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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
 
The Dakhóta Iápi Okhódakichiye (Dakota Language Society)
Out of necessity for the Dakota language to live and thrive for generations, the Dakhóta Iápi Okhódakichiye was created to create materials that can reverse the trend of language loss and begin to raise generations of fluent Dakota speakers.
The Dakhóta Iápi Okhódakichiye (DIO, Dakota Language Society) is a nonprofit organization of dedicated Dakota community members, language learners and speakers. The Dakota Language Society promotes revitalization of the Dakota language through the creation and distribution of Dakota language materials to be implemented in the home, community and classroom.
http://www.dakhota.org/
Hopi Wellness 100 Mile Club
The 100 Mile Club provides residents of the Hopi community the opportunity to walk or run 100 miles over the course of 16 weeks in an effort to increase daily physical activity and lower the incidence of Type II Diabetes in the community. It’s a big goal to reach, but with dedication and support, all participants can reach the goal and then some.

http://100mileclub.hopi-nsn.gov/
American Indian Higher Education Consortium (AIHEC)
AIHEC is the collective spirit and unifying voice of our nation’s 37 Tribal Colleges and Universities—a unique community of tribally and federally chartered institutions working to strengthen tribal nations and make a lasting difference in the lives of American Indians and Alaska Natives. Since 1972, AIHEC serves its network of member institutions through public policy, advocacy, research, and program initiatives to ensure strong tribal sovereignty through excellence in American Indian higher education.

http://www.aihec.org/

AIHEC Tribal College Journal (TCJ)
On behalf of the American Indian Higher Education Consortium's member tribal colleges and universities, TCJ provides information for everyone interested in American Indian higher education. TCJ's culture-based publication addresses subjects important to the future of American Indian and Alaska Native communities utilizing both journalistic and scholarly articles and has become a forum for college staff, faculty, administrators, and students to discuss their needs, successes, and evolving missions.

http://www.tribalcollegejournal.org/

THE STRONGHOLD SOCIETY
Our vision is to create a future where youth of Native communities and non-Native communities will live a successful, healthy way of life, both mentally and physically, to become the leaders of tomorrow.

http://strongholdsociety.org/
Champions of Change
The best ideas come from the American people. Everyone has a story to tell, everyone has a part to play. All across the country, ordinary Americans are doing extraordinary things in their communities to out-innovate, out-educate, and out-build the rest of the world. Every week, we will invite these Champions of Change to the White House to share their ideas to win the future.

http://www.whitehouse.gov/champions
About Native Generational Change
If your tired of how things are for Natives then help me create change with people who are going to do the work for Native Communities. The NGC board is dedicated and committed to working for Native People because of their connection to each community. The main goal of NGC is to create sustainable change for all Native Americans both on and off the reservation.

http://www.nativegchange.org/index.html
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Halloween Safety
From costume safety to pet safety, this week’s roundup of Halloween safety tips will ensure that everyone has a happy Halloween.
CDC: Halloween Health and Safety Tips
With acrostic tips from "S" ("Swords, knives, and similar costume accessories should be short, soft, and flexible.") to "N" (Never walk near lit candles or luminaries. Be sure to wear flame-resistant costumes."), the CDC wishes you a "Safe Halloween!" Scroll down the page for links to more Halloween safety tips from the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.

http://www.cdc.gov/family/halloween/
Halloween Magazine: Official Halloween Safety Game
Start by reading through the Halloween Safety Rules, then scroll to the bottom of the page to play the Safety Quiz. Find the one house on the street that is safe for trick or treating. "GOOD JOB! You only want to go to places that are well lit." Topics covered in the quiz include stranger danger, street smarts, rules of the road, candy safety, and the importance of sticking to a planned route for trick or treating.

