Featured Sites Week of: Aug 9, 2026 - Reading Treks
Here are this week's features. Clicking the tags in the description area of each listing will present a list of other resources with this topic. | Click here to return to the Featured Sites Archive
Reading Treks: Uprising - TeachersFirst
Grades
5 to 8tag(s): 1910s (29), fire (25), Reading Treks (56)
In the Classroom
Use the interactive Google My Maps or Google Earth file to trace Bella, Yetta, and Jane's paths through 1911 New York City, helping students visualize the neighborhoods, factories, and social divides that shaped their different lives. As students explore each location, they can research its historical significance, including the real Triangle Shirtwaist Factory fire, around which the novel is built. Pair this map exploration with the teacher guide's activities and extensions.You must be registered and logged in to add items to your favorites.
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Reading Treks: Prairie Lotus - TeachersFirst
Grades
5 to 8tag(s): 1800s (89), racism (82), Reading Treks (56), westward expansion (42)
In the Classroom
Use the interactive maps to have students trace Hanna's journey to the Dakota Territory, visualizing the frontier landscape and the distances families traveled during Westward Expansion. As students explore each stop, they can research the historical context of the 1880s frontier, including the experiences of mixed-race and immigrant families during this era. Pair this map exploration with the teacher guide's activities to examine themes of identity, prejudice, resilience, and belonging.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Reading Treks: Paper Towns - TeachersFirst
Grades
8 to 12tag(s): identity (42), mysteries (27), Reading Treks (56)
In the Classroom
Use the interactive Google My Maps or Google Earth file to have students trace Q's road trip and Margo's clues, mapping real Orlando-area locations alongside the mysterious "paper towns" referenced in the novel. This visual journey works well for small-group stations where students research the significance of each stop, from abandoned buildings to the fictional pseudo-visions on maps. Pair the exploration with the teacher guide's discussion questions and activities, ideal for literature circles or whole-class discussion. Use this book to dig into themes of identity, the danger of idealizing others, and the difference between perception and reality.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Reading Treks: A Long Walk to Water - TeachersFirst
Grades
5 to 8This Reading Trek includes interactive maps-available as both a Google My Maps link and a downloadable Google Earth (KMZ) file- that trace the characters' journeys and key locations from the story. There is also a downloadable teacher guide (PDF) to support classroom instruction and discussion.
tag(s): africa (162), Reading Treks (56), water (106)
In the Classroom
Bring the story to life by having students trace Salva and Nya's journeys using the interactive Google My Maps or Google Earth file to help them visualize the vast distances traveled and Sudan's geography. As they explore each location, students can pause to research the historical and cultural context -- connecting the novel's dual timelines to the actual Sudanese Civil War and ongoing water access issues. The teacher guide's discussion questions and activities pair well with this map exploration, whether used for whole-class discussion, literature circles, or independent research projects on themes of resilience, survival, and access to clean water.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Reading Treks: The Captain's Dog: My Journey with the Lewis & Clark Tribe - TeachersFirst
Grades
5 to 8tag(s): explorers (65), lewis and clark (16), Reading Treks (56)
In the Classroom
Have students design a visual timeline (digital with MyLens, reviewed here or paper) that connects major expedition events to specific locations, including dates, images, and brief explanations. In small groups, students can record short podcast episodes with Buzzsprout, reviewed here from the perspective of expedition members (Lewis, Clark, Seaman, or Sacagawea), sharing discoveries, challenges, and emotions. Have students create a hand-drawn or digital journal with Sway, reviewed here from Seaman's perspective, including maps, sketches, and diary-style entries that describe each stop along the expedition.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Reading Treks: They Called Us Enemy - TeachersFirst
Grades
7 to 12tag(s): 1940s (70), immigrants (50), japan (62), Reading Treks (56), world war 2 (168)
In the Classroom
Have students design an infographic using Infographic Presentation Templates, reviewed here that raises awareness about Japanese American incarceration. They can include quotes, historical facts, and a message about justice and the importance of remembering history. Have students script and record a podcast episode with Podomatic, reviewed here as if interviewing George Takei or another person from the camps. Encourage connections to modern-day issues of civil rights and identity. Using comic templates from the Free Comic Maker by Adobe, reviewed here, students can recreate or extend scenes from camp life.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Reading Treks: Pete the Cat's Family Road Trip - TeachersFirst
Grades
K to 2tag(s): emotions (73), flexibility (9), Reading Treks (56), sequencing (19), social and emotional learning (205)
In the Classroom
Turn a familiar family road trip into an engaging learning journey with creative activities that highlight flexibility, sequencing, and positive thinking in Pete the Cat's Family Road Trip. Begin by having students help Pete plan his journey by creating a simple class road-trip map using Google My Maps, reviewed here, adding picture icons for stops along the way, and discussing what families might see or do at each location. Next, invite students to create a short "Pete's Road Trip Journal" using Book Creator, reviewed here, where each page shows a stop from the trip, a short sentence, and an illustration that captures Pete's feelings when plans change. Extend learning by having students make a quick road-trip reflection video or drawing post on Padlet, reviewed here, sharing how Pete stays calm and positive during challenges, and connecting those moments to times when they had to be flexible on trips or in everyday life.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Reading Treks: Enrique's Journey-The True Story of a Boy Determined to Reunite with His Mothe - TeachersFirst
Grades
4 to 7tag(s): diversity (56), immigrants (50), immigration (86), maps (221), point of view (9), Reading Treks (56)
In the Classroom
