Over the years, I had found several websites for 5th graders to use with my students when we would go to the computer lab, or when they used their Chromebooks in class. When we began remote learning from home a few months ago, I expanded the list to include many more websites that do not require a paid subscription or membership signups.
When school districts began closing, dozens of educational websites opened up access to their offerings for free so that students learning from home would have a variety of resources, and that teachers could use to either supplement or replace units that otherwise would not be feasible to do remotely. The listing started out as a shared Google Sheets spreadsheet, but eventually was moved to https://www.amazingeducationalresources.com/, where it grew to a database of more than 1,400 websites!
I knew that some of my students would be looking for more activities to supplement the regular assignments that I was posting for them, so I dove into that massive database, hoping to easily find some websites that I thought would be appropriate. What I found was that the majority of the websites were not applicable to this age group, as they were geared towards either primary learners, or middle school and high school.
When I would find a website geared towards fifth graders, I would get my hopes up until I tried it out, only to discover that it required them to sign up with an email address, and would require them to create a username and password. My students had a difficult enough time remembering their login information for their school accounts, so I immediately crossed any of those types of websites off my list.
My students also do not have their own district-supplied working email addresses. So any websites that required them to give an email address would have meant they would have to use their parents’ email, or their own. However, most of my students did not have their own email address yet. So those websites were crossed off the list too.
This boiled that list down to a few dozen. I posted them in my Google Classroom for my students, as well as on the “Useful Links” page of my Google Site.
Back when the hundreds of websites opened up free access, many of them stipulated that this was only temporary and that they would revert back to being a paid subscription website once the school year was over, or schools reopened.
So I recently revisited my curated list to verify if the websites were still offering free access. Some of them now required usernames and passwords, even though they are still free. If that website was not outstanding, I now crossed it off the list.
What remains is this carefully curated list of websites that are user friendly. By this, I mean that they do not require logins, and can be navigated independently by fifth-graders. The one website on the list that requires a login is Khan Academy. I know that many students already use this site, so I kept it on the list since it is well-known.
I was excited to see that the original “Amazing Educational Resources” website had been updated to include a search feature to sort by grade level and subject. However, when I tested it out, it seems that many websites are miscategorized. They either have nothing to do with the subject they are listed under or are way too mature for fifth graders. For example, a YouTube channel might have a few videos appropriate for 10-year-olds but might have many others that could be deemed controversial for this age group.
In some cases, the links on my list take you directly to a page with activities specifically for 5th graders. However, that same website might have resources for other grades as well. Therefore, if you teach other grades, you still might want to check out these sites.
If you would like this list of websites for 5th graders as a Google Slides download, make sure to fill out the form below, and I will send you a link via email.
5th Grade Websites
ELA
Audible: – Free 14 day trial of Audiobook service
Funbrain: Reading and math activities and games
Libby: Use your Public Library Card to borrow e-books for free in this app.
Math
Bedtime Math: Directions for fun activities using common household items, each utilizing math skills
Cool Math Games: No login needed – The Pre-Algebra section is good for 5th grade.
EdHelper – 29 pages of printable math worksheets
IXL: No login needed – Hundreds of math activities, broken down by skill
Johnnie’s Math Games: Links to dozens of math games
Math Playground: Dozens of math games, divided up by domain
Science
Crash Course Kids: YouTube channel featuring a variety of science videos for children
Generation Genius: Science videos, divided up by grade levels
Maker Maven: STEM challenges that use common household items
Mystery Science: Videos and activities that can be done in the classroom or at home
National Geographic – Live video conferences with leading scientists, researchers, educators and storytellers on Wednesdays and Thursdays
National Inventors Hall of Fame: 10 STEM Activities
National Museum of Natural History: Virtual tour
NASA Kids Club: Activities about space exploration
San Diego Zoo Kids: Videos, activities and games about animals
Social Studies
National Constitution Center – Interactive Constitution, videos, games, crafts and lesson plans about government
Miscellaneous
Adventures in Familyhood: Virtual Field Trips
Arcademics: Compete against others online in a variety of subjects
Bamboo: Activities you can do if you an Alexa or Google Assistant device at home
CILC Webinars: YouTube webinars on interesting topics for different grade levels.
Computer Coding – The website that has the Hour of Code activities
Khan Academy App for iPhone/iPad, App for Android or Website – Math and Reading lessons
National Geographic For Kids: Videos and games
NitroType – Compete against others to improve your typing speed. Click “Race as a Guest.”
Nomster Chef – Recipes for Kids, sorted by category or food allergy
Sporcle – Trivia Contests for 5th Graders
Sports Illustrated for Kids: Sports articles
Typing Club: Interactive learn to type program
Wonderopolis: Daily articles inspired by children’s wonderings
Do you have other tried and true websites that do not require membership that you use with your 5th grade class? Let me know in the comment section at the bottom.
One Response
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