to use critical thinking to interpret objects, oral histories, and primary sources while making history relevant to today. Lesson plans are adaptable for any classroom, virtual or in-person!

Lesson Plans

With Tenement Museum teacher resources, students become historians. Using our teacher-tested lesson plans, students engage in inquiry and learn to use critical thinking to interpret objects, oral histories, and primary sources while making history relevant to today. Lesson plans are adaptable for any classroom, virtual or in-person!

Your Story, Our Story

All students are experts of their own experiences and their stories belong in museums! Your Story, Our Story, a national storytelling project, offers students a chance to be included in the historic record and connect their experiences to those of others, to better understand the role of ordinary people in shaping the past, present, and future of our society. Students write and share a personal story, told through an object or tradition important to their identity.

Your Story, Our Story

All students are experts of their own experiences and their stories belong in museums! Your Story, Our Story, a national storytelling project, offers students a chance to be included in the historic record and connect their experiences to those of others, to better understand the role of ordinary people in shaping the past, present, and future of our society. Students write and share a personal story, told through an object or tradition important to their identity.

More Collections to Discover

Digital Exhibits

Visit the Tenement Museum's interactive, digital exhibits , which provide a fascinating, in-depth historical look at life on the Lower East Side. Current exhibits perfect for online learning include Beyond Statistics: Living in a Pandemic , Tenement Women: Agents of Change, and In Praise of Stuff: The Tenement Museum's Collections !

Museum's Online Collections

The Tenement Museum online photo archive contains thousands of images for teaching and exploring: try searching terms like "Lower East Side" or "Street Scene" or click "Random Images" for a surprise assortment. Browse our historical resource of more than 1,500 images spanning from the 1860s to today.

Shared Journeys

Grades 6-12 and Adults
In our innovative Shared Journeys workshops, learners of English as a new language tour the recreated apartments of immigrant and migrant families and compare them to their own experiences while practicing vocabulary, listening, and conversation skills.

Professional Development

We will soon be hosting virtual workshops for teacher professional development that will help you gain content knowledge and strategies that will enrich your classroom practice. Discover innovative ways to introduce students to the topics of immigration and migration throughout U.S. history. Dates coming soon.

Teaching Resources

We offer teacher-designed, teacher-tested unit and lesson plans where students learn to interpret objects, oral histories, primary sources, and non-fiction family stories while making modern connections - made for flexible use in your classroom.

Teaching Resources

We offer teacher-designed, teacher-tested unit and lesson plans where students learn to interpret objects, oral histories, primary sources, and non-fiction family stories while making modern connections - made for flexible use in your classroom.

Educator Newsletter

Sign-up to receive our monthly educator newsletter featuring teaching resources, lesson plans, classroom activities, information on upcoming workshops, virtual field trips, school program opportunities, and more.

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At the Tenement Museum, we strive to support learning by helping students draw inspiration from the distant and recent past. Our stories of newcomers persevering through great uncertainty and hardship offer lessons on community, family, and navigating challenges together. The Tenement Museum offers a unique variety of teacher resources to support history being taught in the classroom.

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Open up a world of science from the comfort of your home with NYSIC’s at home resources.

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Welcome to our Remote Learning Resources for Kids & Teens page, a vital digital tool for young learners and their parents and caretakers while NYPL is temporarily closed. Check out some of the wide array of online resources NYPL offers:

Academic Support

Get free, online homework help from one-on-one tutors, daily from 2 PM to 11 PM through our partnership with Brainfuse. Available in English and Spanish, for early elementary through high school students, in core subject areas. Explore more from the Library's academic resources 24/7, including our wide array of online learning aids for all ages and teaching resources for educators.

Reading Resources

Need some good book recommendations? Or access to e-books? Read aloud suggestions? We've got all your at-home reading needs covered for kids of all ages.

We're here to help bring the joy of books to our youngest readers, too. Enjoy weekday storytimes brought directly to you by our expert children's librarians as they read beloved books, sing songs, and share early literacy tips.

Engaging Activities to Do at Home

It's important for young minds to explore their imaginations. We have ideas for arts and crafts, science experiments, and more included in our Learn at Home calendars for Grades Pre-K-2, Grades 3-5, Grades 6-8, and Grades 9-12.

Note: Some of these resources, such as live virtual homework assistance and access to some databases, are available only with your NYPL library card. Other resources, such as practice tests and video read alouds, are available without a library card. If you need to sign up for a library card, use the SimplyE app.

The Library also has a wide array of resources to support New York's educators, whether they're teaching online, looking for materials to support their curriculum, or connecting students with engaging learning aids.

Discover reading exercises, resources, Online Storytime, and more for parents and caregivers to help develop your young child's literacy and reading skills at home and as they prepare for school.

Find a variety of activities to support school-age children's learning from home, whether reading aloud or seeking help with school online.

From interactive online resources to homework tutoring, the Library can help middle-grade kids keep their skills sharp and get ready for the future.

The Library is the place for teens to find everything they need to help them succeed, from research databases, to online homework help, to college and career preparation.

Talking About Coronavirus with Kids & Teens

For information and resources to help parents and caregivers explain the coronavirus and the preparations around it, visit our page on talking about coronavirus with children and teens.

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Get free, online homework help from one-on-one tutors, daily from 2 PM to 11 PM through our partnership with Brainfuse. Available in English and Spanish, for early elementary through high school students, in core subject areas. Explore more from the Library's academic resources 24/7, including our wide array of online learning aids for all ages and teaching resources for educators.

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Kelly Yang giving teen writing classes on YouTube

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Kelly Yang giving teen writing classes on YouTube

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Welcome to New York Times bestselling and award-winning author Kelly Yang’s Youtube channel!

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UPDATE: Lauren reports (4/10/20) on how her students are faring and what they've been writing in their "living history" assignments at the end of this post. "They give me a glimpse of how quickly some of them are growing up." By Lauren S. Brown
Several weeks ago - what is starting to feel like a lifetime ago - I finished grading 100 plus family history projects. Some were videos, but most were illustrated stories my students had written about someone they interviewed in their family.

Some kids interviewed parents or grandparents about their parents or grandparents. Some, who swore to me they had no interesting stories in their families' past, wrote about a parent's experience during 9/11 or how they felt during the last 2-3 presidential elections.

Now all of us, including my students, are living through a historical moment. If you are looking for a meaningful assignment that you can give students while we are all stuck at home, consider doing a "living through history" assignment.

Just a few days ago (which now seems like much longer ago, doesn't it?), I saw a couple of dozen students. Our district had quickly rescheduled an institute day; teachers prepared for e-learning and students were able to get into the building one last time to pick up any belongings.
As students came by, they were eager to share their observations, questions and concerns.

Hey, Ms. Brown, do you think we'll be out of school for longer than 2 weeks?

Do you think we'll still have the Great American field trip at the end of the year? Will we still have graduation? ( I teach 8th graders).

My sister is a senior in high school. She heard there won't be prom this year.

We going to pick up my brother at the airport today because his college closed.

We went to Costco this morning and the line was all the way to the back of the store.

My dad is worried that he will lose his job.

My mom told me a few days ago to stop putting the rubber bands on my braces so I don't have to put my fingers in my mouth.

I think I'm going to go nuts at home.

Ms. Brown, have you ever lived through anything like this? This will be in the history books, won't it?

Students can create "primary sources" for future historians

There are so many unanswered questions right now, but the answer to that last question is yes. So consider a simple assignment in which your students jot down their thoughts, questions, concerns and observations about what is going on. I suggested that they could do this as a letter, a diary/journal entry or just write.

Here are a few suggestions to get them started:

your family's trip to the grocery store and "stocking up"

cancelled family vacations, cancelled field trips, cancelled school

how weird it is to have to "e-learn"?

how are you occupying your time?

how do you feel about this? psyched that you don't have to come to school? bored? worried? bummed that you won't get to see your friends?

what is changing for you because of this?

what kinds of things are your families thinking/saying/doing?

Or have them post short videos about what they are thinking. Flipgrid is great for this. One of my colleagues is posting a question each day for students to reflect on. I know I have enjoyed this glimpse into my students' worlds, seeing the posters on the walls of their bedrooms, or their dog on the couch in the living room. You can come up with some fun questions to get the ball rolling:

What is your "must have" if you are going to be cooped up inside for awhile?

What are your "binge watch" recommendations?

Where is your new "desk"?

And then you can get into deeper questions, as long as you let students know that they don't have to share anything they don't wish to.

What is the #1 concern you have about what is going on right now?

What is a small way in which your life has changed right now?

What mattered to you a few days or a week ago that now seems irrelevant? Vice versa?

Things are changing very quickly now. This seems to be an assignment you could keep adapting as time passes. It doesn't necessarily require the internet, should that availability become restricted in some way.

Remind your students that they are creating a primary source - documentation of what one student was thinking in March of 2020 during the global pandemic. Now we are all a part of history.

Stay well!

Click here to see a recent week of Lauren's Google Slides for this assignment, with a note to teachers and a writing prompt for each day.

UPDATE (4/10/20) - "A Glimpse of How Quickly Some Are Growing Up"

Since writing this post, I have given this assignment to students. Their answers were, as I told them, the most interesting things I have EVER graded as a teacher. Some made me laugh, and more than a few made me cry. There is a poignancy to them, and a wonderful insight as to how middle schoolers see their world.

Students who are quiet in class have opened up. Some of the class clowns got serious on me. Some of the serious students were able to see the humorous side of things. One student wrote that her dog has never been happier-everyone is home and taking her on walks multiple times a day! They reveal sides of my students I did not always see. And they give me a glimpse of how quickly some of them are growing up.

Here are a few of the many responses I have gotten:
https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1rEmgPYSgcp6XMeTSoAo5VFIleBsonAr8U8uoAzs9ptk/edit?usp=sharing
Visit a century-old pandemic here: What We Can Learn from the 1918 Influenza Diaries by Meilan Solly, Smithsonian Magazine, April 12, 2020

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Students' Pandemic Journals Could Become Primary Sources

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Remind your students that they are creating a primary source documentation of what one young person was thinking in the spring of 2020 during a global pandemic.

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Eric Whitacre: A virtual choir 2,000 voices strong

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In a moving and madly viral video last year, composer Eric Whitacre led a virtual choir of singers from around the world. He talks through the creative challenges of making music powered by YouTube, and unveils the first 2 minutes of his new work, "Sleep," with a video choir of 2,052.

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How to Turn Any CommonLit Lesson Into a Video Lesson

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CommonLit's digital library includes over 3,000 free reading passages for students in grades 3-12. The lessons can be assigned digitally through the platform or printed. The library features many diverse and wonderful short stories from authors like Gary Soto [https://www.commonlit.org/en/library?initiatedFrom=library&

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More and more, live musicals are being filmed for PBS or streaming services like Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, BroadwayHD and more. Productions of Off-Broadway's Puffs to Broadway's Indecent to the West End's An American in Paris, new captures of stage productions regularly become available.

Let's take a look at some of the best filmed Broadway shows to know about and where to find them.

READ: 17 Must-Watch Documentaries for Broadway Musical Fans

Hamilton
Filmed on the stage of the Richard Rodgers Theatre in June 2016, the live capture of the Pulizter- and Tony-winning musical was slated for an Octopber 2021 theatrical release-until COVID-19 preempted that plan, resulting in the movie dropping on Disney+ July 3. After five years of buzz, the streamed version-featuring creator Lin-Manuel Miranda, Tony winners Leslie Odom Jr. and Renée Elise Goldsberry, and most of the original cast-lived up to fans' expectations, and created another wave of Hamilton frenzy.
Available on Disney+

Though it was adapted into a motion picture in 2005 featuring much of the original Broadway cast, the final performance of the Broadway production was captured and shown in movie theatres as well, later released on DVD and Blu-ray. At the time of the filming, the cast was not exceptionally well known, but looking back now, it's pretty much an all-star cast, including performances by Renée Elise Goldsberry, Adam Kantor, Will Chase, Michael McElroy, Rodney Hicks, Tracie Thoms, Eden Espinoza, and Telly Leung.

