History in the Movies!

May 10th, 2012 by admin No comments »

Hi!  It’s Thursday, May 10, 2012 and time for Social Sciences at ClickSchooling!

Recommended Website:
History in the Movies

Age Range: 10 and up (parents should preview and supervise)

Do you supplement history studies by watching historical films like epics, biopics, period pieces, and true-life stories? Films set in the past can help students visualize a particular era or period in time – but are they historically accurate? At this website, university history professor, Cathy Schultz, Ph.D., comments on the accuracy of over 50 historical films.

This site is an archive of Ms. Schultz’s syndicated newspaper column in which she explains if history really happened the way it is depicted in films. It’s a terrific resource that can enhance the use of films to further learning.  

When you get to the site you’ll see an introduction and some featured news items and headlines. Use the vertical menu “Film List” on the left side of the page to locate a film of interest. NOTE: The movies include a variety ratings from PG through R. Some of the film titles include:

  • 300
  • The Alamo
  • The Aviator
  • Cinderella Man
  • DaVinci Code
  • Dreamgirls
  • Elizabeth: the Golden Age
  • Flags of our Fathers
  • The King’s Speech
  • Last Samurai
  • The Men Who Stare at Goats
  • National Treasure
  • Oliver Twist
  • Pride and Prejudice
  • Pirates of the Caribbean 2
  • Walk the Line
  • We Are Marshall

Click on any film title and a new page opens to the article that exposes the truth and the fiction depicted in the movie.

Don’t miss “Resources for teaching with historical films” that is directly above the “Film List” on the menu. You’ll find links to more sites that list and discuss historical films. In fact, one of the links leads to content by Paul Halsall of the University of North Florida who provides questions to ask as you watch and review a film including:

  • What seems to be accurate in the film? What sources are you using to assess accuracy?
  • What liberties does the film take with the past? Why?
  • What, if any, modern point is the film trying make?

By the way, ClickScholar Cie recommended “HistoryAndMovies.com” an ad-supported entertainment and reference website that provides a free directory of historical movies indexed according to “Time Periods” including:

  • Ancient Egypt
  • Ancient Greece
  • Ancient Rome
  • Middle Ages
  • Viking Age
  • British Empire/Europe
  • American History

Just click on a time period and a new page opens with a menu of movie titles. Each listing includes information about the film along with a video clip or trailer. Movies on this list are rated from G to R.

Again, this is a helpful resource for finding movies to supplement history studies. Parents, as always, should preview the site and supervise Internet access.

 

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Free Bird Language e-Course!

May 9th, 2012 by admin No comments »

Hi!  It’s Wednesday, May 9, 2012 and time for Language Arts at ClickSchooling!

Recommended Website:
WhatTheRobinKnows.com

Age Range: All (with parental supervision)

Renown naturalist and tracker Jon Young just announced the release of his new book, What the Robin Knows: How Birds Reveal the Secrets of the Natural World. This website is a companion to the book, where you can get a free sneak peek, and even listen to examples of the “five voices” of bird language in action.

Not only that, you can sign up for a free, 10-lesson e-course called Bird Language Basics. Simply register for the course by entering your email address in the box in the right margin of the home page, and you’ll receive the lessons in your inbox over a period of 10 weeks. 

If you wonder if studying birds and their language will be appealing to your children, I can tell you that my own sons had the opportunity to take several nature classes for homeschoolers from Jon Young. They found the information fascinating and gained new awareness and respect for our feathered friends.  :) 

At the website, you’ll also find information on how to buy the book and participate in Jon Young’s programs that are dedicated to providing mentoring and deep nature connection practices that bring positive transformation and wellness to individuals and communities. But you don’t have to purchase a thing to read a short excerpt from the book and sign up to take the free Bird Language Basics e-Course. 

 

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Free “Citizen Science” Projects for You!

May 8th, 2012 by admin No comments »

Hi!  It’s Tuesday, May 8, 2012 and time for Science at ClickSchooling!

Recommended Website:
SciStarter.com

Age Range: All (with parental supervision)

This website provides an archive of  “Citizen Scientist” projects that you and your kids can do at home to help researchers gather information on bees, birds, crickets, storms, solar energy, microbiomes, and much, much more.

You’ll learn all about science as you take part in both informal recreational activities and formal research efforts that make science simple and fun for the whole family.

When you get to the website, you’ll see the featured “Project of the Day.”  You’ll also see the words “Project Finder” and below it there are two drop-down menus:

*Pick an activity – Select the location and environment where you want to do your project. For example, at home or at a zoo, on a beach, online, in the car, on a hike, etc.

*Pick a topic – Select a subject of interest such as: animals, astronomy, birds, chemistry, weather, food, health, insects, nature, physics, etc.

