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K-5 Science Lessons

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Hi Writers,

Since we are all home from school, I thought it would be fun to be in writing camp together.

HERE WE GO....

Please share your writing and drawing with everyone in the camp. Just add your pieces to this Padlet Board, I will comment back to you. https://padlet.com/tbmulligan/xtj7jk1467zg

HAPPY WRITING!

Published by Tammy Mulligan

Tammy Mulligan co-authored It's All About the Books and Assessment in Perspective with Clare Landrigan. At work, you can find her teaching and collaborating alongside elementary teachers and kids. At home, you will find her in the garden, with her family, working with her therapy dog, or hiking in the woods. View all posts by Tammy Mulligan

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Writing Camp with Hoppy and Ranger: Session 1

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Ranger and Hoppy Hi Writers, Since we are all home from school, I thought it would be fun to be in writing camp together. HERE WE GO.... https://youtu.be/OnjUarviC1s Please share your writing and drawing with everyone in the camp. Just add your pieces to this Padlet Board, I will comment back to you.

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Kid friendly science activities that will help kids learn and grow their understanding of the science in our world.

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Facebook Live: Weekdays @ 3pm

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Mac Barnett Daily Read Alouds - Instagram

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Mac Barnett Daily Read Alouds - Instagram

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Resources from Josh Funk

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Josh Funk is the author the Lady Pancake & Sir French Toast series, How to CODE a Sandcastle, Lost in the Library, It's Not Jack and the Beanstalk, Pirasaurs!, and more!

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Favorite Authors & Illustrators Share Resources for Learning Anywhere

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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.

Wash your hands, stay healthy, and enjoy these resources as we take care of one another this spring!

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!

Author & illustrator Grace Lin teaches viewers how to draw a Chinese Dragon and shares some tidbits about Chinese culture!

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!

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!"

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!

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.

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.

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 .

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For all you folks stuck at home in the coming weeks. Starting on 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.
Also, my pal, and one of the best storybook writers in a generation @macbarnett will be doing the same with his books daily, an hour later....
And the genius minds behind @kaleidoscopeire are doing a daily creative project called 'Home Club', also starting Monday.
ADDITION:
I will make it available to watch later for those in other time zones.
Stay tuned for more details.

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For all you folks stuck at home in the coming weeks. Starting on 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.

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(that don't break copyright)

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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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1 year free for educators/home school educators

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Oops!
You are lost, as lost as the little i who lost his dot.

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A required part of this site couldn’t load. This may be due to a browser extension, network issues, or browser settings. Please check your connection, disable any ad blockers, or try using a different browser.

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Starting April 1
Join Scholastic and the Library of Congress for Dav Pilkey At Home. Together you can get creative and have fun with some of your favorite characters from Dog Man and Captain Underpants. Discover new activities, videos, read-alouds, and so much more!

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Week 1 | Remote Learning Resources and Strategies | Grades 3-5

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Starting April 1 Join Scholastic and the Library of Congress for Dav Pilkey At Home . Together you can get creative and have fun with some of your favorite characters from Dog Man and Captain Underpants. Discover new activities, videos, read-alouds, and so much more!

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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.

Wash your hands, stay healthy, and enjoy these resources as we take care of one another this spring!

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!

Author & illustrator Grace Lin teaches viewers how to draw a Chinese Dragon and shares some tidbits about Chinese culture!

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!

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!"

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!

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.

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.

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 .

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The Nrich Maths Project Cambridge,England. Mathematics resources for children,parents and teachers to enrich learning. Problems,children's solutions,interactivities,games,articles.

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Humans have a long and mysterious history. Many different types of people have worked together to figure out the mysteries of our past. Archeologists study early human history and ancient history by discovering artifacts that give us clues about our past. Historians study primary and secondary resources and connect ideas and make theories. Scientists use experiments to examine artifacts and test historical theories. Students, teachers, and citizens around the world study all the published work of archeologists, historians, and scientists to develop the current theories we have today. Millions of people of all ages have explored the past and tried to make new connections to understand our history. All of this work has put together a more clear idea of our past, but there are still many mysteries left to solve! New artifacts and discoveries are made every year, some of them make huge changes to our knowledge of the past.

Usually, the farther we go back in history the more mysterious the story. Humans lived for hundreds of thousands of years before civilization. Our pre-human ancestors lived for millions before that. Civilization was a new way of life. A civilization is an advanced society with agriculture, division of labor, multiple cities, organized religion, science/technology, some form of government, and a written language.

The achievement of "Civilization" happened at different times in different places around the world. There is not an official date when a group of people become a "civilization", so historians often choose different start dates, but most of them are close. The timeline above show the four earliest places where civilization began. The modern countries of , , India/Pakistan, and became ancient cultural hearths that still influence life peoples' lives today. A cultural hearth is a place where a culture first developed. This website is designed for kids. Ancient history for kids tries to provide a consistent history of early civilizations in basic language for students to understand. Hope you enjoy!

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Ancient Civilizations | Ancient History for Kids

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Humans have a long and mysterious history. Many different types of people have worked together to figure out the mysteries of our past. Archeologists study early human history and ancient history by discovering artifacts that give us clues about our past. Historians study primary and secondary resources and connect ideas and make theories.

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Draw Every Day with Author/Illustrator Jarrett J. Krosoczka

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Draw Every Day with Author/Illustrator Jarrett J. Krosoczka

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"drawing tutorial" "drawing tutorials" "kids' books" "graphic novels" reading books drawing cartooning vlog memoir booktube "growth mindset"

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New York Times-bestselling author/illustrator Jarrett J. Krosoczka [𝙲𝚛𝚘𝚠-𝚜𝚊𝚞𝚌𝚎-𝚔𝚊𝚑] gives readers a look at his creative process and offers writing and drawing tutorials. JJK has published 45 books, including his wildly popular LUNCH LADY graphic novels, select volumes of the STAR WARS™: JEDI ACADEMY series, and several picture books.

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An elementary art teacher blog with art projects and lessons, DIY projects and outfit photos as well as clothing I have made myself.

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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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"In producing this animation, I realized just how easy and fun it is to work with clay. Because it's such an expressive material, and so easy to manipulate in all different ways, it effortlessly can bring forms to life, and with enough precision, produce fluid movements through stop motion that are hard to capture with other mediums.

I didn't even plan my story line in the beginning-I just started working the clay and decided to come up with and create things as I go along. The only struggle I encountered in the process was slightly deforming my characters by accident as I moved them around. Because the material is so soft, it's easy to slowly alter the original shape of a clay object without realizing it after picking it up and moving it around so much."

"This project was very eye opening for me. Coming from a mainly 2D artistic background, dealing with clay and sculpture was sort of intimidating at first, but after messing around with the clay and getting a feel for it, it was actually very fun!

I went through a couple of animation ideas which I wrote down, but I ended up going with one about a little character (Paulie) showing off his personality through a few quirks and movements. Not only did I get to learn how to work with clay a bit more, but I also got to build a character that does not conform to anatomy norms, which was incredibly entertaining for me.

One thing I could do better next time is, again, figuring out how to take consistent photos of each position so that the final project is not choppy."

"This piece is about the conclusion of my four years of high school. I've picked up habits that are specific to my school, such as using the right bathrooms and knowing which food is edible in the cafeteria.

I chose to convey my message with stop motion animation because I felt that it would allow me to use different materials for textures. I am heavily interested in fibers, and creating an animation allowed me to explore a new way of working. I'm so grateful for Deepti's tutorial because it was simple and provided me with a good foundation for making this video!"

Partial Video Transcript
Deepti: "Stop motion animation is a really fun and easy way of approaching animation that uses found objects, or objects that you've made, generally 3D objects to create an animated film. I particularly like stop motion animation because if you don't have a lot of experience animating or a lot of experience making objects, this is a really easy way to jump right into animation because you can use things just found around your house.

All you really need is a series of objects and then an image capturing device. Like a smartphone or a camera. So it's really quick and you can achieve a lot in a small amount of time.

Casey: "I think it's interesting that you said you can use household items, because to me i think of stop motion animation and the first thing I think of is Wes Anderson's 'Fantastic Mr. Fox,' or 'Wallace and Gromit' cartoons. And then to realize that you can use just anything basically anything, that's a 3-dimensional object is really cool."

Deepti: "You have an object and you move it rather than redrawing every frame, that's kind of the difference between stop motion and cell animation. I think it's even more fun to get something like clay and create your own objects so your film has a little bit of personality and individuality.

In the past, with the air dry clays that I've used, I find that they always crack once they dry. They kind of come in not great colors."

Casey: "I remember being a kid and my mom would always look for something for my brother I to do, like crafts-wise. And we were always trying ike new clays. So we've tried like it all, and so I have really no idea what a good brand of air dry clay is."

Deepti: "We can start by talking about this type of clay, which is the resin clay. You can mix the resin clay, and create new colors by mixing the two colors together."

Casey: "I thought the cream clay was really cool. It really does feel like, exactly like frosting."

