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  • Remembrance Day Canada


    Remembrance Day Canada is also observed in United Kingdom, Australia and many other Commonwealth countries. It is known as Poppy Day in South Africa and Malta, and Armistice Day in United Kingdom and New Zealand. The day, observed on 11th November marks the end of World War I on that day back in 1918.

    The observance is a dedication to the civilians and the armed forces who died in World War I, World War II and other wars. It was first observed by King George V of the United Kingdom on 7th November, 1919. In Canada, the day is observed with a holiday for federal government employees. Western and Atlantic Canada observes the day as a general holiday.

    If schools do not have a full holiday, they generally observe the day by holding assemblies commemorating the war dead. The National War Memorial in Ottawa is visited by thousands on this day who pay their due respects to the fallen soldiers and civilians.

    The Canadians wear poppies on Remembrance Day and observe a two-minute silence at the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month recalling the time when the Armistice of the World War I was signed.

    The Significance of Poppies

    The poppies bloomed across the battlefields of Flanders during World War I and their red color denoted the bloodshed that took place at that time. Though there are some people who prefer to wear white poppies on the day for promoting peace.

    The Different Ceremonies

    Many Commonwealth Nations observe this day by playing the Last Post, observing a “two-minute silence”, playing the Reveille and reciting the Ode of Remembrance. Singing National Anthems and laying wreaths to honor the war dead also form part of the observance.

    Hamilton organizes a large and colorful parade including the Contingents from the Royal Navy, British Regular Army, the US Army, Air Force and Navy and many other services.

    Canada During The War Years

    Remembrance Day Canada is marked by providing an insight into the Canadian life during World War I. For this reason, color posters depicting Canada back in the days of World War I is used as a means of mass communication. The World War II posters have a more dramatic effect and are great advertising vehicles used by the Canadian Government. Remembrance Day also commemorates the Participation of about 26,000 Canadians in the Korean War.

    The poem “In Flanders Fields” written in 1915 by Lieutenant-Colonel John McCrae is of great significance on this day. Remembrance Day Canada is similar to Veterans Day in the US.

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  • Antarctic Climate and Weather

    The Antarctic is much colder than the
    Arctic. On average temperatures in the Antarctic are 50-80 degrees Fahrenheit
    lower than the Arctic. Although both areas receive the same amount of sunlight,
    the ice and snow in Antarctica reflect much of the heat away, causing it to be
    so cold. The winds also play a large factor in the temperature. Every increase
    of 1.2 mph in wind speed drops the temperature a further 1.8 degrees Fahrenheit.
    Even in summer a person’s breath freezes as soon as it leaves the body.

    The Antarctic is also a desert. Even
    though it contains 70% of the world’s fresh water, this has been built up over
    thousands of years. The interior of Antarctica receives less than the equivalent
    of two inches of rain each year. Of course, it doesn’t come in the form of
    rain, but as snow. This makes inland Antarctica one of the world’s driest
    deserts. The Air is too cold to hold moisture, which is why there is so little
    precipitation. Even on the coast, where the temperatures are higher, there is
    less than the equivalent of 15 inches of rain per year.

    The Antarctic Peninsula, in West
    Antarctica, directly south of South America has the highest temperatures. During
    a really hot summer there, the temperatures can reach as high as 59 degrees
    Fahrenheit, but the summer average is around 50 degrees. You can compare that to
    the winter in Arizona. The average summer temperatures in the warmest place in
    Antarctica are much the same as the average winter temperatures in the warmest
    place in Arizona!

    The cold in Antarctica makes it almost impossible for
    humans to live there. Although the temperatures are so low, a person wearing
    dark clothing can actually feel quite warm, as the clothes absorb the heat of
    the sun. Any exposed skin, though, freezes. When it is frozen blood cannot reach
    it and it dies. This is known as frostbite. The sun reflecting off the ice also
    causes problems, and people must wear dark glasses outside or they may become
    blind, from the ultra-violet rays. Add to the problem of the cold and sun, the
    wind. Walking against such strong winds is very tiring. The combination of all
    these factors is what caused so many explorers to fail to reach the South Pole
    when they tried. In such cold climates humans must consume a lot of food to
    maintain their energy. Early explorers often had to give up because they were
    too cold, too exhausted and too hungry to go on. They had to carry or pull al
    the food and clothing they needed on sleds. That meant spending more energy. It
    was extremely difficult to make a balance between the energy needed to pull the
    food (so requiring more food) and taking just enough food to give enough energy.

