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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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April 2014 - Volume
12 Number 4
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Favorite
Sites
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collected
by Paul and Vicki
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Medicine
Horse Society
The Tasunke Wakan Okolakiciye (Medicine Horse Society) works
to provide Lakota cultural, language, and hands on education
services to the Lakota Oyate.
http://tasunkewakan.org/ |
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Knife
Chief Buffalo Nation
We are a grassroots organization on the Pine Ridge Indian
Reservation working to restore the buffalo and Lakota culture
and lifeways.
http://knifechiefbuffalonation.org/
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NASA
Research Opportunities
Supporting research in science and technology is an important
part of NASA's overall mission. NASA solicits this research
through the release of various research announcements in a wide
range of science and technology disciplines. NASA uses a peer
review process to evaluate and select research proposals submitted
in response to these research announcements. Researchers can
help NASA achieve national research objectives by submitting
research proposals and conducting awarded research. This site
facilitates the search for NASA research opportunities.
http://nspires.nasaprs.com |
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NASA's
Education Program
NASA’s journeys into air and space have deepened humankind’s
understanding of the universe, advanced technology breakthroughs,
enhanced air travel safety and security, and expanded the
frontiers of scientific research. These accomplishments share
a common genesis: education. As the United States begins the
second century of flight, the Nation must maintain its commitment
to excellence in science, technology, engineering and mathematics
education to ensure that the next generation of Americans
can accept the full measure of their roles and responsibilities
in shaping the future. NASA will continue the Agency’s
tradition of investing in the Nation’s education programs
and supporting the country’s educators who play a key
role in preparing, inspiring, exciting, encouraging, and nurturing
the young minds of today who will be the workforce of tomorrow.
http://www.nasa.gov/education
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Orca
Network
Orca Network is a 501 (c) (3) non-profit organization registered
in Washington State, dedicated to raising awareness about the
whales of the Pacific Northwest, and the importance of providing
them healthy and safe habitats. A community is emerging that
is increasingly attuned to the orca population, that cares about
and tries to understand the needs of the resident and transient
orcas that inhabit the Salish Sea.
http://www.orcanetwork.org/Main/ |
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Cascadia
Research
Cascadia Research is a non-profit, tax-exempt (recognized by
the IRS under501c3) scientific and education organization based
in Olympia, Washington, USA. We were founded in 1979 primarily
to conduct research needed to manage and protect threatened
marine mammals.
http://www.cascadiaresearch.org/ |
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Indian
Pueblo Cultural Center
Mission Statement To preserve and perpetuate Pueblo culture
and to advance understanding by presenting with dignity and
respect, the accomplishments and evolving history of the Pueblo
people of New Mexico.
http://www.indianpueblo.org/ |
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Traditional
Native American Farmers Association (TNAFA)
Since 1992, they’ve provided workshops in seed saving,
health, wellness and best farming practices to revitalize traditional
agriculture for spiritual and human need. TNAFA is an affiliate
of the Seventh Generation Fund a 501 (c)(3) nonprofit
http://www.tnafanm.org/TNAFA.html |
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Slow
Food USA
Slow Food USA is part of the global Slow Food network of over
150,000 members in more than 150 countries. Through a vast
volunteer network of local chapters, youth and food communities,
we link the pleasures of the table with a commitment to protect
the community, culture, knowledge and environment that make
this pleasure possible.
http://www.slowfoodusa.org/
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Moenkopi
Developers Corporation
In the Hopi Tribe no person owns land – the use of land
(including residential or commercial potential) is passed down
through matrilineal clans. Therefore, creating businesses that
require financing is a significant hurdle. The system of governance
poses unique challenges in the Hopi Villages but the Upper Village
of Moenkopi is the only village that has a constitution that
provides the legal foundation for self governance. There is
a great diversity of opinion about commercial development within
the population of Hopi with the primary concern being preservation
of culture. These are challenges that the elders of the Upper
Village of Moenkopi met in undertaking the very significant
project of economic development for the village. The outcome
is a testament to their wisdom and their respect for the traditional
ways of the Hopi.
http://www.moenkopidevelopers.com/ |
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Submit Your Poems
Seeing your poetry published is exciting for writers of any
age. This week’s sites specialize in publishing poems
from young poets. They vary in how selective they are, the
length of time it will take you to get a response, and the
permissions you must grant them. Some of these sites request
full copyright ownership, and others just ask for permission
to publish your poem on their website. Be sure to ask your
parents before you hit submit!