Deepti: "Yeah so airy, and like fluffy. Foam clay is the most unique, because it has such a distinct texture to it. Before using this air dry clay for some of my work, I would use oven bake clay, and actually press into to create like a fun bumpy texture, and I found using the foam clay, I totally don't need to do it anymore.

I don't like planning too much in advance just in general as an artist because I find that I get too disappointed with things not turning out exactly how I wanted it, which is kind of inevitable. So I've found that acting spontaneously with my work, especially with things like this that are more for fun and experimentation, works a lot better for me.

I just never think of an animator as that kind of person because in my head that takes so much planning to put together an animation."

"Yeah, the great thing about stop motion animation is like, to objects you're making matter less than how you move them, or like how you're using them in the animation so, it's really fun to just, mindlessly create a bunch of objects that you think will look cool on screen.

But then you can manipulate them to give them even more life and character. What I have here is I have a tripod arm, and it's in this s curve, because I want my iPhone stabilized on it. But I also want the iPhone to have the camera pointing down, and the screen pointing up so I can see what I'm animating.

This tripod arm is really inexpensive. Make sure that you're camera is stable because you don't want the camera moving between each photograph. Then I have a colorful piece of paper taped to my table. You can use a patterned piece of paper, you could even use a white one if you want. But I've just found that a colored one gives it an extra pop.

The app that I'm using the stop motion is called Stop Motion Studio. There are stop motion versions for both the iphone and android phone and they're both free apps. When you open the app, this is the screen that you get.

What you want to do is you want to tap new movie, sometimes things will come up, you can just hit dismiss, and it will prompt you, tap here to add some pictures. And then you see your live view."

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Introduction to Stop Motion Animation with Air Dry Clay | Art Prof: Create & Critique

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"In producing this animation, I realized just how easy and fun it is to work with clay.

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Posted by The VerMints Gang on 2nd May 2016

Homemade fruit and vegetable paint is recycling at its finest.

When you just can't finish that bag of wilting spinach (hey, it happens to the best of us), DIY paint is a great way to make the most out of a droopy, potentially smelly, situation. Plus it'll buy you time between trips to the compost bin and save you a bundle on toddler craft supplies.

So rather than trying to pass smoothies off as dinner for days on end, whip up a delicious family meal, pop an organic mint, and turn those old food scraps into chemical-free vegan paint for the kids.

The other nice thing about vegetable paint is it's incredibly easy to make and it's versatile, too. The instructions below are for making a veggie-based dye, which you can use for things like clothing or Easter eggs. With just one or two additional ingredients you can also make craft paint or face paint. Start with some boiling water and an assortment of veggies for color variety, and you'll have the kids making all kinds of DIY crafts in no time.

VEGETABLE PAINT INGREDIENTS

Spinach, kale, swiss chard = green

Strawberry, beets, grenade, blueberry, raspberry = red

Blueberry, blackberry, red cabbage = blue / purple

Carrot, orange peels, yellow onion skins = orange

MAKING THE DYE

In a small saucepan, mix 2 cups of water with 1 cup of each fruit or veg. Bring to a boil over medium heat and leave to simmer for about one hour.

Turn off the heat and allow the water to cool to room temperature.

Strain the juice into glass containers.

MAKE VEGETABLE PAINT

Mix one teaspoon of dye with approximately six tablespoons of powdered sugar.

MAKE FACE PAINT

Combine equal parts corn starch and your favorite vegan face lotion. Add about ¼ teaspoon vegetable oil to help smooth out the mixture.

Add a spoonful of vegetable dye to the lotion mixture. Repeat with all your dye colors in separate containers until you've got a complete set of face paints.

For more awesome DIY craft ideas straight to your inbox, subscribe to our Suckers Academy eNewsletter at the top of this page!

Image courtesy of Popsugar.com

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Make natural paint with leftover fruits and veggies

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Posted by The VerMints Gang on 2nd May 2016 Homemade fruit and vegetable paint is recycling at its finest. When you just can't finish that bag of wilting spinach (hey, it happens to the best of us), DIY paint is a great way to make the most out of a droopy, potentially smelly, situation.

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The first five minutes of any art class can become chaotic quickly. It's important to have a daily routine for students to follow. Using bell ringers is a great strategy to help settle students and save time. It sets the tone for a productive class.

Bell work can be presented in various ways. From answering questions to writing down vocabulary words, the possibilities are endless!

One engaging idea is to start each class by having students complete "The Daily Draw."

Students come into class, take out their sketchbooks, and complete the drawing prompt as they wait for further instructions. This practice serves as a way to get students involved and ready to learn in a quick, easy way.

A drawing prompt is a great way to start class, but it's just one option. If you're looking for more ways to get your students seated and settled, be sure to check out the Insider Secrets for Successfully Managing the Classroom PRO Learning pack! There's an entire section devoted to successfully starting each class period.

The key to effective bell work is to make it as engaging as possible.

Below you'll find a list of 100 Silly Drawing Prompts. These prompts are a great way to get your students warmed up for class. You might even find your students rushing to your room to see what silly drawing idea you'll come up with next!
Download Now
100 Silly Drawing Prompts

Animals

Food

People

1. Draw your art teacher on an island.

2. Draw a teacher eating a pizza while dancing.

3. Draw a person with fruit for hair.

4. Draw a basketball player dunking a chicken.

5. Draw a pirate in a hammock.

6. Draw your teacher as a zombie.

7. Draw your art teacher with a beard.

8. Draw yourself with a super power.

9. Draw a clown sneezing out flowers.

10. Draw a person with donuts for eyes.

11. Draw a cowboy in Antarctica riding a polar bear.

12. Draw yourself as a fairy.

Make Believe

1. Draw something other than a pot of gold at the end of the rainbow.

2. Draw a troll riding a unicorn.

3. Draw what your imaginary friend would look like if we could see them.

4. Draw a dragon breathing rainbows.

5. Draw an alien driving a car.

6. Draw an elf jumping on a trampoline.

Objects/Places

Other

These ideas are not only great for bell work but can be used for sketchbook prompts as well. If you're looking for even more sketchbook ideas, check out an additional 100 right here.
What silly drawing prompt would you add to this list? What kind of bell work do you do in your art room?
Magazine articles and podcasts are opinions of professional education contributors and do not necessarily represent the position of the Art of Education University (AOEU) or its academic offerings. Contributors use terms in the way they are most often talked about in the scope of their educational experiences.

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100 Silly Drawing Prompts to Engage Your Students - The Art of Education University

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The first five minutes of any art class can become chaotic quickly. It's important to have a daily routine for students to follow. Using bell ringers is a great strategy to help settle students and save time. It sets the tone for a productive class. Bell work can be presented in various ways.

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Play free games and quizzes, find art activities, explore homework help and share your art with Tate Kids. The best art website for kids.

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Description: A fun and interactive way to practice your shapes, numbers and exercise

What you need: A deck or card and space to exercise

Directions: Place your deck of cards face down on a flat surface. First player picks a card: the group does the corresponding exercises.  If you finish the deck, try playing round 2 by multiplying by 2 and so on.  Have fun!

·    RED (2-10) = That many - Jumping Jacks

·    Black (2-10) = That many - Mountain Climbers

·    J, Q, or K = 11, 12-13 Leg Lifts

·    A = 10 Burpees

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Hour of Code

This year, we're taking Hour of Code to new heights by offering coding opportunities that encompass both artificial intelligence (AI) and non-AI components.

Want to keep learning? Go beyond an hour

Teachers: Host an hour or read the How-To Guide

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Use computer science to explore and learn about AI!

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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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Pencil Code is a collaborative programming site for drawing art, playing music, and creating games. It is also a place to experiment with mathematical functions, geometry, graphing, webpages, simulations, and algorithms. Programs are open for all to see and copy.

Watch a video overview or watch a video tutorial.

The main language is Coffeescript. Professional software engineers use Coffeescript to build complex websites, but Coffeescript code can also be very simple.

Pencil Code can also be used to explore and learn Javascript, HTML, and CSS: when you are ready, just find the "gear" button to adjust languages.

Programs preload the pencilcode library to use turtle graphics functions. Pencil Code is all open source. Hang out on the Pencil Code discussion forum or check out the quick reference or the online guide to find out more. There is also an illustrated Pencil Code book with more than 100 small projects.

Anybody can save programs and web pages, but read the Terms of Service and the Privacy Policy first. Two rules:

Be Nice. Do not mess up other peoples' work. Do not post content that detracts from education on the site. This a learning space that is not locked down (for example, passwords are optional). So feel free to explore, create, and link, but also please be considerate.

Be Careful. Do not depend on Pencil Code to keep your data safe. Data posted here is public, and data is not secured from loss. Do not post private or personally identifiable information. Passwords on Pencil Code do not prevent malicious interference.

The Pencil Code Foundation is devoted to advancing computer science education by making programming as simple and as universal as using a pencil. Contribute to the development of Pencil Code at dev.pencilcode.net or github. - info@pencilcode.net.

