But before you settle in—we asked the experts (librarians nationwide!) to make your students’ summer reading truly sensational—or rather, sun-sational! They helped us curate the book list for this year’s Britannica Education FREE Sun-sational Summer Reading Packet. Their reading recs are full of new releases and timeless classics for readers of all ages! 

Your Easy, Breezy Book List

We’re not going to gatekeep your love of reading! Meet the five librarians and their picks for young fiction and nonfiction lovers alike.

Patricia Alvarado
Library Media Services Director
Dallas ISD, Texas

1. It’s the End of the World and I’m in My Bathing Suit by Justin A. Reynolds
2. Invisible Isabel by Sally J. Pla, illustrated by Tania de Regil
3. The Fire, the Water, and Maudie McGinn by Sally J. Pla
4. Zuri Ray Tries Ballet by Tami Charles, illustrated by Sharon Sordo
5. La Guitarrista by Lucky Diaz, illustrated by Micah Player

Susan Henke Brinkman
Library Media Specialist
James Wilson Young Middle School, New York

1. A First Time for Everything by Dan Santat
2. What is Color? by Steven Weinberg
3. The Language of Plants by Helena Haraštová, illustrated by Darya Beklemesheva
4. The Bletchley Riddle by Ruta Sepetys and Steve Sheinkin
5. Olivetti by Allie Millington

Jennifer Fleck
Selection Librarian
King County Library System, Washington

1. Mural Island by Katie Yamasaki
2. Brave by Weshoyot Alvitre
3. I Got You: A Brother’s Promise by Derrick Barnes, illustrated by Shamar Knight-Justice
4. Don’t Trust Fish by Neil Sharpson, illustrated by Dan Santat
5. Faith Takes the Train by Kesi Augustine, illustrated by Mokshini

Uma Nori
Selection Librarian
King County Library System, Washington

1. Alma and How She Got Her Name by Juana Martinez-Neal
2. Because of Winn-Dixie by Kate DiCamillo
3. She Sang for India: How M.S. Subbulakshmi Used Her Voice For Change by Suma Subramaniam, illustrated by Shreya Gupta
4. Wishtree by Katherine Applegate
5. Where the Mountain Meets the Moon by Grace Lin

Karina Quilantan-Garza, MLS, EdD.
Library Media Specialist
Jaime Escalante Middle School, Pharr-San Juan-Alamo Independent School District (PSJA ISD), Texas

1. What Fell from the Sky by Adrianna Cuevas
2. The Enigma Girls: How Ten Teenagers Broke Ciphers, Kept Secrets, and Helped Win World War II by Candace Fleming
3. Dinosaur Sanctuary by Itaru Kinoshita
4. Weirdo by Tony Weaver Jr., illustrated by Jes Wibowo and Cin Wibowo
5. Louder than Hunger by John Schu

Which of those would you read first? Downloading the packet might make your decision easier, since it also lists each book’s general grade level, subject matter, and even additional reading links to Britannica School and Britannica Library.

Plus, beyond that list, the full packet can be your ultimate reading companion for your summer, and even supplement any programming you’re facilitating or participating in. You’ll get:

Make the Most of Your Summer Reading

At the end of the day though, summer reading is about fostering a love for reading! It also can boost literacy skills, reduce stress, and even prevent learning loss. Here’s some things to try to make it work for you and your readers:

1. Set Reading Goals
   Want to read five books this summer? Or maybe 10? Whatever your goal is, make it realistic, and keep track of your progress. Having a goal makes reading even more rewarding.
   
2. Mix It Up
   Use a book list (ours or otherwise!) to discover something new. No matter your age, you don’t have to stick to one genre. Explore a mix of fiction, nonfiction, verse, and graphic novels. It’s the perfect time to step out of your comfort zone!
   
3. Join a Summer Book Club
   Reading with others is always more fun! Whether it’s a group of friends, family, or even an online community, sharing your thoughts on books can lead to great discussions and new perspectives.
   
4. Get Creative
   Try drawing your favorite scene from a book, writing a letter to a character, or even imagining an alternate ending to a story. The possibilities are endless!
   

Time for Some Fun in the Sun

It’s easy to get started! Just fill out the form below, download the packet, and let the summer reading fun begin. Your summer of books and adventures is only one click away. And, contact us anytime to learn more about how Britannica School and Britannica Library can be a summer reading resource!

