TeachersFirst - Featured Sites: Week of May 26, 2024
Here are this week's features. Clicking the tags in the description area of each listing will present a list of other resources with this topic. | Click here to return to the Featured Sites Archive
STEM Bootcamps - Numerade
Grades
6 to 12
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Numerade STEM Bootcamps provide free, interactive video lessons in STEM subjects like algebra, physics, and chemistry. The platform includes Bootcamps with step-by-step video tutorials,...more
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Numerade STEM Bootcamps provide free, interactive video lessons in STEM subjects like algebra, physics, and chemistry. The platform includes Bootcamps with step-by-step video tutorials, practice problems, and quizzes designed to enhance students' understanding. You can access a variety of topics for different grade levels and standardized tests like the ACT and SAT. The videos have captions available for students who may need them. Videos do have discussions under them, so be mindful of this if are having students use them independently.
tag(s): statistics (116), STEM (265), test prep (67), tutorials (54)
In the Classroom
Flip your classroom and have students watch Numerade Bootcamp videos at home to learn foundational concepts before class. They then can apply their learning through in-class lessons. Have students create and take practice quizzes based on Numerade's standardized test prep Bootcamps using a program like Quizlet, reviewed here. This will engage them in active test prep, enhance recall through repeated practice, and extend readiness for exams. Have students summarize a Numerade bootcamp topic by creating short review videos on Flip, reviewed here, helping their classmates understand key points from the videos.You must be registered and logged in to add items to your favorites.
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Varsity Tutors Free Courses - Varsity Tutors
Grades
2 to 12
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Varsity Tutors offers a series of free live classes for summer learning. These sessions begin on May 6 and run through August 14. Classes provide learning opportunities to help students...more
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Varsity Tutors offers a series of free live classes for summer learning. These sessions begin on May 6 and run through August 14. Classes provide learning opportunities to help students prepare for the SAT and ACT exams, learn about hieroglyphics, visit an aquarium, and more. Select the link to any class to learn more about the content and suggested grade levels, and enroll. Each class is offered at a specific time and date and lasts 45 minutes to an hour.
tag(s): animals (284), coding (90), college (46), deserts (16), egypt (48), essays (21), Online Learning (42), pyramids (17), rivers (14), STEM (265), test prep (67)
In the Classroom
Include links to these free classes with your other summer reading and learning opportunities shared with students and parents. Be sure to highlight offerings of specific interest to your students; for example, if students are taking the ACT and SAT exams, point out the courses that help students prepare for these tests. Add a link to your digital calendar for each of the courses along with a reminder, then email students and parents a week before the course begins as a reminder to sign up and attend the class at the assigned time or use an online resource such as Remind, reviewed here to set up and deliver text reminders of upcoming classes.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Scholastic Summer Reading Home Base - Scholastic
Grades
K to 8
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Summer Reading Home Base is a free digital game-based platform that provides a community for readers in grades preK through 8th grade from early May through early September. Sign up...more
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Summer Reading Home Base is a free digital game-based platform that provides a community for readers in grades preK through 8th grade from early May through early September. Sign up to read books and stories, attend author events, play games based on books, and much more. This program encourages students to track reading and maintain a "Reading Streak" to earn additional digital experiences. Visit the parents and educators page to learn more about the program and the safeguards to ensure a safe online experience.
tag(s): DAT device agnostic tool (144), independent reading (86), preK (258), spelling (95), summer (30), writing (317)
In the Classroom
Share Home Base with other suggestions to encourage student reading over the summer; find additional ideas for summer reading programs and options on TeachersFirst Special Topics Page: Summer Specials, reviewed here. Consider curating ideas for summer reading programs and activities by sharing a Wakelet, reviewed here collection with parents and guardians. Help parents understand the benefits of using a game-based platform to encourage reading over the summer by creating a short video using Free Screen Recorder Online, reviewed here to explain how to access this program and the different features provided.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Leaps and Logs: A Summer Learning Game - Microsoft
Grades
2 to 12
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Leaps and Logs is a summer learning activity for students aged eight and older available to play online or using a paper version. Students use the provided gameboard and instructions...more
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Leaps and Logs is a summer learning activity for students aged eight and older available to play online or using a paper version. Students use the provided gameboard and instructions to complete their choice of challenge tasks in language arts, social studies, science, STEM topics, and the arts. Play continues until students land on the FINISH space.
tag(s): gamification (73), Microsoft (83), seasonal (18), STEM (265), summer (30)
In the Classroom
Share this activity with parents and students to encourage learning over the summer on your class website or end-of-year newsletter. Encourage students to share their activities and to remain active over the summer using Flip, reviewed here. Create a topic for students to share their progress throughout the game and discuss how they complete tasks. For example, one of the coding activities challenges students to create a carnival game in Microsoft MakeCode, reviewed here. Ask students to share and discuss their game in Flip and compare their creations to those of others.
