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  • Weather

    Around The World Climates
    Click on a continent and find out whether it has a subarctic, highland, humid oceanic, or other form of climate.

    Climate
    What exactly is a climate? An overview with an explanation of changes in climate and examples of different climates is given.

    Climate – The Introduction
    There are descriptions of the seven different climatic regions of the United States, and online activities, giving basic information explaining the difference between climate and weather.

    Dan’s Wild Wild Weather Page
    This fun site is specially designed for kids. It has easy to understand explanations on clouds, tornadoes, humidity, wind, precipitation and much more. Check out the games and puzzles, too.

    How do Hurricanes Work?
    Read the simple explanation of how hurricanes form, and then learn about the radar images. There are plenty of activities, including making a pair of 3-D glasses, so you can see the pictures in 3-D.

    Ice and Snow
    Learn about ice and snow. What makes ice slippery and why is snow white? You can make your own snowflakes, too.

    What Causes the Earth to Experience Different Seasons
    Simple explanations and clear graphics demonstrate why we have seasons.

    What Forces Affect our Weather?
    This simple explanation of the forces affecting our weather includes explanations of the atmosphere, the water cycle, powerful storms and ice and snow. There is also a section on our changing climate.

  • Virtual Tours

    Ancient Civilizations Tour
    On this journey you will accompany a real family who toured historical sites in Egypt Greece and Rome in 1999. Read their journal entries, and look through their collection of pictures and films.

    Antarctica
    Take a virtual tour to the South Pole, via New Zealand, and Antarctica. Click on any thumbnail picture to see a bigger version. Stop off to buy special clothing, and you may even find time to sleep!

    Everest
    Climb Mount Everest from the base camp to the summit! You can choose between a shockwave tour and an HTML (no sound) tour. Both are interactive.

    The Forbidden City
    Visit the Forbidden City in Beijing, China, through this slide show presentation. You can jump about, by choosing a place on the map, or take the guided tour from the beginning to the end.

    On the Prairie
    Here you can explore the prairie and watch prairie chickens booming. There are also downloadable files for prairie activities and lists of prairies throughout the United States.

    A Trip Through the Grand Canyon
    Take a trip down the river, through the Grand Canyon. Choose the type of trip according to your connection.

    Secrets of Pharaoh
    Choose from three tours, all with 3-D graphics. They are spectacular but there are no photographs, all the pictures are graphical representations.

    The Tower of London
    Tour the Tower of London with a teenager who lives there. You can only tour the grounds, but there are interesting facts to learn about the buildings.

    US Capitol Virtual Tour
    Choose a bandwidth, and then take the tour. With each of the rooms there is a good description of its architecture and points of interest. There are also notes on historic events that occurred in each room.

    US Civil Rights Museum
    This tour depicts major events in the history of civil rights in the US. It is arranged chronologically. You may either pick a specific event or take the tour in order, by clicking on the link at the bottom of each page.

    Virtual Field Trips
    You may have difficulty deciding which trip to take from dozens of educational field trips, to suit all tastes. Each trip covers a single topic, which range from deserts and salt marshes, to volcanoes. Check out the ‘About Field Trips’ link before you start to get the best out of the experience.

    Virtual Walking Tours of Ancient Rome
    Try these two interesting tours of Ancient Rome, in slide show format. Quick loading, and easy to read, informative descriptions, make this a fun experience.

  • US Geography

    Do You know your State Flags?
    Look at the flag, and then click on the correct state from the list. If you get it wrong, you are told the correct answer. This is a great way to learn the flags.

    Farmers Markets – Facts
    Find out what a farmers market is and how it benefits both the farmer and the consumer.

    Fun Facts from the Farm
    Here you will find some interesting facts on agriculture and nutrition in California.

    A History of American Agriculture
    Choose any of the main headings to see facts about agriculture. The headings include economic cycles, life in the farm, crops and livestock and many more.

    Latitude and Longitude Look Up
    This site gives latitude and longitude for major cities around the US.

    National Atlas of the USA
    This site has a variety of interactive and multimedia maps showing all sorts of details, from outbreaks of viruses to active volcanoes. Just click on the topic you are interested in and you will be taken to the map.

    States and Capitals
    Choose from the list of states to find details on any state. Details include capital, geographical center, flower, flag, highest point, lowest point and other relevant information.

    US State Capitals Matchmaker
    Match the capital to the State. Try to beat the average time. This game is fun and addictive.

