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Canku
Ota
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(Many
Paths)
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An
Online Newsletter Celebrating Native America
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September
1, 2009 - Volume 7 Number 9
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Favorite
Sites
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collected
by Paul and Vicki
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Welcome
to QuestBridge
QuestBridge is a non-profit program that links bright, motivated
low-income students with educational and scholarship opportunities
at some of the nation's best colleges. QuestBridge is the provider
of the National College Match Program and the College Prep Scholarship.
http://www.questbridge.org/ |
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Preventative
Health for Native American Seniors...
Wisdom Steps invites Tribal Elders to participate in activities
that build their health. Wisdom Steps began in Minnesota in
1999. Wisdom Steps is a partnership among the eleven Minnesota
Indian tribes, three urban areas (Minneapolis/St. Paul, Duluth
and Bemidji) and the Minnesota Board on Aging.
http://www.wisdomsteps.org/
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America
on the Move
See how we got here. Transportation transformed America. Choose
from these three interconnected
routes to explore how transportation shaped our lives, landscapes,
culture, and communities.
http://americanhistory.si.edu/onthemove/ |
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Swine
Flu
On June 11, 2009, the World Health Organization declared the
swine flu an official influenza pandemic. Although that sounds
quite scary, it simply means that this season's threat is
now global in nature. Learn more about the flu and its impact
at these sites.
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AMNH:
Infection, Detection, Prevention
"Microbes are the oldest form of life on Earth. Some types
have existed for billions of years." This great multimedia
site from American Museum of Natural History (AMNH) explains
microbes and bacteria and the role they play in infection. My
favorite clicks are the interactive games sprinkled throughout
the site, and the chapter titled "How Lou Got the Flu."
But the most important section is Prevention Convention, which
includes ten tips for staying healthy. For a two-page color-it-yourself
version of the tips, look for the Print & Color link at
the bottom of the page.
http://www.amnh.org/nationalcenter/infection/ |
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Flu.gov
"One-stop access to U.S. Government H1N1, avian and pandemic
flu information." Best clicks are Know the Facts, with
answers to question such as "What is H1N1 flu?" and
"How do you catch swine flu?", and the glossary which
defines flu terms from "adjuvant:a substance added to a
vaccine to improve the immune response " to "zoonoses:
diseases that are transferable from animals to humans."
State-specific information is available by clicking on the red
US map in the right-hand column.
http://flu.gov/ |
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FluTracker
Dr. Henry Nima, a medical researcher in Pittsburgh, PA, compiled
this world map using data from "official sources, news
reports and user-contributions." Unfortunately those sources
aren't listed. To view any part of the map in more detail, use
the zoom bar or click and hold your left-mouse button to drag
the map. To view a text summary of the number of suspected and
confirmed swine flu cases, click on any of the round button
icons.
http://flutracker.rhizalabs.com/ |
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Reuters.com:
Swine Flu
As an international news agency, Reuters has an interesting
collection of current news items and background pieces about
the H1N1 swine flu, presented in a variety of ways including
RSS feeds, widgets, mobile, slideshows, podcasts and video.
Be sure to visit H1N1 Facts and the Analysis section, which
discusses issues such as the flu's threat to the economy. "One
of the few certainties about the H1N1 swine flu virus is that
it would have to turn much deadlier than it seems right now
to cause a major drop in global economic output."
http://www.reuters.com/news/globalcoverage/swineflu |
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WebMD:
Swine Flu Slideshow
This fifteen slide slideshow from Web M.D. explains the swine
flu in layman's language. "Like people, pigs can get
influenza (flu), but swine flu viruses aren't the same as
human flu viruses. Swine flu doesn't often infect people,
and the rare human cases that have occurred in the past have
mainly affected people who had direct contact with pigs. But
the current swine flu outbreak is different."
http://www.webmd.com/cold-and-flu/slideshow-swine-flu
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Multiplication
Games
Learning multiplication doesn't have to be all about rote
memorization and flashcards, there are plenty of fun online
games you can add to the mix. From target practice to fashion
dress up, your student is sure to find something to capture
their attention with this week's selection of multiplication
games.
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Dositey.com:
Multiplication
With lessons, exercises, printable worksheets and games, Dositey.com
has basic multiplication covered. Best reasons to visit are
the Order of Operations games (solve equations such as 14-2x4+11
to reveal a hidden picture) and Mystery Picture games for
practicing multiplication facts up to a product of twenty.
