Humanities: Film Appreciation (Humanities 140)

Here is an online college Film Appreciation Course. It was meant to be a supplement to in-class lectures, but you can use it as-is. There are even tests and study guides.

http://course1.winona.edu/pjohnson/h140/films.htm

Be aware that this is a COLLEGE course. Some of the films are not appropriate for children, so don't just set your kids free on the site and tell them to go at it, but some of the lessons are very appropriate for k-12 students.

Science: Astronomy: Introduction 2

Go outside and look at the stars. Talk about what you can see.

There is more in space that you can't see.

Now look at this website and talk about what you can see using a space telescope. These different things in space have been given creative names. What do you think these nebula look like?

http://www.rochesterforkids.com/hubble.htm

More Halloween Fun!

How to mummify a chicken.

Science: Astronomy: Online Academy

Complete Online Astronomy Unit:

http://www.kidsastronomy.com/academy/index.htm

Science: Astronomy: Introduction

What is an astronomer?

Watch this movie:




What are things you can see in the sky?

Which of these things do astronomers study?

What are things in space that you can't see? Let's make a list.

Now we get to go on a space adventure and explore the universe of astronomy!

Let's start by watching some fun short videos:

When you are done with that, here are some more places to go to poke around:
http://starchild.gsfc.nasa.gov/docs/StarChild/StarChild.html
http://www.kidsastronomy.com/
http://www.astronomy.com/asy/default.aspx?c=ss&id=127
http://library.thinkquest.org/3645/page2.html
http://kids.nineplanets.org/
http://www.nineplanets.org/
http://www.seminolecountyfl.gov/lls/library/kids/kids_astronomy.html
http://www.artyastro.com/
http://www.astronomy-for-kids-online.com/
http://coolcosmos.ipac.caltech.edu/cosmic_kids/AskKids/index.shtml
http://www.rochesterforkids.com/hubble.htm
http://www.nasm.edu/
http://www2.scholastic.com/browse/collection.jsp?id=227
http://www.amnh.org/ology/index.php?channel=astronomy 
http://www.amnh.org/education/resources/scholastic/space.php?src=schol_space
http://funschool.kaboose.com/globe-rider/space/index.html

Have Some Halloween Lessons !

Look here for LOADS of great Halloween-based activities.

http://www2.scholastic.com/browse/collection.jsp?id=106

And look here for more on how to make a mummy:
http://www.mummytombs.com/mummymaking/mummychicken3.htm

Geography Songs: States and Capitals

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jo1CK77pp5E

Writing Lessons Taught by Some of the Best Writers

http://teacher.scholastic.com/writewit/index.htm

This is an incredible resource with fantastic writing lessons for your students. You could do several years of writing lessons just from here.

Don't forget to check out the "Teacher Guides" at the bottom of the page. You will find step-by-step lesson instructions for different age students that give you more ideas about how to teach writing. Incredible, easy to teach, engaging lessons. For free. Doesn't get  much better than these.

Check out this site!

This is a great site full of educational games and activities for kids of all ages.

http://www2.scholastic.com/browse/learn.jsp

Sorry for the long absence

Sorry for being away so long. We've been tied up with a messy move out of state. We should be back and posting new lessons again soon.

Thanks for being patient!

Science Games

http://blogs.smithsonianmag.com/science/2009/08/31/fun-with-science-games/

Language Arts Tips and Hints: More Spelling Tips

Instead of using the traditional list/test approach to spelling, you can mix things up by using the "editor" approach: Give your child a paragraph, poem, essay, or other piece of writing that you have prepared and tell them to find and correct the misspelled words. It helps if you tell them how many they are looking for. If you double- or triple-space the document, they can do it just like a real editor does--by circling the word in a color other than black (let the student use the red pencil against you instead of you against them for once!) and then writing the correct spelling above it. For younger students, you might have to help them with the correct spelling. For older students, don't provide the correct spelling for them, but do give them tools to find it (dictionaries, online spelling lists, etc), since this is how they will have to do it as adults.

