Online Resources – during COVID-19

March 14, 2020

Online Resources – during COVID-19

Updated: 06/17/2020

QUICK LINKS: Virtual STEM Resources

Virtual camps, courses and e-learning
Activities to do at home
Online games and interactives
Educational apps
Educational podcasts and videos
Emotional support resources
Teacher/Educator-specific resources for moving online
Other education-related compilation lists
Hashtags to follow online

Virtual camps & courses, e-learning

Resource About Cost Recommended Grades Subjects
Starfall Audiovisual games and lessons to help young students learn English Many modules are free, some require paid membership K – 3 ELA
Wishplay VR videos accessible anywhere with wifi on Youtube Free! To experience full VR effect, a VR headset or Google cardboard is recommended K – 9 Nature, Science, Technology
Code.org Coding lessons and activities Free! Track progress and save work with an account K – 12 ADST, Coding
Khan Academy Short math and science lessons and modules Free! (Sign up for a free account) K – 12 Science, Math, Technology
Nearpod Lesson Bank Interactive lessons across all subjects Free! K – 12 ALL
Elements of AI Online course to learn basics of AI, does not require any prior coding knowledge Free! 6  – 12 ADST, Programming
DataCamp Data science course-based learning Free! 7 – 12 ADST, Programming (Python, SQL, Shell + more)
AI4ALL Platform for high school students to learn fundamentals of AI, does not require any computer science background Free! (30+ hours of curriculum) 8  – 12 ADST, AI
Idea Maker Course Self-paced course with videos, worksheets, and other resources to teach youth entrepreneurship Free until June 15th 8 – 12 Entrepreneurship
Nasa Visualiser This app lets youth explore earth and the entire solar system through the eyes of their fleet of research spacecraft Free! (Download the free app) 3 – 12 Science, Astronomy, Technology
NASA’s Eyes Explore the solar system, exoplanets, Earth and more using this app Free! (Download the free app) 3 – 12 Science, Astronomy, Technology
Udemy Coding for Kids Self-paced courses for kids to learn coding with a variety of platforms. Most courses are paid (~$20) but some are free 3 – 12 ADST, Programming

Activities to do at home (hands-on, unplugged)

Resource About Cost Recommended Grades Subjects
Home With Kids, Now What? Project ideas curated from the Internet, based on what material(s) you have on hand Free! Pre-K – 9 Science, Engineering, Art
Science World Teaching Resources Lesson plans based on curriculum, filter by type, topic, grade, and language Free! Pre-K – 12 STEM
Exploratorium Offline hands-on activities relevant to current-day topics Free! K – 6 Science, Engineering
National Geographic Science Lab Activities that can be completed at home, with accompanying video tutorials Free! K – 9 Science, Nature, Geology, Food Science
Fold ‘N Fly Collection of guides on how to make various types of paper airplanes Free! K – 12 Engineering, Physics
Actua’s Activities Large spectrum of hands-on activities for STEM, coding & digital skills Free! K – 12 STEM, Coding
Instructables Combination of tech-based and construction activities that use maker approaches to encourage prototyping and experimentation Free! 3 – 12 Science, Engineering, Hardware, Cooking
MakeDo A MakeDo kit includes two tools and plastic screws, all you need is cardboard to build cool creations $27.99 (subject to change) 3  – 12 Engineering, Art

Online games & interactives

Resource About Cost Recommended Grades Subjects
Math Blaster An online collection of math games for students Free! K – 6 Math
Codingville.ca Fun and challenging activities that use block programming and text programming Free! K – 9 Coding
National Geographic Kids Games, videos, reading materials, experiment ideas on all topics Free! K – 9 ALL
NOVA A weekly STEM show that has been airing for over two decades Free! K – 10 STEM
Actua’s AI Activities A mix of online interactives and background info for youth and educators exploring artificial intelligence online Free! K – 12 ADST, AI
Tynker Coding challenges, tutorials, and online platforms for kids learning to code Free! 1 – 7 Coding
NASA Kids Club Hub of educational videos and articles about the ISS, space travel, and the science behind it. An archive of apps relating to NASA or their work can also be found on this site Free! 1 – 7 Science, Astronomy
Calculation Nation Challenge yourself or play against others in these fun games that rely and reinforce mathematical principles Free! 1 – 7 Math
Prodigy Self-paced, motivational math exercises Free! (Sign up for an account) 1 – 8 Math
Scratch Free block coding software, the desktop app comes with a number of free lessons to get people started with block coding, complete with pictures! Free! 2 – 12 ADST, Coding
Wonderville.org Online games, videos, puzzles with curriculum-aligned STEM content Usually requires a subscription, but free currently 2 – 12 STEM
March Mammal Madness Animals vs animals in this bracket! Kids can make predictions about what animal will triumph (print off the PDF) and learn about different species. Free! 3 – 7 Biology
Ocean Alive! Playlist From Ocean Networks Canada, videos and other online learning about ocean conservation. Free! 3 – 9 Biology, Geology
Media Smarts Games Cyber safety, digital citizenship, and online awareness for youth through online games. Free! 4 – 9 ADST, Cyber safety
360 Science A hub of educational videos that takes advantage of AR and VR to place the user in the setting Free trial 6 – 12 Science
How Stuff Works This website hosts articles and videos aimed at a older audience examining how different things work, similarly to “Myth Busters” Free! 8 – 12 Science

Educational apps (smartphone or tablet-based)

