| Volume Two Issue Seven | May 2002 |
| Global Connections Inspiring Stories Featured Themes Teacher Discoveries Student Explorations The Lighter Side |
|
Global Interactions Foster Talented Students
Welcome to May!
Longer days, sunny mornings and evenings, new buds on plants and trees, and the sounds and smells of spring give evidence that the summer months are rapidly approaching. As we approach the final months of the 2001-2002 school year, we invite all our monthly subscribers and daily visitors to join us as we as we explore the numerous online resources available to celebrate the many themes and special days in the month of May.
In addition to this newsletter, keep checking Vital Picks. We have been highlighting resources teachers will find useful for the classroom. We have also been highlighting accomplishments of teachers and urge you to nominate teachers for our Vital Award.
Join us at our discussion board. Current threads include Harry Potter, discipline at school, student drug use, Boston Public, and using the Internet as a tool for plagiarism. We'd love to hear your thoughts on these and other issues!
Don't forget to visit our new resource links! Visitors may now search for resources based on the grade level and subject they teach. We've included the best we can find on the World Wide Web. We will continue to add more and welcome any sites you may wish to submit.
This month we also have a special gift awaiting you and your students in the Activity section of Teacher's Corner. Check it out, and if you have activities that you would like to share with other teachers, please send them along. We'll make sure to post them immediately and to give you credit.
Send your ideas to teachers_corner@vitalknowledge.com.
MAY IN BLOOM
May is so beautiful:
Orchards are fair;
Branches of fruit trees
Make gardens of air.
Flowers of fragrance
Bloom in the light;
Fall like the snowflakes
Showering white.
Orchards of heaven
Grow with a grace,
And like a blessing
Perfume the place.
Each tree in blossom,
Each lovely spray,
In this month of Our Lady,
Bring glory to May.
- Helen Maring
A sure sign that spring is in full bloom is the return of wild birds to our backyard feeders. You may choose to teach your children about birds with the assistance of the resources found at the following sites:
The Elementary Science Program suggests bird activities you may wish to do with your students. Enchanted Learning also has similar resources in Birds in the Classroom.
Check out the online bird feedercams in Poughkeepsie, New York, Indianapolis, Indiana, or in North Carolina.
"Learning about Backyard Birds" has been developed by the National Bird-Feeding Society to celebrate the annual National Wild Bird Feeding Month, which occurs in February. The kit's total focus is on learning how to better watch, feed and house the fascinating treasure that exists in nearly everyone's backyard." It can be downloaded in pdf format and copied and distributed among students and colleagues.
About has links to a wide variety of resources about wild birds. Good activities can also be found at Kidz Korner, or try visiting Kid's Corner of Wild Birds.
Check out these activities completed by students and featured in Classroom Birdscope Webzine.
Visit A Bird's World for puzzles, word searches, coloring, games and more.
If your children have access to computers they may enjoy the Bird Games at Kid's Domain.
Finally, check out this sixth grade ThinkQuest project called Common Birds of New England. I think you'll be impressed!
With the arrival of spring, hibernating animals have emerged from their dens in anticipation of the warm weather it promises. Hibernation is only one example of how animals adapt to their environment. We have had requests from teachers looking for resources to teach how animals adapt to their environments. After an extensive search of the Internet, this is what we came up with:
Pay a visit to Dirtmeister. He has created pages specifically about animal adaptations. Students are challenged to do a report about a specific animal. He also gives examples of animals and how they have adapted to their environments and includes sample reports completed by other students.
Home Habitat provides an overview to animal adaptations and points you to sites where you can find other resources.
Take a look at the web pages created by students in Conche, Newfoundland, Canada. I think you'll be impressed with the work they have completed on Animal Adaptations! You'll find some great resources there to use with your students.
Richmond University also has an Animal Adaptation web page. It appears to have some great resources you will find useful.
Teacher Vision provides a complete unit for teaching about animal adaptations for K-8 teachers. You may also be interested in the unit presented by Activities Exchange, the resources offered at Beacon or the mystery animals found at the Learning Network. Other resources can be found at Fayette County Public Schools, and the Cattail Company.
One day a farmer's donkey fell down into a well. The animal cried piteously for hours as the farmer tried to figure out what to do. Finally he decided the animal was old and the well needed to be covered up anyway, it just wasn't worth it to retrieve the donkey.
He invited all his neighbors to come over and help him. They all grabbed a shovel and began to shovel dirt into the well. At first, the donkey realized what was happening and cried horribly. Then, to everyone's amazement, he quieted down.
A few shovel loads later, the farmer finally looked down the well and was astonished at what he saw. With every shovel of dirt that hit his back, the donkey was doing something amazing. He would shake it off and take a step up.
