Learning Lynx: April 2010

Tuesday, April 27, 2010

Ancient Egyptian Science: the Water Clock

Watch this movie to see someone make a water clock. Then you can download the instructions to build your own!

http://www.history.com/shows/ancient-discoveries/videos/ancient-hobbyist-bamboo-flute#ancient-hobbyist-water-clock

Sunday, April 25, 2010

The Ultimate Book List

Posted by a Children's Librarian, this is the BEST elementary reading list I've ever found.

http://casacamisas.wordpress.com/2010/04/25/the-top-100-childrens-books-redux/

If I've published this before, I apologize for doubling up. This is the final, longer (120 books) version.

Saturday, April 24, 2010

Life in Ancient Egypt

http://www.ancientegypt.co.uk/life/index.html

Friday, April 23, 2010

Natural Resources in Ancient Egypt

http://www.pbs.org/empires/egypt/newkingdom/resources.html

http://www.fi.edu/learn/tut/k-4/water.html

Zoom Dinosaurs Online Dino Text

http://www.enchantedlearning.com/subjects/dinosaurs/index.html

The Wild Classroom

Great Biology Resource:

Lots of videos, lesson plans, scientist bios/interviews, etc.

http://www.thewildclassroom.com/home/nav/lessonplans.html

Guest Hollow Homeschool Curriculum

This is a work in progress, but they have some free courses up already.

http://www.guesthollow.com/homeschool/curriculum.html

Wednesday, April 21, 2010

Fisher Price Preschool

http://www.fisher-price.com/fp.aspx?st=10&e=gamesLanding&mcat=game_infant,game_toddler,game_preschool&site=us

More Curriculum Guidelines and Outlines for the DIY Homeschoolers

http://www.brighthub.com/search/results.aspx?q=curriculum%20guidelines

http://www.time4learning.com/curriculum/scope-sequence/index.shtml

http://www.internet4classrooms.com/grade_level_help.htm

Homeschooling Adventures.com

Links to lessons, worksheets, and information for homeschoolers.

http://www.homeschoolingadventures.com/

Typical Course of Study K-12

Complete outline of what a typical course of study for each grade is--some with links to resources--which you can use as a launching point for a DIY homeschool curriculum (since more and more of us are "winging it" using resources that are online).

This is a great outline to start with if you need a curriculum and can find the resources to teach the subjects yourself (using Learning Lynx, Merlot, and the other Web Portals/Links Repositories out there--dozens are linked on the sidebar).

http://homeschooling.about.com/cs/learning/a/courseofstudy.htm

Online Free Middle School Textbooks

http://countryclubmiddle.dadeschools.net/index_files/Page1519.htm

Internet4Classrooms Web Portal

http://www.internet4classrooms.com/index.htm

If you click on "Grade Level Help", there is a complete list of links and lessons for each grade that you could use as your primary curriculum starting point. It is lacking (completely) in science, though.

Literature Project

http://www.literatureproject.com/

Full text online classic books plus links for each to further studies.

Grammar Park--practice grammar in games

http://www.harcourtschool.com/menus/preview/harcourt_language/grammar_park.html

Sunday, April 18, 2010

Google Bookmarks

https://www.google.com/bookmarks/l

This has become (or maybe always was and I'm just discovering it) a very useful tool. You can collect bookmark lists and make them PUBLIC, share them with your friends, etc.

For educators and homeschoolers, this can be really useful. You could make a list of "related links", or even craft a whole links-based lesson, and just "share" the list.

You could also make an assignment for each child to find a unique link to add to the list--incredibly useful activity both for the subject at hand and also to teach them about how to do internet research.

One of the more popular courses at UC Berkeley

The rest of the course is on there, too!

https://www.google.com/bookmarks/l#!threadID=GCcNC4q17ltI%2FBDQiEggoQo9GXkYEl

Friday, April 16, 2010

P2PU

No, it's not stinky.

It's Open Courseware with DISCUSSION. Even if you missed the signup date, you can "sit in" on the courses and read the discussions. Cool approach--blending Open Courseware with Peer 2 Peer networking.

http://p2pu.org/

iTunes U

This is worth downloading iTunes for! http://www.apple.com/education/itunes-u/whats-on.html

They even have free animated courses for kids (like Drum lesson for kids including tracks, animations, and a book--all free).

VERY worth browsing.

