How to Supplement Learning with Google Sites in Your Classroom

Supplement learning with Google Sites! When you add concept-based websites, kids master material much better. Consider how related graphics, videos, and review sheets will reinforce your students’ learning.

Supplement learning with Google Sites. The image shows a page from Great Lakes for Kids. It features topographical maps of the Great Lakes Basin.

This Google Site, Great Lakes for Kids, provides text, images, and links to support and clarify our Great Lakes unit.

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Reasons to Supplement Learning with Google Sites

Reinforce – When creating a supplemental website, reinforcement is Job #1. Every page should review and reinforce a key concept.
Clarify – After kids explore concepts in the classroom, they often need clarification. The website should redirect any misconceptions students may have.
Enrich – And, of course, the website should dig deeper, go farther, let kids explore and learn more.
Review – At the end, a review summarizes everything. In addition, it lets kids study for the test.

Again, supplemental websites help kids master tough concepts. When used in the classroom, achievement skyrockets.

Example

One of the trickiest science concepts I teach is thermal energy. After all, how can you let kids play with fire in an elementary classroom? So, in addition to a few experiments, I decided to supplement learning with Google Sites.

First, I listed the concepts. (Note: These relate directly to standards and prerequisite knowledge.) Then, I set to work. As I built my Google Site*, I made a page for each concept. For this particular website, I decided to merge text with online reinforcement (namely videos and photos). The videos were all saved with Safeshare.tv to avoid advertisements.

*The heat website was built with Classic Google Sites, which will be discontinued at the end of 2021. Therefore, I suggest using New Google Sites instead.

What Is Heat?

Here, I wanted to focus on transfer of energy. To increase engagement, I found a video about heat created from friction of tires. A colorful photo of some race cars sealed the deal.

Then I added a little quiz for formative assessment. To create it, I simply linked each answer to a separate webpage. It let them know if they were right or wrong, as well as why.

How Does Heat Travel?

Fortunately, I was able to find a funny teacher-created video to reinforce this concept. My kids ate it up (and I’m sure that they’ll never forget that heat goes from hot to cold!) A thermal image of some ducks provided a visual.

What Are Conduction, Convection, and Radiation?

For these pages, a central picture visually reinforced each term. Videos with experiments that we could not conduct in the classroom provided enrichment.

What Materials Insulate and Conduct Heat?

Sometimes it’s best to use your own photos. Here, I took pictures of two pans from my kitchen. In this way, I could illustrate insulation and conduction. Additionally, I found a great simulation for kids to experiment with this concept.

How Does Heat Change Matter?

For this page, I created my own graphic. It includes concepts and vocabulary that I want my kids to know. A cool video on glass blowing illustrated changes in matter.

On top of that, I found a real gem! Check out this animation of water as it moves from solid to liquid to gas. When you supplement learning with Google Sites, student engagement surges to all-time highs!

How Do We Measure Heat?

Again, I added my own graphic and linked to videos.

Additional Resources

On this page, kids find more videos, interactives, and websites. This is where students can go deeper into the materials. And early finishers can find more to do.

Review

Adding a review page lets kids revisit concepts. In addition, they can study for the test. Once the Google Site is shared with them, students can access it from home – or wherever! No more “but I forgot my study guide at school!”

More Classroom Applications

These websites provide tons of opportunities for organizing instruction and all your teacher stuff. Read more about Google Sites!

So what are you waiting for? Try building a simple Google Site for your students today!

How to Direct Learning with Google Sites

How to Make Google Sites for Independent Learning