http://www.halloweenmagazine.com/play2.html
Halloween Safety Guide
"The excitement of children and adults at this time of year can sometimes make them not as careful as they would normally be. Our site is filled with suggestions that can do a lot to stop tragedies from happening and help make the most of everyone's favorite holiday of the year... Halloween!" Safety tips are organized into sections for kids, adults, parties, costumes, trick-or-treating, driving, pets, and home decor.

http://www.halloween-safety.com/
New York Troopers: Halloween Safety
The New York State Police, in cooperation with McGruff the Crime Dog of the Crime Prevention Coalition, present a printable Halloween Safety booklet with coloring pages, a maze, a quiz, and some good advice. "Halloween blood and gore are harmless stuff for the most part. But sometimes dressing up as a superhero, a swashbucking pirate, or an alien from outer space — coupled with the excitement of Halloween — brings out aggressive behavior."

http://troopers.ny.gov/publications/crime_prevention/halloweenclrbk.pdf

Safe Kids Worldwide: Halloween Safety Tips
Safe Kids Worldwide is a non-profit organization dedicated to preventing childhood injuries. "Around the world, a child dies from an unintentional injury every 30 seconds. And millions of children are injured in ways that can affect them for a lifetime." Their Halloween resources include some sad facts ("On average, children are more than twice as likely to be hit by a car and killed on Halloween than on any other day of the year."), excellent safety tips, an infographic to share, and several printable Halloween safety flyers.

http://www.safekids.org/halloween

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Fire Safety
Fire Prevention Week is celebrated every October. Originally proclaimed as Fire Prevention Day in 1920 by President Woodrow Wilson, it commemorated the anniversary of the Great Chicago Fire of 1871. In 1925, President Calvin Coolidge expanded the event to a whole week. He noted that in the previous year some 15,000 lives were lost to fire in the US. Calling the loss “startling,” President Coolidge’s proclamation stated: “This waste results from conditions which justify a sense of shame and horror; for the greater part of it could and ought to be prevented.”
Burn Institute: Fire Safe Kid
"Play games, take quizzes, watch cool videos and learn how to become a fire safe kid just like me!" In addition to the Kids Zone, there is also a portal for families that covers fire safety for home, holiday, travel and outdoors, and one for teachers with fire safety curriculum for grades K-12. For preschoolers, look at the Hot or Not game and the interactive coloring games.

http://www.firesafekid.org/
Danger Rangers: Fire Safety for Kids
Danger Rangers' five easy fire safety tips can "greatly reduce the risk of fire-related deaths." Just below the tips, enjoy the fire safety song, the Danger Rangers video, the coloring activity, and the Hazard House Game. "Can you find the safety violations? Just move the mouse around, and when you find one, just click on it and I'll change the picture so you can see how it's supposed to look. When you've found them all, you win!"

http://www.dangerrangers.com/kids_safety_topic.php?id=7
Fire Safe Kids
"To be good at something, you have to practice. Well don't worry, practicing fire safety has never been this much fun!" In addition to the coloring pages, printable puzzles, and games, highlights of the site include learning about the Three Ps (prevent, plan, practice) and the science section. "All fires require three elements: oxygen, heat, fuel. These three elements are commonly referred to as the Fire Triangle. If the right amounts of each are present, and a chemical reaction occurs, a fire can start."

http://www.firesafekids.org/
Scholastic: Fire Safety
In cooperation with the National Fire Protection Association, Scholastic provides lessons, printables and fire safety activities for grades PreK-5. The program "Have Two Ways Out" teaches this important fire safety lesson using the story of Alice in Wonderland. Although some of the activities (such as Sparky's Firehouse) do take you offsite to Sparky the Fire Dog's own site (see next review) there is plenty of original material here for use in a classroom or a living room.

http://www.scholastic.com/firesafety/

Sparky the Fire Dog
Sparky the Fire Dog is the official dalmatian "spokesdog" of the National Fire Protection Association. There are so many fun spots (dalmatian, spots, get it?) here, I can only list a few: coloring pages, printable origami dog, Sparky's firehouse and fire trucks, and animated shorts. For printable safety checklists and an escape plan grid, visit the Activities section. Grownups have their own section of the site: look for the Parents sign in the lower right-hand corner.

