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LIFE SKILLS

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Here are sites that are designed to teach skills kids will need in the working world when they are adults.

 

 

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listen Lies on the net

 

 

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An Age-By-Age Guide to Kids' Chores

 



5 reasons to teach kids to code

5 Unbeatable Reasons Your Kid Should Be Coding "Coding empowers kids to communicate with the machines and acquire the ability to turn creativity into interactive reality. The computer language like any other language is best learnt at a young age. If you want your kids to crack complicated problems through logical reasoning, introduce them to the world of coding early on. Kodable made this infographic which illustrates how introducing programming to kids at an early age can help them in many different ways."


Five-year-old Mongol girl practicing the traditional art of
horseback archery. It got them an empire once.


10 Cleaning Skills Your Kids Should Learn from About.com - Housekeeping. We could only find six of them on the page! Six, 10, whatever. "Kids and a clean home don't always seem to go together. But in reality, your children can learn some basic skills that will help keep the house more tidy. Here are some recommended chores that kids should learn." They're talking laundry, dishes, making the bed, sweeping, mopping, and picking up. That's a good start. You can work up to folding clothes, mowing lawns, raking, changing light bulbs, basic & easy plumbing repair, resetting tripped circuit breakers properly, painting, changing tires, etc etc, before they grow up and (hopefully) move out.

 

 

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27 Diagrams That Make Cooking So Much Easier "Including easy ingredient substitutions, basic knife skills, meat marinating times, and more." In these modern times, many people do not know these facts and skills that were once taught by parents to their kids. These useful infographics pass on some of that knowledge. Links to the sites of origin are provided so you can see them at full size.

 

66 Things You Can Grow In Containers! from Urban Organic Gardener "No Excuses – Just GROW FOOD! Growing your own food is exciting. Here’s a starter list of all the crazy things even urban gardeners, without space for a garden, can grow at home." Kids can learn how to grow their own food (as can adults) which is certainly a life skill. There are three other articles in the same vein:

  • WHAT?!! 66 Things You Can Grow At Home?? In Containers?!?!?!?
  • 66 Things You Can Grow In Containers Feb 2016
  • 66 Things You Can Grow In Containers Feb 2015
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    100 Common Myths and Misconceptions "The world's most widespread falsehoods - debunked!" The team at GeekWrapped has created a comprehensive infographic focusing specifically on 100 of the most common myths and misconceptions that are circulating the internet. The website’s founder Simon Saval explained: “It took our editorial team over two months to research, verify, write, and design the content. The result is that we have now published one of the most complete overviews of misconceptions.” - educateinspirechange.org This is a BIG page! Enjoy! Going in Life Skills

    The sacred 'sisters' of ancient America
    from BBC World's Table
    "In Quebec, the tale of the "three sisters" isn't just
    a myth about cooperation; it's a message from
    Wendat ancestors that teaches modern people
    about ancient, life-sustaining food."

    and a great video:

    Three Sisters: Companion Planting of
    North American Indigenous Peoples

    10:53 video from GRIN-U Education






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    Back in the 1950's this was taught in 2nd semester, 4th grade.

     

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    Starring Primitive Pete!
    The immortal Primitive PeteThe ABCs of Hand Tools ~ A Health and Safety Lesson produced by Walt Disney for General Motors in 1945. 30+ minutes, with a transition break at about 17 minutes, if you want to break it into sections. Timeless lessons on the proper use of, and care for, traditional hand tools. Includes such mundane items as hammers and screwdrivers. Common hand tools are still in use, so the hard-learned knowledge passed on in this old film is still important today. There's only one way to hammer a nail, for example. The old craftsmen had these things figured out precisely, so follow their guidance and avoid reinventing the wheel. Copied from a 35mm film and glitchy/jigggly at both ends. Does not cover power tools. Does cover traditional hand woodworking tools.

     

     

     

     

    A Guide to Writing for College by Veritas Prep "Writers can create coherent and incoherent composition. Other people judge an individual’s intellect based on their ability to write. Writing serves as an outlet for people to express themselves as individuals. Writing enables people to organize facts from opinions without getting confused. It also allows the writer to inject personal views to influence the readership." That being said,here are some reasons why you need to write coherently.

  • Writing is putting your thoughts on paper.
  • You are writing for Other People, not for yourself.
  • You will be judged by the quality of your writing.
  • It's not just a hoop you must jump through to get that diploma, it's a life skill!
  • Yes, and writing carries ideas down the ages.
  • This site will lead you to links to sites about:
  • The Writing Process,
  • Prewriting,
  • how to write a Thesis or Analysis,
  • how to do Revision,
  • brush up on Grammar and Mechanics,
  • write Research Papers,
  • and exploring Online Writing Labs for even more help.
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    Reading

    A Year of Reading the World- The list This is the list of 196 books, one from every country in the world, that Londoner Ann Morgan read in 365 days. An article from the BBC, "Reading the world in 196 books" tells the story of her quest to even find a book from every country. An article from The Atlantic discusses her favorites among the 196 books. Amy Poehler's Smart Girls on FB endorsed this. We endorse it because we feel learning about the people in the other 195 countries is essential to a young person's education.

     

     

     

    Activity TV  This truly excellent site has at least a couple of hundred good instructional videos on subjects like paper airplanes, science projects, magic, making jewelry, crafts, origami, juggling, cheerleading, cooking (!), and more! It also has Lego action videos and several good games! The videos are really world-class, with adult instruction, printable parts lists, and recipes. Projects on the videos can be accessed by skill levels, categories, most viewed, etc. You need to look at Activity TV!

     

    Admongo from the US Federal Trade Commision, teaches advertising literacy to kids. "Welcome to Admongo where advertising is all around you. Online. Outside. On television. Who makes ads? How do they work? What do they want you to do? Here, you will explore, discover, and learn. Can you make it to the top? To get there, you'll answer: Who is responsible for the ad? What is the ad actually saying? What does the ad want me to do?"