Thursday, April 15, 2010

Intro to Philosophy Course (college level)

http://www.cs.utk.edu/~butler/course_materials/

Complete Course on the History of Science (College Level)

This is a self-guided "course" (feels like a textbook):

http://www.clas.ufl.edu/users/ufhatch/pages/03-Sci-Rev/SCI-REV-Home/05-SR-TABLE-CONTENTS.html

with dozens of links to explore: http://www.clas.ufl.edu/users/ufhatch/pages/10-HisSci/links/index.htm

Scientists who have appeared on money

http://www2.physics.umd.edu/~redish/Money/

Complete Course on History Of Science (middle school level)

These lessons are creative, complete, and varied.

http://www.clas.ufl.edu/users/ufhatch/pages/05-SecondaryTeaching/NSF-PLANS/contents.html

questions to discuss (scroll half way down): http://www.clas.ufl.edu/users/ufhatch/pages/02-TeachingResources/crowe/crowe.html

and research resources:

http://www.clas.ufl.edu/users/ufhatch/pages/09-HisSciSearch/index.htm
http://www.clas.ufl.edu/users/ufhatch/pages/10-HisSci/links/index.htm

and

http://www.clas.ufl.edu/users/ufhatch/pages/05-SecondaryTeaching/index.htm

Science Kids at Home

With lessons: http://www.sciencekidsathome.com/science_topics/index.html

Just experiments:
http://www.sciencekidsathome.com/science_experiments/index.html

Learn NC Lesson Plans

http://www.learnnc.org/lessons/

DMOZ School Time

http://www.dmoz.org/Kids_and_Teens/School_Time/

ProTeacher

http://www.proteacher.org/ --for ideas from teachers

http://www.proteacher.com/ --for useful links

Everything History from Teacher Oz

http://www.teacheroz.com/toc.htm

Exploring Fabric and Dye

http://www.sciencebuddies.org/science-fair-projects/project_ideas/Chem_p019.shtml?From=Blog

Science Buddies Science Projects

http://www.sciencebuddies.org/

Kitzu--digital resource kits for classes

http://www.kitzu.com/

Open Courseware "samples": Berklee Music

Berklee doesn't put whole courses online for free. But the do put lessons on. I recommend you "Browse by Instrument" rather than clicking on the links in the main box. The "Browse by instrument" lessons take you right to the materials. The main box takes you to a registration page where you have to fill out a form.

http://www.berkleeshares.com/

Shambles. net--links to resources

http://www.shambles.net/ourschool/english3d/index.htm

http://www.shambles.net/

PBS Teachersource

Lessons based on PBS materials--and ones that are independent.

http://www.pbs.org/teachers

Explore Virtual Ancient Egypt

http://www.pbs.org/empires/egypt/special/virtual_egypt/egypt.html

Lesson on Science and Technology in Egypt

http://www.pbs.org/empires/egypt/educators/lesson8.html

or the .pdf of the same lesson:

http://www.pbs.org/empires/egypt/pdf/lesson8.pdf

Intro to Meteorology

This includes instructions on how to make many meteorological tools at home:

http://www.fi.edu/learn/tut/5-8/tut_print_5-8_weather.pdf

Links-based homeschool course on Ancient Egypt

http://ancienthistory.about.com/od/egypths/Egypt_Introduction_Independent_Study.htm

History of Science Up to Newton

http://www.clas.ufl.edu/users/ufhatch/HIS-SCI-STUDY-GUIDE/

Ancient Egyptian Astronomy

http://www.elisabethmorrow.org/classroomnews/lp6scien.htm

http://www.mnsu.edu/emuseum/prehistory/egypt/dailylife/astronomy.html

http://ancienthistory.about.com/gi/o.htm?zi=1/XJ/Ya&zTi=1&sdn=ancienthistory&cdn=education&tm=6&f=10&tt=14&bt=1&bts=1&st=24&zu=http://web.clas.ufl.edu/users/rhatch/HIS-SCI-STUDY-GUIDE/0011_egyptianContrib2Astron.html

Interactive Atlas of Ancient Egypt (archaeology)

http://www.thebanmappingproject.com/

Newton's Apple--Great Science TV

http://www.newtonsapple.tv/

Ancient Egypt Teaching Activities

Mummies
Hieroglyphs
Afterlife:

http://www.mos.org/quest/teaching.php

Print and Play and Ancient Egyptian Game

http://www.mos.org/quest/activities.php

Exploring the Afterlife with the Museum of Science and Technology

http://www.mos.org/quest/afterlife.php

http://www.mos.org/quest/mummymain.php

Egyptian Archaeology Game

Introduction: http://www.mos.org/quest/excavation.php

Game:
http://www.mos.org/quest/message.php

Wednesday, April 14, 2010

Ancient Egyptian SCIENCE

Like all people in every time, the Ancient Egyptians observed their world and tried to understand it. They also tried to use the things they learned about the world and resources around them to improve their lives.