Available on Amazon Prime, Google Play, Vudu, and YouTube, iTunes, as well as on DVD/Blu-ray from Amazon.

Cats wasn't filmed on Broadway, but the original production was captured on a stage in London in 1998, with original West End star Elaine Paige no less.

Available to stream on BroadwayHD, Amazon Prime, iTunes, and Google Play and on DVD from Amazon.

The original production was never filmed for home release-though there is a fascinating documentary (Original Cast Album: Company) that captures the original cast album's recording session-but a 2006 Broadway revival directed by John Doyle and starring Raúl Esparza was filmed for broadcast on PBS. There's also a New York Philharmonic concert staging available that features an all-star cast, including Neil Patrick Harris, Patti LuPone, Stephen Colbert, Jon Cryer, and more. And, of course, IFC's Documentary Now! famously spoofed the documentary of the cast recording in Original Cast Album: Co-Op with John Mulaney as a Sondheim substitute.

The 2006 Broadway revival production is available on DVD.
The 2011 concert production is available on DVD.
Original Cast Album: Co-op is available on Amazon Prime, Netflix and IFC.com.

Falsettos
William Finn and James Lapine's 1992 musical Falsettos is actually a combination of two earlier one-act musicals, March of the Falsettos and Falsettoland. Together, they tell the story of Marvin, a gay man trying to navigate his relationships with his former wife, their child, and his boyfriend, all against the backdrop of 1980s New York when all of this was completely uncharted territory.

Lincoln Center Theater's 2016 Broadway revival featured a cast made up of Broadway favorites, including Christian Borle, Andrew Rannells, Brandon Uranowitz, Stephanie J. Block, Tracie Thoms, and Betsy Wolfe. It was also filmed for television broadcast-part of Live From Lincoln Center -but it ultimately found its way to movie theatres, and is now available for streaming online.

Available to stream on Amazon Prime and BroadwayHD.

Available to stream on Amazon Prime and BroadwayHD and for rent or purchase on iTunes.
Available on DVD from Amazon.

The filmed version of Nicholas Nickleby actually happened shortly before the work's Broadway transfer, but didn't receive its inaugural television broadcast until 1983. Given the play's immense length, home viewing might be the best way to watch; you can take an intermission whenever you like.

Available for streaming on BroadwayHD and on DVD.

Billy Elliot the Musical
Elton John and Lee Hall's Billy Elliot the Musical tells the story of a little boy in a small British town who prefers ballet to boxing, much to the dismay of his conservative working-class community. When it opened on London's West End in 2005, it became an immediate hit, winning four Olivier Awards. The production's Broadway transfer was equally successful, winning 10 Tony Awards, including a history-making joint win for all three young actors who shared the title role.

Though the Broadway production closed in 2012, the London production ran through 2016 and was filmed live on stage in 2014. The live recording doesn't feature the original cast, but it does include Broadway and West End star Ruthie Henshall as Mrs. Wilkinson, the ballet teacher.

Elaine Stritch at Liberty
Elaine Stritch was nearly as famous for her onstage performances as she was for her offstage persona-and her storytelling. In Elaine Stritch at Liberty, her 2002 solo show that played Off-Broadway at The Public Theater before moving to Broadway, Stritch takes you through her entire life, from childhood to Sail Away to Company, and beyond. And she does it wearing nothing but a white blouse and black semi-sheer pantyhose.

Elaine Stritch At Liberty wasn't filmed on Broadway, but when Stritch took the show to London's West End, cameras captured a performance for release on DVD. If you're fond of backstage anecdotes, show tunes, and dry wit, you won't want to miss this one.

Available to stream on Amazon Prime Video.

Into the Woods
Before it was a hit movie starring Meryl Streep and James Corden, Into the Woods was one of Sondheim's most successful Broadway shows. It's still one of the most produced works at schools and regional theatres across the country. This mash-up of fairytales that dares to go beyond "happily ever after" is one of Sondheim's most accessible works, and has certainly been the Sondheim entry point for more than a few theatre fans, largely due to the video of the original Broadway production with the original Broadway cast, including Bernadette Peters and Joanna Gleason in her Tony-winning performance.

Available to stream on YouTube, Google Play, Vudu, Amazon Prime, iTunes, BroadwayHD and DVD on Amazon.

Kiss Me, Kate
With a classic Cole Porter score that includes such tunes as "Another Op'nin', Another Show," "So in Love," "Too Darn Hot," "Always True to You in My Fashion," and "Brush Up Your Shakespeare," Kiss Me, Kate became an almost instant classic when it debuted on Broadway in 1948. The 1999 Broadway production won the Tony Award for Best Revival, directed by Michael Blakemore, choreographed by Kathleen Marshall and Rob Ashford, and starring Brian Stokes Mitchell and Marin Mazzie. The 2019 revival starred Will Chase and Kelli O'Hara.

The 1999 revival production was filmed after it transferred to London's West End in 2003. Neither of the Broadway leads were still with the production when it was filmed, but the great news is that they were replaced with Brent Barrett and Rachel York, both Broadway stars in their own right.

The 2003 production is available to stream on Amazon Prime, BroadwayHD and Google Play, and on DVD from Amazon.

You can also stream a 1958 TV adaptation starring original leads Patricia Morison and Alfred Drake on Amazon Prime.

Peter Pan
J.M. Barrie's classic story of the flying boy who never grows up has been one of the most frequently adapted stories out there since it premiered in 1904. Though there have been several musical adaptations of the story, it is the 1954 musical with a score by Moose Charlap, Jule Styne, Betty Comden, Adolph Green, and Carolyn Leigh that tends to be the best known amongst theatre fans.

This version of the story was filmed four separate times. The first three feature the musical's original stage star, Mary Martin, in the title role, a performance for which she won a Tony Award. Though they were not filmed on a stage, all three are faithful recreations of the original Broadway production in a television studio. The first filming, broadcast live on TV in 1955 within weeks of the show's Broadway closing, features the complete original cast.

A revival of the show starring Cathy Rigby, the most prolific stage Peter Pan of the last 30 years, was filmed live on stage in 2000 and was released on DVD.

The 2000 revival is available to stream on BroadwayHD and Amazon Prime.
The 1955 and 1956 black and white broadcasts are available on Blu-ray from Amazon.
The 1956 black and white broadcast is available on DVD from Amazon.

Present Laughter
Kevin Kline earned his third Tony Award playing Garry Essendine in a revival of Noël Coward's Present Laughter, which follows a few days in the life of a highly successful and egotistical actor. Appearing alongside Kline in this most recent production were an all-star cast that included Kate Burton, Kristine Nielsen, and Cobie Smulders. This 2017 production was filmed on stage before the curtain fell for the final time.

Available to stream on PBS Passport and BroadwayHD.

The original Broadway production, directed by Harold Prince, was filmed during its national tour. Though the complete original cast was not captured, the recording does feature Angela Lansbury (in her Tony-winning performance), Ken Jennings, and Edmund Lyndeck. Broadway replacement George Hearn stars in the title role.

Available to rent on Amazon Prime and iTunes and on DVD from Amazon.

She Loves Me
You'd be hard pressed to find a theatre aficionado who isn't fond of She Loves Me, Jerry Bock, Sheldon Harnick, and Joe Masteroff's 1963 musical about two co-workers who hate each other while unknowingly being romantic pen pal partners. The score contains such favorites as "Tonight at Eight," "Will He Like Me?," "Dear Friend," "Vanilla Ice Cream," and "She Loves Me."

The 2016 Broadway revival from Roundabout Theatre Company boasted a cast that included film and TV star Zachary Levi, Laura Benanti, Jane Krakowski, and Gavin Creel. It was this production that made theatre history when it became the first Broadway show to be live streamed, and only the second to be broadcast live (following Carol Channing in Show Girl in 1961, which was broadcast live on pay-per-view TV in Canada).

Available to stream on Amazon Prime Video, and BroadwayHD.

The Broadway production was filmed on stage during a Los Angeles stop on the national tour, and much of the original cast returned to their roles for the filming, including Jeremy Jordan, Kara Lindsay, Ben Fankhauser, Andrew Keenan-Bolger, and Tommy Bracco. This recording was initially released as a limited release in movie theatres in February 2017, but a few months later it became available for digital download.

Available on Disney+

Passing Strange
A young Black Californian who feels trapped by his suburban upbringing goes on a coming-of-age odyssey to Bohemian Amsterdam and Berlin in the musical narrated by the rock musician Stew, who co-composed the score with Heidi Rodewald. The production was captured by Spike Lee on Broadway at the Belasco Theatre, Following a successful Off-Broadway debut at The Public Theater. The show stars Daniel Breaker, de'Adre Aziza, Eisa Davis, Colman Domingo, Chad Goodridge, and Rebecca Naomi Jones with Stew as the narrator.
Available to stream on Amazon Prime Video

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17 Broadway Plays and Musicals You Can Watch On Stage From Home

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More and more, live musicals are being filmed for PBS or streaming services like Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, BroadwayHD and more. Productions of Off-Broadway's Puffs to Broadway's Indecent to the West End's An American in Paris, new captures of stage productions regularly become available.

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Scratch is a free programming language and online community where you can create your own interactive stories, games, and animations.

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Master list of authors offering activities online

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Master list of authors offering activities online

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Copy of Websites for Read Alouds and Activities

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Read Along Videos | TOON Books - Just for Kids

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Young readers will follow our free Read Along Videos of TOON books with ease

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Chicken Little

A modern adaptation of the classic tale: What happens when a completely normal chicken believes everything he reads on the internet? This story is written in the present tense, because it's a good thing to learn.

The Bird and the Whale

Our first ever original story, about a bird and a whale and their shared love of little fish. Inspired by a song by Tom Waits, and an episode of Adventure Time.

The Three Little Pigs

The classic tale of shoddy building materials, DIY folly, and the perils of emparedados de tocino (a.k.a bacon sandwiches). No pigs or wolves were harmed in the making of this story.

Goldilocks and the Three Bears

Why you should probably lock your door when you go out for a walk, even if you live en medio de un gran bosque. Why are the three bowls of sopa different temperatures when they were poured at the same time? Science, is why.

Little Red Riding Hood

A deeply troubling investigation into what happens when you let your children walk somewhere alone: Caperucita Roja eats fresas, picks margaritas and talks to el Gran Lobo Feroz on the way to Grandma's house. (Warning: Contains highly improbable medical scenes.)

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Spanish Children's Stories - The Spanish Experiment

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A modern adaptation of the classic tale: What happens when a completely normal chicken believes everything he reads on the internet? This story is written in the present tense, because it's a good thing to learn. Our first ever original story, about a bird and a whale and their shared love of little fish.

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Companies offering free subscriptions for schools

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Companies offering free subscriptions for schools

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Stress-free science lessons for K-5 distance learning

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Share your videos with friends, family, and the world

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In response to the COVID-19 pandemic-related school closures and the challenge of teaching students remotely, I, along with several of my colleagues, have created an extended lesson plan designed to encourage students to capture this moment in history. However, before I share the plan, some thoughts:

Years from now, our students' children and grandchildren will ask them about this moment in time, and I want them to have a record of it. Their history.

The last thing I want to do with my home-bound students is to load them down with brain-numbing packet work. So this lesson plan was designed to honor student choice, student agency, student voice. This is not the time to give students chapter quizzes on their at-home reading of 1984.

We are not suggesting this is THE lesson plan everyone should adopt. We know our kids. We do not know yours. It is where our thinking resides today. Tomorrow, we may shift our thinking as events continue to unfold.

