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  • World Maps


    World maps are a mere sketch of the entire world cataloged as ‘political’ and ‘physical’. The political map is meant to illustrate territorial borders while the physical map shows the geographical features, which demonstrates the physical surface of the earth. World maps are the ones that give you a clearer picture about continents like Asia, Africa, South America, North America, Antarctica, Europe, and not to mention Australia. Whether it is a globe or an atlas you will know which country lies in which part of the world to say the least.

    World maps are two-dimensional, geometrically exact depiction of a three-dimensional space. You must also know that the technique of map-making is called cartography. The beginning of map-making can be traced back to the Stone Age and seems to predate written language to say the least. You can find maps tinted on a wall of the Catal Huyuk settlement in south-central Anatolia, presently in Turkey.

    World maps are basically conceptual depictions of the world and not nonaligned documents. This is why they should be cautiously construed. Nowadays, road maps are probably the most convenient and shape a division of navigational maps comprising aeronautical and nautical charts, hiking and bicycling maps and railroad network maps. The major number of drawn map sheets are constituted by local surveys, carried out by municipalities, utilities, tax assessors, emergency services providers, and other local agencies.

    As a matter of fact you will find several but not all maps drawn to scale. However a “drawn to scale” report helps the reader invariably to conclude not only the real sizes but also the distances in between the represented things. In fact, a bigger scale is more detailed, hence settling for a bigger map to correspond the area is advisable.

    Maps are so poised for the hiker that they are scaled at the ratio 1:24,000. It just goes to show that 1 of any unit of measurement on the map matches up to 24,000 of the identical unit in actuality. On the other hand, for a motorist, maps are scaled to about 1:250,000. However, commercial navigational maps like road maps and town plans give up o the accuracy in scale by bringing about the a greater visual expediency to its user.

    There are topographical maps also, which represent invariable values like for instance average temperature. These are depicted together with other things depending on the scale of the map in the shape of Isolines.

    World maps are informative and in fact it is a quite a learning material for students as they tend to learn so much about the different countries, the continents, the different physical features, pressure zones and what not.  

  • Viking Recipes – A Viking Feast


    Now we need to round out our Viking unit. It is always fun to end a themed
    study with something special and a good way to do this is have a
    feast!

    The Vikings were farmers and raised cattle and other domestic
    animals. They grew grains and vegetables although they would have had a short
    growing season depending on the weather!

    Serve your meal on wooden plates
    or bowls. You can also use hard crusted bread hollowed out as plates. These were
    used also but they did have wooden dishes. Only use knives and spoons though no
    forks!

    So here are some ideas for your feast and some recipes!

    VIKING FEAST

    • Deer or Beef Roast (cooked in a pit or oven if
      you don’t have a pit)
    • Carrots, cabbage, onions (roasted with the meat)
    • Cottage cheese
    • Peas
    • Parsley Butter (mix soft butter & fresh
      chopped
      parsley)

    Flatbread/Shardbread

    • 7
      Cups of gruttet flour or thick wheat flour.
    • 3 cups of liquid. Use whey or
      butter milk
    • 1 Egg
    • A dash of salt (if desired)
    1. Flour,
      liquid, egg and salt must be kneaded long and thoroughly. If needed add more
      flour or liquid so the dough is just right.
    2. The dough should be shaped
      into small balls and then pressed flat and thin.
    3. The bread is baked over a
      glowing fire on shards of pottery or pans, about 2-3 minutes on each side. The
      bread should be light brown and sound hollow when you knock on it lightly with a
      fingernail. For the pottery you can use the shards from an average red burned
      herbal pot…

    * Sweeter bread/cakes can be obtained by sweetening the
    dough with honey.* Toasted stinging nettles give a good spicy taste.

    *
    Chopped nuts and cooked acorns in the dough are also good.
     

  • Online Learning Fun


    Internet-based teaching is becoming more and more popular for all those who are seeking online learning fun. With the net becoming an effective teaching medium, it has also turned into the main communication means in distance education.

    There are two main categories of on-line learners:

    1. Students: They are avidly seeking this avenue to undertake lessons from home. The learning process may involve either taking computer print outs or downloading modules.