http://www.sparky.org/mobile/index.php

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Internet Safety Games
This week’s roundup is all about online games that teach Internet safety. The topics covered by these games are diverse, and although some are created specifically for kids as young as seven, others are created for older teens and grownups.
Digital Passport
Digital Passport is published by Common Sense Media, a non-profit organization that promotes digital citizenship. Although full access requires free teacher registration, Digital Passport does offer sample preview games. Designed for grades three to five, each of the five modules includes video and an interactive game, and they take about forty-five minutes to complete. Topics covered are cellphone usage, online messaging, cyber-bullying, effective search, and creative mash-ups.

https://digitalpassport.org/educator-registration
FBI: Safe Online Surfing
"Visit all of the characters on the island to learn how to surf the Internet safely. Complete all of the lessons and click on the exam balloon to take the Internet Challenge." With separate games for each grade from third to eighth, this FBI site is my pick of the day because of the beautiful graphics and grade-specific curriculum. In order to take the quiz at the end of the lessons, your teacher will need to sign up for a free account.

https://sos.fbi.gov/
NetSmartz Workshop
NetSmartz is a program of the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children. Kids, tweens, and teens each choose their own portal, as can parents and teachers. Each portal has its own assortment of educational videos and games. Topics include password safety, stranger danger, privacy, gossip, identify theft, sexting, inappropriate content, online predators, digital literacy, and cyber-bullying.

http://www.netsmartz.org/Parents
OnGuardOnline.gov: Video and Media
OnGuardOnline.gov is a project of the US government to help citizens stay safe online. This resource page lists videos, tutorials and thirteen games. These are not specifically created for children, but are appropriate for teens. Topics include laptop security, spyware, cyber crime, spam, and phishing. In the left-hand vertical menu, there is also a link for parents on protecting kids online.

http://www.onguardonline.gov/media

PBS Kids: Webonauts Internet Academy
Webonauts is a PBS game for eight- to ten-year olds exploring "what it means to be a citizen in a web-infused‚ information-rich world. It is an engaging experience on its own but becomes all the more powerful when parents and teachers use game play as a springboard for conversations about media literacy and citizenship in the 21st Century." Imagine yourself a new recruit to the Webonauts Internet Academy on a space mission to the planet Bambu. While role-playing, you'll learn about citizenship, identity, privacy, credibility and web safety.

http://pbskids.org/webonauts/

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Science Fair Project Ideas
Fretting over your science fair project? Having trouble coming up with an idea that interests you? Jump start your creative thinking by browsing through these science fair sites that list hundreds of projects, along with tips on choosing one that’s right for you.
All Science Fair Projects
From astronomy to zoology, All Science Fair Projects is a searchable database of 1000 science fair ideas for all levels (elementary, middle and high school.) You can search by keyword (such as "bacteria" or "sun spots.") Or browse by topic (biology, chemistry, physics, earth science and engineering.) There is also a good resource section that includes links to a few of the large science fair sites, such as California and Chicago.

http://www.all-science-fair-projects.com/
Discovery: Science Fair Central
"An important part of learning science is doing science. Science fairs offer students an opportunity to practice science investigation and invention. Whether the science fair is competitive or not, the project may be the first time that students choose their own science topic and practice being a scientist or engineer." There is a lot of great guidance here, but if you're specifically looking for topic ideas, jump directly to "Choose a Project Idea" under the "Getting Started" tab.

http://school.discoveryeducation.com/sciencefaircentral/
Education.com: Science Fair Project Ideas
Education.com offers "science fair ideas suitable for every grade level, be it preschool, kindergarten, elementary school, middle school, or high school." To filter through the project ideas, select the grade-level and subject boxes in the sidebar, and add an optional keyword. With a free Education.com membership, you can collect your favorite ideas in a Collection. Look for the orange "Collect It!" button on any of the project pages to get started.

