We’ve compiled our favorite picks from the library and other websites to help teachers and parents make sure students have easy access to free online tools they need to find facts and complete school work this year.
AUDIOBOOKS AND EBOOKS
Find free books at the library and online. At the library, the Libby app, also known as Overdrive, is good for single copies of a book. Anything on Hoopla or Tumblebooks can be used simultaneously by as many people as have a library card. eCards make it easy to get all students access to digital materials and teachers can send us a list of students’ names to get everyone connected with an eCard.
FREE APPS TO BUILD READING SKILLS
AUTHORS, BOOKLISTS, AND MORE ABOUT BOOKS
Reading strategies, age-specific book lists, and exclusive author content.
Videos of author interviews, booklists, and many other resources.
Tell us what you need and we’ll find the best books for your learner!
Links to authors reading their own books compiled by We are Teachers.
Use library eResources for kids, or visit other safe, kid friendly websites to find facts.
Access online lessons and units students can work through at their own pace.
SOCIAL EMOTIONAL LESSONS
OTHER SUPPORT FOR DISTANCE LEARNING
STEM SITES
SCIENCE
- Try a fun STEM activity with Science Buddies
- Steve Spangler Science has many science projects and experiments you can do at home with everyday materials.
- Watch Bill Nye the Science Guy episodes.
- Learn how to identify backyard birds at Cornell University’s online guide.
- Let NASA bring the universe into your home with lots of games and activities.
- MSU science festival has lots of Scifest partners with easy STEM lessons you can do at home.
- Try at-home science and connect to the natural world with the Ann Arbor Hands-on Museum.
TECHNOLOGY
- Have fun learning coding logic with online games and lessons at Hour of Code
- Write your own code at Scratch.
ENGINEERING
- Watch videos and take design challenges at PBS Design Squad
- Try a Lego Challenge
- BrainPOP has engaging animated videos, quizzes, and other activities to complement engineering curricula.
- DiscoverE is building a library of hands-on activities, articles for parents and educators, and video challenges you can use to engage kids in engineering at home!
MATH
- Practice your math skills with these fun online games.
- Have fun with logic puzzles.
- Hone math skills with daily bedtime math.
- McKellar Math explains math in a fun, easy-to-digest way with simple tricks. Danica McKellar also wrote a book called Math Doesn’t Suck.
SOCIAL STUDIES SITES
- Enjoy the history and heritage of Michigan by visiting the Michigan History for Kids website. This website suggests using the Internet Explorer browser.
- National Geographic Kids is a collection of multimedia resources that teaches younger students about animals, habitats, countries, and cultures.
- Explore the past and learn about the present with resources on government, history, economics at PBS Learning Media.
- PBSKids offer full episodes of Molly of Denali, helping kids age 4-8 interact with informational text.
- Take a virtual Around the World trip with Ypsi residents!
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