Shoutout to you—the rockstar librarians and educators wrapping up the school year. Your well-earned summer reads are waiting.

The post 5 Funky Fresh Summer Reading Recs appeared first on Britannica.

The school year may end soon, but learning doesn’t have to take a break. No matter the state or school, the executive branch is a must-teach in every civics classroom. But the topic isn’t confined to classroom lessons—it’s in the headlines. From new legislation to executive orders, current events can be utilized as stimulus-based questions and are a powerful teaching tool to keep students thinking about what they’ve learned, not just through summer, but for life. 

That’s where Britannica Expedition: Learn! comes in. When students connect classroom lessons to what’s happening in the world, those complex ideas become more meaningful, more relevant, and much easier to remember. 

Explore how our experts use the featured lesson, The Executive Branch, to help students practice how to extract key information from a scenario. Plus, get the bonus matching game!

Download the Content Spotlight

Help Students Understand Why It Matters

Understanding how the executive branch operates helps students recognize their rights and the importance of their voice as informed members of society and future voters. They can understand how government decisions affect them and gain a foundation for forming their own opinions. This knowledge empowers students to engage with the world around them.

Understanding Stimulus-Based Questions

The Question Pyramid strategy enhances students’ question-formulation skills using the essential interrogatives: Who, What, When, Where, Why, and How. This strategy enhances critical thinking by guiding students to explore topics from various angles using different types of questions. Use the Teach Britannia Question Pyramid instructional strategy to help students extract key information from a scenario. 

Bonus! Presidential Pets Matching Game

Wrap up the year with a little help from the White House V.I.Ps (Very Important Pets). Included in the download!

Expedition: Learn! is grounded in decades of research and evidence-based practice. Lessons can be used for whole-class instruction, small-group reteaching, or independent practice. Expedition: Learn! helps students develop meaningful skills that they can use in and out of the classroom, all year long! Book a demo of Expedition: Learn!

Expedition: Learn! in the Classroom

Explore how our experts use the featured lesson, The Executive Branch, to help students practice how to extract key information from a scenario. Plus, get the bonus matching game!

The post Summer Smarts: Keep Young Minds Growing All Season Long! appeared first on Britannica.

Is there life on other planets? Recently, NASA announced an amazing discovery. Analysis of data from the James Webb Space Telescope indicates that an exoplanet, called K2-18b, has gases in its atmosphere that just might indicate the presence of living things! But does this discovery prove that space aliens are real?! As researchers, students must be able to develop a coherent and scientifically based view of the world around them. Discoveries like this provide a relevant and fun opportunity to evaluate current scientific discoveries. 

That’s where Britannica Expedition: Learn! comes in. Our science lessons and hands-on activities guide students to read and evaluate information from multiple sources and defend a conclusion based on research. Explore how our experts use the featured lesson, The Solar System, to investigate related content and build background knowledge.

Explore how our experts use the featured lesson, The Solar System, to investigate related content and build background knowledge.

Download the Content Spotlight

Help Students Understand Why It Matters

Our solar system contains eight planets that orbit the Sun. Exoplanets are planets that orbit a star other than the Sun. There are more than 5,000 confirmed exoplanets out there, with many, many more waiting to be confirmed. Is exoplanet K2-18b home to living things? How can we find answers to these questions? Evaluating scientific information and assessing the reliability of claims are essential skills in today’s world.

Where do we get information about scientific breakthroughs? The answer might be anything from social media to academic journals. No matter where the information comes from, it must be carefully evaluated. Providing students with the skills needed to obtain reliable information about the world they live in (and other “worlds” in distant space!) can help them avoid dangerous misinformation and become well-informed consumers of scientific knowledge. 

Evaluate Science Concepts

Evaluating information is a foundational skill in science—one that builds critical thinking and deep understanding. With Expedition: Learn!, you can walk students through the process of assessing the credibility of information. The result? Informed students who are empowered to gather information, evaluate credibility, and synthesize information to form a conclusion supported by evidence. 

Use the Teach Britannica Evaluating Resources graphic organizer to help students assess the accuracy and credibility of information about scientific breakthroughs and discoveries. 

Expedition: Learn! is grounded in decades of research and evidence-based practice. Lessons can be used for whole-class instruction, small-group reteaching, or independent practice. Expedition: Learn! is the perfect solution to help students work toward standards mastery. Each lesson provides standards-based content and assessment items to support your science instruction. Book a demo of Expedition: Learn!