    2. Executives: The corporate sector has also benefited hugely from web curriculums. The competitive necessity for knowledge-based organizations has been a major factor in corporates stressing on such programs. Since the web is the fastest way of knowing about latest technologies and information updates, it is a smart way of enhancing employee proficiency. Moreover, more and more executives are looking for a quick and easy way to adding to their skill sets, in the highly competitive scenario.

    Online learning packages are of three main types:

    1. Non-formal: This process is as simple as collecting resources for self-study and specialized research, such as for school projects, homework, classroom or corporate boardroom presentations.
    2. Formal: This involves registering for an on-line course with an educational institution. At the end of the course, students add to their qualifications with a diploma or degree.
    3. Online Corporate Programs: Corporate houses generally sponsor such training modules for enhancing the expertise of staff and providing them with latest industry information.

    Some popular on-line courses are:

    1. Preschool games: Cartoon builders and rhyming are some games nursery students enjoy. Kindergarten packages are very popular.
    2. Subject-based games for elementary students: They are great ways of introducing your kids to online learning fun. For instance, math games and history quizzes help elementary school students learn faster and getting over their subject hitches. Various websites allow you to download such games free. It even has ways to teach chemistry equations faster and with complete online learning fun.
    3. Interactive games and activities: This type of online learning fun involves brainteasers, puzzles, general knowledge quizzes, flash cards, word games. Halloween games are another fun activity that is available on the Web.
    4. IQ Tests and Logical Thinking: They help hone students’ learning and reasoning skills. These may include reading, writing, manners, social norms, techniques of friendship and many more topics. 
    5. On-line storybooks: They can help safe guard children’s reading habits.
    6. Stress-buster games: These Internet games give updates on stress factors and ways it can affect you. They have additional features like fun games that help relieve stress. These games are tailor made for executives. 
    7. Card games: This is a favorite among all, from homemakers to corporate honchos. It is the ultimate in online learning fun and there is one great thing it teaches everyone and that is patience.

    Learning online is not only fun but time saving and cost effective too. It’s a perfect solution for busy professionals and students seeking knowledge outside their text books.

  • Viking Dress


    Vikings dressed according to their wealth. The
    richer ones often wearing clothes that showed the styles in the countries they
    had visited.

    The children wore simple smocks and tunics.

    The women wore a simple undershift with long
    sleeves and an “apron” that was made of two rectangular pieces of
    cloth. The back piece had strings that attached to the front with brooches.
    Often the brooches were connected with beads. The women also carried a chain or
    belt with important things attached to it, like their eating knife, an ear
    scoop, keys, etc.

    The men wore long tunic type shirts with leggings of wool and boots sometimes
    made from seal hides or shoes of leather. They wrapped they leggings around
    their legs with cloth or leather. They wore cloaks pinned with huge brooches
    always thrown back away from the sword arm.

    Viking men loved jewelry as well as the women. Both men and women would have
    worn brooches, armbands, etc .

  • US Geography


    US geography is an interesting study in contrasts. The vast landmass of the United States houses a varied topography, with a surplus of physical features ranging from snow-capped mountains to the azure sea, from the rolling plains to the arid desert. The astounding variation in the geography of America translates into wide-ranging differences in its climate and environment too.

    Geographical Location of US

    The third largest country in the world, US is surrounded by Mexico in the south and Canada in the north. In the west is the Pacific Ocean, the Atlantic Ocean is in the east and the Gulf of Mexico is to the southeast.

    US is an join up of forty-nine states, and all except Hawaii and Alaska, form the continental block of the country. It is worth mentioning here that Alaska lies at the northwestern flank of America, separated from the US continental landmass by Canada, while Hawaii is a group of islands in the Pacific Ocean.

    The landmass of US geography encompasses a wide area and a wider variety of land characteristics. United states is broadly divided into eight distinctive physiographic divisions with other insignificant physiographic subdivisions, like:

    • Interior plains
    • Intermontane plateaus
    • Laurentian Highlands
    • Rocky Mountain System
    • Appalachian Highlands
    • Pacific Mountain System
    • Atlantic Plain
    • Interior Highlands

    Death Valley, Inyo County, and California 282 feet belowq the sea level are some of the lowest points of United States of America. On the other hand, the highest points of America include Mount McKinley, Denali Borough and Alaska 20,320 feet above the sea level.

