I keep a list of themed websites that are easy-in easy-out for students. They must be activities that can be accomplished enjoyably in less than ten minutes. In the parlance, these are called “sponges”.
Photo credit: Nemo
You may have read my post with nineteen sites my students love visiting during sponge time (let me know if you liked them, have some to add, I’m always interested in learning from you). Here are thirty-two more. Hope you like them!
Language Arts
- Make your own Story—answer questions, and the story writes itself
- Funny poetry to read and enjoy
- Jeff’s Poetry for Kids
- Fill in the blank poetry
- Get Writing—write your own story
- Web version of Mad Libs
Math
- Math and Virtual Manipulatives
- Math website—popular, a standard
- Math—by Grade Level
- Math—game-oriented
- Mental Math
- Minute Math
Research
- All-around research site
- Research for kids
- School Tube—learning videos organized by topics
- World Book Online
- Research—chapters on subjects
- National Geographic for kids
- Nova video programs
Science
- Videos on science topics
- Visit a Virtual Farm
- Virtual weather, machines and surgery
- National Geographic Kids
- NOVA Videos—great topics Nova video programs
- Science Headlines—audio (grades 3+)
- Great site on yucky stuff
- Virtual tours
Technology
- Virtual tours
- Webcams around the World
- More Worldwide webcams for kids
- Nova video programs
- School Tube—learning videos from YouTube. Organized by topics
Jacqui Murray is the editor of a technology curriculum for K-fifth grade and author of two technology training books for middle school. She wrote Building a Midshipman, the story of her daughter’s journey from high school to United States Naval Academy midshipman. She is webmaster for five blogs, an Amazon Vine Voice book reviewer, a columnist for Examiner.com, and a weekly contributor to Write Anything and Technology in Education. Currently, she’s working on a techno-thriller that should be ready this summer. Contact Jacqui at her writing office, WordDreams, or her tech lab, Ask a Tech Teacher.
Ask a Tech Teacher 
WOW! What a site!!! THANK YOU!! What a superb resource! It must have taken you forever to compile all of this. Thank you!
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Nine years, seven months… Every minute, fun. Thanks for the complement. Come back often to visit!
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Reseasrch –> Research
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Thank you very much for the topic and to congratulate yourself on the dedication that you give him to your blog, us sirvio much to learn as future teachers of mathematics, we find this site since it is a report for Englishman, and we are interested very much this topic, we are from Chile, region of the maule and our names are Diego Rojas and Paul Yañez, students of the Catholic University of the Maule, Talca.
We hope that you continue with your great labor, we will continue seeing your topics to guide as future teachers…
Congratulations
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Thanks for visiting. I’m glad you find the information useful. Do you have the same pedagogy for teaching technology in Chile as we do here? Please come back to visit often.
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