Advice for keeping children safe in a dangerous world

John Walsh, the host of America’s Most Wanted, and Julie Clarke, creator of Baby Einstein, have teamed up to provide a wealth of child protection resources in TheSafeSide.com. Here you will be able to obtain DVDs titled “Internet Safety” and “Stranger Safety”. The site enables users to download resource material on those topics useful to both families and schools.

http://www.amw.com/ John Walsh’s original America’s Most Wanted site

http://www.thesafeside.com/ child safety site

http://www.familywatchdog.us/ track registered sex offenders in your neighborhood

Disappearing bees—how will Colony Collapse Disorder affect your life?

We stand on the brink of a disaster that could make global warming look like a Sunday school picnic. Bees in Canada and the U.S. are disappearing fast, and scientists are not sure why. There are dozens of theories, but no definitive answer. Without bees there will be no fruits or vegetables, because bees do the pollination required to grow them. We must find answers soon, or many agricultural producers will face bankruptcy and consumers will have rapidly dwindling food choices. Watch The Importance of Bees video at the link below.
http://www.pbs.org/wnet/nature/bees/impact.html

What can you do to help the bees?
http://www.pbs.org/wnet/nature/bees/help.html

Transparency International—a global corruption watchdog

This organization monitors corruption in both public and private sectors. It fights against bribery in the construction and defence industries, as well as underhanded tactics in political party funding. Corruption in the judiciary of various countries is a target for this group. They offer a “corruption fighter’s toolkit” and an “anti-corruption handbook” for those who wish to participate in the anti-corruption process. Teachers may wish to take a look at these two publications: Teaching Integrity to Youth and Stealing the Future: Corruption in the Classroom.

http://www.transparency.org/

Teachnology.com: for teachers who want to incorporate technology into their classroom

Teachnology is the site for teachers who wish to utilize technology in the classroom.
The site also contains a vast collection of online resources and support tools, and free classroom materials designed by practicing teachers. For small annual fee, educators may purchase a membership which allows access to an extensive archive of reproducible lesson and evaluation materials.

A popular site with teachers: http://www.teachnology.com/

American First Nations--the real history

Daniel N. Paul is perhaps best known for his book entitled, We Were Not The Savages, which details the European invasion of North America, concerted attempts at genocide, and its aftermath. The book concentrates on the Mi’kmaq and their interpretation of events.

His website, danielpaul.com, contains a wealth of information, including paintings and photographs, and the historical background of his books. Dr. Paul’s intention is to provide users of his website with an accurate account of the history and aspirations of Native Peoples.

An eye-opener: http://www.danielnpaul.com/

Are children’s birthday parties getting out of control?

Many parents feel pressured to put on expensive and elaborate birthday parties for their children because other parents are doing so. Does it have to be that way? One group of mothers says no, and has set up a website to help change this out-of-control custom.

On their site, they outline what exactly is spiraling out of control about birthday parties, how things got that way, how kids and parents have been affected, and what can be done to solve the problem. They offer suggestions for alternatives to the usual format of birthday parties. Visitors to the site may take a “Birthday Pressure Quiz” to determine the extent of the pressure they are under concerning birthday parties.

Visit the site: http://www.birthdayswithoutpressure.com/

Science and astronomy: What will tonight’s sky look like?

Before I found this site, the night sky was mostly a mystery for me. I could pick out the North Star, and the Big and Little Dippers, but that was about it. This site provides diagrams every day of the upcoming night sky. Significant astronomical events, like the approach of a comet, are discussed in radio programs, available for listening or downloading.

The radio broadcast section contains more than astronomy information. Topics range from the poaching of wildlife in Africa to the migration routes of sea turtles.

Check out this site: http://www.earthsky.org/

Mindless Eating--Why we eat too much

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  Creator: Brian Wansink, PhD, director of the Cornell Food and Brand Lab


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  Photo preview of his new book, Mindless Eating: Why We Eat More Than We Think


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  List of Dr. Wansink’s most popular published articles on nutrition and marketing


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  Questions and Answers related to his new book


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  Teacher resource section featuring printable lesson plan handouts describing in-class activities for health, marketing, nutrition, and marketing classes


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  Free newsletter sign-up available


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  Information on registration for free Consumer Camp held annually on the Cornell campus in Ithaca, NY


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  Author’s blog

Check out the site: http://mindlesseating.org/

Storyline Online--Storytelling for kids

This site is an excellent resource for parents, teachers, and child-care providers alike. It features various members of the Screen Actors Guild Foundation reading children’s stories in streaming video. As the narrator reads the story, images of scenes from the story are depicted on a screen, helping to focus attention and heighten interest.

One of 17 stories featured on the site is White Shoes, depicting the courage of a young black girl in the face of the prejudice and discrimination which occurred several years ago in the southern part of the U.S. Other story titles include: Romeow and Drooliet, Enemy Pie, Dad, Are You The Tooth Fairy? Me And My Cat, and The Polar Express.

Operating the site may require the free download of a small program called Flash Player, a plug-in from Macromedia.com. You probably already have this on your computer if you have ever watched Internet videos. The home page has a place at the bottom to click on to begin the download if you need it.

There’s also an activity guide, in PDF format (most computers can read it) for the story you select, containing questions for discussion, project and research ideas.

Check out the site: http://www.bookpals.net/storyline/