Birds, Bats, & Wildlife!

January 24th, 2012 by admin No comments »

Hi!  It’s Tuesday, January 24, 2012 and time for Science at ClickSchooling!

Recommended Website:
50Birds.com

Age Range: All (There’s something for everyone here with parental supervision.)

This commercial website offers an amazing archive of free resources, information, and activities about birds, bats, and endangered or extinct wildlife.  There is a great deal of content mixed together with products for sale such as bird and bat feeders, t-shirts, and other items.

When you get to the site you’ll see an icon menu that features FREE, printable wildlife coloring pages, printable plans for building a birdhouse, and a drop-down menu featuring a wide variety of birds such as:

  • Eastern Bluebird
  • Black-capped Chickadee
  • Mourning Dove
  • Peregrine Falcon
  • Red-tailed Hawk
  • Starling
  • Woodpecker
  • Chimney Swift
  • Beewick’s Wren
  • And many more!

Click on any one and a new page opens with information about the bird, an illustration, its scientific classification, a habitat map, and free printable plans for building a nesting box that suits that particular bird.

To see what else is available at this site for free, place your cursor over the items on the horizontal menu (with gray lettering) at the top of the home page that includes:

*Birds – You’ll find the same information you accessed from the home page along with information on bird migratory law. Plus, you can access “The National Bat Museum” with terrific info on bat species, an online gallery of bat illustrations, and links to free resources such as plans for building bat boxes.

*Houses & Feeders – Get free woodworking plans for building bird houses and bat houses, and plans for building bird feeders as well.

*Bird Gallery – Learn about birds of the world, endangered species, extinct birds, and print out some bird artwork.

*Wildlife Galleries – Print out free calendar pages featuring birds and other wildlife. Learn about endangered and extinct animals, cats, turtles, alligators, and more. You’ll even find links to other educational websites for kids. (Parents, as always, should preview the sites and supervise all Internet use.)

 

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Brilliant Math & Logic Games!

January 23rd, 2012 by admin No comments »

Hi!  It’s Monday, January 23, 2012 and time for Math at ClickSchooling!

Recommended Website:
10 Ticks Math Games

Age Range: 6-13 (about grades 1-8, with parental supervision)

I usually don’t get caught up in the free math games that I review, but this site’s math activities were an exception. I can’t believe I spent almost an hour selecting map coordinates to find buried treasure, determining angle trajectories to obliterate alien spacecraft, and testing my speed at selecting squares and powers of two among arcade mallard ducks. Pitiful. (Just kidding.)  :)

This United Kingdom website offers a fee-based online math program, but it provides lots of free sample math and logic games that give kids practice in addition, subtraction, multiplication, division, algebra, and more. Plus, there are a variety of traditional games that test logic skills too.

When you get to the site, you’ll see a menu icon of featured games such as “PacAlgebra” (kinda like Pac Man) and below it an extensive A-to-Z menu that includes:

  • Alien Angles (Curses, foiled again!)
  • Backgammon (Learn to play!)
  • Bat Collector (I dare you!) 
  • Chess (Can you beat Artificial Intelligence?)
  • Draw Poker (Test probability skills!)
  • Mallard Maths – (So silly and so fun!)
  • 0X0 Algebra & Math (aka Tic-Tac-Toe using word problems)
  • Rat Splat (Random math quizzes.)
  • And many more!

Click on a game of choice and a new screen opens. Look for the “Instructions” usually located (although hard to see) in a frame near the bottom of the game screen. Then, let the games begin!  Bookmark this site to return often.

 

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Virtual Field Trip to La Brea Tarpits

January 20th, 2012 by admin No comments »

Hi! It’s Friday, January 20, 2012 and time for a Virtual Field Trip at ClickSchooling!

Recommended Website:
Tarpits.org: Timeline

Age Range: 9 and up (with paretal supervision)

ClickScholar Karla suggested this website that offers an interactive, mini timeline tour of the La Brea Tarpits in Los Angeles, California – the “only consistently active and urban Ice Age excavation site in the world.”  The tarpits trapped unfortunate prehistoric critters who were fossilized in the goo.

When you get to the site, read a brief introduction and click on the “start” arrow to learn more about:

*Pleistocene Period – Meet the American Mastodon, Saber-Toothed Cat, Yesterday’s Camel, Dire Wolf, Harlan’s Ground Sloth, Western Horse, and the Ancient Bison. See an artist’s sketch and a picture of a skeleton excavated from the tarpit.

*Prehistory/History – Learn about humans who settled in the Los Angeles area.

*Discovery/Excavations – Meet a founder of the La Brea Tarpits excavation site, learn the history of the La Brea Tarpits Museum. 

When you’re through taking the timeline tour, poke around the rest of the site to learn more.

 

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Fun Renaissance Interactive!

January 19th, 2012 by admin No comments »

Hi!  It’s Thursday, January 19, 2012 and time for History at ClickSchooling! 

Recommended Website:
Learner.org: Renaissance

Age Range: 14-18 (grades 9-12, with parental supervision)

This website is part of the extensive Learner.org resource for teachers. It offers an interactive exploration of the Renaissance (14th-16th centuries), a time of scientific, artistic, economic, political and social rebirth as Europe (and Italy in particular) emerged from the Middle Ages. 

