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| Volume Three Issue Six | April 2003 |
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Global Connections Inspiring Stories Featured Themes Teacher Discoveries Student Explorations The Lighter Side |
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Global Interactions Foster Talented Students
Welcome to April!
Despite a winter snowstorm that hit us here in Miramichi Canada on the last day of March, we are finally seeing signs of spring and anxiously await the warmer weather. The magic of spring is in the air giving us that extra bounce in our steps, longer days, and anticipation of new beginnings.
So welcome aboard! Join us as we explore the World Wide Web to discover resources relevant to the month of April and issues currently affecting our global community.
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.
Don't forget to visit our 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.
Global Connections
The eyes of the world are captivated on the Middle East and in particular the country of Iraq, which has been invaded by the United States and her allies. In this time or horror and turmoil, we wish for a peaceful resolution that ensures the safety of our global community, advances the principles of democracy, and respects the rights of all parties.
As a classroom teacher, you are sure to be addressing this sensitive issue with your students. We searched the web for resources that will enable you to do so and found the following:
The Constitutional Rights Foundation has put together a series of online lessons on the topic. Find resources under the subtitles Helping Students Cope, War and International Law, and War and the Media.
Most of the world is following the story of this conflict on CNN. CNN also has a Student News Web site that contains resources for teachers and students.
Time For Kids Online, a subsidiary of Time Magazine, has a number of resources about the Iraqi conflict. Find the latest news, maps, and answers to questions about the conflict.
The National Association of School Psychologists has a number of online resources under the title “Coping in Unsettling Times”. Resources are specifically geared towards teaching children about troubling issues such as war and terrorism.
Educators for Social Responsibility have a wide variety of resources about world conflict. Titled Talking to Children About War and Violence in the World, this site is worth bookmarking for future reference.
Finally, visit the Weekly Reader. It contains a wide variety of resources for kids, teens, parents, and teachers.
Inspiring Stories
What I Have Learned
-Andy Rooney
I Have Learned that...
... the best classroom in the world is at the feet of an elderly person.
... when you're in love, it shows.
... just one person saying to me, "You've made my day!" makes my day.
... having a child fall asleep in your arms is one of the most peaceful feelings in the world.
... being kind is more important than being right.
... you should never say no to a gift from a child.
... I can always pray for someone when I don't have the strength to help him in some other way.
... no matter how serious your life requires you to be, everyone needs a friend to act goofy with.
... sometimes all a person needs is a hand to hold and a heart to understand.
... simple walks with my father around the block on summer nights when I was a child did wonders for me as an adult.
... life is like a roll of toilet paper. The closer it gets to the end, the faster it goes.
... we should be glad God doesn't give us everything we ask for.
... money doesn't buy class.
... it's those small daily happenings that make life so spectacular.
... under everyone's hard shell is someone who wants to be appreciated and loved.
... the Lord didn't do it all in one day. What makes me think I can?
... to ignore the facts does not change the facts.
... when you plan to get even with someone, you are only letting that person continue to hurt you.
... love, not time, heals all wounds.
... the easiest way for me to grow as a person is to surround myself with people smarter than I am.
... everyone you meet deserves to be greeted with a smile.
... there's nothing sweeter than sleeping with your babies and feeling their breath on your cheeks.
... no one is perfect until you fall in love with them.
... life is tough, but I'm tougher.
... opportunities are never lost; someone will take the ones you miss.
... when you harbor bitterness, happiness will dock elsewhere.
... I wish I could have told my Dad that I love him one more time before he passed away.
... one should keep his words both soft and tender, because tomorrow he may have to eat them.
... a smile is an inexpensive way to improve your looks.
... I can't choose how I feel, but I can choose what I do about it.
... when your newly born grandchild holds your little finger in his little fist, that you're hooked for life.
... everyone wants to live on top of the mountain, but all the happiness and growth occurs while you're climbing it.
... it is best to give advice in only two circumstances; when it is requested and when it is a life threatening situation.
... the less time I have to work with, the more things I get done.
From: Inspiring Stories
Featured Themes
There are a wide variety of sites on the Internet with a multitude of resources to assist you in planning and implementing spring activities. Check out the following:
Kid's Domain has clip art, crafts, games, activities, stories, spring holiday links, and more!
Rainbow Magic has puzzles, games, polls, stories, poems, flowers, music, contests, links, and more!
ChildFun offers arts and crafts, games, activities, recipes, poems, songs, and more!
The magic of spring reinforces the beauty of nature and the fortune bestowed upon us from the many resources our Earth offers. Perhaps you would like to involve your students in Earth Day activities. Visit the Earth Day Network, which coordinates worldwide events and offers resources for celebrating this special day. Learn about the history of Earth Day and find out about local events at Earth Day Online, or visit the Official International Earth Day Site. Celebrate Earth Day with Dr. Suess, visit Kids' Action to save a rain forest, find out about planting trees at National Arbor Day, and find other resources at Planet Pals Earth Day Page.
Teacher Discoveries
Like other special holidays throughout the year, teachers will be looking for resources to celebrate Easter with their students. The following are a few of the many Internet sites you may choose to visit to find those resources.
Kid Fun 101 has Easter Games and Party Ideas. Find games, Bunny Funnies, secret codes, puzzles, word searches, mazes, links, and more!
The Holiday Spot has games and activities, e-cards, poetry, wallpaper, screensavers, crafts, coloring, history, recipes, stories, links, and more!
ChildFun has recipes, e-cards, coloring, games, songs, stories, poems, crafts, clip art, screensavers, links, and more!
Visit Kid's Domain to Adopt a Chick, or find e-cards coloring, clip art, crafts, activities, puzzles, games, and more!
Like other special days of the year, Billy Bear has a multitude of great resources for celebrating Easter. Find games, clipart, stories, crafts, and more!
Student Explorations
In anticipation for longer warmer days, most of the world observes Daylight Saving Time. So when do we change our clocks and what is the rationale behind it? Which country was the first to adopt Standard Time and when did the United States begin? Scroll down the page on the site to see which states do not change their clocks. Check out what happens World Wide with Day Light Saving Time.
Looking for other sites to have your students explore daylight savings time?
Discovery School suggests a fun experiment to compare clock time to sun time during and after daylight saving time.
The California Energy Commission offers an overview of daylight savings time and a schedule of when we change our clocks for the next two years.
Check out the World Time Zone for daylight savings times around the world.
How Stuff Works has good resources for teaching about time.
A Research Guide offers links to a wide variety of resources for teaching about measuring time.
We will be turning our clocks ahead one hour this year on April 6th. Here in Canada, that is a sure sign of spring!
The Lighter Side
Q: How do bunnies stay healthy?
A: Eggsercise
Q: What do you call ten rabbits marching backwards?
A: A receding hareline.
Q: Why was the Easter Bunny so upset?
A: He was having a bad hare day!
Q: How should you send a letter to the Easter Bunny?
A: By hare mail!
From: Easter One-Liners
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