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Diane Flynn Keith began publishing “ClickSchooling” in the year 2000 while she and her husband, Cliff, homeschooled their sons. Now, Diane’s sons are grown, and she is an internationally recognized voice in education outside the traditional classroom walls.
games like Windshield Entomology, Road-Cut Geology, 18-Wheeler Chemistry, and Drive-By History that are guaranteed to turn your kids into “Road Scholars”.Homefires
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ClickSchooling Special Announcement
March 3rd, 2010 by admin No comments »Earthquake Science
March 2nd, 2010 by admin No comments »Hi! It’s Tuesday, March 2, 2010 and time for Science at ClickSchooling!
Recommended Website:
USGS: Earthquakes for Kids
Age Range: 8 and up (approximately – there are aspects that will appeal to people of all ages)
Due to the massive earthquake in Chile on February 27th (magnitude 8.8 on the Richter Scale), I thought your children may have questions about earthquakes. At this USGS website (designed for kids) you can learn all about the science behind earthquakes and much more.
When you get to the site you’ll see a menu of items that include:
*The Science of Earthquakes – Discover what happens when two blocks of the earth suddenly slip past one another and better understand terminology like fault, fault zone, magnitude, Richter Scale, hypocenter, and epicenter.
*Latest Quakes – View an interactive map of the world indicating where and when earthquakes have happened.
*Become an Earthquake Scientist – Learn how a geophysicist studies the Earth using gravity, magnetic, electrical, and seismic methods.
*Animations – Watch incredible animations of liquefaction, strike-slip fault, thrust fault, wavefronts, foreshocks and more.
*Puzzles and Games – Get coloring pages to print, take an earthquake quiz, enjoy an interactive word search puzzle, use a calculator to see how much bigger a magnitude 8.7 earthquake is than a 5.8.
You’ll also find terrific links to further resources, science projects, and “Earthquake ABC’s.”
Then, learn what to do to stay safe in an earthquake at FEMA’s website.
Interactive Geometry Game
March 1st, 2010 by admin No comments »Hi! It’s Monday, March 1, 2010 and time for Math at ClickSchooling!
Recommended Website:
Oswego School District: Billy Bug Geometry
Age Range: 7-10 (approximately)
This website offers a fun game to help elementary age students practice finding geometry coordinates on a number grid.
When you get to the site, you’ll see the instructions for the game. The idea is to help an animated bug find the grub hidden on the grid by locating the coordinates that are provided.
Students are challenged to see how long it will take them to feed “Billy” 10 times. A game timer keeps track of the student’s progress.
This is just a simple, interactive math practice tool. Kids who like computer games are sure to have fun and learn a little about geometry too.
“Wild Music”
February 27th, 2010 by admin No comments »Hi! It’s Saturday, February 27, 2010 and time for Music at ClickSchooling!
Recommended Website:
WildMusic.org
Age Range: All (Younger children and non-readers will need assistance.)
ClickScholar Michael recommended this really fun website that is a companion to a traveling exhibition about the “Sounds and Songs of Life” (currently in Wichita, Kansas through April 25, 2010). It offers free, interactive, virtual exhibits where you can learn the science behind how animals and people make sound and music.
When you get to the site you can click “Play” to hear musical “compositions” created from sounds in nature. You’ll also see a menu of items that include:
*Soundscapes – Use archived recordings of animals, humans, wind, and water to create your own sound compositions. Adjust the results with a virtual sound mixer. Explore maps of sounds that were recorded all over the planet.
*Animal – Listen to different animal sounds and bird songs; then test your memory with a sound match game.
*About Sound – Discover what researchers have learned about sound frequency, wavelengths, voice boxes, and more. Play a game to see if you can hear as well as a baby. Take a test to see how your hearing compares to that of animals. Get instruction to make your own Pan Pipes, bell bracelet, and maracas!