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KIdsWWwrite:
Submit Your Writing
If you are sixteen or younger you may submit up to four poems
per month to the KidsWWwrite. This non-profit online anthology
aims to encourage and celebrate children's writing and reading.
They publish a new edition during the first week of each month,
with stories, poems and book reviews grouped into three age
ranges: five to eight, nine to twelve, and thirteen to sixteen.
http://www.kalwriters.com/kidswwwrite/write.html
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Launch
Pad Magazine: Become a Launch Pad Writer
Launch Pad "publishes stories, art, poetry, nonfiction,
and book reviews by kids ages 6 – 14." If your poem
is selected, it will be sent to a young artist who will create
an accompanying illustration before being published on the
site. The result is a beautiful site with exciting work by
both young writers and artists. Don't expect a fast response
on your submission, however. In the FAQ section, the editor
says that a couple of months delay is pretty common.
http://www.launchpadmag.com/write/
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PBS
Kids: Arthur: Fern's Poetry Book: Write a Poem
"Writing poems can be fun when you juggle all the words
and the rhythms together to make them exciting. A poem can
be about anything – pets, family, friends, things you
like to do... anything at all." Read some poems, learn
about the different kinds of poems (limericks, haiku, and
cinquains), and then use the form to submit your own original
work. As long as it adheres to "high standards of kid-friendly
good taste," it will be published in Fern's online Poetry
Book.
http://pbskids.org/arthur/games/poetry/write.html
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Poetryzone:
Send Us a Poem
"Dear Poetry Zone: It would be absolutely fantastic if
you could read my poem and feature it on The Poetry Zone.
I promise I wrote it myself!" Poetryzone is the granddaddy
of online kids' poetry. They've been online since 1998 and
have published more than 20,000 poems written by kids and
teens. Poems are accepted from poets eighteen and younger.
http://poetryzone.co.uk/send-us-a-poem/
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Teen
Ink: Submit Work
Teen Ink publishes both a print magazine and this website.
For teens thirteen to nineteen, Teen Ink is not just a static
website but is also a community of young writers who vote
and comment on each other's work. Connect your free Teen Ink
membership with your Facebook account, and you'll also be
able to share your published work with your Facebook friends.
http://www.teenink.com/submit
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Kites
Kites date back 3000 years, when the Chinese made them from
bamboo and silk. Over the centuries kites have been used in
religious ceremonies, scientific experiments, military maneuvers
and, of course, for fun. In honor of April’s status as
National Kite Flying Month, today’s sites explore the history,
the science and the sport of kite flying.
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20
Kids * 20 Kites * 20 Minutes
Can a classroom of twenty students make twenty kites, and be
outside flying them in twenty minutes? You betcha! Uncle Jonathan
from the Big Wind Kite Factory on the Hawaiian island of Molokai
shares the kid-tested instructions he's been using with tour
groups for fifteen years. The kites are folded from 8 ½
x 11 inch paper, so they are smaller than the usual kite, but
the simple directions are easy enough for kindergartners, yet
fun enough for big kids too!
http://www.bigwindkites.com/20kids/ |
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How
Does a Kite Fly?