You are invited to use any or all of our thinking. We do not, however, grant permission for this thinking to be sold anywhere. No one should profit from this crisis. Adapt as you see fit. Make our thinking better. Share with others.

We also have a sinking suspicion that this crisis may worsen, and that our students may actually end up being out of school much longer than two weeks. We will be creating digital communities where our readers and writers can maintain a sense of community.

And although I am teaching seniors, many of my colleagues who have shared their thinking in the creation of these lesson plans are planning to use them in other grade levels. They are easily adaptable.

With that said, you can access our plans for our stay-at-home students here:
Coronavirus Lesson Plan
Special thanks to Penny Kittle and several members of the Magnolia High School ELA faculty for helping to create this plan.

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instructional materials - Kelly Gallagher

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In response to the COVID-19 pandemic-related school closures and the challenge of teaching students remotely, I, along with several of my colleagues, have created an extended lesson plan designed to encourage students to capture this moment in history.

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Art event by Ralph Fletcher on Friday, March 27 2020 with 306 people interested and 92 people going.

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Please note: some posts may contain affiliate links which means our team could earn money if you purchase products from our site

Actor Josh Gad Is Reading Books to Kids Online Every Night During Coronavirus Quarantines. Grab the tissues! Josh Gad has decided to read children's books to families around the world via his Twitter page each night while either under quarantine or practicing social distancing during the outbreak of coronavirus.

The Frozen II and Beauty and the Beast star began with reading Olivia Goes to Venice and has kept the trend going with The Day the Crayons Quit, The Giving Tree, and Dr. Seuss: Horray for Diffendoofer Day and more. It seems Gad will continue the trend as long as is needed to keep spirits high and to help entertain families during this time. Josh also shares some fun insight into his admiration for the books he is reading and hilarious stories about his kids that they will be sure to roll their eyes at when they get older. Josh's "Samantha?" Hat in the first video made us giggle up a storm, hehehehe.

Update Josh has decided to continue the #GadBookClub on weekdays, but will take weekends off to spend those nights with his family.

You can check out Josh's updated reading list below:
Olivia Goes to Venice The Day the Crayons Quit The Giving Tree Dr. Seuss: Hooray fo Diffendoofer Day The True Story of the Three Little Pigs
Josh had a bit of a struggle with his reading on March 19th. He kept losing an internet connection so the reading was broken up into 3 videos. Here they are in viewing order:
The Gruffalo
Iggy Peck, Architect (Video 1)

Iggy Peck, Architect (Video 2)

Iggy Peck, Architect (Video 3)
The Bear and the Piano
https://t.co/hQMkDja4zp
- Josh Gad (@joshgad) March 21, 2020

Olivia and the Missing Toy Olaf's Frozen Adventure The Pea Patch Jig

This was a fun one! Enjoy! #GadBookClub https://t.co/7zSTLfKRVu

- Josh Gad (@joshgad) March 26, 2020

Children Make Terrible Pets If I Built a School The Rabbit Listened
We absolutely LOVE this idea and are so happy to see entertainers doing what they love for the sake of their fans during a difficult time and expecting nothing in return. It is so refreshing to see in our newsfeed. We can't wait to see what other stories are on the way!
The Remember Balloons
Another way Josh is keeping his own family entertained is by introducing them to classic 80's films, which he is also cataloging via his twitter account. Disney has also added Frozen II to Disney+ months earlier than expected to help keep families entertained at home.

Do you enjoy Josh's bedtime stories? What other titles would you love to hear him read to his fans and their kids? How are you keeping your family entertained at home? We would love to hear your thoughts in the comments. Be sure to check back here at Chip and Co. for all things Disney or updates on Josh's storytelling!

Featured Photo Credit: Disney

Source: Josh Gad/Twitter

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Actor Josh Gad Is Reading Books to Kids Online Every Night During Coronavirus Quarantines | Chip and Company

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Please note: some posts may contain affiliate links which means our team could earn money if you purchase products from our site Actor Josh Gad Is Reading Books to Kids Online Every Night During Coronavirus Quarantines. Grab the tissues!

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Reading to kids is wonderful and everything, but reading to kids from space is super awesome

If you need to mix up your bedtime story routine a little bit, the Global Space Education Foundation has just the thing for you: Story Time in Space. It's exactly what it sounds like - astronauts on various missions in space read popular children's books while floating about, and the videos are edited and shared with kids way down on Earth.

The results are adorable as well as educational and inspiring. Check out astronaut Kathleen Rubins reading Rosie Revere, Engineer by Andrea Beaty and try not to get choked up at how amazing this all is.

The concept was developed by Patricia Tribe, the former director of education at Space Center Houston, and Alvin Drew, the first NASA astronaut to read a story in space for the program, during the final mission of the space shuttle Discovery. The pair were looking to find a way to encourage reading among kids while also promoting STEM education, and landed on the idea of having on-duty astronauts reading science-based kids' books, gravity-free.

Since the initial reading, all of the story times have taken place on the International Space Station, as it hurtles through nothingness at 17,500 miles per hour around the planet. It's only a guess, but this may be slightly more interesting than your kids listening to you feign excitement while reading The Mitten again.

"What better role models to engage kids in science and to engage them in reading?" Tribe told the Huffington Post. "You're not only looking and listening to the books, you're looking around the International Space Station."

Not only are does Story Time in Space aim to make reading out of this world, it also stresses the importance of diversity. Tribe and her team select books for a wide range of reading levels (though all can be read in 15 minutes or less) and from a wide range of STEM topics, from physics to engineering to biology. The group also selects a diverse set of astronauts to read the books, so that kids can see that people who look just like them can reach for the next frontier. For example, Japanese engineer and JAXA astronaut Koichi Wakata read Max Goes to the International Space Station in Japanese for the program this summer.

The Story Time from Space program is also expanding. The group is working on adding a set of nine simple science experiments for kids that were conducted from the space station, involving concepts like energy transfer and surface tension. In addition, more books are on the way, including A Moon of My Own by Jennifer Rustgi, The Rhino Who Swallowed A Storm by LeVar Burton and Susan Schaefer Bernardo, and Moustronaut by Astronaut Mark Kelly.

While those projects are being completed, Earthlings can enjoy the rest of the collection, which includes Max Goes to Mars, by Jeffrey Bennet, as read by astronaut Mike Hopkins.

Let's just hope that these awesome videos don't ruin regular books read in gravity, from the ground, by plain old mom who probably isn't even an astronaut.

This article was originally published on

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Your Kids Can Now Watch Astronauts Reading Stories From Space

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If you need to mix up your bedtime story routine a little bit, the Global Space Education Foundation has just the thing for you: Story Time in Space. It's exactly what it sounds like - astronauts on various missions in space read popular children's books while floating about, and the videos are edited and shared with kids way down on Earth.

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Share your videos with friends, family, and the world

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Distance Learning Resources for workshop teachers

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Made to support workshop teachers as they plan for distance learning during a trying time.

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BookBuilder Online :: Build a customized children's book :: Brought to you by Pioneer Valley Books

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In the midst of school and library closures, we here at Concordia University, Nebraska and the Plum Creek Children's Literacy Festival understand the fears and concerns that caregivers, educators and librarians have while children will be separated from face to face learning and growing opportunities in their schools and communities until it is safe to do so again. Many resources and ideas have come to light in recent days which are designed to help parents with children at home and for teachers/librarians who are trying to help and teach in a new way from a distance. We have taken the time to compile some of these ideas and resources to help you nurture, foster, and continue to strengthen a love for reading, writing and drawing that can easily be implemented from many homes.

Of course, no virtual read aloud or app could replace the precious time you have face to face with your young readers. Take time to read aloud to students at all ages, from various sources. If your readers are engrossed in their own materials, spark discussions using prompts like,
"Tell me about what you're reading." "Why did you choose this book to read now? What do you plan to read next?" "Is there anything you're reading you have questions about or I might be able to help you with?"
Discussion is the best way to gauge a reader's comprehension and understanding of material they have. You may find that these discussion prompts reveal that your reader is not fully understanding what they're reading. In that case, support them the best they can to get through the material or help them select (from whatever resources you have available) a more appropriate text.

Encourage the readers in your family to create a "wish list" of books the readers in your home would like to read, but might not currently be able to access. Once schools and libraries are open again, you'll have your list ready and you'll be able to quickly get when you need to keep yourself engaged in great books!

Be sure to take advantage to writing tools and modes you have available or could obtain. Here are some things you can do together with paper, pens, pencils, markers or whatever your writer would like to use:

-Write a letter, story, paint/draw a picture for residents of local nursing homes or hospitals. Most facilities are boosting visitor restrictions, so residents can be quite lonely. Drop a bundle in the mail and spread cheer for the residents/patients to know they're loved!

-Use a mode of writing to each out to a loved one who may live farther away.

-Send a thank you note/picture to local officials and employees who are working round-the-clock to help communities with the outbreaks and safety precautions.

-Find an old photo and write about your memories of what was taking place at that time. If you are having trouble remembering, use your imagination!

-Keep a daily journal of what it was like to be at home during each day of the virus outbreak. Look for new words to describe how you're feeling each day. Stay tuned to age-appropriate news briefs or articles and include what's happening in the world. Someday, you may be able to look back at your journals and tell other generations of how you survived the pandemic!

Here are a wide range of digital resources that you can tap into- provided by publishers, authors/illustrators, and other generous literacy-minded individuals.

-A reminder that you can tap into your local public library's e-services if available. You may be able to borrow audiobooks and ebooks right on your device without leaving your home!

-Often times, you can find a lot of discussion guides, activity directions, further explorations that tie along with your favorite books. Poke around on the internet and see if the book's author/illustrator has resources on their webpage, and check the publishing house webpages for additional resources and tools. Once you start, you'll be amazed at what's available. Some good examples are:

-Many authors/illustrators are using modes of social media to read aloud their work. Caregivers may be able to use Facebok, Youtube, Instagram accounts to share video read alouds from the book creators and some are doing daily "live" broadcasts giving drawing tutorials, writing tips and reading aloud.

Some examples are virtual author visits with Ben Clanton, drawing broadcast daily with Jarrett J. Krosocszka, writing/notebook sharing with Amy Ludwig VanDerwater and daily fun with Mo Willems. These are just a few examples. If your favorite writer isn't listed here, try searching for them to see if they're planning on broadcasting or video sharing. Maybe they already have shared some videos and tips and you just haven't found them yet!

-A list of resources is being continually updated at Kate Messner's website

-Newsela, an Instructional Content Platform, has offered their entire product suite free (simply create a free account using your e-mail and start exploring!)

-Scholastic has created a free, open-access digital hub to encourage ongoing learning

-Literacy consultants/experts Kristin Ziemke and Katie Mutharis have established a Distance Learning Support resource with many tips and ideas that is continually being refreshed and updated.

These are uncertain times, but as you can see, you're not alone and there are so many helpers out there who are working hard to get the best materials and resources into your hands as quickly as they can as we wade through the pandemic day by day.

As always, we're here to help. If there's something you're looking for but don't see here in regards to nourishing readers who are at home, please don't hesitate to contact me. If I am able, I am happy to answer questions or provide further digital resources/ideas.

God bless you, and stay safe and healthy.

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Distance Literacy Resources for Educators :: Concordia University, Nebraska

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In the midst of school and library closures, we here at Concordia University Nebraska and the Plum Creek Children's Literacy Festival understand the fears and concerns that caregivers, educators, and librarians have while children will be separated from face to face learning and growing opportunities in their schools and communities until it is safe to do so again.