Expedition: Learn! in the Classroom

Check out other ways to use the featured lesson, The Solar System, using our full Content Spotlight that features engaging activities, thoughtful discussion questions, graphic organizers, and more!  

The post Space Aliens? Not So Fast! appeared first on Britannica.

Did you know the average teacher spends 15–20 hours a week prepping lessons outside of their regular school day? That’s over 500 hours a year spent planning, problem-solving, and creating before a single student even walks through the door.

Behind every classroom full of curious learners are teachers pouring in their energy, creativity, and care. We see that. We appreciate that. And we want to give something meaningful back.

As Teacher Appreciation Week approaches, we’re spotlighting Teach Britannica, our completely free, educator-curated hub of classroom-ready lessons, activities, and tools—all designed to save you time without sacrificing quality.

The Teacher Time Crunch Is Real

According to a national survey, the average teacher works a median of 54 hours per week, with only 46% of that time spent actually teaching. The rest? It’s grading, planning, customizing lessons, building scaffolds, and designing materials for a room full of unique learners.

That’s where Teach Britannica comes in.

The Solution: Resources by Teachers, for Teachers

Enter Teach Britannica: created for teachers, by teachers. Every Teach Britannica resource is designed and handpicked by current and former classroom teachers on our team—fellow educators who know firsthand what it’s like to stand in your shoes. We have a single mission: to give you back your time while boosting classroom impact. The platform is completely free. No sign-in. No paywall. Just real, high-impact, high-engagement resources from one teacher to another.

For this year’s Teacher Appreciation Week, we’re spotlighting some of our teacher team’s top picks—plus highlighting favorite tools from our most active educator users across the country. To make it even easier for you to explore and use these in your own classroom, we’ve bundled them all into a free Teacher Appreciation Week Resource Pack.

Download the pack and follow us on social media to hear directly from teachers about the resources they love and how they use them to engage students every day.

Top Picks from Teachers Who’ve Been There

“My favorite Teach Britannica resources are the Bell Ringers and Exit Tickets, especially the #KeyIdeas exit ticket. I love using it in my lessons because it speaks students’ language while also helping them summarize the main ideas covered.”

Vivian Fritzler
HS English Language Literature/MLL Teacher, Global Experience

“As a former classroom teacher with over 20 years of experience, I am a strong supporter of the lesson minis by Teach Britannica. They offer rich, comprehensive content for a range of grade levels, paired with customized toolkits and handouts. High-quality, free materials like these are a rare gift for teachers, and I wish more online resources matched this level of depth and practicality. As an SME in Media Literacy and AI in the classroom, I am especially impressed by the Smart Researching lesson mini, which equips students with essential skills to conduct effective online research and strengthen their digital literacy skills in the process.”

Jennifer Jeffers
MS and HS English/Composition/History Teacher, CA and CO

“In middle school ELA, engagement is everything. The Letter Roll Review Bell Ringer/Exit Ticket has been a game changer in my classroom. My students light up when they see this activity—they love anything that lets them express their creativity and take ownership of their learning. This tool provides just enough structure to assess comprehension while giving students the freedom to take the task in their own unique direction. The best part? It takes me minutes to set up but yields rich, diverse responses that show me exactly what they’ve learned.”

April Colarusso
Grade 7 ELA Teacher, NY

We Appreciate You—This Week and Every Week

This Teacher Appreciation Week, we want to say it loud and clear: thank you. For your time, your heart, and your impact.

And with Teach Britannica, our support doesn’t stop when the celebration ends. We’re here for you year-round, with new resources added monthly.

You change lives. Let us change your prep time.

Explore more at teachbritannica.com.

The post You Change Lives. We’ll Change Your Prep Time. appeared first on Britannica.

That’s why the Teach Britannica team has developed a brand-new series of High School Career Exploration lesson minis. These bite-sized resources are designed to inspire students, build confidence, and help them take clear, actionable steps toward their future—all while making career exploration feel a little less daunting. 

Teach Britannica is our open-access resource hub created by educators for educators. Its high-quality materials are designed to save you time, streamline lesson planning, and engage students, like those looking into career planning! 

