COVID Crisis Teaching at Home – Resources for MIDDLE SCHOOL
The COVID pandemic has forced us into – not “Homeschooling,” but – Crisis Teaching at Home, which can be especially challenging for middle school students. For my overall thoughts and suggestions for “Homeschooling” during COVID school closures, please visit this page.
Some notes about the info below for MIDDLE SCHOOL STUDENTS:
- For thematic learning, you can use several of the resources listed below to help you easily develop entire lesson plans around the topic. I indicated resources that are especially useful for thematic learning with [TL].
- Unless otherwise stated, assume these resources are free (some are always free; some are just free during school closures). Please keep in mind that many businesses are struggling to stay open and pay their workers. So, if you enjoy the resources and are able to donate to the organization, please do – especially at a time like this.
- For those sites that have a related app for your phone or tablet, I have added [App] so that you can search for it by name in your device store. Please note that the apps, while often more convenient, usually have more limitations of free access.
- Some activities are live streamed at certain times on certain days. I have indicated those in italics. For most of these, the videos are available at least 24 hours afterwards also.
- Hands-on learning creates stronger memories and understanding. So have your children try the activities that can be done “In Real Life” [IRL]. Keep in mind that this may mean going to a website to read about a hands-on lesson, order materials, or print a worksheet.
- Pro Tip: Put printouts in plastic sheet protectors and have your children use dry erase markers so that you can do the sheets over and over.
Note: I usually create my own content in pdf form because linking to other websites often results in unforeseeable changes like altered content, modified pricing, broken links, etc. If something I posted below has changed or is not correct, please email me so I can correct it.
Visit the following links for teaching resources for:
Students with Learning Difficulties
Resources for Teaching MIDDLE school children:
Science:
WorldWise Tutoring’s Student Handbook Science resources
WorldWise Tutoring’s YouTube Science videos
Skype with a Scientist! Sign up for a personal Q&A session with a scientist of your choice over video chat. [TL]
The Science Spot has lessons, activities, and resources for middle school science. [IRL]
The Natural History Museum of Utah has online science classes taught by its experts and aimed at grades 4-7 most weekdays at 10:30am CST and later posted here.
Algodoo gives you the opportunity to play with physics. Use your own hands and simple drawing tools to design, construct and explore the world of physics. [TL] [App]
Middle School Chemistry is a resource of guided, inquiry-based lesson plans that covers basic chemistry concepts along with the process of scientific investigation.
Tynker offers coding lessons for K-8 and Middle School ranging from beginner to advanced. [TL] [App]
“CodeMonkey is a fun and educational game-based environment where kids K-8 learn to code without any prior experience. They have 14 day free trial, then it costs $4.95/month. [App]
Math:
WorldWise Tutoring’s Student Handbook Math resources
WorldWise Tutoring’s YouTube Math videos
Math Score has adaptive online math practice and assessment aligned to Common Core math standards for K-8 plus Algebra and Geometry.
Wuzzit Trouble is for children ages 10+ to help them develop an understanding of numbers and improved problem-solving skills. [App]
PhotoMath is an App that allows you to scan a math problem for the step-by-step solution. [App]
Compilation of lessons from Intuit to teach your kids about financial literacy, budgeting, tax, etc. [IRL]
Econ Ed with St Louis Fed has personal finance, economics, middle school math & read-along books for the younger kids.
ST Math is a PreK-8 visual instructional program that leverages the brain’s innate spatial-temporal reasoning ability to solve mathematical problems. ST Math’s unique, patented approach provides students with equitable access to learning through challenging puzzles, non-routine problem solving, and informative feedback.
Science and Math:
Explore Learning has over 400 math and science Gizmos that teach how to graph, measure, compare, predict, and prove. Free 60 day trial.
Brilliant.org: Build problem-solving “quantitative skills in math, science, and computer science with fun and challenging interactive explorations.” Free trial available. [App]
Gizmos are interactive math and science simulations for grades 3-12.
ELA:
WorldWise Tutoring’s Student Handbook ELA resources
WorldWise Tutoring’s YouTube ELA videos
NoRedInk builds writing skills “through interest-based curriculum, adaptive grammar and writing exercises, and actionable data.” [TL]
Dreamscape is a reading video game for grades 2-8. [TL] [App]
LightSail is a digital educational reading platform with 6,000 texts from different subject areas and topics that is designed to engage students in grades K-12 to develop and reinforce their reading skills. Each student is given a customized library based on their Lexile reading level and reading interests. Students earn badges based on total minutes read, the different types of genres or topics they engage with, or the number of embedded questions that they get correct. [TL]
Quill provides interactive writing and grammar activities.
