Online History Resources (3)

My son began to read more and more about Ancient History after I bought him copies of the Cartoon History of the Universe by Larry Gonick. Don't discount graphic novels and comics as an introduction to studying history, or perhaps these websites might spark your child's interest.


You Be the Historian


This is another detecting-style approach to history. We look at objects people leave behind and try to determine what their lives were like. No bells and whistles, but it works very well and helps kids focus on making deductions from the evidence available.


EyeWitness to History


Here you'll find history, world and US, through the eyes of those who lived it. This site has a huge index of accounts of various historical events, from how much wine a Roman slave should drink, through to insights into wars and occasional peace. If ever I should begin to feel sorry for myself, I am going to re-read Jacob Riis' account of life in the tenements of New York in the 1890's. There are great film clips from the past here too.


Best of History Web Sites


This is a huge collection of websites dealing with all matters historical, from prehistory to modern times, including a whole page of history games and animations.


Mr Donn


Here is another huge collection, this time of ancient history resources, with lesson plans and activities for K-12. I love this site, and it's enhanced by Phillip Martin's quirky clip-art.


History Mystery


How would you like to become a great investigator — of history! I’m Professor Carlotta Facts, and I challenge you to solve the History Mystery! If you figure out the mystery in fewer clues, you earn a higher title as an investigator. So choose a game…and away we play!


You'll find both World and US history, with special sections like Environmental History and Women's History. I couldn't get some activities to work. What I saw, I think kids would enjoy, and it might lead to further reading for them.


Also check out sites like listverse.com yourself, to discover Strange Jobs from History and More Strange Jobs from History, then research them. The text under the photographs isn't written for children, which is why I say "yourself".


Here's a great coat-of-arms creator that you might like to use in your relevant history studies too.


Find more online history resources at The Book Chook via Online History Resources - History.com and Online History Resources (2).

(Clip art from Phillip Martin Clip Art)

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Review, Makedo

Makedo is one of those products that immediately make you wish you'd thought of it yourself. It is elegant in its simplicity and versatility. I love Makedo because it's both creative and green! My review set was sent to The Book Chook by Educational Experience, Australia.


In essence, Makedo is a set of connectors that kids can use to join things with. Young inventors can use the provided tool and fasteners to construct all sorts of wondrous creations - just by combining them with some bits and pieces that you would normally throw in the recycling bin. There are several versions of Makedo sets, from individual to class, and you can buy extras, too.


What I got in the individual set: a tool, clips, pins, and hinges. The construction tool has a saw-like blade for cutting through cardboard. On the other end is a punch for making holes for the pins. The clip goes onto the pin a little like a washer, and holds material in place. The pin is plastic and not sharp, but is pointed so it can get through holes and the clamp. The set is contained in a strong cardboard cylinder.


Makedo has been beautifully thought out. I think the thing I like most about it is that you purchase it, but it is maximized many times over because you actually use it WITH bits and pieces lying around the house, AND you can use it over again. It isn't finite. You're only limited by how much junk you can generate, because children's imaginations are limitless.


I invited a young friend to a constructathon with my Makedo pack. We decided on an animal theme and had a great time constructing our creatures. I will admit to not much liking the tool for cutting, as my scissors gave me a neater edge. You can see Bork and Qvetch hiding in our garden in the picture above, and the pair plasticated below. 


Here's a video that shows Makedo in action, and you can check out the gallery to see some of the wonderful creations people have made. Isn't it great that kids can make tiny things, but with enough connectors, they can build structures large enough to play inside, or wear. Apparently I am not the only one to be impressed - Makedo recently won a Reader's Choice Award at Treehugger, and read what the folks over at Inhabitots have to say about it.


According to the Makedo site, "It aims to inspire people to see new value in the things around them." I love the idea of kids looking at something in new ways that they would previously just throw out. Then once they actually start to use the connectors, they are hypothesizing, experimenting, testing, brainstorming, making decisions, visualizing... all skills that develop their creativity.

Einstein tells us that "Creativity is intelligence having fun." Maybe Makedo makes it possible!

Try These Prompts to Encourage Kids into Writing

Sitting in front of a blank piece of paper can shrivel imagination and quell any desire to write. Just ask me, I'm a writer! Here are some ideas that might help your kids unleash their inner author.


There's writing involved at Creature Creator (phew, just as well seeing this blog is supposed to be about literacy) because you need to create a bio for your creature. I invented the creature at left and called him Flidge, then I described him by using their template. It's a fairly simple matter of answering prompts, so it's just right for a quick activity. At the same time, it gives kids a little practice in developing characters, a skill every writer needs. I found the website via Digital Tools for Teachers. 


