Hi!  It’s Saturday, June 26, 2010 and time for Music at ClickSchooling!

Recommended Website:
Sphinx Kids

This website is a companion to the Sphinx Organization that “envisions a world in which classical music reflects cultural diversity and plays a role in the everyday lives of youth.”

Sphinx Kids bring classical music into underserved schools nationwide. The website, partially sponsored by AT&T and the New York Philharmonic, provides free interactive games that introduce kids to the world of classical music, instruments of the orchestra, and the diversity of many composers of classical music. When you get to the website you’ll see a menu that includes:

*Minority Composer’s Forum – Learn about the lives and musical compositions of renown minority composers such as Samuel Coleridge-Taylor, Undine Smith Moore, Heitor Villa-Lobos and more. Listen to samples of their compositions.

*Practice Room – Pick a stringed instrument (violin, viola, cello, or bass) and watch videos of minority musicians playing scales and etudes.

*Minorities On Stage – Watch videos of performances by minority musicians, and be sure to click on “See What’s Going On Backstage” to watch video-interviews with the musician-laureates. Their stories are inspirational.

*Orchestration Station – Get familiar with the instruments of the orchestra. Pick one and hear it played.

*Rhythm Band – Use a virtual pencil to place notes on a scale, then pick one or several instruments to hear how it sounds.

*Music Match: Composers – Match the classical composers to their musical compositions.

*Music Match: Instruments – Play a match game with instruments of the orchestra.

*Instrument Storage Room – Take an animated tour of the storage room and learn about each instrument and hear it played.

*String Instrument Gallery – Learn about each part of the violin, viola, cello, and bass and what it does.

*Composer’s Gallery – Take an animated tour of a gallery of composers born from the 1600s through the 1900s.  Read their bios and hear samples of their music. Includes: Vivaldi, Bach, Handel, Gershwin, Ellington, Debussy, Danielpour, Chopin, Britten, Brahms, Bernstein, Beethoven, Beach, Handel, Mozart, Lindberg, Leon, Kolb, Kodaly, Joplin, Prokofiev, Stravinsky, Sheng, and many more.

This is a terrific way to introduce children and their families to classical music and to the diversity of the composers of that music.

Hi!  It’s Friday, June 25, 2010 and time for a Virtual Field Trip at ClickSchooling!

Recommended Website:
Butchart Gardens: Virtual Tour

Age Range: All

Many years ago, I visited British Columbia in Canada and toured the incredible Butchart Gardens, a place of beauty that I’ve never forgotten. I was delighted to find that their website offers a free virtual tour of the Butchart Gardens – for every season of the year! To really appreciate the gardens it’s helpful to know some history about them.
 
In 1888, Robert Butchart manufactured cement near limestone deposits on Vancouver Island where he and his family lived. As his business exhausted the limestone in the quarry near their home, Mrs. Butchart came up with the idea of transforming the abandoned quarry into a spectacular “Sunken Garden.” She had top soil hauled in and began the renovation.

The Butcharts were world travelers and it influenced the design of their gardens. They created a Japanese Garden with Koi pond, transformed a tennis court into an Italian Garden, and planted a spectacular Rose Garden. Mr. Butchart collected birds from all over the world and had elaborate bird houses constructed throughout the gardens. They decorated their garden with artifacts including bronze castings.

The renown of the Butchart Gardens spread. Today, close to a million people visit annually, enjoying the year-round display of floral beauty created from over 700 varieties of plants.

When you get to the website you’ll see a picture of roses in bloom. Click on it and a map of the Spring garden will open. Click on any of the points of interest to view a photograph and simple explanation.

Notice that there is a box in the upper right corner of the map that says, “Select a Season.”  Use the drop down menu to view the gardens as they appear in Spring, Summer, Fall, and Winter.

When you’re through with the virtual tour, you can use the menu to explore the rest of the site that includes suggestions for kids and families who visit the gardens in real time.

Hi!  It’s Thursday, June 24, 2010 and time for Social Sciences at ClickSchooling!
 
Recommended Website:
LearCenter.org – Dramatic Reading of Declaration of Independence

Age Range: All (Young children may enjoy some aspects of these presentations.)

In 2001, as part of the City of Philadelphia’s Independence Day celebration, the Declaration of Independence was read at Philadelphia Museum of Art by a host of Hollywood notables including Morgan Freeman, Michael Douglas, Renee Zellweger, Mel Gibson, Whoopi Goldberg, Kevin Spacey, and more.

This event was part of “The Declaration of Independence Road Trip” that was produced and sponsored by renown film director, Norman Lear. Click on the featured link above to watch the  dramatic reading of the Declaration of Independence for free at the non-profit Lear Center website. The video is about 15 minutes long.

To enhance this experience, you’ll find a zoomable copy of the Declaration of Independence that you can read online at the Colonial Williamsburg website.

