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  • Numbers 0-20

    Be it counting numbers 0-20 for preschoolers or addition, subtraction lessons for 10-year-olds, teaching Math basics should be every-inch a fun. Actually, learning activities for preschoolers and young children should be such that they are able to learn while at play, otherwise they tend to get bored. Hence, as a teacher, you should plan fun-filled lessons and activities that involve the children both physically and mentally. Your child will learn fast and commit everything to memory if you take help of games and puzzles based on acoustic and visual aids that are able to hold his / her attention.

    Number Sound Puzzles like the Numbers 0-20 Puzzle by Melissa & Doug are excellent tools for teaching counting to children aged between 2 and 5. The Numbers 0-20 puzzles are riddles that require the user to identify and place a number in its proper place, resulting in the number being named by the device. Removing each number exposes a brightly colored picture beneath.

    Nonetheless, there are other easy means of learning numbers, 0-10, 0-20, 0-30 and even more. As in the case of alphabets, rhymes and songs are simply unparalleled for teaching numbers to kids. Every language in the world has its stock of number rhymes and so has the English language. Thus, it will be easier to teach counting numbers 1-10 to your 2-year-old if you resort to the popular English rhyme “One, two, buckle my shoe … Nine, ten, a good fat hen”. Compose your own rhyme for numbers 0-20. You would do better to incorporate hand and bodily actions.

    An easy way of teaching numbers to children is to engage them in games and activities that involve counting. Number your child’s toys and have her identify the numbers and arrange them in the toy-basket. Select a few household articles and number them. Hide the articles and ask the children to find them all. Stories that center round counting are effective means for teaching numbers.

    Another effective way of teaching how to count to preschoolers is to play ‘school’. Write down an incorrect number sequence and ask the children to make necessary corrections. Involving more than one child will make the learning process more interesting.

    Fun games like Chinese checkers, dominos, logic grids, etc. make Maths enjoyable. Board games like backgammon, chess and Yahtzee are great for school going children.

    Everything said and done, we would like to emphasize that incorporating the learning activities into everyday life will increase the chances of your success manifold times. Whether you are teaching numbers 0-20 or elementary Arithmetic, children will learn things better if you teach them through computer games or even in the form of cookie games, etc. And remember, since repetition clarifies things better, you should never let go by an opportunity of repeating the fun counting games and lessons on a regular basis, especially the ones the children come to like most.

  • Endangered Orangutans


    The word orangutan comes from Malaysian language and it means “man of the forest”. They are often called red apes because of their reddish hair. Orangutans are highly intelligent and gentle. They are the largest tree dwelling animals in the world. They live about 100 feet above the rainforest grounds on the islands of Borneo and Sumatra. The orangutan is critically endangered. Orangutans have lost a lot of their habitat over the past ten years. If we don’t help the orangutan soon they will be gone forever. This report will tell you all about the orangutan.

    Description

    The orangutans are easy to recognize among the large apes because of their bright red hair. They also have very long arms and a male’s arms can span up to 7feet long. They have hook shaped feet, which help these apes climb and swing from tree to tree with ease. They basically spend most of their time in the trees.

    They even sleep in the trees. The male orangutan can be easily identified because it is twice as big as the female and has large cheek pads, which are called flanges. The male also has a beard and a large pouch that hangs from his throat. This helps him to make load roars to warn other males and it is a mating call to females. The male weighs around 200 lbs and the female weighs around 100 lbs. Orangutans share 97% of the same DNA as humans. Their hands, feet, eyes, and teeth look very similar to ours. They orangutan lives 40 to 45 years in the wild. They are the closest living relatives to humans.

    Habitat

    Ten thousand years ago orangutans were found in Southeast Asia and Southern China. Their population was in the hundreds of thousands. Today they are only found on the islands of Borneo and Sumatra and their population is only around 45,000.

    The orangutan lives in the canopies of the tropical Montane forest, Heath forest, Peat Swamp forest, and lowland Dipterocarp forest. They spend most of their time swinging from tree to tree, but can walk on the ground similar to the way humans walk.

    Food

    The orangutan eats mostly fruit, which makes up 60% of their diet. They are mostly herbivores but they also eat insects such as termites and crickets. They use tools made out of sticks to get termites from under the ground. Their favorite food comes from durian trees. This food is said to taste sweet, cheesy, garlicky and custardy. They like to eat bird eggs, young leaves, shoots, seeds and bark. Nearly 60% of their daylight hours are spent looking for food. The weight of a female orangutan is 90 to 110lbs. and a male is 200 to 220lbs.

