Free Resources
Informed by experts and extensive research, these free resources from First Book's Accelerator™ save you time and offer actionable steps you can take today to support the kids and teens in your community.
Do you have feedback on any of our free resources? We want to hear about it!
Informed by experts and extensive research, these free resources from First Book's Accelerator™ save you time and offer actionable steps you can take today to support the kids and teens in your community.
Featured Free Resource
Featured Free Resource
Changemakers Start Here: 15 Minute Activities for K-12
Save time with versatile, ready-to-use activities you can implement today! These short, engaging learning experiences require minimal planning and materials, making it easy to integrate changemaking into any classroom or program. Each activity includes guided reflection, opportunities for creative expression, and prompts that spark collaboration—helping students explore their ideas and take meaningful steps toward change.
Changemakers Start Here:
15 Minute Activities for K-12
Save time with versatile, ready-to-use activities you can implement today! These short, engaging learning experiences require minimal planning and materials, making it easy to integrate changemaking into any classroom or program. Each activity includes guided reflection, opportunities for creative expression, and prompts that spark collaboration—helping students explore their ideas and take meaningful steps toward change.
Build the Change Course Packs
Created in partnership with our friends from the sustainability team at the LEGO Group, these FREE course packs are filled with lessons & activities to help you empower students to develop creative solutions to real-world challenges.
Build the Change Course Packs
Created in partnership with our friends from the sustainability team at the LEGO Group, these FREE course packs are filled with lessons & activities to help you empower students to develop creative solutions to real-world challenges.
STEAM Defines Our Future
Through engaging videos, lessons, and tips and tricks from First Book educators, this initiative guides you in helping students find connections between what they're learning now and future STEAM careers, with a particular focus on critical thinking skills and habits and soft skills like communication and creativity.
STEAM Defines Our Future
Through engaging videos, lessons, and tips and tricks from First Book educators, this initiative guides you in helping students find connections between what they're learning now and future STEAM careers, with a particular focus on critical thinking skills and habits and soft skills like communication and creativity.
Time for Change: Dream. Act. Change Our World.
Changemaking is the idea that, in collaboration with others, every person can apply creative solutions to address problems in their communities. Help foster Changemaking with the Time for Change program.
Time for Change:
Dream. Act. Change Our World.
Changemaking is the idea that, in collaboration with others, every person can apply creative solutions to address problems in their communities. Help foster Changemaking with the Time for Change program.
2025 – 2026 School Year Calendar: STEAM For All
For the 2025-2026 school year, First Book is celebrating STEAM subjects and careers and the many people whose contributions have changed our world for the better. Throughout the calendar, you will find themed months, religious observances, dates with cultural and historical significance, and STEAM-related events and celebrations.
2025 – 2026
School Year Calendar:
STEAM For All
For the 2025-2026 school year, First Book is celebrating STEAM subjects and careers and the many people whose contributions have changed our world for the better. Throughout the calendar, you will find themed months, religious observances, dates with cultural and historical significance, and STEAM-related events and celebrations.
Supporting Grieving Students
Together, the New York Life Foundation and First Book are working to empower and equip those working with bereaved children and families by providing necessary resources and meaningful stories.
Supporting Grieving Students
Together, the New York Life Foundation and First Book are working to empower and equip those working with bereaved children and families by providing necessary resources and meaningful stories.
Taking Care: An Educator Guide to Healthy Habits for
Student Emotional Wellness
Developed in response to First Book educators' concerns about the mental health challenges faced by students, this guide contains best practices and activities to optimize mental fitness and emotional resilience and decrease stress and anxiety.
Taking Care: An Educator
Guide to Healthy Habits for
Student Emotional Wellness
Developed in response to First Book educators' concerns about the mental health challenges faced by students, this guide contains best practices and activities to optimize mental fitness and emotional resilience and decrease stress and anxiety.
Getting Started Guide: Teaching about the Holocaust
This guide features free, high-quality resources and lessons from the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum designed to support educators in teaching about the Holocaust with historical accuracy to students in grades 7-12.
Getting Started Guide:
Teaching about the Holocaust
This guide features free, high-quality resources and lessons from the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum designed to support educators in teaching about the Holocaust with historical accuracy to students in grades 7-12.
