Classroom Resources

Today we're going to talk about space, but not like stars and satellites and stuff. Instead, we're going to talk about geographic space. In geography, we can look at the world and the places and spaces we inhabit with four distinct lenses: space as a container, topologically, socially, and how we perceive it. On this journey, we'll make stops in Antarctica, Haiti, and China as we introduce the tools you'll need from surveying and remote sensing to community-created maps to help us better understand and navigate our world.

In this video, students take a closer look at how the oceans circulate by following the life of a discarded water bottle as it gets snagged in the North Pacific Garbage Patch. We'll talk about what causes the movement of water, called current, both near the surface and much deeper in the oceans, and we'll show how they follow similar (but not identical) paths to the winds. Ocean circulation plays a huge role in cycling vital nutrients within the seas and helps us transport goods on ships across the globe and it's up to us to protect it.

In this video, we’re going to visit Siberia and take a closer look at how temperatures there (and around the globe) impact the way cultures, communities, and landscapes form. Air temperature plays a much bigger role than just helping us decide what we’re going to wear every day, it dictates the kind of foods we can grow, how we build our cities and roads, and the kinds of industries that can even exist in a location. In a region like Siberia, where it can get cold, like REALLY COLD, the air temperature has had an incredible impact on life. Before we end this episode we’ll warm up with a visit to Phoenix, Arizona to talk about how they too have to make a lot of decisions due to the extreme heat of a city in the middle of the desert.

In this video, Adriene Hill and Jacob Clifford teach you about specialization and trade, and how countries decide whether they're going to make stuff or trade for stuff. You'll learn about things like comparative advantage, the production possibilities frontier, and how to make pizza.

Observe and annotate various images of weather phenomena in this interactive drawing tool produced by WGBH. Weather is the combination of various factors—snow or rain, wind, sunlight and clouds, and temperature—that happens in a specific location at a specific time. As the combination of factors constantly shifts, the condition changes and leaves behind evidence that shows how the weather has changed. Students can use the images in this interactive tool to observe weather conditions and document evidence of weather that happened earlier in the day.

Players strive to create a balanced rainforest ecosystem in which each animal has enough food to survive over a period of 12 days, in this interactive game from PLUM LANDING™. Players see how the different species of plants and animals in a rainforest depend on one another. They also experiment with how changing the amount of one resource affects the whole ecosystem. 

Use science inquiry to predict and investigate forces and motion to help rescue Ruff's plushie from the penguins' ice rink in this sports science game from The Ruff Ruffman Show. Students will apply the right amount of force on a cannon to move the plushie into the target space. 

This resource is part of The Ruff Ruffman Show Science Collection.

Players strive to create a balanced mangrove ecosystem in which each animal has enough food to survive over a period of 12 days, in this interactive game from PLUM LANDING™. Players see how the different species of plants and animals in a mangrove swamp depend on one another. They also experiment with how changing the amount of one resource affects the whole ecosystem.

Children will learn about physical science and motion and stability with gravity in this game from Ready, Jet, Go. Play basketball with Mindy on Earth and across planets with this game from Ready, Jet, Go. Players must tweak each level's obstacles so that the ball can be guided into the hoop, all while experimenting with force and gravity levels from planet to planet.

From Seed to Fruit takes children through the different stages of growth in the life of a cherry tomato plant. Planting a seed in a cup and watching it grow over time is a wonderful way to introduce the life cycle to young children.

Players strive to create a balanced mountain ecosystem in which each animal has enough food to survive over a period of 12 days, in this interactive game from PLUM LANDING™. Players see how the different species of plants and animals in a mountain ecosystem depend on one another. They also experiment with how changing the amount of one resource affects the whole ecosystem. 

Get close-up and grossed-out as you learn about the wonderful way worms work in our environment. Learn vermicomposting, and dig into how an author may write text to support his or her point of view.

Learn how beavers are nature’s amazing engineers. This self-paced lesson is full of beautiful beaver videos, awesome fact-filled infographics, and all you can soak in about beavers, beaver dams, and beaver lodges.

Take a field trip in your own backyard. Backyard Animals, introduces children to animals they might find just outside the back door or in a nearby park. Students click on an animal to learn more about it. 

In this interactive lesson, students enjoy zaps, flashes, and bad hair days as they read together with a Gray Crowned Crane about static electricity. Learn to use images when reading to help clarify meaning and improve understanding of an informational text.

Enjoy this colorful self-paced lesson to practice leveled reading. Use question words like “Who? What? When? Where? Why? & How?” Watch a real hot air balloon launch and meet a crazy ostrich who knows she can run but thinks she can fly. Students learn about how matter, mass, volume, and weight are connected to air. 

May the force be with you as you learn about using text features (like captions, bold print, subheadings, icons, and glossaries) to find facts about the force known as gravity! A big silly walrus will travel with you through this lesson.

In this interactive Nearpod lesson, children will learn about the environment by going outdoors and picking up litter.

