Iditarod Resources

 

Graphic from ClassroomClipart.com

 

 

The Iditarod starts March 1st!! I think this will be the first year that we will try to follow it. The kids are getting excited!

I also have a list of resources for Alaska that I will be putting up in another post.

 

As always, I try to include resources for a variety of ages. All books can be found at your local library, on Amazon or Paperback Swap (you should really check out this link).

All printable resources are free unless marked with $$$.

Let me say that I am NOT affiliated in ANY way with ANY companies. I don’t get a dime for you clicking over to Amazon or CurrClick or any other site. I am just trying to put together as many great resources as I can find to give you and me plenty of options. 

Also, you really don’t HAVE to use books with most of these units. I always provide links with information about the topics. But the books are always too fun to pass  up. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Many of those are also for Kindle.

 

Activity Books and Lesson Plans – NEA

Coloring Book – Leppro.com

Coloring Page – USA Printables

Coloring Pages, Worksheets and More – Education.com

Notebook Page, Video and Discussion Questions – Starts at Eight

Notebooking and Coloring Pages – The Teacher’s Corner

Word Search, Coloring Pages and More – Homeschooling.About.com

 

*****

CurrClick

Teachers Pay Teachers  Some FREE!!!!!!

 

 

 

Activities – Squidoo 

Crafts – eHow

Ideas and Lesson Plans – Iditarod.com

Info – Kids’ Turn Central

Info – Nat Geo

Info – Think Quest

Info – web.archive.org

Info and Links – Kids Konnect

Lesson Plan – Education World

Mini Unit Study – DIY Homeschooler

Quiz – Nat Geo Kids

 

Race News Center – Iditarod.com

Videos – Discovery

Virtual Field Trip – Field-Trips.org

Virtual Field Trips – Iditarod.com

 

 

Check out these movies!

Balto 

Eight Below

Snow Dogs

Snow Buddies is on Netflix streaming! (The other titles can be found on Netflix’s disk service.)

 

 

 

HAVE FUN HOMESCHOOLING!!!!!!

 

Polar Bear Unit Study Resources

 

Graphic via TheGraphicsFairy.com

 

 

I promise that one day I WILL get back to sewing. I miss it so so so so much!!!! SIGH…….  I need The Hubby to put some shelves over my washer and dryer. Then I need a new machine. I think this last move was the last straw for my old one!

 

ANYWAY!!! February 27th is Polar Bear Day!! I put together a list of resources for you!

 

As always, I try to include resources for a variety of ages. All books can be found at your local library, on Amazon or Paperback Swap (you should really check out this link).

All printable resources are free unless marked with $$$.

Let me say that I am NOT affiliated in ANY way with ANY companies. I don’t get a dime for you clicking over to Amazon or CurrClick or any other site. I am just trying to put together as many great resources as I can find to give you and me plenty of options. 

Also, you really don’t HAVE to use books with most of these units. I always provide links with information about the topics. But the books are always too fun to pass  up. 😉

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Lapbook – Homeschool Share

Lapbook – The Schroeder Page

Notebooking Pages – Look We’re Learning

Notebooking Pages, Coloring Pages, Activities – Activity Village

Coloring Pages – Best Coloring Pages for Kids

Coloring Pages – Hello Kids

Coloring Pages and Crafts – DLTK-Kids

Coloring Pages and Worksheet – One World One Ocean

Coloring Pages, Crafts and Activities – Making Learning Fun

Coloring Pages, Worksheets and Activities – Animal Jr.

Magic School Bus Polar Bear Patrol Lapbook – Yee Shall Know

Polar Bears Past Bedtime Unit Pack – Teachers Notebook

Printable Mask – Nick Jr

Printable Polar Bear Tracker Unit – Polar Bears International

Printables for a Diorama – First Palette

Printables and Activities – Education.com

Printables and Activities – Kids Soup

Printables, Arts and Crafts Ideas, Lesson Plans – Crayola

Puzzles, Mazes, Activities – Print Activities

Puzzles and Word Searches – A to Z Teacher Stuff

Worksheets and Printable Activities – Kidzone

Worksheets and Activities – TES

 

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CurrClick

Teachers Pay Teachers  (Some FREE)

 

 

 

Activities – Preschool Homeschool

Activities and Crafts – Preschool Express

Crafts – Artists Helping Children

Crafts – The Crafty Crow

Crafts – Danielle’s Place

Crafts – Spoonful

Info – Defenders.org

Info – Discovery Kids

Info – Nat Geo

Info – Science Kids

Info and Pictures – Arkive

Online Activities – San Diego Zoo

Polar Bear Cam – San Diego Zoo

Units and Lesson Plans – Polar Bears International

Video – YouTube – polar bear cubs

Video – YouTube – story “The Little Polar Bear”

 

 

 

Here’s a picture from the last time we studied polar bears. We used puffy paint made from one part shaving cream to one part school glue.