When you get to the site, you’ll see a brief introduction. Navigate this interactive by using the menu on the left that includes:

*Out of the Middle Ages – Learn how the bubonic plague (aka “Black Death”) resulted in a new middle class population, the resurgence of city living, and a new economy. Click on links to primary source documents, museum exhibits, and more.

*Exploration and Trade – Find out how scientific improvements in navigation tools and cartography led to advancements in exploration and trade. Don’t miss the interactive, “Become a Spice Trader” and find out if your trading skills will lead to riches or ruin.

*Printing And Thinking – Discover how Gutenberg’s printing press forever changed the lives of people worldwide as they transitioned from papyrus to paper. It launched a rebirth of classical studies in Latin and Greek, and led to the emergence of “The Humanist Philosophy” and also the Protestant Reformation.

*Symmetry, Shape, & Size – Explore Renaissance architecture and music. See how the merging of art and science affected mathematical perspective and consequently Galileo’s work in astronomy, Fibonacci’s numbers, and more.

*Focus on Florence – Find out why this Italian City was a focal point of the Renaissance period. Meet the Medici family. Learn about the spiritual and religious beliefs that were prevalent. Discover the art of Boticelli and Michelangelo.

In every section you’ll find links to additional resources to explore. A few lead to error messages, but most of them work. That said, if you click on the links you’ll visit other websites that I have not reviewed. So parents, as always, should preview and determine suitability of content.     

 

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Grammar Fun with Diagramming Sentences!

January 18th, 2012 by admin No comments »

Hi!  It’s Wednesday, January 18, 2012 and time for Language Arts at ClickSchooling!

Recommended Website:
English Grammar Revolution

Age Range: 10 and up (Grades 5-12 and beyond)

This commercial website, suggested by a Maryland ClickScholar, offers a selection of free, multi media exercises to help learn English grammar and parts of speech through diagramming sentences. Plus, it offers a free e-newsletter that brings grammar tips and puzzles right to your inbox.

This site was designed to help homeschool parents and classroom teachers become more confident grammar instructors. Again, it’s a commercial site, with some free content.

When you get to the site, you’ll see an introduction and information about the programs that are available for a fee. There are extensive samples of the lessons, exercises, and games contained in the program available for free.

To get started use the menu on the left and click on “Exercises.” A new page opens with free sample pages from the chapters of an ebook. Click on a chapter title to enjoy lessons and try activities that reinforce learning about:

  • Sentence Diagramming
  • Adjectives & Adverbs
  • Prepositional Phrases
  • Conjunctions
  • Interjections
  • Verbs
  • Pronouns

Throughout the samples you’ll find links to additional content that will boost your knowledge of English grammar as well. Continue exploring the menu to get good information on:

  • Parts of Speech
  • Sentence Structure
  • Grammar Usage

You’ll even find some grammar games, cool quotes, and other fun and interesting stuff. If this text-heavy site gets a little overwhelming simply use the sitemap to access what you want.

BEST OF ALL:  You can sign up to receive the FREE e-newsletter that includes fun grammar tips, sentence diagramming puzzles, and grammar lessons delivered to your inbox every other week. When you register you also receive The Parts of Speech Quick Guide (pdf). 

 

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Free Nature Science Activity Worksheets!

January 17th, 2012 by admin No comments »

Hi!  It’s Tuesday, January 17, 2012 and time for Science at ClickSchooling!

Recommended Website:
NatureDetective.org

Age Range: 5-11 (about grades K-6, with parental supervision)

This terrific United Kingdom nature education website offers a variety of free worksheets with activity ideas designed to inspire outdoor learning.

When you get to the site, you’ll see a menu of nature activity worksheets that cover topics such as science, literacy, drama, numeracy, art, music, and more.  Simply click on a topic of interest and a new page opens where you can download and print the pdf file to do the activities off line.

Once you’ve checked out the worksheets poke around the rest of the site. You’ll find a paid subscription program for residents of the U.K, and some “Free Packs” for worldwide
visitors that teach kids about:

  • Winter
  • Minibeasts
  • Trees
  • Birds
  • Outdoor Play

And much more!  Click on any topic and a new page opens with details about what the pack contains. If you want the pack, simply sign up to have it emailed directly to your inbox. (You can read the privacy policy before you register.)

You’ll also find an assortment of free wildlife-based online games. Some are archived on the site, and some lead to other websites. Parents, as always, must preview these sites to determine suitability of content and supervise all Internet use.

Overall you’ll find a lot of online and offline activities to encourage learning about natural sciences. 

 

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Best Classical Music Website for Kids!

January 14th, 2012 by admin No comments »

Hi!  It’s Saturday, January 14, 2012 and time for Music at ClickSchooling! 

Recommended Website:
ClassicsForKids.com

Age Range: 5-14 (with parental supervision; all ages can enjoy aspects of the site)

ClickScholar Gayle reminded me of this website that we featured in 2007 and is worth revisiting. She wrote, “ClassicsForKids.com has live radio recordings as well as worksheets and interactive games highlighting various composers, styles of music and music elements. It is practically the only site we have used for music.”