    Cultural America 

    When talking about continental U.S geography, you can easily subdivide the region into six major cultural specifications. These may include:

    • New England – It lies in the upper northeast region of United States of America
    • Mid Atlantic – The home of the populous city of New York
    • South of America – It ranges from the coastal marshes to the highest peaks of the Appalachian Mountains and is drained by several large rivers
    • Midwest Region of United States of America – It includes the land which lie between the Ohio River and the Great Lakes
    • Southwest America – It is a dry climactic region and the area is noted for Grand Canyon
    • West of America – It is the largest among the six cultural regions in America. The region is the homeland of several mountain ranges, large valleys and broad plateaus.

    Climate of United States

    US geography is the land of every global climate. Its temperate climate in most areas, semiarid in the Great Plains, arid in the Great Basin, tropical in Hawaii and Southern Florida, polar in Alaska and Mediterranean in coastal California.

    Natural resources – a major context of US geography  

    Delve deep into the earth and you would be amazed to find an affluence of significant mineral contents including uranium, gold, mercury, copper, potash, tungsten, lead, petroleum, timber, silver, coal, phosphates, bauxite, natural gas, nickel, zinc, molybdenum and iron in US.

    Environment in US geography

    Environment in America has deteriorated abruptly causing acid rains in both US and Canada. US geography witnesses an all round pollution of land, air and water which if not controlled in time can prove extremely disastrous. 

  • Social Study Lesson Plan


    If you are looking for a social study lesson plan, here is an effective and popular method: Medaline Hunter Lesson Design Model. However, before we get into the details, let us briefly know what social study is all about. The study of subjects like history, geography, civics, sociology, economics and a few other social science subjects is collectively known as social study at the primary and secondary school level. At some post-secondary and tertiary schools, it is identified with the study of certain facets of human society.

    There could be a difference in subject matter but generally it includes both pure (sociology, psychology and linguistics) and applied social sciences (business, economics, criminology, and mass media). Some North American social study courses also include earth sciences and climatology. In New South Wales, Australia, the public school system defines social study as the education of “Human Society and its Environment.”

    Whatever its subject matter, planning is very important. The Madeline Hunter Lesson Design Model is one of the most popular for direct teaching methods. Named after Madeline Hunter, noted educational theorist, it is an 8-point lesson plan.

    Preparation: This is a warm-up activity that introduces the student to the lesson and attracts attention before class begins. It can be in the form of a leaflet, an example problem, or a question-answer session.

    Aim: Plan the purpose of that day’s lesson. As a teacher, you must give tips on how students will benefit from the class and what they will learn.

    Input: This includes the vocabulary, skills and other concepts a teacher refers to in the classroom. Briefly, it is the instructions necessary to learn the lesson.
     
    Display (show): Show and prepare your students how to learn their lessons easily and proficiently.

    Effective guidance: This involves the trimodal approach, or see/hear/do method of instructions. Here, you show your students how to move step-by-step in order to master the skills emphasized in this method. Say for instance, you show the students how to work out a problem, as they try to solve it on their own.

    Check progress: This tip is a great way to find out whether your students have really grasped the lesson. Always ask for their feedback and pace your instructions according to their progress.

    Self-help: Let your students complete some lessons on their own, helping whenever they are stuck. This is to ensure that each student knows what to do.

    Conclude: At the end of it all, ask your students to recall the lessons of the day.

    If you apply these tips from elementary school level, you can turn social study into one of the most interesting subjects. On the other hand, students who follow this method carefully are sure to do well. Proper social study lesson plan can boost your overall performance as well.

  • Subtraction Worksheets


    If you were weak in math as a student and do not want your child to be weak in it too, then you can take the help of math worksheets like subtraction worksheets. The free and printable worksheets come with solutions to the mathematical problems, giving the kids good practice on sums for excellent memory function.

    The subtraction worksheets have sums from ‘0-0′ to ’20-10’. Therefore, in total, there are 11 pages of sums and each page has 22 sums. Now, isn’t that a lot of sums for the small child? Hence, it is important not to overburden your child by expecting to get the whole stack of sums completed in a single day. It will be rational to get the child workout a single page of sums each day.