This digital lesson is delivered via Nearpod, a free, K-12 student engagement platform. Use these materials for virtual or in-person instruction, or share these resources directly with students and families to support learning at home.

NOTE: Teaching this digital lesson requires a free Nearpod account, but no account or student information is required for students to use Nearpod.

In this interactive game, children are prompted to help the animals get dressed for each season. The earth changes with each season, and children can enjoy and learn from these changes. Observing the ways in which these changes take place can be a wonderful tool to introduce concepts such as evaluation and very basic problem solving.

Use this game from The Ruff Ruffman Show to help children learn motion and stability: forces and interactions through physical science. Use the engineering design process to build, test, and redesign structures to help the hungry hamsters reach their food.

This resource is part of The Ruff Ruffman Show Science Collection.

Explore how light moves and describe how an object in a dark space only becomes visible when light moves into the space and illuminates it. Interactive activities, time-lapse videos, and images are used to enhance student observations as they identify objects in the path of light or follow the path of light from its source.

Support materials include: Handouts and Teaching Tips. This resource was developed through WGBH’s Bringing the Universe to America’s Classrooms project, in collaboration with NASA.

The associated lesson plan Let's Explore Light provides more support for teachers and students, including handouts and materials for diverse learners.

Guide students as they explore how animals and plants meet their basic needs in a city, with help from Plum and her friends from PLUM LANDING. In this interactive lesson, students learn that animals need air, food, water, and shelter, while plants need air, sunlight, and water. Students watch videos and engage with drawing and sorting activities to reinforce their learning. This lesson is designed for teachers to present to students.

Use science inquiry to explore and test different ingredients to help Ruff make, decorate, and serve cookies to his family in this kitchen science game from The Ruff Ruffman Show. Students will explore how changes to substances are sometimes irreversible. 

This resource is part of The Ruff Ruffman Show Science Collection.

Children move an object in front of a flashlight and observe how its shadow changes in this interactive game from PEEP and the Big Wide World. As children slide the object closer to and farther away from the light until its shadow matches the size of the object’s outline on the wall, they discover that when an object is moved closer to the light source, it blocks more light and its shadow becomes larger. Children also explore how changing the position of the light changes the direction in which the shadow of the object falls.

To view the Activity, Student Handout, and Teaching Tips for this interactive game, go to Support Materials. This resource was developed through WGBH’s Bringing the Universe to America’s Classrooms project, in collaboration with NASA.

Learn about motion, forces, and sources of energy as you direct a train to the finish line in Rail Rally from Dinosaur Train.

Learn about the archerfish and the bugs they eat as you play the Wild Kratts: Archer Fish Bug game.

Creature Power! Collaborate with Aviva to design power suits by deciding what types of animal features are best for certain environments.

Creature Power! Learn about underwater sea life by collecting missing creature power suit parts while impersonating wildlife.

Baby animals have been captured and it is up to the Kratts to use their knowledge of animals and power suits to rescue the creatures. Players will figure out which powersuits are needed to get through the maze.

This website offers direct links to a variety of Spanish language newspapers from the United States and around the globe. These authentic materials in the target language were published for Spanish speakers and provide lots of interpretative reading practice for students as they explore current events from the Latino world. Resources are well organized and provided from Argentina, Canary Islands, Chile, Colombia, Guatemala, Mexico, Peru, Venezuela, Spain, the United States and more. 

This intermediate-low to intermediate-high Spanish language activity focuses on interpersonal conversations as students discuss various celebrations and dating tips. Some cultural aspects are introduced but the focus is primarily on target language conversation. This activity includes a warm-up, main activity, and wrap-up. Included resources are printable vocab cards needed for the warm-up, question cards to keep students on task and engaged, and a Google slide presentation that will guide the teacher and students through the activity.

Students connect the stars together and learn more about constellations from Mindy. Then, let Mindy tell you more about the myths and legends that inspired the constellations.

In this Martha Speaks interactive story students discover how plants and animals depend on each other in an ecosystem. Fallen leaves decay; earthworms eat the leaves and fertilize the dirt. Then trees use the fertilized soil to grow. When used as a part of Martha’s True Stories Buddies Program, buddy pairs engage with the interactive story and then talk and write as they draw a habitat they have seen that includes an ecosystem. To familiarize yourself with the program, begin by reading the Martha's True Stories Buddies Program: Overview.

In this Martha Speaks interactive story, students explore the benefits of sorting waste in order to help the environment. Students learn about how recycling and composting work. When used as a part of Martha’s True Stories Buddies Program, buddy pairs engage with the interactive story, then talk and write as they create their own Earth Pledge about how they will help protect the earth. To familiarize yourself with the program, begin by reading the Martha's True Stories Buddies Program: Overview.

Introduce your children to the concepts of physical science, specifically motion and stability: forces and interactions with this game from The Cat in the Hat Knows a Lot About That! Nick and Sally are testing out the newest slides in Frictionarium. By changing a slide's height and texture, kids will engage in cause and effect as they race with Thing 1 and Thing 2.