CHAPTER TWO: THE VANISHING GLASS
Enjoy the second chapter of “Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone” read by British actress, Noma Dumezweni. She played Hermione in the West End (London) and Broadway (New York) versions of the play, “Harry Potter and the Cursed Child.”
At The Zoo
Sing along with Simon and Garfunkle’s classic, “At The Zoo” while you take a virtual field trip to the zoo voted #1 in the world, the San Diego Zoo.
America The Beautiful
To enjoy a version of the American standard, America The Beautiful, by blues legend and Grammy winner, Keb’ Mo’ click on this link.
Next, explore The Hidden Worlds of the National Parks by clicking on this link to access Google’s virtual reality field trips to the Kenai Fjords in Alaska, Hawai’i Volcanoes, Carlsbad Caverns in New Mexico, Bryce Canyon in Utah, and Dry Tortugas in Florida.
Screen-Free Activities
Everyone needs to step away from their device from time to time. Click on this link for some middle school friendly ideas.
Free Audio Books From Audible Stories
For as long as schools are closed, this site will be open. Starting today, kids everywhere can instantly stream an incredible collection of stories, including titles across six different languages, that will help them continue dreaming, learning, and just being kids.
All stories are free to stream on your desktop, laptop, phone or tablet.
Explore the collection, select a title and start listening.
It’s that easy. To access Audible Stories, click on this link: https://stories.audible.com/start-listen
Getting A Library Card For The Dearborn Public Libraries
The Dearborn Public Libraries have a wide variety of digital resources. They have updated their procedures for getting a library card and are now allowing people to apply online.
To get a library card, follow this link: https://dearbornlibrary.org/wordpress/need-a-temporary-library-card/
Looking for eBooks?
Follett, a company that provides library books and other materials, is making its content available free through June 30, 2020.
To access the books, you must first register. Click on this link to fill out the registration form.
After the registration form is filled out, you will see a new window with the information below:
- In the Location box, it says “Any Location.” Do not change.
- In the School box, enter “Follett eLearning, McHenry, IL” and click Go!
- To log in, click on the “Log In” button at the top right of the screen. In the Location box, it says “Any Location.” Do not change.
- In the School box, enter
“Follett eLearning, McHenry, IL” and click Go! - To log in, click on the “Log In” button at the top right of the screen.
- Use the user name <guest> and the password <follett> to login.
Video: The Fantastic Flying Books of Morris Lessmore
Winner of the 2012 Academy Award for Best Animated Short Film, “The Fantastic Flying Books of Mr. Morris Lessmore,” was first a picture book by William Joyce. The book was written by Mr. Joyce to show his appreciation for his mentor, William Morris, a children’s book publisher.
When creating the film, Mr. Joyce designed the look and behavior of the main character, Morris Lessmore, after silent film legend, Buster Keaton.
Younger children will enjoy the sweet story of a man and his magical books, older children will be mesmerized by the physical comedy of Buster Keaton when they do a Google search of his films. Adults will need a box of Kleenex.
Enjoy! Here’s the link to the video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ad3CMri3hOs
Journaling And Reading While School Is Closed
On Twitter, I read an interesting post from an historian who suggested that we keep a journal of our experiences while we are under quarantine. I think this is an excellent idea for children as well as adults. Keep a note of things you notice in the media, the behavior that you see and your own feelings.
Scholastic has stepped and offered Scholastic At Home with free online resources like teacher favorite, Book Flix for elementary ages and Scholastic Magazine articles for older students. Click on this link for easy log in information for students in grades pre-K through 6+: https://classroommagazines.scholastic.com/support/learnathome.html?fbclid=IwAR2_fajg5RPUZjSqgYQTYJaGx0QF1_O20BX0fUrv4Pe_An9UoYc6HRrKoRM