(Aside: I must say this activity works well as a piece of marketing. After creating my bio, I now am intrigued by the books it's based on - The Underland Chronicles by Suzanne Collins.)


At Stories from the Web, kids can read extracts from well-known authors' books, then follow up with writing activities.


Here's a cartoon writing activity from Learning Media (NZ).


Have you tried the Dr Seuss Story Maker? It uses the characters from Horton Hears a Who! Kids choose backgrounds and characters for each scene, some music, then write the words they want their characters to say. Once done, they pull the handle to see their story unfold. Kids might like to take that tiny story and develop it further in their own words. 


At Comeeko/Pikistrips, you can just add captions and speech bubbles to pictures that you upload. You need to register first. Parental guidance a must.

Characters is simply a quick notepad for outlining character details, and a cute editor to choose physical features for your character. Just click on the face, head, clothes etc at right to scroll through available features. Use the list at left to describe him or her. Kids might then go on to develop a story based on that character.


At Creativity Portal, you will find heaps of writing prompts. The site is aimed at adults but kids could certainly benefit from the Imagination Prompt Generator. Don't like your prompt? Press "next prompt" and try again.


At The Story Starter Jr, click to generate a random sentence you can use as a story starter eg "The bully was crying in the backyard" or "The grandma was searching for a treasure map in the haunted house".


Even kids who love to write can be stumped for how to begin. Let your kids use these activities as starters, then encourage them to use their imaginations to develop a story further. Don't forget those two magic words every writer loves: what if? What if Flidge ate so much, he couldn't fly any more? What if the ants are told Flidge is raiding their nests? What if a monstrous creature comes to Flidge's village? What might happen then?

Spelling City

When I was a child, I assumed everyone could spell. Learning words was easy for me. In my naivety, I assumed it was a skill you could pick up if you wanted to. It wasn't until I trained to be a teacher that I realized that lots of people weren't so lucky.


Spelling City is useful to parents, teachers, and kids. When you first get to the website, you're invited to enter some words and then choose Test Me, Teach Me, or Play a Game. As simply as that, you're up and running. Or, you can navigate to find out more about the site, which has:


Over 42,000 spelling words and customizable sentences
A REAL person who says each word and sentence
Free home pages for teachers and parents to save lists
Teacher training videos to show teachers and parents how to use SpellingCity.com
Customizable sentences for words with multiple meanings (e.g., a scale for weighing, to scale a mountain, the scale on a map)
Free printable handwriting worksheets for handwriting practice with your saved lists
Free teaching resources with lists and lesson plans for teaching high frequency words, compound words, sound-alike words (their, there, they're), contractions, possessives, and more. There are also lists for learning state capitals.
Twelve games to play online or to print: Spelling, Word Meaning, Vocabulary, Alphabetical Order
A free forum and newsletters with more vocabulary and spelling resources.


I chose to enter some words and take a test. When I deliberately (honest!) misspelled "atturney", the website queried me. You can also add your own sentences with Custom Sentences. The video about this explains it in detail. I really liked the How To videos which are short and clear explanations of how to get the most benefit from the site. Another feature is the literature based word lists. I tried Swiss Family Robinson with a game called Hangmouse.


Learning how to spell words can be such a chore for some kids. I think adding technology in the form of a website like Spelling City might just sweeten the process. Anything that makes learning fun and worthwhile definitely gets the Book Chook Feather of Approval!

Public Domain image Allegory of Teaching circa 1600, from Wikimedia Commons

Book Review, I Only Like Toast

Here's an unusual picture book that might be just right for your fussy eater. I Only Like Toast is written by Greg Knagge and Jo Fiedler, and illustrated by Shane Devries. It was published by One Goat Creative, an Australian company, and designed to be a companion to Cauliflower Conspiracy, a book which contains advice and recipes to help encourage healthy eating habits in young children.


I only like toast,
It's the food I like most.


The young heroine is determined to stick to her boring diet, but when she finally tries some vegetables, things change. It's a fun story that kids will relate to, especially if they're picky about their food. There is a lot of repetition too, making it ideal for beginning readers.


The illustrations are so unusual - they are in sepia tones which reflect the mood, but have occasional colour highlights. There are lots of little animal characters that pop up on different pages throughout the story, and kids will enjoy looking for them. The style is quirky and cartoonish - perfect for this sort of picture book.


I Only Like Toast would make an interesting choice for a teaching unit on Food. Kids could innovate on the text to create a rhyme of their own about what they do and don't like to eat. It would make a great focus for a class tasting activity or a class recipe book. And it might just make a fussy eater laugh, and wonder if she should try some different foods too.