    Related Articles:
    Antarctica
    Animals in Antarctica
    Early Explorers in Antarctica
    Penguins 

  • 4th Grade Math

    Essentially, 4th grade math curriculum is introduced to equip the students with a better understanding of mathematics – one of the most important subjects in the academics. Most children, during their kindergarten days, hardly get a cue of this largely complicated subject. The 4th grade math is nothing but an enhancement of what the toddlers have learned in their nursery classes. It enables the children to have a better grip of the subject and obviates any fear of the subject in future.

    The whole regime of the 4th grade math

    The 4th grade math regime includes all strands of mathematics including elementary arithmetic. The primary syllabus of various math strands in the 4th grade includes number sense and its operations, algebraic methods, measurement techniques, geometry and spatial sense, data analysis and interpretation, as well as different types of probability. The entire program of 4th grade math is conducted through many ascribed learning props, which comprise fourth grade lessons and chapters with reinforcement activities and exercises, worksheets and overall assessments.

    Play with numbers – add, multiply, divide or subtract

    In the 4th grade math lesson for learning number sense and operations, the students are taught about the varied use of addition, subtraction, products and fractions in problem sums. The students are introduced to the properties of addition and multiplication, viz., cumulative, associative, and distributive. Moreover, they are also acquainted with the application of inverse relations between them and the factors and factorials. A 4th grade student is expected to have a precise knowledge on the number system, such as to be able to compare the fractions of hundreds and locate them on the number line. The children are assessed on these and other general mathematics.

    Solve the misery of the probability mystery

     

    In the 4th grade math, the students learn about the methods and procedures to measure the volume, perimeter and surface area of the dimensions. Along with this, the children get a vivid idea on algebra, various geometrical structures and their dimensions. The students learn about the application of different formulas in sums and problems, and the simplest way to resolution. Further, 4th grade math introduces the children to the sums of data analysis and probability. The students are made to collect data and use necessary techniques to reach the solution.

    Essential for all the growing kids

    In every step of the 4th grade math lesson, the learners are assessed regularly based on several assignments and problem-solving sessions that form the core of the entire regime. In the process, they are evaluated on the basis of their understanding of the lesson. Practice is the keyword in 4th grade math. Good and effective consequence of the entire process is achievable only through several practice sessions and assessment programs that the curriculum of 4th grade math specifies.

  • Recycling

    Continental Drift

    #3: Recycling

    By the early 1960’s it was established that the earth was making new
    crust, on the ocean floor, all the time. However, since the earth is not
    expanding, where is this new land going?

    The answers began to appear in 1964, following a major
    earthquake in Alaska. Geologists visiting the area immediately after the quake
    were, at first, confused by reports about changes in sea level. Some areas were
    claiming that the sea level had fallen, and others that it had risen. Despite
    searching, the geologists could find no evidence of a crack in the earth’s
    surface. A quake with a magnitude as great as this had to have an associated
    fault line (crack), but where was it?

    Barnacles

    A particularly observant geologist noticed a strange
    phenomenon. Along the entire coastline, there was a line of barnacles, still
    living, way above the highest level that the sea reached. In some places it was
    as much as 20 feet above the present levels of water. The fact that the
    barnacles were still living meant that they had been in seawater recently. From
    this, scientists were able to state that the sea level at the coast had
    definitely fallen, or more accurately, the land had risen.

    Inland Flooding

    Further inland though, the story was the complete opposite.
    Areas, which had been dry for years were suddenly sitting under water. There was
    no doubt that these areas had dropped during the earthquake.

    The Fault Line

    By drawing diagrams, and making models, the scientists came
    to the conclusion that the fault line must lie under the earth’s surface. The
    areas of uplifting and sinking indicated that the line ran from an area just off
    the coast, diagonally downwards, under the land. They also noticed that just
    where their theoretical fault line was, there was a deep trench in the ocean
    floor. Trenches like it can be found all the way around the Pacific Ocean rim.