This eye-pleasing site, created for a Physics course, starts
with a short explanation of drag and lift, then quickly moves
on to other disciplines. Don't miss the folk tales from China,
Bali and Hawaii (found on History of Kites page) or the interviews
with kiters Michael Graves and Peter Peters. Instructions for
building a simple diamond kite and a large list of kite links
complete this site.
http://www.skratch-pad.com/kites/fly.html |
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NASA:
Kites
"An excellent way for students to gain a feel for aerodynamic
forces is to fly a kite. " This NASA site starts with a
short history of kites, and then introduces the forces that
act on kites. "In fact, with the exception of thrust, the
forces acting on a kite are also the same forces which act on
an airliner or a fighter plane. Like an aircraft, kites are
heavier than air and rely on aerodynamic forces to fly. "
To progress through the Guided Tour about Forces on a Kite,
use the blue next arrow at the bottom of each page.
http://www.grc.nasa.gov/WWW/K-12/airplane/kite1.html
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Professor
Kite and the Secrets of Kites
Professor Kite teaches us how to pick the right kite for different
days. "Deltas, Diamonds and Dragon kites fly well in light
to medium winds (approximately 6-15 mph) while Box Kites and
stickless Parafoil kites fly better when the winds get a little
stronger (approximately 8-25 mph)." Flying is most fun
in a medium wind, when you can do more than just hold on for
dear life. Look for movement in the leaves and bushes, but not
blowing or shaking. The Professor also explains how to get your
kite to fly and lists important safety rules.
http://www.gombergkites.com/howgen.html |
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Virtual
Kite Zoo
"Come in and see my sketches and descriptions of kites
of every shape and size, many of them also including historical,
anecdotal, allegorical or aeronautical snippets of information."
The Virtual Kite Zoo categorizes more than fifty types of
kites. Start with the terminology page (unless you already
know your longerons from your spreaders) and then take the
guided tour. You can finish with the JavaScript kite quiz.
http://www.blueskylark.org/zoo/
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Real World Math
In honor of April’s status as Math Education Month, I’m
starting off the month with a look at how math is used in our
everyday lives. Like the little girl in Jon Scieszka’s
Math Curse who wakes up to find everything in her world has
turned into a math problem, once you go looking for it, you
will find math everywhere.
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Annenberg
Learner: Math in Daily Life
"When you buy a car, follow a recipe, or decorate your
home, you're using math principles. People have been using these
same principles for thousands of years, across countries and
continents. Whether you're sailing a boat off the coast of Japan
or building a house in Peru, you're using math to get things
done." This essay for teens and adults explores the ubiquity
of math. Hidden within each section you'll find interactive
activities such as a worksheet to determine whether you should
lease or buy a car, and a savings calculator that demonstrates
the power of compound interest.
http://www.learner.org/interactives/dailymath/ |
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Figure
This!
Created by the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics,
Figure This! helps families with middle-school students "enjoy
mathematics outside school through a series of fun and engaging,
high-quality challenges." The activities are organized
by topic (such as Algebra, Geometry and Measurement) under the
heading Math Index. To print the challenges, follow the Printing
the Challenges link (from any of the challenges) for a list
of PDF files in your choice of color or black and white.
http://www.figurethis.org/index.html |
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Get
the Math
Get the Math uses video and interactive activities "to
help middle and high school students develop algebraic thinking
skills for solving real-world problems." Learn how professionals
in music, fashion, basketball and special movie effects use
math, and then try your hand at an interactive challenge related
to that career. "Manny Dominguez and Luis Lopez of DobleFlo
talk about how their duo got started, how they use math in producing
hip-hop music, and set up a music-related algebra challenge."
http://www.thirteen.org/get-the-math/ |
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We
Use Math
"The most common question students ask math teachers at
every level is ‘When will I use math?' WeUseMath.org is
a non-profit website that helps to answer this question."
We Use Math is filled with fun math tidbits (Hypatia of Alexandria
is the first recorded mathematician circa 400 AD), career snapshots,
and advice on how to succeed in math. There is also a Teacher
Resource section with puzzles, problems, games, curriculum ideas,
and a list of other useful sites.
http://weusemath.org/ |
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Why
Do Math
"Mathematical and computational analyses have proved
to be uniquely insightful for solving a myriad of problems
in science, society and our everyday lives. WhyDoMath highlights
solutions to many of these problems in an engaging, layered,
multimedia website and shows that an undergraduate mathematics
education can be an entryway to rewarding and engaging career
opportunities." For high-school and college students,
these math problems include an introduction to Google Page
Rank, Space Travel and Neuroscience.
http://www.whydomath.org/
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Botany
Botany is the branch of biology that specializes in plant life.