    Subtraction Worksheets & Their Use

    Like the three addition worksheets, there are three subtraction worksheets in Math Worksheets. There are some worksheets that have addition and subtraction exercises all placed together, under one head; this last category of worksheets is a special one that has the sums organized into the groups of four. For instance, a child learns to add the numbers 3 with 8 and 8 with 3, and gets the same result. Similarly, the child works out subtractions like 11-3 and 11-8 to find out the relation.

    After the child has sound knowledge of the normal subtraction process, take your child a step further and practice the binary subtraction or may be, subtraction of any other bases. It is always best to opt for the finger method. When your child starts to learn subtractions, it is advisable to begin by teaching subtraction on the fingers. Small subtractions like 10-7 can be easily counted on the fingers. Only after the child has mastered this form of counting, must you shift to larger numbers like subtracting 9 from 36. With this, the child will learn the borrowing method.

    You can really depend on the subtraction worksheets for practice. Beside the worksheets, you can also take the help of subtraction games and subtraction lesson plans. They make practical sense and make subtraction sums fun.

    If you have still not introduced your child to subtraction worksheets, do so now and see the difference it makes.

  • Regional History


    To get a complete and comparative picture of world history, it is very important to study regional history as well. Regional history is a method where you learn about the history of various countries during the same time span and then compare the common aspects. 

    Historians also lay stress on the fact that historical developments cannot be studied in isolation. It is very important to study history countrywise and at the same time analyze them globally. Many historians focus on the patterns of political leadership and the rise and fall of empires in various countries while exploring regional history.

    The empires that flourished around the Mediterranean, the Ganges and the Yellow River by the last centuries BCE are vital chapters of regional history.

    The Ganges valley in India saw the rise of the illustrious Mauryan Empire. The Pandyas ruled southern India simultaneously. At the same time, The Qin and Han dynasties were the imperial rulers of China and brought about political stability and communication development in their country. Emporer Wu also created monopoly states in China.

    Moving to the western world, the Ancient Greeks were then busy building a culture that would change modern western civilization forever.

    Around the 3rd century BCE, the Roman Empire began to rise by territorial invasions and colonization. By the end of the 1st century, Roman Emperor Augustus was the undisputed monarch of the Mediterranean.

    Egypt rose to prominence with the consolidation of Nile Valley politics around 3500 BC and is said to have come to decline in 30 BC when the early Roman Empire invaded and took over Ptolemaic Egypt.

    The great empires rose to glory based on their military might and the world saw times of agricultural prosperity, political stability and international trade. These regional civilizations also shared common problems like the cost of maintaining huge military reserves and a centralized bureaucracy. The peasants had to suffer for these expenses while the corrupt landowners fleeced them and cleverly evaded taxes.

    If the rise of the mighty empires formed a significant chapter of regional history, the picture remains incomplete without an analysis of their fall. Barbarian incursions were the reason for the civil unrest in the Han Empire in 220 CE. Their Roman counterpart also lost the centralized stability due to the same reason. At the same time Eurasia, America and North Africa saw the rise and fall of various empires.
    The disintegration of the Roman Empire brought great instability in Europe. However, the spread of Christianity westward from the Middle East brought some unity. The Western Roman Empire was taken over by various Germanic tribes in the 5th century who however owed collective allegiance to the Roman Catholic Church.

    The eastern region of the Roman Empire, also known as the Byzantine Empire continued under a centralized leadership. Western Europe again saw some stability under the Holy Roman Empire.

    Similarly, dynasties came and went in China — The Sui Dynasty Tang Dynasty, Northern Song Dynasty and the Mongol Empire, to name some. India saw the rise and fall of the Guptas and the Dravidian empires like the Cheras, Cholas, and Pandyas etc.

    In Central America, the Maya and the Aztecs in Mesoamerica were some of the most prominent native empires. In South America, the Incas dominated for a long time.  The rise of Islam in the 7th century also led to the growth of religious empires in India, the Middle East and North Africa.

    All these civilizations are vital to the study of history. Hence, regional history is an essential part of any history curriculum.

  • Reading Comprehension Worksheets


    Improve your child’s reading skills, by handing him/her the reading comprehension worksheets. When a child learns to read, it is not possible for him/her to comprehend the whole text. They encounter many unknown words, which have to be explained to them and it is precisely here that the reading comprehension worksheets play a role.