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Xavier Riddle and the Secret Museum | PBS LearningMedia

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Support students' social-emotional, literacy, and social studies skills with these educator resources from Xavier Riddle and the Secret Museum, the PBS KIDS series based on the Ordinary People Change the World books. Use video clips, teaching tips, and historical figure biosketches to engage students and build classroom character.

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Announcing: LUNCH DOODLES with Mo Willems!

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These CommonLit Digital Features Make Remote Learning Possible

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The CommonLit team is here to help schools no matter how they are starting the new school year. The CommonLit team is here for you. Our free reading program has features to support all students and teachers - whether you are meeting online or in-person. In this blog post, we highlight

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20 Virtual Field Trips to Take with Your Kids - Adventures in Familyhood

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Explore zoos, aquariums, museums and destinations around the world without leaving home. Here are 20 virtual field trips you can take with your kids.

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You may have heard me mention in the past that I've been part of a brand new podcast. At a time when a lot of kids are listening to podcasts for fun (particularly when they're stuck indoors) a new kids and family show The Story Seeds Podcast has launched from Literary Safari. Its host? Well, that would actually be me, and it features an earworm-worthy theme song by Andrew VanWyngarden, Grammy nominated singer/songwriter/musician and co-founder of MGMT.

The whole premise of the show is that real kids with ideas for stories pair up with real authors. Together they collaborate and "grow" their ideas into original short stories. You can now listen + subscribe at Apple Podcasts, or find it on your favorite podcast listening app using this link.

You can bet that I'll soon be sharing the all-star line-up for Season One but first ...

The producers just released a special PSA "How to Fight the New Bad Guy in Town." In this four- minute PSA, Jason Reynolds shares with kids 8 tips on how to fight COVID-19, aka Coronavirus, plus a recipe for home-made hand sanitizer.

With so many parents looking for kid-friendly resources on how to talk to kids about keeping germs away (without being didactic) and so many teachers are working so hard on the frontlines to keep germs limited in their classrooms, Jason Reynold's narration is calming and comforting.
Information is power and this brief listen will engage kids and give them a sense of agency. Please feel free to share this resource with your community.

Listen + subscribe at Apple Podcasts, or find Story Seeds on your favorite podcast listening app using this link. You can also follow the podcast at Instagram @storyseedspod, FB @literarysafari or Twitter @litsafarimedia.

Happy listening !

Filed under: Press Release Fun

About Betsy Bird

Betsy Bird is currently the Collection Development Manager of the Evanston Public Library system and a former Materials Specialist for New York Public Library. She has served on Newbery, written for Horn Book, and has done other lovely little things that she'd love to tell you about but that she's sure you'd find more interesting to hear of in person. Her opinions are her own and do not reflect those of EPL, SLJ, or any of the other acronyms you might be able to name. Follow her on Twitter: @fuseeight.

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A New Podcast for Your Children: Story Seeds Is Live!

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You may have heard me mention in the past that I've been part of a brand new podcast. At a time when a lot of kids are listening to podcasts for fun (particularly when they're stuck indoors) a new kids and family show The Story Seeds Podcast has launched from Literary Safari.

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Engineering Activities for Kids (when Under Quarantine)

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Instantly access over 40,000 of the best books & videos for kids on Epic

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For all you folks stuck at home in the coming weeks. from Monday, at 6pm GMT / 2pm EST / 11am PST
I will be reading one of my books every weekday, and talking about some of the things that went into making it.
We are all at home, but none of us are alone.
Let’s be bored together.

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For all you folks stuck at home in the coming weeks. from Monday, at 6pm GMT / 2pm EST / 11am PST
I will be reading one of my books every weekday, and talking about some of the things that went into making it.
We are all at home, but none of us are alone.
Let’s be bored together. https://t.co/VX0MwSzUKz

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For all you folks stuck at home in the coming weeks. from Monday, at 6pm GMT / 2pm EST / 11am PST
I will be reading one of my books every weekday, and talking about some of the things that went into making it.
We are all at home, but none of us are alone.
Let’s be bored together. pic.twitter.com/VX0MwSzUKz
— Oliver Jeffers (@OliverJeffers) March 15, 2020

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For all you folks stuck at home in the coming weeks. from Monday, at 6pm GMT / 2pm EST / 11am PST
I will be reading one of my books every weekday, and talking about some of the things that went into making it.
We are all at home, but none of us are alone.
Let’s be bored together. https://t.co/VX0MwSzUKz

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.metadata.attachment_props.original_text
For all you folks stuck at home in the coming weeks. from Monday, at 6pm GMT / 2pm EST / 11am PST
I will be reading one of my books every weekday, and talking about some of the things that went into making it.
We are all at home, but none of us are alone.
Let’s be bored together. https://t.co/VX0MwSzUKz

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.metadata.attachment_props.text
For all you folks stuck at home in the coming weeks. from Monday, at 6pm GMT / 2pm EST / 11am PST
I will be reading one of my books every weekday, and talking about some of the things that went into making it.
We are all at home, but none of us are alone.
Let’s be bored together.

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Hi friends! This is a Youtube Channel created and run by middle grade author Susan Tan, and made possible by an amazing community of children's book writers and illustrators. We wanted to do something to offer relief for parents and kids during these long days at home.

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Hi Friends, I have been away from this space for some time, but I will be back beginning September 2021. While I adored being a classroom teacher, I also missed writing and teaching from here. I am no longer in the classroom, but instead you will find me here and at The Poem Farm. If you are interested in sharing your notebook, please just let me know. See you soon! xo, Amy

I know that some of you are home from school these days, and I hope you will find some new notebooking ideas here. I love keeping a notebook for writing, for drawing, for making a place for ideas and dreams and wishes and facts and feelings. This blog is home to many peeks into others' notebooks, and in each post you will find photos, notebooking-thoughts, and an idea to try. Feel free to poke around, notebook by your side, and explore your own brain and heart. Sometimes we don't know what we really think until we write. If you like writing poetry, feel free to visit my other site, full of poem writing ideas - www.poemfarm.amylv.com xxxx, Amy

Readers - if you or one of your students or friends keeps a notebook and would like to share in this space, please send an e-mail to amy at amylv dot com. I welcome your contributions and will send you the post specs for this blog.

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Hi Friends, I have been away from this space for some time, but I will be back beginning September 2021. While I adored being a classroom teacher, I also missed writing and teaching from here. I am no longer in the classroom, but instead you will find me here and at The Poem Farm.

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Skype a Scientist LIVE schedule is PACKED to deal with COVID19.

Sign up for reminders & info here: https://t.co/8RCeXAUlqa

FEATURING @ChuckWendig @jess_i_am @G_Pask @DaniRabaiotti @zookeeperjake @a2freema @AlongsideWild @sarahlsheffield @HiDrNic @MARspidermonkey @IceSheetMike

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Skype a Scientist LIVE schedule is PACKED to deal with COVID19.

Sign up for reminders & info here: https://t.co/8RCeXAUlqa

FEATURING @ChuckWendig @jess_i_am @G_Pask @DaniRabaiotti @zookeeperjake @a2freema @AlongsideWild @sarahlsheffield @HiDrNic @MARspidermonkey @IceSheetMike https://t.co/HwKfgv8q74

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Skype a Scientist LIVE schedule is PACKED to deal with COVID19.

Sign up for reminders & info here: https://t.co/8RCeXAUlqa

FEATURING @ChuckWendig @jess_i_am @G_Pask @DaniRabaiotti @zookeeperjake @a2freema @AlongsideWild @sarahlsheffield @HiDrNic @MARspidermonkey @IceSheetMike pic.twitter.com/HwKfgv8q74
— Sarah McAnulty, Ph.D (@SarahMackAttack) March 13, 2020

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.metadata.attachment_props_source.data.text
Skype a Scientist LIVE schedule is PACKED to deal with COVID19.

Sign up for reminders & info here: https://t.co/8RCeXAUlqa

FEATURING @ChuckWendig @jess_i_am @G_Pask @DaniRabaiotti @zookeeperjake @a2freema @AlongsideWild @sarahlsheffield @HiDrNic @MARspidermonkey @IceSheetMike https://t.co/HwKfgv8q74

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.metadata.attachment_props.original_text
Skype a Scientist LIVE schedule is PACKED to deal with COVID19.

Sign up for reminders & info here: https://t.co/8RCeXAUlqa

FEATURING @ChuckWendig @jess_i_am @G_Pask @DaniRabaiotti @zookeeperjake @a2freema @AlongsideWild @sarahlsheffield @HiDrNic @MARspidermonkey @IceSheetMike https://t.co/HwKfgv8q74

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.metadata.attachment_props.text
Skype a Scientist LIVE schedule is PACKED to deal with COVID19.

Sign up for reminders & info here: https://t.co/8RCeXAUlqa

FEATURING @ChuckWendig @jess_i_am @G_Pask @DaniRabaiotti @zookeeperjake @a2freema @AlongsideWild @sarahlsheffield @HiDrNic @MARspidermonkey @IceSheetMike

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Image 102120 Scholastic Logo Virtual Field Trip

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Beyond the Battlefield: A Virtual Field Trip

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Take a virtual field trip, presented in partnership with Scholastic, to the Museum with author of the I Survived series Lauren Tarshis.

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Features & Resources for Distance Learning Distance Learning Collections
We’ve curated collections of activities that are well suited to asynchronous, distance learning: Grade 6
Grade 7
Gr…

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Healthcare stories in the age of COVID. https://www.nbcnews.com/think/opinion/covid-chronicles-vol-1-nurse-s-anguish-icu-ncna1229996?fbclid=IwAR3cyMtikUoNt0f89Xv3MHmOOOsV90R8h_iR4fzkCnJHYvPNgcnK8WqGj6E

From the Center For Cartoon Studies, a comic about the US Healthcare System. (Thank you for the heads up @NoeTheMatt) https://www.cartoonstudies.org/cartooningprojects/healthcare/?fbclid=IwAR1Wg-LFhknqmA62DgUQpG2kPU07R2ergv9Potu3ICMha9YAVgV8SthiztU

Here are three free online comics about WWI, created by students - https://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/documents/education/armistice-and-legacy.pdf

http://jayhosler.com/science-comics.html?fbclid=IwAR1Uo0tXUTBoWy304XKr2hHbsK_zzWxTxsg_ns8AqQbvRYSha_xYJJ4DxI4 - WONDERFUL comics all on science by the inspiring Jay Hosler

https://www.bigredhair.com/books/aztec-empire/about/ - well researched web comic about the Aztec Empire

https://www.cdc.gov/cpr/zombie/00_docs/zombie_pandemic.pdf?fbclid=IwAR055HpB26X8tLNiAMEXu226tC4v6p9gx428sA-LwtYdC8wNxvDu7305yBc - a comic from the CDC that showcases the need to be prepared for emergencies - including a zombie apocalypse!

https://libguides.sdsu.edu/c.php?g=409672&p=7446739 - from San Diego State University

https://pankmagazine.com/2014/05/29/gutter/ - a comic on ADHD from Jarod Roselló
https://www.comicsbeat.com/category/comics/free-comics/
https://www.npr.org/sections/goatsandsoda/2020/11/25/938455289/from-syria-to-brooklyn-a-teen-seeks-a-safe-place-in-the-universe - I will pair this powerful comic with Madaya Mom when discussing the geo-political importance of Syria and the humanity of the global refugee crisis.

https://historycomics.edublogs.org/ - this is my blog where I share a lot of my own classroom experiences and how use comics in education

https://www.practicalmoneyskills.com/resources/comics?fbclid=IwAR10zbDik6Mwn76aGre3dYS2Fi6UTxkc8wK0wXVTpvtfTRfTKCCT4GV6OnE - Marvel comics on personal finance - complete with teacher resources. (Thank you to @TracyEdmunds for sharing this with me!)

https://www.gilderlehrman.org/sites/default/files/09640.160_OS.pdf - 1964 comic from the NAACP on the importance of voting to make a difference.