Botanists study nearly 400,000 species of life, including flowers,
vascular plants, fungi and algae. And because plants are inexpensive
and easy to grow, they are frequently a topic for science fair
projects.
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Biology4Kids.com:
Plants
"If you're not a microbe and you're not an animal, chances
are you are a plant. There are loads of species of plants on
Earth. Just as there is a system of classification for animals,
there is also a system of classification for plants." This
Biology4Kids introduction to plants is divided into ten parts.
Start your tour with Photosynthesis and progress by using the
navigation buttons at the bottom of each page, or jump to any
section via the menu at the top of the right-hand column.
http://www.biology4kids.com/files/plants_main.html
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Education.com:
Botany Science Fair Projects
"Kids will love discovering how concepts like phototropism,
gravitropism, photosynthesis, and transpiration aren't just
things they can read about in textbooks – they're very
cool biological processes that can be readily observed at home."
Not just for the science fair, these 214 botany experiments
can be done for any reason at all, including just for the fun
of it!
http://www.education.com/science-fair/botany/?clickid=xr-z6OUAFTmdxT02dEUndQX2UkTTxBQ8ESJyVY0
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National
Museum of Natural History: Botany
For kids and grownups alike, the Smithsonian National Museum
of Natural History (NMNH) provides insight into their current
botany research subjects, including Plant Conservation and the
Plant DNA Barcode Project. "A taxonomic impediment for
many systematists, field ecologists, and evolutionary biologists
is determining the correct identification of a plant or animal
sample in a rapid, repeatable, and reliable fashion. This problem
was a major reason for the development of a new method for the
quick identification of any species based on extracting a DNA
sequence from a tiny tissue sample of any organism."
http://botany.si.edu/ |
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TED
Talks: Plantastic!
"Green, leafy, often delicious: Plants are all around us
and make the ecosystem work. Hear from gardeners, vegetarians,
designers and conservationists on the wonderful world of plants
and vegetables." TED is an annual conference (and non-profit)
devoted to spreading good ideas via short talks that are usually
18 minutes or less and very accessible. This video collection
of ten botany talks (curated by TED) addresses current issues
in botany, such as living in a food desert and the loss of biodiversity.
http://www.ted.com/playlists/plantastic |
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University
of Illinois Extension: The Great Plant Escape
"Welcome to the Great Plant Escape! My name is Bud. My
good friend Sprout and I are helping Detective LePlant on
his search. You will find that plants are an important part
of your life. We will need your help to find clues, do experiments,
and solve problems as we journey into the world of plants."
This fun interdisciplinary webquest for upper elementary students
introduces botany and food science. It is organized into six
separate cases, each of which includes activities, mysteries
to solve and web links.
http://urbanext.illinois.edu/gpe/gpe.html
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St. Patrick's Day Blessings and Poems
St. Patrick's Day is a cultural holiday celebrated on March
17, the death anniversary of Ireland's patron saint, Saint Patrick.
This week's picks include hundreds of traditional Irish blessings
that can be used to decorate your classroom, adorn a St. Patrick's
Day craft project, or inspire the writing of your own original
blessing.
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DLTK:
Saint Patrick's Day Songs, Games and Poems
Each of DLTK's St. Patrick's Day poems and songs includes a
printable poster, in your choice of color or black-and-white
(to color yourself), and a related craft. The game is a circle
game played like Doggy, Doggy, Where's Your Bone? "Leprechaun,
Leprechaun where's your shamrock? Somebody has it in their Pocket!