You can also take a virtual photographic tour of the exhibit, and meet the scientists and musicians behind the exhibit through video clips, photos, and text.
Virtual Field Trip to Mount Everest
February 26th, 2010 by admin No comments »Hi! It’s Friday, February 26, 2010 and time for a Virtual Field Trip at ClickSchooling!
Recommended Website:
Tech Museums: Everest Interactive Tour
Age Range: 8 and up (approximately)
Some things are just too good not to feature twice! I published this review in 2003, and it’s still a fantastic way to see Mount Everest without leaving home.
This website (a presentation of The Tech Museum in San Jose, CA) offers two ways to take an interactive tour of Mount Everest, the most famous, notorious, and highest mountain peak in the world. When you get to the site you can choose a Shockwave tour complete with sound and special effects (you can download shockwave for free at the site), or take an HTML tour (no audio, interactivity).
The photographs are stunning, produced from the IMAX film about Everest and the virtual journey features:
- A visit to Kathmandu in Nepal to learn a bit about the people and culture.
- A road trip to Base Camp where you’ll learn about family villages in the foothills of the Himalaya Mountains along the way.
- A visit to Base Camp to find out how it is constructed each year.
- A trek across the treacherous Khumbu Icefall, one of the most dangerous parts of the path to the mountain summit.
- The experience of “Summit Day” – you virtually climb to Everest’s peak at 29,028 feet above sea level.
You’ll also find out about the toll Everest has taken in human lives, and about the environmental toll of human treks to Everest.
This is a spectacular virtual tour. Take the whole family on a cyber-journey to the top of the world.
The Great Sunflower Project 2010
February 25th, 2010 by admin No comments »Hi! It’s Thursday, February 25, 2010 and time for Social Sciences at ClickSchooling!
Recommended Website:
The Great Sunflower Project
The Great Sunflower Project is on for 2010! Join this nationwide endeavor to help biologists reach their goal of documenting bee pollination in the US and developing strategies to protect and restore native bees where they are threatened. To participate you simply:
- Sign up at the website.
- Get and plant “Lemon Queen” sunflower seeds.
- Once your plants have flowered, count the number of flowers on your plant with pollen.
- Use the instructions and data sheets provided at the website to record the number of bees that visit your sunflower over a period of 15 minutes.
- Enter your data online at the website.
The parameters have changed slightly for 2010, and the folks at The Great Sunflower Project are in the process of modifying the data entry form on the website to reflect the changes. It isn’t quite finished, however, that shouldn’t stop you from getting your seeds in preparation to plant as soon as night temperatures stay above 55 degrees in the area where you live.
Last year, The Great Sunflower Project distributed free Lemon Queen sunflower seeds. Due to increased costs, they are asking people to get their own Lemon Queen sunflower seeds at a local nursery or store, or pay $3.00 (covers padded mailers and shipping) to order them directly from The Great Sunflower project.
That said, you can still get FREE SEEDS for children in kids’ programs and school groups who participate in the project. I contacted the “Queen Bee” (who goes by the name of Gretchen LeBuhn) and asked if homeschoolers qualify for free seeds. She wrote:
I love having homeschooling families participate. The real issue is the cost of mailing. So, if they can group together [i.e., request on behalf of a homeschool support group], I’d be happy to send free seeds. Individual homeschool families can also send a business sized, self-addressed, stamped envelope (with first class postage stamp on it) to:
Gretchen LeBuhn
The Great Sunflower
Department of Biology
San Francisco State University
1600 Holloway Avenue
San Francisco, CA 94132
Include a note that explains you are a homeschooler who wants to participate in The Great Sunflower Project, and Gretchen will put seeds in the envelope and mail it back to you. You STILL have to sign up to participate online at the website, where you’ll also find instructions for planting the seeds and caring for your sunflowers.
You’ll also receive the free eNewsletter with updates on what the researchers are learning about bees.
