Educator Resources
FREE Activities, Lesson Ideas
Resources from the Vermont Historical Society: Learn more about the history of the Abenaki in Vermont.
PBS Learning Media: Videos, lesson plans, interactive media for all grade levels. Take a look at Indigenous art, history, and culture as told through the historians, artists, students, and scientists in this featured resource collection.
Abenaki Trails Project: The goal of this project is to visibly honor and share a more inclusive history of the Abenaki people, to highlight historical Abenaki sites and to accentuate the positive influences we have had with Colonial America and the towns we continue to live in today.
Green Mountain Library Consortium: GMLC lets you use your library card to access eBooks and audiobooks. To listen to audiobooks, you will need to use the Libby app.
Vermont Online Library – Covering everything from newspaper articles to DIY car repair, the Vermont Online Library (VOL) can help with any topic. Available for free to all Vermonters, VOL has options for all ages from elementary school through adult. You can even use it to read current articles from the NY Times, Washington Post, the Economist, and more. Use your library card number and password to log in.
Project Gutenberg – The site offers thousands of public domain ebooks for free use on any device. Because they are public domain, they are typically limited to works published before 1924, but that still includes a wide range of classics.
LibriVox – This site offers public domain audiobooks recorded by volunteers for free use on any relevant device. Like Project Gutenberg, they tend to be works published before 1924.
Vermont Humanities Council: Vermont Humanities seeks to engage all Vermonters in the world of ideas, foster a culture of thoughtfulness, and inspire a lifelong love of reading and learning. Their online offerings include lectures, podcasts, book discussions and conferences.
Library of Congress: Find Library of Congress lesson plans and more that meet Common Core standards, state content standards, and the standards of national organizations.
National Archives: At-home civics and history learning activities for students of all ages.
At-Home Learning Activities for Elementary Age: Resources from the National Archives.
At-Home Learning Activities for Middle School: Resources from the National Archives.
At-Home Learning Activities for High School: Resources from the National Archives.
Google Lit Trips: For grades K-5, 6-8, and 9-12. Downloadable adventures in which you travel the world with characters from favorite books.
Teacher’s Net: Free lesson plans and craft ideas.
Dynamic Languages Toolkit: Free craft ideas and coloring pages for elementary age learners.
NYTimes Learning Network: Activities and lessons for High School age learners.
Mr. Donn’s Site for Kids and Teachers: Info, games, quizzes, and interactive activities categorized under Ancient History, World History, American History, Geography, and Government.
History for Kids: A free online history network packed with information, quizzes, and helpful worksheets. Topics include Egypt, Greece, Rome, Asia, the Middle Ages, and America.
Science Games for Kids: Living Things, Physical Processes, Chemistry, and Detective Science.
PBS Kids Science Games: Choose from dozens, including the Hermit Shell Game, the Great Space Chase, Jungle Jeopardy, and more.
San Francisco Exploratorium: Interactive activities, with background information and instructions.
NASA SpacePlace: Games, explorations, and puzzles for kids who love space.
Lie Back, Look Up: Family adventures with the night sky. Printable constellation cards and sky maps, with lots of suggestions for family activities.
ChessKid: Learn to play chess – then try out your skills online with other kids or challenge the computer. Learn strategy and problem-solving skills.
History Resources: Learn about everything from the history of zombies and fireworks to state abbreviations, African-American inventors, and Amelia Earhart.
Math Playground: Math-based games for grades 1-6.
National Geographic Kids: Games, videos, quizzes, activities and experiments, and a lot of cool and fascinating information on everything from Space to Amazing Animals, Countries of the World, Gemstones, and Native Americans.
Scrabble Online: Build vocabulary and spelling skills.
Web Sudoku: Sudoku puzzles, categorized by Easy, Medium, Hard, and Evil.
Becky Rupp’s Blog: Let’s Learn All About It! Great books and cool educational resources for all ages. Becky is a long-time homeschooler and author.
Peterson’s Test and Career Prep for Patrons: Use your library card to access online resources and practice tests. Peterson’s provides job help such as career certification practice exams and vocational test prep tools for nursing, law enforcement, real estate, teaching, trucking, and more. It also offers standardized test preparation (like the SAT or GRE), undergraduate and graduate program research, tuition assistance information, and career advice, as well as help with resumes and cover letters.
For VT homeschooling resources, click here.
For online museum tours and exhibitions, click here.
For area museums, parks, and historic sites, click here.
Many thanks to the Vermont Department of Libraries, Vermont Agency of Education, libraries around the country, educators, and homeschooling families that have shared resources and contributed to this growing list.