     

    American Rhetoric will teach you all about making speeches! An online database of 5,000 good speeches on every topic, with examples from history, the movies; full text, audio, and video database of the 100 top American political speeches of the 20th century! Hear the Pearl Harbor speech, FDR's Fireside Chats, Martin Luther King, Malcolm X; hear and read Ghandi, Gladiator, Robert E. Lee, Stonewall Jackson, Robert Gould Shaw, Joshua Chamberlain, Lincoln, Queen Elizabeth I, Martin Luther at Worms, Army-McCarthy Hearings, Maya Angelou, Marc Antony, Marlin Brando, hundreds more! Plus: "200+ short audio and video clips illustrating stylistic figures of speech ranging from alliteration to synecdoche. Clips are taken from speeches, movies, sermons, and sensational media events and delivered by politicians, actors, preachers, athletes, and other notable personalities." See how it's done, learn from the pros!

     

    Download American Sign Language Learning Aid Link goes to the program page. Download the program here. This is the Windows version, there are others. "A set of programs designed to help the beginner ASL student learn ASL. It is composed of two parts: ASLLA-Dictionary and ASLLA-Fingerspeller. ASLLA-Dict allows the student to look up English->ASL sign. ASLLA-Fspell allows the beginner to practice seeing fingerspelling." Thanks to Andy Uehara, who wrote these programs and is deaf, if that matters to you. Cool. A short manual and other info may be found inside the unzipped program folder. Found it on Sourceforge.

     

     

    Animated Knots by Grog™ "TIE KNOTS THE FUN AND EASY WAY Better to know a knot and not need it, than need a knot and not know it." Well over 100 different knots, sorted by use: e.g. Arborist Knots, Boating, Climbing, Fishing, et c.; plus rope care, terminology, safety, and what's good rope for which job. Each know has a step by step slide show of how it's done, plus a video from YouTube. Now there's an app for most knots, too: Android, iPad, and iPhone. All the YouTube videos are organized into a channel.

     

     

    Anti-Phishing Phil "Play Anti-Phishing Phil And Learn How To Spot Phishing Attacks." Play a game that will teach you more about phishing. You'll have to catch worms with "good" urls and avoid phishing worms. A teacher fish shows Phil how to tell the difference. From Carnegie Mellon University. Thanks to Consumerist for the article that mentioned this game.

     

     

    Banking Explained – Money and Credit This 6:09 video from KurzGesagt ("in a nutshell"), explains:

  • Why banking systems are crucial to out daily lives
  • Banks' origin, history, and how they have evolved over time
  • How banks abandoned their traditional role and caused the Recession of 2008
  • Alternatives: Credit Unions (member owned, safer than banks)
  • Alternatives: New Investment Banks
  • Alternatives: Crowdfunding sites like Kickstarter and Indiegogo
  • Alternatives: Micro Credits or micro-banks
  • The last three Alternatives help people to start up a business or build on one.
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    Thumbnail of steak posterBeef Cuts and Recommended Cooking Methods link goes to 1200X1600 chart of every known beef cut. (Thumbnail at left.) Columns for chuck, rib, loin, sirloin, round, and other; also sections for brisket and for plate and flank. Plus a very useful Key to Recommended Cooking Methods (symbols). From the Cattlemen's Beef Board and the National Cattlemen's Beef Association.

     


     

    BetterMoneyHabits.com™ is a team effort by Bank of America and Khan Academy. "You're on your way to Better Money Habits™ Build your financial know-how with free tools and information to help you make more confident decisions. It's a simple way of getting real, practical knowledge, brought to you by Bank of America in partnership with Khan Academy." Featuring gobs of instructional videos - learn at your own pace! A big Thank You to BoA and KA for these! Videos are organized this way:

  • Credit (20 videos)
  • Saving and Budgeting (8 videos)
  • Debt (12 videos)
  • Home Buying and Renting (31 videos)!
  • Taxes (10 videos - all USA taxes, sorry)
  • Car Buying (5 videos)
  • Personal Banking and Security (15 videos)
  • Paying for School (12 videos)
  • Families and Money (13 videos)
  •  These videos don't discuss credit unions, so we will. Credit Unions also have checking, savings, give loans, & have credit cards. In your personal financial situation, credit unions might be a better way to go (or not). Credit unions cost as little as $5.00 to join. Some banks do not like them.

     


     

    Biz Kid$  "The place where kids teach kids about money and business." The site is a part of the PBS educational TV show aimed at teenagers. Financial literacy is the starting theme here, along with tips about running businesses. Each episode has lesson plans and activities to reinforce the theme being taught, as well as funny videos with a point. Episodes for older learners include videos of young people in family businesses teaching everything from the importance of wills to purchasing new equipment. Their teachers section has .pdf curricula and .pdf lesson plans and activities. There are also some decent games. Episode themes are as follows:

  • Biz Kids basics
  • Careers
  • Credit and debt
  • Entrepreneurship
  • Financial Markets and the Economy
  • Financial Planning
  • Personal Finances
  • Saving and Investing
  • It would take much more space to do justice to this site. Teachers of financial literacy and business for teens could customize the material to fit their needs.

     

     

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    Download Brain Workshop logo Brain Workshop "What if a simple mental exercise could improve your memory and intelligence? A recent study published in PNAS, an important scientific journal, shows that a particular memory task called Dual N-Back may actually improve working memory (short term memory) and fluid intelligence. This finding is important because fluid intelligence was previously thought to be unchangeable. Anecdotal evidence suggests that the dual n-back task also enhances focus and attention and may help improve the symptoms of ADHD/ADD. The game involves remembering a sequence of spoken letters and a sequence of positions of a square at the same time. Brain Workshop is a free open-source version of the Dual N-Back mental exercise. Easy download, easy install. Another SourceForge discovery.

     

    Bullying from BrainPOP Junior. This is a good free video lesson aimed at K-3 kids. Covers bullying and what they can do about it.

     

    CardKiwi "Create flashcards together with your friends and save a ton of time! Our algorithm increases retention up to 50%" Everyone has made flashcards to study. With CardKiwi you can do it online! Think of the advantages! The principle of Spaced Repetition is the key. "The application is so simple to use, we even have kids in grade 2 using it." Free Technology for Teachers (a great blog, btw) gives more details: “Card Kiwi is a flashcard service whose appeal is its simplicity. Flashcards on Card Kiwi are text only. As you flip through your flashcards you rate your understanding by simply clicking thumbs up, thumbs down, or thumbs sideways. Card Kiwi will show you the cards that you rate with a thumbs down or thumbs sideways more often than the others until you're using the thumbs up on every card in your set.” Thanks, Michael Bollinger, for the timely email about this most impressive site.