I drew the shape of a polar bear and he filled it in with the paint. Then he made paw prints with the paint brush.

 

These are the polar bear paw print cupcakes that I made. I used Thin Mints for the big part and Junior Mints for the small parts.

 

 

 

HAVE FUN HOMESCHOOLING!!!!!

Renoir Unit Study Resources

Renoir’s birthday is February 25th! I decided to find what resources I could and put them all together.

As always, I try to include resources for a variety of ages. All books can be found at your local library, on Amazon or Paperback Swap (you should really check out this link).

All printable resources are free unless marked with $$$.

Let me say that I am NOT affiliated in ANY way with ANY companies. I don’t get a dime for you clicking over to Amazon or CurrClick or any other site. I am just trying to put together as many great resources as I can find to give you and me plenty of options. 

Activities and Coloring Pages – First School

Artist Cards – That Resource Site

Coloring Page – EduPics

Coloring Pages – MOMES (in French so be sure to hit Google Translate)

Copywork – HSLaunch (you may have to search for Renoir)

Notebooking Page – Harmony Fine Arts

Notebooking Page – Homeschool Helper Online

Another Notebooking Page – Homeschool Helper Online

Notebooking and Mini Books – Practical Pages

Notebooking Pages on Impressionism – Notebooking Fairy

Printable Biography – Making Art Fun

Printable Flashcards – Proprofs

Printable Meet the Masters – Get Involved with Education

Printable Paintings, Portrait and Coloring Page – Smart Kids Worksheets

Printable Pictures of Paintings – Montessori Album

Word Search – Making Art Fun

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CurrClick Products

Teachers Pay Teachers

 

 

Activities – Kinder Art

Activities – Philadelphia Museum of Art

Activities for Impressionism – eHow

Activity – Art Projects for Kids

Activity – Principled Academy

Gallery of Works – NGA

Impressionism Lesson Plans and Activities – NEA

Info – Art Smarts 4 Kids

Info – Garden of Praise

Info – Think Quest

Lesson Plan – CUChicago.edu

Lesson Plan for Teaching Impressionism – The Art of Ed

Video – Nick Jr.

 

HAVE FUN LEARNING!!!!!!

 

Fly on the Wall – February 2014

Welcome to a Fly on the Wall group post. Today 12 bloggers are inviting you to catch a glimpse of what you’d see if you were a fly on the wall in our homes. Come on in and buzz around my house.

 

 

 

 

Buzz around, see what you think, then click on these links for a peek into some other homes:

http://www.BakingInATornado.com                          Baking In A Tornado

http://www.therowdybaker.com                                  The Rowdy Baker

http://www.justalittlenutty.com/                                Just A Little Nutty

http://spatulasonparade.blogspot.com/                          Spatulas on Parade

http://thesadderbutwisergirl.com                                   The Sadder But Wiser Girl

http://followmehome.shellybean.com                            Follow me home . . .

http://singlemumplusone.blogspot.com                           Searching for Sanity

http://www.menopausalmom.com                                 Menopausal Mother

http://dates2diapers2.blogspot.com                              Dates 2 Diapers 2

https://stacysewsandschools.wordpress.com/                Stacy Sews and Schools

http://thelazymomcooks.com/                                   The Lazy Mom’s Cooking Blog

http://spinstersnacks.com                                         Spinster Snacks

 

 

 

Soooo…. Ummmmm….. Well…… You see……. I forgot to write down the crazy stuff this time around. I know, I know! I was doing so well, too! LOL

So since I forgot I thought I would pick a random day this week and walk you through my day. The day I picked was Monday!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

4 am

The Hubby wakes me up. Time to get up and take him, Jacob and Jacob’s friend TJ to work. (We have sort of adopted TJ. He’s been living with us for the past 6 or 7 months.)