Helping Students Spark Career Interest

These Teach Britannica lessons align with the American School Counselor Association (ASCA) National Standards for Career Development, making it easy for school counselors to incorporate any or all of the lessons into their programs. These ASCA standards aim to equip students with the skills, knowledge, and mindset needed for a smooth transition from school to the workforce—and that’s exactly the kind of support Britannica Education strives to provide.

Here’s a snippet of what you’ll find over in Teach Britannica:

Know Yourself, Know Your Path

ASCA Standards Met:

• C:A1.3 Develop an awareness of personal abilities, skills, interests and motivations
• C:B1.2 Identify personal skills, interests and abilities and relate them to current career choice
• C:C1.3 Identify personal preferences and interests influencing career choice and success

Overview: In this lesson mini, students explore their strengths, skills, and interests through fun and interactive assessment tools. They will connect their personal traits to potential career paths and gain valuable insight into their strengths and areas for growth by interviewing their peers. 

Activities:

1. Skills & Strengths Self-Assessment – Take an engaging quiz or survey to discover personal skills, passions, and interests.
2. Values Vision Board – Create a digital or physical vision board that represents core values, lifestyle goals, and dream careers, helping to visualize what success looks like.
3. Peer Strengths Interview – Pair up with a classmate to interview each other about your skills and strengths. Find a fresh outlook on your abilities by sharing feedback and insights with others. 
4. Personal Growth Journal – Reflect on the discoveries made during the activities and write a journal entry connecting them to possible career paths or future goals.

View the Lesson Mini

Mapping Your Future Career

ASCA Standards Met:

• C:A1.1 Develop skills to locate, evaluate and interpret career information
• C:A1.2 Learn about the variety of traditional and nontraditional occupations
• C:B1.7 Describe traditional and nontraditional career choices and how they relate to career choice
• C:B1.8 Understand how changing economic and societal needs influence employment trends and future training

Overview: In this lesson mini, students will dive into researching different careers, exploring both traditional and emerging paths. They’ll investigate how today’s job market is changing and growing—and what that means for their future work. The lesson will also cover job market trends, salaries, and in-demand skills, key insights for finding success. 

Activities: 

1. Researching Careers – Dive into researching different careers, exploring both traditional and new career paths. Look at how today’s job market is changing and what that means for future careers.
2. Workplace Trends Exploration – Work in small groups to explore current workplace trends. Then, present your findings to the class about how these trends might affect jobs in the future.
3. Career Path Interview – Interview someone working in a career that interests you. Learn what their job is really like, what skills they need, and how they got there.
4. Future Jobs Project – In teams, research new and emerging careers. After, create a presentation on jobs that might exist 10 years from now and what they could look like. 

View the Lesson Mini

Supercharge Career Strategy

Plus, you can find even more practical career prep lesson minis in Teach Britannica, such as:

• a career exploration toolkit with résumé and personal statement guidelines
• tips for writing a five-year plan
• options for mock interviews and testing project management skills

Notice the trend? These resources guide students through the career discovery process step by step—starting with self-exploration, moving into career research, and ending with practical skill development. This approach makes career planning feel manageable, actionable, and exciting!

And here’s the best part: “What do you want to be when you grow up?” doesn’t have to have a final answer! Career paths evolve, and Teach Britannica helps students develop the tools to navigate those changes with confidence.

¹Walton Family Foundation-Gallup. Voices of Gen Z Study: Year 2 Annual Survey Report. 2024.

The post Half of High Schoolers Feel Unprepared for Life After Graduation—Let’s Change That! appeared first on Britannica.

In classrooms across the country, those lightbulb moments—when curiosity meets content—are nothing short of magical. And that magic often begins with access to the right resource at just the right time.

At Britannica Education, the goal is to design every resource with real teachers and students in mind. Drawing on decades of experience in K–12 classrooms—as educators, staff developers, and school leaders—our team is deeply committed to creating tools that support meaningful learning and spark curiosity from the very start.

The Dynamic Duo: Two Game-Changing Resources That Work Together

Educator to educator, I know how precious your time is—and how much of it is spent daily (often after school hours) searching, planning, and adapting material to meet the needs of all of your students. That’s why Britannica Education is proud to offer not one, but two “game changers” that work hand in hand to support and enrich early literacy instruction in your classroom:

1. Britannica School: Early Elementary: engaging, age-appropriate nonfiction content specifically designed for preK-2 readers
2. Teach Britannica: no-prep-needed, open-access teaching resources that extend and complement the digital content

These tools are designed to lighten your load while deepening student learning. And the best part? When used together, they create a seamless early literacy experience—minimal prep, maximum impact.

