Library of Congress. Free to Use and Reuse sets

Free to Use is a section of the Library of Congress that brings together images, photographs, maps, manuscripts, posters, illustrations and other materials from its digital collections that can be freely reused. It offers an excellent opportunity to explore historical and cultural documents while discovering how libraries and archives can become valuable sources of authentic educational material.

One of the most interesting features of the resource is its visual richness. Instead of working only with written explanations about history, society or culture, students can examine original photographs, historical maps, advertisements, drawings and other documents. These materials can be used to investigate the past, identify changes over time and ask questions about the people, places and events represented in them.

For teachers, the collection offers many possibilities for project-based and inquiry-based learning. A photograph can become the starting point for a historical investigation; a map can be used to study geographical change; an old advertisement can lead to an analysis of consumer culture and stereotypes; and a historical poster can be examined to understand propaganda, political messages or the social values of a particular period. Students can also compare historical images with contemporary ones and discuss how societies represent themselves.

The resource is particularly valuable for the English classroom because it provides authentic materials from an English-speaking cultural context. Students can describe images, reconstruct the stories behind them, write captions, create short narratives, investigate unfamiliar vocabulary or prepare presentations based on primary sources. It can also encourage students to move beyond the textbook and use English as a tool for exploring history and culture.

https://www.loc.gov/free-to-use/

The Library That Dolly Built

Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library is a literacy initiative created in 1995 by American singer and philanthropist Dolly Parton through the Dollywood Foundation. Its purpose is simple but powerful: to encourage children to develop a love of reading from an early age by giving them books for free. The programme sends high-quality, age-appropriate books to children from birth to the age of five, regardless of their family’s income.

What began as a local initiative in Sevier County, Tennessee, has grown into an international programme operating in the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, Australia and the Republic of Ireland. The programme reached its 200-millionth book in 2023 and, in 2022, was already mailing two million books every month worldwide.

The educational interest of the initiative lies not only in providing access to books but also in creating a relationship with reading before children even start school. The books are selected according to children's developmental stages: the youngest children receive books designed around images, sounds, rhythm and simple language, while older children are introduced to increasingly complex stories, poetry, science, values and preparation for school. Audio and Braille editions are also available.

https://imaginationlibrary.com/

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nNri2gb9jYk&t=1s

Maps.Interlude: geography, maps and data at a glance

Maps.Interlude is a blog dedicated to maps, geography and data, offering a large collection of visual resources that can help us understand the world through maps. Its posts cover a remarkably wide range of topics, from European housing, employment and agriculture to migration, elections, energy, climate, inequality and tourism. Recent examples include maps showing average home sizes in the EU, the countries with the largest agricultural economies, the length of time people stay with the same employer, military expenditure in Europe, voting ages and wealth inequality.

This makes the website particularly useful for Geography and Social Sciences, but also for subjects such as Economics, History, Citizenship Education or Mathematics, where students can work with statistics, comparisons and geographical information.

For teachers, the blog can be used as a source of short, engaging prompts for classroom discussion. A map about voting age in Europe, for example, could lead students to compare electoral systems and discuss political participation; maps about migration could open a discussion about population movements and diversity; and data on employment, salaries or inequality could provide opportunities to analyse social and economic differences between European countries. Other maps, such as those dealing with climate, energy production or agriculture, can provide starting points for work on sustainability and the European Green Deal.

https://mapsinterlude.wordpress.com/

Experiencing Democracy in the Classroom

Experiencing Democracy in the Classroom: Building Democratic Learning Environments to Promote Civic Learning is an open-access publication edited by Valeria Damiani and published by Springer in 2026 as part of the IEA Research for Educators series. Its starting point is both simple and powerful: schools are not only places where students learn about democracy; they are also places where they can experience and practise it.

The publication aims to provide teachers with practical tools and examples to create democratic learning environments, strengthen civic learning and encourage students to become more engaged in classroom and community life. It emphasises that when students have meaningful opportunities to participate, express their views, listen to others and become involved in decision-making, they develop not only civic knowledge but also the attitudes and behaviours needed for active citizenship.

The first part of the book connects the theory of civic and citizenship education with everyday classroom practice. It looks at the role of schools and communities in developing citizenship and also draws on findings from the International Civic and Citizenship Education Study (ICCS). The second part moves towards practice, presenting teaching strategies and examples from schools in Italy, the Netherlands, Brazil and Slovenia. These experiences provide inspiration for teachers who want to make participation, dialogue and democratic values a more visible part of school life.