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

5:30 am

Back from dropping off the guys. Time to eat breakfast and set out the kids’ school work for the day.

 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

6 am

Facebook time!! Time to see what’s up with all my friends!

 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

6:30 am

Call my BFF and talk for a while.

 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

8 am

I start waking the kids up. Well, Joshua has been awake since 5. He likes to get up early and get started on his school work.

Colin starts to have a COMPLETE and TOTAL meltdown!!!!

He doesn’t want to get up.

He doesn’t want to have school!

 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

8:30

Colin is still freaking out. Now he’s major issue is that I asked Joshua to make breakfast. Colin can’t eat breakfast unless *I* make it for him.

SIGH……..

Where’s the Advil Migraine????

 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

9 am

Yep. Colin is still throwing a hissy fit.

Heaven help me.

The other Cailey is attempting to start her school work.

Time to remind Deanna to GET OUT OF BED!!!!!

 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

9:30

Colin FINALLLLLLY starts to simmer down.

SHEW!!!!!

Deanna is FINALLLLLLLY out of bed!!!!!!

 

Can I go back to bed???

 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

10 am

Everyone is finally doing their school work!!! WOW!!!

 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

12 Noon

Time for lunch.

Colin can’t decide what he wants.

No, we are NOT going to McDonald’s.

He still can’t decide. He wants me to name off every single thing we have in the house to eat.

 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

1 pm

Everyone has been fed, even Colin.

Time for Cailey and Colin to do their history, geography, science and nature lessons together.

 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

1:05 pm

Colin, put the Lego guy down and listen please.

No, we can’t blow stuff up.

 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

1:10 pm

Colin, I will listen to your dream when I am done reading this part of the book to you.

(And it goes on like this for the next hour and 20 minutes.)

 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

2:30 pm

YIPPPEEEE!!!! The school day is OVER!!! LOL

 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

2:35 pm

No, Colin. You can’t climb onto the roof.

No, you can’t use the pot I need for supper to put the cat food in.

Yes, you can go out to play.

 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

3 pm

Time to start supper.

Colin’s computer hour starts.

 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

4 pm

Time to pick the guys up from work.

Cailey’s computer hour starts. (It’s great to have older kids that HAVE to babysit. ;))

 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

5 pm

Time to eat!

Colin doesn’t want what we are having (chili) and wants me to once again name everything we have in the house.

 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

6 pm

Cailey and Colin fight over the computer even though they have both already had their hour today.

 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

7 pm

Play with your toys in the other room time!!!

I use this time to get stuff together for a blog post.

 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

8 pm

Family TV time.

I work on blog stuff during commercials.

 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

9:30 pm

Mommy and Daddy are turning things over to the older kids and are going to unwind before going to bed.

Finish up the blog stuff for the night.

 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

10 pm

BED TIME!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

At several times throughout the day I had to fuss at Joshua for teasing the Cs. SIGH……..

 

Now, not everyday is like this, thank goodness!!! But Mondays are almost always awful. TGIF!!!! LOL

 

(And Deanna never wants to get up before 9:30.)

 

Yesterday was a good day. We went shopping. Cailey and Colin needed new shoes and they both got the BRIGHTEST shoes they could find!! LOL  Cailey’s rainbow neon and Colin’s are neon orange and yellow! Completely day glow! 😉

 

 

HAPPY 61st BIRTHDAY to my Dad!!!!

 

 

Colonial America – Resources for a Unit Study

As always, I try to include resources for a variety of ages. All books can be found at your local library, on Amazon or Paperback Swap (you should really check out this link).

All printable resources are free unless marked with $$$.

Let me say that I am NOT affiliated in ANY way with ANY companies. I don’t get a dime for you clicking over to Amazon or Currclick or any other site. I am just trying to put together as many great resources as I can find to give you and me plenty of options. 

The Kindle editions with the plain covers are usually free. We have used several of them in the past.

 

 

This is FREE!!!!!!!