Let me show you how this duo can transform your instruction and give you back some time for what matters most.

provides:	complements with:
Multimodal Support Rich visuals, read-aloud features, and clear text strengthen comprehension pathways.	Ready-to-use lesson minis with all resources needed for immediate implementation.
Scaffolded Reading The content grows with your readers, from shared reading to independent exploration.	Print-and-go handouts that save valuable planning time.
Authentic Purpose Real-world information gives our littlest readers genuine reasons to engage with text.	Differentiation tools to support readers at all levels.
Academic Vocabulary Content-specific words appear in meaningful contexts, not isolated lists.	Multilingual support for diverse classrooms.
Text Feature Navigation Young readers naturally learn to use headings, captions, and bold words.	Research-based instructional strategies aligned with literacy best practices.

And the best part? The Britannica School collection grows weekly, with 1000+ articles specifically crafted for early elementary readers, while Teach Britannica continuously develops new resources to support this expanding content!

The Magic Moment: When Comprehension Meets Curiosity

Picture this: A first grader exploring “Why Animals Become Extinct” on Britannica School sees orangutans losing their rainforest homes. She looks up and asks, “Why would people take away their home?” That’s not just reading comprehension—that’s the birth of an empathetic, critical thinker.

During a “Weather Wonders” exploration, a kindergartner points excitedly at a tornado illustration and asks, “How do tornadoes spin?” This launches a whole-class investigation using simple materials to demonstrate air movement—all sparked by engaging, age-appropriate content.

This is what makes Britannica School: Early Elementary different. It doesn’t just build reading skills—it nurtures the natural curiosity that makes reading meaningful.

Beyond “Just Reading”: Building Thinking Pathways

When young readers consistently engage with high-quality nonfiction through this integrated approach, they develop:

• Question-Generating Habits: transforming simple “how” questions into more complex “why” inquiries
• Connection-Making Skills: linking new information to personal experiences and previous learning
• Evidence-Based Reasoning: using specific facts when forming opinions and making arguments
• Word Knowledge: incorporating content-specific terms into everyday classroom conversation
• Curiosity: using simple lessons to spark classroom inquiry and deeper explorations

Making Monday Morning Easier (Because We’ve ALL Been There!)

As a former teacher, I remember the “Sunday scramble”—searching for just the right resources at just the right level. When used together, our tools take that pressure off, freeing you up to focus on what really matters: small group instruction, one-on-one check-ins, building classroom community, or just catching your breath between transitions! 

The Perfect Partnership in Action

Picture your classroom tomorrow: students leaning in, their curiosity sparked, hands in the air, and those small but mighty “aha!” moments unfolding throughout your literacy block. These are the kinds of connections that happen when Britannica School and Teach Britannica come together—supporting the critical preK–2 years when students are both learning to read and reading to learn. Here’s how this partnership can naturally fit into the flow of your day:

Ready to Transform Your Literacy Instruction?

Every big idea begins with a little spark of curiosity—and with Britannica School and Teach Britannica working together, you have everything you need to ignite those sparks daily. As our database continues growing weekly, so will the possibilities for your young readers!

Ready to transform your literacy instruction with high-quality nonfiction that engages even your youngest readers? We’re ready for you!

The post Sparking Curiosity in Our Littlest Readers: Where Literacy Meets Wonder! appeared first on Britannica.

Teaching argumentation skills addressing real-world environmental issues in today’s classroom isn’t easy. Between sorting fact from opinion, getting caught up in conflicting information (or battling disinformation and misinformation), and getting students to back up their claims with actual evidence (not just “I saw it on TikTok”), it can feel like an uphill climb.

That’s where Expedition: Learn! comes in. Our science lessons and hands-on activities guide students to critically analyze data, collaborate with their peers, and construct strong arguments based on evidence and scientific reasoning—helping them understand not just what is happening to our planet but why it matters and what we can do about it.

Take a look at how our experts use the featured lesson, Human Impacts on Earth Systems, to explore content and craft effective arguments rooted in scientific best practices—just in time for Earth Day and beyond.

Download the Content Spotlight

Help Students Understand Why It Matters

Earth Day, celebrated every April 22, reminds us of our responsibility to protect the planet. With a world population of more than 8 billion people, caring for Earth can’t be just a one-day event. It must be an ongoing effort that requires understanding our environment, recognizing human impact, and taking action to minimize harm.

