Teachable Suggestions!Free Online Biscuit Catcher Game!

McVities Free Online Biscuit Catcher Game With Teachable Suggestions!

McVities free online Biscuit Catcher Game offers a fun way to improve eye-hand co-ordination,and also has some other possible teachable extensions. Kids playing McVities free online Biscuit Catcher Game need to move two stocks of wheat 'Wheaties' to catch Wheat crackers before they fall into the wheat field. Players are encouraged to anticipate where the biscuits will fall by observing the shadows that appear on the playing field.:

Teaching Sugestions

This free online game could be used in a wide variety of teaching units including

• Health- Examining what is made from wheat
• Science - Study of Shadows - earth rotation, birds
• Math - Percentages -making score comparisons
• Social Studies - Groundhog Day
• Media Studies -Assessing how useful the game is as a marketing tool

What connections do you see possible using this free online game? Please leave a comment below and add your ideas into the mix.
About McVities- McVities crackers are sold around the world in major grocery chains. You can find this game at http://www.mcvities.com/fun-games/biscuit-catcher-game

Want to talk about another free teaching resource? Search my blog, or Tweet me!

@HomeEducat

Math Strategies: Simplify

Confusing Math Problems? Simplify!

Multi-part math problems can be quite daunting, breaking down the problem into separate sections may  help understand them better.

For example,the following problem:

“The product of two consecutive negative even integers is 24. Find the numbers.”

May seem daunting at first. Breaking each section down yields the following:

• The product of two (two numbers multiplied together)
• consecutive (the numbers are right after each other in a given sequence ie- 1,2  in the sequence 12,3,4 or 20,30 in  10,20,30)
• negative ( the numbers must be from the scale below zero ie “-3” is a negative number- which happens to be the temperature here today)
• even integers (the numbers are multiples of 2 ie from this sequence .(..-8,-6,-4,-2,0,2,4,6,8....)
• is 24. (equals 24)
• Find the numbers.

So, which two even, negative numbers can be multiplied together to equal 24? See the answer Here.

Math Practice- Repetitive? Frustrating? TenMarks to the Rescue!

A new free online math learning environment just launched! (Found in the comments on K to 12 Geek) posted by Andrew Joseph, Co-Founder & President of TenMarks Education, Inc. As with most free programs, TenMarks also has premium programs available-( parents and teachers can take the premium program for a free spin for one month, then $10 per month or schools can get a bulk rate.) Note: I have not received any compensation for posting this article. (If the company happens to see this post, I would love to be able to have my daughter gain free access to the premium program )Here’s a video from TenMarks about their program:

Summary
TenMarks is a U.S. curriculum-based math practice and learning environment for grades 3-High School– FREE for teachers to use – in class or for their students to use at home. Just launched for teachers (as of Nov.3 2010)–  Now if they would only hire a teacher to co-ordinate their program with the Canadian curriculum, it could be just about perfect! (Strong hint. LOL)  You can check it out at http://www.tenmarks.com/teachers
Details

Cook up some Learning in the Kitchen

Cooking can incorporate many subject areas.
Language-learning to read and write directions
Math-counting, measurement, fractions,division, and multiplication
Science-chemistry reaction when ingredients are combined and various processes are used
History-examining the historical differences of cooking processes
Geography- looking at how geographical areas determine recipe methods and ingredients
Then of course there is home economics-examining nutrient and budgetary values of ingredients and recipes.
The most important ingredient is a sense of humour and discovery to encourage enjoyment of learning.
Here are some handy lesson links:

Contesting-Coaxes Reluctant Readers

Have a reluctant reader at home? Many students (even teens)  enjoy contesting, when there is one to be found. Encourage them to read all the details and become familiar with the finer points of the rules. A natural mathematics extension with contesting is probability- examining  the odds of winning the contests, and other probabilities in life.

Here are a couple of Contests to get you started:

All Ages: Win an Original Signed Print

This one is from Annick Press -Great Natural Integration with Author/Illustrator Studies

Teens: Win a Leapster Explorer Pack posted HERE.

This giveaway is from divine.ca . Divinedotca can be found on\twitter as well . This site frequently runs contests open to teens, as well as adults.

Click Here to go to their Contest Page.

All the World’s A Stage

Did you know Stratford is for kids too?

Visit Neverland as Peter Pan leads the gang of Lost Boys and battles the pirates on stage at the Avon Theatre at the Stratford Shakespeare Festival with a great offer – Tuesdays thru Thursdays in June, July and August kids are free when you buy an adult ticket. Call 1.800.567.1600 and quote promotion code 33731.*

Click HERE to see all the great Stratford Activities for Kids

Why is Acting so Important?

Recent cuts to the education system have seen many arts programs slashed as non-essentials.Drama is an essential. Dramatic skills are essential for job interviews, presentations,, fostering creativity, empathy,and more. Drama can be integrated into all subject areas . Did you know there are some math problems best solved using the strategy “Act it Out”?

IF you can’t get to Stratford, check out  a Little Theatre Production  close to you!Take a leaf from many famous authors, and put on plays yourselves, even if the only audience is a line up of teddy bear.

Here are some links you may find useful :

http://www.childdrama.com/Menu.html   Tons of FREE Lessons K-12

Drama Printables

L.M. Alcott comprehensive Biography

Math Work Sheet Act it Out