     

    Camp H - Building Camp for Girls. It's an innovative after-school and summer design and build camp for 9- to 12-year-old girls, offering girls practical creative and problem-solving skills. "I want to teach them how to weld, to work on projects that don’t feel artsy and craftsy... to balance the creative and the artistic side... to use hand and power tools, basic electrical equipment and automotive instruments to fix the things that need repair, installation, and maintenance in our everyday lives. Coupled with core-subject math and science concepts, we will tinker, experiment, build, and repair.” Camp H is one of three programs that together make up Project H . Studio H is an in-school design/build class for 8th-11th grade students that sparks community development through real-world, built projects. Workshop H, creative "boot-camp" training customized for teachers, leaders, and organizations, is outside the scope of GSFK. Project H's Toolbox section holds their entire FREE five years of lesson plans, activities, project briefs, and resources used in the Studio H and Camp H programs. Credit to Kristin Hohenadel for her Slate article describing Camp H. Kudos to Emily Pilloton for starting this whole thing!

     

    Chess For Kids - from ThinkQuest. " Chess for Kids is a resource for chess players of all skill levels, from beginners to advanced tournament players. We provide tutorials to improve your strength, as well as chess puzzles to practice on and learn from."

     

    ChessKid Lets kids play chess with kids around the world in a safe environment. Lots of chess info; sections for kids, parents, coaches; tutorials, more.


    Gold Star CODE "Every student in every school should have the opportunity to learn to code." So say Bill Gates, Mark Zuckerberg, President Bill Clinton, Senator Marco Rubio (R) - Florida, Senator John Thune (R) - South Dakota, Stephen Hawking, Sheryl Sandberg, Vice President Al Gore, Richard Branson, Ashton Kutcher, Dr. Oz, Arianna Huffington, NYC Mayor Mike Bloomberg, Eric Schmidt - Google, Randi Weingarten - AFT, Wendy Kopp - Teach For America, Steve Ballmer - Microsoft, Governor John Hickenlooper of Colorado, Enrique Iglesias, Snoop Dogg, Reid Hoffman - LinkedIn, Dick Costolo & Jack Dorsey - Twitter, Governor Jay Inslee of Washington State, Max Levchin - Paypal, Dara Khosrowshahi - Expedia, Gabe Newell - Valve, Yishan Wong - Reddit, Salman Khan, and many others. Read what they have to say.

    Code.org is a non-profit foundation dedicated to growing computer programming education. Our goals include:

    (1) Spreading the word that there is a worldwide shortage of computer programmers, and that it's much easier to learn to program than you think.

    (2) Building an authoritative database of all programming schools, whether they are online courses, brick+mortar schools or summer camps.

    (3) Our vision is that every student in every school has the opportunity to learn how to code. We believe computer science and computer programming should be part of the core curriculum in education, alongside other science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) courses, such as biology, physics, chemistry and algebra.

    The Learn section has intros to simple programs like Scratch and Karel the Dog. The Teach section has tutorials, curriculum you can integrate into classes, options to bring classes to your school, and more programs like Scratch and Alice to try out.

    Bottom line: Business, industry, you name it, they're all screaming for people who can write code. Read the Quotes, like these:

  • “Our policy at Facebook is literally to hire as many talented engineers as we can find. There just aren't enough people who are trained and have these skills today.
  • "These are some of the highest-paying jobs, but there are not enough graduates to fill these opportunities.“
  • "... It's important for these kids, right now, starting at 8 years old, to read and write code.“
  • “support tha american dream n make coding available to EVERYONE!!“
  • “Computer programming is the single best professional opportunity in the world. We need more Americans in the field. Let’s go!“



  • Unit Converter!
    For All Types of Online Calculator & Metric Conversions

    The Mother Of All Conversion Sites (MOACS)
    This pic conveys the feeling of scrolling through
    this page, looking at all the hundreds of formulae.
    Fortunately it's well organized! Everything you
    need is on this site.

    CoolSchool logoCool School Now an online game! only :( "Part computer game, part educational classroom tool, COOL SCHOOL: Where Peace Rules! is a whimsical interactive game where children, ages five to seven (grades K-2), journey to the fanciful world of Cool School, where everything -- from erasers to desks to books to basketballs -- are alive and full of personality. Here, in a vibrant and fun setting, children are taught invaluable social, communication, and problem-solving skills that promote conflict resolution through negotiation, compromise, cooperation, and reconciliation." Lots more at their web page. We played this and it was great. The download version is no longer available; so if you still have the installer package you downloaded, make a backup!



    Could you pass a US citizenship test? Here is a 96 question test covering what you would need to know in order to pass the citizenship test. OK, American citizens, let's see how you do! Useful for civics and government classes.

     

    Critical Thinking Concise Youtube video explains this "critical" concept. Skill at critical thinking is essential to good citizenship in a democracy, to science, to technology, and therefore to civilization! Teachers - please watch this video and think about it.

     

    Cyberbullying Free from Brainpop. Good video on this subject with advice for kids.

     

    Dance Mat Typing "Learn keyboard familiarity and finger positioning as you work your way through 12 different typing lessons. Animated characters and dances are triggered by your very own ten fingers." Four levels starting with new beginner. Another great BBC site.

     

     

    Dog_afraid_of_baby.jpg This is an EXCELLENT graphic! Pay attention to what a dog is telling you. Teach children to respect a dog's space! Too many dogs end up in shelters (or worse, put down) because the adults in charge were not monitoring the child/dog situation. Many times when a dog bites a kid parents say, "There were no warnings. He just bit him for no reason." The unfortunate truth is that there are almost always warning signs, but we humans miss them. This photo shows a few warning signs that the dog is uncomfortable and may bite.

     

     

     



    Dyslexia information from the National Center for Learning Disabilities (A large site covering various LD issues.) It has in-depth definitions, explanations, warning signs, many articles for parents, and many resources.

