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Free Video Guitar Lessons for Homeschoolers!

May 19th, 2012

Hi!  It’s Saturday, May 19, 2012 and time for Music at ClickSchooling!

Recommended Website:
Youtube Guitar Lessons

Age Range: 8 and up (approximately, with parental supervision)

At this website you will find free beginning to intermediate guitar lessons provided through videos with musician Brian Roughton, who happens to be a homeschool dad. I learned about this site from Brian who wrote…

“I am a homeschooling parent who has taught guitar for the past 14 years. Recently I created a website to serve as a free teaching resource for homeschooled students who are interested in learning to play guitar.

It is intended to guide a student from the earliest stages to an intermediate level without the need for outside assistance. I will be adding more lessons over time in order to cater to students who are more advanced.”

When you get to the site you’ll see an introduction.  Use the horizontal menu above it to access the lessons that include:

*Basic Chords – Enjoy guitar video lessons that teach you how to play basic chords.

*Strumming – Learn the best techniques for strumming the guitar.

*Bar Chords – Take video lessons to learn how to play bar chords.

You’ll also find tips for practicing guitar and you can watch videos of Brian’s students playing guitar. Read the “About Me” section to review Brian’s impressive qualifications to teach guitar.

The information and lessons are presented in a very user-friendly format. The material is well-organized and easy to understand.  This is a terrific resource for those who want to  learn to play guitar.

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Free “Family Math Night” Activities!

April 23rd, 2012

Hi!  It’s Monday, August 13, 2007 and time for Math at ClickSchooling!

Recommended Website:
Math Night Modules

Age Range: 6-13 (with parental participation and supervision)

“Math Night” is a fun event, supported by the National Science Foundation, that was created for kids in elementary school and their parents. On Math Night, families go to school together and explore math displays (similar to a science fair), make math crafts, and compete in games to solve math problems.

Now, homeschoolers can join in the fun too!  At this website you can get free access to the Math Night resources including math displays, crafts, games, and activities. You can print them out and use them to enjoy fun math projects at home.

When you get to the site just click on any item on the icon menu that includes:

  • Abacus Arithmetic
  • Topology Tricks
  • Wrapping Paper Symmetry
  • Math is a Piece of Pi
  • Bridges of Koenigsberg
  • Binary Numbers
  • Geometry Gems
  • Algorithms, Braids, and Kolam Figures
  • Clock Arithmetic
  • Secret (and not so secret) Codes
  • Construction by Instruction
  • Mathematics of Music
  • Methods of Multiplication
  • The Slide Rule
  • Cake Walk Math
  • Mirror, Mirror
  • Make a Mountain Out of a Map
  • Math ‘N Music Notes
  • You Can Count On It!

A new page opens with a virtual trifold display about that activity. Use the menu at the top of the screen to learn about the module and access the printable materials you’ll need.

Want to try other activities?  Look on the menu on the left side of the screen to access some “Pencil and Paper Games” as well as the rules for playing “Math Jeopardy.”

 

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Free Folk Music & Dance Steps for Grades PreK-6

April 21st, 2012

Hi!  It’s Saturday, April 21, 2012 and time for Music at ClickSchooling!

Recommended Website:
Utah Office of Education: Fine Arts

Age Range: 4-12 (Grades Pre-K-6, with parental supervision)

A Maryland ClickScholar suggested this website by the Utah Office of Education that encourages learning Fine Arts to “enable students to express their feelings, communicate thoughts, explore their creativity, solve problems, communicate ideas, develop a sense of community, and appreciate themselves as participants in history, tradition, and culture.” To that end they offer a free music catalog of downloadable song files (mp3), sheet music with lyrics, and dance instructions that accompany some of the songs.

When you get to the site you’ll see the Elementary Songbook Music Catalog with a menu of traditional children’s music and folk song titles that include:

  • A Tisket, A Tasket
  • Bingo
  • Buffalo Gals
  • Down By the Bay
  • Going to the Zoo
  • If You’re Happy
  • Old MacDonald
  • Take Me Out To the Ball Game
  • You Are My Sunshine
  • Yankee Doodle

And many more titles that you’re sure to recognize.

Plus, you’ll find a menu of Movement/Dance Options that include free, printable instructions for folk dances you can do as you listen to the songs. You’ll discover:

  • A simple line dance in a middle eastern style
  • A couple dance after the style of French Canadian step dancing
  • A simple circle dance in the style of “big circle mountain” dancing
  • A contemporary American country line dance for sets of 3
  • A Latin America line dance popular at Carnival
  • A circle dance adaptation of traditional Native American style
  • A square dance in traditional formation
  • A simple variation of the traditional Virginia Reel in long sets

This is a terrific resource to help your kids learn songs of historical and cultural significance.  You can learn the dance steps too, and it might be a great project for a homeschool support group or scout troop.

 

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Free Films That Teach History!