Earth’s systems interact. Human activities such as deforestation and pollution disrupt these systems and their interactions, leading to consequences such as habitat loss, extreme weather, and water shortages—all symptoms of climate change. By researching how our actions affect the planet, we can make informed choices to create change.

In an age of information overload, it’s difficult to decipher what’s accurate and what’s not. Equipping students with the skills needed to think critically and make arguments based on research and evidence is crucial. These skills, of course, lead to academic success. But more importantly, they help shape well-informed members of society who can advocate effectively for our planet.

Construct an Argument in 3 Easy Steps

Engaging in evidence-based arguments is a foundational skill in science—one that builds critical thinking and deep understanding. With Expedition: Learn!,you can walk students through the process of creating an effective claim from start to end. The result? A well-supported scientific argument not only masters the standards but also helps students feel empowered to advocate for change. 

Check out these three easy steps that help your students construct a convincing argument rooted in scientific evidence:

Expedition: Learn! is grounded in decades of research and evidence-based practice. Lessons can be used for whole-class instruction, small-group reteaching, or independent practice. Expedition: Learn! is perfect for standards mastery because each lesson is built to provide teachers with opportunities for three-dimensional standard assessment and give students the tools to master them. Help make Earth Day tangible for your students! Book a demo of Expedition: Learn!

Expedition: Learn! in the Classroom

Check out other ways to use the featured lesson, Human Impacts on Earth Systems, using our full Content Spotlight that features engaging activities, thoughtful discussion questions, graphic organizers, and more!  

The post Earth Day with Expedition: Learn! appeared first on Britannica.

Testing season has begun, and now is the perfect time to review standards and topics likely to be covered in standardized assessments.

From US history to civics and government, Britannica Expedition: Learn!’s standards-aligned library of more than 300+ lessons has got you covered!

Whether students need a refresher (or they slept through the lesson the first time) or need some practice with assessment items, Expedition: Learn! has everything students need to master the content and equip them with strategies and tools that they need to succeed.

Check out how our experts use the Women of the American Revolutionary Era lesson to review content and practice how to analyze high-complexity standardized-style assessment questions.

Download the Content Spotlight

Help Students Understand Why It Matters

On April 19, 1775, the first shots of the American Revolution were fired. The fight for independence inspired many men and women alike. Women, constrained by societal norms and legal regulations, found avenues to express the injustices of British rule, both on and off the battlefield.

Phyllis Wheatley, kidnapped and enslaved as a child, stands out as an incredible story of resilience. She used poetry to draw parallels between enslaved people’s fight for freedom and colonists’ fight for liberty. Black people had been enslaved in the colonies for more than 150 years before the Revolution began. Yet they were essential to the cause of independence, fighting on and off the battlefield. Wheatley’s words challenged colonial America to live up to its ideals by recognizing all individuals’ humanity and morality.

In today’s polarizing political climate, we can draw inspiration from individuals who took risks to unite our people for a cause bigger than oneself. Wheatley’s legacy is a reminder of the enduring power of political speech and the importance of holding nations accountable to their founding principles.

Annotating High-Complexity Assessment Items

Every Expedition: Learn! lesson has high-cognitive level assessment items designed by experts to reflect what students will see on standardized tests. One strategy that can help students succeed is annotating assessment items. 

Teaching learners to annotate assessment items helps them actively engage with the text and strategically focus on key points. This strategy can help students:

We’ve designed a handy Expedition: Learn!  Assessment Annotations Key that you can print and cut so that every student can have a copy to use during test prep.

See how our experts use the key to break down a question from the featured lesson!

Expedition: Learn! is grounded in decades of research and evidence-based practice, and lessons can be used for whole-class instruction, small group reteaching, or independent practice. Expedition: Learn! is perfect for test prep because each standards-aligned lesson is designed to build disciplinary literacy skills while fostering content mastery, critical-thinking skills, and real-world application. Help your students prep for testing season! Book a demo of Expedition: Learn!

Expedition: Learn! in the Classroom

Check out other ways to use Women in the American Revolutionary Era with a lesson guide that features engaging activities, thoughtful discussion questions, graphic organizers, and more!

The post Prepping for Testing Season with Expedition: Learn!  appeared first on Britannica.