Click on any item on the drop-down menu and a new page opens with a list of projects currently available in that category.

Or use the horizontal menu at the top of the screen and click on “Project Finder.”  A new page opens where you can do an advanced search that allows you to filter for:

  • Free/low cost projects
  • Projects you can do outdoors
  • Projects suitable for children and/or students
  • Do-it-yourself projects

And you can even filter for projects that have teaching materials available.

From the home page you can also sign up to receive their free “newsletter” that delivers information about awesome projects to your email inbox. 

 

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Cinco de Mayo – The Battle of Puebla & More!

May 4th, 2012 by admin No comments »

Hi!  It’s Friday, May 4, 2012 and time for a Virtual Field Trip at ClickSchooling!

Note: The following websites may be slow to load due to the volume of traffic they’ll receive over the Cinco de Mayo holiday.  if you experience difficulty, just be patient and try again or wait and try visiting the sites during ”off” hours.  Hope that helps!  :)

Recommended Website:
The Orange County Register: Cinco de Mayo

Age Range: 9 and up (with parental supervision)

May 5th is Cinco de Mayo and at this ad-supported website you can take a short, virtual tour of the historic events that the Cinco de Mayo holiday commemorates. 

When you get to the website just click on the “start” button to begin the presentation. If this motivates you to want to learn more, you may enjoy these ad-supported websites as well:

Cinco de Mayo Lesson
Get a  free lesson, printable worksheet, and crossword puzzle.

History.com
Enjoy a series of video clips about Cinco de Mayo and Mexican history, heritage, and culture. You’ll find information on the Aztecs, Mayans, and Montezuma and Cortez. You can also watch video clips explaining how salsa, refried beans, and tequila are made.

PBS Interactive Timeline of the History of Mexico
This is a terrific timeline highlighting important events in Mexico’s history.

 

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Free Current Events Videos & Study Materials

May 3rd, 2012 by admin No comments »

Hi!  It’s Thursday, May 3, 2012 and time for Social Sciences at ClickSchooling!

Recommended Website:
CNN: Student News

Age Range: 11-18 (Middle School and High School, with parental supervision)

A Maryland ClickScholar suggested this website, sponsored by CNN, that provides free, daily, 10-minute current events newscasts along with materials such as downloadable maps and discussion questions to help students develop critical thinking skills and better understand the stories covered in the news.

When you get to the site you’ll see the day’s featured news video – just click to play.  You’ll also see an icon menu that includes:

*What is CNN Student News? – Get a full description of this service along with suggestions on how to optimize its use.

*Shows & Transcripts – Access the archive of previous shows including the written transcripts of the shows.

*Daily Discussion & News Quiz – Find questions to spark discussion about the daily news stories or test your knowledge of the news.

You can also sign up to receive the free “Daily Education Alert” by email with information on the major stories covered that day. You’ll also find downloadable maps (pdf) and links to other educational resources offered by CNN.

IMPORTANT:  On the Student News page there are ads for other CNN shows and a menu with links to news stories on politics, entertainment, health, money, sports, travel, etc., that are NOT part of the “CNN Student News.”  Therefore, as always, parents must preview and supervise Internet access.

 

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Boost Your Vocab & Feed the Hungry!

May 2nd, 2012 by admin No comments »

Hi!  It’s Wednesday, May 2, 2012 and time for Language Arts at ClickSchooling!

Recommended Website:
Free Rice

Age Range:  9 and up (approximately, with parental supervision)
 
This ad-supported website offers you the opportunity to boost your vocabulary and help end world hunger. For each word you get correct in the online vocabulary quiz, 10 grains of rice are donated through the United Nations World Food Program to help feed the hungry. The best explanation of the concept comes directly from the website:

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FreeRice has two goals:

Provide English vocabulary to everyone for free.
Help end world hunger by providing rice to hungry people for free.

This is made possible by the sponsors who advertise on this site.

FreeRice has a custom database containing thousands of words at varying degrees of difficulty. There are words appropriate for people just learning English and words that will challenge the most scholarly professors.

FreeRice automatically adjusts to your level of vocabulary. It starts by giving you words at different levels of difficulty and then, based on how you do, assigns you an approximate starting level. You then determine a more exact level for yourself as you play. When you get a word wrong, you go to an easier level. When you get three words in a row right, you go to a harder level. This one-to-three ratio is best for keeping you at the “outer fringe” of your vocabulary, where learning can take place.

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If you have more questions, check out the FAQs at the website. This is an ingeneous idea and it’s lots of fun to participate.

 

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Free Science Videos to Blow Your Kid’s Mind!

May 1st, 2012 by admin No comments »

Hi!  It’s Tuesday, May 1, 2012 and time for Science at ClickSchooling!

