Twelve of the best documentaries for kids that teach kids about history, the environment, world cultures, economics, and inequality.

Over the years, I've become a documentary junkie, and now, I've tracked down documentaries for kids on Netflix. Whether they are about food, music, alternative living, and even modern medicine, I'm hooked on documentaries. The only problem with my obsession is that the kids usually can't watch them with me. Documentaries For Kids Are A

If you plan to include movies for homeschooling in your lesson plans, you're definitely going to want to know about the best documentaries for homeschoolers.

If your kids are animals lovers and you want to teach them about the world, try any of these 29 Nature Documentaries for kids!

These TED Talks for tweens aren't aimed at kids, but they make kids feel the same way they make adults feel: inspired, thoughtful, different.

Philanthropic Documentary that chronicles the passion for football at its purest form around the globe.

A great list of the top Netflix documentaries to watch with your family. These documentaries will open the door to life-changing discussions with your kids.

Learning about the senses is so fun and exciting. There are many different activities you can do to help your child learn about these parts of the body.

Once popular during the Renaissance era, the recorder has gained popularity throughout schools as an introductory instrument that is easy to play and gives students their first foray into music theory. Although a recorder never needs to be tuned, it does require practice and patience from the student. For educators, ...

So, I absolutely LOVE the anchor charts I’ve been seeing on blogs and on Pinterest. Apparently, anchor charts are supposed to be minimalistic so as not to confuse the children with extra inf…

Streaming media is here to stay and we can put it to good use in homeschooling! See my list of 5 Netflix documentaries for Teens to watch today.

It is now time to add rests to our music. This is basically the same lesson as lesson 8 but it includes the quarter rests. The addition of the rest means there are a lot more options for grouping the notes in sets of 4. Just a reminder that the rest gets one beat just as the quarter note does. Whenever the children are reading and clapping music it is important that the rest be "felt" even though there is no sound. For this lesson you may want to add instruments for variety. I always told my kids that preparing for the instruments would make us successful musicians so we read and clapped the music first to be sure we were ready to transfer it to instruments. Once again you can cut the strips out without the words and let the children find the matching pairs. Then print and cut out individual notes and rests and let the children find new ways to group them into sets of 4. Use these to create a musical piece to play. I created 26 different groupings. Any of the groupings you create are in sets of 4 which means they are in 4/4 time signature - 4 beats to a measure. The children can play these patterns along with any number of songs that are in 4/4 time. Here are some suggestions: Yankee Doodle https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9CObFQznhls Rainbow Color song https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pt2DCGYzSsc Wheels on the Bus https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7nKBKPcycFE Row, Row, Row Your Boat https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bYLKEePMvIU Be Doodle Dee Dum https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zI9OaTJyg_Y Dance Myself to Sleep https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WQmut5GI7-k&list=AL94UKMTqg-9DC1_3UPjnhZVQhZ2NCqrzH Honker Duckee Dinger Jamboree https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tdv5uuYrTKQ&list=AL94UKMTqg-9DC1_3UPjnhZVQhZ2NCqrzH

I’ve been told that this is the teacher’s mantra when it comes to resources. Thanks to Pinterest, it is even easier to find other people’s fantastic ideas and adapt them for your…

Properties of Parallelograms Worksheet from properties of quadrilateral worksheet , image source: www.education.com

Whether you're tackling your to-do list or a mama on the go, learning to stop, pause, and reset can be a life-changing self-care tactic. Here are 3 simple yoga practices to help you relax more.

What is the difference between Documentary and Feature Film? Documentary deals with reality whereas feature film deals with fiction. Documentaries aim to ..

