The Internet is central to every emerging scenario for K-12 education. The U.S. Department of Commerce (www.commerce.gov) reports that more than 54 percent of the national population uses the Web, and the number of Web pages is climbing in the billions. Meeting the demand for information on the latest and best online educational resources has never been greater or more complicated.
This fully-verified guide features the outstanding teaching and learning resources on the Web, including new search tools, lesson plan collections, research sites, sources for online projects, and curriculum centers in every content area.
Topics listed below are all within this page, click the topic to jump to its position in the page.
Lesson Plan Sources
Information Indexes
Search Engines
Student Research Resources
Web Portals
Company/Organization Curriculum Collections
Libraries and Museums
News Sources
Television Media
Academic Competitions
Especially for Kids
Professional Resources
Scholarships and Additional Information
Lesson Plan Sources
While many of the sites in other categories include lesson plans, the following are extensive collections that can be searched by level, topic, and content area.
- A to Z Teacher Stuff (http://atozteacherstuff.com)
- edHelper.com (http://www.edhelper.com)
Online Project Sources
The sites below are outstanding places to find free and fee-based online education projects, including opportunities to propose project of your own.
- Educational Web Adventures (http://eduweb.com)
- Generation YES (https://www.genyes.org)
- Global SchoolNet (http://www.globalschoolnet.org)
- iEARN – International Education and Resource Network (http://www.iearn.org)
- JASON Project (https://jason.org)
- NASA SpaceLink (http://www.nasa.gov)
- SitesALIVE! (http://www.sitesalive.com)
- Teaching.com (https://teaching.com)
Standards Resources
The following sites will link you to curriculum and technology standards for teachers, students, and administrators, from state and national organizations.
- International Society for Technology in Education (ISTE):
- ISTE National Educational Technology Standards (http://www.iste.org/standards)
- ISTE Standards for Education Leaders (https://www.iste.org/standards/for-education-leaders)
- ISTE Standards for Students (https://www.iste.org/standards/for-students)
- ISTE Standards for Educators (https://www.iste.org/standards/for-educators)
School/Teacher/Student Curriculum Sites
Many schools and individuals offer exemplary curriculum sites. The following are selected examples.
- Kathy Schrock’s Guide to Everything (https://www.schrockguide.net)
- Mrs. Silverman’s Webfolio (http://kids-learn.org)
- ESL Partyland (http://eslpartytown.com)
Curriculum Resource Centers
Curriculum centers may be hosted by companies, professional associations, foundations, government agencies, and individuals. The following are favorite sites in each content area.
General Curriculum
- Awesome Library (http://www.awesomelibrary.org)
- Enchanted Learning (https://www.enchantedlearning.com)
The Arts
- ARTSEDGE Resources for Educators (https://www.kennedy-center.org/education/resources-for-educators/classroom-resources/)
- Artsonia (https://www.artsonia.com)
- Arts Education (http://www.getty.edu/education)
- Music Education Online (https://www.childrensmusicworkshop.com)
- Children’s Music Resources (https://www.zzounds.com/edu–childrensmusicresources)
- The Puppetry Home Page (http://www.sagecraft.com/puppetry/)
- Sapphire Swan Dance Directory (http://www.sapphireswan.com/dance)
Language Arts and Literature
- 5 Minute English (http://www.5minuteenglish.com)
- The Children’s Book Council (https://www.cbcbooks.org)
- Kid News – Current Events (https://www.dogonews.com)
- The Online Books Page (http://onlinebooks.library.upenn.edu)
- Oxford Dictionaries (https://languages.oup.com/dictionaries/)
- Synonyms & Related Words—Crosswordsolver (https://www.crosswordsolver.com/synonyms)
Mathematics
- Eisenhower National Clearinghouse for Math and Science Education
- emathhelp (https://www.emathhelp.net)
- Explorelearning (https://gizmos.explorelearning.com)
- Figure This! (https://figurethis.nctm.org/index.html)
- FinancialForce—Math and Accounting Activities for Kids (https://www.financialforce.com/library/math-and-accounting-activities-for-kids/)
- Hotmath (https://www.varsitytutors.com/hotmath)
- Illuminations (https://illuminations.nctm.org)
- Math.com (http://www.math.com)
- Math Goodies (https://www.mathgoodies.com)
- Online Calculators (http://www.math.com/students/calculators/calculators.html)
- Ponder This (https://www.research.ibm.com/haifa/ponderthis/index.shtml)
- PUMAS—Practical Uses of Math And Science (https://pumas.nasa.gov)
Science
- Bill Nye The Science Guy (https://www.billnye.com)
- energyKIDS (https://www.eia.gov/kids/)
- Journey North (https://journeynorth.org)
- kidsGARDENING.org (https://kidsgardening.org)
- MadSci Network (http://www.madsci.org)
- NASA Science Missions (https://science.nasa.gov/missions-page)
- NASA STEM Engagement (https://www.nasa.gov/stem)
- Project 2061 (https://www.aaas.org/program/project2061)