     

    Fonts for dyslexics - OpenDyslexic

    OpenDyslexic font sample

     

    Fonts for dyslexics - Dyslexie

    Dyslexie font sample

     

    OpenDyslexic "OpenDyslexic is a new open sourced font created to increase readability for readers with dyslexia. The typeface includes regular, bold, italic, and bold-italic styles, and 2 typefaces: OpenDyslexic, and OpenDyslexic-Alta. It was created to help with my reading, and is being updated continually and improved based on input from other dyslexic users. There are no restrictions on using OpenDyslexic outside of attribution. (It's free.) For attribution, a simple mention of the URL, and linkback where applicable is sufficient." (We did that.) OpenDyslexic is constantly evolving based on feedback from users and educators. Example: OpenDyslexic-Alta. The "a" in Alta looks something like the "a" in Comic Sans with a heavier bottom. This font is open-source with volunteer developers.

     

    Dyslexie offers another group of fonts, also designed to help dyslexics. Dyslexie seems more profit-oriented and businesslike, which could be an advantage for some users. Dyslexie offers the Dyslexie Regular font free for home use only (annual license). Their Bold, Italic, and Italic Bold fonts are sold for school and business use on an annual license. At the bottom of the Home page are two videos about dyslexia and Dyslexie, which are well worth your time. There is also a user manual for downloading.

     

    Both OpenDyslexic and Dyslexie fonts work on all the popular OS's (iOS, Mac OSX, Windows, Android, Chrome, etc). With extensions/plugins, both work on most known browsers; Chrome, Opera, Safari, Firefox, etc). Both work on Office. E-readers: Dyslexie works on Kobo for sure, perhaps on others, these things constantly change. OpenDysleic works on Kobo, too. iPad, iPhone, Kindles: OpenDysleic, yes, yes, and yes, but. Both OpenDyslexic and Dyslexie have rave reviews, some people prefer one to the other, Dyslexie is older and proven, OpenDyslexic keeps improving and welcomes skilled volunteer help. It is a matter of preference which one you use.

     

    Lastly - some dyslexics report that color changes help. Every dyslexic is different, some colors may well help some to read better. Example (only): (Done entirely with Word.) Play with these fonts and ideas. Good luck.

    color fonts for dyslexics

     


     

    Futurama FryFSI - Fraud Scene Investigation presents Suitable Investments. Interactive mystery for upper elementary and on up. Get Grandma's life savings back from the scammers of Suitable Investments! "Fighting crime can teach you a lot. No matter how convincing a scam’s sales pitch may sound, there is always something that just doesn’t feel right. Join our hero Kim as she digs out the truth about a million dollar investment scam. Along the way you’ll discover more about companies, stock reports, investments and white collar crime."

     



     

    (The) Fallacy Files This site's goal is to enumerate and explain all the fallacies of logic there are! There are plenty, this site has job security. Besides a taxonomy, there are explanations, examples, a glossary of terms, and "How to Read a Poll."

     

     

    Finance Freak from Coolmath From the creators of Coolmath4kids comes Finance Freak. It's for grades 6 - 12 and adults. "Figuring out how to make money is one thing... Knowing how to make the most of what you make is another! People with average (even modest) incomes can learn to be smart, get out of debt and retire rich. The most important thing is to start now... and you're at the right place to do that!" Seven sections teach you about:

     

  • Banking - How Banks Work
  • The Math of Money
  • Owing Money
  • Credit Ratings
  • Investing
  • Be Smart & Rich - Spending Wisely
  • Financial Calculators
  • .
    These are all multipage and in depth BUT simply explained. It's your money, so find out how to make it give you all it possibly can!

     

    Spinning Gold StarFinancial Literacy For Kids and Teens! Here are links to 28 financial education sites for kids, tweens, teens, and teachers! Some have lesson plans, too. Earning, saving, investing, bonds, the stock market, stock portfolios, borrowing and interest, what banks do, checking accounts, the Fed, currency exchange rates, recessions, inflation, the history of money, and more!

     

    Financial Literacy Math Quizzes from How to Save Money has over 40 easy to hard quizzes. These cover the four basic operations, with money; adding coins and bills and combinations (with pictures of the coins and bills); calculating tips; and advanced quizzes in mortgages, loans, future value, rate of return, credit cards, etc. Other quizzes cover acronyms such as CPA & ROI, whose face is on what bill, etc. There's something here for elementary through high school.

     

    Game On! The Ultimate Wellness Challenge How to build an around the year program to educate kids in nutrition, health and physical education before, during, and after school. Includes ideas, activities, and how to set up challenges for kids. This is from Action for Healthy Kids of Skokie, Illinois, USA. Their mission statement and program layout explains it all in detail. We need this sort of site. Thanks for another one, Shelly.

     

    Games for the Brain. "Play neverending quiz, memory & brain games to train your thinking." Around 40 games, some old, some newer, and the site is available in many languages. Easy to play, good for your mind.

     

    Gardening - Classroom Projects from Kids Gardening. Here are 26 gardening projects for school kids, with lesson layouts and notes. Nice for cross-curriculum springtime activities.

     

    H.I.P. Pocket Change is the US Mint's kid site. Very lively, features games, fun online activities, and cartoons, all of which is to teach children about coins and coinage.

     

    Hands On Banking presents basic money management in an easy to use format.  Customized for four age groups from 4th & 5th grade, 6th-8th grade, teens, and adults. Also has a special section on entrepreneurship. From Wells Fargo, requires Flash.

     

    Helping With Horsepower™ Bike Rebuild Program "We work individually with each child to help them heal and most importantly, to help them find hope." "A different way of learning", kids build confidence, self-esteem, and teamwork skills that will serve them in life. They do it by rebuilding damaged motorcycles and raffling them off! Many kids need to move and to do things with hands instead of only doing classroom work. Read the article from Oprah: "I used motorcycles to teach them things I couldn't have otherwise," says Klock. "To challenge themselves, to work as a team." Klock's daughters—and her own troubled history—inspired her to start the Bike Rebuild Program. "If kids can learn to repair a damaged motorcycle," says Klock, "maybe they can also repair their lives." Read the article in IronWorks to see a completed motorcycle done by the young ladies of Abbot House. YFS/Girls Incorporated of Rapid City rebuilt a 2012 Harley-Davidson Heritage Softail. The Rapid City Journal article says: "Girls to develop character by wrenching on a motorcycle...hopes that disadvantaged adolescent girls will learn to be strong, smart and bold, and learn they can overcome obstacles in their personal lives — all simply by wrenching on a motorcycle."