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Pencil is a collaborative programming site for drawing art, playing music, and creating games. Pencil is also a place to experiment with mathematical functions, geometry, graphing, webpages, simulations, and algorithms. Programs are open for all to see and copy.

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Learning Resources | Boston Children's Museum

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Children spend their whole day learning, and Boston Children's Museum provides resources for families and educators to help support that continuous discovery. Our long history of working with educators dates back to our earliest days - the Museum was actually founded by Boston science teachers in 1913.

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Our health system will not be able to cope with the projected numbers of people who will need acute care should we not muster the fortitude and will to socially distance each other starting now. On a regular day, we have about 45,000 staffed ICU beds nationally, which can be ramped up in a crisis to about 95,000. Even moderate projections suggest that if current infectious trends hold, our capacity (locally and nationally) may be overwhelmed as early as mid-late April. Thus, the only strategies that can get us off this concerning trajectory are those that enable us to work together as a community to maintain public health by staying apart.

The wisdom, and necessity, of this more aggressive, early, and extreme form of social distancing can be found here. I would urge you to take a minute to walk through the interactive graphs - they will drive home the point about what we need to do now to avoid a worse crisis later. Historical lessons and experiences of countries worldwide have shown us that taking these actions early can have a dramatic impact on the magnitude of the outbreak. So what does this enhanced form of social distancing mean on a daily basis, when schools are cancelled?

Here are some steps you can start taking now to keep your family safe and do your part to avoid a worsening crisis:

A local, town by town response won't have the adequate needed effect. We need a statewide, nationwide approach in these trying times. Contact your representative and your governor to urge them to enact statewide closures. As of today, six states have already done so. Your state should be one of them. Also urge leaders to increase funds for emergency preparedness and make widening coronavirus testing capacity an immediate and top priority. We also need legislators to enact better paid sick leave and unemployment benefits to help nudge people to make the right call to stay at home right now.

This sounds extreme because it is. We are trying to create distance between family units and between individuals. It may be particularly uncomfortable for families with small children, kids with differential abilities or challenges, and for kids who simply love to play with their friends. But even if you choose only one friend to have over, you are creating new links and possibilities for the type of transmission that all of our school/work/public event closures are trying to prevent. The symptoms of coronavirus take four to five days to manifest themselves. Someone who comes over looking well can transmit the virus. Sharing food is particularly risky - I definitely do not recommend that people do so outside of their family.

We have already taken extreme social measures to address this serious disease - let's not actively co-opt our efforts by having high levels of social interaction at people's houses instead of at schools or workplaces. Again - the wisdom of early and aggressive social distancing is that it can flatten the curve above, give our health system a chance to not be overwhelmed, and eventually may reduce the length and need for longer periods of extreme social distancing later (see what has transpired in Italy and Wuhan). We need to all do our part during these times, even if it means some discomfort for a while.

Exercise, take walks/runs outside, and stay connected through phone, video, and other social media. But when you go outside, do your best to maintain at least six feet between you and non-family members. If you have kids, try not to use public facilities like playground structures, as coronavirus can live on plastic and metal for two to three days, and these structures aren't getting regularly cleaned.

Going outside will be important during these strange times, and the weather is improving. Go outside every day if you are able, but stay physically away from people outside your family or roommates. If you have kids, try playing a family soccer game instead of having your kids play with other kids, since sports often mean direct physical contact with others. And though we may wish to visit elders in our community in person, I would not visit nursing homes or other areas where large numbers of the elderly reside, as they are at highest risk for complications and mortality from coronavirus.

Social distancing can take a toll (after all, most of us are social creatures). The CDC offers tips and resources to reduce this burden, and other resources offer strategies to cope with the added stress during this time.

We need to find alternate ways to reduce social isolation within our communities through virtual means instead of in-person visits.

Of course trips to the grocery store will be necessary, but try to limit them and go at times when they are less busy. Consider asking grocery stores to queue people at the door in order to limit the number of people inside a store at any one time. Remember to wash your hands thoroughly before and after your trip. And leave the medical masks and gloves for the medical professionals - we need them to care for those who are sick. Maintain distance from others while shopping - and remember that hoarding supplies negatively impacts others so buy what you need and leave some for everyone else. Take-out meals and food are riskier than making food at home given the links between the people who prepare food, transport the food, and you. It is hard to know how much that risk is, but it is certainly higher than making it at home. But you can and should continue to support your local small businesses (especially restaurants and other retailers) during this difficult time by buying gift certificates online that you can use later.

If you are sick, you should try to isolate yourself from the rest of your family within your residence as best as you can. If you have questions about whether you qualify or should get a coronavirus test, you can call your primary care team and/or consider calling the Massachusetts Department of Public Health at 617.983.6800 (or your state's department of health if you are outside of Massachusetts). Don't just walk into an ambulatory clinic - call first so that they can give you the best advice - which might be to go to a drive-through testing center or a virtual visit on video or phone. Of course, if it is an emergency call 911.

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Social Distancing: This is Not a Snow Day

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Our health system will not be able to cope with the projected numbers of people who will need acute care should we not muster the fortitude and will to socially distance each other starting now. On a regular day, we have about 45,000 staffed ICU beds nationally, which can be ramped up in a crisis to about 95,000.

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Fun Stuff for Kids and Teens | Smithsonian Institution

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Entertaining activities, games, and fun stuff to do online from the Smithsonian's museums, research centers, and zoo.

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Now students can follow the latest news. All tailored to their reading level. To explore the kids' website, select a grade and discover new stories each week.

View articles by grade level

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Now students can follow the latest news. All tailored to their reading level. To explore the kids' website, select a grade and discover new stories each week. View articles by grade level

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From reptiles and amphibians to fish, birds and mammals, meet the animals at the Smithsonian's National Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute.

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Where the Wonders of Learning Never Cease | Wonderopolis

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Where the Wonders of Learning Never Cease

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Story Time From Space | T2 Science & Math Education Consultants

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Story Time from Space Directory

Book by Susan Lendroth
Read in space by astronaut Christina Koch
Running Time: 9:34 Minutes

Running Time: 22:04 Minutes

Running Time: 18:28 Minutes

Running Time: 13:15 Minutes
Read by: Anne McClain

Running Time: 9:31 Minutes

Read by: Hazzaa al-Mansoori (In Arabic)

Running Time: 10:29 Minutes

Written by: Lost My Name

Read by: Tim Peake

Running Time: 16 Minutes

Written by: Jeffrey Bennett

Read by: Mike Hopkins

Running Time: 16 Minutes

Written by: Jeffrey Bennett

Read by: Koichi Wakata
Running Time: 15 Minutes
Written by: Jeffrey Bennett

Read by: Mike Hopkins
Running Time: 15:16
Written by: Jeffrey Bennett

Read by: Mike Hopkins
Running Time: 16:35
Written by: Jeffrey Bennett

Read by: Mike Hopkins
Running Time: 20:32
Written by: Jeffrey Bennett

Read by: Koichi Wakata
Running Time: 15:47
Written by: John Danny Olivas

Read by: Tim Kopra
Running Time: 8:32
Written by: Andrea Beaty

Read by: Kate Rubins

Running Time: 11:16

Written by: Jeffrey Bennett
Read by: Col. R. Shane Kimbrough
Scientists and Their Writings

Running Time: 10:53

Written by: Jessica Fries-Gaither
Read by: Joseph Acaba
Running Time: 13.51

Written by: Travis Bossard & Mick Szydlowski
Read by: Richard (Ricky) Arnold
Running Time: 11:35

Written by: Emily Morgan
Read by: Mark Vande Hei Running Time: 8:07
Written by: Mark Kelly
Read by: Scott Kelly

Mousetronaut Goes to Mars - Coming Soon

Running Time: TBD

Written by: Mark Kelly

Read by: Scott Kelly

The Rhino Who Swallowed a Storm - Coming Soon

Running Time: TBD

Written by: LeVar Burton and Susan Bernardo

Read by: TBD

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Library Directory | Story Time From Space

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Book by Susan Lendroth Read in space by astronaut Christina Koch Running Time: 9:34 Minutes Running Time: 22:04 Minutes Running Time: 18:28 Minutes Running Time: 13:15 Minutes Read by: Anne McClain Running Time: 9:31 Minutes Read by: Hazzaa al-Mansoori (In Arabic) Running Time: 10:29 Minutes Written by: Lost My Name

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Browse different examples of Newsela content custom made for specific subjects and reading levels. Find content for social studies, science, ELA, SEL and more.

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National Gallery of Art Daily Gallery Tours on Twitter

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National Gallery of Art Daily Gallery Tours on Twitter

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Tweets by ngadc

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Meteorology, astronomy, geology

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"kids yoga" "yoga for kids" "yoga for children yoga story for kids" "children's yoga" "yoga adventure for kids" "kindergarten yoga" "preschool yoga" "kids me...

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YOGA | MINDFULNESS | RELAXATION FOR KIDS! Screentime that gives kids SUPERPOWERS! ⬇️ D O W N L O A D T H E C O S M I C K I D S A P P ⬇️ 🍏Apple: https://apps.apple.com/us/app/cosmic-kids/ 🛍️Android: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.cosmickids 🖥️ Desktop (great for teachers!): https://app.cosmickids.com/ 📺 Roku: https://rb.gy/44r8d -------------------------------------------------------------------- Why watch on the App?