Guess who? Maybe you? Maybe a monkey from the zoo! Come on Leprechaun
find your shamrock."
http://www.dltk-holidays.com/patrick/songs/ |
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English
Zone: Saint Patrick's Day Blessings
"May your blessings outnumber the shamrocks that grow and
may trouble avoid you wherever you go." This page of 27
family-friendly Irish blessings is part of a larger St. Patrick's
Day section at the English Zone. To visit it, use the Back button
at the bottom of the page. "As you slide down the banister
of life, may the splinters never point in the wrong direction!"
http://english-zone.com/holidays/st-patbless.html
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Island
Ireland: Irish Blessings
"May your day be touched by a bit of Irish luck, brightened
by a song in your heart, and warmed by the smiles of the people
you love." Island Ireland is a website dedicated to Irish
culture. The 34 blessings on this page are all child-friendly,
but there is a link to Irish Toasts at the bottom of the page
that, of course, reference alcohol.
http://www.islandireland.com/Pages/folk/sets/bless.html
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Pinterest:
Irish Blessings
This is a great collection of Irish blessings for those that
prefer a graphical interface over a text-based one. It is the
Pinterest search results page for "Irish Blessings".
From here, you can jump to the sites that originated each quote
by clicking twice on any pinned image. Or visit the boards of
the pinners that added these to their personal collection. As
with any unmoderated collection, there may be some content not
appropriate for children.
http://www.pinterest.com/search/pins/?q=irish%20blessings
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Story
Soup Kids: St. Patrick's Day Poems
"Leprechauns peeking, around a willow tree, pussy willows
waking, longing to be free." This is a small collection
of ten poems about leprechauns, shamrocks, Ireland, and things
green. "Near a misty stream in Ireland in the hollow
of a tree, live mystical, magical leprechauns who are clever
as can be."
http://childstoryhour.com/storiesholiday3.htm
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Spring Crafts
Winter still storming in your neck of the woods? Get into
the spirit of spring with these craft collections, where it
is all about flowers, birds and rays of sunshine.
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Activity
Village: Spring Crafts
Birds, blossoms, bunnies and butterflies dominate this set of
spring crafts from Activity Village. In addition to the craft
projects, there are printable games such as Bunny Matching,
Bunny Dominoes, and a Spring Flowers Sorting Game. You'll find
these at the bottom of the page by following the Spring Games
link.
http://www.activityvillage.co.uk/spring-crafts |
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DLTK:
Spring Crafts and Children's Activities
DLTK goes beyond crafts with Spring Bulletin Board Ideas, Recipes,
Poems, Games, Jigsaw Puzzles and Spring Worksheets. To jump
right into crafts, follow the link and you'll find them divided
into Flower Crafts, Insect Activites, and Other Spring Crafts.
In the mood for some spring bugs? You'll love the Bumblebee
Crafts, Ladybug Crafts, and Spider Crafts.
http://www.dltk-holidays.com/spring/ |
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First
Palette: Spring Crafts
The projects from First Palette are nicely illustrated and each
craft is explained step by step. In addition to the excellent
instructions, each craft includes safety tips. "Small craft
materials such as beads or small bells are choking hazards.
Not appropriate for use by children below the age of three."
Working with small children? Watch out for the "adult help
needed" icon. It will let you know which steps the little
ones will need help with.
http://www.firstpalette.com/Craft_themes/spring-crafts.html |
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Kiwi
Crate: Spring Crafts
"Spring has sprung! Enjoy these flower, garden, and bug
crafts." Each craft is rated for messiness (love this!),
age range, and estimated time. They also display icons indicating
which developmental skills are used, such a fine-motor skills,
creativity, or discovery. There are 122 spring crafts here,
so be sure to use the navigation buttons to scroll beyond this
first page.
http://www.kiwicrate.com/lists/spring-crafts/67?dp=43737&dp2=858911597&source=pepperjam&publisherId=43737&clickId=858911597 |
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Spoonful:
393 Spring Crafts
"Let creativity bloom with these fresh ideas for spring
art projects and crafts for kids of all ages." This is
a huge collection of crafts, but I kept losing my place when
navigating between an individual craft and the category page
that lists all the crafts. Grrrr. Anyway, there are so many
ideas here, just use the "See More" to view more
craft projects.
http://spoonful.com/spring/spring-crafts
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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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