- Space Educators’ Handbook (https://er.jsc.nasa.gov/seh/seh.html)
- Science & Arts Gateway for Education (SAGE) (http://www.cac.cornell.edu/education/SAGE.aspx)
- Science & Astronomy (https://www.space.com/science-astronomy)
Social Studies
- CountryWatch (http://www.countrywatch.com)
- A Guide to Money Around the World (https://www.onemainfinancial.com/resources/everyday-living/a-guide-to-money-around-the-world)
- EconEdLink (https://www.econedlink.org)
- EDSITEment (https://edsitement.neh.gov)
- EyeWitness to History (http://www.eyewitnesstohistory.com)
- HistoryNet (http://www.historynet.com)
- International Women’s Day (https://www.bestcolleges.com/blog/international-womens-day/)
- Lesson Plans and Resources for Social Studies Teachers (http://www.csun.edu/~hcedu013/)
- Social Studies School Service (https://www.socialstudies.com)
Health/Nutrition/Physical Education
- AllRefer Health & Fitness (http://www.allrefer.com/category/health-fitness)
- KidsHealth (https://kidshealth.org/#catdieting)
- Kids Running (https://www.runnersworld.com/kids-running/)
- Nutrition Navigator (https://nutrition.tufts.edu/research/projects-initiatives/tufts-nutrition-navigator)
- PE Central (https://www.pecentral.org)
- Physical Education Guide (https://www.playgroundequipment.com/physical-education-guide/)
- Physical, Mental, and Skin Health for Kids and Teens (https://thedermreview.com/physical-mental-and-skin-health-for-kids-and-teens/)
- Sports Media (http://www.sports-media.org)
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Information Indexes
An information index is a set of topic menus and submenus to narrow searches until you find what you need. Yahoo is the most popular, but there are other choices including specialized education indexes.
- Yahoo! (https://www.yahoo.com)
- Lesson Planet (https://www.lessonplanet.com)
- Education World (https://www.educationworld.com)
- InfoSpace (https://www.infospace.com)
- Linkopedia (http://www.linkopedia.com)
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Search Engines
These online tools find Web pages containing words or phrases that you specify-put desired phrases in quotes, such as “Continental Congress.” The last three are “metasearch engines” that use multiple search tools simultaneously.
- Yahoo Search (https://search.yahoo.com)
- Ask Media (https://www.ask.com)
- Dogpile (https://www.dogpile.com)
- Excite (https://www.excite.com)
- Lycos (https://www.lycos.com)
- MetaCrawler (https://www.metacrawler.com)
- Search.com (https://www.search.com)
- Search Engine Watch (https://www.searchenginewatch.com)
- WebCrawler (https://www.webcrawler.com)
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Student Research Resources
The following age-appropriate sites help students answer their own questions, do homework assignments and focused research.
- CNN Student News (https://www.cnn.com/cnn10)
- CyberSleuth Kids (http://cybersleuth-kids.com)
- Fact Monster (https://www.factmonster.com)
- Infoplease (https://www.infoplease.com)
- International Children’s Digital Library (http://en.childrenslibrary.org)
- iTools.com (http://itools.com)
- The National Student Clearinghouse Research Center (https://nscresearchcenter.org)
- Refdesk.com (http://www.refdesk.com)
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Web Portals
Education portals deliver integrated resources, tools, and services through single locations, such as administrative applications and curriculum options.
- Education Corner (https://www.educationcorner.com)
- Oracle Education Foundation (https://oraclefoundation.org/index.html)
- PowerSchool (https://www.powerschool.com)
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Company/Organization Curriculum Collections
Most education-related companies offer online curriculum resources, such as the following selected examples.
- Apple Education (https://www.apple.com/education/)
- Apex Learning (https://www.apexlearning.com)
- Crayola Education (https://www.crayola.com/education/)
- EBSCO School (https://www.ebsco.com/schools)
- McGraw-Hill Education (https://www.mheducation.com)
- Pearson (https://www.pearson.com/us/)
- Pitscho (https://www.pitsco.com)
- edmentum (http://www.edmentum.com)
- Scholastic (http://www.edmentum.com)
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Libraries and Museums
The following sites will link you to museums, libraries and interactive exhibits throughout the world.
- American Museum of Natural History (https://www.amnh.org)
- Children’s Museum (https://www.childrensmuseum.org)
- The Exploratorium (https://www.exploratorium.edu)
- The Franklin Institute Online (https://www.fi.edu)
- Hands-on Science Centers Worldwide (http://www.cs.cmu.edu/~mwm/sci.html)
- The Library of Congress (https://www.loc.gov)
- National Air and Space Museum (https://airandspace.si.edu)
- National Archives and Records Administration (https://www.archives.gov)
- Smithsonian Institution (https://www.si.edu)
- United States Holocaust Memorial Museum (https://www.ushmm.org)
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News Sources
The communications sites below offer news-related curriculum resources for teachers and students.