    Reproduction

    Orangutan reproduction rates are very slow. They have 1 baby every 7 or 8 years. Orangutan mothers are very good at raising their babies to adulthood. They teach them how to climb, which foods to eat, and how to survive in the jungle. The mother stays with her babies for an average of eight years, but they are completely independent by age 10. Orangutans have a low mortality rate.

    Enemies

    The orangutan’s worst enemies are humans and human activity. Other animals that are enemies of orangutans are tigers and the clouded leopard. Man is destroying the forests by clearing the timber for farming and for settlement. The increased population has made for less land for the orangutans. In 1997 a real dry spell burned a lot of Indonesia and destroyed the orangutan habitat. T he orangutan was also hunted for its meat and young apes were captured for the illegal pet trade. Orangutans become too big and strong and do not make good pets.

    Reasons for Endangerment

    Today, there are less than 45,000 surviving Orangutans in the rain forests of Borneo and Sumatra.

    Man has destroyed the timber and settled too closely to the orangutan’s home. Orangutans need 10,000 acres of land to survive. Another reason they are endangered is because man has hunted them for meat and traded them in illegal pet trade. The orangutan reproduces very slowly. A female gives birth every 7 or 8 years. This is why orangutans are very slow to recover from any disturbances to their habitat.

    Conservation Efforts

    The orangutan needs a lot of help. The OFI (Orangutan Foundation International) the SOS (Sumatran Orangutan Society) and the WORC (Wanariset Orangutan Reintroduction Center) are just a few of the rescue organizations. They are working to stop illegal logging, illegal pet trade and the rehabilitation of captured orangutans for release back into the wild. We can help too. We can donate money to conservation groups working to save the orangutan habitat. We can also avoid buying wood products that come from the trees in the tropical rainforest. Examples are rayon wood, teak wood and palm oil from the trees. Other things we can do are to recycle old cell phones and adopt an orangutan. These non-profit organizations along with our help will protect the endangered orangutan.

    Conclusion

    Sadly, orangutans are in serious danger of becoming extinct. Humans have destroyed their homes through logging, burning, farming, and illegal pet trade. Today there are less than 45,000 orangutans left in the world. Some say the orangutan will be extinct in 2018. We must do what we can do to protect them. Their survival depends on you!

  • Prince Henry the Navigator


    Prince Henry the navigator was an eminent figure in the early days of the Portuguese empire. He was the third son of John I of Portugal, the creator of the Aviz dynasty. And his mother Philippa of Lancaster was the daughter of John of Gaunt. He took stride in wars at a very early age of his life. He was just 21 when he accompanied his father and brothers to lay attack on the Muslim port of Ceuta in northern Morocco. Success in war motivated Henry to explore down the coast of Africa – an unknown domain for the Europeans at that point of time. This laid the foundations to the making of Prince Henry the navigator.

    Henry, an adventurous explorer wanted to explore the southern parts of Morocco. At the same time he was also obsessed with slave raiding along the coast of Africa. It was only in 1419 that his father chose him Governor of the state of Algarve. Throwing light on his personal life, you will find that Prince Henry remained a bachelor. Conversely, he disregarded the company of women but enjoyed strong emotional connection with several men to say the least.

    It was in 1420 Henry, the navigator was appointed as the Governor of the very rich Order of Christ. The Order was a vital source of funds for him and his explorations, which kept his dreams of conquering the Canary Islands alive. History says that in 1427, one of Henry’s navigators discovered the Azores, perhaps Gonçalo Velho and in 1430 the Portuguese colonized these islands. What’s more in 1434, Gil Eanes, a Chief of one of Henry’s expeditions was first amongst the Europeans to get ahead of Cape Bojador.

    You will also know that Prince Henry the navigator functioned as a primary organizer of the Portuguese mission to Tangier in 1437. But this time it spelled disaster for him as his younger brother Fernando was seized. They demanded a peace agreement in return to which Henry refused. Fernando eventually died after eleven years in captivation. His expeditions stretched to Nuno Tristão and Antão Gonçalves finally reached Cape Blanco in 1441. If that wasn’t enough then note that 1444 to 1446, as much as forty vessels sailed from Lagos on Henry’s behalf, and this is how the first private mercantile expeditions began.

    This is how Prince Henry the navigator will be remembered in history.

  • Second Grade Math


    This is the basic plan of what will be covered in second grade math. Each
    week will have approximately 10 worksheets. There will also be suggestions for
    activities and a file containing manipulatives. The manipulatives can be printed
    out and used throughout the year.

    There will also be a list of other places on the net with suitable worksheets
    for use with the work. If you are interested in learning more, please sign up
    with the yahoo group:
    email
    us, or leave a message in the forum.