As the farmer's neighbors continued to shovel dirt on top of the animal, he would shake it off and take a step up. Pretty soon, everyone was amazed as the donkey stepped up over the edge of the well and trotted off!
Life is going to shovel dirt on you, all kinds of dirt. The trick to getting out of the well is to shake it off and take a step up. Each of our troubles is a stepping-stone. We can get out of the deepest wells just by not stopping, never giving up! Shake it off and take a step up!
Remember the five simple rules to be happy:
Free your heart from hatred
Free your mind from worries
Live simply
Give more
Expect less
- Author Unknown
From: Motivating Moments
May has a number of special days that are celebrated around the world. In our May newsletter from 2001 we highlighted several Web sites with resources for celebrating these days. We offer similar sites again this year. Check out the following:
May 14 is Mother's Day. Among the many sites on the Web, Education World has resources and lesson plan ideas for marking this occasion. You can also find other resources at The Holiday Spot, The Craft Library, 123 Greetings, and Kid's Domain.
Memorial Day is the last Monday in May. Honor the sacrifices made by war veterans with the use of resources found at Education World, 123 Greetings, The Gift Idea Center, or Holiday Lesson Plans.
The month of May is also Older American's Month. Whatever your nationality, you may wish to take time to celebrate the many contribution the elderly make to our lives with resources from About.com. Better still visit the many children's sites that have crafts, e-cards, or other gifts that can be inexpensively given to our seniors. If you are a senior you may enjoy a visit to Senior Link, Computing Corner, Golden Years, or 65 Plus.
Teacher appreciation days are held in the month of May. Take some time to celebrate teachers regardless of your nationality. Have your students or children show their appreciation by sending a special greeting card from 123 Greetings, or India Express, or find some great ideas to thank teachers at the Learning Network.
May is Mental Health Month. Visit the National Mental Health Association or find resources from Mental Health Matters. Find out about your personality type and how your type deals with stress, problem solving and more by completing your P.E.T. Type Check.
Finally, we cannot neglect what we so much anticipate. Were not sure when this was first declared, but we wholeheartedly endorse May as National Barbeque Month! You may enjoy a visit to the Barbeque Man, the National Barbeque News, or Frank's Barbeque Recipes.
While driving past our local mall last week, I noticed a sure sign of spring. Gardening centers are popping up throughout our Miramichi community as residents prepare for another growing season. Flowering plants, potting soil and vegetable seeds are high in demand as the spring season stirs the green thumb within us. Celebrate the new life spring brings with your students by implementing activities into your curriculum that focus on plants and gardening. Pay a visit to some of the following sites where you will find resources to do so:
Visit this ThinkQuest called Plants and our Environment. Students will learn about how plants grow and the different parts of a plant. All About Plants is another good ThinkQuest entry.
Teach-nology offers a wide variety of lesson plans about botany. Pro Teacher offers the same.
You may be interested in this craft activity for learning about flowers. A to Z Kid's Stuff also offers links to thematic units and lesson plans for teaching about plants.
Preschool Education offers a number of cute songs about plants that young children may enjoy.
Teacher Zone has a variety of resources for teaching about plants including printable worksheets.
The University of Illinois has an interesting site called The Great Plant Escape.
Ross Angelo offers activities to show how plants make and use food as well as how they produce seeds. Home Schooling also offers interesting activities.
Kid's Gardening has a number of resources for students and teachers for implementing gardening activities into your curriculum.
Visit the Kid's Valley Webgarden for a wide variety of resources about planning, planting, and caring for your garden.
Finally, visit the Kid's Pages of the U.S. Department of Agriculture to find plenty of great resources about gardening!
May is National Bike Month and as children from around the world prepare for another season of cycling, you may wish to take some time to implement activities on bicycle safety into your curriculum. We searched the web to find resources to assist you in doing so and the following are just some of what we found:
The National Bike Safety Network has a wide variety of resources for cyclists of all ages.
The Illinois State Police also have a variety of resources including tips and rules, inspection forms, a safety test, and more.
Send your students on a bike safety tour with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. You will find good resources there for the classroom.
Find resources for Steering Your Way to Bicycle Safety at Kid' Health.
Finally, find Bicycle Safety Tips from the Brazos Valley Cyclists.
Nine-year-old Joey was asked by his mother what he had learned in Sunday School.
"Well, Mom, our teacher told us how God sent Moses behind enemy lines on a rescue mission to lead the Israelites out of Egypt. When he got to the Red Sea, he had his engineers build a pontoon bridge, and all the people walked across safely. He used his walkie-talkie to radio headquarters and call in an air strike. They sent in bombers to blow up the bridge and all the Israelites were saved."
"Now, Joey, is that REALLY what your teacher taught you?" his mother asked. Well, no, Mom, but if I told it the way the teacher did, you'd never believe it!
From: Teach Net
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