Wow!!! You have got to check out these sites if you teach writing!! I love love love these sites!!!! ABC’s of the Writing Process Learning Transitions Writing Terrific Paragraphs Five Paragraph Essay Learn to Evaluate and Edit Outline of the Basic Writing Process Step by Step - the Writing Process No related posts.

This week we are going to focus on the following themes: Martin Luther King, Jr. Make a child-made shape book about Martin Luther King, Jr., answering the following questions: Who? What? Where? Why? When? Web sites he will use: Kaboose: Martin Luther King Day 2009 The King Center Wikipedia: Martin Luther King, Jr. Day Infoplease: Martin Luther King, Jr. KidsHealth: How the Body Works Picadome Elementary (KY): Human Body Maps and Globes Google Earth KidsGeo.com: Geography For Kids, The Study of Our Earth EarthSky: A Clear Voice for Science No related posts.

My winter vacation was exciting! I…. A big brown bear was sleeping in…. I threw the biggest snowball ever and it landed on…. I looked out the window and saw a penguin squatting on…. My granny sent me the funniest mittens. They…. Here is my recipe for the grossest soup ever. First,…. I pressed my tongue against a freezing _____ and it got stuck just as…. My little brother tried to make ice cream from snow, but he made a huge mistake and…. On New Year’s Eve my family and I…. I love Valentine’s Day because…. On cold winter days I love to…. Martin Luther King, Jr. was a hero because…. The groundhog forgot to wake up on Groundhog Day and…. Jack Frost became a bully and decided that winter would never go away. The only one who could stop him was…. When I was snowed in at a toy store for a week, I…. Write a winter poem.  See "Types of Poems". Related posts:Writing Ideas for Kites Make a kite book with your child. It can be... March 2011: Ideas for Every Day of the Month! March 2011 These calendars are designed to give you tons...

I want to share with you the best Web sites I have found for kids. On the next geometry blog, I will share photos of handmade geometry books I am in the process of making, such as a circle book and a spinner book to teach other geometry facts. Great geometry Web sites for teaching kids: Diana Dell: Geometry Vocabulary - This is lesson one of my very favorite geometry site! Children can hear it, see it, and play geometry games!! Diana Dell: Geometry Unit - A complete Geometry Unit!! (This a continuation of the first Web site!) You can’t go wrong with this site if you are teaching children geometry!!!!! Love it, love it, love it! kidsnewsroom.org: Geometry - The examples "move" and teach children in a cool, fun, and easy way. Jefferson County Schools (TN): Online Basic Skill Games - Geometry - Fun geometry games (teaches kids in a fun, fun way!!!!) Kids Konnect: Geometry - This site gives you many other geometry sites for kids. It is a resource I will use! Mrs. Glosser’s Math Goodies: Geometry and the Circle - Circle info Coolmath4kids.com: - Geometry and Math Art ThinkQuest: Interactive Mathematics Online: Geometry Glossary - Glossary of geometry terms AAA Math at 321know.com: Types of Polygons based on Number of Sides - Learn, play, practice, and explore geometry facts ThinkQuest: Geometry - Definitions and symbols Learner.org: Geometry Definitions Math League Press: Geometry - Great geometry reference Related posts:March 2011: Ideas for Every Day of the Month! March 2011 These calendars are designed to give you tons...

My son is going to write a letter to President Obama using a formal letter format (ReadWriteThink: Letter Generator). He will begin his letter introducing himself (and his age) and continue the letter by writing about one issue that is important to him. The letter will be written in cursive handwriting (very neatly) and will be edited by me before it is mailed. We may never hear back from the White House, but wouldn’t it be thrilling for a child to receive some kind of response? Mailing Address: The White House 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW Washington, DC 20500 Email Address: http://www.whitehouse.gov/contact/ Phone Numbers: Comments: 202-456-1111 Switchboard: 202-456-1414 FAX: 202-456-2461 TTY/TDD: Comments: 202-456-6213 Visitors Office: 202-456-2121 No related posts.

I made this simple book to help my child learn geometry and circles: To make the book: Cut out a large circle and poke a hole through the center. (I used my Cricut Expression machine to cut the circle.) Draw a diameter, a radius, and a chord on the circle. Cut out three arrows and poke a hole through the center of the rectangle of each arrow. Label one arrow "diameter", another "radius", and the last "chord". Place a brad through the center of the circle and arrows. Ask children to point each arrow to the correct term on the circle. More super geometry Web sites! Gamequarium: Math > Geometry MathsIsFun: Geometry No related posts.

What did Punxsutawney Phil see in 2009? Check out the Web site below to find out! Also, teachers, you will find lesson plan ideas and much more! Groundhog.org - the Official Site of the Punxsutawney Groundhog Club No related posts.