    Week

    Theme

    1-4

    Addition and Subtraction Facts

    1-2

    Preview of facts from grade one

    3.

    Addition facts to 18

    4.

    Subtraction facts to 18

    5-7

    Place value and number patterns to 100

    5.

    Numbers to One Hundred

    6.

    Number Patterns (skip counting, even/odd, on/back by tens)

    7.

    Using Numbers to 100 (before, after, greater, less, etc)

    8-9

    Money

    8.

    Counting Money

    9.

    Using Money

    10-11

    Time

    10.

    Clocks

    11.

    Days, Weeks, Months

    12-14

    Two digit addition

    12.

    Beginning (no regrouping)

    13.

    Regrouping

    14.

    Addition with regrouping

    15-17

    Two digit subtraction

    15.

    Beginning (no regrouping)

    16.

    Subtraction with regrouping

    17.

    Mixed problems

    18-20

    Measurement

    18.

    Length

    19.

    Perimeter and Area

    20.

    Weight, capacity, Temperature

    21-24

    Geometry and fractions

    21.

    Solid and Plane Figures

    22.

    Plane Figures

    23.

    Symmetry

    24.

    Fractions

    25-27

    Large Numbers

    25.

    Numbers to 1,000

    26.

    Comparing and ordering Large Numbers

    27.

    Adding and subtracting large numbers

    28-30

    Multiplication and Division

    28.

    Multiplication

    29.

    Division

  • St. Patrick’s Day Activity


    Saint Patrick’s Day celebrated on the 17th of March calls for St. Patrick Day activity. It commemorates St. Patrick, the benefactor saint of Ireland. The people of the Republic of Ireland, the foreign terrain of Montserrat and Newfoundland together with Labrador of Canada and some parts of U.S.A celebrate this day to its full glory. It is an Irish festival as 17th March is a national holiday there. The day is rejoiced by way of wearing green, consuming Irish food and imbibing Irish drink and it goes without saying, attending parades. Let’s explore what it takes to make crafts as regards St. Patrick Day activity.

    The ideas for St. Patrick Day activity are simple and easy to implement. They require easily available home materials like egg cartons, cardboard, paper, boxes, string, crayons, paint, glue, etc. One of the many activities is the simple project of the Blarney Stone craft.

    Blarney Stone is a well-known stone in southwestern Ireland. It goes like this, that if you plant a kiss on the Blarney Stone you will derive the gift of articulacy. Now all you need to do is wash the rock and paint it green. To add that shimmering effect use glitter, sequins, beads, plastic jewels, googly eyes, bits of yarn, or other similar stuff. Bring in some minutiae using markers.

    Your project can get as interesting as a potato face. Yes, an adorable potato head can be made out of just a brown paper grocery bag and construction paper. Give a potato shape to the grocery bag or construction paper and keep it large. The eyes portions are cut out and the other features viz. a nose, a mouth, hair, a bowtie are affixed on it with the help of glue.

    You can also make a rainbow Jello for St. Patrick’s Day. You will have to begin with preparing red Jello as per the instructions and pour some in a transparent plastic glass. Once the red Jello sets in, go in with the different colors one after the other, your rainbow Jello is ready.

    Handprint rainbow is one such activity that you can’t miss. Here, the handprints of many children constitute a beautiful rainbow. It would be an ideal thing for classroom beautification or bulletin board. Thing you need to do is take different colored construction papers and trace the hands of the respective children. The handprints are then cut out and pasted on a paper that is in the shape of a rainbow. In this way, your handprint rainbow is ready. And, beyond that, you can also look forward to the making of the tiny leprechaun hat for St. Patrick’s Day.

    St. Patrick Day activity would be more exciting if you follow the above tips.

  • Unit Studies

    Unit Studies
    Vikings Unit The
    Middle Ages Unit
    Mesopotamia Unit Ancient
    Egypt Unit
    Prince
    Henry Unit     		Marco
    Polo Unit
    The American Flag Unit Thanksgiving Unit Lesson
    Christmas Around The World Eli Whitney Biography
    Worksheets
    ABC
    – Uppercase Letters     		abc
    – lowercase letters
    Numbers
    0-20    		 Themed Writing

    Activity
    Packs

    Valentine’s
    Day Activity

    St
    Patrick’s Day Activity

    Gardening Tips



  • Cooking for Kids


    Cooking for kids can be very interesting; however, it can be equally challenging. It is true that children mostly hate healthy foods, which mainly involve too much of fruits and vegetables. The challenge lies not only in preparing healthy and nutritious food items but also in presenting the dishes in such a way that the kids are unable to resist the temptation.

