HCSD Learning Resources
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In the Hancock County School District, we are committed to making sure your child continues to learn during school closures; therefore, we have compiled a list of resources that may help during the transition. First and foremost, remember that school closing because of the coronavirus (COVID 19) is quite unique, so take the time to make sure you and your child remain relaxed and calm. Do not feel like you must turn your home into “school.” Also, do not feel as if you must print dozens of worksheets for your child to complete while sitting at the kitchen table. Use the time to discover new ways of learning. Explore the resources provided, play board games, read together and spend time outdoors. If you have any questions regarding learning activities while your child is home, please do not hesitate to contact the Office of Curriculum at [email protected]. Happy learning! Tips for Working with Your Children at Home 1. Don’t panic Your children are way more flexible than you think. They will adjust way more quickly then you will and if you remain calm and excited they will too.” 2. Keep it simple “Don’t try to do every activity, everyday, all day. For younger kids, arrange an indoor activity or two, along with an outdoor activity or two. For older kids, let them take the lead (with a little bit of your guidance) and make suggestions on activities they’d like to do.” 3. Take breaks “Use outside, music, dancing, stretching, and physical activity as breaks. You don’t need to keep your child sitting at a table or desk for 6 hours straight. Take lessons in 20 minute increments and allow play and physical activities in between.” 4. Use nature, life skills, and everyday surroundings as learning tools “Your child (and you) can learn so much from the world around you. With spring approaching, is a great time to take a nature walk, look at all the things blooming and nesting and living. Research what you find, start with Google, copy what you read for handwriting and spelling, paint that gorgeous tree in bloom for art. Teach your child to bake a cake, there is a ton of math and science in baking.” 5. Go down the rabbit hole “Now is a great time to let your child learn what they want. When you are out exploring and you come across a pretty rock, and your child asks, “Where do rocks come from?” go with it! Research it and keep going until they are satisfied. If that leads to an entire mineral study, your child will be so excited to learn what they have questions about.” 6. Read books “You can never read too many books. Read together. Read alone quietly. Read aloud over tea and snacks. Read outside. Read everywhere.” 7. Have fun “This is not a time to try to be your child’s (amazing) teacher from school. Don’t stress about teaching your child algebra for the first time, focus on having fun, learning with what you have and enjoying the time getting to know your child’s interests and learning style.” Source: https://www.washingtonian.com/2020/03/13/kids-out-of-school-amid-covid-19-crisis-this-homeschool-mom- has-some-advice/ Web Resources for Home Learning ABC Mouse – K-5 ABCmouse.com is offering their lessons in different subjects like math, science and art for free thanks to UNICEF. ABCmouse.com/redeem Code: AOFLUNICEF Scholastic – K-8 Scholastic set up a “Learn From Home” website with four categories: PreK and Kindergarten, Grades 1 and 2, Grades 3 to 5, and Grades 6+. Each section is already equipped with one week of content for students, with 15 additional days on the way. Each day of content is filled with exciting articles and stories, videos, and fun learning challenges. The students can even go on virtual field trips or meet best-selling authors. The website provides up to three hours of content each day and can be completed on any device. https://classroommagazines.scholastic.com/support/learnathome.html Crash Course Kids This bi-weekly show from the producers of Crash Course is all about grade school science. https://www.youtube.com/user/crashcoursekids TEDEd TEDEd brings lessons to life for students through animation. TEDEd’s goal is to ignite curiosity among learners. To do this, TEDEd collects the best teacher lessons around the world. Then, it turns them into shareable animated videos for students. https://ed.ted.com/ Lumosity Lumosity offers free brain games to keep student minds actively engaged. For example, the games use problem solving, critical thinking, and memory to keep students on their toes and strengthen their skills. https://www.lumosity.com/en/ Duolingo Duolingo helps students keep up with foreign language skills. Duolingo offers 30+ languages so students can start learning a variety of languages that interest them. Or, students