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The Education Companion Newsletter
E-MAIL: ec@jrydevelopment.net

=============================================================
THE EDUCATION COMPANION NEWSLETTER
November / December 1999 Issue #7
=============================================================
The companion newsletter to
Mrs. Young's Super Charged Educational Voyage
Janet Young, Newsletter Developer, Editor and Co-Author
Subscribe: http://educationcompanion.listbot.com/
Archives: http://www.fortunecity.com/millenium/garston/49/archives.html

=============================================================

==== IN THIS "EDUCATION COMPANION" NEWSLETTER =============

+ The Education Companion Survey

~ Last month's poll results
~ The October Poll: Should school systems fund Educational Assistants

+ CONTENT AREAS --- Current trends, opinions, tips, etc.

~ Bonnie Bracey's Information Superhighway ~
GIRLS, IT and MENTORING... How do we get it together to cross that digital divide?

~ Life is One Big Classroom with Joan Berger ~
THE EVEREST MILLENNIUM

~ Including the Physically Challenged With Sheila Estes ~
CALL ON ME!

~ Steve McCarty's East-West Perspectives from Japan ~
CONDUCTING ACADEMIC CONFERENCES ONLINE

~ Audrey Ciuffo's Library Connection ~
BOOKS TO BE THANKFUL FOR

~ Hot Holiday Web Sites! ~

+ Call for Ideas

==== WELCOME MESSAGE / ANNOUNCEMENTS ==============

Welcome to the November / December issue of The Education Companion. This has been a very hectic time of year and this issue is going out as a combo issue. To help with the follow through of Native Indian studies from Thanksgiving, we have links to help toward that end. Also, you will find so new hot sites for the December holidays that we are sure will spark your creativity. Bonnie Bracey explores issue involving girls and technology. Sheila Estes shows us how a little creativity can help bring enthusiastic students who are unable to raise their hands for attention in the mix. Our own special "Science Lady" Joan Berger has a wonderful Millenium Project for you. Just wait until you climb aboard this one! Professor Steve McCarty discusses the implementation of online conferencing, allowing all educators to keep up, and give input, on todays critical issues. There are wonderful links to help you explore this new area that will be an integral part of professional growth and development for all educators. We have a bountiful article from Audrey Ciuffo on Thanksgiving. Even though this is going out a bit later than usual, most of us are still working on the these with Native Americans, Pilgrims, colonists etc. Her article will help you wrap it up with delightful literature.

We wish you all a wonderful, happy, healthy and unstressed Holiday Season and New Year!

~Janet R. Young, Developer, Editor and Co-Author

==== WEB SITE REACTIONS ===============================

~ Web Site Productivity Survey ~

Take a few minutes to share your needs regarding this web site.
AOL USERS PLEASE NOTE!!! Just send a plain old fashioned email to
mailto:mrsy@jrydevelopment.com . Your forms DO NOT get sent to me. When you fill out the form, all AOL sends is a "blank" email. So just start with the plain email and give me a few sentences telling me how to better meet your needs. Offer article topic ideas to our Education Companion authors. Be heard!
http://www.fortunecity.com/millenium/garston/49/survey.html

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"THE EDUCATION COMPANION SURVEY!!!"

THE RESULTS OF THE LAST POLL

THE QUESTION WAS:

Do you feel it is necessary to have an extra person (Educational Assistant) in the classroom?

POLL RESULTS:

The votes were 3:0 in favor of having Educational Assistants in the classroom!

Here are some comments by readers:

YES

It is good to have an extra person in the classroom. My children both do well in public school but I am homeschooling my son this year because he just couldn't connect with his teacher last year. I met his teacher & I thought she was okay but he just didn't hit it off with her for some unexplainable reason. Since some people just naturally take to each other, having that extra person just might help complete more connections with students. I don't think it should be viewed as an assessment of a teacher's abilities or lack of them. I think we all need to do whatever works for the education of our children. If having assistants in the classroom is the means to the desired end, what could be wrong with it? It is exhausting work to teach just my one child. In my opinion, the teachers need all the help they can get!!!!

'Homeschooling in KY

------------------------

I want to share the story of how using creative resources can help schools, teachers and administrations achieve "the financially impossible" dream.

I have a class of 25 with full inclusion. 12 of my students have been identified with special needs. Some are ED, some are LD and some are CDB. Only 2 are ADD and medicated. Without the help of an assistant, the remaining 13 students would not have a chance to learn because my time and energy would be fully consumed by the special needs of the 12 identified students. The professional aptitude of the instructor has very little to do with the success of classrooms with demographics like mine. Yes, my ability to teach and differentiate my lessons has something to do with the learning that takes place, but I would not be able to keep a positive outlook on the potential of my students, all of my students, without the help of at least one assistant!

