GAPS Libraries Resource Update
May 29, 2026
Kirkus Summer Reading Challenge for Readers 18 and Under
These summer reading challenge categories capture the pleasures of summer: camp, travel, and the joy of doing absolutely nothing. The reward? Have a grown-up with an email address fill out the submission form with all five titles by Aug. 15, and be entered in a drawing where five lucky winners will receive a $50 gift card for Bookshop.org. Read more and register here.
It's not too early: Election resources
For fall, it's not too early to be asking: what lessons and resources will you need to inspire curiosity and foster civil discourse around the voting process along with the local, state and national issues at stake? Visit Sphere Education's Election Hub for ready-to-use lessons and resources designed to spark student interest and build disciplinary literacy around the rights and responsibilities of citizenship in a democratic republic.
Sphere Education: America's 250th
Sphere Education Initiatives’ 250th collection integrates the study of civics across disciplines to help students identify, analyze, and evaluate the underpinnings of the founding principles outlined in the Declaration of Independence through the framework of civil discourse. By creating space for openness and curiosity in the classroom through interdisciplinary, viewpoint‐diverse lessons, students simultaneously build comprehensive content knowledge and develop critical skills for articulating their views and listening to others’ perspectives.
Help Brainstorm a National Monument
The Women's Suffrage National Monument Foundation has launched a nationwide call for design inspiration to create the new monument at the National Mall. Share your design concepts and inspirations for the first-ever monument honoring the suffrage movement in our "National Front Yard." This is a rare chance for students to move beyond studying history and help shape how it is memorialized.
Middle School Career Exploration Modules from ODE
These project-based, standards-aligned resources embed career-connected learning directly into everyday core instruction, helping students connect what they’re learning now to who they might become. Along the way, students strengthen academic understanding, build essential employability skills, and discover real pathways to high school, CTE, and beyond.
Summer Reading at Albany Public Library!
Explore the Unknown with the Albany Public Library Summer Reading Program!
Win books and prizes all summer long, just for reading! All ages can sign up at the library starting June 2. Click here for more information!
Did you know that every student in GAPS has a public library card?
For the last 10 years, GAPS has partnered with Albany Public Library to make sure every student K-12 has access to the public library! Students can use their student ID card at the Albany Public Library to check out materials -- even students who live in Tangent and beyond the city limits in North Albany and Millersburg! Questions? Email library@albany.k12.or.us
Civic and Digital Literacy Lessons - Gr 3-8
Two hundred and fifty years ago, our nation's founders made a radical bet: that ordinary people, with the right information and tools, could govern themselves. That bet has never been more consequential than it is today. Young people are growing up in an era defined by AI, social media, viral news, and personalized algorithms. More than ever, our democracy depends on digital citizenship. For the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence, use these lessons from Common Sense Media to help your students learn these essential 21st century skills.