 

 

American Girls Felicity Lapbook – Homeschool Share

Coloring Pages – USA Printables

Lesson Plan with a Couple Printables – U.S. History

Notebooking Pages – School Express

Paper Dolls – Paper–Dolls.com

Printable Crafts – DLTK Kids

Printable Map – Calvary Kids

Printable Pack with Notebooking Pages – 123 Homeschool 4 Me

Printables – HSLaunch (you may have to search “colonies”)

Printables and Worksheets – Mega Social Studies

Unit Study with Printables – Free Homeschool Lessons

Worksheets – abc Teach (some free)

Worksheets – Mr Nussbaum

Worksheets, Paper Dolls and TONS MORE – Education.com (AWESOME)

 

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School Express Thematic Unit

CurrClick Products

Hands of a Child

Teachers Pay Teachers

 

Between Education.com and USA Printables, you should have TONS of great stuff to get started with.

 

Activities and Ideas – Kids Activities

Audio Book – YouTube

Crafts – A Book in Time

Crafts – Art Rageous

Crafts – eHow

Games – Playing History

Games and Activities – Felicity American Girls

Games, Puzzles and Interactive Features – History.org

Ideas, Ideas and More GREAT IDEAS – All Things Beautiful (also links to printables)

Info – AmericanHistory.About.com

Info – eHow

Info – Land of the Brave (AWESOME)

Info – Social Studies for Kids

Info and Activities – Books Units Teacher

Info and More – Mr Nussbaum

Info and Videos – Squidoo

Lesson and Activity Ideas – Carol Hurst

Lesson Plans – History.org

Lesson Plans – Squidoo

Lesson Plans, Games and Activities – Mr. Donn

Maps – GO.HRM.COM

Videos – Have Fun with History

Video – YouTube

Video – YouTube

Video Playlist – YouTube

 

HAVE FUN LEARNING!!!!!

Chemistry Experiments

 

 

YIPPEE!!! I got a new laptop!!! After weeks of fighting with the old one and then over a week without one at all, I am so relieved! No more fighting The Hubby and Cailey and Colin over the desktop! LOL

I was taking to Cailey and Colin yesterday about what they wanted to do next in science. Colin says, “I want to be a mad scientist! I want to mix stuff together!” Ok, chemistry it is! 😉

This post is all about the hands on of chemistry. The more technical stuff (with printables and all that) will come later. Right now I just want to introduce them to the fun side of it and learn that way. 😉

 

 

We will be using this book.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

There are TONS and TONS of science experiments books out there. Search your library system, you are sure to find more than enough. 😉

 

 

Chemistry Science Fair Project Ideas – Science Buddies

Kitchen Chemistry – PBS Kids

Chemistry for Kids – Ducksters (mostly info)

Chemistry for Kids – Science Kids

Chemistry Activities – ACS.org

More Activities from ACS

Chemistry Activities for Kids – Chemistry.About.com

Real World Examples of Chemicals and Chemical Reactions – Chem4Kids

Kitchen Chemistry – The Scientific Mom

50 Kitchen Science Activities – Science Sparks

Chemistry Resources – Unschool Rules

 

 

Chemistry Kits at Amazon

 

 

HAVE FUN MESSING UP THE KITCHEN! 😉

 

 

Copernicus – Resources for a Unit Study

 

 

Well, my laptop bit the dust last week. SIGH…. My posts my be farther between until I can replace it. Now I have to duke it out with 3 other members of the family for a chance to use the desktop! LOL The Hubby, Cailey and Colin all use the desktop on a regular basis. Deanna has her tablet, Joshua his PS4 and Jacob prefers his phone. Maybe we SHOULD get Cailey a tablet for her birthday this year! 😉

 

ANYWAY, February 19th is Copernicus’ Birthday! I put together a few resources that can be used for a unit study. I hope you find them useful!

 

BTW, I am making serious plans to buy a new sewing machine AND make some space in this tiny house to do my sewing. It feels like it has been FOREVER!!!! I wonder if I’ll remember how…..

 

Time for my disclaimer…. 😉

As always, I try to include resources for a variety of ages. All books can be found at your local library, on Amazon or Paperback Swap (you should really check out this link).

All printable resources are free unless marked with $$$.

