Posts Tagged ‘social studies’

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Read the Voyages of Henry Hudson!

June 22nd, 2011

Hi! It’s Thursday, June 23, 2011 and time for Language Arts at ClickSchooling!
 
Recommended Website:
Henry Hudson

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

June 22nd commemorates the day English navigator and adventurer Henry Hudson, his teenage son, and 7 crew members were set adrift by mutineers during a failed expedition to find a fabled route to the Indies. They were never seen or heard from again.

At this website, you can read a fascinating account of Hudson’s failed expedition to find the “Northwest Passage” as well as details about the mutiny, Hudson’s other voyages, his life as an explorer, and information on his times, contemporaries, and crew. This is a great way to integrate language arts with history and social studies!

When you get to the site, use the menu on the left side of the screen to learn about Hudson’s:

  • Early Years to 1607
  • First Voyage – 1607
  • Second Voyage – 1608
  • Third Voyage – 1609
  • Fourth Voyage – 1610
  • Aftermath – 1611-on
  • Maps of Voyages
  • Hudson Family Tree

It is helpful to read this account in chronological order. 

Click on “Short Story” to read a piece of historical fiction about Hudson.  It was written by Canadian writer Ian Chadwick, the creator of this website.  He also offers a compilation of the “Sources & Links” he used to create this work. You can read his bio too.

There are also links to the author’s “Home” page and other websites, but I did not visit these pages, and they are not included in this review.  Therefore, as always, parents should preview the site, determine the suitability of the content, and supervise Internet use.

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Posted in language arts

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Online Literature Games & More!

June 8th, 2011

Hi!  It’s Wednesday, June 8, 2011 and time for Language Arts at ClickSchooling!

Recommended Website:
Learning Games For Kids

Age Range: 4-12 (Pre-K & Elementary Grades, with Parental Guidance)

ClickScholar Theresa recommended this ad-supported website, sponsored by our friends at Time4Learning.com. It provides free interactive, multi-media learning games that help students practice language arts skills including reading, spelling, vocabulary, and keyboarding.

The site also includes learning games for other subject areas such as math, health, geography, social studies, and science.

I focused on the “Literature Games” section for this review.

When you get to the site, you’ll see an icon menu of the featured games. Look on the menu on the left side of the screen and click on “Literature Games.” A drop-down list appears with the following book titles:

  • Huckleberry Finn
  • David Copperfield
  • Gulliver’s Travels
  • How To Eat Fried Worms
  • Madeline
  • The Black Stallion
  • To Kill A Mockingbird
  • Where the Sidewalk Ends
  • Where the Wild Things Are
  • Wuthering Heights

Click on any title and a new page opens with a menu of games themed around that story.  You’ll find:

  • Fill in the Blank (based on the story line)
  • Hangman (using vocabulary words from the story)
  • Spelling Games (based on words in the story)
  • Word Search (using story vocabulary)
  • Word-O-Rama (match definitions to story vocabulary words)

If your children are reading or have read these book titles, they’ll enjoy the games.  If they haven’t read the books – it may inspire them to do so.

This site is a great resource for augmenting pre-k and elementary school studies – plus, it’s a whole lot of fun for the whole family!

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Posted in math

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Natural Science Lessons & Interactives!

May 17th, 2011

Hi! It’s Tuesday, May 17, 2011 and time for Science at ClickSchooling!

Recommended Website:
Campsite 24

Age Range:  7-12 (Grades 2-6, with parental guidance)

ClickScholar Wendy recommended this website, sponsored by the Ontario Parks Department of Canada, that provides lessons and activities about nature, plants, and wildlife along with historic and geologic information about Ontario’s parks.

This is a multi-media website with lots of bells and whistles. When you first arrive at the site allow up to several minutes for the pages to load. Once they’re in your web cache, you’ll be able to zip around quickly and explore the menu that includes:

*Kids – Enjoy online activities that include a trip in a virtual time machine to explore the Geological Era, Aboriginal Era, Early Settlers Era, and Modern Parks Era. You’ll find amazing interactives on insects, fish, wildflowers, trees, mammals, amphibians, reptiles, and birds. Play “Park Pals” and see informative slideshows, take a quiz, enjoy print and play activities, and explore further resources.

Note: I think it’s easier to access all of the “Kids” activities from the Site Map. Don’t forget that it takes some time to load every page you visit.

*Teachers – This Lesson plan database allows you to access the classroom lessons archived on this site for grades 2-6 in Language Arts, Math, Science and Technology, and Social Studies. The lessons include downloadable/printable curriculum, worksheets, and links to Ontario parks with features that tie into the lessons. You’ll see a map of the park and read a brief description. Plus, there are links to online activities and resources on a broad range of topics including:

  • Insects
  • Animals
  • Pioneers
  • Plants
  • Minerals
  • Food Chains
  • Habitats
  • Weather
  • Flight
  • ~ And More!