I love Valentine’s Day! So let’s have fun with love, and all the flowery calorie-filled fun of it all. Craft Ideas for Children: DLTK’s Valentine’s Day Activities for Kids Kaboose: Valentine’s Day Crafts NY Education Examiner: How to make Valentine’s crafts for kids - Video on how to make a "warm fuzzy" for Valentine’s Day (scroll down until you are 1/2 way down the page for this activity) Mycraftbook: Valentine’s Day Crafts for Kids - Lots of Valentine’s crafts for kids! Family Fun: Valentine’s Day | Parties, Crafts & Recipes - Ideas for crafts, recipes, and parties! Danielle’s Place: Valentine’s Day Crafts for Kids KinderArt: Valentine’s Day Crafts, Lessons and Activities Enchanted Learning: Activities, Crafts and Cards for Valentine’s Day AmazingMoms.com: Valentine’s Day Crafts for Kids AllCrafts: Valentine’s Craft Projects AHC Arts & Crafts: Valentine’s Day Arts and Crafts Ideas for Children All Free Crafts.com: Valentine’s Day Crafts Ideas thebestkidsbooksite.com: Valentine’s Day Boxes, Crafts, Books, & Activities for Kids FreeKidsCrafts.com: Valentines Day Crafts FreeKidCrafts.com: Valentine’s Day Craft Ideas suite101.com: Valentine’s Day Crafts for Kids Apples4theteacher.com: Fun Valentine’s Day Activities and Games for Kids Better Homes and Gardens: Sweet Valentine’s Day Crafts for Kids Writing Ideas: What does "broken heart" mean to you? Who is Cupid? Why and when did Valentine’s Day begin? How can you be a good friend? What are some things that a good friend does to you? What do you want for Valentine’s Day? What was your favorite Valentine’s gift? Make a Valentine card for someone you love. Make a "Reasons Why I Love You!" gift. Cut each reason out and place in an envelope or small decorated bag. Make a Valentine’s treasure hunt. Place clues on paper hearts or little notes. Valentine’s Day Recipes: About.com: Creative Valentine Treats All Recipes: Valentine’s Day Recipes - Holidays and Events Food Network: Valentine’s Day Recipes Recipezaar: Valentine’s Day Recipes Old Recipe Book.com: Valentine’s Day Recipes Smarter Babies & Kids Blog: Valentine’s Day Recipes for Kids Family Fun: Valentine’s Day Recipes No related posts.