    Putting it Together

    Now the scientists had the following information:

    • The earth makes new crust on the ocean floor
    • The crust moves outwards as newer crust is formed
    • The earth is not getting larger
    • There is a trench all the way around the Pacific Ocean
    • There is a fault line running from the trench, under the land
      mass

    It didn’t take them very long to decide exactly what was
    happening to the extra land. It was disappearing down, under the
    continents, at the trenches. The trenches are like a huge crack in the ocean
    floor, where the newer rock slides under the older rock. As it slides, the
    weight of the older rock pushes it downwards. Eventually it reaches the outer
    core of the earth, which is extremely hot and molten. Here it heats up and
    becomes molten, joining all the rest of the molten rock, to become magma again.

    Recycling

    In a way it is like a natural recycling plant. At the mid
    ocean ridge, hot molten rock, or magma is forced upwards. As it comes into
    contact with the cool ocean it solidifies, becoming new solid rock. The rock is
    gradually pushed outwards my more rock as it forms. The entire ocean floor is
    being pushed outwards towards the continents. At the edges of the continents,
    the new rock is pushed downwards, under the continents. The solid rock heats up
    and becomes magma again. Then the cycle begins all over again

    Is That the End of the Story?

    It might seem that the story is finished now. We have
    successfully explained how the continents were pushed apart. We have proved that
    the ocean floor is constantly being renewed. We have seen where the extra ocean
    floor goes. However, it isn’t quite the end of the story. The theory of
    continental drift once it got this far, became known as the theory of Plate
    Tectonics. So now we need to look at Plate Tectonics, and also check those facts
    about disappearing earth. Not all of it goes down under the continents, some of
    it goes up!

  • Plate Tectonics

    Continental Drift

    #4 Plate Tectonics

    After 50 years of investigating, Wegener’s theory of Continental Drift became the fact of Plate Tectonics. The earth’s crust is made up of huge areas, all moving, known as plates. The edges of the plates, or plate margins, are where all the action is. Sometimes they cause earthquakes or volcanoes; sometimes they build mountains and sometimes the swallow up the earth’s crust.

    The edges of the plates are known as the plate margins, or plate boundaries. Depending on the type of boundary, different things happen. There are three main types of Boundaries.

    Spreading Boundaries

    There are two types of spreading boundaries:


    Ridges, where new rock is formed, pushing the plates apart, and Rift, where the plates pull apart, and the earth between them sinks.


    On the ocean floor the plates are spreading. All along the mid ocean ridge, volcanic activity is pouring new lava out onto the seabed. As it hardens, it becomes new rock, gradually pushing the crust, on either side of it away. Another type of spreading boundary is the African Rift Valley. As the two plates are moving apart, the earth between them is becoming stretched. As it stretches it sinks, because it is thinner. It is a little bit like taking a piece of gum, and stretching it out. The pieces in your fingers stay thick, but the piece in the middle gets thinner and thinner, as it is stretched.

    Converging Boundaries

    Converging (coming together) Boundaries, are where two plates are banging into each other. What happens when they collide depends on the type of plate they are.


    In a subduction zone one plate is being pushed beneath the other. It happens when a heavy plate hits a lighter plate. The heavier plate is pushed under the lighter one since it is more dense. This often happens where continents meet the ocean. As the heavier ocean crust is forced downwards, it takes water with it. The water causes the rock to melt at lower temperatures than normal. The pressure inside the earth is much greater than at the surface, it increases the deeper you go. The new molten rock tends to rise to the area of lower pressure, sometimes forming volcanoes. It is not uncommon to find volcanoes along a converging boundary, on the side of the heavier plate.


    In a deformation zone the area where the plates meet is being crushed and pushed upwards. It happens when the two plates are almost equal in weight. Instead of one plate being pushed down under the other, they smash into each other, causing the edges to rise upwards. It is very similar to two cars crashing together, head-on. As they hit each other, the front ends crumple, and lift upwards. In this type of boundary huge mountain ranges are formed. The best example of this is the Himalayan Mountains. They were formed when the Indian Plate crashed into the European Plate. The two are still being forced into each other, and the Himalayan Mountains are slowly becoming taller.

    If you think about it hard enough, you can probably see that plates with a spreading boundary on one side must have a converging or transverse boundary on the other side. The earth’s crust is moving and changing all the time, but the upward or downward movement of converging boundaries, stops the earth from growing larger. As the plates slip and slide over and under each other, they keep the size of Earth constant.

