Posts Tagged ‘nature’

Explore Nature with Wildlife Films

November 2nd, 2021

Schoolyard Films, Inc.: Wildlife Films

(www.schoolyardfilms.org/syf-films-and-study-guides)

Thank you Letty R. for making us aware of this interesting and engaging website offering Wildlife films. Included are accompanying study guides, that are offered to the public, free of charge.

Schoolyard Films, Inc., is completely funded by grants and donations. Although the nonprofit organization is still young, one of the films has already won an award at a film festival in Montana. Movies and study guides are free of charge!

When you get to the site you will find short films and study guides for download.

Subjects include:

  • Florida’s Wild Side
  • Bat Women of Panama
  • A Summer On Golden Pond
  • Back To The Wild…In Florida
  • and more!

Also, Full-Length Interviews are available for your viewing with behind the scene content.

The site is expanding so keep checking back for more short films!

Discover this Archived Website Full of Science Videos!

September 5th, 2021

Vega Science Trust

(www.vega.org.uk/video/index.html)

Grades 6 and up, with parental supervision

This archived website offers free videos on science, technology, engineering and mathematics that provide a fundamental understanding of the principles of nature and the physical world.

When you get to the site you’ll see the video icon menu containing an archive of scientific videos which can all be viewed from this non-profit website. The videos cover a broad range of topics such as:

  • Interviews with Scientists – Including Nobel prize-winners in the fields of physics, medicine, chemistry, and more.
  • Careers in Science – Interviews with a biochemist, ecologist, entomologist, food scientist, cosmologist, computer engineer, quantum chemist, robotics engineer and more!
  • Issues of Concern – Scientists and politicians discuss their primary world concerns including climate change, malaria, etc.
  • Masterclass Science Videos – Scientists share their personal views on key concepts and achievements as well as their approach to the scientific method. Topics include bird flight, life in space, and states of matter.
  • The Next Big Thing – Scientists discuss antimatter, cloning, defying death, energy, artificial intelligence, safety of mobile phones, nanotechnology, and “The Theory of Everything!”
  • Educational Resources – A selection of short instructional films (for school or home study use) on wind power, electricity, transistors, nanotubes, bucky ball workshops, states of matter workshops (solids, liquids and gases) and more.

Scientists guided the development of the videos so that the content is presented in a natural and engaging way that is intellectually challenging.

Fantastic Resource for American History Studies!

August 12th, 2021

Teaching American History – Teacher Resources

(teachingamericanhistory.org/resources/teacher-resources/)

Grades 7-12, with parental supervision

This portion of the larger TeachingAmericanHistory.org website provides a large variety of resources to use for your American history studies.

From today’s link, select from the following:

  • American History Toolkits – collections of resources from the site focusing on a specific topic. These resources can include Guiding Questions, Essential Documents, Webinars, archived courses from the Presidential Academy section, and Lesson Plans. The topics cover The American Founding, Expansion & Sectionalism, Civil War & Reconstruction, The Progressive Era, The Great Depression and World War II, and Civil Rights.
  • Exhibits on the American Founding – Using primary and secondary sources, maps, images and more, students will explore major events related to the founding of the American Republic. Events covered include the Constitutional Convention, The Federalist-Antifederalist Debate, The Ratification of the United States Constitution, and The Bill of Rights.
  • Exhibits on American History – Similar in nature to the Exhibits on the American Founding section, students will explore in depth the historical significance of specific themes and events such as Religion in America, The Election of 1800, Abraham Lincoln, and The Civil War.
  • Lesson Plans – links to other sites with history lesson plans
  • Presidential Academy – Provides a 30-session course focusing on three major documents: The Declaration of Independence, The Gettysburg Address, MLK’s “I Have a Dream” Speech. From the website description, “Each session is made up of a set of readings, all linked from its blog post, and usually one lecture. Guiding questions and focus issues are at the foundation of each week’s study.”
  • Multimedia Resources – links to find archived videos and podcasts
  • Homeschool Resources – specifically gathered for the homeschool family, visitors will find.
  • Free Homeschool American History Curriculum – a free high-school level American History and Government curriculum focusing on primary documents. There is a sample of the curriculum to review and then a form to fill out to receive the curriculum by email.
  • Monthly Webinars – conversations focusing on the 50 Core American Documents
  • Classroom Webinars for Homeschool Co-ops – interactive webinars ideal for AP U.S. History or Government and Politics courses.
  • Saturday Webinars – monthly programs for those who want to know more about American history documents. These webinars are also archived making it a great anytime resource.
  • Documents Library – access to the over 23,000 primary documents on the site
  • 50 Core American Documents – a collection of the most important documents in American history and government with summaries, questions and links to related documents.

