New Summer Text Set!

I love hearing from teachers about how much they’ve enjoyed using our text sets so far. Which is why we’re so happy to tell you about our newest one: A summer-themed text set to keep students' math skills sharp!

Whether you’re looking to keep students engaged during these last few weeks of school, or to prevent the summer slide once they step out the door, we’re got you covered with fun articles, videos, and games.

Remember, your current DynaMath subscription is active until September. All you need to do is share your classroom password with students and their families. That way, they can access the website all summer long.

(Need a quick refresher on how to find your classroom password? It’s easy! Check out this blog post.)

Below are some of our favorite summer resources. For the complete list, check out our summer text set here!

This story about counting whales near New York Harbor is one of my favorites. Students can learn about a smart buoy that conducted the region’s first whale census 22 miles off the coast of New York City.

Then, students can create their own fraction line plots in the problem set and a fun game for 4th grade. Added real-world bonus: the questions are based on real data collected during the census!

The opening photo of a whale surfacing in front of the city skyline is sure to wow your students. Ask them what they notice and wonder!

Have you ever been curious about who invented the super soaker? This awesome article from our archive explains how a former NASA rocket scientist did just that.

The Super Soaker’s famous blasts come from compressing air in the water reservoir, which puts pressure on the water. “Air compresses energy like a spring,” says inventor Lonnie Johnson. So “the more you press it, the more it bounces back!”

There’s also a really great 5th grade lesson on multiplying fractions and mixed numbers. 

In this article from our archives, our very own Scholastic editor Maggie Mead visited the Wild Zipline Safari in Cumberland, Ohio to learn how zipline courses are designed. Students can also practice adding and subtracting decimals in a zipline-themed problem set and a fun game that are both great for 5th grade.

Not everyone swims by whales on their way to work. But Kelly Moore does. This biologist and ranger works at Channel Islands National Park in California, monitoring plants and animals in the underwater kelp forests. Students can learn about Moore’s very cool STEM job in two exclusive videos with printable discussion guides. Plus, students learn about the tensile strength of plants like kelp in a related hands-on activity.