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Who says you can't play with your food? The Building Brick Waffle Maker lets you play with your favorite breakfast food in any way you can imagine! Breakfast is not only the most important meal of the day, but it can now be the most fun, too! The Building Brick Waffle Maker creates patented interlocking...

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Who says you can't play with your food? The Building Brick Waffle Maker lets you play with your favorite breakfast food in any way you can imagine! Breakfast is not only the most important meal of the day, but it can now be the most fun, too!

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During these turbulent times, many authors are jumping in to connect with readers. Author Laura Shovan has launched a movement of authors willing to connect via snail mail. Below, you can find a list of authors willing to participate and write back to students. Happy writing! ✏️

List of Authors

Laura Shovan

Author of Takedown & The Last Fifth Grade of Emerson Elementary

Laura Shovan
P.O. Box 203
Highland MD 20777

Susan Muaddi Darraj

Author of the Farah Rocks series

Susan Muaddi Darraj
Po Box 474
Phoenix MD 21131

Chris Grabenstein

Author of the Mr. Lemoncello's Library series

Planetarium Station
PO Box 1050
NY, NY 10024

MarcyKate Connolly

Author of the Shadow Weaver series

MarcyKate Connolly
PO Box 180
N. Billerica, MA 01862

Rachel Toalson

Author of The Colors of the Rain & The Woods

Rachel Toalson
PO Box 591596
San Antonio, TX 78259

Nanci Turner Steveson

Author of Lizzie Flying Solo

Nanci Turner Steveson
PO Box 3195
Jackson, WY 83001

Jess Rinker

Author of Gloria Takes a Stand

Jess Rinker
PO Box 221
Old Fields, WV 26845

S.A. Larsen

Author of Motley Education

Sheri Larsen (S.A. Larsen)
1110 Kennedy Memorial Drive
Oakland, Maine 04963

Randi Sonenshine

Author of The Nest That Wren Built

Randi Sonenshine
489 Waterford Dr
Cartersville, GA 30120

randi@randisonenshine.com

Jane Koluth

Author of Anne Frank's Chestnut Tree

120 Brook St.
Holliston, MA 01746

Email: jane@janekohuth.com

Laurie Morrison

Author of Up for Air

Laurie Morrison
800 N 2nd Street, PMB 238
Philadelphia, PA 19123

Erin Teagan

Author of Survivor Girl

Erin Teagan
PO Box 2364
Purcellville VA 20134

Allison Ofanansky

Author of The Patchwork Torah, the Nature in Israel series and the How It's Made series

Allison Ofanansky
POB 134
Tzfat, Israel 13401

Joanne Levy

Author of Crushing It

Joanne Levy
PO Box 153
Clinton, ON N0M 1L0, Canada

Lisa Schroeder

Author of Wish on All the Stars

Lisa Schroeder
6107 SW Murray Blvd. #204
Beaverton, OR 97008

Lynne Kelly

Author of Song for a Whale

Lynne Kelly
PO Box 8293
Spring, TX 77387

Anica Mrose Rissi

Author of the Anna, Banana series

Anica Mrose Rissi
P.O. Box 581
Princeton, NJ 08542

Stephanie Ward

Author of Arabella and the Magic Pencil

Stephanie Ward
Flat 7
59 Netherhall Gardens
London NW35RE U.K.

More Authors

The authors below (listed in alphabetical order) are sharing their mailing addresses via direct message (DM) on Twitter or via email. Feel free to reach out for their addresses!

Tina Athaide, author of Orange for the Sunsets - @tathaide

Shannon Anderson, author of Coasting Casey - @shannonteaches

Chris Baron, author of All of Me - @baronchrisbaron

Elisa Boxer, author of The Voice That Won The Vote - @eboxer

Leslie Bulion, author of Amphibian Acrobats - @LeslieBulion

Kathleen Burkinshaw, author of The Last Cherry Blossom - klburkinshaw@gmail.com

Danielle Cohen Joseph, author of Tap Tap - Danielle@daniellejoseph.com

Abby Cooper, author of Sticks & Stones - @_ACoops_

Trevor D, author of I Am Me - trevord.author@gmail.com

Erin Dealey, author of Snow Globe Wishes - @ErinDealey

Natalie Dias Lorenzi, author of Flying the Dragon & A Long Pitch Home - @NatalieLorenzi

Rebecca Donnelly, author of Green Machine - @_becca_donnelly

Maria Faust Bostian, author of Fraidy Brady and the First Field Trip - mjbostian@gmail.com

Lija Fisher, author of The Cryptid Catcher - @LijaFisher

Heidi Fishman, author of Tutti's Promise - kheidifishmanauthor@gmail.com

Carol Gordon Ekster, author of You Know What? - @cekster

Lee Gjertsen Malone, author of Camp Shady Crook - LeeGjertsenMalone@gmail.com

Gila Green, author of No Entry - see contact form at gilagreenwrites.com

Shari Green, author of Root Beer Candy & Other Miracles - @sharigreen

Evelyn Kreiger, author of One is Not a Lonely Number - contact via website at EvelynKrieger.net

Sarah Lamstein, author of Big Night for Salamanders - sarahm45@aol.com

Lindsay Leslie, author of This Book is Spineless - @LLeslie

Caitlin Lochner, author of A Soldier and a Liar - @CaiLochner

Mariama Lockington, author of For Black Girls Like Me - mariamalockington@gmail.com

Amy Losak, author of H is for Haiku - Losak@optonline.net

Gina Loveless, author of Diary of a 5th Grade Outlaw - @lovelesswriting

Tammy Lyon, illustrator of Katie Woo series - @TammieLyon or tammielyon@gmail.com

Sue Macy, author of The Book Rescuer - @suemacy1 or sue@suemacy.com

Tracey Meltzer Kyle, author of Pepe and the Parade - TraceyKyleAuthor@gmail.com

Naomi Milliner, author of Super Jake and the King of Chaos - naomiwm@verizon.net

Anne Marie Pace, author of Vampirina Ballerina - annemarie@annemariepace.com

Mary Quattlebaum, author of Pirate vs. Pirate - mary@maryquattlebaum.com

Stacey Ramey, author of It's My Life - @stacieramey or stacieswritinglife@gmail.com

Amanda Rawson Hill, author of The Three Rules of Everyday Magic - @amandarhill32

Madelyn Rosenberg, author of Cyclops of Central Park - @madrosenberg or madelynruth@gmail.com

Victoria Sanchez, author of Pilar's Worries - @victoriasansays

Bracha K. Sharp, author of The Challah Girl - contact via website https://www.brachaksharp.com/contact-me

Kate Szegda, author of Pharmacy Girl - Kate@Kateszegda.com

Sasha Thomas, author of The Slug Queen Chronicles - @ichigoblack

Rosanne Tolin, author of More than Marmalade: Michael Bond and the Story of Paddington Bear - @roseannegtolin

Beth Vrabel, author of The Newspaper Club - @beth_vrabel

Rozanne Weissman, author of Rozanne Travels to Africa to Kiss a Giraffe - RWCommerce@gmail.com

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#WriteToAnAuthor: Connecting with Authors by Letter * Reading Connects Us

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During these turbulent times, many authors are jumping in to connect with readers. Author Laura Shovan has launched a movement of authors willing to connect via snail mail. Below, you can find a list of authors willing to participate and write back to students. Happy writing!

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The Kid Should See This: Educational videos for curious kids of all ages, a free resource for parents & teachers. Science, art, nature, animals, & more.

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museum fine arts boston museums art massachusetts mfa

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Open to infinite possibilities inspired by art, together we're creating a community where all belong.

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Unite for Literacy provides free digital access to picture books, narrated in many languages. Literacy is at the core of a healthy community, so we unite with partners to enable all families to read with their young children.

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American Museum of Natural History

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When you are on vacation, running errands or just away from home, free video read alouds are a great way to fill what can be hours of waiting into a lot of fun! These are convenient stories for families on the go. View them on a computer, tablet, or phone. If you have a few minutes you have time for a story! The playlist below includes more than 100 video read alouds from old classics like Where the Wild Things Are to newer favorites like Little Jumbo. Featured readers include actors, performers, celebrities, and oftentimes the author themselves. This listening library is available all day every day (and all night!) for returning to old favorites. "Read it again!" has never been easier!

Click on a book cover to hear a story!

For more help keeping children hearing and enjoying great stories you can find even MORE Free Video Read Alouds or try IndyPL's DIY Online Storytimes at Home. Because reading aloud to kids-even after they know how to read independently-benefits kids of all ages. Video read alouds are a great tool to help create a culture of reading. They don't replace reading aloud together in-person, but they are a fun alternative and supply key early literacy benefits.

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Looking for free video read alouds of children's stories? Just click on a book cover to watch 100+ stories read aloud!

