Subscribe to the monthly newsletter,
which will be sent directly to your e-mail inbox.
| Volume Three Issue Three | January 2003 |
|
Global Connections Inspiring Stories Featured Themes Teacher Discoveries Student Explorations The Lighter Side |
|
Global Interactions Foster Talented Students
Happy New Year!
Another calendar year has begun! As you return to your classroom after a well-deserved break it is our wish at Vital Knowledge that the New Year offers you many blessings and promises.
So welcome aboard! Join us as we explore the many resources the World Wide Web offers to help celebrate the New Year!
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.
Ring out the old,
ring in the new,
Ring, happy bells,across the snow:
The year is going,
let him go;
Ring out the false, ring in the true.
- Alfred, Lord Tennyson, 1850
Global Connections
The United Nations has declared 2003 as the International Year of Freshwater. With the increased emphasis on global warming, with a large portion of our global population without access to clean drinking water, and with the recent oil spill off the coast of Spain, we certainly agree with the UN that we must turn our attention to ensuring our water supply is safe for coming generations.
Check out the following links to find resources for celebrating the International Year of Freshwater with your students.
First visit Unesco’s official Web site of the International Year of Freshwater. Find tips for how you can get involved, water facts, an events calendar, and an education corner! The United Nations also has an impressive site!
The International Association of School Librarianship has identified a number of quality resources for celebrating the International Year of Freshwater. Other great resources can also be found at World Water Day, the World Water Forum, and the International Water and Sanitation Center.
Although the oil spill off the coast of Spain may not directly affect our fresh water supply, you may wish to explore this issue with your students by visiting PBS NewsHour Extra.
Inspiring Stories
MEMO FROM GOD
To: YOU
Date: TODAY
From: THE BOSS
Subject: YOURSELF
Reference: LIFE
I am God.
Today I will be handling all of your problems. Please remember that I do not need your help.
If life happens to deliver a situation to you that you cannot handle, do not attempt to resolve it. Kindly put it in the SFGTD (something for God to do) box. All situations will be resolved... but in My time, not yours.
Once the matter is placed into the box, do not hold onto it by worrying about it. Instead, focus on all the wonderful things that are present in your life now
If you find yourself stuck in traffic; don’t despair. There are people in this world for whom driving is an unheard of privilege.
Should you have a bad day at work; think of the man who has been out of work for years.
Should you despair over a relationship gone bad; think of the person who has never known what it's like to love and be loved in return.
Should you grieve the passing of another weekend; think of the woman in dire straits, working twelve hours a day, seven days a week to feed her children.
Should your car break down, leaving you miles away from assistance; Think of the paraplegic who would love the opportunity to take that walk.
Should you notice a new gray hair in the mirror; think of the cancer patient in chemo who wishes she had hair to examine.
Should you find yourself at a loss and pondering what is life all about, asking what is my purpose? Be thankful. There are those who didn't live long enough to get the opportunity.
Should you find yourself the victim of other people's bitterness, ignorance, smallness or insecurities; Remember, things could be worse. You could be one of them!
Should you decide to send this to a friend; Thank you... you may have touched their life in ways you will never know!
From: Inspiring Stories
Featured Themes
Have you made resolutions for New Years? Most people make promises to themselves to start a new year, but the difficulty of course is to follow through on them over the long period of time. Check out the following resources that may help you to be successful!
Visit How to Keep Your New Years Resolution to find tips for success, common resolutions and backgrounds and traditions of this annual event.
Are you planning on losing weight? If so visit the Society Review or Home Cooking. Or, perhaps you need a reminder to help motivate you to keep your resolution. Resolution Reminders will send tips and reminders throughout the year!
Many people will choose to quit smoking as a New Year’s resolution. Find resources to fight tobacco use amongst young people at No Tobacco, Campaign for Tobacco Free Kids, Get Outraged, and Quit 4 Life.
Teacher Discoveries
With the cold days of winter here you may find that your students will be spending more time inside. To help your students stay active while indoors we wanted to share some activities with you.
Jumping rope is always good exercise and very inexpensive. On blustery days when students stay in, gather in the gym and grab a skipping rope. Teachers can even join in by swinging the rope or help teach the students jump rope rhymes. Students can get ready for Jump Rope for Heart in April and not even realize it.
To bring the warmth of a campfire setting to your class, why not have students sit in a circle and sing campfire songs. Keep them moving by adding the actions that go with the songs!
Looking for some winter classroom activities to incorporate into your curriculum for K- 8 students? Visit TeacherVision. Other resources can also be found at ABC Teach, The Teacher’s Corner, and Homework Central.
Student Explorations
During the two-week Christmas vacation, many of us had an opportunity to relax and catch up on our reading. This month, John has compiled a list of his favorite novels from his own days as a youth. Although most of these books will be of a particular interest to high school students (especially boys), we think the underlying themes of these stories will appeal to all readers.
So, in no particular order, here are John’s ten favorite novels from his days as a student. Encourage your students to read them!
The Lord of the Flies. What happens to the civilized lives of children when they are stranded on a deserted island? Find out by reading this classic novel by William Golding.
The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn. A must read for all high school students. Although Mark Twain’s book has come under criticism for its portrayal of Black Americans, its message is one of tolerance. Young readers will also enjoy Twain’s Tom Sawyer.
The Old Man and the Sea. John’s favorite by far and a book he reads annually. For baseball fans, fishermen, and fans of the underdog, Ernest Hemmingway’s classic will have you glued to its pages!
The Catcher in the Rye. J D Salinger’s portrayal of a young teenager growing up in New York is a novel young people are sure to enjoy!
Of Mice and Men. John Steinbeck has written a number of classic novels. This heart-wrenching story may well be his best!
The Diary of Anne Frank. The message of this young hero prevails today during this time of global turmoil. A must read!
The Call of the Wild. Join the adventure of Buck in the Klondike region of Canada. A classic adventure novel by Jack London!
Great Expectations. Travel with Pip as he experiences the pitfalls and challenges of Industrial England. This may well be Charles Dickens greatest novel!
Robinson Crusoe. Daniel Defoe’s classic is a great adventure story with an underlying theme of tolerance and equality.
1984. George Orwell classic portrays a future under the watchful eyes of Big Brother. A terrifying novel. Young people will also enjoy Orwell’s Animal Farm.
The Lighter Side
What happened when the snowgirl fell out with the snowboy?
She gave him the cold shoulder!
What do snowmen eat for lunch?
Icebergers!
Where do snowmen go to dance?
Snowballs!
How do snowmen travel around?
By iceicle!
From: Kids Jokes
©Vital Knowledge Software Inc. 1996-2008. All rights reserved.
Privacy Statement Security Statement