Awesome Stories

Awesome Stories bridges stories to learning, as a gathering place of primary-source information. Its purpose—since the site was first launched in 1999—is to give context to stories, increasing their power and usefulness in learning.

Over a hundred thousand free members and public users use Awesome Stories making over 2.2 million website unique visits each year, yet its existence is almost a secret. Librarians and media specialist members share the newsletters with teachers, teacher members share the stories with students and integrate the stories and primary sources in their lessons. For 15 years this free learning website dedicated to stories—and the stories behind the stories—has reached classrooms and homes without any marketing.

Awesome Stories turns powerful stories into effective 21st century learning, bridges highly produced and high-interest films to learning, provides meticulously researched primary sourcesand builds critical thinking and collaboration skills. Stories are projected onto whiteboards for whole class use, used in collaborative groups, and by individual students at school and at home. Teachers make lessons come alive and rely on the primary sources to support teaching and students’ independent research—with confidence in accuracy and relevance.

Testimonials reach Awesome Stories daily speaking of the value to learners from 3rd grade through and beyond college in ELL, gifted and talented, special education, social studies, language arts, STEM, lifelong learners and more. This enthusiasm has caused Awesome Stories to expand its content and systems, aligning all resources to Common Core and state standards, and creating premium content and apps including student learning tasks, teacher assign and grade functions, reporting for class, school and districts.