Big Business

Teach 'em business with the Lemonade Stand, with the goal to make as much money as possible in 30 days.

Easy? Well - you've got to factor in pricing, quality control, inventory losses and supply purchases. Unpredictable weather can ruin the best laid plans too! And don't forget that all-important WOM factor: word-of-mouth--will they like your product, your price, your customer service?

Let's make lemonade!

categorieschildren's learning games kids sites educational fun homeschool

Fractions by Pattern Block Activities

Don't tell the kids this is anything more than a puzzle. Look at what it teaches:

Mathematics Topics: Identifying fractional values, equivalent fractions, adding and subtracting fractions, ordering fractions, and identifying geometric figures and their properties.

Appropriate Grades: 3rd - 6th, maybe. But precocious kindergarteners could do some of it, and middle schoolers needing another look at fractions could appreciate it as well. "Drawing Fun Fractions" would be good for most middle school students.

Description: These activities are designed to cause students to think; they are not algorithmic. They do not say, To add fractions, do step one, step two, step three. Students will explore geometric models of fractions and discover relations among them.

Lesson Procedures: Students will reinforce their knowledge of fractions by using online pattern block activities. The lessons are designed for students to work independently or with guidance from the teacher. Lessons should be printed so students can draw and color the appropriate shapes.

Play Fun Fractions now.

categorieschildren's learning games kids sites educational fun homeschool

Mandala Mania

Let's get the definition out of the way first. A mandala is any of various geometric designs (usually circular) symbolizing the universe; used chiefly in Hinduism and Buddhism as an aid to meditation.

*cough*

Okay, think kaleidoscope (you know, an optical toy in a tube; it produces symmetrical patterns as bits of coloured glass are reflected by mirrors).

Now, go play with the Mandala Maker

Categories: shapes, mandala, kaleidoscope, fun

Ordering a Big Gene to Go, Please

Here's a game for ya! Flip DNA particles to complete the genome at the Genome Project.

Oh. Don't know what a genome is? Me either - here's the definition:

The ordering of genes in a haploid set of chromosomes of a particular organism; the full DNA sequence of an organism. Example: "the human genome contains approximately three billion chemical base pairs".

Clear as mud? Good. Yer ready ta play.

Categories: science, biology, DNA, genes

Spring Migration

It's a mouthful: Journey North - A Global Study of Wildlife Migration and Seasonal Change, and it's wonderful.

My kids and I are starting with the News section, where they became interested in the migrations of the monarch butterflies and gray whales. I read the headlines, and show them the pictures, and they tell me when to read the story. We often then proceed to the full report.

Categories: nature, animals, seasons, migration, butterflies, whales

What do you want to be when you grow up?

Read interviews with an arachnologist, a biology major, a pet therapy handler, and other people who have animal-related careers. Created by the ASPCA, Animal Land is a great site to teach kids about all things animal, from TLC to interesting jobs.

Don't miss out on the encyclopedia: it's written in a young, fun, easy-to-learn style.

Categories: careers, jobs, animals

When is North North?

There's a game on Room 108 which is very good for anyone else who's directionally-challenged. If you have to do "left" and "right" for directions because you don't know your NSWE from a hole in the ground, play the Compass Direction Game. Right now.

Categories: compass, directions, north, south, east, west, game

Oh, the things you'll learn!

I love licorice; always have, always will. And I'm very glad to hear that licorice is "touted as a healthier snack food because it contains almost no fat per serving."

You can learn about how licorice (and other less important things like gyroscopes and EKG machines) are made and the manufacturing processes involved at a great resource site called How Products Are Made.

I served the kids tofu yesterday, and knew enough to say that it's a protein food from plants. Although I've since learned it's actually intentionally curdled soy milk, I think I might keep that little bit of knowledge to myself...

Remember Etch-A-Sketch?

Some of the old stand-bys will never be bettered, and Etch-A-Sketch has got to be one of those products. Of course, kids nowadays don't have to have the real board in their hands--they can do it online. It's not the same thing, but can serve as an introduction.

In its simplicity is its worth, I think. Let the child's imagination take over!

March 20 is the first day of Spring

In the northern half of the world, March 20th is the first day of spring. The cold winds of winter are gone, and wild flowers are starting to bloom.

Why March 20th? Well, a long time ago, lots of gardeners got together and drew dates out of a hat. Et voila!

Okay, that's not true - but you can find out at NASA Kids and make your very own gnomon while you're at it.

More on finger knitting

OK, I've finally got it - the kids and I have been struggling with finger knitting since I posted about the blasted craft. I think (and could well be wrong) but I think the problem is that you need to cast-on to your left hand (if you're right-handed), which we weren't doing.

Either that, or it's a miracle.

Learn to Spell

It costs $40/year to access this Quiz Hub, and it sure looks more than worth it when you see the number of quizzes and subject covered.

Try the Drag-and-Drop Pictures Spelling Game or the timed Multiplication Game. You'll join too.