Our Interconnected World: Celebrating Playful Cities & Communities
Unstructured play engages multiple senses and skill sets, contributing to long-term growth in key areas of development: physical health, emotional well-being, social development and skills, creativity, and critical thinking. Use this resource to help students explore playful spaces in their communities and learn about innovative, interactive spaces throughout the country.
Our Interconnected World:
Celebrating Playful Cities & Communities
Unstructured play engages multiple senses and skill sets, contributing to long-term growth in key areas of development: physical health, emotional well-being, social development and skills, creativity, and critical thinking. Use this resource to help students explore playful spaces in their communities and learn about innovative, interactive spaces throughout the country.
Empathy in Action: How to Create Welcoming
Learning Environments
This resource from Build the Change helps you promote empathy and belonging in your classrooms and programs. First Book worked with The Kids Mental Health Foundation to provide strategies to encourage inclusive friendships, teach prosocial behavior, and meet the needs of every learner.
Empathy in Action:
How to Create Welcoming
Learning Environments
This resource from Build the Change helps you promote empathy and belonging in your classrooms and programs. First Book worked with The Kids Mental Health Foundation to provide strategies to encourage inclusive friendships, teach prosocial behavior, and meet the needs of every learner.
Literacy Rich Classroom Library Checklist: An Assessment
Tool for Equity
Developed in partnership with literacy researcher Susan Neuman, this resource highlights the elements that make up a literacy rich classroom environment. Assess your classroom library and advocate for the resources you need to create an equitable environment.
Literacy Rich Classroom Library
Checklist: An Assessment
Tool for Equity
Developed in partnership with literacy researcher Susan Neuman, this resource highlights the elements that make up a literacy rich classroom environment. Assess your classroom library and advocate for the resources you need to create an equitable environment.
Reading Universe
Looking for free resources to supplement your reading instruction? Explore the video-rich Reading Universe website for evidence-based strategies and practical guidance to help you in your classroom!
Reading Universe
Looking for free resources to supplement your reading instruction? Explore the video-rich Reading Universe website for evidence-based strategies and practical guidance to help you in your classroom!
Quick Start Guide: Using the Literacy Tools in
Microsoft 365 Education
To help students become confident readers, Microsoft created free literacy tools for classroom and home use. Learn how to use a variety of resources to streamline reading assessments and help students build key literacy skills.
Quick Start Guide:
Using the Literacy Tools in
Microsoft 365 Education
To help students become confident readers, Microsoft created free literacy tools for classroom and home use. Learn how to use a variety of resources to streamline reading assessments and help students build key literacy skills.
Colorful Conversations
Help elementary school students learn about the science and social significance of skin tone and the importance of positive racial identity. Resource includes identity charts, self-portrait templates, guidance for mixing paints, facts about skin tone, and more.
Colorful Conversations
Help elementary school students learn about the science and social significance of skin tone and the importance of positive racial identity. Resource includes identity charts, self-portrait templates, guidance for mixing paints, facts about skin tone, and more.
The Empowering Educators Toolbox
Want to talk about race but not sure where to start? Discover resources to support your anti-bias, antiracist work and facilitate conversations with your students—from tips and best practices to get you started to lesson plans and tools to help you dig deeper.
The Empowering Educators Toolbox
Want to talk about race but not sure where to start? Discover resources to support your anti-bias, antiracist work and facilitate conversations with your students—from tips and best practices to get you started to lesson plans and tools to help you dig deeper.
Trauma Toolkit
Learn how childhood trauma affects a student's ability to learn, best practices to support their development, the importance of educator self-care, and more in this expert-informed toolkit.
Trauma Toolkit
Learn how childhood trauma affects a student's ability to learn, best practices to support their development, the importance of educator self-care, and more in this expert-informed toolkit.
Promoting Respect & Empathy: A Toolkit for Educators
of All Grades
Want great ideas on how to promote respect and empathy among your students? First Book members from across the US share their lesson plans, tips, and recommendations in this first-of-its-kind toolkit!
Promoting Respect & Empathy:
A Toolkit for Educators
of All Grades
Want great ideas on how to promote respect and empathy among your students? First Book members from across the US share their lesson plans, tips, and recommendations in this first-of-its-kind toolkit!