This is extremely valuable. In most of the writing we do, it actually isn't necessary to spell a word right the first time, but it is necessary to have everything spelled right in the end. Being able to pick through a piece of writing and find the misspelled words is a valuable skill because that's how we most often interact with spelling--how often does someone give YOU a list of words to memorize and write down?

Language Arts Tips and Hints: Teaching Poetry

Children are more inclined to like poetry than to dislike it--unless we cram it down their throats or try to teach them the "parts" (imagery, rhyme scheme, meter, etc.). So, until students are in junior high, they should be exposed to poetry--even a lot of it--but not force-fed it.

One way that works is to read them poems occasionally. They should be encouraged to verbalize whether they like or dislike what they've heard, and possibly why (although with poetry this is difficult--even for me, some poetry speaks to my soul and other poetry makes no sense whatsoever). Don't push the issue or try to change the child's mind or open their eyes to something they've missed if it discourages their viewpoint though. After all, more understanding can but often doesn't beget more enjoyment when you're dealing with children and poetry.

Don't spend a lot of time on poetry that doesn't rhyme or doesn't have a clear rhythm. To children, the rhyme and the rhythm ARE poetry, not the beautiful words or images or the brevity or any of those other things that can make words into poems for adults. When children develop the ability to abstract (about junior high age), they have a much easier time grasping and enjoying the beauty and complexity of all kinds of poetry--but they still like the fun stuff.

Don't force them to write poetry. You don't have to be able to write verse to be able to write well. However, if they do show interest in writing poetry, encourage it. One fun way to get kids writing poetry is by having them read a simple poem (Mother Goose rhymes are great for this) or sing a children's song and then write a parody of it (change some or all of the words, but keep the general 'feel' the same). It doesn't have to be a humorous parody, although that is fun. For small children, play games with rhyming words.

I recommend using the works of these poets when teaching K-8 students: Shel Silverstein, Dr. Seuss, and Robert Frost. Everything I've read of X.J. Kennedy is also fantastic, but I haven't read as much of his (so, for example, I don't know if he writes anything that isn't appropriate for children).

You really only need two books to teach poetry to kids: X.J. and Dorothy Kennedy's "Knock at a Star" (great poems for kids by the great poets, and lessons about poetry, too), and the anthology, edited by Scott Elledge, "Wider than the Sky: Poems to Grow Up With." Both of these are filled with poems that happen to appeal to children, written by truly great poets (Shakespeare, W.H. Auden, Emily Dickinson, Christina Rossetti, the Brownings, etc.). Neither contain questionable material by my standards (your standards might be different, so always pre-read things you give your children).

The only caveat in choosing children's poetry is the same as choosing any materials for your children: read it before you give it.

Some poetry anthologies (like the "Kids Pick the Funniest Poems" series, edited by Bruce Lansky) are full of poems that are fine structurally but are morally ambiguous at best, focusing on bodily functions, making your family disappear, fighting with siblings (and tricking them or winning in other ways), belittling parents and other adults, whining about education (which kids don't find bothersome until someone tells them it's supposed to be), etc. While it may be normal for kids to laugh about potty humor, that doesn't make it appropriate subject matter for school. (And I NEVER like my children to read things that, even in jest, are anti-family. Just because we have fights with our siblings doesn't mean we should glorify it!). The trouble with this in poetry is that poetry is "sticky"--it is an extremely effective way of getting a message into your mind for a long time (which is why advertisers use jingles). You want to be aware of what message you're planting in your children's heads. "Fun" does not necessarily equate with "good," morally or artistically.

(Some parents dislike Shel Silverstein, feeling he has crossed these lines, but I enjoy his work and find it strikes a nice balance between acknowledging children's experiences and feelings (yes, they ARE sometimes mad at their parents) without glorifying it.)

Mostly, poetry is supposed to be joyful and fun--don't make it tedious and dreadful by the way you teach it (which is, unfortunately, what usually happens in public schools!).

Language Arts Tip and Hints: Spelling

Traditional spelling education (lists and tests) works great for some kids.