For teachers, the publication offers an interesting reminder that democratic education does not have to be restricted to a particular subject or occasional activity. The way we organise a classroom, encourage discussion, manage disagreement and give students a voice is itself an opportunity to teach democracy. This makes the book particularly relevant for work on active citizenship, critical thinking, human rights, inclusion, media literacy and participation.

The publication is freely available online, making it an accessible resource for teachers and schools interested in developing more participatory and democratic educational environments.

https://link.springer.com/book/10.1007/978-3-032-25449-8

ESL Worksheets and Lesson Plans for English Teachers

Linguahouse is an online platform offering a large collection of teaching materials for teachers of English as a foreign or second language. Its ESL Lesson Plans section brings together lesson plans and worksheets that can be searched and filtered according to different criteria, making it easier for teachers to find activities suited to their students and teaching context. The platform includes resources for general English, English for teenagers and other more specific areas, as well as materials based on different types of language and media.

One of its main advantages is its practical approach. Instead of simply providing isolated exercises, the platform offers materials that can be incorporated into complete lessons, with topics and activities designed to encourage students to use English in meaningful contexts. Some resources also include audio or video, which can help teachers develop listening skills and introduce more varied and engaging classroom activities.

For secondary-school English teachers, Linguahouse can therefore be a useful source of inspiration when planning lessons, looking for activities on particular topics or adding variety to the textbook. Materials can be adapted to different levels and classroom situations and can provide opportunities to practise vocabulary, grammar, reading, listening and speaking while discussing contemporary and engaging topics.

The website also distinguishes between free and subscription-based materials, so teachers can explore the available resources and choose those that best fit their needs. Its subscription plans provide broader access to the platform's EFL/ESL resources and include lesson and course plans, among other materials.

https://www.linguahouse.com/esl-lesson-plans

Exploring eclipses with the European Space Agency

The European Space Agency (ESA) offers this clear and accessible resource to help students understand what an eclipse is and why these fascinating astronomical events occur. The page explains the two main types of eclipses that can be observed from Earth: solar eclipses, which occur when the Moon passes between the Sun and Earth, and lunar eclipses, which happen when the Earth comes between the Sun and the Moon.

The resource goes further by explaining the different forms of solar eclipses and showing how the Moon's elliptical orbit affects what we see from Earth. It also explains why solar eclipses do not occur every month, despite the Moon orbiting our planet approximately every 28 days. The section on lunar eclipses describes total and partial eclipses and explains why the Moon can sometimes appear reddish during a total lunar eclipse.

For teachers, this ESA resource is an excellent starting point for introducing astronomy and space science in an engaging way. In the English classroom, it can also be used as authentic English-language material to develop scientific vocabulary and reading comprehension while learning about a fascinating real-world phenomenon. Students could use the information to explain an eclipse in their own words, create a diagram, compare solar and lunar eclipses, or prepare a short presentation. The page also links to additional ESA resources on the science of solar eclipses, eclipse prediction and the history of eclipses, making it easy to extend the learning experience.

https://www.esa.int/Science_Exploration/Space_Science/What_is_an_eclipse

New Children’s Books for Autumn 2026

For teachers looking for fresh reading ideas for the new school year, the School Reading List has put together a useful selection of children’s and young adult books being published in the UK during autumn 2026. The collection includes picture books, early readers, fiction for different age groups, poetry and non-fiction, covering readers from around 3 years old to teenagers and young adults. The selection has been specifically designed with classroom teaching, school libraries, home learning and reading for pleasure in mind.

The page is organised by age and reading level, making it particularly practical for teachers who want to discover books that match their students’ interests and abilities. 

What makes the resource especially interesting for education is the diversity of themes that can be found among the recommended titles. Some books explore friendship, identity, inclusion and difference, while others address environmental problems, migration, war, grief, family relationships or the impact of technology. 

The resource can therefore be much more than a list of new books. It can help teachers refresh classroom libraries, find material for reading projects and discover stories that provide starting points for discussion and interdisciplinary learning. For English teachers, in particular, it offers an opportunity to bring contemporary authentic literature into the classroom and encourage students to read for pleasure while developing vocabulary, comprehension and critical thinking skills.

https://schoolreadinglist.co.uk/new-book-releases/new-childrens-books-autumn-2026/