http://www.education.com/science-fair/
Science Buddies
Science Buddies is a non-profit organization encouraging students to "improve their science skills" and "consider additional study or careers in science." It's also my pick-of-the-day site because of the Topic Selection Wizard (look for it under "Project Ideas"), and the general excellence of all the guidance provided. Choosing a topic is often the most agonizing part of starting a science fair project. Use the wizard to guide you toward a topic that interests you. Be warned, however, you'll have to answer a lot of questions to work your way through the wizard. Other great clicks are the tips for getting started in the "Project Guide" section, and the "Ask an Expert" online forum.

http://www.sciencebuddies.org/

Science Kids: Science Projects
Science Kids of New Zealand specializes in helping kids in grades 3 to 7 find an easy science project that they can have fun with. In addition to the easy science projects (listed in the left-hand column) be sure to look at the ideas listed in the right-hand column. These are just questions, not complete projects, but can be a great place to start. "Do women's cosmetics contain potentially harmful chemicals?" "What materials conduct electricity better?" "Does ice melt at a rate proportional to its surface area?"

http://www.sciencekids.co.nz/projects.html

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Koalas
Although often called koala bears because of their resemblance to cuddly teddy bears, koalas are marsupials, not bears. Koalas are native to Australia and related to kangaroos and wombats. Learn more at these adorable koala sites.
DLTK: Koala Crafts and Activities for Children
Visit DLTK for koala paper crafts such as a Koala Toilet Paper Roll, Koala Paper Plate, and a Koala Wreath. DLTK also offers online jigsaw puzzles and printable coloring pages for koalas, kangaroos, kookaburras, and kiwis. For more Australian crafts and puzzles, follow the Other Australian Animals link in the menu just below the search box.

http://www.dltk-kids.com/animals/australia-koalas.htm
Koala Tracker
"Australia's national koala mapping project, KoalaTracker, is crowdsourcing the location, points of impact and causes of death and injury for the public record - bringing science, policymakers and community together to take effective action to save the koala." For those of us not able to track koalas in the wild, there is an interesting FAQ (What do koalas eat?) and a gallery of photos taken by volunteers.

http://www.koalatracker.com.au/FAQ
National Geographic Kids: Koala
"A koala mother usually gives birth to one joey at a time. A newborn koala is only the size of a jelly bean. Called a joey, the baby is blind, naked, and earless. As soon as it's born, this tiny creature makes its way from the birth canal to its mother's pouch. Using the two well-developed senses it's born with—smell and touch—along with its strong front legs and claws and an instinct that tells it which direction to head, the baby koala reaches the pouch." With quick facts and a map of the koala's range, this single-page National Geographic site is a short but sweet introduction to the koala.

http://kids.nationalgeographic.com/content/kids/en_US/animals/koala/
San Diego Zoo: Koalas
"Koalas are naturally solitary animals that are mostly active at night and spend most of their time napping and eating. Koalas eat only eucalyptus leaves. Eating leaves from one kind of plant may seem boring, but there are more than 600 different kinds of eucalyptus trees and, from a koala's point of view, each looks and tastes very different! Koalas prefer the leaves of about three-dozen varieties." If you visit during PST daylight you'll be able to watch the Koala Live Cam. The photo gallery, however, is available 24/7.

http://animals.sandiegozoo.org/animals/koala

Save the Koala
The kids' section of this koala conservation group includes Fascinating Facts, Furry Photos, and Fun Stuff such as a dot-to-dot puzzle, printable crossword and word search activity. "Koalas' fur is different in different parts of Australia. In the southern parts of Australia it is longer and shaggier than in the north, in order to keep them warm in the cold southern winters."

https://www.savethekoala.com/about-koalas/koalas-kids

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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 - 2014 of Vicki Williams Barry and Paul Barry.
 
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