While they didn't know the same things we do (and we don't know some of the things they did), science was as important to their lives as it is in ours.

Do THIS: http://www.fitzmuseum.cam.ac.uk/gallery/aas/Intro.html

Then, if you want more info:

http://www.historyforkids.org/learn/egypt/science/

Explore ancient egyptian inventions:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ancient_Egyptian_technology

http://www.ancient-egypt-online.com/ancient-egyptian-inventions.html

http://ftp.aa.edu/lydon/egypt/matton1egypt/index.htm

http://www.sciencenewsforkids.org/articles/20050629/Note3.asp

http://www.digitalegypt.ucl.ac.uk/themes/tech.html

http://www.digitalegypt.ucl.ac.uk/astro/index.html

Fly through the known universe

http://www.haydenplanetarium.org/universe

VERY cool.

Tuesday, April 13, 2010

Brief Musical Introduction to Habitats/Biomes

For the budding rocket scientist: Crayon Rockets

http://www.jcrocket.com/crayons.shtml

Monday, April 12, 2010

Science Activities to do at home

http://www.superteacherworksheets.com/science.html

Fun US Geography Unit: Mystery States

http://www.superteacherworksheets.com/states.html

Fun Plants unit

http://www.superteacherworksheets.com/plant-worksheets.html

Printable Student Paper (for writing, mostly)

Ever just want blank pages for your kids to practice letters, writing, etc. on?

Here it is:

http://www.superteacherworksheets.com/paper.html

Free worksheets on many subjects

http://www.superteacherworksheets.com/

Newspaper Archive Search

http://www.google.com/archivesearch?q=

I didn't know Google did this, but you get actual images of the newspapers (so pictures, ads, and everything). They had my local paper from when I was a kid.....

Sunday, April 11, 2010

Apollo 13

http://www.nasa.gov/externalflash/apollo40/

Saturday, April 10, 2010

Online Education from About.com

Very cool stuff. Courses in dozens of subjects, all utilizing resources on the net. Very cool.

http://www.about.com/education/

Astronomy 101--10-week course

http://space.about.com/cs/astronomy101/a/astro101a.htm

The core idea of this course is really good. I didn't do the whole thing, so I have no idea how good the execution is. But I'd love to hear if anyone tries it!

Astronomy Tools: Observatories and Virtual Observatories

One of the greatest on-earth tools astronomers have is the observatory--a place that usually houses a giant telescope and other tools useful for observing the sky.

Now the internet makes it possible for anyone to access the information collected by observatories in Virtual Observatories.

http://www.virtualobservatory.org/students/ --this has some great tools for students

http://skyview.gsfc.nasa.gov/

http://www.us-vo.org/

and more: http://www.haydenplanetarium.org/resources/vo

Thursday, April 8, 2010

Fact Monster

http://www.factmonster.com/

Google Search Tips

http://www.nytimes.com/external/gigaom/2010/04/02/02gigaom-10-simple-google-search-tricks-58674.html?src=me&ref=general

Space Images for the Classroom (or homeschool)

http://spaceplace.nasa.gov/en/educators/teachers_images.shtml

Includes images, games, projects, animations, and lots of other great stuff!

Space Science Education Resource Directory

http://teachspacescience.org/cgi-bin/ssrtop.plex

Searchable by grade level, topic, etc.

Watching Satellites from the ground

http://spaceflight.nasa.gov/realdata/sightings/

Wednesday, April 7, 2010

Space Telescopes

There are lots of Space Telescopes out there. They each have different tools and different purposes, but they all work together to give us more information about space.

Learn about them here: http://www.kidscosmos.org/kid-stuff/hubble.html

and here:
Fermi: http://fermi.gsfc.nasa.gov/, and http://fermisky.blogspot.com/
Einstein: http://einstein.stanford.edu/
James Webb: http://ngst.gsfc.nasa.gov/ ; http://webbtelescope.org/webb_telescope/
Hubble: http://hubblesite.org/ and http://heritage.stsci.edu/
Keppler: http://www.kepler.arc.nasa.gov/
Spitzer: http://www.spitzer.caltech.edu/

telescopes and how they work Interactive

They call this a game, but it's more of an interactive, despite the fact that they say there are "levels".

Still, it's worthwhile.

http://www.jwst.nasa.gov/scope.html

College Astronomy Lecture on the Planets, with images

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PoN53QpGXaQ&feature=fvw

Hubble Space Telescope Documentary

Tuesday, April 6, 2010

International Children's Digital Library

AWESOME resource. Read online if you want. Sign up for an age-appropriate or parent account. Or just read and read (in many languages!).

http://en.childrenslibrary.org/