Posts Tagged ‘inventions’

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Math with Archimedes

September 14th, 2020

 

It’s Monday, September 14, 2020, and time for Math at ClickSchooling!

 

Recommended Website:

Archimedes

(www.cs.drexel.edu/~crorres/Archimedes/contents.html)

Age Range: 11-18 (Grades 6-12, with parental supervision)

 

This site is a treasure trove of information on one of the greatest mathematicians of all time – Archimedes. The site was created by Chris Rorres, a Professor Emeritus of Mathematics at Drexel University in Pennsylvania. It contains free information about the life and times of Archimedes, as well as examples of his work and inventions such as the compound pulley system, the planetarium, the water screw, etc.

When you get to the site you’ll see a menu and some fascinating “Quick Facts” about Archimedes. Click on any menu item to explore: 

  • Archimedes’ Claw
  • Burning Mirrors
  • The Golden Crown
  • Archimedes Screw
  • Archimedean Solids
  • Spheres and Planetaria
  • The Lever
  • ~ and much more!

Each item includes an explanation along with illustrations and animations. The documentation and resources for further exploration are terrific. Professor Rorres also indicates which inventions were arguably credited to Archimedes.

This site is a great blend of math and history and may springboard interest in learning much more.

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Energy Lessons, Printables, & Activities for K-12

September 8th, 2020

 

It’s Tuesday, September 8, 2020, and time for Science at ClickSchooling!

 

Recommended Website:

Energy Kids

(www.eia.gov/kids/for-teachers/)

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

 

This website, sponsored by the U.S. Energy Information Administration, provides free energy-related lessons, printables, games, and activities designed for classroom use in grades K-12. (They can be tweaked for use in the homeschool environment.)

When you get to the website you’ll see a menu under the banner “For Teachers” that includes: 

  • Lesson Plans for Primary (K-3), Elementary (4-7), Intermediate (6-9), and Secondary (9-12)
  • Teacher Guide with tips on extension activities
  • Career Corner to explore jobs in the Energy field
  • Science Fair Experiments
  • Field Trips with ideas for taking trips to power plants, etc.
  • Related Links to resources and energy websites

Once you’ve explored the “For Teachers” section check out the menu in the left margin of the page that offers: 

  • What is Energy? – Learn energy basics including its forms, how it’s measured, and what it has to do with the periodic table of elements.
  • Energy Sources – Discover renewable and non-renewable energy, electricity, hydrogen, and the latest energy stats.
  • Using & Saving Energy – Learn how energy is used at home, work, in industry, transportation, and more.
  • History of Energy – Check out the time line of energy inventions including Coal, Electricity, Ethanol, Geothermal, Hydropower, Natural Gas, Oil, Wind, and more. You can also read biographies of people who developed scientific breakthroughs with energy including Celsius, Curie, Edison, Einstein, Faraday, Joule, Marconi, Newton, Oppenheimer and more.
  • Games & Activities – Enjoy riddles, puzzles, science experiments, and take a quiz to test your energy IQ.

There’s also a link to Energy Calculators and a Glossary.

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Discover the Original Information Highway

August 13th, 2020

 

It’s Thursday, August 13, 2020, and time for Social Sciences at ClickSchooling!

 

Recommended Website:

Transatlantic Cable Communications

(tinyurl.com/y2ck6szq)

Age Range: 8-18 (Grades 3-12, with parental supervision)

 

Today’s website explores Canada’s historic part in transatlantic communications. You can hear the story of the official first transatlantic cable message (Queen Victoria to President Buchanan), as well as listen in on bits of history such as the distress call from the Titanic!

When you get to the archived site you will see a menu that includes: 

  • Introduction – Get a brief overview of the history of the electric telegraph and why the locations of Canso and Hazel Hill on the Atlantic coast of Canada were critical to utilizing this technology.
  • Science – Learn about the invention of the telegraph and how the resin from the Gutta-Percha tree provided just the right properties for suitable insulation to waterproof underwater cables. Explore the science of telegraphy and discover Morse Code. Virtually examine the parts of a telegraph machine. Find out about other great inventions that were a result of the “Cable Era.”
  • History – Read an in-depth history of telegraphy and its socio-economic impact. Find out what the life of a telegrapher was like, and listen to some of the famous messages sent and received via telegraph – including the distress message of the ill-fated ship, Titanic.
  • Media Gallery – See photographs, watch video clips, and visit the sound studio to explore telegraphy.
  • Resource Center – Take a multiple choice quiz to test your knowledge of telegraphy, print out a fun telegraphy-themed word-search puzzle, and discover more links to Internet resources on telegraphy.