Resource About Cost Recommended Grades Subjects
Khan Kids App for basic arithmetic, reading, writing and emotional learning Free! Pre-K – 2 Math, ELA
ScratchJr basic block coding app, great for younger kids Free! K – 3 ADST, Coding
Pyonkee Similar to Scratch, block-based coding environment Free! 2 – 7 ADST, Coding
Professor Astro Cat’s Solar System This app walks viewers through the creation and make up of the universe through a fun, engaging, and entertaining storyline Free! K – 8 Astronomy
WWF Together Put together by the World Wildlife Foundation, this app features a collection of lessons on many animals from across the globe Free! 1 – 8 Biology, Conservation, Nature
SoloLearn This app is a collection of tutorials and demos on how to code in a number of coding languages for beginners or pros Free! 5 – 12 ADST, Coding
My Molecularium The goal of the game is to successfully assemble different molecules Free! 7 – 12 Chemistry

Educational Podcasts & Videos

Resource About Cost Recommended Grades Subjects
Bill Nye  Bill Nye’s website includes a complete archive of episodes from Bill Nye the Science Guy, and Bill Nye Saves the World. It also features demos and tutorials on how to recreate some of his experiments at home. Free! K – 12 Science
SciShow Kids Youtube playlists of informative and upbeat science videos Free! 1 – 8 Science
The 25 Best Podcasts for Kids Recommendations for stories, science experiments, Free! 1 – 9 Various topics
Mark Rober Unique monthly science and engineering experiments + Special Science Class LIVE M-W-F @ 1PM PT Free! 2 – 12 STEM
Half as Interesting Half as Interesting uses comedy to look at and examine the underlying factors and concepts in many global events and breakthroughs Free! 6 – 12 Current topics around the Arts, Sciences, Politics + more
The B1M This Youtube channel is dedicated to looking at some of the world’s most innovative and bizzare construction projects Free! 6 – 12 Architecture

Wendover Productions

(Similar to Half as Interesting)

 This YouTube channel uses comedy and animation to educate viewers on a wide range of topics. Ranging from Health, Architecture, Politics, Economics, or science nearly any topic can be found Free! 8 – 12 Health, Architecture, Politics, Economics + more
TED Talks Daily Thought-provoking 10 – 20 minute talks on a variety of topics Free! 8 – 12 Science, Psychology, Music, + more

Emotional Support Resources

Resource About Cost Recommended Grades
GoNoodle Kids Physical and mental health app-based and online videos on mindfulness, yoga, exercises and more Free! Pre-K – 4
Emotional & Logistics Check-in Google Form that can be used for camps, workshops, courses to check in with all participants on emotions and tech access Free! 7 +
Calm App to support with sleep, stress, and mental health Free trial 8 +
Kids Help Phone – COVID-19 Links and trustworthy information for youth that may be struggling during coronavirus, including online chat, text, and other counselling available 24/7 Free! ALL
Headspace Both online and app-based resource for meditation and mindfulness practice Free! ALL

Teacher/Educator-specific Resources for Moving Online

Resource About Cost
Learning Keeps Going  Developed by ISTE, a hub for resources, curated tools/content, webinars, and other support for educators during COVID-19 Free!
Teaching Remotely in Times of Need  Presentation to support with adapting to online learning and meeting student needs with technology, including UDL overview Free!
Online Lecture Toolkit  Free support for visual storytelling, designing for learning, making accessible videos, etc Free!
11 Things to consider when moving your course online   Published by Connecticut College, provides advice and support for learning online and embedded links for additional ideas and resources Free!
Google’s Digital Safety Resources  Useful for families/others bringing youth online – discusses digital citizenship, online safety, protocols for Internet usage, etc Free!
Media Smarts Resources, lessons, reading, etc. for digital citizenship and online safety Free!
Online Learning Guidelines  Google folders – international content, ranging from overall coronavirus to specific districts, international schools (including IB), and distance learning and flipped classroom plans  Free!
Digital Age Learning  Includes links to platforms for online delivery and teaching best practices Free!
Resources for Teaching Online due to School Closures  Suggestions for at-home activities, asynchronous and synchronous delivery, checklists, etc Free!
Ingenium’s Online Educational Resources Includes videos & lesson plans on a variety of STEM topics from agriculture to space suits Free!
Navigating Uncertain Times: How Schools Can Cope with coronavirus Free guide from ISTE/EdSurge with resources, strategies, and suggestions for educators Free!

Other education-related compilation lists

Resource About Cost
Free online subscriptions List of Education Companies Offering Free Subscriptions due to School Closings Free!
Free online tools  List of free tools for schools dealing with the coronavirus Free!
Extended Closure Digital Learning Plan Brainstorm   Resources for teachers, free programs, planning docs, and other supports with hyperlinks Free!
Wakelet: Online Learning  Curated list of ideas, infographics, and other info (including Tweeted compilation lists) during COVID-19 Free!
Online Toolkit  Resources, links, and curated info site for educators Free!
Crowdsourced Virtual Learning Offers  List of online offers for various educational platforms with details about resources available Free!
CBC Canada 47 Indoor Activities for Kids  Curated list from 2016 of various indoor activities for children ranging from online activities to crafts with found objects to family games Free!

 

Hashtags to follow online

#homeschool
#virtuallearning
#virtualteaching
#onlinelearning
#remoteteaching
#remotelearning
#teacheredchat

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