    US States Climate Page
    Click on any state to see a smaller map with the major cities. Then click on a city to get basic climatology information, or monthly tables on temperature and precipitation.

  • A Report on the Novel: The Hobbit

    The novel The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien had many adventures and tons of excitement. These adventures were important to the characters because they led to changes. Each character changed in some form or another. Bilbo Baggins, the protagonist, went through the most changes. As he went through the journey he became a new person.

    One way Bilbo changed was that he became a leader. When Gandalf left the group Bilbo took charge and directed the dwarves. During the challenges, Bilbo thought of ways to defeat the enemy and of ways to escape. For example, when the dwarves got captured by the Elvenking Bilbo thought of a plan and helped them escape. Bilbo also steered them away from danger. When the dwarves ran into the cave to get away from Smaug they didn’t want to shut the door al the way. Bilbo persuaded them to do so and only a few seconds later the whole door crumbled from the impact of Smaugs tail. If Bilbo hadn’t stepped up and told them they needed to close the door they would have all wound up dead.

    In The Hobbit Bilbo also gains courage. In the beginning Bilbo doesn’t really want to venture out of his hobbit hole and he was nervous to do new things. By the end of the book Bilbo has developed courage. Bilbo became courageous by fighting the spiders to save the dwarves. He was also courageous when he ventured far into Smaugs cave and decided to have a conversation with him to get more information. Gandalf couldn’t hand Bilbo courage, but Bilbo gained it on his own.

    Another change that Bilbo made was being comfortable with himself. In the beginning Bilbo was quiet but as the adventure went on Bilbo began to take more risks and speak out to the dwarves. He was comfortable with himself in a way that made him comfortable with doing what he thought was right. He felt that it was necessary to give the Arkenstone to Bard and the Elvenking to help with their bargaining. Bilbo was confident with this decision.

    In conclusion, Bilbo went through many changes and was happy with his new self in the end. He conquered his inner dragon and transformed into a new person in the process. The theme of this story was that you never know what inside a person until they’re tested. This is true for Bilbo because he didn’t expect much out of himself and neither did the dwarves. After going through changes though, Bilbo ended up being a huge help.

  • Regional History

    Africa

    African History
    Africa is made up of many countries, each with their own past. At this site you will find links to historical information on several specific African countries, as well as a general overview on African History.

    Colonial Africa
    This is a very well presented introduction to the history of colonialism in Africa. It starts with a brief list of important facts you should know, goes on to details about early explorers and the colonies, ending with the indpendence of African Nations. It even touches on Liberia, the nation founded by freed American slaves, and the only African nation never to have been occupied by a colonial power.

    Story of Africa
    The BBC collected articles from African historians on the history of Africa, and put them together to make this huge site. It has links to different regions and eras of African History.

    Australia and New Zealand

    Australian Timeline
    This very brief document gives the major dates in Australian history since it was first sighted by the Europeans in 1606.

    Early Queensland History
    Although Australia had British settlements as early as 1788, the first settlement in Queensland didn’t happen until 1824. This first settlement was a convict colony. Learn more about the exploration and settlement of Queensland.

    Australian History
    Here you will find a history of Australia prior to colonization, as well as post colonization. Discover why Britain chose to send her convicts there, and what became of them.

    The Whitianga Museum and Captain Cook’s Arrival
    Read about Captain Cook’s first expedition to New Zealand, and how the local inhabitants treated him. This page is a little difficult to read as it has excerpts from his diary, written in old English.

    Canada

    Canadian History Timeline
    This well-illustrated timeline begins in the age of the dinosaurs and continues to the present day. It is clear and colorful, giving a very little information, but enough to whet your appetite for Canadian history.

    Famous Canadians – Timeline
    From 1700 this timeline lists the birth dates of important people in Canadian History. Each name has a link to a brief biography. This is a very useful starting place for finding out more about Canadian History.

    Head-Smashed-In Buffalo Jump
    This buffalo jump, designated by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site, demonstrates a custom practiced by native inhabitants of North America for almost 6000 years. Learn about the history of the Blackfoot tribe, the buffalo jump and more at this informative and interesting site.

    Early Days – Homesteaders
    Early settlers to Western Canada undertook long and difficult journeys, in the hopes of owning land. Follow these early settlers from their journey, through their house building and onto school and community activities.

    Canadian History
    This is a list of sites with useful information on Canadian History for kids. There are also links to lesson plans for teachers of elementary level history.

