FREE Online Resources for Students with MCPL
The start of the school year is just around the corner, and as many caregivers discovered over the past year, tutoring or homeschooling children can be a daunting task! Mid-Continent Public Library’s branches, located throughout Clay, Jackson, and Platte Counties, are here to help, and the Library’s many online resources are available 24/7. In addition, a number of MCPL branches have small meeting rooms which provide privacy to study and do homework. As with all of the Library’s resources, these are free to use with a Mid-Continent Public Library Access Pass (Library card), which metro residents can sign up for (and immediately begin using) at mymcpl.org/NewCard. Below are some of the resources compiled by the experts at MCPL to help you get started! These resources provide age-appropriate lesson plans and other content to support learning at home, as well as in-classroom instruction.
GRADES K–6
- Explora for Kids – STEM, geometry, American History
- World Book Kids – lesson plans and scavenger hunts
- Teachables (Pre-K – 6th grade) – activities and skills sheets, games, and more
- TrueFlix (Grades 3 and up) – videos, quizzes
- CultureGrams – activities organized by grade level K–12 (social studies)
- FreedomFlix – videos, quizzes, and other activities
- Science Reference Center –experiments, worksheets, and a research guide
- ScienceFlix – videos, quizzes, projects, and other media
- Teachables (pre-K – 6th grade) – activities and skills sheets on a variety of subjects, games, and more
- TumbleMath (K-5th grade) – a system that utilizes math picture books to connect learners with math concepts; includes thousands of quizzes
MIDDLE SCHOOL STUDENTS
- Explora for Teens – STEM, geometry, American History
- World Book Online – blank printable charts, outside links to lesson plans, scavenger hunts
- Bloom’s Literature – literary themes, timelines, and essay topics
- U.S. History and World History – research toolkit for writing reports, including tips and worksheets
- Access World News – current events
- Interactive: Science – learning activities with guided lessons followed by a quiz
- Science Reference Center – experiments, worksheets, and a research guide
- ScienceFlix – videos, quizzes, projects, and other media
For caregivers who want to provide their students with step-by-step help (but are just as lost as they are!), MCPL’s Live Homework Help from Tutor.com connects students with an online tutor for live, interactive help with homework assignments. This free resource is available seven days a week for English and Spanish speaking students from noon to midnight. Tutors will walk students through each step of their homework problems (messaging and audio communications available).
VIEW A FULL LIST OF RESOURCES AND SERVICES FOR STUDENTS, PARENTS AND TEACHERS AT mymcpl.org/BacktoSchool
Mid-Continent Public Libraries
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