Posts Tagged ‘culture’

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Dig Into Aztec History!

December 9th, 2021

Aztec History

(www.aztec-history.com/)

Grades 6-12, with parental supervision

Through text, images, maps, and much more, explore the fascinating history of the Aztecs with this website.

When arriving at the site, use the sidebar menu to navigate through the following areas of study:

  • Aztec Empire
  • Timeline
  • Aztec Religion
  • Family Life
  • Aztec Food
  • Aztec Art
  • Jewelry
  • Calendar Stone
  • Aztec Temples
  • Language
  • Aztec Culture
  • Games
  • Government
  • Weapons
  • Warriors
  • Aztec Map
  • The Fall
  • Montezuma

Visitors will not only review a survey of the rise and fall of the Aztec empire, but will also discover what everyday life may have been like for a family living in Aztec society. Learn about the foods that were eaten, the clothes that were worn, religious beliefs and traditions, games that were played, and what it may have been like to growing up in the social classes of the Aztecs. Explore the fine craft of Aztec jewelry and the influences on their art. Discover the structure of Aztec government, the weapons of warfare, and the significance of being a warrior.

This website provides a simple overview of the Aztec empire that will be a great supplement to your studies.

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Posted in social sciences

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High School Literature Crash Course!

December 1st, 2021

John Green: Crash Course – Literature

(https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL8dPuuaLjXtOeEc9ME62zTfqc0h6Pe8vb)

Grades 9-12 approximately, with parental supervision). Best-selling author of young adult fiction, John Green, offers this free video mini-series, “Crash Course in English Literature” that revs up interest and understanding of classic literature for the high school age crowd.

With manic enthusiasm, he hurtles through plots, characters, writing styles, trivia, and jokes (that will make you groan) – all punctuated with colorful pictures, illustrations, doodles and more.

When you get to the YouTube site, you’ll see a menu of the current videos in the series including:

  • How and Why We Read
  • Of Pentameter & Bear Baiting – Romeo & Juliet
  • Was Gatsby Great? – The Great Gatsby
  • Language, Voice, and Holden Caulfield – The Catcher in the Rye
  • Before I Got My Eye Put Out – The Poetry of Emily Dickinson

Each video course provides knowledge about the literature in a way that really speaks to those who are resistant to it. Green uses funny analogies, quips, gimmicks, and references to pop culture to provide an analysis of the literature that makes it more understandable for today’s teen.

Note to Parents: John Green does address mature adult topics in these literary works. As always, parents should preview the videos to determine the suitability of content.

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Posted in language arts

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Tour America’s Arctic National Parks!

November 12th, 2021

National Park Service: Northwest Arctic Heritage Center Tour

(www.nps.gov/kova/learn/photosmultimedia/virtual-tour.htm)

Grades 1-12, with parental supervision

Take a virtual tour of 3 National Parks in the northwest corner of Alaska. These parks are home to the “wide open spaces, unique plants and animals, the midnight sun, the northern lights, subsistence culture, and 9,000 years of human history.”

When you get to the site, you can watch the 10 minute video, “A Window to Your Parks.” It shows the remote landscapes of:

  • Cape Krusenstern National Monument
  • Noatak National Preserve
  • Kobuk Valley National Park

Then when you finish that video, scroll down to the next video: Northwest Arctic Heritage Center Tour. Get an overview of the museum and hear how Eskimo Ice Cream is made!

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Posted in Virtual Field Trip

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Windows to Earth & Space Science

November 9th, 2021

Science: Windows To The Universe

(www.windows2universe.org/)

Grades 3 & up, approximately, with parental supervision

The National Earth Science Teachers Association sponsors this website that offers comprehensive, multi-media information to encourage learning Earth and Space science as well as a range of other related sciences for beginners, intermediate, and advanced students.