Happy Birthday, Mr Shakespeare

Whether or not you believe William Shakespeare was born on April 23, 1564, today is the day I am choosing to celebrate his birthday.


How to celebrate? Shakespeare.org.uk have some suggestions, including a Romeo and Juliet speed dating session! Good luck with that, meanwhile, here are some less adventurous ideas from The Book Chook.


You could make April 23 your own Talk Like Shakespeare Day. Here are some hints:


Instead of you, say thou or thee
Rhymed couplets are all the rage.
Men are Sirrah, ladies are Mistress, and your friends are all called Cousin.
Instead of cursing, try calling your tormenters jackanapes or canker-blossoms or poisonous bunch-back’d toads.
Don’t waste time saying "it," just use the letter "t" (’tis, t’will, I’ll do’t).
When in doubt, add the letters "eth" to the end of verbs (he runneth, he trippeth, he falleth).
To add weight to your opinions, try starting them with methinks, mayhaps, in sooth or wherefore.


How about a dinner party with a Shakespearean theme? If your local butcher doesn't run to "Eye of newt, and toe of frog, Wool of bat, and tongue of dog..." try these renaissance recipes. You'll also find recipes from the 16th century culinary manuscript, A Propre new booke of Cokery (1545) at Gode Cookery. I quite like the sound of "To fry Beanes". Better still, why not sit with your kids and brainstorm connections, however tenuous, between Shakespeare and recipes you think your guests might enjoy. For example, looking at character names in A Midsummer Night's Dream might lead you to Black Bottom Pie. Reading recipes and writing up a menu are great ways to involve your kids in literacy.


The Bard's plays were written to be performed. Your kids might be inspired to put on their own version of one of the plays by this trailer for a Midsummer Night's Dream, performed by children.


I was intrigued by Students Inspired by Shakespeare, a video about Hobart Boulevard Elementary School (Central LA) where kids perform As You Like It.


At PaperToys, you can grab a pdf to construct your own Globe Theatre.


If you're interested in introducing Shakespeare to primary aged children, check out this animated video of The Taming of the Shrew (Part 1) from the BBC. You'll find links to other videos in this wonderful series at this Squidoo page.





Test your ability to recognize Will's words with PBS game, Which Words are Will's Words? The Book Chook, who prides herself on her vocabulary, now hangs her head in shame.


At Folger, you can colour pictures, navigate mazes, try your hand at crosswords, jigsaws and word searches about Shakespeare. You'll also find many teacher resources.


At Absolute Shakespeare, you'll find the bard's plays, sonnets and a wealth of other material.


Here are many Everyday Expressions from Shakepeare's plays.


Can you match these tabloid headlines to the correct play?


1. Moor murders missus.
2. Duke rescued from haunted isle.
3. Tragic double teen death.


Find answers and more headlines, plus link to whole articles based around the headers at 60 Second Shakespeare from the BBC.

(Stratford on Avon historic map 1902 above is in the Public Domain and is from Wikimedia Commons.)

Shidonni

Thanks to Greg Pincus from Gottabook who set me straight on downloading the Microsoft Silverlight plug in ( I had worried it would conflict with my Mac), I was able to enter the online world of Shidonni.


In Shidonni, kids get their own online "pen and paper" to sketch animals. The moment they do, their creations come to life ‘virtually’. Kids can then create worlds for their animals, feed them, play with them and share them with their friends.

Shidonni is ideal for kids aged 4-12 years old, but anyone can play. This is why we have added many layers of safety and privacy. We monitor any creation that is being shared globally and at this point, we are not allowing any type of chat or messaging.


Once you register, you log in and navigate straight to a screen where you draw your favourite animal, draw food for him, feed him and draw a background for him. The animal you draw "comes to life". Then you are invited to choose a game to play.


I was disappointed to find that most of the tools I chose to draw with were only available if I had Shidonni Pro. Once I tried to choose a game, I somehow got to a screen that offered me a toy to buy for $79.99! This was called One of a Kind. Other games were better, and involved the animal I'd made.


There's a real social element to Shidonni. Kids can play against their friends and swap animals with others. Shidonni Pro costs $5.95/month, or $24.95 for six months. The great thing is, there are still lots of free activities so you and your child can decide if you think Shidonni warrants paying.


I have heard many people give good reviews of Shidonni, and it has won Parents Choice awards etc. I prefer Poisson Rouge and Boowa and Kwala for young kids. I didn't really picture 10-12 year-olds getting into this site, but Kelly Tenkely's review says her students love it. She also has some great suggestions for using the site.