ClickSchooling has featured the incredible Colonial Williamsburg website 3 times over the past 10 years because it archives a tremendous wealth of knowledge for educators and students of American colonial history.

You’ll find more free entertaining and dramatic readings on audio and video archived in their Podcast Library on a wide variety of topics about colonial life, including a dramatic reading of the Declaration of Independence. 

You may also enjoy Patrick Henry’s Famous Speech: “Give Me Liberty or Give Me Death!“  See a photo of Patrick Henry, read a preface and follow the full text of the speech as you listen to the dramatic reading of it.

These are terrific resources to use in the days leading up to a celebration of this nation’s birth on July 4th.

Hi! It’s Wednesday, June 23, 2010 and time for Language Arts at ClickSchooling!

Recommended Website:
The Big Read

Age Range: 14 and up (high school and beyond)

The National Endowment for the Arts developed this program and companion website to “create a nation of readers.” The idea is to inspire people to read good literature defined as follows:

“A great book combines enlightenment with enchantment. It awakens our imagination and enlarges our humanity. It can even offer harrowing insights that somehow console and comfort us.” 

To inspire you to read the titles selected by the NEA, and to further learning, the website provides free reader and teacher guides with language arts lessons and activities, radio programs, video profiles, and information about book authors.

When you get to the site you’ll see a brief introduction and some highlighted books and activities. Click on “Our Books” in the horizontal menu at the top of the page. A new page opens with a list of titles including:

• The Adventures of Tom Sawyer by Mark Twain
• A Farewell to Arms by Ernest Hemingway
• The Poetry of Emily Dickinson
• The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald
• Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury
• To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee
• The Joy Luck Club by Amy Tan
• ~ and many more!

Click on any title and a new page opens where you can access:

*Reader’s Guide – Read a synopsis of the book, read the author’s bio, discover the main characters, learn the historical context of the story, access discussion questions and more.

*Teacher’s Guide – Get free lesson plans with printable handouts, review classroom project ideas that could be tweaked for a book club, get suggestions for essay topics, and find links to additional resources.

*Radio Show – The Big Read releases a new radio show about a selected book and author every 2 weeks. It’s informative and entertaining. You can listen to the show online or subscribe to the podcast for free.

Because of the critical decline in reading for pleasure among Americans, the Big Read encourages communities to read, discuss, and celebrate books and writers from American and world literature. If you click on “Communities” on the menu at the top of the page you can use a map to find a local community that is reading and discussing various book titles. Your participation is encouraged. 

Hi!  It’s Tuesday, June 22, 2010 and time for Science at ClickSchooling!

Recommended Website:
The Lab of Mr. Q

Age Range: 8-13 (approximately, and fun for all!)

A Maryland ClickScholar turned me on to The Lab of Mr. Q.  I find it hard to resist a science teacher who sums up the branches of science like this:

“If it stinks, it’s chemistry. If it’s slimy, it’s biology. And if it doesn’t work, it’s physics.”

Mr. Q is an 8th grade science teacher who moonlighted as a science tutor for homeschoolers. In fact, he developed a series of science books with homeschoolers in mind that he sells at this website. But you don’t have to buy a thing to access some free science goodies at his website.

For example, when you get to the site, you’ll be greeted by an array of possibilities. My advice is to click on “The Blog of Mr. Q“.  There you can get free, fun science experiments that you can do at home such as:

• How To Teach Science During Dessert… With Cookies
• How To Teach Science During Dessert… With Strawberries
• How To Teach Science During Dessert… With Ice Cream
• Bring On the Spice: How To Teach Science With Chile Peppers
• Bring On The Spice: How To Teach Science With Mustards

Simply click on any one to read the article and find out how to conduct the experiment. 

If you like these, you’ll want to sign up to receive for free by email “Mr. Q’s Monthly Lab Notes” – a colorful, engaging newsletter filled with experiments and science news.  You can access the archives of over 25 previous newsletters for free too!

Want more?  As I mentioned, Mr. Q has a series of science text books for sale on the following topics:

• Life Science
• Earth Science
• Chemistry
• Physical Science

However, to get you hooked on his products, you can download the entire Elementary Life Science Book for FREE! It includes a teacher’s manual and student textbook with experiments, worksheets, tests and answer keys.

Not only that, but you can also download the first chapter of each of his other books for free as well. Of course, Mr. Q hopes you’ll buy something and gladly accepts donations to help him in his quest to share science with your family.

Hi!  It’s Monday, June 21, 2010 and time for Math at ClickSchooling!

Recommended Website:
DreamBox Blog: June Math Activity Calendar

Age Range: 5-12 (approximately)

School teachers caution parents to avoid the “Summer Slide” by giving kids learning activities that will keep their math skills sharp all summer long. That way, kids can spend less time reviewing math concepts previously learned when school starts after summer vacation.

To that end, this commercial website (that sells curriculum) offers a FREE “Math Activity Calendar” with suggestions for things kids can do this summer to practice math.

