Here's a virtual opportunity to step through inauguration day alongside a president-elect right from morning worship service to the evening inaugural ball. 

http://inaugural.senate.gov/history/

http://www.wga.hu/index1.html

Be sure to check out this awesome learning opportunity: 

Exploravision Awards. 

Designed for K–12 students of all interest, skill and ability levels, ExploraVision encourages kids to create and explore a vision of future technology by combining their imaginations with the tools of science. All inventions and innovations result from creative thinking and problem solving. That's what ExploraVision is all about.

Since 1992, more than 245,000 students from across the United States and Canada have competed in ExploraVision. But this is much more than a contest. ExploraVision can be the beginning of a lifelong adventure in science, as students develop higher-order thinking skills and learn to think about their role in the future.

To enter ExploraVision, students work in groups of two, three or four — simulating a real research and development (R&D) team. A teacher serves as team coach, and you can also choose an optional mentor.

• Each team selects a technology (or an aspect of a technology) that is present in and relevant to their lives
• First, the team explores what the technology does, how it works, and how, when and why it was invented
• Next, the team imagines and explores what that technology could be like 20 years from now
• Finally, each team prepares an in-depth report that conveys its vision to others.

Check out their website for more details:

http://www.exploravision.org/entry-process/

With a Canadian Federal Election around the corner, it's a wonderful time to do a unit study or share a learning day with other families about Canadian politics.

Here are some useful resources:

For nine mini journeys through a History of the Vote in Canada: http://www.civilisations.ca/hist/elections/el_001_e.html

Elections Canada Trivia Game: http://www.civilisations.ca/hist/elections/el_043_e.html

Election 2008 Info:

http://www.nodice.ca/elections/canada/

Civic responsibility is both caught and taught.  Don't let any opportunity to stress the importance of an educated, thought through decision learning opportunity pass you by.  The headlines in the daily papers and all the propoganda and advertising leave room for plenty of discussion.  Why not have your students create an advertisment or speech for their favorite candidate?  Have fun with this!

Some may believe that the messy days of art projects should be left behind after elementary school.  May I suggest that you pursue art still.  There is wonderful curriculum out there to help teach classical art.  For example:  How Great Thou ART by Barry Stebbing gives wonderful instruction on colour and technique for all ages.  You can find a wonderful FREE art resource newsletter to subscribe to at his site: http://www.howgreatthouart.com/news1.htm as well as samples of other homeschooled students work to inspire your child.

With the awesome resources available on the net, peruse some sites for FREE ideas on high school age appropriate projects - all instructions included.  Turn off the TV and the gaming systems and get creative!  Many of the ideas can be used in conjunction with other subject area studies.  Please, please, do not ignore offering creative outlets for your children at any age.  The stirring of imagination, the brain connections made and time spent is all reason enough to explore this area.  Here are some high school specific sites to get you started:

http://www.princetonol.com/groups/iad/lessons/high/highlessons.html

http://www.lessonplanspage.com/ArtJH.htm

Rally a few fellow homeschoolers or bring your support group onside and have a Gallery Evening when your students can exhibit their creations - perhaps with dessert and punch.  Students are apt to put more energy into projects for display or gift giving.  So, a timeline may help.  Perhaps you could arrange a display day once or twice a year or plan to give as gifts to family this Christmas.

Happy creating!

I stumbled across this gem:

"Access.ca introduces a new way to find lesson plans, articles, visual
and multimedia resources to support Social Studies teachers in all parts
of Canada. Connecting to an ever-expanding group of contributing
organizations, Access.ca eliminates the frustration of searching for
relevant resources through general web browsers."
http://access.

WANTED:   some good reporters to write stories about news and weather for our Martian Sun-Times. Are you up to the challenge?  Check out this fun developed as a part of NASA's Science Online Project:

http://www.ucls.uchicago.edu/students/projects/martiansuntimes/

For the Teacher

Overview:

Skills:

Get your children reading and writing stories about unusual weather.  Here's a site or two for inspiration:

http://www.nationalgeographic.com/media/world/9704/tornado/tornb.html

http://skydiary.com/kids/

At this site you'll find fun jokes, recipes and a project put together by the Bay Area Kids' Weather Page

http://library.thinkquest.org/3805/?tqskip=1

Have fun exploring!

A list of books about weather for children, parents and teachers from Nick Walker, a meteorologist on The Weather Channel:

http://www.wxdude.com/books.html

Happy reading!  There's a great rainy day activity...

With the heavy looming dripping clouds in our area, I thought we'd take some time to study weather...

Studying Weather
Interest in meteorology, the science of weather and weather forecasting, dates back thousands of years. In the 4th century B.C., Aristotle wrote what is believed to be the first study on weather forecasting. In 1820, Henrich Wilhelm Brandes, a German astronomer and physicist, made the first attempt to chart weather in Europe using data gathered from historical reports over a wide area. The invention of the telegraph later enabled the rapid collection and transmittal of weather information from weather stations.

