Archive · December 1999
A weekday digest of things worth looking at, written for students and teachers.
Before deciding to give the Statue of Liberty to the U.S., French sculptor Frederic-Auguste Bartholdi thought he might give his masterpiece to Egypt to put in the Suez Canal. Later, in 1886, he offered it to the U.S. to celebrate America's Centennial.#
Want to find out how to make your holidays happy and healthy? Check out these articles on holiday preparedness. Or search for other education and healthcare information about children, from newborns to high schoolers.#
This site has a nose for kids news. Catch up on current events and click on some cool links. Then add your two cents to the site by sending a picture to the photo gallery, joining the birthday club, or voting on the question of the week.#
Studies show that children's math and science scores rise when parents actively participate at school. Volunteer to help at a class party, attend a parent-teacher conference, or conduct science experiments at home.#
Want to send a postcard to a friend, unscramble words, play number games, or sit back and read a story? Visit Noddy Theater, the Book Nook, the Playroom, and more pages on this great site, connected to the PBS TV show just for kids.#
One out of every 10,000 humans has the ability to determine musical pitches exactly. However in countries where tonal languages are spoken - such as China - perfect pitch occurs more commonly. Read this news story and decide whether you think this ability comes naturally or is learned.#
Whether your students observe Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, or Ramadan, you'll find a load of ideas to celebrate them all. Gift-making ideas, holiday Web sites, and special books will make the season bright.#
Recognize Pearl Harbor Day by visiting the Pearl Harbor Memorial online. Study an overview and timeline of the attack, watch live video footage of the U.S.S. Arizona, download a memorial poster, and read some of the survivors' stories.#
Some of these teasers look simple, but they may just stop you in your tracks. Get ready for overload once you hit the colors, action, and mind-boggling questions of Funology.com#
A PokeMom is a mom in search of this season's hottest toy: Pokemon. Take a break from the present hunting pressure and enjoy this spoof song, "God Rest Ye Merry PokeMoms."#
There is more to look for in the sky than Santa Claus this season. Try spotting special stars like Orion the Hunter. Or, learn about planets in the sky too far away to scope out with simple skywatching.#
Explore the Far East by examining five types of Japanese art. Enjoy browsing virtual photo galleries and test your art-ti-tude using interactive puzzles and quizzes.#
As your kids flock to the theaters during winter break, make sure you're comfortable with the films they want to see. Read the Movie Mom's reviews of the latest releases, and check out her list of the all-time best family movies.#
Celebrate Human Rights Day with this wide variety of classroom activities. These games and activities cover themes such as voting and education rights, fair work conditions, and the freedoms of opinion and movement.#
Ever wonder how your crayons and markers were made? Tour the Crayola Factory and learn about crayon ingredients, the assembly line, and the how the wrappers get added. When done, download pictures you can color yourself.#
The holidays are a time of giving, so get your class in the spirit with a community service project. Education World provides several new lesson plans and ideas for teaching your class to show they care.#
Can you guess which language is spoken by more people than any other? Mandarin Chinese. Discover the world's top 100 languages, where they are spoken, and which areas are home to the largest number of different languages.#
After our founding fathers figured out the Constitution, some suggested amendments. When the arguing ended, 10 new amendments were adopted and form what we now call the Bill of Rights.#
Is finding the perfect gift for your child more hassle and headache than you can handle? Check out the winners of the 1999 National Parenting Publication Awards to get ideas for the best books, toys, and videos for your young children.#
If you think video games are hard to play, try building one from scratch. Find out how video-game makers take the ideas in their head and turn them into games you can play.#
Before ending up in candy bars, ice cream, and cake, chocolate grows on cacao trees in the forest. Follow your favorite splurge snack from the forest to the factory, and find out if chocolate is good for your health.#
The last chance to write to Santa is coming soon! When the letter is finished, kids can hear Santa read "The Night Before Christmas." Then, prepare for his arrival with some other Santa stories, songs, games, and activities.#