    You can indeed resort to some crafty ways of cooking for kids, which will allow you to have lots of vegetables and fruits, without letting the children have the slightest hint of their presence in the dishes. For example, home made pizzas have high nutritional values. Different kinds of vegetables can be used as toppings on the pizzas.

    Cooking For Kids – Shapes Of Foods

    Shapes stir the interest of many kids. Instead of giving the prepared foods in bowls or plates, create various shapes and see the difference it can create. Take any fruit or vegetable and cut them into various shapes to add to the appeal. Suppose you cut a slice of an apple and shape it into a ladybug. Shape Peanut butter in to glue form and then you can spread raisins in the dots to make the spots.

    Kids always love smoothies or milkshakes and therefore let them choose the fruit that sound good to them. You can prepare a foamy and yummy juice and to spice up the look, add vegetable bits, without spoiling the juicy taste. This can be a very tricky way of cooking for kids and letting them have vegetables.

    Cooking For Kids – A Few Recipes

    • Recipe For Chick Sticks

    Ingredients – finely chopped two hard-boiled eggs, cooked chicken (chopped), salt and ground pepper; you will also need a mixture of white breadcrumbs and finely chopped parsley.

    Cooking Procedures – Mix the ingredients and then with floured hands roll them into balls. Then, dab the balls in the parsley and breadcrumbs mixture and serve them on cocktail sticks.

    • Recipe For Meaty Pizza

    Ingredients – chopped onion (1 piece), chopped streaky bacon (2), minced beef (1 oz.), grated cheese (4 oz.), chopped mixed pepper and white bread mix (10 oz.).

    Cooking procedures – Pre-heat the oven to 400F. Make the bread mix and make the rolls. Fry the minced beef, bacon and onion for 15 minutes and then mix it in the tomato puree and chopped peppers. Spread the mix on some base and spread toppings of cheese and peppers on it. At last, bake it on the oven for 20 minutes.

    Let The Kids Participate And Have Fun

    When cooking for kids, involve them in your endeavor of creating assorted culinary delights. Welcome your kids to the kitchen. Ask them about their choices, as they are definitely pleased when their whims are met. While cooking for kids, you can even assign them some simple tasks. They will enjoy the experience completely. Moreover, they will definitely like to taste the dishes they have been involved with.

  • Crafts For Kids


    Crafts for kids are essential because innocent minds are restless and are always up looking for something to learn, play with, or create. (Also, the mischievous pranks of kids looking for amusement can turn the entire house up side down!) Therefore, they need to be kept engaged. Their growing brains must find something creative to accomplish. Thus, they can be assigned activities like handcrafts where they can explore their childhood ideas and create wonders.

    Kids Craft Idea: A Bird Bath

    There are innumerable varieties of crafts for the kids to play with. Children can be taught to make clay bird baths, for instance. The ingredients which the child requires to make this item include 16 inch or larger terracotta clay pot, 16 inch or larger terracotta clay saucer, paint, paintbrushes, and a clear acrylic sealer spray.

    The process of making the clay bird bath is indeed simple. First, teach your child how to wipe down the terra cotta pot and saucer with a damp cloth. Then you should allow it to dry completely. However, when it comes to decoration, choices are indeed endless. Help your child get hold of a neat stencil and paint the item. He or she can also try and sponge-paint the birdbath. The final secret is to seal it with a clear acrylic sealer spray. Also, remember to store the clay bird bath properly when it is not being used (if you live in a colder climate, taking it inside in the winter is a good idea).

    Kids Craft Idea: Tin Can Luminary

    How can your child recreate gorgeous luminaries by making use of tin cans? What materials does your child need? The ingredients include tin can, paper, duct tape, nail and hammer. Before using the can, your child should clean it properly and remove the label. After the can is filled with water, it should be kept within the refrigerator to turn the water into ice. The next step would be to give the luminary a form by tapping holes on the sides of the can using a hammer and a nail (this should be done very carefully and with adult supervision).

    Why does the child need to freeze the water? The water is frozen so as to make sure that the can retains its shape while it is being nailed and hammered. The child must think of a design, which would, best suit the tin can.

    First, your child should tape the design around the can. Then it is time for him to make use of the hammer and nail to tap holes into the can and ice. He should go with the line of the design and leave spaces in-between the holes. After framing the design, the child should remove the pattern and let the ice melt. The next step should be to make the can dry. Just place the candle within the can and illuminate it. Stand aside and wach how the magic works.

    This is definitely not the end of the list. During summer, winter or any other vacation children while sitting in the cozy atmosphere of their room can give shape to their ideas in form of several hand craft varieties. There are many other kids craft ideas like straw sculptures, toothpick art, bubble painting, finger painting, sock puppets, sand paintings, and pasta or legume mosaics. There is a whole world waiting to be explored with kids craft ideas.