     

    Hillbilly Housewife has weekly menus, inexpensive recipes, planners, and advice for people on a budget. "The focus here is on low-cost, home-cooking from scratch. The recipes are all tested in a real kitchen. The ingredients are affordable and readily available in most areas. " This is timeless advice for people on a budget, and it's free.

     

    How an engine works - comprehensive tutorial animation featuring Toyota engine technologies. This YouTube video (8 minutes) is simple and fairly easy to understand. The graphics are well done and easy to follow. It was designed to train new Toyota sales staff who don't know engines. Guess what? It works just fine for explaining auto engines to anybody! The first half is a basic description of modern auto engines. The second half gets more involved, but the technology is actually common to most makes. "If you use technology, you should know something of how it works."

     

     

    How playing an instrument benefits your brain.pngHow playing an instrument benefits your brain "When you listen to music, multiple areas of your brain become engaged and active. But when you actually play an instrument, that activity becomes more like a full-body brain workout. What's going on? Anita Collins explains the fireworks that go off in musicians' brains when they play, and examines some of the long-term positive effects of this mental workout." 4:44 TED Lesson by Anita Collins, animation by Sharon Colman Graham. Kids should all play some sort of musical instrument!

     

     

     

    How To Balance Your Checkbook In The Era Of The Debit Card from The Simple Dollar (they have lots of good advice). The author describes his personal method for never being overdrawn on his debit card.


    New Site

    How to estimate remaining daylight
    Infographic with discussion

     

     

    How To Save Money With Coupons has links to 15 sites, .pdf files, and PowerPoints on the subject. Could be used in FACS ("Home Ec") classes or as a supplement. Also of use to teachers and parents. Thanks to Susan Bowen for the email suggesting this site.

     

     

    Here's what to do if you fall into frozen water How to survive a fall through frozen ice.
    How_to_survive_falling_thru_ice.png

    Two minute video covers what you must do to stay alive. To which we would add - NEVER go out on ice alone!
    And, always have some sort of safety gear. From Tech Insider with help from Minnesota DNR
    Minnesota DNR has a humongous section of their web presence devoted to ice safety
    Way up north in the Land of 10,000 Lakes, they know about such things.

     

    How to Teach Your Child to Wash Dishes from WikiHow. "Teaching your child to wash dishes can have many benefits. It can be part of your child's chores when he or she gets older and your child can have these skills for when he or she lives on their own when they are adults. Here is how you can teach your child to wash dishes if you are clueless on how to do so." (emphasis ours) Step-by-step illustrations show you the way. We would add, don't get the water so hot a child can't put their hands in it. Also, the rinsing off is where you use the hottest water if you are not using a dishwasher.

     

    How to Train Your Mind to Think Critically and Form Your Own Opinions "Critical thinking just means absorbing important information and using that to form a decision or opinion of your own—rather than just spouting off what you hear others say. This doesn't always come naturally to us, but luckily, it's something you can train yourself to do better." This is a very important life skill that everyone should know how to use!

     

    Smartphones

     

    inch/mm Conversion Chart from Maryland Metrics. Handy chart compares inch fractions and decimals with their metric equivalents. The site also explains how to convert, and features a fast interactive conversion calculator. This is from an industrial supply firm in Maryland, where people use these tables in a real life business environment.


    "It's a Bit Slippery"

    A short video from Wales of a three year old girl
    delivering a lamb (under Mum's supervision).
    The hallmark exclamation is heard at 1:35.
    The little girl is quite proud of herself and very
    happy that the new lamb is a girl!
    There was a time when most people lived on farms,
    and nearly everyone got mentored in birthing.

    Jellyfish stings A very informative video animation on jellyfish stings. Includes advice on how to treat ordinary stings.

     

     

    Gold Star Khan Academy "is a not-for-profit 501(c)(3) with the mission of providing a world-class education to anyone, anywhere...We are complementing Salman (Khan's) ever-growing library with user-paced exercises--developed as an open source project--allowing the Khan Academy to become the free classroom for the World." 1800+ videos cover math from 1 + 1 up through differential equations; Science: Biology, Chemistry, Physics, Organic Chem, Cosmology, Astronomy; History; Finance (BIG section!); Test Prep: SAT, GMAT, CAHSEE, IIT JEE. The videos are wonderful! This is amazing and FREE! If the Academy keeps expanding, accessing Khan Academy may well end up being a life skill!
    (OK, OK, by popular demand.... KHAAAAAAAAN!)

     

    Kids Memory section of KidsKnowIt. Here are some activities designed to help train the memory.

     

    Kids Running "is a site about kids running for kids of all ages. Inspire your kids to embrace fitness, physical activity and exercise...Hello and welcome to KidsRunning.Com. It won't take you more than a few moments of browsing the site, to see that we are building a Web site devoted to promoting the sport of running for kids so that they can enjoy the benefits of a fit and healthy lifestyle both at school and home. We integrate academics when we can. It seems that both learning and running are more fun for kids when they are combined."  Owned and operated by working teachers. Isn't staying fit a life skill?

     

     

    These only work in the USA. Everyone else uses metric measurements, so they don't need conversion charts.

    English measure conversions
 - kitchen

     

     

     

    Essential knots: how to tie the 20 knots you need to know.
    One of these knots could save your life one day.


    This article is from Popular Science

     

    Learn an Hour of Code from Code.org "3,662,409 have learned an HOUR of CODE Anybody can learn." This page is being promoted by everyone from "Apple to Zuckerberg". We've seen related pages in different languages, from Chile to Sri Lanka. There are fun tutorials teach anyone to code by making Holiday cards, Build your own Game, the MIT App-Inventor that teaches how to make a working app, and LightBot Any one of which will teach an hour of code, and kids won't even notice they're learning. Some are for any age, others for middle school and up (it says here). If anyone wants more (hope), there is a big section on Javascript, another on Python, even one using pencil and paper! Yes, and teacher guides as well. If you are too late to participate in Hour of Code Week, this site will be around for awhile.