February is Black History Month, so my 10-year-old son is going to make an African-American book. Below are the people we are going to study: Sarah Boone (inventor of the ironing board; received a patent in 1892) - About.com: Sarah Boone George Washington Carver (plant scientist who made great contributions to the field of agriculture chemistry) - Wikipedia: George Washington Carver Dr. Charles R. Drew (physician) - phillyBurbs: Charles Drew Shirley Chisholm (Congresswoman) Wikipedia: Shirley Chisholm Medgar Evers (civil rights leader) - Wikipedia: Medgar Evers Fanny Lou Hamer (civil rights leader) - Wikipedia: Fannie Lou Hamer Matthew Alexander Henson (explorer) - Enchanted Learning: Matthew Alexander Henson John W. Hunter (inventor of the portable weighing scale) - Evia L. Davis: African American Awareness for Young Children - John W. Hunter Dr. Mae Jemison (first African-American woman in space) - Wikipedia: Mae Jemison Henry Lincoln Johnson (distinguished soldier) - Wikipedia: Henry Lincoln Johnson Dr. Maulana Karenga (founder of Kwanzaa in 1966) - Wikipedia: Maulana Karenga Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. (civil rights leader) - Wikipedia: Martin Luther King, Jr. Abraham Lincoln (16th President of the United States) - Wikipedia: Abraham Lincoln Elijah McCoy (inventor) - Wikipedia: Elijah McCoy Thurgood Marshall (Supreme Court justice) - Wikipedia: Thurgood Marshall Jan E. Matzeliger (Inventor of the shoe-lasting machine) - Inventors Assistance League: Jan Ernst Matzeliger Garrett Morgan (inventor; his inventions included the automatic stop sign and breathing masks used by firefighters) - Wikipedia: Garrett A. Morgan Lyda D. Newman (inventor the modern day hairbrush; received a patent on Nov. 15, 1898) - About.com: Lyda Newman President Barack Obama (44th President of the United States) - Wikipedia: Barack Obama Jesse Owens (athlete) - Wikipedia: Jesse Owens Rosa Parks (mother of the Civil Rights movement) - Wikipedia: Rosa Parks Jackie Robinson (athlete; in 1947, became the first African American to play for a Major League Baseball team) - Wikipedia: Jackie Robinson George T. Sampson (inventor of the clothes dryer) - Evia L. Davis: African American Awareness for Young Children - George T. Sampson James Monroe Trotter - Wikipedia: James Monroe Trotter Sojourner Truth - Biography Resource Center - Sojourner Truth Harriet Tubman (abolitionist) - Wikipedia: Harriet Tubman Mme. C. J. Walker (businesswoman; invented a hair softener and straightening comb; became the first African-American female millionaire) - Wikipedia: Madam C.J. Walker Booker T. Washington (educator) - Wikipedia: Booker T. Washington Ida B. Wells - Wikipedia: Ida B. Wells Dr. Daniel Hale Williams (physician; first to perform open-heart surgery) - Wikipedia: Daniel Hale Williams Joseph Winters (inventor of the fire escape ladder; received a patent on May 7th, 1898) - Wikipedia: Joseph Winters Groups: Wikipedia: Little Rock Nine Wikipedia: Freedom Riders This is the timeline that we are using for our African-American unit: 1492: Christopher Columbus arrives in the Americas - Wikipedia: Christopher Columbus 1517: Spaniards bring first African slaves to West Indies sugar cane plantations -  Slavery in America: Sugar and Slavery - Molasses to Rum to Slaves 1619: First African slaves arrive in , a mid-Atlantic English colony - World Book: The Slave Trade in Colonial America (scroll halfway down) 1778: Writers of the U.S. Articles of Confederation compromise on slavery - Online Library of Liberty: Articles of Confederation 1778 (click "Hide TOC") 1793: Congress passes a law that makes it illegal to help escaping slaves - The FreeDictionary: Fugitive Slave Laws 1808: Slave trade becomes illegal - Wikipedia: Atlantic Slave Trade 1820: Missouri Compromise divides states into free and slave - Wikipedia: Missouri Compromise 1838: Underground Railroad is formally established - National Geographic Online: The Underground Railroad 1850: Fugitive Slave Law says that all persons must help catch escaped slaves - Wikipedia: Fugitive Slave Law of 1850 1852: Uncle Tom’s Cabin tells about the evils of slavery - Wikipedia: Uncle Tom’s Cabin 1857: Supreme Court rules that slaves are property, not people - Prentice-Hall: A Slave Sues for Freedom in 1857 1863: Emancipation Proclamation frees southern slaves - Wikipedia: Emancipation Proclamation 1866: Amendment 13 frees all slaves - Wikipedia: Thirteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution Amendment 14 makes all slaves citizens - US Constitution Online: Amendment 14 1867: Amendment 15 gives ex-slaves the right to vote - Wikipedia: Fifteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution 1877: "Jim Crow" laws begin the segregation of black Americans from white - Wikipedia: Jim Crow laws 1896: Supreme Court "separate but equal" ruling declares segregation to be legal - Wikipedia: Separate but equal 1909: NAACP forms to protect black Americans from prejudice and violence - DealofDay.com: February 12, 1909, Founding of the NAACP 1915: Great Migration begins. Millions of black Americans leave the South and move north and west - University of Washington: The Great Migration - Number of Migrants 1920s: Harlem Renaissance takes place. Black arts and literature eloquently and proudly describe black life - Wikipedia: Harlem Renaissance 1929: Great Depression begins - Wikipedia: Great Depression 1941: Defense plants desegregate - Our Documents: Executive Order 9981 - Desegregation of the Armed Forces (1948) 1947: Jackie Robinson breaks the "color barrier" - Wikipedia: Jackie Robinson 1948: Armed forces desegregate - Truman Library & Museum: Desegregation of the Armed Forces 1954: Supreme Court rules that segregation is unconstitutional - Wikipedia: Brown v. Board of Education 1955: Rosa Parks begins Civil Rights movement - Wikipedia: Rosa Parks 1963: Martin Luther King, Jr. leads 200,000 Americans in protest march to Washington DC - MLK Online: I Have a Dream - Address at March on Washington (Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s "I have a dream speech," both audio and written) 1964: Congress passes Civil Rights Act - Wikipedia: Civil Rights Act of 1964 1965: Voting Act passed - Wikipedia: Voting Rights Act of 1965 1970s: African Americans work to turn the promise of the law into reality. 2009: Barack Obama becomes America’s first African-American president. NOTE TO PARENTS: There is a commercial before this video (the one I watched was from Victoria’s Secret. You may want to screen the commercial, but it is a great video!) - CNN Election Center 2008: Obama - ‘This is your victory’ African-American Web sites for kids: Kaboose: Black History for Kids - Educational Activities, Games, Coloring Pages, Trivia KET’s Underground Railroad: Kentucky Historical Timeline PBS Kids: African-American World for Kids - Find the Face Walter L Sargent, University of Minnesota: The Sixties - Civil Rights, The Great Society, Vietnam No related posts.

Pi Day is celebrated around the world on March 14th at 1:59:26 p.m. Pi ,the Greek letter (), is the symbol for the ratio of the circumference of a circle to its diameter. Pi = 3.1415926535… The first 3 digits, give us the month and date for this celebration, and the following 3 digits give us the time of day to celebrate. So let the Pi festivities begin! I am going to celebrate Pi day with my ten-year-old son because I think it is a fun way to remember what Pi is. It’s not a number that the average "Jo" (that is quite literally me) talks about daily, so this day is a great reminder that Pi is important and needs to be remembered. I’m sure that the math enthusiasts in our great world are taking Pi to a much higher level (and to more decimal places…) and thank God for them. For others like me, I simply hope that this blog helps you smile and remember Pi. The following Web sites will give you much more information. Teach pi The official site for Pi day Exploratorium 21st Anniversary of Pi Day No related posts.