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Canku Ota
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(Many Paths)
An Online Newsletter Celebrating Native America
 
 
 
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Favorite Sites
 
 
collected by Paul and Vicki
 

Joseph Bruchac Storyteller & Writer
For over thirty years Joseph Bruchac has been creating poetry, short stories, novels, anthologies and music that reflect his Abenaki Indian heritage and Native American traditions.He is the author of more than 70 books for children and adults. The best selling Keepers of the Earth: Native American Stories and Environmental Activities for Children and others of his “Keepers” series, with its remarkable integration of science and folklore, continue to receive critical acclaim and to be used in classrooms throughout the country.
http://www.josephbruchac.com/

Dakota Wicohan
The essence of Dakota language recalls, instructs and heals our inherent relationship with Creation, which is essential to the continuation of indigenous communities. Dakota language, culture and history will strengthen Dakota identity, kinship and community well being.
http://dakotawicohan.com/
South Dakota Office of Indian Education Oceti Sakowin Project History
The 2007 Indian Education Act mandated the development of course content for curriculum and coursework in South Dakota American Indian history and culture. As a result of this mandate, the South Dakota Office of Indian Education pursued funding in order to begin the development of materials. In 2008, the Indian Land Tenure Foundation awarded a grant to the South Dakota Office of Indian Education to begin the Oceti Sakowin Project. For the past three years, many talented and passionate educators worked together to develop the Oceti Sakowin Core Concepts, Essential Understandings and Standards. The project was completed in July 2011. Although much time and energy was put into the project, it is just the beginning and a small step towards the work that needs to be done in creating curriculum and course work in the history and culture of the Oceti Sakowin. “The hope is that citizens who are well educated about the Oceti Sakowin history and culture will be more likely to make better decisions in the arena of Indian issues and to get along better with one another”, (Dr. Craig Howe 2010).
http://www.argusleader.com/assets/pdf/DF177271725.PDF
Indian Education
The South Dakota Department of Education is committed to improving educational opportunities for American Indian students in our state. The department works closely with an Indian Education Advisory Council, which represents all nine tribes in South Dakota along with American Indian educators from all parts of the state.
http://doe.sd.gov/IndianEducation/index.asp
Office of Indian Education
The mission of the Office of Indian Education is to support the efforts of local educational agencies, Indian tribes and organizations, postsecondary institutions, and other entities to meet the unique educational and culturally related academic needs of American Indians and Alaska Natives so that these students can achieve to the same challenging state standards as all students.
http://www2.ed.gov/about/offices/list/oese/oie/index.html
Center of American Indian and Minority Health (CAIMH)
The Center of American Indian and Minority Health (CAIMH) at the University of Minnesota Medical School strives to raise the health status of the Native American population by educating Native American students in the field of health care and Indian health.
http://www.caimh.umn.edu/
NavajoYES
Beginning even before the first Tour de Rez, the people who are today known as NavajoYES were offering outdoor adventure programs for reservation youth. Multiple outings at Navajo Mountain, Rainbow Bridge and Grand Canyon had already been completed before the Tour was even conceived in 1991.
The growth of the Tour marked the advent of a new era and revealed the need for a new organization. In 1994, Youth Empowerment Services for Dine' Bikeyah (NavajoYES) was established, joining community-based groups in the rez towns of Shonto and Kayenta.
http://www.navajoyes.org/
Welcome to Maori Maps
Find your way to the tribal marae of Aotearoa New Zealand – through maps, information and photographs.
Marae are the centres of Maori identity and activity. Maori Maps provides a nationwide map of marae, with photos of each marae, contact and background information, and photographs. There are also restricted access areas that marae themselves can use to store their data and photos.
http://www.maorimaps.com/
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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.