Social Studies:
Women’s History: Online exhibits, resources, and field trips with the National Women’s History Museum.
Big History Project has “social studies curriculum that gets beyond facts” by emphasizing skill development as students draw mind-blowing connections between past, present and future, thereby improving in writing and critical thinking skills.
All Subjects:
Seneca’s smart learning algorithms help students to remember math, science, history, English, Spanish etc. topics better. “If you get a question wrong, we’ll show you the content again but in a different format. We’ll even do it at a time when it’s optimal for you to learn it. We’ve also hand-selected the best GIFs and memes on the internet so revision makes you laugh instead of stressed. [TL] [App]
PBS has standards-aligned videos, interactives, lesson plans, and more in PreK-12 science, math, social studies, ELA, engineering & technology, health, art, etc. [TL] [IRL]
Freckle offers animated differentiated instruction in Science K-8, Math K-9, ELA K-12, and Social Studies K-12 with easy-to-use reports to check your children’s performance across standards and skills. During school closures parents can sign up for a free teacher account (see directions halfway down the screen here). [TL] [App]
BrainPop has K-12 animated lessons and related questions on topics including science, social studies, english, math, arts & music, health & SEL, engineering & tech, and trending topics. [TL] [App]
Use ixl.com to search any math, language arts, science, social studies, or spanish concept for grade-specific, student adapted problems with detailed explanations. [TL] [App]
Ck12 has interactive K-12 learning activities and practice in science, math, and social studies that adapts to individual student performance. [TL]
Homeschooling resources organized by grade, subject, theme, etc. [TL] [IRL]
123 Homeschool4me has printables, worksheets and how-to’s for every subject, K-8. [TL] [IRL]
Discoveryk12 is offering 180 days of free online non-Common Core curriculum for PreK-12th covering all subjects and including quizzes and tests. [TL] [IRL]
Funbrain has online games, books, and videos for grades 6-8.
Khan Academy has scheduled self-paced, interactive content–exercises, videos and articles and in most major subject areas 6-9th grade.
Crash Course has entertaining YouTube videos on physics, philosophy, games, economics, U.S. government and politics, astronomy, anatomy & physiology, world history, biology, literature, ecology, chemistry, psychology, and U.S. history. [TL]
HippoCampus has over 7,000 videos in 13 subjects areas including English, Math (through Calculus and Statistics), Biology, Chemistry, Physics, Earth Science, Economics, Government, and Sociology. [TL]
Wide Open School has videos, lessons,and printables to help with scheduling, emotional well being, life skills, and all core subjects. [TL] [IRL]
Miacademy offers hundreds of lessons in math, language arts, science, and social studies, covering all of K-8. In addition to the core subjects, Miacademy has a variety of electives from introductions to several languages to life skills. First month is $1.99, then it costs $19.95/month.
Actively Learn is offering free subscriptions including “texts and videos for ELA, Science, and Social Studies with scaffolds and higher-order questions.” [TL] [App]
Kids Discover Online gives unlimited access to their entire library of science and social studies articles for $4/month. [TL]
TedTalks for kids. [TL]
Miscellaneous:
I’m A Puzzle is a take on the classic jigsaw puzzles where players can upload their own image and convert it into a puzzle.
Breakout EDU has K-12 escape room digital games.
Krazy Dad is a website of puzzles made by Jim Bumgardner of Walt Disney Imagineering. [IRL]
Braingle has “over 15,000 brain teasers, riddles, logic problems and mind puzzles.” [IRL]
“Puzzle Prime’s mission is to provide students and adults of all ages the opportunity to develop their mental skills in fun and engaging ways with puzzles (including Brain Teasers, Detective Mysteries, and Optical Illusions) that will challenge your analytical thinking and boost your passion for science.”
Brain Den helps users test logic skills and have fun with brain teasers, riddles, puzzles, and optical illusions all sorted by category.
Games For Change curates digital and non-digital games that engage contemporary social issues in a meaningful way. The list below contains over 175 games from the Games for Change Community including past G4C Awards nominees and winners. Some games are free to play and others have fees that can be paid on external sites.
Character Strong’s curricula is focused on fostering the Whole Child with vertically-aligned lessons that teach social-emotional learning (Self-Awareness, Self-Management, Social Awareness, Relationship Skills, Responsible Decision-Making) and character (Character Development: Patience, Kindness, Honesty, Respect, Selflessness, Forgiveness, Commitment, Humility), side-by-side.
And remember… if you’d like one of WorldWise Tutoring’s expert tutors to help devise, teach, monitor, and assess lessons for your middle school student, we are here to help! CONTACT US.