Some kids....not so much.

If you say to your child, "Does this look right to you?" and they answer, "Yeah" and you still can't figure out what they were trying to write, or if your child's spelling is atroshiss after third grade, give up.

Yes, I just said that.

Give up on traditional spelling lists/tests. It won't help. There is a level of spelling that is taught, and a level that is inborn, genetic aptitude. Chances are, if you or your husband was a terrible speller, some or all of your children will be, too, and traditional spelling education won't help, and it will frustrate your child.

So try something different.

For one thing, stop having them handwrite everything. Instead, have them type everything possible and set the preferences on your programs to "spell check as you go." Any time that red line shows up, have your child try to fix the spelling by themselves first, and then turn to the spell checker for help. The instant feedback in a non-test setting might help. Also, eliminating the concentration on getting the letters legible helps some kids.

Also, when you must teach spelling words, skip the lists. Doing a word set a day, focus on commonly misspelled words that spell checkers don't catch (check this video for hints). Do ONE word or word set (their/they're/there, it's/its, two/to/too, occasionally, etc) a day. Don't just assign the words and check the spelling, though. Talk about the meanings of the words, teach rhymes ("I before E/except after C/ and when sounding like A/ as in neighbor or weigh", for example) or tricks for remembering which word has which meaning (There has Here in it--and those two go together), write and type the word in sentences, talk about what "most people do wrong" with this word (so your child knows they aren't the only one who struggles). One day, learn a word and review it multiple times, testing one half to one hour after you first introduce it. The next day, review yesterday's word quickly and add another. Only review one word a day--don't let the list get longer. Absolutely do NOT grade other work down for misspellings (but do give extra praise or points for correctly spelling words they've studied!).

And don't expect it to work very well. Some kids never do "get" it, and the worst thing you can do it make them think they're stupid because they can't spell (I can't count the number of students I had who were deeply relieved to find out that being a poor speller is genetics, not laziness or stupidity--and learning that unleashed their creativity).

Mostly, take the pressure off and, just like kids whose eyes don't work right rely on glasses, let kids whose spellers don't work right rely on technology.

Check out Nikki Ballard for a great site to help frustrated spellers remember what they've been trying to learn for years (and for a list of words that you might study--one a day.)

This video had some good tips for older students--and you might check out the other videos in the series as well!

Social Studies: Family

The Family is the foundation of society--a nation is only as strong as its families.

It is important for children to study families.

It's just not easy right now. Unfortunately, "family" is one of the few universals (you can't exist without having had parents at some point) that is divisive and poorly understood.

Most public school units that I've experienced personally are designed equally to tear down what children think a family is and to introduce broad, socially-acceptable beliefs about families (many of which conflict with many religions). For fear of offending any of the children who come from non-traditional families, the entire concept of "ideal family" is not taught. It isn't generally taught that there are things that are both good (fun activities) and bad (divorce) for families, the importance of family to the nation, or even that people are researching families. In the name of fairness and non-offense, the units on families which SHOULD be powerfully taught as the foundation of everything we study in Social Studies are sterilized and watered down to the point of being ineffectual. Even ideas that are backed up by solid research, like that a two-parent family (or "traditional" family) has significant positive influences on children. Even scientific truths, like you must have a female and male to produce offspring, are glossed over or skipped entirely!

I totally understand not wanting to hurt children's feelings. Are you going to tell a 6 year old being raised by a beloved Grandma that her family is "less than ideal"? NO. There are healthy and good families of many flavors, and it's good for children to be aware of that and not judgmental.

It's also good for them to know that they should be preparing themselves to be an active part of a healthy family--that there are things that make families healthy and things that make families unhealthy, and that there are ways of putting families together that are proven to be more effective, or better, or whatever you need to teach.

This is a LOADED topic right now, and extremely difficult to find information on. Even the Wikipedia article on "Family" is biased in dozens of ways (many contradictory).