I teach 8th grade math and science in Kenosha, Wisconsin. We are piloting a School Wide Enrichment program designed by Joe Renzulli. We are setting up academies of learning in which students enjoy the constructivist approach to education. The students fill out interest surveys and our special team of support personnel look at the students' choices and begin to put together academies of areas of interest by pulling in community businesses, parents, and other community members who specialize in the areas of interest that have been pin pointed. Together, we develop a curriculum that envelopes the interests of the students, the expertise of community members and the professional facilitation of the teachers to create meaningful learning experiences for our students. The academies allow for students with a variety of abilitiy levels to enjoy learning experiences on many different levels. The more help we have in the classroom, the better. The money we use for additional staff support is funded by a grant we wrote specifically for this School Wide Enrichment project. If you are interested in more information, contact Betsy Wagner at John Bullen Middle School in Kenosha, Wisconsin. Our Principal is Mr. Blaine McCann. The phone number is 262-597-4460. Wish us luck!

Betsy Wagner

------------------------

I would like to vote yes. I have worked both with and without assistants, with both large and small student loads. Having a second pair of hands frees the teacher to actually spend over 50% of her time teaching. Building a good working relationship with another adult and planning lessons with another adult will take time and effort, but in the long run I feel it is time well spent. I have found that I have the opportunity to sit and work with individual children for upwards of 15 minutes, something I could never do in a one "teacher" classroom. That time spent one-on-one is worth 1 or 2 hours of normal class time instruction. The one-on-one instruction also allows a different type of rapport to happen which increases that students involvement in group or whole class instruction.

JoAnn: jwgray@uswest.com

-------------------------------------------------

THE " POLL"

------------------------------November / December------------------

This time of year families across the world are celebrating various religous and cultural holidays. Multicultural education is at the forefront. The concern of many is "should we teach about the different holidays in school to help foster understanding and respect for each other?"

What do you think?

There are two camps.

1: Yes, we must learn about each other. Fear of the unknown is what generates distrust and hate. We need to help our children make intelligent decisions about others. This can only be done by educating them, not only about the geography and politics of countries, but also their faith, which affects their culture. Basic ideas of a religion, presented properly, will not encourage conversion to other religions.

2: No, there is, provided by the Constitution of the United States, a separation of church and state. Teaching about religions, is wrong in public schools, regardless of the intent. Parents must have total control over the religious learnings of their children.

How do you feel about this?

Do you believe that schools should inform students about holidays of other cultures?

Share your opinion now!

I will post relevant list member ideas on the next issue. I do prefer to share opposing views. However, in order to do this, folks need to share their comments in addition to just voting on the current poll.

If you want your comments posted here follow this procedure:

-->Be sure to include a short signature tag to follow your comments. This can include your name, location, organization/company and other information you feel would make you accessible to others who may want to exchange ideas with you personally. Do not put any information you want private (like an email address or unlisted phone number!) I will not post any comments that are abusive, contain expletives or are not of a"G" quality. We all know what that means... I will also email you back to confirm that you want your comment posted.

To vote YES- I agree, we must teach about different cultures special days for nurture mutual understanding and respect click here:
mailto:mrsy@jrydevelopment.com?subject=Nov_YES

To vote NO- I disagree, this is best left to parents to teach at their discretion, click here:
mailto:mrsy@jrydevelopment.com?subject=Nov_NO

The survey results will be posted in the next issue of The Education Companion!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

==== THE CONTENT AREAS ==================================

~ Bonnie Bracey's Information Superhighway ~

In the Information Age, information technology (IT) has become an integral part of our everyday lives. We use it at the grocery store to scan products, in the workplace to communicate via email, and at home to set the thermostat. Yet as we enter the new millennium, IT workers are traditionally male and women continue to be under represented. This poses several problems including a shortage of IT workers in the U.S., the benefits of higher pay and demand being conferred to males only, and inherent biases of technology developed by only one portion of the population. Young women are choosing, either consciously or subconsciously, to not engage in courses and activities that will provide them with the necessary background to pursue an IT career. Environmental factors such as family, peers, schools, media, toys and role models play a significant role in this decision. But many people are not aware of how technology affects their lives. I usually laugh and tell them about the sports shoes that they wear. They were developed for the moon landing. They just spun off into society. There are a number of other things that we use, such as air bags, and ceramics that are on people's nails and I use those examples because they are technology but they are not the internet. People need to be able to explore ideas using the Information Superhighway. To explore is to become familiar with and to examine in areas of one's own interest. So why don't girls use technology as much as boys?

