Resources for educators, parents and students

The following list is a sampling of resources from across the CSMP network. For more options, or to find content for a specific subject area, please visit the nine CSMP project sites.

California Global Education Project

Stories of Struggle & Triumph

Latino Leaders Speak: Personal Stories of Struggle and Triumph is a collection of 33 short stories shared by Latino leaders who have made — and continue to make — a difference in local, national and global communities. These personal accounts reflect resilience, compassion, courage and the importance of education. Share them with students or your own children and use/adapt the learning activities prepared by CGEP. All students can identify their own stories, recognize their unique gifts, and develop the powerful leader within.

California Mathematics Project

Desmos: A Suite of Tools

The main components of Desmos are:

Four-function, scientific and graphing calculators (used on CAASPP, the California Assessment of Student Performance and Progress)
A geometry tool (similar to GeoGebra or Sketchpad but more user-friendly)
Classroom activities (pre-made as well as options for custom, user-created activities)

This no-cost and easy-to-use suite of tools is worth exploring, whether you are a middle or high school student, math teacher, curriculum specialist or PD provider. The UC Irvine Mathematics Project (UC IMP) has for several years used a checklist function in Desmos Use Categories — the "I can ... " checklist — during PD with various districts. You can use this list on your own or, even better, with colleagues to explore some possibilities for using Desmos. Online adaptations of UC IMP lessons using Desmos were already a part of our professional development and became even more timely in 2020.

California Mathematics Project

Jamboard: Sample Lessons

Jamboard is easily accessible from the nine-dot pull-down menu. It's a convenient way for students and/or teachers to collaborate in a shared workspace with simple, effective tools. The ability to prepare the workspace with resources, challenges or sortable virtual cards makes this a great addition to any teacher's toolkit. The UC Irvine Mathematics Project has posted a sample Jamboard. The samples can serve as creative inspiration for using Jamboard in many lessons.

California Mathematics Project

Teaching Inquiry-based Math Virtually: Video

In this video, the UC Irvine Mathematics Project shares strategies for teaching for conceptual understanding with Pear Deck.

California Science Project

Effective Tech Tools for Science

The Effective Tech Tools database is intended to support educators as they select educational technology tools for their teaching while staying grounded in the best instructional practices of Next-Generation Science Standards (NGSS) learning. The tech tools included in the database are the outcome of a collaborative effort of several California educators. The database is progressively being expanded and revised, but it is now shareable to benefit all educators across California.

Effective Tech Tools for Science in Distance Learning from the California Science Project

California Science Project

Science at Home

Activities for science learning at home from the UCLA Science Project

California World Languages Project

The Basics of Teaching Online

LA-STARS has launched Teaching World Languages Online — a wealth of easy-to-use, valuable online resources and tools to support effective distance learning for California's world language educators. The resource is organized into five categories: The Basics; Web Conferencing; Teaching New Target Language Content; Target Language Practice by Modes of Communication; and Assessing Students by Modes of Communication.

California World Languages Project

Going the Distance: YouTube Sessions

Tools and Strategies for Online Teaching and Learning. In these sessions with Nicole Naditz, site co-director of Capital World Language Project, you can explore important design considerations for your remote learning experiences and user-friendly tools for delivering meaningful instruction online.