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

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

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

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

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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Hurricanes
Hurricane season in the Atlantic, Caribbean and Gulf of Mexico runs from June through November, and averages seven named storms. To be named by the National Hurricane Center, a storm must reach speeds of thirty-nine miles an hour. When a storm reaches sustained speeds of seventy-four miles per hour, it is called a hurricane.
NASA: Earth Science Enterprise: Tropical Twisters
"Most people associate twisters with tornadoes, but in fact tropical twisters come from hurricanes." Visit this NASA site to learn how hurricanes are created, why they move, and how deadly they can be. Hurricane damage can be caused by wind, floods or a surge of huge waves along the coast. "Even Category 1 hurricanes can cause death, property damage and flooding and should be taken very seriously. Coastal areas are often evacuated by the police when a hurricane is approaching."
http://kids.earth.nasa.gov/archive/hurricane/
Scholastic: Weather Watch: Hurricanes
"Hurricanes start life as a cluster of strong thunderstorms moving across the ocean, called a tropical disturbance or tropical wave. Atmospheric conditions must be just right to turn a tropical wave into a hurricane ?less than 5% of them ever become full-blown hurricanes." Scholastic.com has a great hurricane section that includes a glossary, experiments, videos, clickable infographics, recommended links, an interview with a meteorologist, and a quiz.
http://teacher.scholastic.com/activities/wwatch/hurricanes/
Sky Diary: Facts about Hurricanes
Sky Diary publisher Chris Kridler is a storm chaser and journalist. Her site answers commonly asked questions about hurricanes, tornadoes and lightning, as well as housing her amazing storm and sky photos. The hurricane section addresses how hurricanes form, how they are classified using the Saffir-Simpson scale, and hurricane safety. "We are fortunate to have technology now that can detect the formation of a hurricane long before one is a danger to land. Yet, despite all the data we have, we can't predict exactly where a hurricane will go."
http://skydiary.com/kids/hurricanes.html
University of Illinois: Hurricanes
"Hurricanes are tropical cyclones with winds that exceed 64 knots (74 mi/hr) and circulate counter-clockwise about their centers in the Northern Hemisphere (clockwise in the Southern Hemisphere)." This meteorology guide for high school students and grown ups, is published by the Department of Atmospheric Sciences at the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign. Reasons to visit are the animated videos explaining the science of hurricane (even though I usually categorically dislike videos that autostart.)
http://ww2010.atmos.uiuc.edu/(Gh)/guides/mtr/hurr/home.rxml

Weather Wiz Kids: Hurricanes"
A hurricane is a huge storm! It can be up to 600 miles across and have strong winds spiraling inward and upward at speeds of 75 to 200 mph. Each hurricane usually lasts for over a week, moving 10-20 miles per hour over the open ocean." Meteorologist Crystal Wicker explains all kinds of weather to kids, teachers and parents. Her hurricane page explains how hurricanes develop, what hurricane hunters do, and includes links to lesson plans on other sites.
http://www.weatherwizkids.com/weather-hurricane.htm

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Nature for Kids
Today's websites are dedicated to inspiring you to push yourself away from the computer desk, and get outside! Whether in your backyard, a city park or a wilderness area, there are many discoveries to be made. Sharpen your senses and go meet nature.

Backyard Nature
Start with Jim Conrad's 3 Steps to Discovering Nature. Step One: Identify the plants and animals you find around you. Step Two: Learn something interesting about stuff you've identified. Step Three: Keep a Nature Notebook to record all the things you learn. Other sections deserving of a shout out are Names & Classification (with articles such as "On the Beauty of Scientific Names") and Tools for Backyard Naturalists (with both online and offline resources to help with species identification.)
http://www.backyardnature.net/

eNature
FieldGuides to more than 5,500 species of animals and plants are the core content here at eNature. Species are searchable by keyword, color, size, region and even zip code! For kid stuff, mouse on over to Fun & Games, where you'll find quizzes (Do you know scat?) and species flash cards to embed on your own website. These flash cards are snippets of code you can paste on your website or blog that will display a photo and a description of an animal. Great for online school reports or just for showing off your favorite animals.
http://www.enature.com/home/

Nature Explore: Family Activities
With their Families' Club kit, Nature Explore provides field-tested, research-based nature activities for families, clubs and classrooms. Follow the link at the end of the introduction to download the kit free of charge, or order a low-cost CD if that is easier for you. The kit contains six printable color handouts (for a range of ages) and facilitator's notes for each activity. The outdoor activities require simple supplies (such as crayons and measuring tape) and come with a short list of related children's books and websites.
http://www.arborday.org/explore/families/