- ABC News (https://abcnews.go.com)
- CNN (https://www.cnn.com)
- CNN Student News (https://www.cnn.com/cnn10)
- NBC (https://www.nbc.com)
- The New York Times/Learning Network (https://www.nytimes.com/section/learning)
- Time for Kids (https://www.timeforkids.com)
- USA Today Educate (http://www.usatodayeducate.com)
- The Wall Street Journal (https://www.wsj.com)
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Television Media
The sites that follow offer teaching and learning materials to support and extend television programming.
- Annenberg Learner Classroom Resources (https://www.learner.org/classroom-resources/)
- Biography.com (https://www.biography.com)
- C-SPAN Book TV (https://www.c-span.org/organization/?3974/CSPAN)
- Discovery Channel (https://www.discovery.com)
- Dicoveryeducation.com (http://www.discoveryeducation.com)
- ESPN (https://www.espn.com)
- History Channel (https://www.history.com)
- National Geographic Education (https://www.nationalgeographic.org/education/)
- National Geographic Kids (https://kids.nationalgeographic.com)
- National Public Radio Online (https://www.npr.org)
- Nick Jr. (http://www.nickjr.com)
- PBS Online (https://www.pbs.org); PBS Kids (http://pbskids.org)
- PBS Learning Media (https://cptv.pbslearningmedia.org)
- Sesame Workshop (http://www.sesameworkshop.org)
- The Weather Channel (https://weather.com)
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Academic Competitions
Students can challenge their creative minds with competitions offered by the following sites.
- FIRST Robotics Competition (https://www.jpl.nasa.gov/jpl-and-the-community/team-competitions/first-robotics-competition)
- Harvard-MIT Mathematics Tournament (https://www.hmmt.org)
- Kids Philosophy Slam (http://www.philosophyslam.org)
- National Federation of Press Women High School Communications Contest (https://www.nfpw.org/2022-high-school-contest)
- National French Contest (http://www.frenchteachers.org/concours/)
- National Science Bowl—Jet Propulsion Laboratory (https://www.jpl.nasa.gov/jpl-and-the-community/team-competitions/national-science-bowl)
- National Science Bowl—U.S. Department of Energy (https://science.osti.gov/wdts/nsb)
- National YoungArts Foundation Competitions (http://www.youngarts.org/competition)
- Ocean Sciences Bowl (https://www.jpl.nasa.gov/jpl-and-the-community/team-competitions/ocean-sciences-bowl)
- Physics Bowl (https://www.aapt.org/programs/physicsbowl/)
- Quill and Scroll Writing, Photo and Multimedia Contest (https://quillandscroll.org/writing-photo-multimedia-contest/)
- U.S. National Chemistry Olympiad (https://www.acs.org/content/acs/en/education/students/highschool/olympiad.html)
- The WordMasters Challenge (https://www.wordmasterschallenge.com)
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Especially for Kids
The following sites offer creative child-appealing educational and recreational materials including games, puzzles, stories and interactive activities.
- 10 Resources to Teach Your Kids to Code (https://www.bestcolleges.com/bootcamps/guides/teach-kids-coding-resources/)
- The Crosswordsolver (Best Word List for Your Word Games)
- Cyberkids (http://www.cyberkids.com)
- Fun-Attic (https://funattic.com)
- Funbrain (https://www.funbrain.com)
- GeographyQuiz (https://geographyquiz.org)
- Linkopedia Kids (http://www.linkopedia.com/kids/)
- Math Resources for Kids (https://findyourcontext.education/online-learning-math-resources-for-kids/)
- Online Learning Games (https://www.gopromocodes.com/online-learning-games)
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Professional Resources
The following sites offer valuable resources for technology planning, finding grants, writing proposals, preparing staff development programs, communicating with colleagues, and additional teacher resources.
- Blackboard.com (https://www.blackboard.com)
- International Society for Technology in Education (https://www.iste.org)
- Chronicle of Higher Ed (https://www.chronicle.com)
- Educational CyberPlayground (https://www.edu-cyberpg.com)
- Elementary Education Degree (https://www.elementaryeducationdegree.com)
- Elementary Education Degree Guide (https://www.teachingdegrees.com/programs/elementary-education)
- Early Childhood Education Degree Programs (https://www.teachingdegrees.com/programs/early-childhood-education)
- ERIC Clearinghouse on Assessment and Evaluation (http://www.ericae.net)
- National Center for Education Statistics (https://nces.ed.gov)
- PreSchoolTeacher.org (https://www.preschoolteacher.org)
- TeachersFirst (https://www.teachersfirst.com)
- TeacherVision (https://www.teachervision.com)
- U.S. Department of Education (https://www.ed.gov)
- Theory into Practice (https://icebreakerideas.com/learning-theories/)
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Scholarships and Additional Information
The following sites offer resources and tools related to higher education in planning and selecting college scholarships, as well as how to gain the knowledge needed to pursue interest and career ambitions.
- College Affordability Calculator (https://www.affordablecollegesonline.org/calculator/college-cost/)
- How to Find Scholarships for College (https://thebestschools.org/resources/college-finances/scholarships/)
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