    Transverse Boundaries

    The last type of boundary is neither spreading nor colliding. The edges are sliding past each other, sideways. As they slide past each other they cause a huge crack in the surface of the earth. This crack, or fissure, is known as a fault line. Probably the best-known example of this is the San Andreas Fault, which is found in Western California. As they slide past each other they sometimes cause earthquakes. Areas with fault lines have more frequent earthquakes than other places.

  • Science Career

    The popularity and impact of science has been realized all over the world, which has inspired students for a successful science career in near future. It has been found that students excelling in the science related subjects ultimately land up as efficient engineers or scientists. Today, science has become a dream as well as a necessity for every student and it helps them to come out with excellence. The roots of science are endless and include a wide array of subjects under it. If you want to pursue a science career, you need to stretch your education as far as possible.

    You need to get one thing clear that a science career expects you to go for higher education. Achieving only a bachelor’s degree does not give you all you want. In fact, the modern world demands higher degrees like PhDs and medical degrees for more efficiency and skills. One thing is sure that when you will look for a career in the corporate sectors, you will be surrounded by people mostly having PhD or high medical degrees. There is no harm to dream for a successful scientist but for this, you need to pursue higher qualifications.

    In most of the schools, there are labs that enable students to gain deeper knowledge of science related subjects through various scientific experiments and assignments. Sometimes teachers provide students with research projects, which help them to get enough confidence during the pursuance of a science career. If you are a beginner and intending to give your career a perfect start, here is a list of some of the best science careers mentioned below:

    • computer science

    • health science

    • sports science

    • political science

    • life science

    • social science

    • physical science

    • marine science

    • library science

    • earth science

    • human science

    • information science

    The list does not end here because you already know that science brings for you unlimited options. With the advancement of science and technology, the number of options in a science career has increased limitlessly.

    One of the most successful paths in a science career is science engineering. Students who desire to go for PhDs have to plan from beforehand as to how they should gain more knowledge about science engineering. It is not so simple to receive a PhD in a difficult stream like engineering because you have to go through heavy research work apart from your usual academic lessons.

    Therefore, it can be concluded that a science career is guaranteed to gift your child a prosperous future.

  • Science Books

    Science books for children should be interesting ones that will encourage the kids to learn the subject rather making it more complicated. At the same time, the books must have all accurate information on science. Learning science should not be a stressful or frightening experience for the child, but the books should make it as interesting and fun filled as possible for the children.

    Good Science books do much more than just teaching about scientific facts; they are also capable of revealing how beautiful, intricate as well as interlinked the physical existence is here. The language used in a good science book is such that it also helps the kids in enhancing their language skills.

    Which Is A Good Science Book?

    When you go to buy an appropriate science book for your child, there are certain things that you must be looking for. Always buy science books that have a proper writing style; this should work towards the development of the kid’s storytelling skills, the descriptive power of verbal text and enhance the language skills.

    Look to see that the book maintains accuracy in all the scientific facts that it provides. There should not be any wrong information imparted to the children. The graphics and illustrations that are provided in a science book should have aesthetic sense and suitability. It should be fun for the kids to know about the world, space, animals, plants, flowers, humans and other stuffs.

    The science textbooks that you buy need to be able to properly guide the children towards learning and taking an interest in science as a subject. The basic scientific theories and methods need to be explained properly to encourage kids to know more about science and its wonders.

    Among science books, there are books on Pure Science, which implies observations about phenomena in a systematic way together with experimentation. The other major categories of books on science include exact, natural or descriptive science.

    For kids who are very new to the subject of science, the books should be a nice introduction that will instill in the minds of the children an urge to know more about scientific facts. That is how science books should be, so give your kids what they should read to explore that heart and soul of science.

  • Science Book

    Science book is the first and major source that makes your child take deep interest and fun on the subject. Simply buying any science book from the market will not do. It is very important for you to know that a proper and factual science book can bear a great influence upon your child’s career. If he is a careerist and shows interest in the subject, provide him a good science book from the market. The facts in such books must be presented in such a manner that your child may feel the urge to study the subject with more and more interest.

    A science book should feature a lucid writing style and the language should have the ability to attract the attention of the students. The primary motive of the writing should be to promote interest within the students and motivate them towards the depth of the subject. There should be suitable illustrations and examples to explain various phenomenon of science through which they will be able to understand the essence of the subject. Always encourage your children to borrow books from the library of their school.