Here is my recommendation: Teach your children about families from the perspective of your own background. The Catholics have websites on families. The Evangelical Christians do. Disney even does!

Most of these sites are not truly helpful for teaching a lesson about families--rather, they are resources for families.

Here is what I teach my children: "The Family: A Proclamation to the World".

We do this in a discussion format--talk about the families we know, different kinds of families,
different activities we can do as a family, things that make families healthy, things that make families unhealthy, resources available to families (like where to get help). This discussion is going to be different based on the ages of the children. We tend to repeat it once a year or so as new kids enter school and other kids get old enough to grasp that "so and so's Dad died" or "so and so is adopted" and what that means. I recommend you teach but do not alarm children. And, while I do believe there is an ideal family, I also believe that it's vitally important for children not to judge one another by their family make-up--even if I completely disagree with what the parents have chosen.

In addition to that, we talk about immediate family, extended family, and building a stronger family (both immediate and extended) and what each individual child can do (to build a stronger family, to contribute to the family, to help resolve conflict, etc). We also work hard to help our children understand their value in our family--that our family wouldn't be the same without them and that they are important to us. We feel like giving children a sense of security and value within the family is one of the most important gifts they can be given--and it will positively influence their entire life.

Resources that might be of help to you:

Fun Activities

Wayback on Family

Sesame Street Family Videos:

Writing--Why it Might Take a While to get Writing Lessons Up

Writing is actually my specialty and my love.

I taught English in a private school for 8 years and then in a community college for 1. I LOVE teaching writing.

So why are there not writing lessons on the blog?

Because I'm going to have to write them all from scratch, and that takes a good deal more time than finding the best resources online and linking you to them (as I do for social studies and science lessons).

WHY am I going to have to write them from scratch?

Because writing education in this country is a mess. Everyone knows that people are hitting college and their careers unable to write well. Everyone knows it's important, especially now that we spend a good deal of time interacting online. So they've crammed writing into the curriculum in every other subject and are hoping that will work.

It doesn't.

Traditionally, teaching writing was all caught up in teaching grammar. This is a necessary part of learning to write, but knowing grammar doesn't teach you how to write. It simply gives you tools to be able to talk about words and sentences--it teaches the jargon for the discipline.

Contemporary writing education is all caught up in the same trap that Whole Language Reading and New Math have fallen into. Experts determined (rightly) that master readers, for example, don't use the same skills that new readers do. Fluent readers identify words more as wholes and by shape, rather than by phonetic structure. It's true, too. The problem was that they then determined that, because Master Readers don't use phonetics, we shouldn't teach it. A similar thing happened in math.

While this seems reasonable on the surface--teaching master skills rather than introductory skills that are, eventually (theoretically) eliminated from use--it doesn't work.

We could liken it to music. A master concert pianist may not use finger exercises every day. They may not study (or even remember) all their theory lessons. They don't necessarily play scales. But it's not because those things are unnecessary. It's because they have become second nature, like breathing. We don't think about breathing, but who would want to eliminate that from life? Likewise, I've heard master pianists say that you can't get that good without first mastering the fundamentals. A composer without any knowledge of music notation and theory MIGHT write a masterpiece as good as "The Messiah." But think how much MORE they could write if they knew notation. No composer is sitting there saying "Every Good Boy Does Fine....okay. The note goes there" on every note. But that doesn't mean they shouldn't learn that. Most, I'd guess, don't even tell themselves the names of the notes as they put them down. It doesn't mean they shouldn't know the names of the notes, even if you primarily compose by the sound of the notes.

It's a mistake to confuse LEARNING with KNOWING, and that's what's happened in education today. Teachers are trying to teach KNOWING without going through the LEARNING involved. And it just doesn't work, even if you understand the functions and behaviors of knowing. Even if you practice them. There is nothing that can substitute for Learning.

Imagine if we taught cooking without teaching first the fundamentals of measuring, cooking techniques, use of the tools, etc., and instead skipped right to "Great chefs use a pinch of this and a handful of that and don't write down their recipes". We'd have lessons on wafting scents toward your face properly in order to determine if the spice content was correct! Would kids know how to bake a basic loaf of bread? NO.