Let me say that I am NOT affiliated in ANY way with ANY companies. I don’t get a dime for you clicking over to Amazon or Currclick or any other site. I am just trying to put together as many great resources as I can find to give you and me plenty of options. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Coloring Page – Physics Central

Coloring Page and Worksheet – Polish American Heritage Database

Math – Coloring by Sums – Googol Power

Mini Books – HSLaunch (you may need to search after clicking the link)

Notebooking Pages – Homeschool Share

Notebooking Page – Homeschool Helper Online

Worksheets – Education.com

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Teachers Pay Teachers – Some FREE!!!

 

 

Info – Copernicus Museum (in Polish so be sure to use Google Translate)

Info – Social Studies for Kids

Info – Squidoo.com

Info and Short Video – Biography.com 

Info and Video – Giants of Science

Video – How Stuff Works – Theory of Copernicus

Video – Watch Know Learn

Video – YouTube

Video – YouTube

 

 

HAVE FUN LEARNING!!!!!

Brazil – Country Study Resources

 

 

 

We have studied Brazil in the past but we had so much fun with it that I thought I would write up some resources for you. Some of them will be just on Brazil but others will be on the rain forest or continent of South America. 

 

I made these for breakfast the first morning we studied Brazil. 

I basically made pancakes and then fried the bananas in butter and sugar. Then I covered the pancakes with the bananas and added whipped topping.  SOOOO GOOD!!!!!

I think that is the only picture I took from when we studied Brazil. 

 

As always, I try to include resources for a variety of ages. All books can be found at your local library, on Amazon or Paperback Swap (you should really check out this link).

All printable resources are free unless marked with $$$.

Let me say that I am NOT affiliated in ANY way with ANY companies. I don’t get a dime for you clicking over to Amazon or Currclick or any other site. I am just trying to put together as many great resources as I can find to give you and me plenty of options. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Lapbook – Homeschool Share

Lapbook and Unit Study of the Amazon and Rainforest – Tina’s Dynamic Homeschool

Notebooking Pages and Unit Study – Homeschool Creations

Coloring Pages – Coloring 101 (TONS of them!!!!!)

Coloring Page, Crafts and Lesson Plans – Crayola

Coloring Pages and other Printables – Activity Village

Coloring Pages, Paper Dolls, Worksheets – Education.com

Coloring Page of Flag – Nick Jr.

Map of South America – Coloring.ws

Printable Info – Nat Geo Kids (we usually include these in our lapbooks)

Printable Jungle Crafts – DLTK-Kids

Portuguese Flashcards – Mr. Printables

Postcard Notebooking Page – Notebooking Fairy

 

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Currclick Products

Teachers Pay Teachers – Some FREE!!!!!

Hands of a Child – Rainforest Lapbooks

 

 

Activities – Living Montessori Now (also includes a review of Little Passports, which we LOOOOOVE)

Crafts – Creative Bug

Crafts – Cultural Arts in Education

Crafts – Squidoo

Crafts and Activities – Activity Bucket

Info – Fact Monster

Info – Kids Corner Brazil (interactive)

Info – Nat Geo

Info – TIME for Kids

Info, Activities, Links and Video – A to Z Kids Stuff

Info on a Kid’s Life in Brazil – Think Quest

Info on Kids’ Lives in Brazil – Brazzil.com

Lesson Plans – Mr. Donn

Unit Study – Easy Fun School

 

 

Don’t forget about the movie “Rio”!!! 

Carnaval Videos Featuring Kids – Kid World Citizen

Children’s Games – eHow

Children’s Songs in Portuguese – YouTube

Counting Video in Portuguese – YouTube

My Country Brazil Video – YouTube

National Geographic : Secret Brazil Part 1 – YouTube

Recipes from Brazil – AllRecipes.com

Recipe for Brazilian Pao de Queijo (Cheese Rolls) – Kid World Citizen

 

 

HAVE FUN LEARNING!!!

 

 

Use Your Words – February 2014

Today’s post is a writing challenge. This is how it works: participating bloggers picked 4 – 6 words or short phrases for someone else to craft into a post. All words must be used at least once and all the posts will be unique as each writer has received their own set of words. That’s the challenge, here’s a fun twist; no one who’s participating knows who got their words and in what direction the writer will take them. Until now.

