Posts Tagged ‘fun’

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Virtual Field Trip to Norman Rockwell Museum!

February 3rd, 2012

Hi!  It’s Friday, February 3, 2012 and time for a Virtual Field Trip at ClickSchooling!

Recommended Website:
Norman Rockwell Museum

Age Range: 9 and up (with parental supervision)

February 3rd is Norman Rockwell’s Birthday!  The American illustrator, who was known for Saturday Evening Post covers depicting average Americans at work and play, was born in 1894. At this website, a companion to the Norman Rockwell Museum, you can virtually browse the collections and exhibits to see Rockwells’ amazing art and learn more about his life
and work. Plus, you can download a free “Family Guide.” (See details below.)

When you get to the site you’ll see some current highlights. Use the horizontal menu at the top of the page that includes:

*Rockwell – Read the artist’s bio and explore an interactive timeline of his life and work.

*Exhibitions – Learn about the museums’ exhibitions through descriptive text that includes links to further resources. Includes sample photos of artwork on display.

*Collections – Watch a slideshow of the Rockwell collection and then virtually browse the collection that includes descriptive text and fun trivia.

BONUS!  When you’re through exploring, print out this free “Family Guide“ from the Normal Rockwell Museum with fun activities you can do at home to further learning about art. (pdf)

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Ground Hog’s Day Fun for K-12!

February 2nd, 2012

Hi! It’s Thursday, February 2, 2012 and time for Social Sciences at ClickSchooling!

Recommended Website:
Groundhog.org

Age Range:  All (with parental supervision)

Today, February 2nd, is Groundhog’s Day! In North America the groundhog is said to wake from winter hibernation and crawl out of its burrow. If the groundhog sees his shadow, he gets frightened and returns to his den for another six weeks, prolonging winter. If he doesn’t see his shadow, he emerges from his home and spring begins. The “official” groundhog is named Punxsutawney Phil. He lives at Gobbler’s Knob in Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania.

At this official (and ad-supported) website you can watch a podcast of the Ground Hog’s Day proceedings at Gobbler’s Knob and get lesson plans and fun educational activities designed for grades K-12. 

NOTE: This site gets so much activity on February 2nd, that you may get an error message.  Don’t let it deter you.  Keep trying or wait until tomorrow and try again. The lesson plans and educational activities (including weather science) can be done anytime. So, bookmark this site to access them when there’s less traffic. 

You’ll also find “Groundhog’s Day Fun” free activities and coloring pages to print out that young children will enjoy at my UniversalPreschool.com website.  

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Posted in social sciences

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Wacky Ways to Learn Parts of Speech!

February 1st, 2012

Hi!  It’s Wednesday, August 22, 2007 and time for Language Arts at ClickSchooling!

Recommended Website:
Wacky Tales

Age Range:  7-12 (and fun for all!)

Houghton Mifflin (the education textbook publisher) sponsors this website that helps kids learn parts of speech – nouns, adverbs, adjectives, verbs, etc.  Using interactive stories called “Wacky Web Tales” they offer an online version of the classic car game, Mad Libs.

When you get to the site you’ll see a menu of Wacky Web Tales titles. Click on any one and a new page opens that reveals the story title and a form. The form requires you to type in parts of speech (such as a singular noun, adjective, or present tense verb). The words you enter will be used to create a Wacky Web Tale — simply click on the “See Your Wacky Web Tale” button at the bottom of the form.

If you are unsure what an adverb (or any other part of speech called for on the form) is – just click on the “Parts of Speech Help” button for some quick definitions.

Because you don’t know how the parts of speech you filled in on the form will be used in the story – the resulting Wacky Web Tale can be pretty funny. :)

This is a painless way to learn, reinforce, or remediate parts of speech.

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Posted in language arts

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Kids Do Ecology!

January 31st, 2012

Hi!  It’s Tuesday, January 31, 2012 and time for Science at ClickSchooling!

Recommended Website:
Kids Do Ecology

Age Range: 8-12 (approximately with parental supervision)

The National Center for Ecological Analysis and Synthesis in Santa Barbara, California offers this multi-media website for kids to teach them the science of ecology.

When you get to the site, you’ll see a menu of choices that includes:

*Learn About Ecology – Get an introduction to the study of ecology, learn about endangered species, find out about careers in ecology, and enjoy interviews with ecologists.

*Data Science – Discover the scientific method! Learn to analyze data and present results. Design your own ecology experiment.

*World Biomes – Learn about the 5 major biomes including aquatic, desert, forest, grassland, and tundra. Discover the flora and fauna that thrive in each.

*Marine Mammals – Meet Blue, Grey, and Humpback whales, a variety of dolphins, and sea otters!

Each section contains clickable links to information, videos, sound, and fun facts.  You can also check out some classroom science projects and an assortment of links to other science websites.

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Incredible Art & Design Activities!

January 28th, 2012

Hi!  It’s Saturday, January 28, 2012 and time for Art at ClickSchooling!

Recommended Website:
National Gallery for America’s Young Artists

Age Range: 5-18 and beyond (Grade Range K-12)

This website features a variety of free interactive art activities to engage the budding Pollock, O’Keefe, Rodin, or Frank Lloyd Wright in your home.

When you get to the site you’ll see a menu featuring three main sections as follows:

I.  Free Art Sites: Experiential – Click on any one of 5 links to virtually draw, color, paint, build, and experiment with color and 3D design online. 

II. Interactive Activities About Art – This collection of fun activities provides multi-media lessons in art history as well as art media and technique. Learn about color symbolism, how to make prints, bronze casting, take a tour of the Vatican artwork, find out what’s in an artist’s toolkit, and learn all about cave art.

III.  Online Art Galleries – Explore other online art galleries by clicking on links to the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the British Museum, the National Museum of African Art, Native American Art, and a great online exhibit about myths and legends in art. All of these galleries use multi-media to enhance art education.

You could design an entire art curriculum around the information and activities archived here.  Be sure to bookmark it to return often.

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Posted in history

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Virtual Field Trip to Kazoo Factory!

January 27th, 2012

Hi!  It’s Friday, January 27, 2012 and time for a Virtual Field Trip at ClickSchooling!

Recommended Website:
Eden Kazoo Factory & Museum

Age Range: All (with parental supervision)

Tomorrow, January 28th, is National Kazoo Day! At this website, you can read about the history of METAL kazoos, developed in 1840 in Macon, Georgia. Learn how the device was patented and manufactured by The Original American Kazoo Company, and how it is manufactured today. See an NBC video of the Eden Kazoo Factory including aspects of the manufacturing process.

Of course, this info is likely to lead to a strong desire to play the kazoo. It’s a fun musical instrument that even young children can learn to play. All you have to do is start humming, place the kazoo in your mouth, and the humming turns into kazoo music.

By the way, you can purchase inexpensive plastic kazoos at most toy stores, or get them at Kazoobie Kazoos. They offer info about kazoos on their website, including a video that shows aspects of the PLASTIC kazoo manufacturing process at the Beaufort Kazoo Factory.

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Posted in Virtual Field Trip

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