Posts Tagged ‘science’

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Help Scholars Rewrite Ancient History!

June 13th, 2013

Hi!  It’s Thursday, June 13, 2013 and time for Social Sciences at ClickSchooling!

Recommended Website:

Ancient LIves

Age Range: 12 and up (approximately, with parental supervision)

ClickScholar Dorothy suggested this website, a collaboration between a diverse collection of Oxford Papyrologists and researchers, the Egypt Exploration Society, and the Citizen Science Alliance, that allows you to actually contribute your time and energy to help scholars decipher fragments of ancient Greek manuscripts.

The papyrus fragments that are thousands of years old, were excavated from what was once the city of Oxyrhynchus, Egypt in 1897. Scholars have worked to restore and translate the documents which have already provided some astounding historic revelations. But the process is so slow-going that researchers are seeking volunteers to help them transcribe the documents.

You don’t need to know the Greek language to volunteer. You simply need time, patience, and an ability to match characters in the snippets of papyrus with symbols at the website.

When you get to the site, you’ll see photos of the excavation site. Click on “About” on the horizontal menu at the top of the page to learn more about the project, the research, and the story behind the excavation.

Then CLICK HERE TO TAKE THE INTERACTIVE TUTORIAL to learn how to match up characters and do this work. If you want to give it a try, you will have to register to participate. Your work will be automatically saved and reviewed by scholars who will then translate the texts.

It’s a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to help unlock the secrets of ancient history.

 

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Museum Quality History Lessons & Activties!

June 6th, 2013

Hi!  It’s Thursday, June 6, 2013 and time for Social Sciences at ClickSchooling!

Recommended Website:

Show Me

Age Range: 8-14 (approximately, but there’s something for everyone here)

This website offers an incredible array of games, stories, activities, and virtual tours about historical topics gleaned from museums and galleries throughout the United Kingdom that are engaging and fun.

When you get to the site just click on the icon menu to dive right in and explore topics such as:

  • Ancient Civilizations
  • Anglo-Saxons
  • Vikings
  • Romans
  • Tudors
  • Victorians
  • Science & Technology
  • And much more!

Click on any topic and a new page opens with a menu of offerings related to that topic that include interactive, multi-media games and activities that teach history as they entertain.  These items are linked to the websites of museums and galleries in the UK where exhibits related to the topic are on display. You simply won’t believe the variety of information and make-and-do ideas to extend the learning.  Plus there are links to related sites if you want to explore the topic further.

This site provides enough material to satisfy any world history curriculum in a way that’s much more engaging than textbooks.

 

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Tornado Science!

June 4th, 2013

It’s Tuesday, June 4, 2013 and time for Science at ClickSchooling!

Recommended Website:

Weather Wiz Kids: Tornadoes

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

The devastating tornadoes in the Midwest may have your children asking many questions about them. At this website designed for kids, a meteorologist describes the science behind tornadoes including what weather conditions are required for them to form. It includes terrific information, pictures, links to free lesson plans, experiments, and more.

When you get to the site, just scroll down the page to read the text and see pictures and illustrations that explain what tornadoes are, how they form, and information on weather conditions associated with tornadoes such as:

  • Funnel Clouds
  • Supercell Thunderstorms
  • Mesocyclones
  • Microbursts
  • Waterspouts
  • Hail
  • Gustnadoes
  • Landspouts
  • Dust Devils

You’ll also learn about the Fujita Scale of Tornado Intensity and some Tornado Safety Tips. There are also links to FREE LESSON PLANS and Tornado Experiments that will enhance your children’s understanding of this dangerous weather phenomenon.

 

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Math Engineering Lessons & Activities for K-12

June 3rd, 2013

Hi!  It’s Monday, June 3, 2013 and time for Math at ClickSchooling!

Recommended Website:

Teach Engineering

Age Range: 5-18 (Designed for grades K-12; the majority of the material is for grades 3 and up.)

Get free, open-ended, hands-on lessons and activities to stimulate your students’ interest in math and science through engineering.