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This post may contain affiliate links. Read the full disclosure for more information.

In the last few years, Netflix has completely transformed the way many Americans watch movies. Long gone are the days of driving to the video store, browsing through the aisles of endless new releases. Now, you can do it all, right from the comfort of your home. From romance to dramas, there's something for everyone. Lucky for us, the streaming site is jam-packed with educational shows on Netflix.

Netflix has also been a game-changer in the way we homeschool. Sick days can still be educational . Parents can clean the house while kids learn, right from the couch. The number of educational shows on Netflix is growing everyday! Not to mention the benefits Netflix has added to homeschoolers who learn best visually.

But how do you know what to watch on Netflix? Once you start browsing, it's easy to get sidetracked by the latest Disney shows or your favorite sitcoms.
Let me tell you a little secret to keeping the kids on task:
Create a separate profile on Netflix. Name it "School" and add ONLY educational materials to this profile.

A great starting point is to add our "100 best Educational Shows to Stream on Netflix" list. Then when you need to keep the kids busy, allow them to watch only shows you have added to this account. It works great and keeps the kids from getting sidetracked by the show they're currently binge-watching.

150+ Educational Shows on Netflix

From the jungle to your backyard, there's a huge collection of animal-inpired educational shows on Netflix.

Grab a free printable copy of this list when you join our weekly mailing list!

Earth & Nature :

From unbelievable natural disasters to the depths of the ocean, there's plenty for nature-lovers on Netflix.

There's still tons to learn about space, but Netflix has plenty to jumpstart your out-of-this-world interests.

Presidents:

From hundreds of years ago to the current president, pick any of these educational shows on Netflix and be inspired.

How to Win the US Presidency

The Wheelchair President

JFK: The Making of a President

Meet the Trumps: From Immigrant to President

History often repeats itself, so be prepared with these interesting shows.

Though they're long gone, dinosaurs still capture our interests like nothing else!

Documentaries:

There's something for everyone with these educational shows on Netflix. Picking which one to watch is the hard part!

Learn all about a topic, while actually enjoying it!

Travel the world from your home using these educational shows on Netflix.

Food/Nutrition/Health:

From diet to the amazing human body, you'll be amazed at these eye-opening shows.

These shows will leave you scratching your head, deep in thought.

A look inside some of the most intense situations on earth. Most are rated "M" for language, but please view before watching with your kids.

There you have it! A complete list of 150+ of the best educational shows on Netflix!

Sign up for our weekly newsletter for access to our Free Printable Netflix Cheat Sheet!

Nothing grab your attention?
Join Amazon Prime - Watch Thousands of Movies & TV Shows Anytime - Start Free Trial Now
Is LIFE overwhelming you?

Don't miss our latest ebook with tips and tricks for whipping your life into shape. From meal planning to paying bills, housework to family time, we've got ideas to help you simplify the not-so-fun things so you can spend more time doing what you love!

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150+ Educational Shows on Netflix - Homeschool Hideout

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This post may contain affiliate links. Read the full disclosure for more information. In the last few years, Netflix has completely transformed the way many Americans watch movies. Long gone are the days of driving to the video store, browsing through the aisles of endless new releases.

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

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G Suite

It's easy to feel anxious, overwhelmed and frustrated if you're asked to create elearning activities and teach remotely because of a school closure.

You might be asking ...

What are my students going to do?

How can they continue learning at a high level?

Can I maintain that teacher/student connection through elearning?

How can I keep up with the demands of elearning?

Some ideas and examples to follow can help. Having some plug-and-play activities to assign students can help, too -- even if you need to adjust them to fit your students' needs.

We've got you covered.

In this post, you'll find 100 elearning activities, templates and tutorials. They'll help you create elearning activities that lend themselves to powerful learning when students are away from school.

Some ideas to keep in mind as you roll out your eLearning activities:

Keep communication with students and parents at the forefront. Be ready for questions. Make your communication more thorough than you anticipate.

Simplicity is key. Activities that are too complicated can be hard to follow through without the proper support.

Make space for students' emotional needs, too. Their routine is disrupted. They don't get to see their teacher or their fellow students. Help them to make those connections while they're away.

Don't be too hard on yourself. If you've never taught with eLearning activities, it'll be a learning process. Do your best. Learn and improve.

Lean on others for support. Use social media and colleagues in your school/district to brainstorm ideas.

Here are over 100 remote learning activities, templates and tutorials you can use tomorrow:

Free Remote Learning Online Course

14 modules

2.5+ hours of video

Downloadable planning guides

Lifetime access

Forum for sharing ideas

Tech Like A PIRATE is now available!

Looking for more teaching ideas like these?

Get three FREE ebooks sent right to your inbox!

101 Practical Ways to Ditch That Textbook, Matt's insanely practical guide full of new teaching ideas.

101 Ways to Ditch That Textbook with G Suite, tons of practical, creative ways to use Google tools in the classroom.

50 FREE Templates for Teachers, with templates you can copy and download to assign directly to students.

Do More with Google Classroom

Teach better. Save time. Make a difference.

The short how-to tutorials on Google Classroom are EVERYWHERE. But how do we teach well with it? In this book, you'll find practical ideas to do great teaching with Google Classroom and thrive.

Looking for more remote learning resources? Our distance learning page has TONS of resources for bringing learning directly to your students no matter where they are! 💻 100 remote learning activities templates and tutorials
💻 Distance learning lesson planning guides and templates
💻 FREE ebooks for getting started or taking your remote teaching farther

For notifications of new Ditch That Textbook content and helpful links:

Are you looking for quality, meaningful professional learning that both equips and inspires teachers?

Matt provides in-person and virtual keynotes, workshops and breakout sessions that equip, inspire and encourage teachers to create change in their classrooms. Teachers leave with loads of resources. They participate. They laugh. They see tech use and teaching in a new light. Click the link below to contact us and learn how you can bring Matt to your school or district!

FREE teaching ideas and templates in your inbox every week!

Subscribe to Ditch That Textbook

©2023 Ditch That Textbook by Matt Miller.

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100 remote learning activities, templates and tutorials

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Remote learning activities can be fun AND promote quality learning. Here are lots of examples and templates to use!It's easy to feel anxious, overwhelmed

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We're Here For You

There is a lot that's happening right now and it can be a very stressful and confusing time. With schools closing for extended periods of time, we want you to know that we are here to support you as best as we can. Get Your Teach On is one of the nations's premiere professional development organizations for teachers and school administrators. Hope & Wade King, along with members of our incredible team, have compiled a collection of FREE resources from our various partners and presenters. Our partners and presenters are offering these completely free to support parents, educators, and students during this challenging time.

We ask that you please share this page as there are many resources available to help keep students learning and engaged. We encourage you to take care of yourselves, your family, and be cautious. We plan to update this page as often as possible.

Upcoming Live Streams

We're excited to be bring you free live streams for teachers, parents, and students! There will be live streams at least five days a week to help keep you and your kids engaged and active!

Free Resources From Our Partners

We are proud to work with these companies, and thank them for providing these resources to parents, teachers, and students.

Free Resources From GYTO Presenters

We are working with our network of Get Your Teach On presenters to collect additional free resources for parents, teachers, and students. Our presenters are some of the most highly respected educators in the country, and their free resources will help keep kids engaged and learning throughout the school closures. We will be consistently updating this page as more resources become available!

More Free Resources From Other Great Companies

The companies listed below are offering additional great, free resources to parents, teachers, and students. While as a Get Your Teach On attendee you might have heard our presenters reference some of these companies before, we do not have any affiliation with them. We are simply sharing what they are doing to help our community.

Free Internet Access

Comcast and Charter/Spectrum have announced free internet access for 60 days to low income families to help children stay connected for online learning. Broadband internet access is essential to ensuring students are able to learn remotely during school closures.

GYTO University on April 9-10th in Nashville has been rescheduled to July 23-24. All other GYTO events this summer and beyond will proceed as scheduled.

March 14, 2020 - 10:30am EST
After extensive discussions with the Gaylord Opryland Resort, we can announce that the GYTO University conference scheduled for April 9-10 in Nashville, TN, has been rescheduled to July 23-24, 2020.
The safety and well-being of our attendees, Magic Squad, and presenters is our primary concern. We did not make this decision lightly, but feel it is the best path forward based on the current recommendations of the Nashville Health Department and other government agencies.

All GYTO University attendees will be contacted via email on Monday, March 16th. Attendees can email our attendee support team at [email protected] with any questions you may have.
All other 2020 conferences (including the National Conference, Next Level, Chicago, and LEAD On events) will proceed as scheduled. We do not have any plans to cancel or postpone any other event at this time.
Thank you for your continued support of Get Your Teach On, and we look forward to welcoming you to events in 2020 and beyond!

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We're Here For You There is a lot that's happening right now and it can be a very stressful and confusing time. With schools closing for extended periods of time, we want you to know that we are here to support you as best as we can.

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National Gallery of Arts

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Discover the world of art in a fun and easy way. Explore and learn about some of the most famous works from the Gallery's collection, make your own art, and share it with friends. The NGAkids Art Zone app for iPad lets you explore your inner artist.