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Purdue University Kids STEM Degree - Purdue University
Grades
K to 8
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Purdue University offers STEM "degrees" for kindergarten through middle school students available for completion individually or as a class. Select a grade level band from the six options...more
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Purdue University offers STEM "degrees" for kindergarten through middle school students available for completion individually or as a class. Select a grade level band from the six options to access the ten videos required. After watching the short videos, complete the accompanying quiz to receive a code. Collect all ten codes and complete the form to request your certificate of completion. Videos cover various STEM topics, such as seasons, fossils, and the environment. The videos are hosted on YouTube. If your district blocks YouTube, then they may not be viewable.
tag(s): adaptations (14), colors (64), energy (130), environment (238), forces (37), fossils (39), habitats (86), mass (19), number sense (70), plants (147), seasons (36), soil (16), sound (73), space (214), STEM (265), summer (30), sun (70), tides (6), volcanoes (56), water cycle (22), weather (164)
In the Classroom
Use this site to offer your students STEM "degrees" in several ways. As a class, complete an activity weekly as an introduction and review of science content by including the video as part of a computer center activity. Work together to complete the quiz for each video, then request a certificate to recognize your class's accomplishment. Another option is for students to work toward achieving certifications on their own. Share this site on your class newsletter for students to complete over the summer as an exciting way to engage in science activities and earn a STEM degree. One benefit of having the option to choose from different grade levels is the ability to differentiate learning by offering various courses to students based on their interests and abilities. Some students may choose to earn several degrees in different grade levels. Support and encourage students to pursue STEM degrees by taking pictures of completed degrees and adding them to your class website. Extend learning by asking students to research one of the topics, then share a presentation with peers using Canva Edu, reviewed here. Canva Edu offers many options for creating and personalizing presentations including slides, infographics, and flyers.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Bookopolis Summer Reading Headquarters - Bookopolis
Grades
K to 12
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Get reading this summer by participating in activities shared by Bookopolis, reviewed here. Play Read-O to earn a free book by completing a Bingo...more
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Get reading this summer by participating in activities shared by Bookopolis, reviewed here. Play Read-O to earn a free book by completing a Bingo card and emailing a picture of the five in a row Bingo completion to Bookopolis. Take the summer reading challenge to read ten books or 10,000 pages to earn a badge and a free book. Second through eighth graders can join virtual book clubs that meet by Zoom over the summer. The book clubs are divided into two grade levels: second through fourth grade and fourth through eighth grade. In addition to the summer activities, check out the suggested book lists available for all grade levels.
tag(s): book lists (162), seasonal (18), summer (30)
In the Classroom
Include information and links to Bookopolis Summer Reading Activities in your end-of-year newsletter to parents. Encourage students to participate in the activities by sharing and discussing the information before the school year ends. Use Symbaloo, reviewed here to create a curation of summer reading links and activities for families, then share the link to your Symbaloo collection for families to find all options in one location. Encourage students to read and share their reading over the summer by creating a topic on Flip, reviewed here. Find example topics on Flip's Discovery library, such as the one located here that encourages students to share and discuss their summer reading titles. Sign in to Flip to view the previous link. Share the link to your Flip topic on your class website and newsletter.
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Planet Fitness High School Summer Pass - Planet Fitness
Grades
8 to 12
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Planet Fitness offers a free summer pass at participating locations for teens ages 14-19. The pass is available from May 13 through August 31 and provides access to equipment and ...more
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Planet Fitness offers a free summer pass at participating locations for teens ages 14-19. The pass is available from May 13 through August 31 and provides access to equipment and fitness classes. Preregister to receive a digital pass located on your Planet Fitness app. In addition to the digital pass, the app also includes a variety of workouts categorized by fitness levels that guide participants toward achieving personal goals. Also, Planet Fitness is keeping a leaderboard tracking participating schools in the US and Canada; the top five schools from each country are eligible to win a $10,000 grant.
