Online Resources

Families have more choices to find children-oriented learning educational content with the growing availability of websites and downloadable apps on Apple iTunes and GooglePlay. We recognize that each child is unique and though these tools can be useful, families should be cautious about how much time students spend online. When using apps on phones and tablets, parents should know and understand the app developers's identity, terms of use, content, etc. to make an informed decision about their inclusion in the child's daily usage. 

We encourage families to explore what works best for you and to make suggestions to us so that that we can work together in appreciating new and different ways of learning in a digital world.

Updated: 9/24/20

Amazing Educational Resources

This resource contains dozens of listings with descriptions of online educational resources. Families can find many free lesson plans to download and links to numerous videos. Currently, the list is available as a Google Sheets document. There is also a Facebook group in which members can converse and seek each other for best tips and support. The listings are extensive; we suggest exploring to find what looks most beneficial.

American Literature

This resource has content for elementary, middle, and high school students. According to their description:

"The American Literature Library has thousands of FREE short stories and classic books free for you to enjoy. The site features a vast short story library and great authors from around the world as well as books, stories, poems, quotations and searchable quotes. Don't miss our short story collections, children's library and Christmas stories. The American Literature site has been serving readers, writers, teachers and students with public domain content and original commentary for more than twenty years."

Contra Costa County Library System (CCCLib)

In recent years, the CCCLib offers a variety of digital websites and tools for kids and teens. 

Exploratorium

The Exploratorium, located along San Francisco's waterfront at Pier 15, is world-renowned for its educational focus on the sciences suitable for children, young adults, and generally people of all ages. The institution currently offers a Learning Toolbox which focuses on various phenomena in nature and the science behind them. 

Gail Chen's Online Educational Resource List

This list, assembled by a home schooling parent and advocate, can be useful for many families. It contains dozens of links to a diverse range of subjects, such as reading, writing, vocabulary, math, science, history, social studies, etc. from a variety of sources (websites and YouTube videos). It is possible to sort and filter your search on this spreadsheet to make it easy to find what you want.

Internet Archive

This resource provides content for a huge variety of collections of books and media. Their collections range from mainstream to the eclectic, accessible with free registration.

According to their description:

"Internet Archive is a non-profit library of millions of free books, movies, software, music, websites, and more."

MDUSD: Remote Learning Teacher Resources Page

MDUSD has compiled lists of educational resources to foster effective student access to remote learning. The lists are on separate Google Docs as described below. 

PBS LearningMedia

PBS and local stations present a large collection of materials and media applicable to all ages. Visitors of this site can search by topic and grade levels.

Picture This: California Perspectives on American History

This website showcases historic information and images from the Oakland Museum of California. It covers the land presently known as California from pre-1769 to the present, giving voice to the diverse peoples and cultures that inhabit this land. Students can view the images and read the stories about them that will add context and essentially bring the pictures to life.

Smithsonian Open Access

The Smithsonian, a world-renowned institution and collection of museums in Washington D.C., is making millions of images from their collection available through this website. Website users can search for any keywords or use advanced search functions. 

Teachers Pay Teachers

This resource has content for elementary, middle, and high school students. To access and download their products, users will need to sign up (for free) and register. Although the website does have products for sale, they also have a variety of free products that could be useful for home schoolers.  

According to their description:

"TpT is the go-to place for educators to find the resources, knowledge, and inspiration they need to teach at their best. We offer more than 3 million free and paid resources, created by educators who understand what works in the classroom. Our marketplace is growing every day to meet the evolving needs of the PreK-12 classroom. When educators get the resources and support they need, they're best equipped to inspire our next generation of learners."

Additional Online Resources

Though the listings below may already be cited on several other lists, we want to include some of them here with their currently known web addresses.