This site is a fantastic resource for your American history studies and well worth bookmarking.

Interactive & Fun Math Workbook for All Grades!

August 2nd, 2021

MathEBook.net

(www.mathebook.net/index.htm)

Grades K-12, with parental supervision

What a find! This website offers FREE math “Downloadable Tutorials”. The tutorials come in the form of both online math videos (via YouTube, with some that are similar to webinars) and interactive eWorkSheets and eWorkBooks that allow students in grades K-12 to learn and practice math with ease.

The downloadable eWorkSheets and eWorkBooks in pdf format can be used at the website or offline. They are editable – in other words you can type in answers using your computer keyboard so you don’t have to print them out to use them. The site emphasizes the fact that “by using Downloadable Tutorials one can save the waste of paper and SAVE TREES, so we encourage you to be GREEN, and help mother nature to survive.” While you can print out the colorful and engaging worksheets and workbooks, they would prefer you didn’t in the interest of being green.

When you get to the site, you’ll see a welcome message and a picture of a ladder with varying grade levels including Kindergarten, Elementary, Middle, and High School. Click on any one and a new page opens.

  • ON THE LEFT SIDE OF THE SCREEN…you’ll see titles of various math strands and concepts. Place your cursor over them and you’ll see the words “Virtual” and “eWorkBook.” Click on “Virtual” and a new page opens to a series of individual worksheets on that math topic. Click on “eWorkBooks” to download a pdf file containing an editable workbook on that topic. All of the worksheets and workbooks contain colorful illustrations that are sure to engage students. It’s obvious that real care was taken to make this graphically appealing.
  • ON THE RIGHT SIDE OF THE SCREEN…you’ll see the words, “Click Here for Video Tutorials.” Click on it and a menu opens with all the video titles for every grade. Click on any one and enjoy the lesson presentation delivered through YouTube videos that are on the MathEBook website.

Back on the home page, you’ll see a menu bar at the top of the screen. Use it to access the free “Math Dictionary” that defines various math terminology. You can also click on “Download” to see and access the eWorkSheets contained on the site.

Bookmark this website as it promises to “continuously develop and further enhance the syllabus and will keep adding new features.” They also want your feedback to improve the user experience for all visitors to the site.

Nature Inspired Art and Artists

July 27th, 2021

A Natural State

(www.knowitall.org/series/natural-state)

Grades K-12 with most suited for middle school and up, with adult supervision This web presentation from the state of South Carolina explores how people are inspired by nature to shape, twist, carve, and weave materials collected from the landscape into works of art.

Interviews with natural artists from various geographical zones of South Carolina are included on the site along with samples of their work.

The website provides free virtual workshops with step-by-step instructions and illustrations on how to make artwork using natural materials such as clay, pine needles, branches, vines, acorns, nuts, flowers, leaves, rocks, shells, and more. Click on “Workshops” to see a menu of projects that include:

Dyes and Dyeing

Bentwood Trellis Making

Dioramas

Kudzu Basket Weaving

Weaving

Coiled Clay Pottery

Paper Making

Pine Needle Baskets

Click on any one to access a very clear presentation with instructions on how to create that object.

The site also offers “Science – Teacher Resources” with many educational videos and more.

Fun with Language Arts & Literature

June 9th, 2021

Easy Fun School – Language Arts

(easyfunschool.freeunitstudies.com/IndexLanguageArts.html)

Grades All Grades, with parental supervision

When you get to the site, you’ll see a menu of the free Language Arts & Literature Activities that includes:

  • Language Arts, Miscellaneous – Get a list of commonly misspelled words, make a “Book Report Sandwich,” get high-interest activities for reluctant readers and writers of all ages.
  • Suggested Reading Lists – Explore the “Best Books” for young adults over the years, books for the college bound, and discover the Caldecott Medal and Newbery Award winners.
  • Unit Lessons/Studies and Word Searches – Find an assortment of complete and incomplete unit lessons along with some word searches themed around classic literature including:

  • The Swiss Family Robinson
  • 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea by Jules Verne
  • Alice in Wonderland
  • Treasure Island
  • Anne of Green Gables
  • Bunnicula
  • Charlotte’s Web
  • The Hobbit
  • How to Eat Fried Worms
  • James and the Giant Peach
  • Johnny Tremain
  • The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe
  • Little House on the Prairie
  • The Secret Garden
  • Velveteen Rabbit
  • Wizard of Oz
  • Where the Wild Things Are

When you’re through exploring the Language Arts resources, head over to the home page for more free lessons and activities for many subjects including history, art, science, and nature studies.

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