When you get to the website you’ll see a sliding panel featuring several of the science presentations in the archives. You can click on anyone to jump right in, or take some time to explore the menu and see what’s available including:

  • Sun – Explore the closest star to Earth including sunspots, solar flares, and coronal mass ejections.
  • Earth – Learn about our planet’s atmosphere and magnetic field, both of which are critical for sustaining life on Earth.
  • Solar System – Discover planets, dwarf planets, asteroids, comets, the heliosphere, and interstellar space.
  • Space – Study stars, galaxies, and other mysterious objects in our Universe.
  • Sciences – Learn how Earth and Space sciences are interconnected with geology, physics, chemistry, and biology.
  • Culture – Browse a collection of myths, folk tales, and stories about the Earth and sky. Check out artwork, poetry, books, and movies that portray the natural world.
  • People – Access biographies of scientists who made science history!
  • Games – Enjoy scientifically themed crosswords, jigsaw puzzles, word searches, and concentration. Play interactives about the carbon cycle, planets, space, and more! Enjoy coloring pages and paper activities
  • Space Weather – Learn about radiation, fluctuating magnetic fields, solar wind and the complex ways they interact with Earth’s magnetic field, including disruption of cell phone communication.
  • Multimedia – Get links to all sorts of pictures, animations, videos, podcasts, and interactive multimedia that are on the “Windows to the Universe” website.
  • Postcards – Read collections of virtual postcards from scientists doing field research around the world with sharks, penguins, ice, rocks, the atmosphere, and the ocean.
  • Citizen Science – Find out about science projects where the public can get involved in scientific research and data collection.

You’ll also find news, research information, and tips for teachers.

Note: This ad-supported site is free, however, you can purchase a membership to access the site ad-free, along with some other interactive features.

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Teach History With These 100 Items!

November 4th, 2021

The British Museum: Teaching History with 100 Objects

(www.teachinghistory100.org/browse/keystage/all/date/all/from/3/theme/all/curriculum/all/)

Grades 1-9, with parental supervision

Using 100 objects from museums in England, Northern Ireland, Scotland, and Wales and from the British Museum, this website strives to help teachers to teach “the new national history curriculum in England.” But nonresidents of England can reap the benefits of this website as well as it provides a wonderfully unique way to explore British history.

On the home page, there are several ways to begin exploring the objects. Items can be sorted and displayed by:

  • Key Stages – in the U.S. these are like grade levels (approximate equivalents are: KS1 = Grades 1-2, KS2 = Grades 3-6, KS3 = Grades 7-9)
  • History curriculum topic – Events, people, time periods
  • Date – specific time frames
  • Places – include Africa, Americas, Asia, Britain, Europe, Oceania
  • Theme – Beliefs and ideas, Conflict, Empires, Rules and rulers, Social and personal life, Technology and arts, and Trade and contact

You can use a combination of these search methods to narrow the selections down. Once you have input your desired search selections, images of all available objects meeting that criteria will populate on the page. Select the object image and the page will open. On the object page, there will be a larger image of the item, a brief description and much more information about the object including where it was from, what period, culture, what material it was made from, its dimensions and more. Use the right-hand sidebar menu to dig deeper by selecting:

  • About the object – more in-depth details about the item
  • A bigger picture – explanation of the objects purpose and similar items
  • Teaching ideas – ways to use the item to explore history
  • For the classroom – Download the image and related images and find links to activities.

All the items have downloadable PDFs of all the information and images for the objects.

Add this website to your “go-to” list for British history.

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Posted in social sciences

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History & Performing Arts with Bob Hope

October 9th, 2021

Library of Congress: Bob Hope and American Variety

(www.loc.gov/exhibits/bobhope/)

Grade 5 and up (approximately), with parental supervision

The Library of Congress offers this free online presentation of the life of entertainer Bob Hope and the history of American Variety entertainment including Vaudeville, Radio, Movies, Television, and more.

Using photographs, illustrations, and text this exhibit provides a biography of Hope’s career that provides fascinating historical information about the performing arts as well.

When you get to the website use the menu located under the title, “SECTIONS” that includes:

  • Early Life – Find out where Bob Hope was born, his real name, and how he got his start in show business.
  • Vaudeville – Discover Hope’s journey through vaudeville and get some terrific insight about what made this artform so popular.
  • Motion Pictures – Learn about the country’s transition to film making and the role of Hope’s series of “Road” pictures from 1940-1962 with Bing Crosby and Dorothy Lamour.
  • Joke File – Explore Hope’s theft-proof joke vault with more than 85,00 pages of bits, sketches, and jokes created by his team of comedy writers.
  • On The Road: USO Shows – Read about Hope’s 50-years of performing variety shows for U.S. troops.

This interesting exhibition about Hope’s life provides keen insight into American history, culture, life, and values. It may springboard interest in watching some of Hope’s films that the whole family may find entertaining. You can rent DVDs of Hope’s “Road” pictures such as Road to Singapore and Road to Rio. Your public library may have them as well.

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Posted in music

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