elementary
Beti Bwt's Wash Day | National Museum Wales
A fun and detailed video showing how women did the laundry in Wales before there were washing machines. Includes a song in Welsh about Beti Bwt's washing misadventures (pronounced Betty Boat). The site also has an online quiz reviewing the information taught in the video.
Insects Lesson Plan for K-2
Ideas and links for little ones wanting to know more about bugs. Includes tie-ins to more basic scientific concepts like classification, and habitats.
National Geographic Xpeditions: online & offline geography activities and lesson plans
There are 2 ways for homeschoolers to use this website: parents can use the included lesson plans (grades 1-12 are represented) to teach about specific topics, or students can explore the virtual "Xpedition Hall" independently and learn about mapping and geography. The lesson plans are creative and use materials from respected scholars and artists. The Xpedition Hall requires reading, and is best suited for middle school age or older. The tasks in the Xpedition Hall emphasize understanding and applying geographic techniques and information, not rote memorization.
Cyberguides: free web-based literature units for k-12
Offered by the Schools of California Online Resources for Education, these are free lesson plans based on high-quality literature, and grouped by grade-level. Each unit includes several activities to extend the learning. Unfortunately, the program has been unfunded for several years, and some of the links in the units are bad, but there are still lots of great ideas here. A few examples (follow the link for more):
k-3 grade:
World Wide Telescope: turn your computer into a planetarium
Offered free by Microsoft, this web-based software acts as a "virtual telescope" letting you and your homeschol students explore the night sky, and the planets. The interface was not immediately intuitive to me, and so I'd recommend you begin with a tour (click on the "tour" option on the menu along the top of the screen.) You can also use the lesson plan provided here: http://www.microsoft.com/education/lessonplans/explorethestars.mspx
WatchKnow.com: Videos for kids to learn from
Watchknow.com is a site that allows you to search for educational videos by age range and keywords. The videos are submitted, tagged and rated by users, the videos themselves are from other sites across the web. I would be tempted to prescreen any unranked videos before sharing them with young kids.
Teacher's Resources from the Library of Congress
The Library of Congress has helpfully linked primary sources, lesson plans, activities and even professional development for teachers on this page. From here, you can find a wealth of lesson plans, primarily relating to American History, but literature and culture are also well represented. The lesson plans are built around primary sources-- letters, interviews, and other documents from the time in question. They are meaty, in depth lessons, from what I've seen. Most lesson plans are for upper elementary through high school, with a definite bias toward the higher gra
Museum Kids: Just for Fun
From the Metropolitan Museum onf Art, here are eighteen interactive web games that teach about art, art theory and artists. Many cultures and time periods are represented. There are games for all ages, but if a game doesn't seem geared toward younger children, I'd recommend screening it first (for example, the one on Van Gogh's life includes mention of his mental trouble and suicide).
Spark Labs: How to make bio-plastic
From the Smithsonian Institution, here are instructions to make bio-degradable plastic with safe ingredients you're likely to have around the house. The pdf includes a brief history of plastic, and links to learn more.
The Science Spot: Nature Center Lessons
Headed to the Nature Center? This site has lessons, worksheets, and other ideas to help you get the most out of your trip. Most of the lessons are middle school/upper elementary level.