Get a historical overview of the last 10 centuries from CNN. Even if your class didn't watch their "Millennium" series, they will still enjoy the historical summaries, discussion questions, lesson plans, and important terms.#
Want to learn how to play the piano, fingerspell the alphabet, or identify famous folks such as U.S. Presidents, scientists, and mathematicians? Try the games at FunBrain.com, specifically created for elementary students.#
Though the description of this abolitionist's escape to freedom was published in Century Magazine back in 1881, it remains just as gripping and moving today. Board the train to New York with Frederick Douglass, and consider the fear he must have felt.#
Each week, Education World brings new curriculum tips, lesson plans, hot sites, book reviews, and news to educators everywhere. The "Best of 1999" edition features all their favorites, in case you missed them the first time.#
Do you prefer the Christmas lights that blink or stay lit, are colored or white? Learn all about how Christmas lights work, and why the mini-lights we use today are more difficult to fix than the bigger bulbs from the past.#
With all the attention the North Pole gets this season, don't forget about the South Pole. You won't find Santa there, but you might bump into penguins. Learn about other things you'll find in Antarctica, besides snow!#
Christmas can be a good time to get creative, especially with holiday crafts. Teach your children to make some simple presents for special people this season.#
Luckily for you, you don't have to trek through the snow-covered land of Russia to visit the native reindeer-herding people who live there. Go along on a virtual adventure into the far-away wilderness to meet the Nenet people.#
Did you know that the first Christmas trees were decorated with apples? Or that Santa Claus delivers gifts in Germany on December 6, Saint Nicholas Day? Get the facts on all the holiday history and learn how countries around the globe celebrate Christmas.#
Kwanzaa is a great way to teach your kids about diversity and African heritage. Try this site, which is filled with downloads, games, arts and crafts, songs, animation, and coloring pages that demonstrate the seven principles of Kwanzaa.#
Studies show that students begin to cheat on schoolwork when they reach middle school. Read manuals filled with tips for putting an end to cheating, share your experiences with others, or try an honesty contract in your class.#
Ever wonder what life must have been like in ancient Egypt? Go on this quest and learn about Egyptian games that kids played, mummification, hieroglyphics, and much more.#
Not much from Pompeii survived to tell the tale of its destruction, except this vivid account from Pliny the Younger. A few years after the event, Pliny wrote a friend describing the happenings when the eruption of Vesuvius obliterated Pompeii. At the time, Pliny was only eighteen.#
You probably can't get your hands on enough practice math worksheets for your class. Here are several that cover the elementary skills from addition to fractions. You'll also find science, geography, history, and language arts handouts.#
Do you believe in the Bermuda Triangle, or is it just a myth used to scare pilots and sea captains? Learn about the region where planes and ships are said to have mysteriously disappeared and discover the facts behind the fiction.#
The karamu feast on December 31st is just one part of the special seven-day Kwanzaa holiday. "Karamu," like the word "Kwanzaa," is Swahili. "Kwanzaa" means "first fruits of the harvest."#
Instead of making resolutions this New Year's, make memories. Get the family involved in the festivities by making a time capsule filled with everyone's favorite mementos of the millennium.#
Do you recognize the name Amerigo Vespucci? Both North and South America are named after this Italian explorer. Learn other cool facts, read about more explorers, take a quiz, or browse the Hall of Fame on this super site.#
What items, movements, or beliefs from this century would you preserve for the next millennium? Would you save music teachers, chocolate, and trout? Make your decisions and email the Fifty Things Web site with your selections. You may see your choices posted next month.#
Your kids may not have to write Santa a note to thank him for the new bikes, but they should write to Aunt Mabel and Uncle Howard in gratitude for the warm underwear. Here's a guide to writing the perfect thank-you note.#
Foreign language sites seem to be the least available online resource for teachers. Use this Internet in-service course to learn how to find the best foreign language sites, use them in your classroom, and create your own.#
12 entries from December 1999
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2 entries from December 1999