In addition, they have dozens of printable worksheets, including
a customizable one for practicing times tables from one to
nine.
http://www.dositey.com/2008/index.php?page=free_activities&sub=34&subsub=m&sub_3=multi
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Helping
with Math: Multiplication Games
" Multiplication doesn’t have to be all worksheets,
table, charts, tests and problems. Games are often an excellent
way for your child to learn math. In keeping with our ‘no
bouncing frog’ format, they are all clean and simple
to try although they are still fun.” True to their word,
there is nary a bouncing frog in site, but these click-and-drag
games are great for practicing multiplication facts. My favorites
are the Target the Answer games which feature two-minutes
rounds of target practice with great sound effects.
http://www.helpingwithmath.com/by_subject/multiplication/mul_games.htm
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KidsNumbers.com:
Multiplication Games
The KidsNumbers multiplication program is divided into two
parts. The first focuses on pre-multiplication skill building,
and the second is a collection of games for reinforcing multiplication
facts. For example, in Apple Baskets Multiplication, a problem
such as 5 x4 is visualized as five baskets each filled with
four apples. “As students begin this activity they will
depend heavily on the apple baskets. However, over time, as
the concepts begin to sink in, students should begin solving
problems more mentally, until eventually the apple baskets
are no longer required.”
http://www.kidsnumbers.com/multiplication.php
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Multiplication.com:
Interactive Games
Woo hoo! Multiplication.com is my pick of the week because
of the unique themes that make their games super fun. For
example, in Pizza Pizazz you are presented with a problem,
such as 8 x 9, a pizza, and a restaurant full of tables waiting
for their order. To earn a point, you need to deliver your
pizza to table number 72. Other fun concepts include Math
Models (“Mix and match clothes to come up with your favorite
outfit. The more math problems you get right, the more clothes
you have to choose from.”) and Color Creations (“Unlock
the colors to paint the pictures by answering the problems
correctly.”)
http://www.multiplication.com/interactive_games.htm
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MrNussbaum.com:
Multiplication Drills
MrNussbaum.com offers multiplication drills, seven Flash games,
several worksheet generators and a unique interactive activity
called Draggable Multiplication. Draggable Multiplication
is a grid with multiplication problems to solve step-by-step
by dragging answers onto the interactive workspace, working
each step of a multiple-digit multiplication problem as you
would with paper and pencil. “The program locks the numbers
into place, which is helpful for students who have trouble
keeping numbers organized.”
http://www.mrnussbaum.com/multiplication.htm
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Bats
Bats are small, furry nocturnal mammals that fly
and sleep hanging upside down. Despite their association with
Halloween and all things scary, bats are important to our
ecosystem because they eat huge quantities of bugs and produce
tons of fertilizer, called bat guano. Learn more at this week's
collection of bat sites.
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Bat
Conservation International: All About Bats
When visiting the BatCon site, don’t limit yourself to
the crafts and puzzles in the Kidz Cave. Also peruse the species
profiles, the huge photo gallery (look for it on the Media
& Info menu tab), and their humongous list of web links
(also in Media & Info.) If you have any interest in photography,
the Photographing Bats section is fascinating. “Because
of their shy nature and nocturnal habits, bats are exceptionally
difficult to portray photographically as they really are in
the wild.”
http://www.batcon.org/index.php/all-about-bats.html
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Bats:
Why Should We Care?
Written for lower elementary students, Doug Prouty explains
why we should care about bats. Bats can eat up to 300 bugs
an hour, including those that destroy crops and plants. They
also pollinate or spread the seeds of fruit trees such as
bananas, avocados, figs, and peaches. “Besides eating
harmful insects and pollinating plants, bat poop or guano
is actually a very beneficial fertilizer. It is so strong
that people who collect it have to wear gas masks and protective
clothing. Farmers benefit greatly as guano is the best fertilizer.”
http://www.cccoe.k12.ca.us/bats/
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Bat
World
Bat World is a volunteer organization that rescues and rehabilitates
thousands of bats each year. In addition to info about what
to do if you find a bat (“Do not handle the bat with
bare hands and do not attempt to rehabilitate the bat on your
own. To do so could jeopardize your safely as well as the
life of the bat.”), their site offers Q and A about building
a bat house, bat anatomy illustrations, bat species details,
and a kids page with a jigsaw puzzle and a finger-snapping
music video about echolocation (really!)
