Posts Tagged ‘government’

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Virtual Field Trip to New Zealand!

June 14th, 2013

Hi!  It’s Friday, June 14, 2013, and time for a Virtual Field Trip at ClickSchooling!

Recommended Website:

TeAra: Encyclopedia of New Zealand

Age Range:  All (with parental supervision)

At this website you can take a virtual field trip to New Zealand by browsing a multi-media encyclopedia and learn all about it’s history, landscape, flora, fauna, people, industry, and culture.

When you get to the site, you’ll see rotating featured stories and an icon menu leading to over 700 illustrated, interactive stories on various aspects of New Zealand such as the landscape, the Bush, tribal life, natural wonders, and more.

Or, browse the “Encyclopedia of New Zealand” near the top of the home page and explore the stories and biographies archived at the site. You’ll learn about New Zealand’s people, art and culture, birds, climate and weather, disasters and hazards, economy, farming, geology, government, history, insects and spiders, mammals, plants and fungi, reptiles, sea life, sports, trees and forests, and much more

Within each individual theme or topic there are lots of subcategories of fascinating scope and detail. You could really spend hours virtually exploring this unusual and remarkable country. Bookmark this one, as there’s no way to see it all in just one visit. 

 

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Free Women’s History Month Lessons & Activities!

March 14th, 2013

Hi!  It’s Thursday, March 14, 2013 and time for Social Sciences at ClickSchooling!

Recommended Website:

Women’s History Month

Age Range: 10 and up  (approximately, with parental supervision)

March is Women’s History Month that recognizes and celebrates the importance of women and their role in history. This website, sponsored by the Library of Congress, offers extensive free resources including articles, exhibitions, audio/visual presentations, lessons, activities and more to learn about women’s history.

When you get to the website you’ll see an introduction and featured highlights and events. Use the menu on the left side of the page to access:

*Exhibits & Collections – An archive of links to resources that include virtual field trips to historic places such as the homes of Clara Barton and Eleanor Roosevelt, and links to information on Women’s Rights, and women in Performing Arts, Government and Politics, Culture and Folklife, and much more.

*Audio/Video – Enjoy audio and video presentations about women in Arts and Culture, Business and Economics, Civil Rights, Music and Performing Arts, Poetry and Literature, and more.

*For Teachers – Access ready-to-use lesson plans, student activities, collection guides and research aids. Don’t miss the link to “Women’s History.” When the new page opens, you’ll see an illustration of a woman. Below it, are links to “Lesson Plans,” and a section “For Students” with many, many more resources to explore.

There is a massive amount of content here, so bookmark the site to return often.

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Social Sciences Video & Current Events Newsletter!

November 29th, 2012

Hi! It’s Thursday, November 29, 2012 and time for Social Sciences at ClickSchooling!

Recommended Website:

Izzit.org

http://www.izzit.org

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

I just learned about this non-profit, NON-PARTISAN organization that provides teachers, educators, and homeschoolers with engaging educational videos and materials “to teach the next generation about the ideas, institutions, and benefits of a free society” and foster understanding and support for the foundational ideas of the U.S. republic, such as individual liberty, personal responsibility, and equality before the law.

The site offers a FREE membership program that includes a daily current events newsletter (with two lessons) and provides members with one free educational video (selected from the extensive video catalog) each year. You must register to receive the freebies. There is no shipping or handling charge to get the free DVD, they only require that you provide feedback via their online form.

This site also has a subscription membership that allows members to receive multiple free videos each year and access to “Current Events Lessons” that are archived at the website. But again, you don’t have to purchase a thing to get one free video each year, and the free newsletter with current events lessons and discussion questions.

The videos available at this website promote thoughtful discussion and respectful debate about issues and events to help young people become independent-minded, fully engaged citizens. As explained at the site:

“We ask students to think about the role of government and the importance of voluntary associations in promoting human flourishing. Students gain a greater appreciation for how a free society with a strong rule of law enables a diverse people to coexist, cooperate, and prosper.

“We encourage a healthy skepticism about authoritative claims, so that students learn to seek out evidence rather than accept assertions. In this way, young people develop the ability to use reason and common sense to evaluate the information they will encounter throughout their lives.”