Research shows that boys and girls begin with a level playing field in information technology interests by showing equal enthusiasm and competence in computer-related activities and school classes. Yet in the upper-elementary years, a shift takes place as girls gradually lose interest in these activities. This trend seems to accelerate as girls transition into high school, college, and careers.

Young girls' understandings of what it means to be female begin to be formed at a very early age and are shaped by the culture in which that child grows up based on previously defined female characteristics. For instance, toys developed for girls often involve dolls, teacups, and the like while toys developed for boys involve trucks, hammers, and small electronic devices. While some progress has been made in this area, toys marketed to boys and girls are still distinctly different. Other socialization factors to be discussed include sex stereotyping of boys and girls, lower expectations for girls and females in general, stereotypes of women in IT fields as being unfeminine, and extracurricular activities that girls engage in such as sports, clubs, and other recreational past-times.

How do we encourage girls to engage in information technology activities? This was the beginning of a forum that was presented on line from the National Science Foundation.

My questions are , do young girls see others as mentors, teachers people who are their role models using technology? I think that there are some places where there are plenty of mentors who are women and that there are places where there are few, who are really technologically fluent and good teachers.

What kinds of resources are available to the girls, and women?

Do people mentor students who are starting to use technology , guiding them along the way?

In the latest issue of the George Lucas Educational Foundation's newsletter the topic of mentoring is explored. One of my favorite articles is this one:Connecting with Experts in the Real World.

http://www.glef.org/edutopia/newsletters/7.1/demee.html

I think too often that we complain about teachers with laminated lesson plans without considering the time, time on task, social responsibilities and lack of planning time that teachers have. With a good mentor, a helping hand, some of the problems remain but a window of opportunity may be found. The whole Edutopia is on mentoring

Mothers, sisters and brothers can mentor by linking good books, web pages, and experiences so that one compliments the other. Here is a resource for mentoring stories.

Feature articles include:

* "Teachers Helping Teachers: The Path To School Improvement," by Jorge Descamps, University of Texas at El Paso.
http://www.glef.org/edutopia/newsletters/7.1/descamps.html

* "A Place To Discover The Teacher Within," by Virginia Watkins and Cecelia
Wambach, John Muir Elementary School, San Francisco.
http://www.glef.org/edutopia/newsletters/7.1/watkins.html

* "Partnering for Success" on the Principals' Executive Program, University of North Carolina, by Roberta Furger.
http://www.glef.org/edutopia/newsletters/7.1/furger.html

* "The Two Faces of Mentoring," on the Rhode Island Teachers and Technology Initiative.
http://www.glef.org/edutopia/newsletters/7.1/rif.html

* "The Good Mentor," by James B. Rowley, University of Dayton.
http://www.glef.org/edutopia/newsletters/7.1/rowley.html

* "Online All The Time: Cyber Mentors in Action," (migrant education) by Nancy Carson.
http://www.glef.org/edutopia/newsletters/7.1/carson.html

* "Mentoring: Recent Research Highlights" and Resources on Mentoring (books, reports, videos, and organizations)
http://www.glef.org/edutopia/newsletters/7.1/staff.html

If you would like to become an "Edutopia" subscriber and receive the print version of the newsletter, please complete the online subscription form at

http://www.glef.org/edutopia/subform2.html. Subscriptions to "Edutopia" are free of charge.

______________________________________________________________

II. SPANISH LANGUAGE VERSION OF EDUTOPIA's MENTORING ISSUE ONLINE TODAY

GLEF is launching a Spanish-language version of the Fall 1999 issue of its Edutopia newsletter online at
http://www.glef.org/edutopia/newsletters/7.1/spanish/descamps.html. We recognize the importance of reaching Spanish-speaking parents and community members with high quality resources and information about our nation's best schools. We want to make these resources accessible to all to help bridge the Digital Divide. We encourage you to share this Spanish-language resource with educators, parents, and community organizations and to contact The George Lucas Educational Foundation with your reactions.

Bonnie Bracey, GLEF Fellow
Independent Consultant http://www.bracey-pearl.org/
US Educationalist & Presidential Advisor on Education & Technology.
The President's National Information Infrastructure Advisory Board,
URL:
http://www.iitf.doc.gov/members/members.html
Read: Minutes of the Committee on Applications and Technology .
URL:
http://www-12.nist.gov/cat/cat-min/941027.html
Member of Vice President Gore's Globe Institute
A member of the Challenger Center Faculty:
A Christa McAuliffe Educator for the National Foundation of Education.
URL:
http://www.technos.net/journal/volume1/sb3grewa.htm
Author of The Challenge of Introducing Technology.