https://www.ausa.org/medal-honor-graphic-novels - Medal of Honor recipients. Hosted by the US Army.

http://www.ala.org/rt/gncrt/-guide-reading-library-comics-home - a large collection of resources hosted by the ALA Graphic Novels Roundtable

https://www.dhhrm.org/graphic_novels/ - Multiple comics from the Dallas Holocaust and Human Rights Museum. Each focuses on a different genocide and I can see assigning these are group work. Each team would read the same comic, report back, and find similarities between each.

https://www.elliemakescomics.com/ - Ellie is a true favorite in our house! These comics are perfect for elementary-aged kids and classrooms.

https://www.avclub.com/read-all-of-black-1-the-politically-charged-comic-abo-1819976823 - one of the most jaw-dropping comics I have ever read. Really lead to some amazing conversations in my Pop Culture Club. You will want to buy the entire series.
https://www.theatlantic.com/sponsored/hbo-2019/the-massacre-of-black-wall-street/3217/?fbclid=IwAR3Jvd62qi0YFup1h6EgOhKSiuYfryuJYkcfDM5Aj9IRwKoPcv0rcs4PYds
https://positivenegatives.org/ - this is one of the most powerful resources I have ever seen! True stories from around the world - people struggling with modern issues such as poverty, conflict, refugees, and more.

http://www.solutionsquad.net/blog/2020/03/19/the-new-normal/ - from an inspiring middle school math teacher - an engaging way to learn about math concepts! My own kids (and I) have learned so much! I talk about this comic in all of my presentations. Jim is also offering free lesson plans to go along with the comic! Follow @TheJimMcClain

https://weirdenoughproductions.com/ - learn about all things Media Literacy! This is an exciting approach to teaching about social media and our responsibility to the world around us. The lesson plans are aligned with Common Core and SEL Competencies.

https://abcnews.go.com/International/fullpage/madaya-mom-42363064 - a powerful comic from ABC News and Marvel focusing on one mother's struggle to help her family survive during the Syrian Conflict. This is how I use it in my classroom - https://historycomics.edublogs.org/2017/04/09/a-human-humanities-course/

https://www.youtube.com/studiojjk Jarrett J. Krosoczka will be hosting webcasts every weekday at 2PM EST https://www.youtube.com/studiojjk - so much imagination! If you haven't read Hey, Kiddo yet, it is a powerful must read for every educator).

https://www.cartoonstudies.org/democracy/ - an excellent all encompassing look at the US government and the role of its citizens. I have used this in my own classroom - perfect for all levels of readers!

https://www.cartoonstudies.org/programs/ccs-one-week-cartooning-workout/ - a FREE one week online course on how to make comics

https://www.weteachnyc.org/resources/resource/registered/ - a great comic by Andrew Aydin (of the March Trilogy!) and team. A wonderful way to reach high school students on the importance of voting!

https://www.weteachnyc.org/resources/resource/action-activists/ - wonderful comic by Fred Van Lente and Ryan Dunlavey. (Check out their Action Presidents books as well!)

https://jarrettlerner.com/activities/ - Want to get your kids excited about writing and literacy? Jarrett Lerner is so full of imagination and humor that they won't be able to resist! (Jarrett is an amazing presenter and we LOVE his Enginerds books!)

https://americanenglish.state.gov/files/ae/resource_files/panels_and_perspectives-508.pdf - a great overview of the history of comics, how they are created, and how to make your own. Put together by the US State Department and Dan Ryder (@WickedDecent) and Jacquie Gardy (@jacquiegardy)

https://bethbarnett.co/portfolio/the-sykes-picot-agreement/?fbclid=IwAR3re98O-MmmO3m6c-WPbnumR-UWtML41s4sNErZ-vIeABHx4O-yGIwaF0I - a visual explanation of the Sykes-Picot Agreement - something that has such an important impact on current events.

https://bethbarnett.co/portfolio/a-letter-from-camp-devens/?fbclid=IwAR3re98O-MmmO3m6c-WPbnumR-UWtML41s4sNErZ-vIeABHx4O-yGIwaF0I - a historical story about the impact of the Influenza Pandemic.

https://bethbarnett.co/portfolio/in-flanders-fields/?fbclid=IwAR3v69sQ9GStyYFaLd32HsErOrxB-bagDT-LrdWTKe0Pa2H7VCNrBhqzjZk - a haunting visualization of the poem, Flanders Fields. I have my own students annotate this and other WWI poetry, then create their own poems about WWI. The final piece is to create their own visual representation of their poems.

http://physicscentral.com/explore/comics/index.cfm - free online science comics from the American Physical Society - www.aps.org.

https://www.ncsc.org/Education-and-Careers/Civics-Education/Justice-Case-Files.aspx - online comics and coloring books from the National Center for State Courts. Runs through several important court cases and their verdicts, explains how courts work, etc.

https://www.biodefensestudy.org/germ-warfare - authored by Max Brooks and the Blue Ribbon Study Panel on Biodefense. "This is a highly stylized and engaging graphic novel depicting previous biological warfare events, the possibilities for the future, and the continued need for public health security. Germs. They are too small to see with the naked eye, but they have killed more human beings than all the wars in history. Before humans even knew that germs caused disease, they knew disease could be a weapon of war. "Germ Warfare" traces the long, brutal story of those microscopic weapons. From the infected arrows of Bronze Age archers, to the plague factories of World War 2, up through the biological arms race of the Cold War into our modern age of genetically manipulated terrorism. This graphic history is both a lesson from the past and a warning for the future. It reminds us never to take public health for granted, because we never know when, or how, the next pandemic will rise."

https://classroom.popcultureclassroom.org/product/educational-comix-series/colorful-history/ This is created by Pop Culture Classroom - an amazing organization! I have written some of the lesson plans/teacher resources as well. These are based on people/events in US history - they can be used for any grade level.

All about the Federal Reserve - published by the Federal Reserve! https://www.newyorkfed.org/outreach-and-education/comic-books

WWII - How to Spot a Jap - http://www.ep.tc/howtospotajap/howto08.html - this horribly racist comic from the US War Dept was also published in USA newspapers.

1951 Civil Defense comic book - If an A-bombs Falls http://www.ep.tc/comics/a-bomb/

1954 Civil Defense comic book - The H bomb and You - http://www.ep.tc/comics/h-bomb/index.html

NASA comics - https://www.astrobio.net/nasa-astrobio-graphic-novels/

http://www.crmvet.org/docs/ms_for_comic.pdf - The Montgomery Story. This is a comic that was distributed during the US Civil Rights Movement and teaches the methods of non-violent resistance. MLK, Jr. helped edit it.

http://features.weather.com/us-climate-change/arkansas/ - Marshall Islands and climate change research. What will happen to the Pacific Islands as sea levels rise? Drawn by the amazing Nate Powell of March fame.

https://thenib.com/hide-out/ - also by Nate Powell on the Nib.

https://thenib.com/pecking-order/ - also by Nate Powell on the Nib

https://popula.com/2019/02/24/about-face/ - also by Nate Powell

http://www.seemybrotherdance.org/seemybrotherdance/2018/6/6/mr-seahorse - Nate Powell's magical and poetic look at parenthood

http://www.magictorchcomics.co.uk/blog - this includes an amazing comic on Gallipoli in WWI

http://thecomicrepublic.com/readcomics.html - free downloadable comics from Nigeria! Compare US hero comics to these as a cultural learning experience in the classroom

https://www.comixology.com/free-comics there are some freebies in with the paid comics

https://comicstore.marvel.com/free-comics- some freebies

http://comicbookplus.com - older comics that have entered the public domain - fascinating!

https://digitalcomicmuseum.com// - another for comics in the public domain

https://americanhistory.si.edu/sites/default/files/file-uploader/Incarceration-through-Comics-and-Graphic-Novels.pdf
- Make a mini comic from one piece of paper! Posted by the Smithsonian!

https://t.co/FdPMeigPgC - Free Marvel comic teaching about the environment

http://www.diamondbookshelf.com/Home/1/1/20/1219 - Diamond Bookshelf Magazine. Great resource for educators and librarians. I have written several articles for them - how to get comics approved for the classroom, integrating historical fiction, and more.

http://www.korematsuinstitute.org/curriculum-kit-order-form
/ - Fred Korematsu - Japanese-American Interment Camps - includes a free graphic novel making connections between 9/11 and these iternment camps

https://fsp.duke.edu/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/Haitian-Revolution_ENG.pdf - Haitian Revolution

https://read.ghostriver.org/ - Conestoga

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC0QNDF4cTENnSdQi4uAuMpg - my YouTube channel. Just a few videos.

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FREE COMICS - History Comics and comics in education

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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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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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For full functionality of this site it is necessary to enable JavaScript. Click here for instructions on how to enable JavaScript in your web browser.

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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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Exceptional non-fiction content for children, families and educators on this Webby Honoree website from best-selling children’s science writer Seymour Simon.

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The activities below are available for free download, and are to be used in educational and/or private settings. They may not be used elsewhere or for other purposes (such as for profit) unless explicit permission is granted.
Below will find: Blank Comic Book Pages, Special Activities, "Finish This Story!" Story Starters, "How to Draw..." Instructions, "Finish This Comic!" Comics, and Drawing/Writing Prompts.
More activities are being added to this page regularly, so make sure to check back for more. And if you like the activities below, don't miss my activity books, GIVE THIS BOOK A TITLE and GIVE THIS BOOK A COVER, available wherever books are sold!
Click on the numbers below to find a variety of different blank comic book pages. Each number corresponds to a different arrangement of panels on the page. Print out a few of each, or a bunch of one kind, and make your own comic!

Special Activities

Click HERE to download the above activity sheet!

Click HERE to download the above activity sheet!

Click HERE to download the above activity sheet!

Click HERE to download the Introduction to Hand-Lettering sheets!

Click HERE to download the above Thank You activities!

Click HERE to download the above Haiku Diary activity!

Click HERE to download the above Thank You activities!

Click HERE to download the above Earth Day activities!

Click HERE to download the above Earth Day activities!

Click HERE to download the above Halloween activities!

Click HERE to download the above Halloween activities!

Click HERE to download the above Halloween activities!

Click HERE to download the above Halloween activities!

"Finish This Story!" Story Starters

Click HERE to download the above "Finish This Story!" activities!

Click HERE to download the above "Finish This Story!" activities!

"How to Draw..." Instructions

Click HERE to download the above "How to Draw..." activities!

Click HERE to download the above "How to Draw..." activities!

Click HERE to download the above "How to Draw..." activities!

Click HERE to download the above "How to Draw..." activities!

Click HERE to download the above "How to Draw..." activities!

Click HERE to download the above "How to Draw..." activities!

Click HERE to download the above "How to Draw..." activities!

Click HERE to download the above "How to Draw..." activities!

Click HERE to download the above "How to Draw..." activities!

Click HERE to download the above "How to Draw..." activities!

Click HERE to download the above "How to Draw..." activities!

Click HERE to download the above "How to Draw..." activities!

Click HERE to download the above "How to Draw..." activities!

Click HERE to download the above "How to Draw..." activities!

"Finish This Comic!" Comics

Below you will find a collection of comics that are incomplete. Look closely at the pictures, then figure out what you need to add to complete the comic!

Click HERE to download the above incomplete comics!

Click HERE to download the above incomplete comics!

Click HERE to download the above incomplete comics!

Click HERE to download the above incomplete comics!

Click HERE to download the above incomplete comics!

Click HERE to download the above incomplete comics!

Click HERE to download the above incomplete comics!

Click HERE to download the above incomplete comics!

Click HERE to download the above incomplete comics!

Click HERE to download the above incomplete comics!

Click HERE to download the above incomplete comics!