Most of you know that Valerie and I teach piano lessons. At the end of the school year we hold a recital and I always like to give the students a little gift. This is what I did last year. This year I wanted to give them something that would help them in their piano lessons. I really wanted to make them their own canvas bags to hold their piano books, but had a hard time making it economical. Instead I stumbled on these Rhythm Sticks on the Music in Motion website. I often pull out my drum pad and drum sticks during lessons to help them with rhythm, but for a good price I could get them their own sticks to use at home and in lessons! I also decided to get them a pad of manuscript paper to encourage creativity and composition. One way that I use rhythm sticks in their lessons is by playing a fun game with dice. This is where the crafting comes in. I bought these foam dice at the dollar store. 2 dice come in a package for $1. Then I printed out different values of notes and rests on the computer, and cut them into squares that would fit onto the dice. I laminated them. And then ran them through my Xyron sticker maker, and adhered them to the dice. Now I have all sorts of rhythmic possibilities for my students to play on their sticks! Roll the dice and tap it out. Also notice that one of the sticks is ridged. Whenever there's a note more than two beats in length I have them drag the smooth stick along the ridged stick for the length of that note. They love it! I think this is the first time I've crafted for my piano lessons. Hmm.... what else could I make? Connect with us! You can find us here:

A fun and simple musical theory and rhythm game to teach the difference between finding the beat and the rhythm of a song to kids.

Varios jefes de producto de Google, y de medios digitales, se han reunido hoy con varios periodistas y compañeros para presentar Accelerated Mobile Pages (o AMP), la versión de Google de Instant Articles de Facebook. Google empezó hablando de como la web móvil no está a la altura, hablando de documentos que pesan más de […]

The state of education in the US has been top of mind ever since having children, as I'm sure it is for so many of us parents. And now there's a really

A collection of 21 great podcasts for kids. Interesting Educational Podcasts. Mindfulness and mindset podcasts. True stories & fictional tales, all fantastic listening and will keep your kids engaged

Find out everything you need to know about the wealthy couple

The list of inventions that are credited to the ancient Chinese is long and note-worthy. Several great series of picture books dramatize these moments of invention and are great books for inspiring your young inventors and artists. Books on Chinese Inventions by Ying Chang Compestine Chinese-American author Ying Chang Compestine has written a series of books about Chinese inventions. Each book features the Kang family: Mama, Papa, and three boys, Ting, Pan, and Kùai. Kids will love seeing how the antics of the three boys fits with these inventions. The Story of Chopsticks (2001) imagines the circumstances surrounding the invention of chopsticks. The three Kang brothers, Ting, Pan, and Kùai, are all hungry, growing boys. Kùai, the youngest, is frustrated by having to wait for food to cool down until it was safe to eat with your fingers. A few twigs later, he invents the first chopsticks! But when the boys bring their new invention to a wedding feast, they find themselves at odds with the elders. The Story of Noodles (2002) Though it seems unlikely that noodles were invented because, "'We wanted a food that is easier to clean up after food fights,'" kids will enjoy this story of how an accident with dumplings leads to the possible invention of noodles, which had originated in China by the first century. The Author's Note explains some of the history and customs of noodles and includes a recipe for Long-Life Noodles. The Story of Kites (2003) In this story, the poor Kang brothers are tired of constantly having to scare the birds away from their rice crop. First, they decide to try making their own wings, with predictably disastrous consequences, but eventually their designs lead them to the first kites. Kite-flying has been documented in China more than twenty-four hundred years ago. The book ends with an Author's Note and directions on how to make and fly your own kites. The Story of Paper (2003) The Kang boys are not doing well in school and are blaming the bugs and insects that distract them as they are practicing their writing in the dirt. After much experimentation, they hit upon paper. The Author's Note includes a detailed description of the oldest paper and its introduction to the Chinese emperor, as well as directions for making homemade "garden" paper. Books on Chinese Inventions by Virginia Walton Pilegard The Warlord's Puzzle (2000). An artist brings a beautiful blue tile before the Warlord, but it drops, breaking into seven pieces. When no one can put the tile back together, the Warlord agrees to hold a contest. This accident becomes the invention of the tangrams, so named for their connection to the Tang dynasty. The Warlord's Beads (2001). The peasant and his young son now live in the warlord's palace, but the father has been tasked with counting the warlord's vast treasure. Worried that they keep losing count spurs his son, Chuan, to invent the first abacus. The Author's Note describes the first documented use of the abacus in 14th century China and includes directions for making your own abacus. The Warlord's Fish (2002). The artist and his young apprentice, Chuan, are kidnapped by a group of traders and taken out across the wilds and into the vast desert (along the Silk Route and through the Takla Makan, though the names are not used). When a sandstorm blocks the sun and clouds block the stars, Chuan convinces the artist to use his south-pointing fish to help them find their way to the oasis. The Author's Note explains that the Chinese invented a south-pointing compass made of a magnetic spoon by the third century BC(E) and includes directions for making your own floating compass. The Warlord's Puppeteers (2003). Chuan tries to help a group of traveling puppeteers, after a bandit raid seizes their puppets. This book focuses on introducing children to the concepts of proportion and includes directions for making your own sock puppets. The Warlord's Kites (2004). Chuan and his friend Jing Jing are concerned about the approach of an enemy army and conceive of the idea of using flutes attached to kites to frighten them off. In this story, Jing Jing takes a starring role as the inventor and quick-thinker. Directions are include for handmade kites. The Warlord's Messengers: a mathematical adventure (2005). Young Chuan and Jing Jing are concerned when an invitation arrives for the warlord, but he will not receive the message in time. The friends brainstorm a faster way to travel and invent a wind-driven carriage. These "sailing carriages" were mentioned in Chinese literature 1500 years ago. The book ends with directions for creating a wind sock (another Chinese invention). The Warlord's Alarm (2006). This story seems to take place immediately following The Warlord's Messengers. Chuan and Jing Jing are accompanying the warlord on his trip to visit the emperor, but in order for the warlord to arrive exactly when the gates of the city open, they need to figure out a way to keep track of time during the night, when a sundial is useless. The invent a water clock, and the Author's Note describes some of the complicated water clocks used by the Chinese. There are also directions to make your own dripping water clock. The Emperor's Army: a mathematical adventure (2010). A bit of a departure from the rest of the series, this book tells the story of a father and son in court of Chinese emperor Qin Shi Huang who are forced into hiding by the emperors proclamation against books and scholars. This leads them to discover the building of the emperor's famed terracotta warriors, and the Author's Note includes information about their eventual re-discovery.