  • Furniture for Kids


    Furniture for kids are in great demand in the markets at present because they perfectly complement the nature of the kids. They give a nursery or a kid’s room a specific identity. The fun factor should always be present in a kid’s room. The kids love to have a space of their own where they can really enjoy themselves, thus it should be different from the rooms of the adults.

    If you are wondering how to impart that colorful kind of look to the kids’ zone, always emphasize on the furniture of the room. Furniture for kids must seem appealing to the child’s eye; thus, it should have bright colors and attractive shapes.

    Some Indispensable Furniture For Kids

    The psychology as well as the preferences of each child is different, it is up to the adults or the parents to keep this in mind and then choose the furniture for kids.

    The table and chairs in the child’s room should have bright paints; this will attract the kids to sit on them and study. Trendy and colorful toy boxes that look like treasure chests can be presented to your little child; children can store their favorite toys in them.

    The child should have a chest of drawers – this will tempt the child to store some great items, like personal diaries, stamps and coins. Ensure that your kids have wonderful looking bookshelves; this will instill in them an interest for keeping their books carefully. The tables by the bed are great for keeping a glass of water, keeping in mind the requirement of the child.

    A cute and lovely TV table completes the look of your child’s room. Your child will simply love this. Another important piece of furniture for kids’ room is a sweet-looking cabinet that the children can use to keep their pillows, bed-sheets and blankets. Many prefer to have a bed that has scope for storage. If your child prefers that, get one for your kid.

    Children prefer to have beds that are shaped like a racecar, a bunk or a canopy. The beds come in brilliant colors that cheer up the room of the child. The drawers of the beds can be designed to look like the tractors, space shuttles and castles. Depending on the choices of the child, get the ideal furniture for kids.

    However, keep in mind not to cram the room of the kids too much with furniture. The room of the child should have enough empty space enabling the child to freely move about and play. Do the proper market research and buy the best fitting furniture for kids.

  • Yoga for Kids


    There are many yoga centers, which exclusively organize sessions of yoga for kids to nurture their tender minds and bodies. Yoga is a very holistic technique of relaxing distracted minds and gaining composure. This helps kids develop an intimate relationship with their inner self and the surrounding world.

    Yoga began in India as an ancient spiritual practice, with each position holding a certain spiritual significance. Although many people in the U.S. think that yoga is about exercise, yoga practitioners do not separate the spiritual from the physical. Learning yoga can be a good opportunity not only to increase strength, flexibility, and balance, but also to learn about a venerable spiritual system. Yoga brings a sense of intense awareness and peace to the practitioner, along with physical benefits.

    You cannot deny the fact that a kid has many activities to take care of. Starting right from attending school to curriculum classes, sporting activities, etc. they have to face it all. Hence, if you expect so much from your kid, then remember that yoga for kids is indispensable to let them survive in this competitive world.

    The Benefits Of Yoga for Kids

    • Yoga enhances the stamina, ability and mental balance.
    • It enables you teach the kids alphabets and numbers in a singing mode and they can learn about their body in a fun manner.
    • The songs and the chants that they practice in yoga classes improve their speaking skills.
    • Yoga strengthens the digestive system and helps get rid of various internal complexities like, gas and constipation.
    • Their memory and learning capabilities are also improved.

    Speaking of the physical benefits of yoga for kids, you can be well assured of the improvements in body flexibility and strength. At the same time yoga classes rejuvenates their minds and gives them the inner strength to encounter life’s challenges with great ease.

    Yoga is a non-competitive activity, which influences the thinking process and awareness that they are slowly developing. Besides, they can grow a passion for things they previously used to hate or fear. Studies have always been a major problem area, which many kids find almost impossible to cope up with. Yoga can enable them to overcome this fear/hatred; it instead, helps develop an attachment for studies.

    The Yoga Postures

    To get started with yoga for kids, it is important to seek the help of a right instructor. Actually, only a capable instructor can teach the right postures and tricks. Many yoga postures immensely benefit kids. Sukhasana works wonders in breathing problem. The ‘Dog’ and the ‘Cat’ yoga postures augment the body flexibility. The other yoga postures incorporate Mountain, which improves posture, self-awareness and Uttanasana II that stretches the legs and body. Trikonasana, Warrior Ii and Virabhadrasana II are other yoga postures, which strengthen the body parts.

    Yoga for kids include a few more asanas like Vrikshasana Trikonasana, Janu Sirshasana, Naukasana, Bhujangasana Dhanurasana, Garudasana and many more.