=======================================

~ Including the Physically Handicapped with Sheila Estes ~
CALL ON ME!

I know! I know! Call on me! With arms waiving frantically in the air the students desperately try to get the attention of the teacher. Each one wants to show the whole room that they know the answer. But what if the student is unable to raise their arms? How do they hope to compete with the students not only raising their arms but partially standing with one foot on the floor and a knee in their chair in an effort to get a couple of inches higher than their neighbor?

For a while, Nathan was able to lift his arms enough to let the teacher know when he needed to ask something or wanted to answer a question. As the MD progressed, he lost that ability. A slight hand movement is all he can now manage. I made small flags for use in the classroom. They are simple to make and can be good attention getters without disturbing fellow classmates.

After some experimentation, I found that a quarter-inch wooden dowel rod cut to a length of 12 inches worked best. A thicker rod was too heavy and Nathan was unable to lift it. A lighter one broke too easily. I cut a piece of thick felt material three inches by eight inches. This was folded around the top of the dowel rod and glued in place. Thinner material would fall around the rod. Waving the flag was too difficult so we needed something more rigid. By using the thicker felt, it would stand out and be more noticeable.

The flags are very inexpensive to make and fun to decorate. Some can be used for various holidays. Nathan had one made for his favorite college football team which just happened to be a rival of the teacher's alma mater. They had a friendly competition going all year. I used appliques, art foam, glitter, and light weight felt letters for decoration. The possibilities are limited only by the imagination. Another flag was made in the colors of the school and a miniature of the team's emblem and initials of the school were added and used on days when Nate wanted to show his school spirit.

This method worked until holding the flag became too difficult. Nate now has an assistant who he quietly tells when he needs the attention of the teacher. We have kept a few of the flags to add to his scrap book. And yes, he still torments the teacher of the rival college!

Sheila Estes, Greentown, Indiana USA
Mother of son with Duchenne's Muscular Dystrophy
Creator and author of Mr. Leviticus, the library kitten.
mailto:sher51es@netusa1.net

=======================================

Life is One Big Classroom with Joan Berger ~
THE EVEREST MILLENNIUM

Looking for a terrific millennium project? Yes, yes, we know the millenium doesn't begin until 2001, but we can begin the buildup and spend the entire year, 2000, creating enthusiasm and excitement for the event to come. I've got the perfect activity for you that will take you through great science experiments, wonderful adventure stories, and real-life in action. You will be able to adapt this to any grade level and incorporate all your curriculum areas into this awesome project. The Everest Millennium Team will ascend the South Col route of Mt. Everest in winter, planning their climb to arrive at the summit on January 1, 2000. The ascent will begin on December 2, when the team will start climbing from Base Camp at an elevation of 17,600 feet. Over the next three weeks, the team will place four camps along the route to the summit in preparation for the final ascent. If weather conditions permit, the team will arrive on top of the world at midnight on Dec. 31, 1999, Eastern Standard Time. You can follow the expedition on-line by accessing:
http://evici.com/about_em.html

You can enter your email address and they will notify you via email when the next activity for the expedition begins. Some of the topics for study to prepare for the expedition and work on during the ascent can be found on:
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/everest

Climbers are aware of subtle changes in their mental state as they ascend and their brains gradually receive less oxygen. On the premise that the higher you go the slower you think, the Nova site has placed on-line, a small battery of interactive tests, such as the ones the climbers will take at pre-determined stops along the route. Your students can test their brains to check things like their speed at processing thoughts, mental flexibility, and ability to solve verbal puzzles. Lots of fun! Try them! A fantastic site to go to for further studies of the body and lots of elementary experiments about your body's systems is:
http://weber.u.washington.edu/~chudler/neurok.html

Take your students through a study of atmospheric pressure and the use of a barometer. As altitude increases, air becomes less dense, decreasing atmospheric pressure. As air becomes less dense, it contains less gases per unit of volume, and therefore less oxygen. Find out what factors other than altitude affect the density of air.
What happens to the body when it is exposed to extreme altitudes? How does the lack of oxygen affect the brain?
If there was a mountain higher than Everest, would humans be capable ofreaching the summit?

A study of how the body uses O2 can bring in a more extensive study of the human biological processes. Exploring the birth of the Himalayas leads to a wonderful exploration into geology, the folding and faulting of the land masses, the layering of the sediments, the breakup of Pangea into separate land masses, the catastrophic changes in the earth due to the movement of the continental plates, (earthquakes & volcanoes) and the process of convection.