This site includes advertising.
This site includes advertising.
In the Classroom
If there is a Planet Fitness near you, encourage students to sign up and participate in fitness activities offered over the summer. If there isn't a nearby location, ask students to check with local gyms to see if they offer free summer activities for students. Engage and motivate students by asking them to design and share flyers about the benefits of good fitness. Canva for Education, reviewed here, and Genially, reviewed here, offer many options for creating visually appealing and interactive flyers. Ask students to create charts and graphs as they participate in their summer fitness program as a motivational tool. LiveGap Charts, reviewed here, offers a free online chart maker that doesn't require registration and includes many templates to customize the look and information shared on charts.
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What Do Snowmen Do In Summer? - TeachersFirst
Grades
K to 8
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What Do Snowmen Do In Summer? - is one of the TeachersFirst Help! I lost my media/library specialist collection found here that...more
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What Do Snowmen Do In Summer? - is one of the TeachersFirst Help! I lost my media/library specialist collection found here that features topics and resources that focus on integrating literacy with technology. The Introduction and Background Knowledge discuss how important it is, yet how hard it is, to keep children engaged in literacy once summer vacation arrives and the weather gets nice. The Activities suggest how to get books into kid's hands with links and ideas for where to find them. Some exciting ideas for activities are offered, such as Camp Book-it, Chuck E Cheese Reward Calendar, and a few others. The last section of the article suggests Extension activities you may not have thought about regarding summer literacy. Ideas found on this resource include correlation to ISTE and AASL National School Library Standards.
tag(s): commoncore (75), literacy (110), summer (30)
In the Classroom
Browse through the suggested activities found in this article. Then, create a Wakelet, reviewed here, page of books and ideas, and post it on your teacher or school webpage. If the school library is open during the summer, ask them to post your Wakelet page, too. Wakelet gives you the ability to have a cover image and background for your wakes, which makes them much more engaging and easily identifiable, especially for young or visual students!Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Start with a Book - Reading Rockets
Grades
K to 6
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Do you need ideas to engage students in reading over the summer? Start with a Book shares free resources based on topics kids already like, such as superheroes, music, and ...more
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Do you need ideas to engage students in reading over the summer? Start with a Book shares free resources based on topics kids already like, such as superheroes, music, and dinosaurs. Find 24 different topics with specific books and activities to get students reading and creating. In addition to the book lists and activities, Start with a Book includes book-based summer science activities and toolkits, and guides for at-home learning. Other information on the site has tips for parents on increasing reading fluency in English, Spanish, and nine different languages. Sign up for weekly text messages that deliver updates and motivational tips.
tag(s): independent reading (86), parents (58), preK (258), reading lists (79), reading strategies (98), summer (30)
In the Classroom
Share this website with parents as a resource to maintain learning over the summer break. Subscribe to the weekly text messages and pass them on to parents and guardians of your students. Use the toolkits found on this site to conduct mini science or reading camps over the summer. Share the list of books with your local library and ask them to include them on summer reading lists or to conduct mini reading camps over the summer using the toolkits. These ideas aren't just for summer! Keep these toolkits handy to use when teaching science and reading during the school year to engage students. Post the Growing Readers tip sheets on your class website throughout the school year to help parents work with students at home on reading skills.
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Camp BOOK IT! - Pizza Hut
Grades
K to 6
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Camp BOOK IT! is a summer home reading program where students in grades K-6 earn monthly rewards for achieving reading goals. After enrolling in the program, parents use the digital...more
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Camp BOOK IT! is a summer home reading program where students in grades K-6 earn monthly rewards for achieving reading goals. After enrolling in the program, parents use the digital dashboard to track their student's reading progress during June, July, and August. Move the slider to certify completion of the preset goal to receive a certificate to redeem at Pizza Hut for a personal pan pizza. Other features found on this site include a series of ongoing articles with activities and book recommendations; under Resources at the top, slide to Teacher Toolbox to find activities and calendars to track reading.
tag(s): independent reading (86), seasonal (18), summer (30)
In the Classroom
Share Camp BOOK IT! with parents to encourage reading over the summer months. Use this program as an opportunity to collaborate with parents to engage students in reading by providing a reading list for students that includes books that appeal to your students. Use Padlet, reviewed here, to share suggested titles of books for students, and use the stream feature to organize the titles into different categories. Encourage students to add comments to your Padlet, sharing their book reviews. Enhance your students' summer reading experience by creating a topic using Flip, reviewed here, and ask students to contribute video book talks discussing their reading. Another idea is to create a Summer Bingo topic. Attach a Bingo form to your Flip topic with different squares to complete. Ideas might be reading a biography, starting a new book series, or sharing a book with a friend.