Free K-5 Language Arts Lessons and More (CSAW)
February 24th, 2010 by admin No comments »
Hi! It’s Wednesday, February 24, 2010 and time for Language Arts at ClickSchooling!
Recommended Website:
LessonPathways.com
Age Range: 4-10 (Grades PreK-5)
ClickScholar Heike Reagan recommended this formerly subscription-based website that has just converted to offering complete lesson plans, unit studies, and individual resources for core subjects in grades PreK-5 for free! Instead of charging a fee, the site will now be ad-supported.
When you get to the site you’ll see a menu. Below it is a button that says, “Take a Tour.” Click on that to get an idea of the magnitude of what is archived at this website. You can also bypass the tour and explore the menu items – but in order to see the content, you will have to register (it’s free).
The learning content is divided into three segments and includes:
1) A Guided Journey – This is a complete 36-week lesson package available for Language Arts, Reading and Phonics, as well as Science, History, and Math! Follow the complete lesson plan (or path) for the grade you select, or mix and match to create your own course of study. These lesson plans are made up of individual units called “Pathways”.
2) A Pathway – This option provides a single unit study on a given topic. For example, a guided study of the book Charlotte’s Web or an exploration of “Newton’s Three Laws of Motion.” Each unit is designed for one week of study. Each “Pathway” is composed of individual “Stepping Stones” (see description in #3 below). Click on a unit of interest and a new page opens that includes:
- Description of Learning Unit
- List of Objectives
- Materials List
- Instructions and Directions for Experiential Learning Activities
- Links to Free Online Resources for Further Learning
- Learning Tools (worksheets, drills, printables, online games, tests)
3) A Stepping Stone – This segment is composed of a single resource that, as the website explains, “may be a lesson, video, worksheet, hands-on project, ebook, online game, or other activity (i.e., Create a Spider Life Cycle Poster).”
The idea here is to either follow the recommended learning “pathways” or mix-and-match subjects and grade levels to suit the needs of your students and customize their curriculum. You can keep track of it all in the online Planner.
This site was created with lots of input from homeschool parents, which is probably why it’s so user-friendly. You’ll appreciate the encouragement to customize this to your child’s interests and needs.
This is a traditional “homeschool curriculum queen’s” dream-come-true. Unschoolers can access fun ideas and activities to explore as desired. There’s something for everyone at this website, and it earns a ClickSchooling Award for Excellence!
That said, in reading some of the material about this site, the longevity of the project is uncertain. They weren’t earning enough revenue from subscription sales to support their operating costs, which is why they converted to an ad-supported model. They are hopeful that advertising will sustain them and make the endeavor profitable. That remains to be seen. They need your support to keep this resource available and free. Tell your friends.
Free Video Lessons in Chemistry, Biology, and More! (CSAW)
February 23rd, 2010 by admin No comments »The Khan Academy
http://www.khanacademy.org
Age Range: 11 and up (Approximately middle school through high school and beyond; some young children may enjoy aspects of these presentations that range from the fairly simple to quite complex.)
A big THANK YOU to ClickScholar Mary Burns for suggesting this website whose creator has set the heartfelt goal to provide a world-class education to everyone for free. The brainchild of Salmon Khan (whose background is in math, computer science, and investment management), this non-profit virtual school provides over 1000 videos via YouTube covering:
- Arithmetic
- Algebra
- Biology
- Calculus
- Chemistry
- Differential Equations
- Geometry
- Finance
- Physics
- Probability
- SAT Preparation
- Statistics
- Trigonometry
You’ll also find informative courses in Banking, the Credit Crisis, Venture Capital, Investing, Economics – and there are even challenging Brain Teasers!
When you get to the site, scroll down the page to get to the extensive menu of video lessons. Click on any lesson and the YouTube page opens where the video begins to play. Because the videos are on YouTube (with its random ads and commentary), PARENTS, AS ALWAYS, SHOULD PREVIEW AND SUPERVISE to determine suitability of content.