Description

The NGAkids Art Zone app has eight interactive activities inspired by works in the collection of the National Gallery of Art, plus a sketchbook for freehand drawing and a personal exhibition space where users can save and display art created with the program. The child-friendly interface, easy-to-use tools, and the overarching emphasis on discovery, careful looking, and artistic self-expression make the NGAkids app educational and fun for the whole family.

NGAkids activities are designed for children to use-unassisted-in a recreational, nonacademic context. They are not art lessons, although our programs are extremely popular in schools and are often used as an adjunct to the traditional curriculum. The low-key activities preserve a sense of quiet exploration that encourages artistic expression and creativity. This absorbing, self-directed interaction has a long-term impact. The fact that children are encouraged to figure out how things work and to mentor each other adds a unique dimension to the experience, one that sparks a personal connection to art that often lasts a lifetime.

If you share artistic creations made with our app on social media, please be sure to include the hashtag #ngakids. We look forward to seeing what you make!

Don't have an iPad? Email [email protected] for the PC version of these interactives.

Special Features

The NGAkids app provides an immersive experience as children visit a virtual art museum and explore a variety of works spanning more than 300 years of art history. High-resolution graphics, careful attention to detail, and exposure to a variety of subjects, painting styles, and techniques help convey an authentic understanding of the artistic process and reinforce their familiarity with the fundamental elements of art. Although not games in the traditional sense, unexpected animation and audio features enliven the programs and help make learning fun.

There are 10 sections to explore:

* Portrait
* Landscape
* Seascape
* Still Life
* Action Painting
* Exploring Color
* Color Field
* Collage
* Sketchbook
* My Art Gallery

Works of art by a wide range of artists-including Edward Hicks, Fitz Henry Lane, Berthe Morisot, Claude Monet, Vincent van Gogh, Mark Rothko, Josef Albers, and Robert Rauschenberg, along with several anonymous American naive painters-serve as inspirational models.

The National Gallery of Art is committed to producing quality children's programming that provides informative, entertaining, and age-appropriate content for kids of all ages. We hope you and your children enjoy the NGAkids app, and we invite you to plan an in-person visit to the Gallery, where many of the original works of art that inspired this program are on display.

NGAkids is supported in part by a generous grant from the Ruth S. Willoughby Foundation. Apple, the Apple logo, and iPad are trademarks of Apple Inc., registered in the U.S. and other countries. App Store is a service mark of Apple Inc.
Additional Resources

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Discover the world of art in a fun and easy way. Explore and learn about some of the most famous works from the Gallery's collection, make your own art, and share it with friends. The NGAkids Art Zone app for iPad lets you explore your inner artist.

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Free art lessons, design lessons, and art appreciation for all.

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Artyfactory offers Free Art Lessons, Design Lessons and Art Appreciation for art teachers, art students and artists of all ages.

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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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Grace Lin and Laurie Keller answer this wonderful kid question: "If you were to become a character in your book, which would it be and why?"

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Thirty-One Educators Connecting Students and Books

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IXL | Math, Language Arts, Science, Social Studies, and Spanish

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IXL is the world's most popular subscription-based learning site for K-12. Used by over 8,000,000 students, IXL provides personalized learning in more than 8,000 topics, covering math, language arts, science, social studies, and Spanish. Interactive questions, awards, and certificates keep kids motivated as they master skills.

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BrainPOP - Animated Educational Site for Kids - Science, Social Studies, English, Math, Arts & Music, Health, and Technology

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Music is for everyone. Play with simple experiments that let anyone, of any age, explore how music works.

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Learn about math and play games with your favorite characters like Odd Squad, Curious George, Peg + Cat, and Dinosaur Train!

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Information and resources for teachers and parents

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Math Games, Math Worksheets and Practice Quizzes

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Math games online that practice math skills using fun interactive content. Over 1000 free skill testing apps and games - tablet and chromebook friendly.

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Ken Burns in the Classroom | PBS LearningMedia

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Ken Burns and his collaborators have been creating historical documentary films for more than forty years. Known for a signature style that brings primary source documents, images, and archival video footage to life on screen, these films present the opportunity to pose thought-provoking questions for students, and introduce new ideas, perspectives, and primary sources.

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Peter H. Reynolds, Dedham, MA. 26,444 likes · 538 talking about this. Author & Illustrator of The Dot, Ish, The North Star & illustrator of The Judy Moody series, Someday, & The Museum. Also founder...

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Meaningful learning can happen anywhere. Set up a secure remote/distance learning environment when emergencies like COVID-19 cause school closure. We're here to help with resources to support effective remote/distance learning experiences for students, teachers, and families.

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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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Support for Smithsonian's History Explorer is provided by the Verizon Foundation

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Programming for kids, made with love. Easy to follow lessons focused on student outcomes so you can teach your students to code.

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Math Education Teacher Resources Common Core Cool Video Lesson Free Worksheets Elementary Middle High School Homeschool Algebra Geometry Lessons Help Tutor Homework

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When Carla brings weird sandwiches to school, her classmates have plenty to say about them. "That's sick!" says Leslie. "That's disgusting!" says Natie. But Carla thinks otherwise. "It's unique. It's creative." Just like Carla. Although she is teased and even ignored by her classmates, Carla's strong inner sense of uniqueness eventually wins them over. Wacky sandwiches, wacky illustrations and kid-true dialogue make this book's message of acceptance, tolerance and the importance of individuality extremely palatable. And who knows? Carla's Sandwich may even help parents with that ever present dilemma - what to pack for school lunch!

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'Carla's Sandwich' read by Allison Janney

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When Carla brings weird sandwiches to school, her classmates have plenty to say about them. "That's sick!" says Leslie. "That's disgusting!" says Natie. But Carla thinks otherwise."It's unique. It's creative." Just like Carla.

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Exemplar site

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3.26.2020Added National Emergency Library link on the digital resources page.

3.25.2020Added Design Squad Nation from PBS Learning Media on the additional activities page.
Added The 10 Best Educationl YouTube Channels for Kids on the additional activities page.
Added Tools to Create an Active Home link on the Wellness page under curriculum.
Added Everfi link and registration information on the digital resources page.

3.24.2020Added Time for Kids link on the additional activities page.
Added Oceans Initiative Virtual Marine Biology camp link to additional activities page.
Added Free Tech for Learning to the additional activities page.

3.23.2020Added additional learning links to the Little Lancers Preschool page.
Added a Preschool Corona Virus social story presentation to the Little Lancers Preschool page.
Added Free Online Activities Kids Can Do At Home link to the additional activities page.

3.22.2020 Added Kids workouts to do at home on wellness page.
Added Play to Learn preschool Facebook group link on Little Lancers page.
Added new Virtual Tours page under curriculum topics.
Added 26 Best Podcasts for Kids on additional activities page.
Added 450 online courses you can take for free on high school and additional resources pages.

3.21.2020Added Hogwarts Digital Escape Room on additional activities page.
Added the NPS Shares page which allows staff and students to record a short video message for the NPS community.

3.20.2020 Added Family Guides to the Massachusetts Curriculum Standards on digital resources page.
Fixed incorrect link on WGBH icon on digital resources page.
Added information to the main page regarding free access to Xfinity hotspots and Comcast Internet Essentials program.

3.19.2020Added link to free audiobooks from Audible on digital resources page.
Added genius hour project on family projects page.
Added WGBH link on digital resources page.
Improved navigation by adding collapsible text on multiple pages.
Added wellness page under curriculum topics.
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Added Ideas for fun, meaningful, & generally pixel free at home learning sheet on additional activities page.
Added various new resource links on additional activities page.
Added 30 day Lego challenge guide on additional activities page.
Added home learning choice boards on K-2 learning activities page (under curriculum topics).

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3.26.2020Added National Emergency Library link on the digital resources page. 3.25.2020Added Design Squad Nation from PBS Learning Media on the additional activities page. Added The 10 Best Educationl YouTube Channels for Kids on the additional activities page. Added Tools to Create an Active Home link on the Wellness page under curriculum.

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These 12 Famous Museums Offer Virtual Tours You Can Take on Your Couch

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Google teamed up with more than 1,200 museums and galleries around the world to bring anyone and everyone virtual tours and online exhibits of some of the most famous museums around the world.

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Planning for School Closings

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Exemplar site

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Franklin Public Schools schools a nd all school-related activities will be closed from

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Our doors are temporarily closed, but we're still here! Join us for live presentations, new videos, and activities to try from home. Learn more about our green moray eels Thomas and Marilyn. At-Home Projects and Activities: See what you notice when you spend five minutes or more studying one exhibit closely.