    Some science books are also available in series. You have to select very carefully the particular series that would suit your child. The most important categories of science books are Exact, Descriptive and Normal. Among the science subjects, physics and chemistry come under the Exact category; Anthropology and Biology fall under Descriptive category, and lastly, Astronomy and Geology are included among the Natural category. If your child wants to learn basic scientific theories and methods, there are separate textbooks, which are provided with fine illustrations and easy language.

    A science book is written by scientists, researchers or professors. As a result, these books are provided with detailed and correct explanations that help a child to take deep interest in the subject. Generally, these books are written for the universal audience with proper scientific experiments and theories. This shows that the authors inherit genuine writing skills and techniques in presenting a theory to the audience. It seems a more difficult task for them to reach out with their explanations to the beginners who hardly carry with them any knowledge of the subject.

    There are a handful of science books covering various subjects like books on astronomy by Carl Sagan, evolutionary biology by Stephen Jay Gould and Richard Dawkins, psychology by Donald Norman, linguistics and cognitive science by Steven Pinker, Noam Chomsky, and Robert Ornstein, and Desmond Morris on zoology and anthropology.

    Take your child today to a bookshop and provide him with a good science book.

  • Science Biology

    The word biology in the term science biology has come from Greek – bio means “life”; and logos means “to talk about life”. Science biology is in one word the scientific way of studying life. Through biology, you come to know how life originated on earth and gave way to unicellular organisms. Biology analyzes the structure, function, growth, origin, evolution and distribution of things that are living on earth. Biology assorts and identifies several organisms and their functions. It also relates how species came into being and their personal interaction with nature. However, the foundation of modern biology pillars on four basic unifying principles and they are cell theory, evolution, genetics and homeostasis.

    It was in the nineteenth century when science biology evolved as a separate science and for the first time scientists concluded that organisms do share fundamental characteristics. Science biology has now become a standard instructional subject in several schools and universities in various parts of the world. Every year more than a million papers are published stating biological secrets in a number of biological and medical journals. However, these journals have played a major role in creating biological awareness among common public.

    It is important for you to know that biology is a specialized discipline. Conventionally, they are categorized based on the type of organism you are studying. For example, when you are studying botany it means you are studying about plants, when you are studying zoology you are studying about animals and in microbiology, you are trying to know more about microorganisms. There are several specialized branches of science biology. Some of these branches are:

    • Biochemistry – The subject, which deals with the fundamental chemistry of life.

    • Molecular biology – This is all about the complex interactions of systems of biological molecules.

    • Cellular biology – This deals with the basic building block of all life forms – the cell.

    • Physiology – This tells you more about the physiological and chemical performances of the tissues and organ systems of an organism.

    • Ecology – This lets you know that how several organisms interrelate with their surrounding environment.

    As you unlock the world of science biology, the secrets of life are revealed one after another thereby making you biologically aware.

  • Third Grade Science Projects

    The third grade science projects help the 3rd grade kids to understand science better. Further, these help them in their future learning. The science projects for the kids should be made interesting and fun, as only then will the kids be able to learn better and properly. You should take care that the kids are enjoying what they learn; this will make them retain what they learn for a longer time.

    Different science projects that could be interesting for the kids

    Many interesting third grade science projects are there, which will interest your child. Like for instance, if you want to help them understand the different types of houses built by human beings, you can make them use dried leaves for huts, twigs for nests and they can use other materials like cotton, thick cardboard and other stuffs. All the way, the activity can be loads of fun for the kids.

    To encourage the kids to learn about animals, you can get cutouts of big as well as young animal pictures and these are great materials for third grade science projects.

    Another great science projects will be to encourage the kids to know the growth of the plants. We all know that plants require air, water and sunlight for growth. Have the kids take two plants in two different pots; the plant in one pot should get sunlight, water and air for the good growth of the plant, whereas the second plant should be covered with a polythene bag without air contact, with no water and away from the sunlight. You will find that the second plant will die after some days and the first plant will grow up to be a healthy plant.

    Science projects can be lovely learning tools

    Always look for third grade science projects that are easy to make, easy to explain to the kids and helps them to understand their science lessons better. The approach to teaching science becomes lot more interesting once you know how to go about it armed with the fun projects. You will be surprised to find the third grade kids more than ready to learn. As a teacher, you can make your teaching more practicable with the third grade science projects.