Posts Tagged ‘art’

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The MET’s Awesome Art Adventure for Kids

March 9th, 2013

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

Recommended Website:

The MET: Aaron’s Awesome Adventure

Age Range: 6 and up (approximately, with parental supervision)

The Metropolitan Museum of Art offers this free, online, read-aloud, short story about an inquisitive red-headed boy’s adventures in the Museum and the four pieces of artwork he encounters there.

When you get to the site you’ll see the storybook cover. Just click on the arrows to read the illustrated story.

When you’re finished reading the story, look for the menu directly below the storybook screen, and click on “About the Art.” A new page opens where you can learn more about the art featured in the story. Unfortunately, some of the links to learning more about the artwork aren’t working – so, I took the time to find the links as follows:

Temple of Dendur

Washington Crossing the Delaware

Funerary Mask (Peru)

Arms & Armor (This is a gateway to the Museum’s collections on armor.)

Note: Should you have trouble opening any of the above links, just go to the Met Museum’s home page at www.MetMuseum.org and enter the name of the artwork into the search engine.

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Free Writing & Spelling Worksheets & More!

March 6th, 2013

Hi!  It’s Wednesday, March 6, 2013 and time for Language Arts at ClickSchooling!

Recommended Website:

Best Worksheets

Age Range: 4-10 (Grades PreK-5th, with parental supervision)

A Maryland ClickScholar told me about this ad-supported website (developed by the folks at TheHeadOfTheClass.com) that provides free worksheets for Language Arts and a variety of other subjects that you can download/print or do online/mobile. I have focused on Language Arts for this review.

When you get to the site, read the introduction. Then, select a grade level and a new page opens displaying some worksheets. Look on the menu bar to see what subjects the worksheets cover including Art, Geography, Math, Science, Spelling, Reading, Writing, Spanish, etc. Not all subjects are available at all grade levels. For example:

*Preschool – No “subjects” here, just kiddie worksheets that introduce sight words, numbers, shapes, money, etc.

*Kindergarten – Reading worksheets include sight words, story sequencing, letter writing, alphabet, etc.

*First Grade – Spelling worksheets have scrambled words, missing letters and vowels, matching words. Writing worksheets cover verbs, nouns, past tense, etc. Reading offers missing letters, words, sight words, story lines, etc.

*Second Grade – Spelling and Writing worksheets cover sight words, vowels, consonants, print writing, cursive reading and writing activities.

*Third Grade – Spelling word writing worksheets, cursive writing practice worksheets, etc.

*Fourth Grade – Print and cursive spelling practice worksheets.  Writing worksheets focus on grammar and punctuation.

*Fifth Grade – Spelling word practice in cursive and print. Sentence structure and parts of speech including nouns, verbs, pronouns, adverbs, etc.

When you find a worksheet you want to use, you have the option to download and print it out for use offline, or simply do the activity online.

Bookmark this site 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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Terrific Science Freebies!

January 22nd, 2013

Hi!  It’s Tuesday, January 22, 2013 and time for Science at ClickSchooling!

Recommended Website:

TerrificScience.org

Age Range: 5 -18 (grades K-12, with parental supervision)

This website, developed by two enthusiastic chemistry teachers named Mickey and Lynn, provides a wide assortment of free lessons and activities that teach students of all ages the scientific method through fun, hands-on investigations.

When you get to the site you’ll see a menu of the “Freebies” including:

*Lesson and Lab Exchange – Get hundreds of free, downloadable science lessons for elementary, middle school, and high school students. These lessons run the gamut from teaching chemistry with glitter wands to an 8-part series on forensic science.

*National Chemistry Week – Explore an archive of chemistry lessons and experiments offered during Chemistry Week in 2005-2008.

*Health Science Resources – Enjoy hands-on activities that emphasize water safety, personal hygiene, indoor pollution, chemical safety, skin health, and information on drug-resistant bacteria.

*Terrific Science Movies plus Activities – View a variety of movies (excerpts from the science teachers’ workshops) that include fun animations and activity demonstrations. Some of the movies have accompanying activity instructions.

When you’re through exploring the “Freebies,” poke around the rest of the website for additional information and resources on the art of teaching science.

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Free Offline Math Games & Much More!

January 21st, 2013

Hi!  It’s Monday, January 21, 2013 and time for Math at ClickSchooling!

Recommended Website:

EllenMcHenry.com: Math (and much more)

Age Range: 5-16 (approximately and varies by topic and activity; with parental supervision)

This website provides free downloadable games and curricula for a wide range of subjects to be used offline. I’ve focused on math for this review. The free math games and activities teach various math strands and concepts in a fun, hands-on way. The game instructions and materials can be printed out and assembled for play offline.

The games were designed by a homeschool mom and illustrator named Ellen McHenry.  When she couldn’t find resources that were really what she wanted and needed, she got out her old college texts (she majored in drawing and minored in math), did some review, and started inventing her own stuff, much of which she makes available on her site for free.

When you get to the site you’ll see a menu of the math games and activities that include:

*Storm the Castle! – Players (ages 5-8 or so) pretend to be medieval soldiers attacking a castle. They must cross a field and a bridge using math skills, find the difference between two numbers, find coordinates on a grid, and solve simple word problems. 

*Loot the Pirate Ship! – Players (ages 8-11 or so) use and practice multiples of numbers, prime numbers, and divisibility rules to capture ships and loot them.

*Sheep Herding Math Strategy Game – This is a two-player game that is fun for all ages. One person plays the sheep, the other is the border collie in this classic strategy game that is similar to “Hares and Hounds.” 

*Professor Pig’s Magic Math (a mini-curricula) – Professor Pig teaches his students (ages 5-8 or so) to see patterns with numbers that will allow them to easily do addition without any memorization. There is review and practice built into the activities eliminating boring drill worksheets! 

These games are not only great for elementary students, but are helpful to older students who struggle with math or need remedial work.

But that’s not all!  Ms. McHenry has also created free educational games and lessons for students of all ages, in the following subjects:

  • Plants
  • Animals
  • Human Body
  • Earth Sciences
  • Chemistry
  • Physical Science
  • History/Social Studies
  • Geography/Maps
  • Language Arts
  • Art
  • Drama
  • French and Latin

You will be astounded at the innovative ways she has developed, and ingenious materials she has created to help students of all ages learn. Words simply can’t do it justice. Bookmark this site, you’ll want to return often.

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Virtual Tour of the Museum of Web Art

January 19th, 2013

Hi!  It’s Saturday, January 19, 2013 and time for Art at ClickSchooling!

Recommended Website:

MOWA

Age Range: 9 and up (approximately, with adult supervision)

The Museum of Web Art sponsors this website that offers a free virtual tour of online galleries and exhibits featuring artistic renderings created for websites, along with a Kid’s Wing featuring interactive games and stories.

When you get to the site, simply follow the directions and once you’ve entered the virtual museum, click on the “continue” button (located in the upper right corner of each page) to explore:

*Gateways – See an exhibit of artistic “splash pages” or opening pages of a few websites.

*Wallpaper Exhibit  – See textile designs for web pages from decorative to functional.

*Buttons Exhibit – See examples of a few fun , interactive buttons installed on websites.

*Installations Exhibit – Enjoy examples of interactive designs on websites.

*Kids Wing – Play some interactive games and puzzles, and read some interactive stories.

This is not an extensive website and it seems a bit dated. Frankly, in my web explorations, I’ve seen better examples of art blending with technology than those featured at this site. Nevertheless, it’s a simple way to introduce the concept of the art-tech connection, and the kids will enjoy playing the games. 

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