Mary wrote, “I’ve looked at ‘Introduction to the Atom,’ (under Chemistry) that was about 25 minutes long. Mr. Khan explains the concepts while he illustrates with a light pen (like you’re looking at a chalkboard). It was very engaging and easy to watch.”
Testimonials at the site convey students’ enthusiasm for this approach. I usually don’t quote extensive text from websites, but Mr. Khan’s explanations for his style of teaching is worth noting verbatim:
“I teach the way that I wish I was taught. …Viewers know that it is the labor of love of one somewhat quirky and determined man who has a passion for learning and teaching. I don’t think any corporate or governmental effort–regardless of how much money is thrown at the problem–can reproduce this.”
He goes on, “A lot of my own educational experience was spent frustrated with how information was conveyed in textbooks and lectures. There would be connections in the subject matter that standard curricula would ignore despite the fact that they make the content easier to understand, enjoy, and RETAIN. I felt like fascinating and INTUITIVE concepts were almost intentionally being butchered into pages and pages of sleep-inducing text and monotonic, scripted lectures. I saw otherwise intelligent peers memorizing steps and formulas for the next exam without any sense of the intuition or big picture, only to forget everything within a matter of weeks. These videos are my expression of how the concepts should have been expressed in the first place, all while not compromising rigor or comprehensiveness.”
Based on the videos I reviewed at the site, Mr. Khan is succeeding in his mission. In addition to the instructional videos, visitors can log in and do problems online for further practice and comprehension. The program keeps track of your work and indicates what you’ve mastered and what needs more work.
The video lessons are just part of Khan’s much larger vision to build software covering the topics in the videos as well as simulation games to provide applied understanding of the concepts. Bookmark this site, you’ll want to return often as they add new material.
This website earns a ClickSchooling Award (CSAW) for excellence in using technology to deliver a better, more meaningful education to everyone for free.
Free Mnemonic Multiplication Videos
February 22nd, 2010 by admin No comments »
Hi! It’s Monday, February 22, 2010 and time for Math at ClickSchooling!
Recommended Website:
Multiplication.com
This commercial website, offers free video lessons on how to learn the multiplication times tables from 0-9, through the use of mnemonic memory devices. These learning tools help kids associate rhymes, stories, pictures and activities with arithmetic to make memorization easier.
The premise is to address the learning modalities of every student. Each lesson uses pictures for the visual learner, stories for the auditory learner, and an activity for the kinesthetic learner who learns by moving, doing, and touching.
When you get to the website you’ll see a way to explore the basics of this method and learn more about it. In addition, you’ll find a pre-test to determine which multiplication facts are problematic for your child/student.
Then, use the menu on the left side of the screen to access lessons on how to teach the times tables from zero through nine.
As I mentioned, this is a commercial website. The freebie is an introduction to their books, games, and other math resources available for purchase.
Free Digital Design Program
February 20th, 2010 by admin No comments »Hi! It’s Saturday, February 20, 2010 and time for Art at ClickSchooling!
Recommended Website:
Inkscape
Age Range: 9 and up (4th grade and beyond)
ClickScholar Cie discovered this website that offers a free, downloadable vector graphics editor with capabilities similar to Illustrator or CorelDraw. What does that mean? It means you can use your computer to draw, create digital designs, and more.
Inkscape is being used successfully by 4th graders in the Los Altos School District in California. You can see a gallery of the students work by clicking HERE.
I suggest you check out the students’ art gallery first, to get an idea of the possibilities which are sure to inspire the tech-savvy artists in your home. Click on the link next to each of the images to view the corresponding sub-galleries too.
Then, head back to the Inkscape website featured in this review to download the editor. (Just click on the “Download Now” button located in the upper right corner of the homepage.)
Note: You can learn a lot about Inkscape, system requirements, and how it works by reading the FAQs located on the menu on the left side of the homepage.