Nature Rocks
"Nature turns frowns upside down. Studies indicate that children who play and explore outdoors are less stressed and may further benefit by learning confidence and social skills." To inspire families to go outside, Nature Rocks hosts several tools on their front page. First is an Activity Finder. Enter your child's age, how much time you have (30 minutes, an hour, all day?) and where you are (backyard, neighborhood) and you'll be rewarded with a list of possible activities such as Listen for Bird Sounds or Keep a Flower Tally. The second tool finds outdoorsy events near you, searchable by zipcode.
http://www.naturerocks.org/

Nature Skills
For high school students and grown ups, Nature Skills provides lots of information about Outdoor Safety, Animal Tracking, Wild Plants & Trees, and more. Learn how to make a bird feeder from a soda bottle (start by clicking on Birds), harvest wild dandelions for tea (look in Wild Foods) or read up on making a primitive shelter without a tent or sleeping bag (find it under Survival.)
http://www.natureskills.com/

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First Aid
First aid is the initial care given to an injury, and in some cases can save lives. Today's site picks are a roundup of sites that teach and review first aid practices, with a special emphasis on making the lessons fun for kids.

American Red Cross: Anatomy of a First Aid Kit
Although this section of the Red Cross site is not specifically written for kids or teens, gathering all the needed supplies for a first aid kit makes an excellent family or scout project. "Include any personal items such as medications and emergency phone numbers or other items your health-care provider may suggest. Check the kit regularly. Make sure the flashlight batteries work. Check expiration dates and replace any used or out-of-date contents."
http://www.redcross.org/services/hss/lifeline/fakit.html

First Aid Quiz
"The First Aid Quiz web site was created to provide a fun way to brush up on your first aid knowledge." Created by volunteer paramedic Stewart Watkiss, it includes three interactive quizzes ("What position should someone with an abdominal wound be placed in?"), four crossword puzzles (both interactive and printable), three word search puzzles, and two hangman games.
http://www.firstaidquiz.com/index.php

Inquiry.net: First Aid Games
Sir Robert Baden-Powell (1857 - 1941) was a lieutenant general in the British Army and a founder of the Scout Movement. These outdoor first aid games are from his 1921 "Scouting Games" book. You will probably need to modify these games based on the age and knowledge of your group. And although the original text refers to boys (do I really need to say this?) these games can be played by both boys and girls!
http://www.inquiry.net/outdoor/games/b-p/first_aid.htm

Scouting Web: Kids' First Aid Book
This three-page printable coloring book provides basic first aid instruction for elementary-age kids. "Should your friend or a brother or sister, feel nauseous or complain of a belly pain, don't give that person anything to eat or drink. Put an ice pack on the area that hurts and call an adult." The printout also includes a small word search puzzle, and many reminders to "ALWAYS STAY CALM!"
http://www.epilogsys.com/scoutingweb/Documents/Kids%20First%20Aid%20Book.pdf

University of Washington: Learn CPR
Although not intended to replace an actual CPR training class, this guide lists dozens of online tools to help you learn or refresh CPR skills, including printable pocket guides ("Call. Pump. Blow.") The newest kids on the block are the two mobile CPR training apps, one for the iPhone and other for the Android. Additional tools include video demonstrations, CPR FAQ, CPR Fun Facts, and a CPR Quiz. "If CPR is started within 4 minutes of collapse and defibrillation provided within 10 minutes a person has a 40% chance of survival."
http://depts.washington.edu/learncpr/

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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/
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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Canku Ota is a free Newsletter celebrating Native America, its traditions and accomplishments . We do not provide subscriber or visitor names to anyone. Some articles presented in Canku Ota may contain copyright material. We have received appropriate permissions for republishing any articles. Material appearing here is distributed without profit or monetary gain to those who have expressed an interest. This is in accordance with Title 17 U.S.C. Section 107.
 
 
 
Canku Ota is a copyright © 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011of Vicki Lockard and Paul Barry.
 
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The "Canku Ota - A Newsletter Celebrating Native America" web site and its design is the
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