Today, meteorologists use a host of devices to study and forecast weather, including weather satellites, rockets, computers, and radar.

List of weather symbols can be found at:

http://ww2010.atmos.uiuc.edu/(Gh)/guides/maps/sfcobs/wx.rxml

http://www.ametsoc.org/amsedu/dstreme/extras/wxsym2.html

Create a fun memory game with these symbols to work on learning them.  Index cards work great!

What are ticks?

Ticks are tiny bugs which feed on blood. Some are about the size of a sesame seed. Different ticks prefer different types of animals. Sometimes a tick will bite a person instead of biting an animal. While most tick bites do not result in disease, some do.

Ticks live in tall grass and wooded areas. They are easiest to spot on a person when they are actually sucking blood. Ticks burrow part way into the skin, bite, draw blood, and then drop off. The feeding tick's mouth will be under the skin, but the back parts will be sticking out. They will be full of blood and blue-grey in colour. This is called an "engorged" tick.

What should I do if I find a tick on my skin?

If you have found a tick on your skin, you will need to remove it as soon as possible. Check your whole body and clothing. Do not stop when you find one tick. There may be more. Make sure the lighting is good so that you will not miss seeing the ticks. Get someone to help with young children and hard-to-see areas.

If you cannot reach the tick or see it clearly to remove it yourself, get someone else to remove the tick for you, or get your family doctor to remove it.

When to get a doctor to remove the tick

You should go to your doctor to get the tick removed if it has buried itself deep into your skin. This happens if the tick has been on you for several hours, or even a day or two. When a tick has burrowed deep into your skin, it is very hard to remove the tick without leaving some mouth parts behind, which can cause an infection.

Removing a tick

If you can remove the tick yourself, follow these instructions.

1. Use tweezers to gently get a hold of the tick as close to its mouth as possible. The body of the tick will be above your skin. Don't touch the tick with your hands. Wear latex gloves if possible.
2. Steadily lift the tick straight off the skin. Do not squeeze the tick because this can force its stomach contents into the wound and increase the chance of an infection. Do not jerk, unscrew or twist the tick because this may separate the head from the body. It is very important to make sure that all of the tick, including the mouth parts that are buried in your skin, are removed.
3. Once the tick has been removed, clean the bite area with soap and water. You may also put a small amount of antibiotic ointment on the area. Wash your hands with soap and water.

You can not remove a tick by covering it with grease or gasoline, or by holding a match or cigarette against the tick. This does not work! This only increases the chance of you getting an infection.

How do I avoid getting bitten by a tick?

To protect yourself and your family against tick and insect bites:

1. Walk on cleared trails wherever possible when walking in tall grass or woods.
2. Wear light coloured clothing, tuck your top into your pants, and tuck your pants into your boots or socks.
3. Use an insect repellent containing DEET on your clothes and on all uncovered skin. Reapply as directed on the container.
4. Check clothing and scalp (covered or not) when leaving an area where ticks may live. Check in folds of skin. Have someone help you check young children and hard-to-see areas.
5. Regularly check household pets, which go into tall grass and wooded areas.

What diseases can be spread by ticks?

Several diseases can be passed to humans from tick bites. The most well-known is Lyme disease.

Not all ticks carry this bacterium, and there is only a very small chance of them giving it to you. However, because the resulting disease can be serious, it is worth taking steps to avoid being bitten.

Other diseases passed on by ticks include relapsing fever, tularemia, Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever (RMSF), Q fever and anaplasmosis formerly known as Ehrlichiosis.

Certain ticks may release a toxin that can cause temporary paralysis. This is the reason it is important to remove the whole tick as soon as possible.

What are the symptoms of tick-related diseases?

If you have the following symptoms within days or weeks after being bitten by a tick, report them to your family doctor immediately. Tell your doctor when and where a tick bit you.

1. General symptoms of fever, headache, muscle and joint pains, fatigue or weakness of the muscles of the face.
2. Skin rash, especially one that looks like a bull's eye. It may or may not be where the bite was.
3. In some cases paralysis may occur. The paralysis usually starts in the feet and legs and works its way up to the upper body, arms and head. This paralysis usually starts within a few hours to a day or two of the bite.

This insect makes me cringe.  Especially since our family experienced a tick related death.  PLEASE  check yourselves and your children during "tick season", your life and those you love depend on it!

Health Canada's website at:

http://www.nobite.ca/index_e.php

is a wonderful resource for more information on this common pest.

Bit by the science of entomology yet?

There is a wonderful resource all about entomology for the young ones at:

http://www.bijlmakers.com/

**  Please use your judgement here as there is a link to Harry Potter and a list of all the bug references in the series.  **

Happy exploring!