Click HERE to download the above incomplete comics!

Click HERE to download the above incomplete comics!

Drawing/Writing Prompts

Below you will find some drawing prompt activity sheets. Completed drawings can also be used as creative writing prompts.

Click HERE to download the above activity sheets!

Click HERE to download the above activity sheets!

Click HERE to download the above activity sheets!

Click HERE to download the above activity sheets!

Click HERE to download the above activity sheets!

Click HERE to download the above activity sheets!

Click HERE to download the above activity sheet!

Click HERE to download the above activity sheet!

Click HERE to download the above activity sheets!

Click HERE to download the above activity sheets!

Click HERE to download the above activity sheet!

Click HERE to download the above activity sheets!

Click HERE to download the above activity sheets!

Click HERE to download the above activity sheet!

Click HERE to download the above activity sheet!

Click HERE to download the above activity sheets!

Click HERE to download the above activity sheet!

Click HERE to download the above activity sheets!

Click HERE to download the above activity sheet!

Click HERE to download the above activity sheets!

Click HERE to download the above activity sheets!

Click HERE to download the above activity sheet!

Click HERE to download the above activity sheets!

Click HERE to download the above activity sheets!

Click HERE to download the above activity sheets!

Click HERE to download the above activity sheets!

Click HERE to download the above activity sheet!

Click HERE to download the above activity sheet!

Click HERE to download the above activity sheet!

Click HERE to download the above activity sheets!

Click HERE to download the above activity sheets!

Click HERE to download the above activity sheets!

Click HERE to download the above activity sheets!

Click HERE to download the above activity sheet!

Click HERE to download the above activity sheets!

Click HERE to download the above activity sheet!

Click HERE to download the above activity sheet!

Click HERE to download the above Spanish version activity sheets!

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The activities below are available for free download, and are to be used in educational and/or private settings. They may not be used elsewhere or for other purposes (such as for profit) unless explicit permission is granted. Below will find: Blank Comic Book Pages, Special Activities, "Finish This Story!"

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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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Hope this Helps!

Posted at 12:47h in by Uncategorized kristimraz

Okay, I am working with haste to get this in the hands of people as fast as humanly possible. My mind keeps going back to the work of Alison Gopnik and her beautiful book The Gardener and The Carpenter. In it she tells us that we can not hope to predict the problems of the future, we can only help kids build the infrastructure to face it. As scary and stressful a time this is, this is also a time to teach children they are powerful, they have agency, they are capable. To this end I am quickly laying out how to set kids up for independent writing projects at home, with a focus on their feelings of power and decision making. This presumes you have one day of prep before kids are out of your sight.

You will need to:

take and print out photos of classroom charts and/or rubrics

make the same charts available online for children who have access

mentally make yourself okay with emptying out your classroom library and writing supplies

Lesson (I am writing this as I would deliver it to a group of generic children of an age between 6-8, modify as needed):

Give out this planning sheet.
"Friends. Today we set ourselves up for some big work out of school. Thinkers don't just rely on others to make plans, they make their own plans for learning. For reading/writing today, we are going to make plans and gather materials to take on big ambitious projects at home. Let me talk you through our planning sheet and how I might use it to plan... For reading: Hmmm, what could make a fun reading project? Do I want to read all the books in a series? Do I want to become an expert at retelling? I know! I think I want to get super good at my character post-its. Let me think about how to do this. First let me write down my project: BECOME A CHARACTER EXPERT. Okay, now, what will I need to take home? Hmmmm. Definitely books. How many books can I read in 2 weeks? Maybe 6? And they will need to have characters! And I will need post-its, and ooo! I need the character chart! Okay, now, how will I celebrate this when I am all done? I think I will make a poster of characters I love? Maybe I can hang it in my house? Or maybe in the lobby of my building! That way people will have books they want to read! Now I have to think of the goals I might have for each day. Hmm. Day 1: read, and make a post -it? No, I can do better than that! Make 3 post-its! Okay, now what will be my goal for day 2? Maybe I will read more and make 3 more post-its! Friends, do you see how I am getting this plan together? Lets brainstorm some projects together and then you can use this time to gather materials and plan! For Writing: Hmmm, what could a writing project be? I know! A graphic novel! A graphic novel about washing your hands! OOOO! If I make a graphic novel about washing hands, maybe I can give it to my neighbors? Okay, so what will I need to do this? I will need paper. I will need my word wall/editing tools. I will need my folder/writers notebook. I already know how I will celebrate, I will give it to people! Okay, now comes making the plan. Hmmm, let's see what I should do first.... Friends, do you see how I am getting this plan together? Lets brainstorm some projects together and then you can use this time to gather materials and plan! And that is it.
I worry that we will feel a need to go to TPT and download a bunch of worksheets. Instead, lets see this as a time to put power in the hands of kids. We are teaching agency, we are teaching organization, we are teaching follow through. The academics are there, they will use what we have taught, and they might stretch themselves further because they feel powerful.

I hope this helps! It is what I would do with my kiddos. I would say, "Things feel a little weird now, huh? But there are people in the world helping. You can be one of those people. How will your reading and writing project make things better?"

Lots of love and solidarity in this time. I am not going to hide this plug, me (and lots of people who do work like me) are losing work. For me this means an almost total stop to income. It is scary, and I know there are others in the same boat as me. If you want a webinar, if you want a phone call, if you want some online support, say the word. It would help me, and hopefully I can help you.

Stay healthy and stay 6 feet away from everyone.

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Posted at 12:47h in by Uncategorized kristimraz Okay, I am working with haste to get this in the hands of people as fast as humanly possible. My mind keeps going back to the work of Alison Gopnik and her beautiful book The Gardener and The Carpenter.

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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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Student and Teacher Resources Hyperlinked doc

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While the Zoo is closed, we can still help your children’s hiatus from school be fun & educational! Join us for a Home Safari Facebook Live weekdays at 3. We'll highlight amazing animals & include an activity to do from home. Our first Home Safari will feature Fiona! #TeamFiona

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While the Zoo is closed, we can still help your children’s hiatus from school be fun & educational! Join us for a Home Safari Facebook Live weekdays at 3. We'll highlight amazing animals & include an activity to do from home. Our first Home Safari will feature Fiona! #TeamFiona https://t.co/urIQqRynHg

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While the Zoo is closed, we can still help your children’s hiatus from school be fun & educational! Join us for a Home Safari Facebook Live weekdays at 3. We'll highlight amazing animals & include an activity to do from home. Our first Home Safari will feature Fiona! #TeamFiona pic.twitter.com/urIQqRynHg
— Cincinnati Zoo (@CincinnatiZoo) March 15, 2020

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While the Zoo is closed, we can still help your children’s hiatus from school be fun & educational! Join us for a Home Safari Facebook Live weekdays at 3. We'll highlight amazing animals & include an activity to do from home. Our first Home Safari will feature Fiona! #TeamFiona https://t.co/urIQqRynHg

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.metadata.attachment_props.original_text
While the Zoo is closed, we can still help your children’s hiatus from school be fun & educational! Join us for a Home Safari Facebook Live weekdays at 3. We'll highlight amazing animals & include an activity to do from home. Our first Home Safari will feature Fiona! #TeamFiona https://t.co/urIQqRynHg

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.metadata.attachment_props.text
While the Zoo is closed, we can still help your children’s hiatus from school be fun & educational! Join us for a Home Safari Facebook Live weekdays at 3. We'll highlight amazing animals & include an activity to do from home. Our first Home Safari will feature Fiona! #TeamFiona

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I am at our public library right now and it is deserted. Wisconsin was ordered to close their schools this coming week as more and more cases of Covid-19 pile up. The world is upside down.

As we prepare to switch to online learning, I have been thinking of the power of the read aloud. How having the social connection through shared books can bring us together. How doing a read aloud in this stressful time can calm us. And so as we plan for what we will do, I immediately thought of reading picture books aloud to my students and having them respond to them in a short paragraph through Google Classroom. However, there is one glaring problem; copyright violations, I don't want to break copyright by reading aloud a book and then sharing it with students. So instead, I compiled as many lists as I could find here featuring the creators reading aloud. Perhaps the list will be helpful to you?

Kate Messner has a post that details which publishers have given limited permission to read their books aloud following their guidelines, see the post here.

Indianapolis Public Library has a compiled list here with more than 100 titles

Storyline online has a compiled list right here with some great titles

Kate Messner is compiling videos right here featuring authors and illustrators sharing their work and resources

Susan Tan has a great video channel featuring writing prompts and read alouds

Kidlit TV has a great compilation here

Harper Kids Has their read alouds compiled here

Vooks Online are offering a free first year for teachers and have videos compiled here

Brightly Online has a compilation here

Storytime with Bill from Little Brown Books can be found here

Mrs. P's storytime can be found here

Debbie Ridpath Ohi is posting videos of her books as well here

Unite For Literacy has many stories read aloud in multiple languages compiled here

Free Kid Lit Visits and Authors Read Aloud compiled by A.Keene can be found here

Storytime from Space features astronauts reading aloud

I will keep adding resources here as I find them and as they are shared with me. If you know of any more, please share.

Take care, stay safe, and take care of others. We will get through this.

And by the way, if you can't feed your family in the coming weeks or months, please reach out to me. I will try to send you a giftcard for groceries if I can.
If you are wondering where I will be in the coming year or would like to have me speak, please see this page.

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Picture Books Read Aloud Videos for Lesson Use

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I am at our public library right now and it is deserted. Wisconsin was ordered to close their schools this coming week as more and more cases of Covid-19 pile up. The world is upside down. As we prepare to switch to online learning, I have been thinking of the power of the read aloud....

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Copyright 2001- Melissa Stewart. All rights reserved. All materials on this site may be copied for classroom or library use but may not be reprinted or resold for commercial purposes. This website is COPPA compliant. If you are a child under age 13 and wish to contact Melissa Stewart, please use the email address of a teacher, librarian, or parent with that adult's permission. Webhost Privacy Policy.

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Copyright 2001- Melissa Stewart. All rights reserved. All materials on this site may be copied for classroom or library use but may not be reprinted or resold for commercial purposes. This website is COPPA compliant. If you are a child under age 13 and wish to contact Melissa Stewart, please use the email address of a teacher, librarian, or parent with that adult's permission.

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The SAG-AFTRA Foundation's Daytime Emmy-nominated, Storyline Online, features celebrated actors reading children's books to inspire a love of reading in millions of children worldwide.

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Hello, friends! I'm Kate Messner, a former classroom teacher, forever-educator, and the author of more than three dozen books for kids. These include picture books like Over and Under the Snow, The Brilliant Deep, and The Next President; the Fergus and Zeke easy reader series; the Ranger in Time historical chapter book adventures; nonfiction like Tracking Pythons and Solve This: Forensics; and novels like All the Answers, Breakout, and . I'm happy that you found your way here!

This is a library of resources for kids, families, teachers, and librarians to make sure that reading & learning can happen anywhere this spring. Some of you may be out of school as communities try to prevent the spread of a virus known as COVID-19. Here's a great page from NPR that explains what that's all about, in a kid-friendly comic. National Ambassador for Young People's Literature Jason Reynolds shares "How to Fight the New Bad Guy in Town," a PSA for kids, on the StorySeeds podcast here. And this excellent & important post from author Laurie Halse Anderson does a great job explaining why we're seeing closings (and why that's important) for older readers.

Below, you'll find a growing collection of resources that include everything from first-chapter and picture book read-alouds (all shared with permission!) to drawing and writing mini-lessons. Be sure to check back often, as new resources will be added every day. If you'd prefer to browse learning-at-home resources by age group, my daughter Ella has put together the pages below, with even more resources, organized by grade level. (Thanks, Ella!)