Say you’re teaching a math, science, or history class, and a student asks the age-old question: “Why do we have to learn this?!” Your gut reaction might be a simple, “You’ll need it one day!” or to dive into the details. Instead, why not turn to the experts in the field?

We had the privilege of talking to some incredibly talented individuals, and we’re excited to share their insights with you to help bridge the gap between classroom learning and real-world careers! 

Meet a Volcanologist

Meet a Glaciologist

Meet a Museum Director

Meet an Architect

Meet a Volcanologist: Understanding Earth’s Fiery Wonders

Ever thought studying rocks was all there was to geology? Well, think again! Our chat with a volcanologist opened our eyes to a whole new world.

A volcanologist’s impact: Volcanologists’ research and applications are crucial for both science and safety. They not only deepen our understanding of how Earth functions, but they also help us prepare for and mitigate the impact of volcanic eruptions. Put simply, their research keeps communities safe and helps protect the environment.

Becoming a volcanologist: Volcanology combines geology, chemistry, physics, and earth sciences and even touches on sociology when looking at how people and volcanoes interact. This makes the role both challenging and incredibly rewarding, requiring a wide range of skills and knowledge. This fascinating career takes a real love for science, requiring at least a bachelor’s degree in geology, geophysics, or earth science. Most often, a master’s or Ph.D. is recommended as well.¹

Meet a Glaciologist: Ice, Climate, and Our Role in the Environment

Climate change is a hot topic, and who better to discuss it than a glaciologist? Learn how the study of glaciers helps us understand climate patterns and what you can do to make a difference with this fun career feature.

A glaciologist’s impact: Glaciologists investigate the relationship between glaciers and our world — and even other worlds! Their in-demand work provides much-needed information on climate change, rising sea levels, and conservation.

Becoming a glaciologist : Like volcanologists, glaciologists are passionate experts about Earth and other sciences, including climatology, environmental science, geography, and physics. A minimum of a bachelor’s degree is required, though most glaciologists have advanced degrees and specializations.² 

Meet an Architect: Making Masterpieces

An impressive blend of art and science, not to mention millennia of awe-inspiring work worldwide, makes our next career feature truly stand out. From ancient greats like Egypt’s pyramids, the Greek Parthenon, and the Great Wall of China to modern-day marvels like Dubai’s Burj Khalifa and the Sydney Opera House, architects flaunt their impressive skills all across the globe.

An architect’s impact: Even if their building is not the next addition to the New York City skyline or a must-see world wonder, an architect’s job is critical at any level. Not only do architects ensure a structure’s functionality and safety, but they also add social value by creating aesthetically pleasing, innovative, and sustainable works. 

Becoming an architect: Careers in architecture combine a range of subject areas that students explore during primary and secondary education, including mathematics, physics, and geometry. It requires a formal degree that encompasses topics like engineering, history, theory, and building design at a bachelor’s or even a master’s level. 

Meet a Museum Director: From Curation to Inspiration

Even with adventurous movie depictions, it’s easy to think running a museum is just about displaying old stuff. If you’ve noticed a theme here, then you already know there’s so much more to it! Our conversation with a museum director revealed a multi-faceted role that goes far beyond simple collection and curation. 

A museum director’s impact: The work of a museum director is essential for both cultural enrichment and societal growth. They not only deepen our understanding of various subjects, such as art, history, or science, but they also create platforms for dialogue, learning, and community building. These valuable experts turn museums into dynamic spaces that enrich our lives and broaden our perspectives.

Becoming a Museum Director: The journey to becoming a museum director often starts with a strong academic background in art history, archaeology, history, or a related field. Many directors hold advanced degrees, such as a master’s or even a Ph.D., which equips them with the specialized knowledge needed to curate collections and design educational programs.

Recap it!

Ask students to consider their newfound knowledge about these careers. The “Learn It! Use It!” exit ticket activity in Teach Britannica is one quick way for students to reinforce how they can relate to what they learn in school. 

Or, next time students ask “Why do we have to learn this?” you can always respond, “To understand the world and why other people do what they do!”

The majority of the information in this blog was sourced from Britannica School: Middle and High School levels. Not a subscriber? Contact us to learn more.

Additional References

1. https://www.environmentalscience.org/career/volcanologist
2. https://www.forbes.com/home-improvement/contractor/what-is-an-architect/

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