    India

    History of India
    The Indian government has produced this site with information on different eras of Indian History. The information stretches from the Indus Valley Civilization to the New State, covering 2,300 years of history.

    India Under the British
    From the 1600 Britain established trade in India, and quickly cam to power. The British East India Company ruled over India for over 200 years but was eventually replaced by the British Government. Learn about the initial trading company, the mutiny that led to its downfall, and the British rule that followed.

    Indian Mutiny
    Although this site is written with older students in mind, it presents a clear history of the Indian Mutiny of 1857. There is a brief background of the history and reasons leading up to the mutiny, as well as a description of the mutiny itself.

    Mohandes Karamchand Gandhi
    Mohandes Gandhi, otherwise know as Mahatma Gandhi, led the nonviolent protest against British Rule in India. Eventually he won independence for India. Read about his early life, time spent in South Africa, and eventual rise to power in India.

  • Fun and Games

    Ask a tutor a question:

    Fun and Games

    Earth to Kids
    There are a number of different puzzles here for you to try. There are word searches and quizzes, all to do with the environment. How much do you know?

    Egyptian Name Translator
    Type in your name and see what it looks like written in hieroglyphics.

    Find the State
    Can you identify all 50 States? This is a good game for learning where all the states are. When you know them all, see how fast you are.

    Flag Tag
    How well do you know the world flags? There is a country name and three flags. You have to ‘catch’ the right flag!

    A Game A Day
    Play a new game everyday at this interactive site. Some games relate to social studies and some are just for fun. You can check out old games, too.

    Your Geography Knowledge Quiz
    Can you place the 50 States on the map correctly? Try it out. When you’ve done select another world map, and try again.

    Gorm’s Viking Name Convertor
    Enter your name and choose the word that describes you best. Gorm will give you your Viking name. Try finding names for other people you know, too!

    Hangman – US Presidents
    Each of the games has the name of a US President. Can you guess which president it is?

    Journey Through The Middle Ages
    Move through the castle room-by-room, gathering information on the way. To move to the next room you must answer a question correctly and then you will be given a clue and move on. The aim is to collect all the clues and solve a puzzle, to be made a knight.

    The Magic School Bus Great Habitat Game
    Find out more about a few endangered species and their habitats, try playing the game.

    Runes Through Time
    Enter your name in the space provided and translate it into runes. When you have finished, check out the rest of the page to learn more about Vikings and runes.

    Seven Wonders
    The idea of the game is to eliminate colored bricks. You need to have at least two same-color bricks next to each other to get them to disappear. Behind the wall of bricks there are photographs of the Seven Wonders of the World, and a few more, too. This game is not as easy as it looks, and you need to eliminate most of the bricks to see the picture. Good Luck!

    World Capitals
    Try these different activities for learning the capital cities of the world. There is something to please everyone.

     

  • Natural Hazards and Disasters

    The Disaster Area
    Learn about nine different natural disasters. The aim of this site is to teach kids to be prepared. After visiting all the different disasters, take the quiz to see how much you’ve learned.

    Earthquake Facts and Follies
    Here you can find the answers to some of the common questions asked about earthquakes. Find out the facts, and hear about the fiction!

    Earthquakes for Kids
    Kids can learn all about earthquakes, interesting facts and earthquake preparedness. Take a quiz or complete a survey.

    Flash Flood
    This site explains what a flash flood is and the different types of flood. It also has information on flood preparedness and links to other flood sites.

    Plate Tectonics
    This is a link for older students. It explains about the plates that form the earth’s crust, and how they play a role in volcanoes and earthquakes.

    Potentially Active Volcanoes
    This multimedia map shows the potentially active volcanoes in the United States. It is part of the National Atlas. Click on any volcano for more details, including a photograph.

    The Terrible Power of Earthquakes
    View details about what earthquakes are, where and why they occur and the damage they cause. There are good pictures accompanying the explanations. This is a commercial site, but the information is clear and simple.

    Volcanoes Exhibit
    This site is more for older children. It explains how volcanoes form and why they erupt. The site has a lot of activities for you to do, from melting a virtual rock, to deciding if it’s safe to build a house near a volcano.

    Weather Gone Wild
    Every type of wild weather is described here, including blizzards and avalanches.

  • Medieval History

    Castles for Kids
    Investigate this interesting perspective of life in a medieval castle. It provides information on structure, residents, knights, hunting, and royal feasts.