Part of the problem is that MOST students don't need to be master chefs. They need to be competent in the kitchen. Wafting won't help them nearly as much as "This is a measuring spoon." And will it hamper a great chef to learn those things, too? No. They might find it boring or second nature, but it won't hurt them to hear it.

So, back to writing.

There are two popular approaches to teaching writing: Grammar and Literature.

The problem is that neither of these approaches comes from an understanding of Writing.

Those who are talented at grammar, usage, punctuation, and sentence structure become EDITORS. Those who are talented at literature become TEACHERS or literary critics. Or they write incredibly unbearable "literary fiction" that is only read by other lovers of Literature education but not by regular people. None of those people are writers--and that is even one step removed from being a writing teacher/curriculum designer (since we all know that the greatest athletes don't necessarily make the greatest coaches; people who can do math can't necessarily teach you how to do it....)

Right now we either bog students down with skills that editors (not writers) need most, or we try the "master chef" approach on them and try to force them to intuit skills that authors of literary fiction use--and that most of us (even us writers) will NEVER need. (Of course, it's blasphemy to suggest this to people who value that kind of writing--they don't realize that they, the small cadre of teachers of "literature"--are the only people who find that valuable!) (Sorry if I've offended any of you. You offend me when you say that murder mysteries and other genre fiction are garbage and that I have no taste because I find some of them well written or--gasp--masterful.)

Either way, students come away as frustrated as if they'd been asked to guess how to do long division. They throw up their hands and say that writing is hard and go back to texting their friends in class and leaving silly comments on hit videos on YouTube. (Ironic, isn't it? They run from writing by writing.....).

When I started teaching remedial writing in the community college, my boss said, "Have them read a lot. The only way to teach writing is by reading a lot and then they'll just figure it out. Oh, and have them read other student work. That helps." This is the main thrust of writing classes today. (I, by the way, ignored her completely and taught using my skills-based approach as I always have. At the end of two semesters, they offered me a full-time job! My students came away knowing how to write.)

The problem is, if that worked, none of those students would have been in remedial writing. Most students can't be taught writing by "figuring it out" from reading. Understanding what you are reading and being able to write are two completely different skills. Additionally, having students read other student examples or each other's writing is actually extremely counter-productive. It's the blind leading the blind. I consider it laziness on the part of teachers and have never found it has ANY benefit for students and often does quite a lot of harm.

Professional authors DO read a lot and learn how to write by reading. When I am struggling with getting a specific result in my readers, I often turn to writers I respect and read what they've written and study how they did it. When I read to my children, I'm constantly taking notes on what the great authors did. I'm wafting. But I learned to write FIRST. I can't expect my elementary school children to successfully write that way. I am practicing KNOWING writing--they are LEARNING.

So, bottom line: Writing is a skill. It's a skill that people use with increasing frequency in this digital age. And everyone can learn to be competent, just like everyone can learn to make a decent boxed cake. But it has to be taught as a skill, not an art. YES writing can be an art. There are great writers out there. And they've become great writers DESPITE their education, not because of it. Imagine how much better they'd be (or how quicker they would have got to it) if they had been taught the skills first, when they were young.

Do most kids need to learn to write poetry and short stories, those staples of education? Um....no. Actually. No. They don't. It's fun. Kids enjoy using their imaginations, and that absolutely should be encouraged. But being able to write a good short story doesn't teach the skills kids need.

So what I'm working on now is compiling lists of what writing skills DO need to be taught (like writing comments on videos, writing emails to friends, writing emails to bosses, writing cover letters for job applications, writing descriptions, etc. etc. etc.) and creating both a writing and a separate literature program (different skills ought to be taught in different classes, quite frankly--nobody tries to teach chemistry and math in one class, even though they are related, so why are we teaching literature and writing in one class?).