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Summer Reading Journal - Barnes and Noble
Grades
K to 6
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Barnes and Noble provides a summer reading program for students in grades 1-6. The list starts with titles for reading divided into three grade bands. Students complete the journal...more
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Barnes and Noble provides a summer reading program for students in grades 1-6. The list starts with titles for reading divided into three grade bands. Students complete the journal by listing eight books they read from the list, then sharing their favorite portion of the book and a short explanation of why. Upon completion, students bring their record to Barnes and Noble between July 1 and August 31, to receive a free book.
tag(s): book lists (162), seasonal (18), summer (30)
In the Classroom
Depending on the month you check the booklist, you may find last summers books or the current summers books. No matter the list, it provides ideas to add to any summer reading book list shared with students and parents. Create a list using Google Docs or Padlet, reviewed here to share a variety of reading materials to engage students in summer learning. Encourage students to share their summer reading by creating a collaborative topic using Flip, reviewed here. Ask students to share what they are reading and a short review with a video response. Encourage students to add comments to book reviews sharing their thoughts about the reading materials.
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PBS Summer of Possibilites - Play Your Way - PBS Kids
Grades
K to 3
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Not just for summer! Enjoy learning at home all year-round with PBS Kids Summer of Possibilities. Download the free Summer Activity Book for new daily adventures such as using bath...more
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Not just for summer! Enjoy learning at home all year-round with PBS Kids Summer of Possibilities. Download the free Summer Activity Book for new daily adventures such as using bath time to explore math or learn how to make a bird feeder. Scroll through the site to find reading charts, map skills, activity booklets, collections such as Observing Nature, Sharing Your Creativity Through the Arts, and much more. Did you find this site too late for summer? No worries, there are plenty of activities to do throughout the entire year. Be sure to check the bottom of the page for the "What's On Today" PBS shows.
tag(s): calendars (37), literacy (110), preK (258), reading lists (79), seasonal (18), summer (30)
In the Classroom
Take advantage of the many free activities on this site; be sure to share with parents for ideas on learning at home. Consider having a "summer" day in the middle of winter as you enjoy summer activities in the warmth of the indoors. Share with parents at the end of the school year as a great resource for learning during the summer months.
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Ultimate Camp Resource - Ultimate Camp Resources
Grades
K to 12
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1 Comments
Enter the world of Ultimate Camp Resources and find a myriad of songs, games, and more to use at home, at camp, or in a classroom. Download and print all ...more
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Enter the world of Ultimate Camp Resources and find a myriad of songs, games, and more to use at home, at camp, or in a classroom. Download and print all skits, songs, games or just the one you're interested in. Some of the songs even have videos!
tag(s): back to school (63), crafts (54), family (52), makerspace (41), seasonal (18), songs (44), sports (78), summer (30)
In the Classroom
Bookmark this tool for the first week of school or any time that you want to experience some "team-building" in your class. Use this site to find games and activities for classroom icebreakers. Find ideas on this site to build relationships among students. There is even an Art Project section (scroll to the bottom menu to find it) that has lots of crafts for your makerspace! Share this site with parent helpers to find ideas for classroom parties.Comments
This is a valuable resource, not just for summer!Patricia, NJ, Grades: 6 - 12
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Kidscamps.com
Grades
K to 12
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This comprehensive directory lists thousands of summer learning opportunities for kids of all ages. Day and overnight camp choices include those focusing on sports, special needs, family,...more
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This comprehensive directory lists thousands of summer learning opportunities for kids of all ages. Day and overnight camp choices include those focusing on sports, special needs, family, self-improvement, arts, adventure, and academics. They also offer Online camps. The site also includes advice for parents about selecting, paying, and packing for summer camp.
In the Classroom
Provide this link on your class website during the Spring. Share the website with your students to prepare them to discuss summer camps with their parents. In pairs, ask them to select two categories they are interested in and investigate what is offered and if there is a camp close to them. Create a Padlet, reviewed here for students to list the features of the category they explored.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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