Don't miss out on a visit to Oak Hammock Marsh during any nature study.  This facility is wonderful:

This 36 km2 Wildlife Management Area features a restored prairie marsh, aspen-oak bluff, waterfowl lure crops, artesian springs, some of Manitoba's last remaining patches of tall-grass prairie and 30 kilometers of trails for you to explore.

Oak Hammock Marsh is home to 25 species of mammals, 300 species of birds, numerous amphibians, reptiles, and fish, and countless invertebrates. During migration season, the number of waterfowl using the marsh during migration can exceed 400,000 daily!

Admission:

Frogging by Ear

Birding by Ear Workshop

Birding Marsh Walk

Canoe Adventures

Films and Slideshow

Critter Dipping

Face Painting

Check out the description at: http://www.oakhammockmarsh.ca/activities/events/pdf/Sounds-of-wildlife-weekend-activities-2008.pdf

Happy birding!

Be sure to visit Ducks Unlimited website at:

http://www.ducks.ca/index.html

for wonderful resources on wetlands, wildlife and adventure (Do you know any youth age 13 to 17 who care about wetlands, love spending time outdoors and want to take part in the eco-adventure of a lifetime? Have them apply to be a part of the 2008 Greenwing Adventure.)

I thought it would be fun to study one nature study classification each week  for the rest of spring.  One of our family favorites is birds.

First thing is identification basics.  Check out the sillouettes:

Pay attention to the following:

• body shape
  
• proportions of the head, legs, wings
  
• tail shape
  
• length of the bill

Next, check for field markings:

Pay particular attention to the field marks of the head (beak shape and size) and the field marks of the wing (wing bars/wing patches).

Finally posture, size, flight pattern and habitat.  Thank you Cornell Univesity.  Check out a wonderful website for resources I used today:

 http://www.birds.cornell.edu/AllAboutBirds/birding123/identify/

Check in each day for more on birding in Manitoba.

Victoria was the daughter of Edward, the Duke of Kent and Princess Victoria of Saxe-Coburg.
She was born in Kensington Palace in London on May 24th, 1819.

Edward died when Victoria was but eight months old, upon which her mother enacted
a strict regimen that shunned the courts of Victoria's uncles, George IV and William IV.  Due to her secluded childhood, she displayed a personality marked by strong prejudices and a willful stubbornness.

Barely eighteen, she refused any further influence from her domineering mother and ruled in her own stead. Popular respect for the Crown was at a low point at her coronation, but the modest and straightforward young Queen won the hearts of her subjects. She wished to be informed of political matters, although she had no direct input in policy decisions.

On Feb 10th, 1840, only three years after taking the throne, Victoria took her first vow and married her cousin, Prince Albert of Saxe-Coburg-Gotha. Their relationship was one of great love and admiration. Together they bore nine children - four sons and five daughters: Victoria, Bertie, Alice, Alfred, Helena, Louise, Arthur, Leopold, and Beatrice.

Reflecting back into her childhood, Victoria was always prone to self pity. On Dec. 14th 1861 Albert died from typhoid fever at Windsor Castle. Victoria remained in self-imposed seclusion for ten years. This genuine, but obsessive mourning kept her occupied for the rest of her life and played an important role in the evolution of what would become the Victorian mentality.

Her popularity was at its lowest by 1870, but it steadily increased thereafter until her death. In 1876 she was crowned Empress of India by Disraeli. In 1887 Victoria’s Golden Jubilee was a grand national celebration of her 50th year as Queen. The Golden Jubilee brought her out of her shell, and she once again embraced public life. She toured English possessions and even visited France (the first English monarch to do so since the coronation of Henry VI in 1431).

The national pride connected with the name of Victoria - the term Victorian England, for example, stemmed from the Queen's ethics and personal tastes, which generally reflected those of the middle class.

Here's a fun truly Canadian Quiz for young children.  Enjoy :-)

http://www.kidsturncentral.com/games/kidquiz/cankidq1.htm

    I love studying current events with my kids for many reasons.  One of the top reasons is we don't get behind (smile).  The material is always at my fingertips be it in the newspaper that comes to the door or our computer. 

   Our hearts have gone out to those in Burma.  I looked further into some sites today and discovered some wonderful resources at:

http://www.education-world.com/a_lesson/lesson/lesson076.shtml

We did the Upper Elementary - Social Studies-writing a press release.  This led us through a mock hurricane and allowed us access to some wonderful comprehension and discussion questions.  We did not register which would have allowed us more virtual results but still accomplished much.  I'd also recommend the FEMA (Federal Emergency Managment Agency) website for kids which can be found at:  http://www.fema.gov/kids/index.htm

Investigating Burma, we learned much discussing the pros and cons of using economic sanctions to attempt to promote/encourage human rights with information from this site: http://school.discoveryeducation.com/lessonplans/programs/apartheid/

Ah..........so much to learn so little time.  Happy homeschooling everyone!