    Henry VIII and the Tudors 
    Just how many wives did he have, and who were they? What sort of a person was he? Designed for 7-10 year olds, this site gives interesting facts about Henry VIII and his wives.

    Janet’s Viking Web Site
    Learn more about Viking ships, homes, warriors, gods and people.

    Journey Through The Middle Ages
    There are three different ways to view this site. You can play a game, simply wander through the castle or if you really want the facts, you can see the information pages.

    Life in the Middle Ages
    Step back in time to the days of imposing castles, knights in armor defending the kingdom, and noblemen ruling over the serfs. This looks at life in the Middle Ages.

    Medieval Madness
    In this project for kids by kids students have searched for the best reference sites on varied topics relating to the Middle Ages. They have then put together open-ended questions to answer.

    Medieval Village Life – An Interactive Lesson
    This Interactive lesson teaches about feudalism and life in a medieval village. With each step there is an interactive quiz to check your understanding.

    Middle Ages Exhibit
    What was it like to live in the Middle Ages? Explore feudal life, the towns, churches, homes, clothing, health, arts and entertainment of this period. The exhibit is clear and easy to read, but there are very few illustrations.

    Tales From Camelot
    At this site, written by kids, there is a collection of stories about Camelot, written as if the characters are telling them. It gives an interesting look at some of the better-known knights from the stories of King Arthur and the Round Table.

    The Tower of London
    Tour the Tower of London with Reginald Raven, who lives there. This site is especially for kids and gives lots of interesting details about the Tower and what went on there.

    The Vikings
    Who were the Vikings, where did they go and why? Learn about their religion and their settlements. Although the information is primarily aimed at 7 and 8 year olds, links are included for older children.

  • Maps

    World Atlas
    Find a superb collection of maps and geographical information gathered from the Internet and listed at Geography at About.com.

    Atlapedia
    Choose from physical or political maps, and then select the country you want. You can also access facts on geography, climate people, religion, language, history and more.

    CIA World Fact Book
    Countries are listed alphabetically. These maps are clear and simple-to-read, with tabs for further information.

    Flags and Maps of the World
    Choose a continent and then a country, from either its name or its flag. You will be taken to the country’s flag and a simple, clear map. No facts are given. Visit the games and fun sites, too.

    Infoplease Atlas
    Click on a region of the world or try the map index. The maps are clear and simple, with no additional country facts.

    Online Map Creation
    Using the input form you can create your own maps online. Change the projection and see the difference! This is quite a challenging site, so you may need some adult assistance.

    National Geographic’s Map Machine
    A great tool for the older student, though it takes some time to understand all the functions. Choose from dynamic maps, atlas maps or flags and facts.

    Outline Maps
    This selection of outline maps for use in the classroom or at home can be printed or downloaded, for adding to homework assignments.

    Working with Maps – Map Adventures
    Designed with the younger student in mind (K-3), these lesson plans, based on a story with activity sheets, teach basic map reading skills.

    Working with Maps – What do Maps Show?
    These lesson plans and activity sheets teach map reading skills to grades 5-8.

  • Lesson Plans and Online Resources

    Resources for lesson plans, activity suggestions, and general classroom help related to social studies for kids are all available here.

    Lesson Plans and Educational Activities
    About.com’s Geography Guide provides a list of links for educational sites and resources related to geography.

    Social Studies – Ancient Civilizations
    Lesson plans and online resources related to ancient civilizations are supplied by the About.com Guide for K-6 Educators.

    LessonPlans4Teachers
    Save hours of wasted time, searching for subjects with this must-have tool. This site has search engines specifically designed to find teaching materials. Five different levels of search, depending on how narrow a search you want.

    Discovery School
    Lesson plans are arranged by subject and grade range.

    Ancient Egypt – Lesson Plans for Teachers
    Using Ancient Egypt as the theme these lesson plans include art, language arts, math and science, mummies and social studies.

    Academy Curricular Exchange – Social Studies (K-5)
    Simple lesson plans giving different perspectives on the US Social Studies curriculum, submitted by teachers. They are especially good for the younger age group.

    Primary Resources
    A limited number of printable resources are available for the UK National curriculum. General geography and some history topics are covered.

    Geography Education: Grades K-4
    Lesson plans and resources for teaching geography are available to teachers of k-4.

    Geography Education: Grades 5-8
    Delve into these lesson plans and resources for teaching geography to grades 5-8

    Current Lesson Plans Index – SSEC
    New lesson plans are added each month to this site, which has lesson plans according to grade level.