     

    LearnEnglish Kids "LearnEnglish Kids is for children who are learning English. Find games, songs, stories and lots of activities - and learn English too." Games, printables, online songs, stories to read, more. There's also a good section for Teachers of English as a Second Language with lesson suggestions using this site.

     

    Learning Strategies: Maximizing Your Academic Experience from Dartmouth. Evidently to help their new undergrads learn how to study. Timeless techniques well presented here. "The following pages provide a variety of suggestions and resources for maximizing your academic experience. View an on-line video, read about helpful strategies, or download a handout."

     


    Made with Code Google is launching Made w/ Code, a program to encourage girls to learn to program and possibly pursue careers in computer science.

     

    Made w/ Code Superpowers come in all shapes and sizes. Discover a new superpower with code.This exercise was linked to the Google main page lst week. Wonder Woman helps you to learn code using an interface that reminded us of MIT's Scratch. Learn coding by plugging in commands. Reason out how many moves it will take; then test your coding and see if your guesses are correct. If not, find your mistake(s) and correct them until your programs what it needs to. After mastering the basics you can strive for elegance- do the sames tasks in fewer moves, for example.

     

    Code.org (Remember the Hour of Code?) also offers a K-8 Intro to Computer Science Course (15 - 25 hours) online. It looks well worth trying in classrooms.

     

    MIT App Inventor jumps right into tutorials on how to make Android Apps! There is also a Teacher Section with lesson plan ideas. Learn to write good apps and maybe get rich!

     

    What's the Best Language for a Beginning Programmer? an op-ed piece from Popular Mechanics Online, gives ideas on what language a secondary school beginner should start with. Java, Scratch (kids love Scratch), Alice, MVB, C++, Python, and App Inventor are covered, and various opinions are expressed about each.


     

    animated calculator gif Math Calculators! Here are 30 math calculators, each one calculates something different. bottom. Some are funny, others for serious work, all are accurate. Kitchen measurements, dog years, wind chill, map scales, planting, prime numbers, energy terms, weather, money, savings, time zones, binary, more, more, more!

     

     

    Mathematics in Banking – Compound Interest This short article outlines simple and compound interest and shows the equations for each while explaining the differences. You are walked through a problem where an amount ($5,000) is held 5 years at 4% compounded quarterly. Walking through the compound interest formula, you find the interest earned in 5 years is $1100.95. The power of compound interest is how greatly your money grows over time. Two statements from this article sum it up:

    " (1) The more frequent the compounding, the more money you can make.

    (2) The longer you allow your money to remain in the account, the greater is the final amount you receive."

    This chart from The Motley Fool shows what your money does over 50 years. Compound interest is your friend.

    wiki-chart_large.png

     

     

    McGruff.org Crime prevention for kids, starring McGruff the Crime Dog. Designed to help teach children how to protect themselves from bullies, vandalism, pedophiles, etc. Stories, advice, videos, 35 games like Shrink the Cyberbully and Adults You Can Trust.

     

    Miss O and Friends "By girls...for girls."  Advice, discussions, interviews, activities, music, videos, "personality quizzes", and much more for tween and young teen girls. There's a lot in this site, the more you explore, the more you find!

     

     

    Molly of Denali is a cartoon on PBS Kids. This site
    has games, videos, activities, podcast, and an app.
    All in the context of and told from the pov of the
    Gwich'in people. The Gwich'in live in Canada, and
    across the border in the US. They are one of many
    related groups that make up the Athabaskan
    peoples. Almost all of them, from Gwich'in to
    Navajo, call themselves Dene, Dineh, Dena'ina,
    or something similar. Dene means "the people"
    "people who talk like us". Molly and her friends
    and relatives on the show are careful to teach
    the importance of families, respect for elders
    and traditions,looking out for one another,
    putting everything back in its place, respect
    for Nature (especially winter), only taking as
    much as you need - be it plants, fish, caribou,
    rabbits... Gwich'in are known as the Caribou People.



    Molly's Winter Kitchen Help Molly
    and her mom preserve food for the
    winter. You use an ulu knife for
    cutting meat and veggies. You may
    have to borrow items from others
    in your community (meat, firewood)
    because people look out for each
    other. This is an interactive activity,
    one of many at the site.

     

    Money as You Grow – Kids and Money. "20 things kids need to know to lead financially smart lives. 20 essential, age-appropriate financial lessons—with corresponding activities—that kids need to know as they grow." The lessons are distributed across five age groups: ages 3-5, 6-10, 11-13, 14-18, and 18+. Lesson 1 is "You need money to buy things." Lesson 20 is "When investing, consider risks and annual expenses." Each lesson comes with several learning activities. Looks good.

     

     

    Downloads Moonbase Alpha "A 3-D Immersive NASA Exploration Game. Step into the role of an explorer in a futuristic lunar settlement...Moonbase Alpha is the first of two commercial-quality NASA games developed in partnership with commercial game developers." Looks great!

     

    Net Smartz Kids teaching children what to watch out for online with fun, interactive games and activities. Fun safe internet links for kids to Learn about Wizzywigs, Webville outlaws, and internet safety rules.

     

    New Site

    National Weather Service Safety Tips

    NWS has information about all sorts of disaster prep scenarios
    and how to respond to them, divided into 19 categories.

     

     

    Practical Math Shortcuts For Everyday Life from Lifehacker. Five quick mental math techniques that let you:

  • Figure Out Your Yearly Salary From Your Hourly (or Vice Versa)
  • Calculate a Tip In Your Head Quickly
  • Convert Between Fahrenheit and Celsius
  • Figure Out the Annual Cost of Daily Habits
  •  




    "Have you done your homework?!"



    Reading a Map A kids' site from WebRangers, National Park Service (NPS), US Department of the Interior. This interactive video walks kids through map reading. It introduces topography - depictions of hill, streams, trails, etc. , what hilltops, slopes, and flat land look like on a "topo" map. Goes over parts of a map; legend, scale, and direction indicator or compass rose. Following trails on a map is covered. This elementary activity does not cover, saddles, canyons, or passes; but it does lay a foundation for further learning. There are also links to more about maps, a Teachers' Resource Guide, and links to many other WebRangers activities.