can use Duolingo to practice the foreign languages they are already learning in the classroom. https://www.duolingo.com/ More Web Resources for Home Learning Math Science https://www.funbrain.com/ https://www.discoverymindblown.com/ https://www.prodigygame.com/ https://www.nasa.gov/kidsclub/index.html https://www.mathplayground.com/ https://amazing-space.stsci.edu/ https://www.splashlearn.com/ https://lifestyle.howstuffworks.com/crafts/science- projects/fun-science-projects-for-kids.htm http://www.mathgametime.com/ https://kids.nationalgeographic.com/explore/books/how- things-work/ https://www.khanacademy.org/ https://askdruniverse.wsu.edu/ https://www.billnye.com/ Reading https://www.exploratorium.edu/science_explorer/ Projects to do at home – K-8 https://www.justbooksreadaloud.com/ https://www.innerbody.com/htm/body.html (Upper Elementary – High School) https://www.storylineonline.net/ https://www.popsci.com/ Popular Science Magazine – High School https://www.romper.com/p/famous-people- https://www.sciencemadesimple.com/ reading-childrens-books-is-one-good-thing-during- (Middle School – High School) the-coronavirus-shut-in-22621288 https://www.exploratorium.edu/ronh/weight/index.html For fun – Your weight on other worlds Ebook Classics/ Academics: Cincinnati Zoo Online Safari: https://www.gutenberg.org/ http://cincinnatizoo.org/home-safari-resources/ Parent Support Webinar (Reading): Science and Social Studies – K-12 https://about.readworks.org/parents_remote.html https://americanhistory.si.edu/kids/kids-things-do-home (3-8) General Learning Sites https://www.si.edu/learn-explore (K-12) https://www.brainpop.com/ (K-5) https://kids.nationalgeographic.com/ (K-8) https://www.funology.com/ (K-5) https://www.izzit.org/shorts/index.php (9-12) http://www.rudimentsofwisdom.com/themes STEM: (6-12) https://social.oasismatters.com/ https://pbskids.org/ https://ed.ted.com/ TED Talks by Kids/YA Under 20: https://www.ted.com/playlists/129/ted_under_20 Music: Chrome Music Lab: Art / Art Galleries https://musiclab.chromeexperiments.com/ http://www.hellokids.com/r_12/drawing-for-kids https://www.nga.gov/education/kids.html https://www.metmuseum.org/art/online- features/metkids/ Don’t Forget to Relax and Have Fun Arts and Crafts: Virtual Disney Rides: https://www.allkidsnetwork.com/crafts/ https://www.romper.com/p/while-disney-world- disneyland-are-closed-take-your-kids-on-virtual-rides- 22622893 Outdoor Educational Activities P L A Y N A TURAL HIDE AND SEEK One of the best ways to get familiar with your neighborhood nature is to seek it out, and a photo scavenger hunt is a great way to do that. Snap pics around the neighborhood or in your backyard for your child to locate and duplicate with a photo. K E E P A C L OUD JOURNAL Encourage kids to keep a daily record of the sky outside, sketching the day’s cloud patterns in a special journal and using colored pencils or paint to capture the color of the sky. HAVE A BACKYARD CAMPOUT A backyard campout is a practical way to test the camping waters without commitment. Even if you decide to bring your sleeping bags inside at bedtime, you’ll get to know your backyard in a whole new way when you tune into the sounds and sights of a spring night. PUT UP A BI R D F E E D E R It’s an amazingly simple way to lure all kinds of interesting avian friends to your backyard. Scatter a little seed in the yard, too, and you may see an influx of squirrels, rabbits, and other small mammals in addition to birds. START A COLLECTIO N Even little kids can collect stream-smoothed rocks when they’re wading in the creek, stones from your hike through the forest, and shells from the beach. If you do not have access to rocks, collect flowers, plants or leaves. 150+ Educational Shows to Stream on Netflix Animals: From the jungle to your backyard, there’s a huge collection of animal-inpired educational shows on Netflix. • BBC: Life • Tiger: Spy in the Jungle • Elephant: Spy in the Herd • Polar Bear: Spy on Ice • Dolphins: Spy in the Pod • Lions: Spy in the Den • Bears: Spy in the Woods • Penguins: Spy in the Huddle • Blackfish • Shark • The Lion in Your Living Room • A Dog’s Life • Tyke: Elephant Outlaw • The Crimson Wing • Bindi’s Bootcamp • Wings of Life • Born in China • 72 Cutest Animals • Growing Up Wild • Baby Animals in the Wild • Hidden Kingdoms • Terra • Ghost of the Mountain • Virunga • 72 Dangerous Animals: Asia • The Hunt • 72 Dangerous Animals: America • Africa’s Deadliest • 72 Dangerous Animals: Australia • Trek: Spy of the Wildebeest • Africa’s Deadliest • Leopard Fight Club • Animal Fight Night • Peculiar Pets • Race of LIfe • Wild Ones • David Attenborough’s Natural Curiosities Earth & Nature : From unbelievable natural disasters to the depths of the ocean, there’s plenty for nature-lovers on Netflix.