By Cory Collins
On March 19, Teaching Tolerance asked its community of educators what they needed in the face of uncertainty caused by school closures and the COVID-19 pandemic.
Nearly 2,000 educators responded. As follows are some of the resources Teaching Tolerance listed. For the full list, see https://www.tolerance.org/magazine/teaching-through-coronavirus-what-educators-need-right-now.
“Do Something” Projects
Our website features 34 “Do Something” tasks: https://www.tolerance.org/classroom-resources/student-tasks/do-something/. Most of these are adaptable to distance learning and homeschooling. They are designed to allow students to apply their knowledge to real-world issues. Here are a few of our favorites:
• Oral History Project, in which students can conduct interviews at home to see how personal experiences intersect with something they are studying (https://www.tolerance.org/classroom-resources/student-tasks/do-something/oral-history-project);
• Buddy Share, in which students could share art or writing with an online classmate (https://www.tolerance.org/classroom-resources/student-tasks/do-something/buddy-share);
• Identity Artifacts Museum, in which students can create a display of items from home that represent aspects of their identities (https://www.tolerance.org/classroom-resources/student-tasks/do-something/identity-artifacts-museum).
Resource List for Educators
Note: This list is drawn from survey responses, TT staffers and youth-serving organizations. TT has not vetted all third-party lists. Please take special care in selecting online learning platforms and checking for equity, accessibility and privacy.
Coronavirus Resources: Teaching, Learning and Thinking Critically — New York Times Learning Network (https://www.nytimes.com/2020/03/11/learning/coronavirus-resources-teaching-learning-and-thinking-critically.html)
This ever-updating resource includes items for staying current on coronavirus news, teaching media literacy around the coronavirus, essential questions and discussion suggestions, and advice for teaching and learning online.
Resources Students Can Use Online
“[I need] any online resources that students in grades k-12 can use at home.” –TT survey respondent
Amazing Educational Resources: http://www.amazingeducationalresources.com/
This crowdsourced document lists education companies that are offering free subscriptions during school closures.
Free Online Learning Resources for Schools Affected by Coronavirus/COVID-19 — Tech Learning: https://www.techlearning.com/resources/free-online-learning-resources-for-schools-affected-by-coronaviruscovid-19
This list includes hundreds of free e-learning platforms and resources that cover a wide range of grade levels, subjects and needs, including topics such as sex education, drama and language learning.
125+ Amazing Online Learning Resources — We Are Teachers: https://www.weareteachers.com/free-online-learning-resources/
This list includes sites with ready lesson plans and activities for all grade levels, as well as e-learning platforms.
Free Educational Resources for Distance Learning — California Department of Education: https://www.cde.ca.gov/ci/cr/cf/distancelearnresources.asp
This is a list of education publishers offering free distance learning resources.
Discovery Education: https://www.discoveryeducation.com/
Offering free access through the remainder of the school year, this platform includes digital textbooks and multimedia resources for online K-12 learning.
TED-Ed: https://ed.ted.com/
On the TED-Ed site, users will find free videos on a wide range of educational topics, with portals for students and educators.
Storytime From Space: https://storytimefromspace.com/
On this site, astronauts read children’s books aloud. It’s out of this world cute, and the options include diverse representation of kids who love science.
National Weather Service: https://www.weather.gov/learning
Check out these games, lessons and videos for helping keep kids active at home.
Printables for Pick-Up
“[There are] issues of equity in access to online learning.” –TT survey respondent
Curriculum Associates: https://www.curriculumassociates.com/supporting-students-away-from-school
This website includes printable activities for grades K-8 in math and reading.
All Kids Network: https://www.allkidsnetwork.com/
Mostly geared toward young learners, this website offers printable activities and worksheets.
Scholastic: https://www.scholastic.com/parents/kids-activities-and-printables/activities-and-printables-guides/free-printables-for-all-ages.html
This page offers printable activities for students in grades K-8.