I guess it's all a matter of personal preference. Why not check out their page for parents, get the free trial and see what you think?

Sketchcast

Sometimes , we encourage our kids to read and write, but don't spend as much time on their talking and listening skills. Here's an online program that allows kids to record themselves speaking and drawing at the same time. It's called Sketchcast:


Record a sketch with or without voice. Explain something, have fun, or create art.

Then embed the sketch player in your blog or point people to your sketch channel.


I can see this program being very beneficial in the classroom, particularly with second language learners, but I can also see parents and kids having fun with it. You can copy the url and send it to someone, or embed it in a blog. It supports several languages too.


Use it if you want your kids to practise giving directions aloud while they draw something to put the directions into context. How about drawing Grandma a picture or showing her the words your child learnt to write at school today? You could copy/paste text of a little story in, and have your child read it aloud to Dad when he's away from home. Of course, you could do the latter with a video camera too, but this would be another, different opportunity.


Learn how to use it via one of Russel Stannard's excellent Teacher Training Videos.

Photo Credit Flickr

http://www.flickr.com/photos/gi/ / CC BY-SA 2.0

Involving Kids in Music (2)

In Involving Kids in Music (1) I mentioned my introduction to classical music being via Merrie Melodies cartoons on TV. Another brilliant cartoon, Hanna and Barbera this time, was Tom and Jerry: The Cat Concerto, a great introduction to Liszt's music. I still love lots of classical music, but have what I would describe as an eclectic music taste, enjoying Gilbert and Sullivan, lots of world music, popular opera pieces, songs from my parents' era, as well as favourite artists and songs from my era. Although I don't number many appreciative fans, (in fact, none at all) I love to sing, and recently found a great website that encourages closet contraltos like me: 


Karaoke Party


Reading song lyrics can be very motivating for some kids. When they have listened to a song often enough to learn it, reading the lyrics and singing along is a great way for them to add new sight words to their visual memory. It also helps with their general reading fluency. At Karaoke Party, you can either plug in your microphone and sing along, or choose to read and sing the lyrics without it. Not all songs are free, and the site would like you to send invites to everyone in your address book to make it free (No thank you very much!). But I forgave them this for the sheer joy of belting out Hotel California and Memory. Oh, kids needn't worry though, not all the songs are classics!


Classics for Kids


Take a while to explore all Classics for Kids has to offer: composers, instruments, music for young children, lesson plans and teaching resources, games.


You'll find many excerpts of classical pieces to listen to, from composers like Kodaly, Debussy, Bach, Mozart, Verdi and Holst. I liked the downloadable activity sheets. My favourite game was Be a Rockin' Rhythm Master - I just can't help being cool! You can listen to the Classics for Kids radio show, too.


Musical Mysteries


At the BBC's Musical Mysteries, kids must help Robbie and Curly solve some problems by engaging in musical activities.


Kids Know It


There is a music section at Kids Know It, where you'll find links to free educational songs. You can listen to songs at the site, and find out if you can download them.


Daria


At Daria, you can listen to great songs like Magdalena,Hagdalena and We've Got the Whole World in Our Hands Some other songs only have lyrics. This is a great way to discover if you'd like to buy some CDs from this wonderful musician. There's also a lovely section where you can listen to, and find out how to make musical instruments. 


Kneebouncers


Kneebouncers is a lovely simple interactive site for toddlers which includes a music maker.


Big Green Rabbit


Big Green Rabbit has songs with a bouncing ball to help young ones read and sing the lyrics.


Peer Gynt


Here's a great interactive introduction to Peer Gynt for kids.


Arts Alive


At Arts Alive, you'll find some nice interactives where kids can compose a tune, plus wonderful lessons, quizzes, and lots of listening.


Zoboomafoo


Here's a PBS site with some cute songs for preschoolers to listen to and read along with.

Book Review, When an Elephant Comes to School

Most kids have to start school sometime. So, apparently, do elephants. This delightful picture book explains just what to do on an elephant's first day at pre-school, although the advice holds good for beginning any school.


There are important lessons to learn in this book. Youngsters can discover they are not the only ones to feel shy and anxious in a new situation. They can also find out how to make a newcomer welcome - An elephant needs lots of love and cuddles and hugs, and - When he falls over, make a big fuss of him. Or maybe even what not to do - elephants are NOT good at sharing.


I loved the gentle humour in both illustrations and text - an elephant experimenting with bubble blowing is a sight to behold, as is one playing the tambourine. Kids will recognize and enjoy all the typical scenes of pre-school life, and empathize with a little elephant who jumps into Mum's arms at the end of the day.