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Kahn Academy
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New for this week: a level 3 podcast
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Browse by grade

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PBS LearningMedia | Teaching Resources For Students And Teachers

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

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Special Education & the Arts

[ What I Need to Know | Classroom Management | Lesson Advice

Instructional Strategies | ADD/ADHD | Visual Impairment | ESL ]
This page was started as a result of Gail's Getty TeacherArtExchange List post - March 2004. From Gail:
I will be teaching art to 6 classes of special needs students from ages 3-21. Most of these students have multiple handicaps and most come in with an aide for one on one or one aide per three students. Any ideas?
From Sidnie Miller:
Our special needs kids do really well with clay.Â Depending on their level--some just come in and pound on it -- their aids help them to build projects--some can't build, but can paint on glazes.Â For some, just being with regular kids and acting appropriately is the goal, so what they do is secondary to being there.Â Weaving is a good activity if they can do it.
From Sandra Barrick:
This is a wide range but doable and don't be intimidated by their handicaps. Most if not all want to be independent and do things on their own. They are a very determined group as a whole. Last year I worked with deaf children 3-11. A few had other disabilities as well, learning disorders and rare skin diseases (where the fingers were just little nubs and the child actually would bleed and blister if touched or from his own clothes. I also had a special needs child who had a rare form of dwarfism. Besides their disabilities you will be amazed by their spirit and the more severe the handicap the more chances and independence they may want. I also worked for (HC) MRDD, which is the division for our special needs kids, the age was 3-21. Through MRDD, I came in contact with severely handicapped and they really couldn't do anything but lay and look. The most severe had aids but also mentally were no older than a 3 -6 month old. Definitely get catalogs for supplies.Â If you come in contact with their caretaker/parent ask then what their interests are and if they have any supplies they could keep there. I am not sure how large your class will be but the child I had who didn't not have fingers had his own supply box, all of them did but his had scissors for his hands and crayons which had knobs on the end, etc. I also did a lot of sensory material/lessons with them for fine motor. Coming from Montessori - the punching tools and exercises really helped them. - Sandra
From Maggie White:
Concentrate on what the students CAN do, not on what they can't. Don't accept at face value what their teachers or aides tell you the students can't do; they will always surprise you and especially the people who think they know the kids so well. Don't hesitate to give the students something more challenging. Read the book Exceptional Children, Exceptional Art (from Davis). It provides a lot of insight into the physical, psychological, and emotional needs of a range of disabilities and ages. You can adapt a lot of classroom tools like pencils or brushes by using large foam curlers or the sponge-like foam (not the Styrofoam) that cushions computers and such. You can saw it with a hacksaw blade so it fits their hands comfortably. Stencils work better if they're tracing around the INSIDE of the stencil, rather than the outside. It seems they have a harder time keeping their pencils up against the outside edge rather than the inner edge. Shapes cut from sponges make neat stamps. Also weather stripping foam, which is sticky on one side, can be cut into shapes and stuck to film canisters to make an easy-to-grip stamp.
From Judy Potter:
Checkout at this site as a resource, http://www.wiu.edu/thecenter/art/
From Sue Freeland:
Here are some ideas off the top of my head... Clay projects.. The tactile feel of the clay might be good for dexterity. Model magic... create an animal, blend clays to create new colors. Read them a story then draw the ending or their favorite part. Give them shapes & pieces of stuff (whatever) to glue down in a pattern or face or whatever. With Kinders, I took a large sheet of yellow paper and cut a hole in the top to represent the window on a bus, the kids colored their self portraits and I taped them in the window. All the yellow papers side by side made up the bus. Also a good one is printing in shaving cream or pudding if you think they may eat it. Shaving cream is loved by all, even High school and leaves my counters and tables very clean! I used to teach Autistic kids but they were very low functioning.
From Betty Bowen:
My special needs campers love the beads you make designs with and iron into a solid form - now they come in larger sizes, too. They really loved the camp spin-art machine. I found their bead-stringing patience to be inspiring. They also enjoyed making decorations for their wheelchairs or walkers, like foam-core flames or sparkley things to go on the wheels.

In response to an Art Education List post asking for high school lesson ideas
From Kathy Douglas:
I would not bother too much with themes and subjects... leave that to them.Â When you look at Outsider Art, sometimes made by artists in this population, it is raw, personal and sometimes amazing.

If your students are not tactile defensive they might enjoy using plaster gauze over an armature of half a gallon spring water jug to create masks.Â You can help them create great 3D effects and then they can use their paint knowledge to add color.Â Also beads, feathers, etc for decoration.Â I would have examples of Mardi Gras, theater and cultural masks.Â What they often have in common is exaggeration of features. They could also choose animal masks.Â But I would let them decide what sort of mask they want to make, from a list of options.

I have had some younger students on the Autism spectrum who were very uncomfortable touching certain wet things... if that is the case in your class I would strongly suggest an alternate project available, so that they can find their comfort level. And one of my students overcame his discomfort when he saw his friends using the plaster.Â Because he was able to decide when he was ready to use it, he felt in control and was proud of himself when it was done.
From Terri Noell:
I teach at a Special Needs Magnet school... With the Autistic students, I find that adding scents and textures to the paint will very much interest these students... I have some students that touch and feel everything and some that taste everything so these were very exciting for them... I use finger cover tip brushes with my younger students since a lot of them have trouble holding paint brushes effectively... also great for other students with coordination issues... I would advise a lot of lessons that effect their other senses besides just the 2-D art...
From Sandy:
I teach in aÂ magnet school for Cognitively Impaired kids, pre-school toÂ 6th grade. I have foundÂ that theseÂ kids areÂ often fabulous painters.Â I do limit all black & brownÂ paint though!Â More abstract workÂ seemsÂ toÂ workÂ best for most of them. PrintmakingÂ works well,Â perhaps withÂ pre-cut stamps,Â StyrofoamÂ orÂ found objects, at least something that they don't have to cut themselves. 3D constructionsÂ are great,Â and what I offerÂ may be more suitable forÂ Elementary. ButÂ weÂ useÂ clay,Â wood scraps,Â cardboard,Â (tubes & flat pieces).Â Old puzzle piecesÂ for jewelry, etc.Â I doÂ papier macheÂ sculpture or masks etc with them even thoughÂ some are tactile defensive and hate to touch theÂ paste. I offerÂ plastic glovesÂ if they need them. We'veÂ done basic weavings, &Â simple sewingÂ withÂ big needles. Some of the kidsÂ love to draw, othersÂ not, but it is good toÂ let themÂ tryÂ and theyÂ tell great stories about theirÂ work! This is the first yearÂ that I haveÂ tried aÂ TAB (Teaching for Artistic Behavior - Choice Based) approach with these kids and it has beenÂ wonderfullyÂ successful. The kids just love it.

See Resources compiled by Bernie Poole and Yvonne Singer [Archive]
Includes resources for elementary and secondary education.

Sax Arts and Crafts Catalog has a section for special needs students and has a separate catalog available. Adaptive Product index is on page 588 in the main catalog. 1-800-588-6696.

From Pam Whisenhunt - Working with LD Students
Lesson Plans:
Lesson Plan tips for LD Students - from Pam Whisenhunt
P. Buckley Moss Foundation lessons [Archive] "For Special Learners: Growing Through the Arts" P. Buckley Moss Foundation Find out more about P. Buckley Moss

Art for Children and Adults with Disabilities:
http://www.kinderart.com/special/
Some Helpful Links: IAD's Special Education page
Great Ideas for Special Artists - for clay, drawing and painting (Archive)
Easy to follow directions for clay bowl and other clay projects.
Special Needs Supplies from Dick Blick

Links for children with Autism:
http://www.lessontutor.com/autismgenhome.html

Activities for Teaching About Disabilities:
http://www.educationworld.com/a_lesson/lesson115.shtml

Keystone Arts Education Network ( home page)
http://www.keyarts.ws/content/view/18/156/ [Archive]

Special Education - Disability Links:
http://www.teach-nology.com/teachers/special_ed/disabilities/

Special Education Links:
http://www.teach-nology.com/teachers/special_ed/

Teaching Art to Students With Special Needs - page by Sara Green
http://www.saragreen.net/mh.html

National Arts and Disability Center:
http://nadc.ucla.edu/
ArtExpress - Lessons Adaptable to children with disabilities:
http://www.harcourtschool.com/menus/art_express.html

Adapting Art Materials for Children with Disabilities:

http://www.wiu.edu/users/mfkls1/artexpress/adaptat.html

Special Education and the Arts
http://www.southernct.edu/~gerber/SEDarts/index.htm [Archive]
On this site is an extensive list of resources:
http://www.southernct.edu/~gerber/SEDarts/SEDArts%20References.htm [Archive]

Organizations:
http://www.southernct.edu/~gerber/SEDarts/SEDArtsOrganizations.htm [Archive]
Teaching Art Safely to the Disabled
VSA arts:

http://www.vsarts.org/

Teaching Special Needs Kids - Online Resources from Education World:
http://www.education-world.com/a_curr/curr139.shtml

Arts & Activities article: Making art activities work for students with special needs by Anne Vize (Archive)

Creativity Explored - nonprofit visual arts center where artists with developmental disabilities create, exhibit, and sell art.
Artists with Disabilities
Dan Keplinger - He calls himself King Gimp. Visit the Virtual Gallery and be awed.