Once you register, you can select a free Social Sciences video from their catalog that includes the following categories:

  • U.S. History & Government
  • World History & Geography
  • Business
  • Economics

BONUS! You’ll also find videos covering Health/Physical Education, Language Arts, Math, Music/Art, and Science/Technology that are aligned with common core educational standards.

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Posted in economics

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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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Free DVDs from John Stossel!

September 13th, 2012

Hi!  It’s Thursday, September 13, 2012, and time for Social Sciences at ClickSchooling!

Recommended Website:

Stossel In The Classroom: Free DVD

Age Range: 11-18 (about middle school/high school with parental supervision)

“Stossel in the Classroom.” Sponsored by the Center for Independent Thought (a non-profit educational foundation) offers a free DVD each school year that is a compilation of John Stossel’s television programs and specials designed for use in the classroom to enhance the study of social sciences.  All you have to do is register (free), and agree to provide feedback once you’ve viewed the DVD – and the DVD will be mailed to your home or school address. There are also free, downloadable “Teacher Guides” for the DVDs at the website with lesson plans, activity suggestions, handouts, and vocabulary.

A new DVD is produced each year and is free to teachers including home educators. Right now you can get TWO FREE DVDs: the 2013 edition, and the 2012 edition (while supplies last)! When you get to the site, you’ll see John Stossel’s smiling face and learn how to register to receive the DVDs.

When you’re through registering, use the menu at the top of the page to access all of the free resources available. Watch free “Streaming Videos” from Stossel on thought-provoking topics. Past videos are archived at the site. You can also search the videos by subject including:

  • Accounting & Finance
  • Agriculture
  • Art
  • Biology
  • Business   Chemistry
  • Civics
  • Computer Science
  • Drama
  • Economics
  • Engineering
  • English Language Arts
  • Environmental Science   Government Law
  • Health
  • Journalism
  • Marketing & Advertising
  • Math
  • Music
  • Parenting
  • Political Science
  • Science
  • Social Sciences
  • Sociology
  • Spanish Language
  • Technology
  • US History
  • World History

Again, all of this is provided for FREE — they simply request that you provide feedback on the website and products to share with fellow teachers/educators.

You can use John Stossel’s thought-provoking programs to launch lively discussions, question conventional wisdom, gather and analyze information, and distinguish between fact and opinion.

When you register at the site, you will automatically receive the quarterly e-newsletter with convenient links to order the latest free DVD, play the free monthly streaming video clips, and access the featured teacher resources.

 

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Posted in economics

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Free Listen-And-Read Books from Scholastic!

September 10th, 2012

Hi!  It’s Wednesday, September 5, 2012 and time for Language Arts at ClickSchooling!

Recommended Website:

Scholastic: Teachers – Listen and Read

Age Range: 4-10 (For emerging and beginning readers, with parental supervision.)

A Maryland ClickScholar suggested this resource from Scholastic, where you can enjoy over 50 non-fiction, read-along books (covering a variety of school subjects) that are accompanied by images and audio narration. There are even activities and/or quizzes at the end of each book to help the reader review what has been learned.

When you get to the site you’ll see a brief introduction and a menu of the online book titles. The first 8 books on the menu are about careers that kids are often curious about including a Veterinarian, Pediatrician, and Fire Fighter. Then the rest of the books are divided into subject areas that include:

  • Animals- Arctic Fox, Panda Bear, Bats, Frogs, Alligators, Nocturnal Animals, etc.
  • Science-  Explore Tide Pools, Weather and Meteorology
  • Environmental Studies- Includes the stories in the science section plus books on apples, trees, and Earth Day celebrations.
  • Social Studies/History/Government & Civics  – These 3 sections offer the same online books for kids to  learn about the U.S. Constitution, U.S. Presidents, Pilgrims, and Native Americans.

Click on any story and a new page opens where you can start reading the book, one page at a time. Each page is accompanied by an engaging photograph or illustration, and the option to click “Listen” to hear a narrator read the words on the page.  Just follow the arrows to read the entire book.

At the end of the book you’ll find a simple quiz or activity that reviews the vocabulary words or simple concepts and information learned in the stories. Once you do the activity, you can advance to the next book. You can skip the activity, if desired, and move on to the next book by simply returning to the main menu.

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Posted in language arts

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