Resources for grades PreK-2 (ages 3-7)
Resources for grades 3-5 (ages 8-10)
Resources for grades 6-8 (ages 11-13)
Resources for grades 9-12 (ages 14+)

Many teachers & librarians have also reached out to ask about permission to read books aloud to your students via closed platforms like Google Classroom, Zoom, and unlisted YouTube links. Individual publishers have been sharing their own guidelines for online read-alouds, and you'll find a round-up of those here.

Author Kate Messner shares a read-aloud of THE NEXT PRESIDENT: THE UNEXPECTED BEGINNINGS AND UNWRITTEN FUTURE OF AMERICA'S PRESIDENTS, illustrated by Adam Rex. Writing challenge: After the read-aloud, write your own presidential platform. What changes would you make to your country if you were in charge?

Author Kate Messner shares a read-aloud of OVER AND UNDER THE POND, illustrated by Christopher Silas Neal (shared with permission from Chronicle Books). After the read-aloud, look out your window - or step outside if you can - and see what hidden nature you notice!

Author Kate Messner shares a read-aloud of THE BRILLIANT DEEP: REBUILDING THE WORLD'S CORAL REEFS illustrated by Matt Forsythe. After the read-aloud, check out the Coral Restoration Foundation website. Learn more about the threats coral reefs are facing from NASA's Climate Kids page, and check out this page about how kids can help our oceans. Challenge: Make a poster or drawing to teach people about how we can all help coral and other sea creatures!

OVER AND UNDER THE RAINFOREST, Kate's book with illustrator Christopher Silas Neal doesn't come out until August, but we got special permission to share an early read-aloud! After the story, check out this page with more information on the wildlife of Costa Rica, where Kate did most of the research for this book. Writing challenge: Write a short article to teach people about your favorite rainforest animal!

Tracey Baptiste, the author of The Jumbies series, shares a mini-lesson on comparative mythology. She talks through how creatures from different mythologies have traits in common and encourages kids to find those similarities in the mythologies they come across. She's also sharing some reading resources such as D'Aulaires' Book of Greek Myths, The Element Encyclopedia of Mythical Creatures, and her own Jumbies Field Guide available at her website.

Author Debbi Michiko Florence shares a read-aloud excerpt of her chapter book JASMINE TOGUCHI FLAMINGO KEEPER, along with a writing prompt (and a peek at a real daruma doll)!

Author Leah Henderson shares a first chapter read-aloud of her middle grade novel THE MAGIC IN CHANGING YOUR STARS. Writing Challenge: Find out who Ailey Benjamin Lane is named after. (Hint: His first name comes from an African-American dancer & choreographer with the initials A.A. His middle name comes from an African-American farmer & naturalist who searches out the stars and who created an almanac in 1792. This person's initials are B.B.) Who could they be?

Author-illustrator Jarrett Lerner shares tips and techniques to help you draw ANYTHING and EVERYTHING!

Veera Hiranandani, author of the Newbery Honor winning book The Night Diary, The Whole Story of Half a Girl, and The Phoebe G. Green series offers a diary writing prompt to help you get to know your characters and create an inspired story!

Author Jason Reynolds shares a read-aloud from his MG novel, GHOST. In this chapter, the main character talks about world records, so after the read-aloud, check out this page from the Guiness Book of World Records, with some records you can try to break at home!

Author Kate Messner shares a read-aloud excerpt from TRACKING PYTHONS: THE QUEST TO CATCH AN INVASIVE PREDATOR AND SAVE AN ECOSYSTEM. After the read-aloud, you can learn more about invasive species from National Geographic and the National Wildlife Foundation. Also check out this article from New York State Conservationist Kids!

Kate also shared this article about the python scientists, with photos and infographics.

Author & illustrator Grace Lin teaches viewers how to draw a Chinese Dragon and shares some tidbits about Chinese culture! You can find more of Grace's reading & drawing videos on her YouTube channel.

Author Carole Lindstrom shares a read-aloud of WE ARE WATER PROTECTORS.

Author Jo Knowles reads from the first chapter of her MG novel WHERE THE HEART IS and offers students a fun writing exercise! For more about Jo and her books, or for teachers/book group guides that go along with her books, visit her website.

Kelley McMorris, who illustrates the RANGER IN TIME chapter book series, shares a video about how she illustrates a book cover. After you watch, try using Kelley's process to design a new cover for one of your favorite books!

Author and illustrator Debbie Ridpath Ohi shares a read-aloud of her picture book WHERE ARE MY BOOKS?, gives a drawing demo and challenges young readers to create their own imaginative squirrels, and shares a crowd-sourced "Where Are My Books?" music video. You can find lots of free, print-ready activities and other fun bonus info at https://www.debbieohi.com/wamb

Author Erin Entrada Kelly gives a peek into the notebooks for several of her novels, including HELLO, UNIVERSE. Writing challenge: What's in your notebook? Take a little time to write in it today, inspired by Erin's ideas!

Author Chris Tebbetts shares a read-aloud of the first chapters of STRANDED. Writing challenge: Choose a wilderness setting of your own - the Arctic, the desert, the rainforest - and imagine you're stranded there. How will you survive? Write an imaginary journal documenting your adventure. Check out these wilderness survival skills from Outdoor Life for ideas!

Author Nikki Grimes shares poetry selections from WORDS WITH WINGS. Writing challenge: Try writing your own poem today, in the style of one of Nikki's read-alouds! For more of Nikki's read-aloud videos and lessons, check out her YouTube Channel here.

Author Ann Braden shares a read-aloud excerpt from THE BENEFITS OF BEING AN OCTOPUS. Note: the octopus is a pretty amazing creature, so after the read-aloud, read up on them at this page from National Geographic Kids!

Author Kate Messner shares a read-aloud of UP IN THE GARDEN AND DOWN IN THE DIRT, illustrated by Christopher Silas Neal. After the read-aloud, read more about helpful insects here and check out these garden activities from KidsGarden!

Author Sarah Albee shares a STEM mystery, "Did the Doctor Do It?" as part of her series exploring the science and intrigue of poison throughout history. Check out more of Sarah's Poison videos here.

Middle grade and Young adult author, Paula Chase offers a mini-writing exercise to help students build stories around their unique traits.

Author Nancy Castaldo reads some of BACK FROM THE BRINK with tips how we can all use our voices through our writing to make a difference. Here's the link to the reader's guide for more activities.

Author Debbi Michiko Florence shares an early read-aloud excerpt of her upcoming MG novel KEEP IT TOGETHER KEIKO CARTER, along with a writing prompt!

Author & illustrator Grace Lin shares the first story from her early reader, "Ling and Ting: Not Exactly the Same!" You can find more of Grace's reading & drawing videos on her YouTube channel.

Author Kate Messner shares a read-aloud excerpt from RANGER IN TIME: RESCUE ON THE OREGON TRAIL. Writing challenge: Choose your favorite event in history and imagine how a search and rescue dog might be able to help out. Then so some research about your historical event, and write your own story about Ranger's adventures there!

Christina Soontornvat shares how she came up with the idea for her new middle grade fantasy novel, A WISH IN THE DARK. Writing challenge: Use Christina's model to brainstorm your own list of ideas for stories that might be inspired by a classic tale! And check out more videos from Christina here!

Author KA Holt reads an excerpt from her forthcoming middle grade novel-in-verse, BEN BEE AND THE TEACHER GRIEFER.

Author Mae Respicio reads a few pages from her upcoming middle grade novel, Any Day With You, and shares a quick, fun writing prompt. Writing challenge: Imagine you've been planning a beach day with your best friends. You're so excited to go but when you get there... everything goes wrong and not the way you expected it to! Describe what happens.

Author Elly Swartz shares tips on how to use the emotion in your life to create authentic characters! Writing challenge: Take a few minutes to journal about a day when you felt an especially strong emotion - joy or fear or excitement! How might you use those emotions in a fictional story?

Author Lisa Yee drinks water, reads the first chapter of Millicent Min, Girl Genius, and fumbles when she comes across a couple of lines in Latin. Writing challenge: Try rewriting a scene from this chapter from the point of view of another character!

Award-Winning author Michelle Cusolito shares a writing mini-lesson to help writers add more sensory details to their writing. You can find more resources related to Michelle's book FLYING DEEP: CLIMB INSIDE DEEP-SEA SUBMERSIBLE ALVIN here.

Author-illustrator Lita Judge shares a video about how a sketching trip inspired one of her picture books! After you watch, take your own mini-sketching trip. Go to your kitchen or your bedroom, your porch or your backyard, and sketch what you see. Observe closely!

Author Kate Messner shares a read-aloud excerpt from CHIRP, a mystery for kids that's set on a cricket farm! After the read aloud, you can learn more about entomophagy (eating insects as food!) from CBS Kids, and check out a real cricket farm's website!

Author Chris Tebbetts shares a video mini-lesson on how to create a good beginning for a story!

And another video writing workshop from Chris, called Four Elements of Character. (This is an 8-minute video where you pause & write sometimes, so the full activity will take about half an hour. Recommended for writers ages 10 and up.)

Author Aisha Saeed shares a read-aloud of her picture book, BILAL COOKS DAAL, along with a related activity!

Author Emily Jenkins shares a read-aloud of A GREYHOUND, A GROUNDHOG.

Author Lisa Schroeder shares a read-aloud excerpt from her MG novel MY SECRET GUIDE TO PARIS, along with a writing exercise!

Author Janet Fox shares a read-aloud of the first chapter of her MG novel THE ARTIFACT HUNTERS. Writing challenge: Try writing a short scene of your own in which something unexpected happens!

Author & illustrator Jess Keating shares some thoughts on where ideas for stories come from! (This is part of a series Jess shares on writing & you can find more on her YouTube channel.)

Author Chris Tebbetts shares a read-aloud of the first chapters of MIDDLE SCHOOL, THE WORST YEARS OF MY LIFE, co-written with James Paterson.

Poet Charles Waters shares poetry from DICTIONARY FOR A BETTER WORLD (by Charles Waters and Irene Latham)

Author Abby Cooper reads the first chapter of her middle grade novel, FRIEND OR FICTION.

Author Lynn Plourde shares some tips on starting an observation notebook!

Author-illustrator James Burks shares a video lesson on how to draw Squirrel from his graphic novel series, Bird and Squirrel!

Author Kristen Larson shares an engineering design activity based on her book WOOD, WIRE, WINGS: Emma Lilian Todd Invents an Airplane.

Author Liz Garton Scanlon shares a video lesson on writing am ETHEREE - a ten line poem in which each line is one syllable longer than the last.

Author-illustrator Karen Romano Young shares a video doodling tutorial. You can also check out Karen's #AntarcticLog comics, a weekly series of comics about Antarctica - as well as the Arctic and anyplace where climate change is being studied.

Author KA Holt reads an excerpt from her novel-in-verse, HOUSE ARREST. Mini-lesson: listen for as many poetic devices as you can find (metaphor, simile, assonance, hyperbole, etc.)

Author Jennifer Roy shares a video read-aloud from her historical novel YELLOW STAR, along with a writing prompt about looking for symbols of hope in tough times, recommended for ages 10 and up.

Author Laurel Snyder shares some thoughts on fiction and making up stories, along with a read-aloud of CHARLIE AND MOUSE OUTDOORS.

Author Caroline Starr Rose reads her picture book, A RACE AROUND THE WORLD: THE TRUE STORY OF NELLIE BLY AND ELIZABETH BISLAND. When you've finished listening, visit the article, How to Pack Like Pioneering Journalist Nellie Bly, Who Circumnavigated the Globe in 1889 with Just a Small Duffle Bag, to see what Nellie brought on her journey. Challenge: Plan your own trip around the world. What would you like to see? Where would you like to visit? Mark these places on a map.

Author Corinne Demas shares a read-aloud of THE DISAPPEARING ISLAND.