Step into a real-life journey of courage, sacrifice, and hope through activities that help students connect deeply with Sonia Nazario's Enrique's Journey. Begin by introducing the story to the whole class, with the Reading Trek map displayed on an interactive whiteboard, and guide students through its layers to preview the countries, routes, and challenges Enrique will face along the way. Next, have students use Google My Maps, reviewed here to plot Enrique's journey from Honduras through Mexico to the United States, adding a short description, an image, and a meaningful quote from the text at each stop to help visualize the danger, emotion, and resilience required at every stage. Extend learning by inviting students to create a short scene from Enrique's journey using Witty Comics, reviewed here, such as riding atop La Bestia or crossing the border, encouraging them to capture dialogue, determination, and risk in a visual format that deepens comprehension and builds empathy for Enrique's lived experience.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Reading Treks: Carry On, Mr. Bowditch - TeachersFirst
Grades
7 to 9tag(s): map skills (67), Reading Treks (56)
In the Classroom
Bring Nathaniel Bowditch's seafaring journey to life with hands-on activities that engage students in reflection, research, and problem-solving while exploring Carry On, Mr. Bowditch. Begin by having students respond to the prompt "What's something you wish you knew before starting something new?" using a classwide survey created with Slido, reviewed here, then discuss how their responses connect to Nat's early challenges learning mathematics and navigation at sea. Extend learning by assigning groups to research common 18th-century sailor hardships, such as scurvy, isolation, or storm-related injuries, and create an informative visual using Canva Infographic Creator, reviewed here that explains causes, effects, and solutions while highlighting how Bowditch responded through persistence and self-education. As students read, have them collaborate on a digital vocabulary and concepts board using Stormboard, reviewed here, where they define maritime terms, illustrate navigation ideas, and link each concept to locations on the Reading Trek map, reinforcing how mathematics, learning, and determination shaped Bowditch's success and impacted the lives of those who sailed with him.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Reading Treks: Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry - TeachersFirst
Grades
3 to 8tag(s): great depression (32), racism (82), Reading Treks (56)
In the Classroom
Investigate many suggested classroom uses for this resource in the Instructional Guide (PDF). With older students, use Gravity, reviewed here as a video response platform for students to share what they learned and what surprised them about racism in the 1930s.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Reading Treks: Lexi Magill and the Teleportation Tournament - TeachersFirst
Grades
4 to 7tag(s): competitions (10), Reading Treks (56), transportation (31)
In the Classroom
Bring Lexi Magill's high-tech adventure to life with hands-on activities that engage students in creativity, problem-solving, and global exploration. Begin by having students design a team badge or flag using Adobe Express for Education, reviewed here to represent Lexi's teleportation crew, symbolizing teamwork, perseverance, and innovation. Encourage students to create a travel vlog from Lexi's point of view using the video feature from Padlet, reviewed here, describing her thoughts and challenges at each tournament destination while integrating sensory details and reflections on friendship. Extend learning by organizing a classroom teleportation tournament where students rotate through STEM-based "teleportation stations" representing different countries from the story, solving puzzles and challenges to build collaboration, critical thinking, and excitement for science and discovery.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Reading Treks: Pride - TeachersFirst
Grades
8 to 12tag(s): cultures (291), poetry (197), Reading Treks (56)
In the Classroom
Take advantage of the many lesson ideas in the Teachers' Guide to bring Pride to life and connect students to Zuri Benitez's world of culture, community, and change. Challenge students to compare Bushwick and Manhattan by creating a digital Venn diagram using Canva's Venn Diagram Maker, reviewed here, to explore how setting shapes identity and opportunity. Encourage creativity by having students design a "Then and Now" gallery with Photo Joiner, reviewed here, showcasing how Bushwick has evolved over time and how those changes mirror Zuri's experiences in the novel. Finally, have students create a Pandora playlist, reviewed here, inspired by the book's locations and moods, with each song reflecting a character's emotions or a moment of transformation.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Reading Treks: Mr. Ferris and His Wheel - TeachersFirst
Grades
K to 5tag(s): 1800s (89), inventors and inventions (89), Reading Treks (56)
In the Classroom
Take advantage of the many lesson ideas in the Teacher Guide to bring this story to life and provide activities that correlate with the book's theme of adventure and exploration. Help students understand the timeline of Ferris' invention using MyLens, reviewed here or build a timeline as you read the book using ReadWriteThink's Timeline builder tool, reviewed here. Use the Teacher Guide and the book when students are studying inventors and inventions. Have your students join Little Inventors Club, reviewed here. Students can use Stickies.io, reviewed here to store their ideas and images of their invention.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Reading Treks: So Many Beginnings: A Little Women Remix - TeachersFirst
Grades
9 to 12tag(s): civil war (145), diversity (56), emancipation proclamation (15), identity (42), maps (221), novels (34), Reading Treks (56), social and emotional learning (205), virginia (16)
In the Classroom
Use this Reading Trek as a guide to integrating a book study into your lessons on the Civil War. Create a template for your book study in Book Creator, reviewed here for students to complete during their activities while reading the book and conducting the virtual tour. Enhance understanding by including timelines created with MyLens, reviewed here, videos made with Motioon, reviewed here, and annotated images created with ClassTools Image Annotator, reviewed here. If this is your first book study, consider completing the Book Creator activities as a class or assigning a book to small groups. This Reading Trek is also perfect for gifted middle school students as an integrated learning activity that explores the book's different themes.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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