    Reading Comprehension Worksheets – What is it and why it is important?

    The worksheets are not meant merely for reading. Just understanding the meaning of each line is not the objective. A child must be made to comprehend the import of the text overall. For this, he/she needs to have the ability to know and use strategies before, after and also during the course of reading so as to comprehend the inherent meaning of the matter.

    The secondary, middle and high school students should possess the ability to understand the text properly, because they have to take care of extensive readings in content area classes. Students should read the text repetitively to best grasp the meaning of the content, the structure of the reading material, how the ideas are inter-related and the inner meaning they convey.

    Reading Comprehension Worksheets – Types

    • Directed Reading Worksheets – The directed reading comprehension worksheets have ‘match the following’, ‘short answer exercises’ and ‘fill in the blank’ assignments.
    • Active Reading Guide Worksheets – It emphasizes on recognizing cause and effect, reading effectively and many more.

    Reading Comprehension Worksheets – Some important guidelines for teachers/parents

    Before going through the ‘reading comprehension worksheets’, it is crucial to focus on the purpose of the reading. The student should be made to utilize his/her background knowledge to establish connection with the topic of the text. To enrich their knowledge, you (as a mentor) should introduce to your students the key vocabulary related to the text, prior to reading.

    While a student is reading the text, he/she should follow the self-questioning strategies, in order to analyze how much they have understood the text. You can even let them refer to text guides, which can facilitate in proper understanding of the text matter. Teach them strategies, which can be used to understand the text with the least difficulty.

    After they have finished reading the text, furnish a few questions related to the text. Also let them judge themselves by using the self-questioning strategies. A student should be able to narrate the gist of the content, if they understand the text properly.

    What you can you do to let them retain the inherent meaning of the text?

    The retaining ability of the students can differ. The reading comprehension worksheets cannot be customized according to any such particular rule, which can enable the student to retain. However, if a student has strong reading capabilities and a brief knowledge about the text prior to their reading, then this can enhance retaining ability. Bookmarks also help in retaining. They can jot down the questions and answers from the text on the bookmark; of course, you will need to maintain separate bookmarks for each chapter.

    You can refer to the guidebooks, leveled books, lesson plans to help your child or student understand the text thoroughly; however, to enhance the effectiveness and pleasure of reading, buy your child the reading comprehension worksheets.

  • Reading Worksheets


    Whatever is necessary in a reading curriculum, the reading worksheets have it all. Usually the worksheets have essays or stories, which the students can read. Then there are also certain questions for the child to answer; this helps you understand how much of the story or essay the child has been able to retain in his/her memory.

    The questions that are asked in these worksheets not only revolve around what happened in the story but also on the total import of the text. This is an effective manner of enhancing the child’s memory and assessing the child’s reading comprehension level.

    Reading Worksheets – Types

    There are two different types of reading worksheets – directed reading worksheets and active reading guide worksheets. The directed worksheets help the students to remain absolutely focused when reading. It also contains short answer exercises, matching and fill-in-the-blank that help measure a child’s understanding. The active reading guide worksheets are efforts to engage the reader in the process of reading and helps follow the child’s progress.

    How Can Parents Utilize These Worksheets?

    If you want your child to excel in school, give him/her the strong reading skills. The reading worksheets will be able to guide you well in this matter. For helping your child learn as well as master all the skills used in the process of reading, the child’s education must go on even after he/she is back home from school.

    You can avail of the free reading worksheets that include essays, poems, original stories and articles. These worksheets are suitable for the upper elementary through the middle school years. Besides, what you can do is read along with your children. In this way, your child enjoys your company and also strengthens his/her reading skills. Of course, you will need to choose topics/subjects nearing the child’s comprehension level.

    Choose books/stories, etc. with large letterings, especially when reading to a small kid and do not forget to point out to the letters. This will enhance the child’s vocabulary and also help the child to recognize the words. Also, tell your children to stop your reading when they do not understand a particular word. Do not refrain from explaining to your child how a word is spelt. This will give your child the skill of incorporating the correct choice of word in English. Make your child read and follow the words closely.

    You can also emulate reading worksheets to come up with exercises to examine the child’s reading properly – this will give you an idea of the child’s progress in communication as well as reading skills.