Author Lauren Tarshis shares a read-aloud of the first two chapters of I SURVIVED THE SINKING OF THE TITANIC. After the read-aloud, check out this link to read about Robert Ballard, the oceanographer whose team discovered the wreck of the Titanic more than seventy years after it sank.

Author & poet Nikki Grimes shares poems about one of her favorite cakes, Pineapple Upside Down Cake, along with five steps to creating your very own poem about your favorite food! For more of Nikki's read-aloud videos and lessons, check out her YouTube Channel here.

Author Sarah Aronson shares a read-aloud of JUST LIKE RUBE GOLDBERG. And here's a FlipGrip page where kids can share their projects and ask questions.

Author Chelsea Clinton shares an excerpt from her book START NOW: YOU CAN MAKE A DIFFERENCE.

Author Bruce Hale shares a read aloud of BIG BAD BABY.

Writing Challenge: Write about the same experience in multiple ways (letters, poems, illustrations, and screenplay).

Bonus challenge: Write positive affirmations for your family members.

Author Sayantani DasGupta shares a read-aloud of the first chapter of THE SERPENT'S SECRET.

Author Deborah Underwood reads INTERSTELLAR CINDERELLA (illustrated by Meg Hunt) and gives kids a mini-lesson on how to write their own fractured fairy tales.

Author Kate Messner shares a read-aloud of UP IN THE GARDEN AND DOWN IN THE DIRT and answers questions from kids in a "Family Book Club" video recorded earlier this year (thanks to Read-Aloud Revival for making this recording publicly available for learning at home this spring!)

Author-illustrator Brian Biggs shares a read-aloud of his EVERYTHING GOES board books.

Author Jessica Young shares a read-aloud of HAGGIS AND TANK (illustrated by James Burks) with a mini-lesson on sound words.

Author-illustrator Brandon Reese shares a read-aloud of his picture book CAVE DADA. And here's a link to download a coloring page, too!

Here's a fun challenge from author Laurel Snyder ... She's written a brand new book, but doesn't have any pictures for it. Will you help? She'll read you the story of The Beastly Collective, and you'll draw your favorite animals, while she teaches you some brand new words!

Author Christine Evans shares a read-aloud of Evelyn the Adventurous Entomologist, illustrated by Yasmin Imamura.

Author and illustrator Grace Lin shares a chapter from her book, The Year of the Dog. You can find more of Grace's reading & drawing videos on her YouTube channel.

Grace Lin teaches families how to draw a dog from the number 5 (just like in The Year of the Dog!)

Amy Guglielmo, co-author of POCKET FULL OF COLORS shares a read-aloud of her picture book biography of Disney artist Mary Blair. Art challenge: Collect a rainbow of colorful objects inside or outside as a fun follow up activity. Take part in the "Rainbow Hunt," and draw a picture of a rainbow to post in your window for neighbors to see on their daily walks.

Author Kerry O'Malley Cerra demonstrates an easy tool students can use to summarize. This tip can also be used for writers as chapter checks!

Japanese American author, Kathleen Burkinshaw reads a chapter from her MG historical fiction, The Last Cherry Blossom based on events in her mom's life as a 12 yr old in Hiroshima during WWII. Also learn a little about her mom's favorite Japanese folk tale. You can find a Discussion Guide on her website www.kathleenburkinshaw.co

Newbery Award winning author Meg Medina shares a writing lesson on Creating Tension.

Kerry Madden shares a read-aloud of ERNESTINE'S MILKY WAY.

Author Buffy Silverman shares On a Snow-Melting Day: Seeking Signs of Spring and a little science show-and-tell.

Author Diane Zahler shares a read-aloud of the first chapter of The Marvelwood Magicians and a writing prompt.

Abigail Rayner shares a read-aloud of The Backup Bunny.

Michelle Cusolito reads aloud her book Flying Deep: Climb Inside Deep-Sea Submersible ALVIN (illustrated by Nicole Wong) while Jeff Angeley of Southcoast Lessons provides live musical accompaniment. You can find more resources related to Flying Deep here.

Author Meg Fleming shares a read-aloud of her picture book, Sometimes Rain.

S.K. Ali, co-author of THE PROUDEST BLUE, shares directions for making a paper boat.

The niece and nephew of Cedella Marley read her book, Get Up, Stand Up, a picture book adaptation of one of Bob Marley's beloved songs that has a timely message for children: To counter injustice, lift others up with kindness and courage.

Author Lisa Yee talks about Bobby vs. Girls (Accidentally) and reads passages from the book. Writing prompt for today: Do you think boys and girls can be friends?

Would you rather be an #astronaut or #aquanaut? Perhaps you need more info to decide. Check out Jen Swanson's video below. Then make your choice and draw a picture of your suit!

Author Jo Watson Hackl Shows How to Take Your Reading to the Next Level by Exploring the Natural World of Your Characters.

Author Heather L. Montgomery reads-aloud chapters from SOMETHING ROTTEN: A FRESH LOOK AT ROADKILL.

Author Heather Shumaker offers a weekly author chat called Fiction Friday. She shares tips and ideas for writing fiction, reads a short excerpt from her middle grade novel The Griffins of Castle Cary, adds in a mini writing lesson, a few corny jokes, and encouragement to young writers and readers.

Author Christina Diaz Gonzalez talks about finding writing inspiration from your own family history (video is in English and then in Spanish).

Kate Messner shares a read-aloud of HOW TO READ A STORY, illustrated by Mark Siegel & shared with permission from Chronicle Books.

Author Kimberly Derting shares a read-aloud of CECE LOVES SCIENCE with permission from HarperCollins.

Author & science teacher Anne Ruppert shares a try-it-at-home fingerprinting activity from SOLVE THIS: FORENSICS (by Kate Messner & Anne Ruppert, published by National Geographic)

Author Jacqueline West shares a read-aloud from The Shadows, volume one of her bestselling MG fantasy/mystery series The Books of Elsewhere, along with a writing activity for you (and possibly your pet!) that will help you think about character and dialogue. For more info and other videos, visit her website! www.jacquelinewest.com.

Author Carter Higgins shares a read-aloud of BIKES FOR SALE with permission from Chronicle Books.

Author Deborah Underwood reads FINDING KINDNESS, illustrated by Irene Chan (Godwin Books/Macmillan, 2019).

Author Melanie Crowder reads a chapter from her middle grade novel, Three Pennies, and shares a quick and easy craft to go with it. Writing Challenge: Think of one of your favorite books-does an animal make an appearance in the story? In Three Pennies, the author writes several chapters from the point of view of an owl (named Owl). Try to add a chapter to that favorite book you've got in mind, writing from the point of view of an animal in that story.

Author Cynthia Levinson reads The Youngest Marcher: The Story of Audrey Faye Hendricks, a Young Civil Rights Activist, illustrated by Vanessa Brantley Newton. Thanks to Simon & Schuster Kids for permission.

Loree Griffin Burns, author of books like Citizen Scientists and the upcoming picture book You're Invited to a Moth Ball, shares her favorite book of all time: The Flora and Fauna of Hosmer Street. It's not a book she wrote, but rather one she made with her three kids. For one year, Loree, Sam, Ben, and Cat committed themselves to getting to know their animal neighbors; what they found surprised them. In this video, Loree show listeners a few of their best finds (garter snake! walking stick! a skeleton!), what they learned (the more you look, the more you see!) and, of course, how to start creating The Flora and Fauna of Your Place.

Many people have heard of the secret network that helped many enslaved blacks escape to freedom in the North called the Underground Railroad. But how many of you have heard about the Overground Railroad? Author Lesa Cline-Ransome reads from her book, The Overground Railroad, illustrated by her husband, James Ransome.

Author Kathleen Blasi reads HOSEA PLAYS ON, which depicts a day in the life of street musician Hosea Taylor, who made his community better, with his open-hearted giving. After the read-aloud, you can take a look at the newspaper article that inspired Kathleen to learn more about Hosea Taylor and served as the research springboard for HOSEA PLAYS ON.

Author Laya Steinberg reads her picture book THE BEST SUKKOT PUMPKIN EVER and shares a seed planting activity.

Author Jewell Parker Rhodes shares a read-aloud of the first chapter of GHOST BOYS.

Roy Freeman shares a read-aloud of CORDUROY, written and illustrated by his father, Don Freeman.

Author Nancy Tupper Ling shares a read-aloud, along with a lesson on how to make a list poem about your favorite place in the world.

Author Sarah Scheerger reads her picture book, Mitzvah Pizza, and shares a story about the real-life pay-it-forward pizza place that inspired the story. Classroom activities for the story are found here.

Writing Lessons! Many families are using this time at home to work on writing projects that range from stories and poems to special interest research reports and even novels. Here are some craft lessons from authors to help with ideas & strategies!
Author Meg Medina shares a video lesson on creating tension. Author Jennifer Torres shares a mini-workshop on setting with a video and pages to download. Here's a lesson from author Paula Chase on writing dual points of view. Author Josephine Cameron shares creative writing tips about how choosing the perfect setting can help you shape the character, plot, and relationships in your story.
Additional Resources:

Want to see even more author & illustrator videos? Check out the Authors Everywhere YouTube channel, created by Susan Tan!

Check out STEM Tuesday from The Mixed of Files of MG Authors blog for weekly book lists, interviews, and activities.

Want to try writing some poetry today? Joyce Sidman shares an amazing collection of ideas to get you started.

Here's another poetry lesson from Kathryn Apel - writing a didactic cinquain!

If you're stuck at home, it's a great time to start a writer's notebook! Author & Poet Amy Ludwig VanDerwater has a whole collection of posts from different writers, called "Sharing Our Notebooks." Check it out -so many ideas here!

Author Madelyn Rosenberg shares a collection of writing prompts here.

Here's a collection of video mini-lessons from nonfiction author Melissa Stewart - great for teaching informational writing, including research, text features, text structure, rich language, voice, and revision.

Author & poet Laura Shovan shares a collection of poetry mini-lessons on her website!

The folks at Middle Grade at Heart share a list of MG novels with discussions questions & related activities here.

Author Victoria Coe has a playlist of writing lessons for kids with 25 lessons.

Author Sarah Darer Littman offers short readings and writing prompts on her website.

On the Kids Ask Authors podcast, you can hear author/illustrator Grace Lin and a guest author answer a kid question! Kids can submit their own book reviews, poems or jokes! https://www.kidsaskauthors.com Subscribe to the podcast here: http://ow.ly/8OPg30qr7WD

Erica S. Perl (@ericaperl) is doing a weekly Instagram live author event called "Winging It with Erica S. Perl" featuring read-alouds, writing prompts, and occasional shakings of a tail feather. Tune in every Tuesday at 2 pm EST and wish her good cluck!

The KidLit TV team, a group of diverse children's book authors and illustrators, has created a virtual library of FREE read aloud, drawing & writing tutorials, podcasts, art activities + reading resources for kids. https://kidlit.tv

Jarrett J. Krosoczka, author & illustrator, shares daily drawing lessons on his YouTube channel.

Author Kathryn Hulick invites you to investigate a ghost story as a scientist, based on her book STRANGE BUT TRUE.

New Books to Check Out!

In case you're missing your weekly trip to the library or bookstore, we also want to let you know about some new books out this spring!

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Read, Wonder, and Learn! Favorite Authors & Illustrators Share Resources for Learning Anywhere - Spring 2020

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Hello, friends! I'm Kate Messner, a former classroom teacher, forever-educator, and the author of more than three dozen books for kids. These include picture books like Over and Under the Snow, The Brilliant Deep, and The Next President ; the Fergus and Zeke easy reader series; the Ranger in Time historical chapter book adventures; nonfiction like Tracking Pythons and Solve This: Forensics ; and novels like All the Answers, Breakout , and .