The piano is a classic, versatile instrument that anyone can learn how to play. You don't have to be a particular age or gender to play the piano, nor do you need any musical background – all you need is patience, determination, and...

Remember these days as a kid when life was easier?Really, what do you need to think about when you are a child? What toy do you want to take with you o... Video

Three sick kids for a full week means we’ve been watching some extra TV in our house lately. We try to mix up the cartoons with documentaries, and we stumbled onto a fun documentary on Disney+ that turned a sick day on the couch into a super fun afternoon! In an episode from the Disneyland ... Read More about DIY Thaumatropes

From Harry Potter to Star Wars, John Williams has probably composed the most successful soundtracks in history. But do you know how many movies he's worked on, how many awards he's won and when? We've put his whole career in one neat image.

First graders are exploring a variety of musical activities in stations as our school year comes to a close. In first grade we are old pros are reading quarter notes (ta) and barred eighth notes (titi). At the play dough station we practiced making them in a new way! We also worked on creating a treble clef which was quite difficult! Vocal Visualizations are fun! This set features a Star Wars theme. Students vocalized using "ooo", "aaah" and "zzzzzz" like a spaceship. They took turns being the leader and guiding their group to follow the path. So much fun! At another station we used craft sticks to create rhythm patterns using notes and rests that we know. Some groups we quite adventurous and built rhythms that stretched to 30 beats long! Later this summer I'll post a more complete list of the centers that we've worked on this year. Teachers: You can find the Star Wars vocalization activity HERE.

New research shows domestic violence can force women into lower-quality housing – or make it harder to find a home altogether.

anthonygaupo.wordpress.com

Level: Beginner to Intermediate Objective: To help build sight reading skills by reviewing notes on the staff and learning to quickly correlate notes with each other (steps, skips, etc.). A player wins when he/she has consecutive notes that either ascend or descend. Materials: Music note flashcards (Subscribe to our emails for a […]