Brett Eastburn - He was my art student when he was in 4th grade. He is now a motivational speaker.

Books:
Exceptional Children: Exceptional Art : Teaching Art to Special Needs
by Authors: David R. Henle y
The Power of the Arts: Creative Strategies for Teaching Exceptional Learners
By Sally L. Smith

Flag House is an organization and a catalog for activities and supplies for disabled student/people.
http://www.flaghouse.com
Another resource

http://www.enablingdevices.com/
CATALOGS FOR EDUCATORS of the disabled:
Flag House

800-793-7900

Greystone Educational Materials

1-800-733-0671

P.O Box 86

Scandia, MN 55073

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Working with Special Needs Students in Art

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On this page are teacher ideas for working with students with special needs. Our special needs kids do really well with clay.Â Depending on their level, some just come in and pound on it. Their aids help them to build projects.

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Do2Learn began in 1996 through a National Institutes of Health Small Business Innovative Research grant. Our team searches out the most talented and creative teachers and clinicians across the world. These gifted individuals work with our technical experts to transfer their knowledge into formats that we can make available to you.
Since beginning, we have grown into a world-wide resource with over 11 million hits a month. While based in North Carolina, approximately half of our users are from outside of the U.S. Thousands of sites link to us and we can be easily found on most search engines using topics such as 'picture cards', 'facial expressions', and 'job tips'. We hope you find our resources helpful and pass on our link to others.
We believe that simply telling busy teachers, parents, and professionals what they should be doing is not enough. If we explain how to devise a visual communication system using picture cards, we provide free cards to get you started.

When we present the Teacher Toolbox on how to adapt a classroom for children with special needs, we provide resources for behavior management plans, literacy tools, and the materials to create everything in your classroom.

Our approach is to use the latest technology and expert guidance to create innovative and usable solutions.

Learn about DiagnoseFirst, our newest project to help teachers and clinicians recognize the symptoms of ASD.

Pre-employment screening assessments are online or paper tests that some companies require applicants to complete during the application process. Read more about JobTIPS Student Version!

JobTIPS Toolbox PRO is filled with resources to help you coach your students through the challenges of assessing their skills, finding and applying for jobs, and practicing the social skills needed to do well in the workplace.

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picture exchange communication system cards

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Do2Learn: Educational Resources for Special Needs

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picture communication cards, songs, games and learning activities for autism, aspergers, fetal alcohol syndrome and disabilities

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A good read!

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They must be terrified their children will be unable to keep up as moms and dads with more flexibility, more security, or even full-time help talk about their aggressive at-home enrichment agendas for their little ones. Maybe this is the perfect time to call a timeout on the academic rat-race that was never healthy or fair in the first place.

Yes, we have embraced the need for some schedule, taking turns keeping an eye on the kids as they surf the internet to make sure whatever they are looking at is age-appropriate. (Of course, one of the boys wanted to learn about bombs.)

So far, we've seen them digging into mastodons, dwarf planets, the Mars rover and who made Legos and why. They've been reading a lot (mostly graphic novels and "Big Nate" books) because my kids were always avid readers and I don't have to fight with them to do it. But there are no flash cards and no made-up projects to "enrich" them. We do not assign them essays or ensure their explorations are aligned with Common Core standards. There is no official "movement" or music time. We have not set up a makeshift classroom or given our family's "school" a name.

We bake and have taste tests to see which cookie recipes are the best, because we like cookies and they are among the few things I know how to make. We walk and walk and walk. We eat together. We think about how lucky we are and try to help those who are more vulnerable and without our resources.

So far, the boys have played more video games and watched more television than they did during any given week before schools shut down. It keeps them busy while their dad and I try to finish our meetings before Zoom crashes.

We love each other, we yell, we apologize, we laugh, they punch each other, we yell some more, we make up. We live, we try to be compassionate and we hope this will all be a memory soon. And when it's over, the schoolwork will be there.

Jennie Weiner (@jennieweiner) is an associate professor of educational leadership at the University of Connecticut.
The Times is committed to publishing a diversity of letters to the editor. We'd like to hear what you think about this or any of our articles. Here are some . And here's our email: letters@nytimes.com.

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Opinion | I Refuse to Run a Coronavirus Home School

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They must be terrified their children will be unable to keep up as moms and dads with more flexibility, more security, or even full-time help talk about their aggressive at-home enrichment agendas for their little ones. Maybe this is the perfect time to call a timeout on the academic rat-race that was never healthy or fair in the first place.

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Try something new

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This site is also protected by an SSL (Secure Sockets Layer) certificate that's been signed by the U.S. government. The https:// means all transmitted data is encrypted - in other words, any information or browsing history that you provide is transmitted securely.

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It is not just about drinking water

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Before we dive into how you can stay hydrated, let's start with the basics.

How Much Fluid Do You Need?

According to the CDC, daily fluid intake is defined as the amount of water consumed from foods, plain drinking water, and other beverages. ¹ Similar to other health guidelines, how much hydration you need depends on a number of different factors. Age, gender, weight, climate you are in, activity levels, and overall health all influence your individual needs.

Whether you're pedaling uphill in a spin class or going for a trail run, any activity that makes you break a sweat means you need to bump up the water intake. Why? Sweat is made almost completely of water, and it's important to replace any of the fluids you are losing during your workout.

Similarly, the environment you are in plays an important part in your hydration needs.

Hot or humid weather can make you sweat more than usual, and requires additional hydration to make up for lost fluids.

Heading to the mountains? You'll want to keep an eye on your hydration there, too. Two things happen at high altitudes: lower humidity and lower oxygen levels. At higher altitudes, humidity is lower than at sea level, causing sweat to evaporate quicker and your body to work harder to breathe because of the lower oxygen levels. When oxygen levels are lower, your body reacts by breathing in and out faster and more deeply, causing you to lose water through respiration.

Your overall health plays a role, as well. If you're not feeling well and have a fever, are vomiting or have diarrhea, your body is losing fluids faster than normal. Same goes if you are pregnant or breast-feeding. Think about it, you're providing hydration not only for you, but for your baby, as well. However, it's important to discuss your hydration needs with your doctor as certain health conditions may require specialized fluid monitoring.

All other factors aside, men should aim for about 125 ounces of fluid per day and women should shoot for about 90 ounces. That sounds like a lot, right? Pause the panic. According to The National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine, roughly 80 percent of our water intake comes from fluids, while the other 20 percent comes from the foods we eat. 2 And don't forget to talk to your doctor before making any dietary changes that can impact individual health conditions or medications you may be taking.

If drinking water isn't your jam, here are 7 ways you can stay hydrated.

Hydration Helpers

1. Start your day with oatmeal. This one is a classic. Not only is it hearty and filling, oatmeal is also very hydrating. When oats are cooking, they expand and absorb the water or milk they're being paired with. Not into warm breakfasts when it's hot out? Try overnight oats. Served cold, overnight oats pack all the benefits of hot oatmeal with no heat. As an added boost, sprinkle chia seeds in your overnight oats when preparing, which soak up 10 times their weight in extra liquid and keep you full all morning.

2. Include more moo. According to a study by McMaster University, milk is more hydrating than water or sports drinks due to its source of protein, carbohydrates, calcium, and electrolytes. ³ Bring it on!

3. Try carb alternatives. When it comes to meal planning, ditch dry, carb heavy staples like pasta. Opt for zucchini noodles, or zoodles for short, which can contain about 95 percent water. When paired with a tomato sauce, which usually has about 90 percent water, this meal can pack a hydrating and healthy punch.

4. Sip smoothies. Between the yogurt and all the fresh fruit, smoothies are a great, and tasty, way to stay hydrated. Not sure what fruits and vegetables to pick? Strawberries, peaches, cucumbers, spinach, and blueberries are all excellent options.

5. Pack your plate with vegetables. Much like smoothies, salads are a great way to give you a hydrating boost. Most lettuce greens contain at least 94 percent water, and that's before you add any other vegetables. Next time you whip up a salad, include celery, tomatoes, bell peppers, and carrots.

6. Slurp soup. When the craving strikes for a filling and hydrating meal, look no further than broth-based soups or gazpacho. Served cold, gazpacho won't make you break a sweat come summer. Blend cucumbers, bell peppers, tomatoes, onions, and garlic cloves for this satisfying soup.

7. Freeze your fruit. Feeling nostalgic about the popsicles you used to enjoy as a child? Bring back this classic treat as a delicious way to rehydrate. Blend a hydrating ingredient like watermelon and fill Popsicle molds and freeze for 1 hour.

With these 7 ways, you'll be well on your way to happy hydrating!

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7 Ways to Stay Hydrated (That Don't Involve Drinking Water)

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Before we dive into how you can stay hydrated, let's start with the basics. According to the CDC, daily fluid intake is defined as the amount of water consumed from foods, plain drinking water, and other beverages. 1 Similar to other health guidelines, how much hydration you need depends on a number of different factors.

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Keep moving

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Enjoy the videos and music you love, upload original content, and share it all with friends, family, and the world on YouTube.