The site, which is continuously updated, is a supplement to the “Classics for Kids” radio program. You will find information on stations that air the show at the website, and you can listen to the archived programs that bring great composers to life through music and stories. You can also download activities and lessons (pdfs) that focus on National Standards for the Arts and Music.

When you get to the site you will see the current month’s featured composer, and a horizontal menu tab below it that includes:

*On The Radio – Includes the current week’s radio show, an archive of past shows, and activity sheets that include wordsearch puzzles, games, and trivia.

*Composers – Read biographies of about 90 different composers (across a timespan from 1685 to 2010) including Bach, Bernstein, Brahms, Britten, Chopin, Debussy, Gershwin, Handel, Joplin, Liszt, Mozart, Prokofiev, Rachmaninoff, Schubert, Sousa, Strauss, Stravinsky, Tchaikovsky, Verdi and more!

*Games – Play fun, interactive, online games that teach rhythm and notation.

*More About Music – Hear music, learn the instruments of the symphony orchestra, explore a musical dictionary, and learn about musical careers.

*For Grownups – Access free lesson plans, activity sheets, and get tips and advice for music education.

Bookmark this one, you’ll want to return often!

 

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Virtual Field Trip to TOBASCO Sauce Factory

January 13th, 2012 by admin No comments »

Hi!  It’s Friday, December 16, 2011 and time for a Virtual Field Trip at ClickSchooling!

Recommended Website:
Tobasco.com
 
Age Range: 8 and up (with parental supervision)

Do you enjoy the spicy taste of TOBASCO sauce?  At this website you can watch a terrific audio slideshow that explains how the peppers are grown, turned into mash, aged, and eventually bottled for consumption. It’s a process that was developed on Avery Island in Louisiana over 140 years ago and continues to this day.

When you’re through watching the audio slideshow, use the menu to learn more about the company’s history, the salt that is used in the manufacturing process, and learn a little about the environment on Avery Island.

 

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Why Pluto Isn’t A Planet & Much More!

January 12th, 2012 by admin No comments »

Hi!  It’s Thursday, January 12, 2012 and time for Social Sciences at ClickSchooling!

Recommended Website:
Spitzer/Caltech

Age Range: 9 and up (approximately, with parental supervision)
 
My son recently posted a video on his Facebook page explaining why Pluto isn’t a planet anymore. (Once a homeschooler, always a homeschooler.) It was on YouTube, but the source was The Spitzer Science Center (sponsored by NASA and CalTech). 
 
They have a series of free multi-media videos called “Ask An Astronomer” that include brief explanations to complicated stuff by scientists. The videos use animations to illustrate the explanations. Other titles inc lude:

  • Where is the center of the universe?
  • Why is the sky blue?
  • Why aren’t there any green stars?
  • Infrared: More than your eyes can see!
  • What happens when galaxies collide?
  • What’s between the stars?
  • What will happen to Earth when the Sun dies?
  • How do you discover an asteroid?
  • How can we see a black hole?
  • What is a Brown Dwarf?

And many more! 
 
If you poke around the rest of the site you’ll find other cool videos and podcasts as well.

You may wonder why I decided to feature this science resource on “Social Sciences” day at ClickSchooling. It’s because the downsizing of Pluto was historical, and I like to encourage cross-curricular connections. Sometimes students will resist a subject like science, for example, but be fascinated by an important event in history that gently leads them to an enjoyable exploration of science. The content of this website has that potential.

And while you’re exploring, you’ll be covering a variety of “subjects” including language arts, math, science, history, social studies and more. It’s all connected!  :)

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Seriously Fun Spelling Bee for Grades 3-12!

January 11th, 2012 by admin No comments »

Hi!  It’s Wednesday, January 11, 2012 and time for Language Arts at ClickSchooling!

Recommended Website:
Visual Thesaurus Spelling Bee
 
Age Range: 8-18 (Grades 3-12, approximately, with parental supervision)

Bookmark this one – it’s a goodie! A Maryland ClickScholar suggested this website that is sponsored by fee-based online Thesaurus service. It offers a free interactive spelling bee that helps students use spelling rules and deductive reasoning skills to assess their spelling ability, learn to spell new words, and acquire new vocabulary.

When you get to the site, you can start to play right away. You’ll hear an audio recording of a random word and see the definition printed on the screen. Simply use the information to guess at the spelling and type in the word.

If you misspell the word, you can guess again. After your second guess, you’ll see “hints” appear on the screen. After three incorrect guesses, you can press the “I Surrender” button to reveal the correct spelling.

The spelling difficulty of this online game will adapt to your skill level automatically based on the number of words you get right or wrong. The more you get right, the harder the words get. The more you get wrong, the easier the words get.

This website also offers a free lesson plan based on the Visual Thesaurus Spelling Bee for grades 3-12. 

The Visual Thesaurus Spelling Bee is fun challenge – and if you love words it can be addictive! It’s a great way to improve spelling skills and expand your knowledge of English vocabulary.

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