The aim:

1. A writing class that teaches all facets of writing, from the traditional creative writing to an introduction to selling your writing, to practical, useful, everyday kind of writing, with an emphasis on mastering skills rather than discovering natural writing talent. I'm not worried about teaching writers how to write better--they figure that out anyway. I'm concerned with teaching average people how to express themselves clearly in writing, no matter what they are writing. I also intend to teach the basics of writing different kinds of things, from fiction to memos on checks so you remember who you were paying for what. I also intend to cover editing because having editing skills--even mediocre ones--is extremely valuable for writers. So, in short: writing for fun, writing for profit, writing for art, and writing for daily life.

2. And a literature class for people who already know how to read (I'm not a reading teacher) that helps hone reading skills but focuses on learning from literature and on "practical reading" (like not being tricked by spam or advertising, understanding those inserts they give you with prescription medications, sorting through information on the internet, etc.). I do think there is immense value in being exposed to the great art literature that's out there. Everyone should know some Shakespeare and at least have been exposed to Dickens and the other great authors out there. Knowing and touching great art develops our souls and enriches our lives and helps us sort through the world we live in. They should also be exposed to great genre writing--many people discover they actually do love to read when they finally get away from the difficult stuff and discover that there is fun stuff out there to read, both fiction and nonfiction. So my goal is to cover reading for practical everyday life, reading for fun, and reading art. Most Language Arts programs are heavily off balance in favor of the art, neglecting the other two almost entirely. I intend to have a more balanced program (we'll see how that goes, I find Shakespeare FUN--and most of my students usually do by the time I'm done with them, too!).

And where do those three staples of elementary ed--vocabulary, spelling, and handwriting--fit in? Handwriting belongs in the K-3 classes, to be taught at the same time as how to read. (How to form the letters would be a prerequisite to how to write.) Vocabulary belongs exclusively in the realm of teaching reading. Spelling belongs in the realm of teaching editing. (In fact, studying any of these in the context of studying writing is counter-productive).

So it's going to take me a while to get these going. But I'm working on it. Meanwhile, I'd be glad to answer questions posted in the comments or sent to me via email about specific things in teaching writing.

Oh, and how did I learn to write? From a history teacher, from my mother (who happens to be a fantastic editor), from studying journalism in high school, and by doing that old writer's standby: writing a million words. Literally.

Language Arts Tips and Hints--making books come alive

To increase interest in the books you are reading, connect them to real life.

If you read about a specific food (bean porridge? chocolate? Turkish Delight?), look up a recipe online and TRY it. You might even find a book at the library of recipes from your book (like the Little House Cookbook).

If you read about a specific place (Wales? King's Cross Station? Disneyland?) look it up online. There are maps and photos of almost any place available. Some places in books are made-up (like the town in "The Great Brain") but they are based on real places you can study (like dozens of small towns in Utah that are just like the town in "The Great Brain"). Often you can find out where the author lived or grew up--and find similarities between that place and the fictional settings in the book.

If you read about specific clothing, find pictures. Sometimes you can find actual examples of things like hoop skirts or riding hoods in local museums, thrift shops, or vintage clothing stores. And there are dozens of books in the library that can help you see what you are reading about. It helps to know that in the academic discipline of studying old clothing, the clothes are called "costume". Look here for ideas: The Drexel Museum and Digital Collection. You can also find patterns to make the clothing (for you or for dolls) if you are ambitious and have the skills.

If you read about a historic event or person, look it up.

And then, after you read the book, watch the movie!

Language Arts Tips and Hints--Student Blogs

Every student should have a blog. It is a free way for students to "publish" their writing--an incredibly valuable part of learning to write (why write if nobody is going to read it? It's like practicing public speaking by talking to the mirror day in and day out but never getting up in front of a crowd!).

But what to write?