     

     

    Reasonable Temperature from Turtle Dairy. This game broadens student horizons by comparing equivalent temperature on three different scales: Celsius, Fahrenheit, and Kelvin. "In this game, kids will be given various pictures along with a thermometer. They will have to estimate the temperature of the objects in the pictures. To check their estimation, they click and drop the pictures against the temperature given on the thermometer. This game will improve their practical knowledge on this subject. The more they will play, the clearer their understanding will be about the concept."

     

     

    Rich Kid Smart Kid Four games that teach financial literacy! The best part is that each game has four levels of complexity, for ages 7 - 18! Also has lesson plans! Each game covers a different idea; from investing, working, profit and loss, even product placement! The game that's part of Pay Yourself first needs a little tweaking to be more playable. Still and all this is a great addition to Good Sites. It's from The Rich Dad Company.

     

    Root4Kids "Annie's Homegrown wants you to know about their Root4Kids movement that inspires kids, schools and families to eat more nutritious foods. This program created by Annie’s organic foods aims to encourage and inspire kids and families to get outside, dig into nature and eat healthier by offering recipes, gardening tips and activities." Contains recipes, how to garden advice, sign up for programs, a section for teachers, and a Play section with online and hands-on activities. Annie's makes good products, and this is a great idea!

     

    Safe Food Handling Here's "... a complete resource on Safe Food Handling. This resource contains statistics and links to the best sources on the subject, and is monitored regularly for obsolete links." An institutional chef was kind enough to check this page over, and she said it's good legit info, the same rules she uses. There are more facts, tips, and stats here than we could enumerate in less than a page! A wonderful resource, emailed to GSFK by Alexis Claro for Katom.com. Thanks!

     

    Downloads Scratch cat logo Scratch is a free programming language primarily for 8 to 16 year olds. It has an online community where kids can program and share interactive media such as stories, games, and animation with others from all over the world. As children create with Scratch, they learn to think creatively, work collaboratively, and reason systematically. Scratch is a project of the Lifelong Kindergarten Group at the MIT Media Lab. It is provided free of charge. Find out more by clicking on the cat!



    The Seed Site for Teachers and The Seed Site for Kids are parts of a larger site called (wait for it) The Seed Site. "A website devoted entirely to seeds!", a vast site from the UK with tons of information about seeds and thousands of photos. The teacher section has lots of overhead-friendly pix of flower parts, seed parts, dispersal, germination, kinds of plants, profiles of 200 plants, and info about using copyrighted images. The kid section has kid-friendly sections about starting out, planting, germination, seed saving, and a plant database. We thank the people at The Seed Site for their email!

     

    Signing Savvy THE place to go for ASL! "Signing Savvy is a sign language dictionary containing several thousand high resolution videos of American Sign Language (ASL) signs, fingerspelled words, and other common signs used within the United States and Canada." Watching a video of the signing is way better than looking at a picture with confusing curving arrows. This site will help you learn ASL! Includes search for words and phrases; or browse by letter. Look up fingerspelling, numbers, colors, animals, geography, baby signs, more! Free but limited access for guests. Full membership gives unlimited access to all site resources for $50 a year. Normally Good Sites would not run pay sites, but if you need to learn to sign this is worth it. Thanks Corey and Teri.

     

    Simple Machines "Learn about simple machines and the forces that make them work." One of several online activities from the Center of Science and Industry (COSI) in Columbus, Ohio. This activity is a Flash file. This activity is one of the best we have seen in a long time. Three sections introduce simple machines, explain mechanical advantage, show examples of kinds if simple machines. Students should go over them carefully because they need to know the math facts in order to advance through the sections. This is for middle school and up, maybe 5th graders with good guidance.

     

    Smart Girls logo Smart Girls at the Party "My name is Kara and I work for the webseries 'Smart Girls at the Party' with Amy Poehler. We have an amazing new series that showcases awesome girls from all around the globe and we think it would be a perfect fit for your website." It is! It's called Girls of the World, and you really ought to go there and watch some of these videos!

    But wait, there's more! "The Smart Girls Channel is a place for funny, thoughtful and deceivingly educational programming. The channel celebrates girls, friendships and spontaneous dance parties! Look for new episodes every Monday, Wednesday and Friday with Amy Poehler." This webseries consists of:

     

  • Smart Girls,
  • Girls of the World,
  • Meow Meow Music (don't ask - it's FUNNY and cool),
  • Ask Amy (advice), and
  • Boy's Minute (goofy, for boys).
  • Plenty of videos in each section. Wish we had heard of this sooner, it is great. Thank you, Kara, for sending that email. Keep the emails coming, folks! There's plenty of good sites out there and we're mere mortals.

     

    Social Skills for Middle School Students Yes, the site you have dreamed about really exists. With four main sections and several sub-sections, this site offers lesson plans, activities, role playing, whatever it takes to instill social skills through practice! We did up a set of questions to go with " American Table Manners" and had middle-schoolers engaged!  You need to use this site!

     

    New Site

    New Site

    Staying alive in the surf! Good infographics from NOAA.

     

     

    Soldering Basics and "The Ten Commandments" For Electronic Soldering These are two sequential pages from the same site. With the Maker phenomenon in full swing, there is a need for helpful tips like these. Kids should not solder without supervision. Adults who have never soldered (and kids) need to know these tips.

     

    Stepducks "Sometimes you just need to talk to someone!" This is a site full of resources for step-families. It has practical advice, links to other support sites, activities and references for: Stepfamily Support, Family and Parenting, Marriage Support, Divorce Support, Single Parents, etc. Meet the Stepducks has some typical stepkid characters, what they are like, how they act. "You'll Swear You Know These Kids!!" Good luck, stepfamilies. You are not alone, we are not alone.

     

    Stop Bullying Now! "Welcome to the Stop Bullying Now! Campaign. You can learn all about bullying and what you can do to stop it. Take a look around and you’ll find games and cartoon Webisodes that help you Take a Stand. Lend a Hand. Stop Bullying Now!" Great material with sections for kids and adults.