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Where Science Meets Fiction

May 5th, 2020

 

It’s Tuesday, May 5, 2020, and time for Science at ClickSchooling!

 

Recommended Website:

TechNovelgy – Where Science Meets Fiction

(technovelgy.com/)

Age Range: 10 and up (Grades 5 and up; children with parental supervision)

 

This website offers a free archive that enables you to explore the inventions and predictions of science fiction writers that have come true or are coming true in today’s world. There are over 3,200 different inventions archived that were first introduced through the imaginations of science fiction writers.

When you get to the site you can explore the featured items on the home page, or use the menu at the top of the page to search by Glossary, Author, Book, or Timeline. Once you find a topic that interests you, click on it and a new page opens. That page may contain some or all of the following: 

  • A blurb from the novel mentioning the invention or idea
  • Commentary about the idea including comparisons and similarities to other sci-fi technology mentioned in other novels, television shows, and movies
  • Links to science articles that discuss the current development of these inventions and ideas in today’s world
  • Links to real-world video demonstrations of the inventions
  • Links to websites with further information.

If this doesn’t generate interest in reading a sci-fi novel, we don’t know what will. It will also springboard students to want to learn more about science and technology.

NOTE: We only reviewed a sampling of what’s available at this website, so AS ALWAYS, parents should preview and supervise their children’s exploration – not only to determine the suitability of content on the Technovelgy website, but because the links take you to other websites that we have not reviewed. 

One more piece of advice: Read the FAQs (see link at the bottom of the homepage). We found them to be helpful and we think you will too.

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Geography – All 50 States

April 16th, 2020

 

It’s Thursday, April 16, 2020, and time for Social Sciences  at ClickSchooling!

 

Recommended Website:

50States.com

(www.50states.com/us.htm)

Age Range: 9 and up (Grades 4 and up, approximately; children with parental supervision)

 

This ad-supported site is an amazing resource for learning all about the 50 United States.

When you get to the site you can link to a blank map of the United States and below that there are links to blanks maps of each of the States. Use the menu at the top to navigate the site that includes: 

  • State Facts – State trees, birds, song, flags, flowers, newspapers, quarters, and more
  • Colleges – Colleges, universities, business schools, nursing schools, and more
  • Study Tools – Links to sites for teachers, statehood dates, worksheets, flashcards, games, lesson plans, and so much more
  • Quizzes – State facts, state capitals, state trees, and state nicknames
  • Travel – Coolest architecture in America, the 14 best U.S. beaches, 12 interesting inventions made in the U.S., 10 strange state symbols, and more.

There is so much to learn about our states!

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Science with Leonardo da Vinci!

April 16th, 2019

 

It’s Tuesday, April 16, 2019, and time for Science at ClickSchooling!

 

Recommended Website:

Da Vinci – The Genius

(www.mos.org/leonardo/)

Age Range: 9-14 (Grades 4-8, with parental supervision)

 

Born in 1452, Leonardo da Vinci painted the Mona Lisa, invented the diving bell, and designed the airplane, helicopter and parachute. The Museum of Science, Boston offers this free online exhibit with activities and lesson plans to explore the life, times, and scientific inventions of da Vinci. As the site says, “Though this site was designed to be most appropriate for students in grades four through eight, many of the activities can be adapted for younger or older students as needed.”


When you get to the site you’ll see an introduction and a menu that includes: 

  • Da Vinci – The Artist – Browse his paintings, and learn about techniques of linear perspective. Become Leonardo’s virtual apprentice to play with size and distance and investigate aerial perspective.
  • Da Vinci – The Inventor – Explore Leonardo’s fascination with machines and how they work including wheel and axles, pulley, screw, lever, gears and more. You’ll also learn about Leonardo’s interest in gadgets. Use your imagination to sketch a gadget and invent a useful machine. Take a quiz to see if you can identify Leonardo’s machines from his sketches.
  • Da Vinci – The Scientist – Learn about his curiosities.

Other activities include: Find out how to do “mirror writing” and generate a hypothesis about da Vinci’s reasons for writing backwards. And make sure you check out the Teaching Tips.

This is an engaging online presentation that demonstrates how Leonardo da Vinci creatively applied the scientific method in every aspect of life.

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