Links to the other “Use Your Words” posts:

http://BakingInATornado.com                   Baking In A Tornado

http://www.justalittlenutty.com                 Just A Little Nutty

http://batteredhope.blogspot.com             Battered Hope

http://www. JuiceboxConfession.com          Juicebox Confession

www.theblacksheepmom.blogspot.com      Black Sheep Mom

https://stacysewsandschools.wordpress.com   Stacy Sews and Schools

http://thethreegerbers.blogspot.ch/              Confessions of a part time working mom

http://www.eviljoyspeaks.wordpress.com     Evil Joy Speaks

http://spatulasonparade.blogspot.com         Spatulas on Parade

http://singlemumplusone.blogspot.com.au      Searching for Sanity

http://berghamchronicles.blogspot.com/               The Bergham’s Life Chronicles

www.fbxadventures.blogspot.com                      FBX Adventures (In Parenting)

http://www.healingtomato.com                     Healing Tomato

http://dates2diapers2.blogspot.com                Dates 2 Diapers 2

http://followmehome.shellybean.com               Follow me home . . .

www.outmannedmommy.com/                       Outmanned

MY WORDS –   melting pot ~ Dora the Explorer ~ motorcycle ~tennis shoes ~ playground

SUBMITTED BY – Dates 2 Diapers

I admit it. At first I was completely stumped. What on Earth? Dora AND motorcycle?? YILES!!! But then something came along. A commercial to be precise. A beautiful commercial that brought out the ugly.

So, I’m about to give you my 2 cents. You don’t have to agree with me. I just ask that you not be ugly about it. Ok? We all have different opinions and that’s one of the things that makes this world a great place to be. Imagine for a second that everyone was the exact same. HOW BORING!!! The differences between people are make this world better.

Here we go. You can stop reading if you like. 😉

This is the United States of America. We were built of the foundations of “different”. First of all, there were already people living here. Remember them? The Native Americans?

Then came the Europeans. The Spanish, the British, the French and the Dutch. Look at all of those diverse languages right there. Look at the differences in religion.

You have all the languages of the Native Americans and their religious beliefs. You have the languages and religious beliefs of the different European settlers.

Diversity.

Then that all ended with wars here and there, some land takeovers and some buying of land.

Now we are here in 2014. That’s a lot of time. We have 5o states and each one had a different beginning. Some of them even spoke a different language! GASP! Like Hawaii not so long ago.

Did you know that we are supposed to be a “melting pot“?? Not a mortal and pestle to ground out all the native cultures. No. A melting pot to absorb, take in, mix around, become one with other cultures.

Did you know that you do NOT have to speak English to get a green card? Did you know that the immigrants that came here (even through Ellis Island) did NOT have to speak English? It has NEVER been a requirement. I knew a kid in high school whose grandmother could only speak Polish. Should we have tossed her out??

I think I HOPE most people in this country get it. I hope that sounds of the people throwing such a hissy over such a beautiful commercial were just the loudest and NOT the majority.

Take a look at TV. On Nick they have “Dora the Explorer” and “Ni Hao Kai Lan”. Why? Because we are a melting pot. We have many different types of people and THAT is what makes this country great.

Did you know that you can’t tell by just the way someone looks what type of person they are or where they “come” from? Take my Dad for an example. He has black hair, brown eyes and dark complected skin. He has been mistaken for Mexican and Filipino. He isn’t. He’s a mixture. French, German, Cherokee, Shawnee…. Irish…. WOW! My DAD is a melting pot. Imagine that. All those different languages in one person.

To further that conversation, my Dad was also a motorcycle rider. He LOVED it. He would still be riding today if it wasn’t for his health issues. But you know what. People would judge him because he looked like a biker. He must be a bad person! Quick! Grab your kids up when he walks onto the playground!

See, it’s all part of the same thing. Prejudice. Someone “looks” a certain way. Someone “sounds” a different way.

There was a story going around about a woman that was on her phone in the checkout line. She was speaking a GASP different language. She hangs up and the man behind her says to speak English or leave the country. She turns and tells him that she was speaking Navajo! BAM!!!

But I have to wonder. Did THAT matter?? Look at what happened to the many Native languages. A lot of them are gone and forgotten. Why?  Because Native American children were taken from their homes. Their hair was cut, their clothing changed. They were forced to learn English and were only allowed to speak English. Is that what the people throwing hissy fits want now?? Should we waylay every immigrant and lock them up until they speak English and only English?

I guess I just don’t understand. I don’t understand that kind of hate. What is it to you if someone can’t/won’t speak English? Maybe they tried and just couldn’t get it.