March 15th, 2012

Hi!  It’s Thursday, March 15, 2012 and time for History at ClickSchooling!

Recommended Website:
EarlyAmercia.com

Age Range: 8 and up (with parental supervision)

This ad-supported website offers free, well-produced, short films of noteworthy events in early American history. Each of the films highlights a true story of historical significance using images from primary source documents such as engravings, woodcuts, portraits, and drawings to create the scenes. The movies include:

  • The Ben Franklin Story
  • The Life of George Washington
  • Declaring Independence
  • Paul Revere, Messenger of the Revolution
  • The Shot Heard Around The World
  • The Treason of Benedict Arnold
  • The Real Face of George Washington
  • Molly Pitcher, An American Heroine

All of the films provide students with a better understanding of the people, places and events of this era. But that’s not all!

When you are through watching the films, explore the menu. You will find primary source documents, biographies, maps, music, milestone events, famous obituaries, and a wonderful gallery of portraits of early Americans including John Adams, Patrick Henry, Thomas Jefferson, Thomas Paine and much more.

This terrific site combines technology with historical documents to create a multi-media website that enhances the study of Early American History for students of all ages.

 

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Free Music Lessons, Worksheets, Games & More!

March 10th, 2012

Hi! It’s Saturday, March 10, 2012 and time for Music at ClickSchooling!

Recommended Website:
Making Music Fun

Age Range: 6-11 (Grades 1-6, with parental supervision.)

This ad-supported website provides engaging, FREE music appreciation resources including music lessons, interactive games, printable sheet music and music theory flashcards designed for kids.

When you get to the site you’ll see three menu choices that include:

*Oliver Octopus Arcade — Play music theory arcade games and learn to identify the whole note, half note, eighth note, etc. Learn note names for the treble and bass clef.

*Print It! — Get free printable sheet music that you can preview and listen to online. From beginner to intermediate players – you’ll find sheet music for the piano, violin, flute, recorder, trumpet and trombone.

Don’t miss the “Free Composer Worksheets” too! Print out fun wordsearch and dot-to-dot puzzles based upon your favorite classical composers including Bach, Beethoven, Bernstein, Chopin, Gershwin, Joplin, Mozart, Prokofiev, Tchaikovsky and more!

You’ll also find practice charts, theory worksheets, and even printable award certificates.

*Music Library — THIS IS AN AMAZING RESOURCE! Access an archive of FREE music lessons on video for piano, recorder, flute, clarinet, trumpet, guitar, percussion, and bagpipe. There are even video flashcards for learning music theory!

You’ll also find biographies of great composers in the baroque, classic, romantic, and modern music eras.

Learn the instruments of the orchestra (woodwind, brass, string, percussion, and keyboard) with highlights about their history, how they are played, how they are made, and other fun facts.

Don’t miss the “Homeschool Music Resource Index” of suggested music activities created just for homeschool parents. Print out music lessons that help children learn about tempo, rhythm, pitch, musical symbols, form, and much more.

There’s even a “Jazz Index” with lessons and resources for learning about jazz music and great jazz musicians.
 
This site provides the very best in blending music with educational technology.

 

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Amazing Free Online Social Studies Books!

March 8th, 2012

Hi!  It’s Thursday, March 8, 2012 and time for Social Sciences at Clickschooling!

Recommended Website:
Go Social Studies Go!

Age Range: 9 and up (Grades 4-12, with parental supervision)

This is amazing! A Social Studies teacher created this ad-supported website to make social studies awesome and claims that it “brings to you the most complete Social Studies teacher resources in cyber space.”

The Social Studies material is all organized into free, engaging interactive books. You just click on a corner of the book to turn the pages that contain free social studies interactive lessons, games, videos, photos, and sound and music clips.

When you get to the site, you’ll see an icon menu that includes:

*Global Religions – Study African Animism, Buddhism, Christianity, Confucianism, Daoism, Hinduism, Islam, Judaism, and Shinto.

*History – You won’t believe the extensive content available under each major category that includes: Ancient History, World History, 20th Century History, American History I, and American History II. Topics include the Mayans, the Silk Road, the Black Death, Feudal Japan, Marco Polo, the Trial of Galileo, American Revolution, the Donner Party, Salem Witch Trials, Underground Railroad, the Hindenburg Disaster, the Dust Bowl, the Titanic, the Rwanda Massacre, and more!

*World Geography – Discover the countries and cultures of the U.S. and Canada, Mexico, Caribbean, Latin America, Europe, Middle East, Russia, Africa, India, Korea, Japan, China, and Australia.

*History Hunters – Go on an interactive History Adventure! Become a character in a story that allows you to make choices that determine the outcome.  Choose from “The Underground Railroad” and “Immigrant Experience.”

You’ll also find links to other cool websites and teacher resources.

This site is a brilliant example of how mundane textbook information can be transformed into an interactive learning extravaganza that your family will love!

 

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