When you get to the site you’ll see the DreamBox Blog page and a picture of the “June Math Activity Calendar.” Click on the calendar to open the pdf that you can print out and put on your wall. It includes activities such as:

*Bowl ‘til You Drop Day — If you bowl a strike, a spare and a six in three continuous frames, how many points will you get?

*June 21st Celebrate the Summer Solstice — the longest day of the year — by finding out how many hours of sun you’ll get!

*On Paper Airplane Day, fold four different paper airplanes and let them fly, then time which one stays in the air the longest.

The calendar currently shown on the site is for the month of June – but most of the activities could be done on any day of the year (weather permitting). I mention this because it’s not clear if this company intends to provide a “Math Activity Calendar” each and every month.

That said, there is a http://www.dreambox.com/blog/may-brings-blooming-math-month-and-a-new-spring-math-activities-calendar“>May calendar archived on the site and you can use most of those ideas on any day of the year as well. 

I hope DreamBox continues to publish their “Math Activity Calendar” as it would be a useful tool all year long.

If you like this learning calendar, you’ll also enjoy Homefires’ Free Learning Calendar.

You may also be interested in my Universal Preschool Learning Calendar too!

Hi!  It’s Saturday, June 19, 2010 and time for Art at ClickSchooling!

Recommended Website:
Activity Village: Father’s Day

Father’s Day is tomorrow, June 20th! If you need a last-minute gift that the kids can make for Dad, this website offers free, easy-to-make suggestions, instructions, and templates for gifts and cards that Dad will enjoy receiving.

When you get to the site you’ll see a menu of Father’s Day possibilities including:

• Cards To Print
• Easy Craft Activities
• Coloring Pages including “Greatest Dad” certificates!
• Printable Booklets that you can customize for Dad!
• Computer Jigsaw Puzzles
• Printable Father’s Day Word Searches, Mazes, and Puzzles
• Father’s Day Jokes, Poems, and Songs

You’ll also find links to other fun Father’s Day websites.

Hi!  It’s Friday, June 18, 2010 and time for a Virtual Field Trip at ClickSchooling!
 
Recommended Website:
National Arboretum Virtual Tour for Kids

Age Range: 6-14 (approximately, non-readers will need assistance)

ClickScholar Chris in Virginia recommended this website that offers a free virtual tour of the National Arboretum designed just for kids.

This is a terrific virtual tour delivered through a slide show with text that asks questions about what you’re viewing and then provides answers. Kids will learn all about:

• Fossilized Flowers
• Bonsai Gardening
• Herbs
• Plants with Thorns
• How To Make A Knot Garden
• What A Bowl of Cereal Has In Common with a Roman Goddess
• Tree Bark Designs
• Poison Ivy
• How to Tell the Age of a Tree
• Prehistoric Trees
• “Weeping” Trees
• And much, much more!

When you get to the site, just click on “Start Tour” to begin the adventure. This virtual tour really is designed to engage and educate kids – and it’s a great activity for the whole family to do together!

Hi!  It’s Thursday, June 17, 2010 and time for Social Sciences at ClickSchooling!

Recommended Website:
History Channel: America – The Story of US

Age Range: 5-18 (Grades K-12)

Hurry, you only have until July 1, 2010 to take advantage of this terrific opportunity…

History.com is offering a free DVD of AMERICA: The Story of US to every school in the United States – including homeschools!  The 12-hour series premiered in April and offers “a fascinating look at the stories of the people, events, and innovations that forged our nation.” To get your school’s DVD (retail value about $60), you must fill out the request form located at the website. It asks for basic info including:

• Principal’s Name (you)
• School Name (name of your homeschool)
• School Address (home address)

Be sure to click on the small button at the bottom of the page that says, “Yes, send me the Free DVD of AMERICA The Story of Us and occasional updates about the teaching materials available for educational HISTORY programs” before clicking on the “Submit Request Form.”

And while we’re talking FREE resources, ClickScholar Cie sent this information…

For a limited time, you can get a free “American Presidents Timeline” poster from C-SPAN. As explained at the website, “The 6ft long poster details the lives and public service careers of every president, plus key historical events, Supreme Court cases, and technology milestones throughout 280 years of Presidential history.”

To get the free 6-foot-long poster click HERE.

When you get to the website you’ll see a brief description of the timeline and below it the words, “Teachers: Log In or Register Here to Get This Offer.” Click on that link and it will take you to a page where you can login to order your poster.

If you are not currently a member of the C-SPAN Classroom, a free membership service for social studies teachers (including homeschoolers), then you must register. Look for the words, “Register New Account.” Click on that link and a new page opens where you can register and order the poster.

Not only will you get the poster, but free membership includes the ability to store C-SPAN Classroom videos and video clips, access free supplementary materials such as lesson plans and handouts (in pdf downloads), and you’ll learn about special offers such as this “American Presidents Timeline” poster.