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Free Virtual Trips to World Wonders!

March 7th, 2013

Hi! It’s Thursday, March 7, 2013 and time for Social Sciences at ClickSchooling!

Recommended Website:

World Wonders Project

Age Range: 6-18 (Grades 1-12, with parental supervision)

“Cloudschooling” and “Hackschooling” are revolutionizing the way we learn – and this website provides a perfect demonstration. Created by Google, it’s a portal to help students learn geography and history through virtual trips to see the many ancient and modern wonders of the world — including:

  • Stonehenge
  • The Palace at Versailles
  • The Grand Canyon
  • The Great Barrier Reef
  • The Ruins of Pompeii
  • The Ancient Temple of Kyoto
  • The Remains of Scott’s and Shackleton’s Expeditions in Antarctica
  • And Much More!

The site uses Street View, 3D modeling, and other technologies, photographs and videos, and provides in-depth information to help you explore the many world wonders, as if you were there.

When you get to the site you can start your adventure by clicking through the picture carousel on the homepage that features random sites from all over the world. You can also use the menu at the top of the page to:

*Find by Location – Includes sites located in Antarctica, Asia, Europe, North America, Oceania (Australia), and South America.

*Browse by Theme – Including Archaeological Sites, Architecture, Cities and Towns, Historic Sites, Monuments & Memorials, Palaces & Castles, Parks & Gardens, Places of Worship, Regions & Landscapes, Wonders of Nature.

Be sure to click on “Education” on the menu to download free teaching guides for using these resources with classroom students in primary and secondary schools. (It can be tweaked for use by homeschoolers.)

Once you select a site to explore, click on the title and a new page opens with a screen that displays a panoramic and interactive picture of the location. Use the menu to the right of the screen to access helpful information, videos of the location, and amazing photographs.

This is a terrific resource that you can use again and again – so bookmark it to return often.

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Free Art Assignments!

February 9th, 2013

Hi!  It’s Saturday, February 9, 2013 and time for Art at ClickSchooling!

Recommended Website:

Everyday Art Assignments

Age Range:  All (with parental assistance and supervision)

This ad-free website offers free, simple-to-do artistic assignments (created by real artists) to inspire artistic endeavors in people of all ages. 

When you get to the site, you must wait for the introduction to load (that is slow-moving), and then double-click on the final words in the presentation to get to the menu. Your patience will pay off. From the menu, you can read about the “EAA” – Everyday Art Assignment project (initiated in Pennsylvania in 2004), and review “Successes” – artistic submissions by people worldwide.

THE BEST PART OF ALL is the “Artist Assignments.”  Click on this item and a new page opens featuring the photos of 15 artists who contributed suggestions for art assignments that you can try at home. Click on an artist’s photo, and a new page opens to their art assignment. You’ll find suggestions such as:

*Persephone’s Return – Learn about the Greek goddess of Spring through planting seeds and tracking their growth with a nature journal.

*Everyday Ritual – Create a photo-documentation of an everyday ritual.

*Gained in Translation – Write a 24-line poem and use a recommended website to translate it into multiple languages.

*Fiber Jambalaya – Use old clothes to create the craziest quilt ever!

*Make A Paper Doll of A Friend!

*Six-Breath SkyWatch – Draw simple lines representing how you feel after watching the sky for the duration of 6 breaths.

*Use 17 Objects to Create Peace

Each Art Assignment provides very simple instructions, leaving the rest to your imagination. Pictures of other people’s results are provided to help you better understand the assignment.

Think of this website as an “art-starter.” Even if you don’t do the exact assignment, it will certainly inspire artistic expression in one way or another.  :)

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Free Geography Games & Kits!

January 31st, 2013

Hi!  It’s Thursday, January 31, 2013 and time for Social Sciences at ClickSchooling!

Recommended Website:

My Wonderful World: Games & Cool Stuff

Age Range: 6-17 (varies, depending on game/activity, with parental supervision)

Did you know that a National Geographic survey showed half of young Americans can’t locate world powers like Japan and India? Twenty percent can’t even find the Pacific Ocean!

My Wonderful World is the official website of a National Geographic-led campaign that offers free, interactive activities to expand kids’ global knowledge about countries, people, cultures, economics, and environments. It offers resources for parents, educators, and kids including a free monthly e-newsletter that provides ideas and hands-on tools to help children learn about the world.

When you get to the site you’ll see a variety of online activities that include learning to read maps, learning about world music, and discovering geocaching (real-life treasure hunts).

There are also science and nature games, geography quizzes, and world trivia challenges. You can even take a virtual trip to Africa, play children’s games from around the world, and learn to speak a foreign language!

All of the resources are right there – with the click of your mouse!

Don’t forget to check out the menu where parents, educators and kids will find free, downloadable “Action Kits” to help get you started on learning more about worldwide geography.

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Free Native American Audio Stories & More

November 7th, 2012

Hi! It’s Wednesday, November 7, 2012 and time for Language Arts at ClickSchooling!