http://www.batworld.org/
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Defenders
of Wildlife: Bats
“Bats are the only mammals capable of true flight. With
extremely elongated fingers and a wing membrane stretched
between, the bat’s wing anatomically resembles the human
hand.” Start with this excellent species overview, which
includes diet, population, range, and behavior. Then follow
the Imperiled Species link at the end of the article to learn
more about the nine species of American bats that are listed
as threatened or endangered. “Losing insect-eating bats
could trigger massive insect explosions that could have a
major impact on agriculture and human health.”
http://www.defenders.org/wildlife_and_habitat/wildlife/bats.php
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Kidzone:
Bats
For bat lovers up to grade three, Kidzone presents bat activities,
facts and photos. Activities include bat coloring pages, online
jigsaw puzzles, a fable (“Why Bat Has No Friends”),
and more than a dozen printable bat worksheets such as an
Itsy Bitsy Bat Book, Bat Questions, and About Bats. “Bats
are mammals that live on every continent in the world except
Antarctica. All bats have thumbs and fingers, sleep upside
down, hunt at night and sleep all day.”
http://www.kidzone.ws/animals/bats/
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French
Revolution
The French Revolution (1789 - 1799) was a period
of political and social upheaval when the people of France
brought down the monarchy and strengthened the middle class.
The revolution ended when the popular French general, Napoleon
Bonaparte, took power as emperor and France became a republic.
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Fact
Monster: French Revolution
Fact Monster offers a hyperlinked history of the French Revolution,
reprinted from the Columbia Electronic Encyclopedia. “Historians
disagree in evaluating the factors that brought about the Revolution.
To some extent at least, it came not because France was backward,
but because the country's economic and intellectual development
was not matched by social and political change.” Related
articles, such as Bastille Day and a summary of the French Revolution
for younger students, are listed at the bottom of the page.
http://www.factmonster.com/ce6/history/A0819666.html |
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Liberty,
Equality, Faternity: Exploring the French Revolution
Created in collaboration with George Mason University, City
University of New York and the National Endowment for the Humanities,
this site archives more than 600 primary documents, and unites
them with a timeline, a glossary and maps. Chapters are listed
under Explore, but browsing and searching are two alternative
ways to navigate the site. Some of the unique content here includes
thirteen songs that “document the changing musical landscape
of France in the revolutionary era” and the 330 translated
primary text documents such as the 1786 Memorandum to Her Majesty
the Queen Concerning the Diamond Necklace Affair.
http://chnm.gmu.edu/revolution/ |
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Mr.
Dowling: The French Revolution
Florida middle-school teacher Mr. Dowling explains the causes
of the French Revolution in simple terms in this one-page summary.
“Louis [XVI, King of France] needed help in 1789. The nation
had endured a long, hard winter and most of the crops were lost.
The treasury was bankrupt after supporting America in their
revolution. Louis had to raise money. He could not tax the peasants,
because they had no money, so he had to tax the aristocrats
and the middle class.”
http://www.mrdowling.com/705-frenchrevolution.html |
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PBS:
Napoleon: French Revolution
From the PBS television special Napoleon, comes this look at
the French Revolution. “In the summer of 1789, the French
people’s anger boiled over into the streets, and violence
erupted throughout France. Mobs of citizens cried out for liberty,
equality and brotherhood. The monarchs of Europe looked on in
horror as revolution threatened to topple the greatest monarchy
on the continent.” Other website features include an interactive
timeline, classroom lessons, and related video clips.
http://www.pbs.org/empires/napoleon/n_politic/frenchrev/page_1.html |
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School
History: French Revolution
School History (from Great Britain) has a huge list of French
Revolution resources for both student and teacher. The first
three are internal content, and the rest of the list are links
to external resources, some of which are, unfortunately, no
longer live. Bad links aside, be sure to take a look at the
PDF worksheets (on the Summary page), as well as Causes of
the French Revolution, and Rise of Napoleon. The second link
labeled Causes of the French Revolution is also worth seeing.
It is an illustrated mind-map of the various pressure points
that fueled the revolt.
http://www.schoolhistory.co.uk/year8links/frenchrevolution.shtml
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STAR
Students And Teachers Against Racism
announces their new website that offers insight into the Native
American perspective to teachers and educators.
http://www.racismagainstindians.org/
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Changing
Winds Advocacy Center
Through presentations, classroom sessions, curriculum, fund
raising, charitable works, and multi-media efforts, we seek
to raise public awareness of the stereotyping, discrimination,
racism and other unique situations facing Native Americans.
http://changingwinds.org/
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