*Climate Change – This online activity for students explains the impact climate change has on wetlands, plants, animals, and people.

*Francais – Explore the entire website in the French Language!

The content here is extensive and would be difficult to explore on one visit.  Bookmark this site to return again.

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Posted in nature

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Play the American Budget Game!

May 16th, 2011

Hi!  It’s Monday, May 16, 2011 and time for Math at ClickSchooling!

Recommended Website:
Budget Hero

Age Range: 11 and up (middle/high school with parental supervision)

American Public Media (the largest operator of public radio stations) offers this free, multi-media game that provides a non-partisan, values and fiscal based lens for U.S. citizens to examine budget policies. The idea is to take your game results and use them to start a conversation with your fellow citizens, legislators and policy makers. 

When you get to the site, wait for the game to load and then click on “Get Briefed” to listen to a narration that explains the federal budget and how to play this game. The budget you create will be based upon your values such as:

  • Health and Wellness
  • National Security
  • Economic Stimulus
  • Efficient Government
  • Energy Independence

As you play the game, you get to control where tax dollars go including to:

  • Defense
  • Schools
  • Science
  • Housing
  • Health Care
  • Social Security
  • Paid Interest On Debt

You’ll be able to explore options for:

  • Health Care Reform
  • Troop Withdrawal
  • Transportation

And you’ll see how your budget priorities compare to those of the Obama Administration.

Be careful!  If you spend too much or tax too little – the national debt rises. What will that mean to future generations?

This game reflects the growing deficit and major policy debates occurring in Washington, D.C.  So, in addition to math you’ll cover social studies, economics, and history. 

Note: This site offers an opportunity to join a national conversation with other like-minded citizens who have played the game as well. I did not explore that option and have no recommendation regarding it.  Parents, AS ALWAYS, should preview this website and supervise Internet use.
 

 

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Posted in economics

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Social Studies & Geography Games!

May 12th, 2011

Hi!  It’s Thursday, May 12, 2011 and time for Social Sciences at ClickSchooling!

Recommended Website:
School Time Games: Social Studies

Age Range: 8-14  (about grades 4-8, with parental supervision)

What fun! This website offers a variety of free, multi-media, interactive games to help students learn social studies and geography. When you get to the site you’ll see a menu of games that include:

*Time Trip – Match events, landmarks, inventions, and fashions to their time in history.

*Explore Jamestown – Grab your shovel and compass to unearth clues from the past and avoid the many hazards settlers faced years ago in Jamestown.

*Titanic – Virtually excavate the Titanic’s hidden treasures.

*Coffee Tycoon - Run your own coffee shop, coffee stand, and coffee empire in this coffee simulation game.

You’ll also find geography games where you match names of states and countries to their position on maps.

Once you’ve explored the Social Studies menu, use the menu at the top of the page to find other terrific games for learning language arts, science, and math.

Note: This is an ad-supported website. In some cases, a random video advertisement may play before your game starts. Parents, as always, should supervise Internet use.

 

 

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Posted in social sciences

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Nat’l Geo’s New Education Website!

April 7th, 2011

Hi!  It’s Thursday, April 7, 2011 and time for Social Sciences at ClickSchooling!

Recommended Website:
National Geographic Education

Age Range: 5-18 (Grades K-12)

A Maryland ClickScholar tipped me off to National Geographic’s redesigned education website that is currently being beta tested. It offers an expanded and updated library of their popular, free, multimedia education content that brings geography, science, social studies, and technology to life for educators, learners, and their families.

Because it is being beta tested, you have the opportunity to provide feedback on the site as it develops.  Just click on the “Tell Us What You Think” banner that appears on most pages of the site.

A new feature called “Audience View” allows visitors to customize their view of the site. You can toggle between content tailored for teachers, informal educators, families, students, or kids. Plus, the search engine allows you to filter results by grade and age, type of resource, and subject.

When you get to the site, you’ll see the featured resources that include:

*Teaching Resources – Find educational activities aligned with national standards, currently featuring info on the Monarch Butterfly Migration, Environmental Literacy, and the Japan 2011 Earthquake.

*Mapping – Get interactive maps designed to engage students as “citizen scientists” investigating real-world issues including ocean conservation, species migration, energy, and other topics.

*Multimedia – Browse through captivating photos, videos, illustrations, diagrams, and cartoons. This section alone could inspire interest in a variety of topics and subjects.

Also, in collaboration with Verizon’s Thinkfinity, you’ll find free materials for educators and students in all major disciplines. You can search for educational resources at the fabulous Verizon Thinkfinity website which we’ve reviewed previously on ClickSchooling.

 Back at the National Geographic site, you can sign up for a free newsletter that alerts you to featured resources each month, and you can also connect to NG Education on some of your favorite social networking sites like Facebook and Twitter.

 

 

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Posted in science, social sciences

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