Recommended Websites:

See Below

Age Range: Varies

It’s November and in the U.S. learning activities are often themed around the contributions of Native Americans to American history. Here are some language arts activities inspired by the same:

Free Audio: American Indian Fairy Tales

Listen to “American Indian Fairy Tales” for free courtesy of LibriVox. As explained at the website, “Native Americans living in the Lake Superior region passed their cultural identity down through the generations by way of stories. Far more than mere tales to amuse children, they passed along the collective wisdom of the tribes. In the 1830s, government Indian Agent and ethnologist Henry R. Schoolcraft learned the language of these people and went out to collect and preserve their stories before the tribes disappeared under the westward rush of American civilization. Though these stories were recast as children’s fairy tales in the 1920s, they contain much of the old wisdom of a culture which has largely disappeared.” You can listen online or download mp3 files and listen offline or on the go!

Printable Native American Stories

Enjoy printing and reading legends told by tribal storytellers that explain nature and life.

Native American Tribes Wordsearch

Here’s a fun language arts activity to reinforce your knowledge of various Native American tribes.

Write a Rebus Story with Sign Language

Use this free printable to discover the meaning of some Native American symbols, and write a rebus story.

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Native American Science Lessons & Activities

November 6th, 2012

Hi! It’s Tuesday, November 6, 2012 and time for Science at ClickSchooling!

Recommended Websites: See Below

Age Range: Varies

It’s November and in the U.S. learning activities are often themed around the contributions of Native Americans to American history. Here are some science lessons and activities inspired by the same:

ThinkQuest: Native Americans in Science

At this website you’ll find a simple and very brief overview of the ways Native Americans have contributed to Astronomy, Geology, Biology, Chemistry, and Physics that is suitable for all ages/grades. Be sure to click on the image of the “Back Button” to find find similar lists of Native American contributions to Medicine, Invention, Art, the Military, and more.

After reading the above overview, try this activity:

Lesson: Can-Do Canoe

This free classroom lesson and activity (for ages 8-17 or grades 3-12) can be tweaked for homeschoolers. As explained at the website, “Explore the engineering design process by building model canoes from everyday materials and testing their design. The canoes must be able to float for three minutes and, for older students, support a load.” Students then evaluate the effectiveness of their canoes and discuss their findings.

And for those who are looking for content for more advanced learners…

Native American Science

This website, sponsored by the National Science Foundation and several universities, provides a free university-level curriculum (that high school students and accelerated learners may also enjoy) that shows how Indigenous traditions are based on a solid understanding and description of natural phenomena. Topics include: Native and Western Views of Nature, Indigenous Research Methods, Environmental Justice, Indigenous Perspective, and more.

As explained at the website, “Our goal is to avoid romantic cliches and characterizations of Indian people and their traditional knowledge and to present this knowledge as well documented but different in approach from ‘Western science.’ These traditions are based on connection to the natural world, rather than separation from nature–in other words we are working with a science based on relationships, reciprocity and respect rather than solely on exploitation and economic concerns.”

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Dia de Los Muertos Lessons & Activities!

November 1st, 2012

Hi! It’s Thursday, November 1, 2012 and time for Social Sciences at ClickSchooling!

Recommended Website:

Mommy Maestra: Dia de Los Muertos

Age Range: All (with parental supervision)

November 1st and 2nd are celebrated as Dia de Los Muertos, a Mexican holiday tradition when families remember and honor relatives and friends who have died. As I was researching the holiday, I stumbled upon this terrific website, Mommy Maestra: Discoveries of a Latina Homeschooler. Monica Oivera, is a homeschool mom and writer and recipient of the Latinos in Social Media’s “Best Latina Education Blogger” award, who shares all kinds of bilingual and bicultural resources to support homeschool parents.

I was astounded by the number of resources at the website that include lessons plans and activities to learn history, culture, math, arts and crafts, science and nature, and much more. While I’m focusing on the information and activities she provides for Dia de Los Muertos for this ClickSchooling review, be sure to peruse her site for some extraordinary and out-of-the-box learning resources.

First, if you are unfamiliar with Dia de Los Muertos – Mommy Maestra provides a brief history of the festival (written for children).

Then, go to the featured page on Dia de Los Muertos. There, you’ll find an archive of links (all of them were working at the time of this review) to lesson plans and activities that include:

*Thematic Units – Get free lessons themed around Dia de Los Muertos with cross-curricular connections for almost every grade level from 2-12. Some include serious academic studies, others provide fun activities.

*Websites: Check out a short list of websites with terrific info on Dia de Los Muertos.

*Printables: Includes free, printable coloring pages.

*Crafts & Supplies: Learn to make sugar skulls out of clay, or tissue paper marigolds.

*Videos: Watch a selection of videos about Dia de Los Muertos.

Again, the information on this holiday is just the beginning of the educational resources available at this site.

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