Recommended Website:
How Stuff Works Videos: Stuff to Blow Your Kid’s Mind
 
ClickScholar Cie suggested this website where the geniuses at HowStuffWorks.com offer a free science video series titled, “Stuff to Blow Your Kid’s Mind.” The videos are as entertaining as they are educational and cover a variety of science topics.  All of the videos are prefaced with an advertisement, so parents (as always) must supervise Internet use.

When you get to the site a video advertisement will launch automatically followed by the featured science presentation.  Scroll down the page (below the screen) to see all of the video titles available including:

  • Atmospheric Pressure
  • Gravity
  • Magnets
  • Monsters
  • Rainbows
  • Salt
  • Scale
  • Solar Power
  • Static Electricity
  • Volcanoes

The videos are about 4-6 minutes in length and include explanations of the science behind the experiments that are performed, along with interesting facts and trivia.

 

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Free Math & Engineering Lessons for K-12

April 30th, 2012 by admin No comments »

Hi!  It’s Monday, April 30, 2012 and time for Math at ClickSchooling!

Recommended Website:
Teach Engineering

Age Range: 5-18 (Designed for Grades K-12; the majority of the material is for Grades 3 and up, with parental supervision.)

Get free, open-ended, hands-on lessons and activities to stimulate your students’ interest in math and science through engineering. As explained at the website, “engineers have a hand in designing, creating or modifying nearly everything we touch, wear, eat, see and hear” in the real world.  The free K-12 engineering curricula at this website integrates math, science, and technology through exploration of the “built world” around us so that it’s relevant to the lives of young people.

The idea here is to encourage students to pose questions about “why things work” and then gain skills and use their imaginations to create innovations that improve the world for everyone.

When you get to the website you’ll see the featured “Editor’s Pick.”  Above it is a menu that says “Browse.” Below it, you can click on menu items to find curricula sorted by:

*Activities -  In my opinion, this is the place to start because the stand-alone, hands-on, fun experiments are sure to engage your kids’ interest and may springboard you to further learning.  There are over 600 activities (that include a materials list and instructions) covering a range of possibilities such as the exploration of acids and bases, designing a bicycle helmet, learning about kidney filtering, investigating Ohm’s Law, playing “Rock Jeopardy,” making Yogurt Cup Speakers and more. 
 
*Lessons – Get over 380 different lessons that meet content standards on topics that include Air Pressure, Ampere’s Law, Art in Engineering, Animals in Engineering, Friction, Magnetics, Mar s, Rivers, Rocks, Paper Airplanes, Water, and much more.
 
*Subject Areas – Find out all of the math topics covered including Algebra, Geometry, Measurement, Number and Operations, Problem Solving, Reasoning and Proof.  You’ll find lots of science content as well.

*Curricular Units – These theme-based learning experiences are composed of multiple lessons designed to take place over several weeks in a classroom environment. There are units on asteroid impact, bridges, cells, energy, floaters and sinkers, marine mapping, natural disasters, rockets, simple machines, weather and more. They can be tweaked for the homeschool learning environment.

All of the lessons and activities include the estimated time it takes and the approximate cost for the materials.

Teach Engineering is a terrific resource so bookmark it to return often!

 

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Free Sign Language Lessons, Workbooks, & Quizzes!

April 28th, 2012 by admin No comments »

Hi!  It’s Saturday, April 28, 2012 and time for Electives at ClickSchooling!

Recommended Website:
ASL University

The ASL University website offers FREE, online, self-study lessons and resources for students who want to learn American Sign Language!

ASL University started as an online American Sign Language class taught by Dr. Bill Vicars, an Assistant Professor of ASL and Deaf Studies at California State University in Sacramento. He has taken his passion for this topic and transferred it all to this continuously updated website.

When you get to the site you’ll see a menu that includes links to:

? First 100 Signs
? Free Lessons
? Dictionary
? Numbers
? Fingerspelling
? Workbook (Practice Sentences)
? Self-Study Schedule 

You’ll even find Jokes, Fingerspelling Art, Advice, and much more.

 

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Virtual Field Trip to Potato Chip Factory!

April 27th, 2012 by admin No comments »

Hi!  It’s Friday, April 27, 2012 and time for a Virtual Field Trip at ClickSchooling!

Recommended Website
Cape Cod Potato Chips Factory: OnlineTour

Age Range: 5 and up (with parental Supervision)

At this website you can watch a multi-media video tour of the Cape Cod Potato Chip Factory to see how potato chips are made from spud to delicious snack food.

When you get to the site you can read the history of the factory. Then, click on “Watch the Online Factory Tour” in the far, right margin of the page.  A new screen opens where the video tour begins. Be sure to turn on your speakers to hear the narrator and listen to the music.

 

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