When an Elephant Comes to School is written and illustrated by Jan Ormerod, and published by Frances Lincoln Limited (2004). It would make an excellent choice for parents whose child is about to start pre-school, and also be enjoyed as a fine read-aloud by kids and elephants everywhere.

Resource Roundup (April '10)

Here are some great resources I've discovered recently that might help your children read, write, create and learn.


Purple Mash


Purple Mash is not officially open yet, but you can try some of the free APPtivities right now. There are all sorts of interactive treats which the site describes as a:


mash-up of creative tools and curriculum focused applications to inspire children throughout the curriculum.


You'll find lots of writing, drawing and creating activities, perfect for primary aged kids. Typing games, maths, shapes, building models - I know I only scratched the surface. In The Lighthouse Keeper, (see picture at left) I could choose a picture, some extra art, then answer questions to generate my sentence beginnings, which I finished by typing them in. Once done, I could "export" ie save to my computer. Loved that option!


The interface is simple, although I wouldn't have minded just a little explanation. But kids will have it worked out in no time. There are many activities here for your kids to explore, and they promise video mixing, photo editing and online presentation tools. Wow! Some activities will remain free, while others, Gourmet Mash, will be available to schools with an annual licence.


Search Engine - SortFix


New search engine, SortFix, looks useful. Once you put in your search words, it brings up special boxes that allow you to retain the better words generated and delete less useful terms. You can also choose to retrieve results only from Google, twitter, bing, images and YouTube. The interface is simple and uncluttered. You can see an animated introduction to the site on their home page, but I found out more by playing with it.


Narrowing search terms for research is such an important skill for kids to learn. SortFix seems to me to help with this by asking us to choose what particular words we retain or remove during our search.


Free Rice (update)


Free Rice, that great online space where you can build your vocabulary and donate grains of rice to help world hunger, has added subjects to its range. You can donate rice by answering questions about Geography, French, Grammar and more. Check it out!


Literacy Games


Here's a huge list of literacy games compiled by Samantha Miller for Online University Reviews.


Digital Gallery of World Picture Books


I stumbled upon this site, and literally sat with my jaw dropped when I realized what I'd found.


It's part of the International Library of Children's Literature. There is a time line of illustrated children's books, then each section has sample books for you to read online. For instance, under Art and Daily Life: Modernism in the Picture Book, you can read The Magic Boat by Tom Seidmann-Freud within Germany, or dip into The Circus from Russia.


It is truly fascinating to trace the changes in illustration style over continents and over the years. Well worth a look for any one who loves children's literature.


Great Online Digital Timer


This timer counts backwards with nice clear digits from the time that you set with the plus buttons - minutes on left, seconds on right. You also get to choose frantic music to accompany it if you want.


It would be useful if you have one of those youngsters who needs motivating to pack away his toys, or as a timer for a board game where you've broken the hour glass.


Listen-Along Storybook


Sterling, US publishers, have some free children's stories you can listen to, or download. Great when you want something for younger kids to listen to on a long trip.


Peter Rabbit


Thanks to Kelly Tenkely, of iLearn Technology blog, I had a lovely visit and play at this website. If you're a Beatrix Potter fan like me, I think you'll appreciate the way the website designers have made the art work, the tone even, so very Potter. Kelly explains it beautifully.


Learn Mouse Control with Bubblewrap


Thanks to Amy at teachmama, I discovered that popping digital bubbles is a great way to teach kids mouse control! Works on IWBs.


BembosZoo


At BembosZoo, you choose a letter and the word for an animal starting with that letter appears. Then, the letters of the word rearrange themselves to create an image of the animal.


Origami Flowers at HP


Who can resist these beautiful flowers? Thanks to Terry of Scrub-a-Dub-Tub for sharing her find.


Scribble


This word game is low tech, but I like it. Click to generate 10 random letters. Use pencil and paper to see how many words you can create. That's it!



Alice for the iPad

For some kids, those lucky enough to have parents who can afford an iPad, this may introduce them to a children's classic, Alice in Wonderland. This is amazing technology,where pictures move and animate as you tilt the iPad. I don't have an iPad (yet!) but this app looks intriguing.
Harry Potter in 3d

You get to see a Harry Potter map in augmented reality via your webcam.  No, I didn't go through the process. My Inner Geek was at war with the clock, and the clock won. But the description made my heart beat faster.

Hope you found something of interest here. If you know of any resources you think might interest The Book Chook readers, please contact me any time!