That why we have China Town and Little Italy. There are in cities all over this country. Why? Well, mostly because the immigrants were treated SO HORRIBLY when they got here that they found other immigrants like them and settled in the same place.

EVERY SINGLE group of mass immigrants has been treated atrociously. The Italians, the Irish, the Chinese, the Japanese, the Jewish. Why? Because their religions were different. Their faces were different. Their skin was different. Their language was different.

And in 2014 we are still doing it.

Yes, yes… I know. You call a call center and it says to press 2 for Spanish. No, it does NOT say press 1 for English. Think about it or call one. You’ll see. But do you know WHY it says that?? No, not because of all the non-English speaking people here. It’s because the call centers are OVER SEAS! In OTHER COUNTRIES. Places where they learned English OR Spanish as a second language and they need to know WHO to put you through to. Imagine this.  The man on the other end at the call center  is not a native English speaker and you want him to figure out another person who is also not a native English speaker but trying to speaking English. Confused? You sure would be.

But, but some of our products at the grocery store are in Spanish, too! Well, you can find many products that are in French. There are even big sections in most big grocery stores that are entirely made up of products from other countries. Why? Because we are a melting pot.

But, but there’s a sign at the store that says they speak Spanish, too! First of all, why does that bother you? They aren’t asking YOU to speak  Spanish. They are just letting those that are more comfortable speaking Spanish know that they can speak it as well. Good for them.

Maybe that’s my whole point. Why??? No one is asking you to change your language. No one is asking you to change your culture. And when it comes to American culture, tell me one thing that didn’t come from somewhere else. Our entire culture is based on other cultures being mixed together.

So you know what *I* think??  I think those bigoted jerks that say you can only speak ‘Murican in ‘Murica should slap on their tennis shoes and take a flying leap. Most of us like our melting pot, thank you very much!

So, if you stuck it until the end. Thanks. I hope I didn’t offend anyone, that wasn’t my intention. It also wasn’t my intention to try to change the way people think. Bigotry takes more than something like this post to change. But it’s a start, right? More than anything this post is to let others out there know that they aren’t alone in their thinking. Just because we aren’t raising a big stink doesn’t mean we think the same way as those that are.

Susan B. Anthony Resources

 

 

Strange when you think about…. It hasn’t even been a hundred years since women got the vote. Not even 100 years. How much longer would it have been if Susan B. Anthony and women like her hadn’t stepped up???

February 15th is Susan B. Anthony’s Birthday! I have scrounged up some resources to help you celebrate! 😉

 

As always, I try to include resources for a variety of ages. All books can be found at your local library, on Amazon or Paperback Swap (you should really check out this link).

All printable resources are free unless marked with $$$.

Let me say that I am NOT affiliated in ANY way with ANY companies. I don’t get a dime for you clicking over to Amazon or Currclick or any other site. I am just trying to put together as many great resources as I can find to give you and me plenty of options. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Bookmarks with Info – Richmond Federal Reserve Bank

Coloring Pages – Classroom Jr.

Coloring Page – Crayola

Coloring Pages and Worksheets – Education.com

Mini Book – Bry-Backmanor.org

Notebooking Page – Homeschool Helper Online

Printable Documents – Archive.gov

Printable Flash Cards for Women’s Suffrage – Dynamo Dictionary

Printable Reading Comprehension Sheets – Mr. Nussbaum

Worksheet – Grammar Worksheets

Worksheets – Taylor Made Learning (click on Activity in red and #9)

Worksheets, Online Puzzles and Info – Garden of Praise (scroll down for the printables)

 

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Currclick Products

Teachers Pay Teachers – Several FREEBIES!!!!

 

 

Eyewitness Info – Archives.gov

Info – Susan B. Anthony House

Info – Women’s History About.com

Info about the Trial – Famous American Trials

Info and Video – Biography.com

Info and Video – History.com

Interactive Video – Mr. Nussbaum

Lesson Plan – Learning to Give

Lesson Plans – PBS

Suffragette Song – Mr. Kash

Timeline – Rutgers

Quiz – Soft Schools

 

 

 

Here is an interesting link I found the other day.

American Life in 1914: How We Lived a Century Ago

There a few pictures of suffragettes included.

 

HAVE FUN LEARNING!!!!!