As explained at the website, “engineers have a hand in designing, creating or modifying nearly everything we touch, wear, eat, see and hear” in the real world. The free K-12 engineering curricula at this website integrates math, science, and technology through exploration of the “built world” around us so that it’s relevant to the lives of young people.

The idea here is to encourage students to pose questions about “why things work” and then gain skills and use their imaginations to create innovations that improve the world for everyone.

When you get to the website click on “Browse” on the menu to find curricula sorted by:

*Subject Areas – Each with numerous units in Algebra, Geometry, Measurement, Number and Operations, Problem Solving, Reasoning and Proof and lots of science content as well.

*Curricular Units – These theme-based learning experiences are composed of multiple lessons designed to take place over several weeks in a classroom environment. There are units on asteroid impact, bridges, cells, energy, floaters and sinkers, marine mapping, natural disasters, rockets, simple machines, weather and more.

*Lessons – Find hundreds of lessons that meet content standards on topics that include Air Pressure, Ampere’s Law, Art in Engineering, Animals in Engineering, Friction, Magnetics, Mars, Rivers, Rocks, Paper Airplanes, Water, and much more.  

*Activities – In my opinion, this is the place to start because the stand-alone, hands-on, fun experiments are sure to engage your kids’ interest and may springboard you to further learning through the lessons and units mentioned above. Activities (that include a materials list and instructions) cover a range of possibilities such as the exploration of acids and bases, designing a bicycle helmet, learning about kidney filtering, investigating Ohm’s Law, playing “Rock Jeopardy,” making Yogurt Cup Speakers and more. 

All of the lessons and activities include the estimated time it takes and the approximate cost for the materials.

 

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See How Kripy Kreme Donuts Are Made!

May 31st, 2013

Hi!  It’s Friday, May 31, 2013 and time for a Virtual Field Trip at ClickSchooling!

Recommended Website:

How Stuff Works: Krispy Kreme Doughnuts

Age Range: 6 and up (with parental supervision)

At this website you can watch a video to see how delicious Krispy Kreme Doughnuts are made.

When you get to the site, you’ll see some information about the doughnuts and a picture of them. Scroll about half way down the page and you’ll see a video screen. Click on it to play the short video that explains how flour and yeast is transformed into glazed and filled doughnuts at Krispy Kreme stores.

If you want to learn more about the history of Krispy Kreme, check out their interactive timeline at the official Krispy Kreme website.  Discover the doughnut company’s history from 1937 to today.

 

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Explorer Hernando DeSoto – Videos & Activity Book

May 30th, 2013

Hi!  It’s Thursday, May 30, 2013 and time for Social Sciences at ClickSchooling!

Recommended Website:

University of South Florida: Hernando DeSoto in America Movies

Age Range: 6-14 (approximately, with parental supervision)

The University of South Florida and the Florida Center for Instructional Technology offer a free series of QuickTime movies that are reenactments of Spanish explorer Hernando DeSoto’s exploration of Florida, which he claimed for Spain in 1539.  The seven Quick/Time movies add up to twenty minutes of engaging information, presented in documentary style, that brings to life the story of the Spanish exploration of the Southeast United States from 1539 to 1542.

When you’re through watching the movies you can explore the rest of the site that contains more information on the history of Florida by clicking on the menu at the top of the page.

Then, be sure to check out the DeSoto National Memorial website (courtesy of the National Park Service). It not only offers additional information on DeSoto and the history of Florida, but it offers a free Junior Ranger Activity Book on DeSoto with challenging activities in math, writing, reading, and science. It was designed for students 6-12 years old, but may be of interest to your entire family.

To download the free DeSoto Activity Book (pdf), CLICK HERE. Note: This is a big file and may take a minute or two to download. If it doesn’t work for some reason, click on the link to the DeSoto National Memorial website in the paragraph above. When you get to the site, click on “For Teachers” on the menu. A new page opens. Scroll down near the bottom of the page and click on the words “click here” to download the Activity Book.

 

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