     

    The Story of Banks explains the different kinds of banks & similar institutions, in an easy to understand comic book form. Three young pretzel makers learn the ins and outs of banking as they grow their business into a food empire! Factual and entertaining for secondary school students. Downloadable pdf from the New York Federal Reserve.

     

    Study Guides and Strategies (Tons of them!) We wish we could copy some quotes about these guys so we needn't try to describe this site - there is just SO MUCH going on! How to study, how to listen, how to meet challenges, managing time, how to learn (!), how to think, memorize, manage projects, how to write well, vocabulary, how to take a test, math science, etc! This site has it all! You really must look at it!

     

    Study Skills for Students from Education corner® has study skills guides, test taking guides, and study skills resources by subject. There are a lot of them! Thanks Misty Nielson for submitting this.

     

    Study Skills Guides for College Students Ms. Misty Nielson sent us an email about this site, and we are glad she did! This looks like a "good site". It's broken out into General Study Skills Guides, Reading and Writing (always a necessary skill in this aliterate age!), Test Taking and Preparation, Time Management (get off Facebook & reddit and hit the books), Memory Techniques (yes!), and Subject Specific Study Skills (28 sections).

     

     

    Syvia's Show logo Sylvia's Super Awesome Maker Show! "Sylvia's DIY webshow on everything cool and worth Making." At GSFK we are fond of Do It Yourself and we'll always post a good DIY for kids site, like this one. Young Miss Sylvia hosts an online show that, among other things, has (as of November 2012) 19 great DIY crafty videos. Good instructions, good kid humor, and the whole family helps out. Sweet and awesome at the same time.

     

     

     

    Taxonomy of Logical Fallacies from The Fallacy Files. This page shows the relationships between
    logical fallacy types in a taxonomy chart! Fallacies are arranged under formal and informal,
    the groups and subgroups are here. Great learning aid for forensics students and people who
    are interested in logic.

     

    New SiteThere Are Now Adulting Classes to Teach You Basic Life Skills Yes, and we need them.
    Do you remember the old saying: "It Only Takes One or Two Generations to Lose
    Our Civilization?", which is why we teach children things. Well, it has already happened
    in many areas of culture. A good example is driving a vehicle with a manual stick shift
    transmission. Every competent adult (and plenty of kids) can drive an automatic
    transmission - the worst that can happen is taking it out of D for Drive and putting in
    in R for Race! With a manual, your body has to learn the skill, such as downshifting
    going around a corner or when coming to a stop; or putting the old beast in second gear,
    getting it moving around down the road, and letting clutch out very fast (popping the clutch)
    to start the engine when the battery is flat. Can you fold a fitted sheet? Can you boil eggs?
    Change a tire? Manage your time? Manage a checking account? This one minute video
    wants to help. If you can teach a skill or three, please show others how

     

    This is what happens when you write a check from Bankrate.com

     

    Read this articla and follow your check as it winds through the bowels of our financial system.

     

    TruePat This site is all about taking care of pets. Any sort of pets - cats, dogs, rabbits, ferrets, guinea pigs, rats, chickens, reptiles, fish - didn't see any others yet but the site is always growing. Basic practical advice, including raising baby animals. Thanks to Jasmine at TruePat for the email!

     

    TypingWeb "is an online typing tutor for enhancing typing and keyboarding skills. You can learn to type and practise typing for free on its typing tutor program...Typingweb has lessons for all levels: Beginner Course, Intermediate Course, Advanced Course and Speciality Course. You can also get special exercises to work with your problem keys. Typingweb.com supports several international keyboard layouts." Good practice site.

     

    Vaccines Work, Here Are the Facts This is an infographic page, it's in comic strip form, it's readable and well-written. It covers all the facts about how vaccines work, the "arms race" between vaccines and viruses, and why there was a panic about autism (This was a hoax, a deliberate lie.) This strip gives the facts about the different lies that are spread by conspiracy theory anti-vaccination people. As you read down the page, you discover facts about anti-vaxers as well. The concept of "herd immunity" is well explained. The result of foolish people not vaccinating their children is a decrease in herd immunity, and therefore more "old-time" diseases are coming back! "Like diseases, fear and misinformation spread easily to those who aren't vaccinated against them." So read this page and "get vaccinated"!

     

     

    Vaccination: ‘I Will File A CPS Report’: Pediatrician’s Blunt Message About Vaccines Is Going Viral Vaccines work. Do not argue. Vaccination is NOT controversial. Get your offspring vaccinated. Read Dr Ginsberg's post. Debating vaccination is like debating gravity - science does not care if you believe it or not! Watch the video. Why are old forgotten diseases such as measles, mumps, rubella, polio, and whooping cough making a comeback? Because too many young parents are not vaccinating their kids, due to hysteria or peer pressure. This makes their innocent children a public health menace. People who don't vaccinate should be forced to do so by court order.
    Make sure you vaccinate on time, too. Those shot schedules were set by experts. Please do not alter them just because YOU don't like watching your kid cry. Your kids overreact because they learned that behavior from you! Be a good parent. Be a responsible citizen of your country and the world. Be an adult - get it done.

     

     

    Chemistry of Jam making - tiny

    What Makes Jam Set? – The Chemistry of Jam-Making You too can teach practical kitchen chemistry by making delicious jam! The free downloadable and printable graphic in this article takes a look at the science behind jam-making, and how jam sets.

     

     

     

    Wings for Kids "Here is a great website that provides free social & emotional development activities, lessons, and plans to help model, shape and reinforce social skills. Just scroll down the page, and you'll find the activities divided into categories. These would work well with your older students. Check them out…should be a good resource for you!"

     

    Youth Topics: Bullying Another good and resource-filled anti-bullying and prevention site.

     

     

    Sentence parsing programZZCad Sentence Parsing Program "Type a sentence in the box below, and click on the button to see its parse." This will automatically break down a sentence into component parts and subsections, and show how they relate to each other. Parsing lets you choose words and word order, to convey shades of meaning. Parsing is a skill that can be learned.

     

     

     

     

    Woof! My life skill is getting some of that ice cream!

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