Here are some suggestions:

--Family news--write "news" articles about events in the student's world (family and friends, local community)
--School reports
--Journal
--Reviews of books, movies, and products they use (this is something I highly encourage because it helps kids unravel who they are, what they like, and how to express that. Being able to say, "I like it/don't like it BECAUSE......" is also one of the first steps in teaching children how to think independently).
--fiction and poetry
--"letters to the editor" responding to events around them (teaching children how to complain and praise appropriately is valuable)
--jokes and funny stories
--links to sites they like, including why they are posting the link
--photos they've taken
--comic strips
--movies they've made or edited or appeared in (dance recital? marching band? swim meet?)
--pictures of artwork (it can be a "family fridge" to keep your kitchen uncluttered!) with a caption

I suggest you explain to your students what a blog is and then let them decide what to post. Give the suggestions only if they are stuck or after they've started putting up blog posts. Encourage them to keep it up, posting regularly and inviting their friends and family to view their blog.

To make this really valuable, there are some rules for parents:

1. This must be YOUR STUDENT'S blog. Not yours. They get to post what THEY want. You can make suggestions, but respect their right to ignore or reject them. Write your own blog if you want to see your ideas in print. Don't force them to write. Don't set rules about how often they must (or can) post. Encourage them to write regularly, but don't force or fight about it, or you will unintentionally reinforce the idea that writing is hard, tedious, or awful. The blog is supposed to free students from those misconceptions--and it can't if you continue to make writing hard, boring, or a punishment in any way.

(I do absolutely encourage you to have your students post their assignments on their blog. Have them go through the "learning to write" process OFF the blog first--say, as a google doc or on a word processing program--and then, after it's been edited, reviewed, rewritten, graded, etc. (whatever you do in your educational approach)--THEN post the finished product on the blog as a unique "my latest assignment" blog post. Just make it clear that there is a distinction between blog posts and assignments--assignments may become blog posts, but I would hesitate to make blog posts assignments, although many teachers and some parents require journal writing, and you could use the blog for that.)

2. Do NOT edit. If the posts are incomprehensible to you, still don't edit. If they punctuate after every word, still don't edit. For a blog to be valuable, it has to be a writing playground, where kids can try things unfettered and (within reason) unsupervised, but with the knowledge that someone somewhere is going to read this--including you.

3. "If you can't say something nice, don't say nothing at all." The blog is a place where communication is paramount. Communication is stifled when the fear of criticism is present. Correct their grammar, spelling, and punctuation on their papers they turn in for assignments. Give them free reign and lots of honest praise (not tainted with criticisms) on their blog.

4. Explain that some things are illegal and that kids get in trouble for these things on a daily basis. The biggest problems that seem to crop up over and over are plagiarism, pirating, and pornography (kids get in trouble for this by posting inappropriate pictures of THEMSELVES--and it's a serious crime because they are then charged with distributing child pornography). Do not tolerate pirating (movies, books, or music). It is stealing someone else's livelihood. Teach them about plagiarism and make it clear that it will not be tolerated. It's okay to link to something you like. It's illegal to copy and paste it to your site. Attributed quotes are okay. Entire stories are not. Embedding video from YouTube is okay. Claiming it's yours and you made it, or capturing it and reposting it on YouTube or other sites under your own user name are not. Send your friends to sites you like instead of copying content to your site--it's legal that way, and it's good web etiquette to drive business to sites you like.

5. Read their blog and let them know that you do. Writing knowing someone will read it changes the rules (about what and how you write) and makes the learning more valuable. You can have it delivered to your email box every time they post.


Internet Safety is a valid concern for parents. It should not stop you from letting your children have a blog. There are ways to do it safely. If you are concerned about your child's safety online (and you should be), there are some easy steps you can take.

1. Don't use a blog that is connected to a social networking site (like MySpace or Facebook). Period. There are other free alternatives out there, including Blogger.com (where this site is hosted).

2. Make the blog private (invitation only) OR have your student write under a pseudonym with a blank profile and no pictures of themselves allowed anywhere on the site (use a cartoon image or avatar for their profile picture if they want one--but not one that actually looks like your child). The second is the option I use with my children to facilitate their grandparents being able to access their blog easily. I do let my children put on a little blurb about their age and what they like, but you can forbid this if it makes you uncomfortable. Many parents enforce a blank profile. Do NOT allow your children to put in their real name or location.

3. Don't link to your child's blog from your blog or your web site. Explain to them that this is not because you are embarrassed by their blog, but for their safety.

4. Allow comments, but make sure they are all moderated through YOUR email account, not theirs, so you are aware of what people are writing on their blog. Don't censor comments based on educational value or how much you agree with them, but do eliminate all spam, advertisements, personal attacks, and other inappropriate material (and tell your child you are).

5. Maintain administrator privileges on the blog. Don't use them unless there is a serious problem--encourage your child to use and supervise their blog responsibly--but do step in to prevent illegal activity (see above) or things that you realize are a potential problem. Explain to your child what you've done and why if you must step in.

6. Do NOT allow your children to let anyone else have administrator privileges. Not their friends, not other adults--not even temporarily.

7. Make sure your child knows and follows family rules. Explain to them that their own safety is so important that the blog will be suspended or deleted completely if you have any worries at all. Talk to them before you take this step if you find it necessary.

8. Check out and take advantage of the privacy settings on most blogs. Some can be made invitation only, blocked from appearing on the main site, or blocked from being visible to search engines (I recommend this--you don't want your child's blog coming up when someone googles your child's favorite band or movie!).

9. Sign up for a service like sitemeter that puts a counter on the blog and traces how many people are reading the blog and where they are reading from. This gives you a way to evaluate what is going on with your child's blog. If by some stroke of luck your child happens to be a genius at, say, reviewing movies or writing hilarious stories and thousands of people are reading his or her blog, you want to know that--and you want to explain that to your kids so they are more aware of what they are saying and who might be reading it.

10. Follow standard computer safety rules. Turn on parental supervision options on your computer. Block dangerous sites. Don't allow your children to use social networking sites or chat rooms. Don't allow children to give out personal information, including their age, real name, or where they live. Turn "safe search" on search engines on and put it on high (especially on image searches!). For more tips and suggestions, check out:
the FBI,
their parent's guide to safety
Kid's Health,
or any of the other thousands of sites you can find by searching "internet safety" on any search engine.

And 11. Most importantly, only allow your children to access the internet through a computer that in a public room. Children are less likely to get in trouble online if anyone can see what they are doing at any time. Do NOT put internet access in bedrooms or on cell phones, no matter how much your children insist on the need for privacy. Privacy is important, but less important than safety. Having the computer in public allows you to intervene if the child accidentally gets in trouble and inhibits their ability and desire to frequent sites or have conversations that are dangerous.

Family History

Once you've begun a personal history (see previous lesson), it's a natural thing to start creating a family history as well.

Download this pdf from OurStory, the history exploration site from the American History Museum at the Smithsonian. This tells you exactly how to begin.

You can also use resources from the previous lesson.

There are also valuable resources, guides, and free computer program you can download from the Family History page of LDS.org.

And Wayback has a great site for learning about family and family history.

Be careful, though--learning about your family history is addicting!

Personal History

Some of the easiest and most fun history to get involved in is studying and writing your own personal and family history.

Writing your personal history helps you understand and enjoy your own life. Understanding your family history helps you understand yourself better.

So here's your assignment: Start a personal history and begin to examine your family history.

The question is, of course HOW?

And there are thousands of resources available to get you started.

Do this activity from Between the Lions.

First, look here: Writing your Personal History.

Then, check out the tips on Ancestry.com.

Here is a lesson on keeping a personal and family history from a religious perspective.

Finally, check out Writing Your Personal History at About.com . This site has tons of resources.

Using these resources as a guide, begin your personal history. You can also keep a journal, write a blog, or even just jot down random memories, thoughts, jokes, and events as they come to you. All of these are ways of writing your personal history.

A few tips: put a full date (Day, Month, and year) on each thing you write. Use people's full names. Don't stress out or put too much pressure on yourself--anything you write will be of value, no matter how incomplete it is.

For more help, inspiration, tips, tricks, and reasons to keep a personal history, check out any of these articles.