A basic study of air can be developed on any level and to any depth. That study is a chemistry and physics dream. Relate the study to the changes in air density at higher altitudes and how climbers can make an "oxygenless" ascent of Everest.

There's a wonderful on-line Compass Game, great for orienteering and reinforcement of basic directional skills. You are in control of the compass, turning it to get to where you are challenged to go. K-6 will enjoy this.

If you are fortunate enough to have some GPS (Global Positioning Satellite) receivers, learn some orienteering and how the climbers can tell their exact positions at any time using their GPS. You might be able to get your school to invest in one or two receivers (not too costly) by demonstrating the myriad of uses for them in classroom instruction. You can also introduce an exploration of satellites and how dependent we have become on them in our everyday lives such as the phone service, TV transmissions, credit card access, etc.

To incorporate the humanities, the Everest Millennium site has a "Send a Prayer Flag" page. For centuries, Tibetan Buddhists have hung sacred prayer flags to mark places of spiritual significance. Many people leave a prayer flag on Mt. Everest as a symbol of their prayers and hopes. A wonderful millennium activity...you can create and send a flag from the Everest site. The team will honor the tradition by carrying flags from people around the world, storing them electronically. The team will broadcast them from the summit on January 1, 2000--transmitting them to the universe as a symbol of humankind's dreams for the century ahead......

Joan Berger
Internet Educational Consultant
jberger5@concentric.net jberger@li.net
http://www.concentric.net/~jberger5
http://www.li.net/~jberger

======================================

~ Steve McCarty's East-West Perspectives from Japan ~
CONDUCTING ACADEMIC CONFERENCES ONLINE

Until recently, academic conferences were the province of college professors with travel allowances. But with the advent of conferences conducted entirely online, now educators at all levels can participate in this form of professional development and benefit from shared knowledge in many disciplines. This was implied in the title of my article detailing how online conferences can be conducted:

"Opening the Conference Gates to K-12 and Worldwide Educators"
The Well Connected Educator (February 1997)
Global SchoolNet / Microsoft Corp. / National Science Foundation / National Writing Project
http://www.techlearning.com/db_area/archives/WCE/archives/mccarty1.htm

Such conferences include both asynchronous e-mail discussions posted on the Web and synchronous or real-time chats. Another article includes a transcript of a synchronous MOO session among educators in various countries:
"The Internet for Educator Development"
Chubu University, The Language Teacher Online (September 1996)
Japan Association for Language Teaching
http://langue.hyper.chubu.ac.jp/jalt/pub/tlt/96/sept/internet.html

The article begins: "an educator is a teacher and a lifelong learner, involved in the profession, the community, and the world. The Internet, connecting computers in a global communications network, opens mind-boggling possibilities and is already changing many paradigms related to education. This paper will introduce one of the world's first major academic conferences held entirely on-line, including a transcribed synchronous multiple user 'MOO' discourse."

The Teaching in the Community Colleges (hereinafter "tcc") Online Conference is venerable both for its early origins and for the large number of participants brought together. U.S. community colleges tend to bridge communities with higher education, so it is appropriate that K-12 educators have also been welcome. Inaugurated with tcc96, the tcc97 conference reached over 1,750 participants. This was while it was free, and as the work of organizers also snowballed, a conference fee system was instituted with TCC98. Now registrants generally provide their credit card number to a secure server and receive password access to conference events.

At TCC96 http://leahi.kcc.hawaii.edu/org/tcc_conf96/ I was a presenter on "Revalorizing General Education and TEFL in Japan" http://leahi.kcc.hawaii.edu/org/tcc_conf96/mccarty.html. For TCC97 http://leahi.kcc.hawaii.edu/org/tcc_conf97/ I was Presentations Committee Chair and Timekeeper for synchronous events spanning world time zones http://leahi.kcc.hawaii.edu:80/org/occ/logs3/0029.html. Then at TCC98 http://leahi.kcc.hawaii.edu/org/tcon98/ I delivered the opening Keynote Address, "Voluntaristic Online Education and the Future with Japan" http://leahi.kcc.hawaii.edu/org/tcon98/keynote/mccarty.html(also ERIC Clearinghouse on Information and Technology: ERIC_NO: ED419489).

For TCC99 http://leahi.kcc.hawaii.edu/org/tcon99/ I registered as a regular participant but had little chance to participate during the three days because early April is the beginning of the school year in Japan. Nevertheless, the TCC founder, Jim Shimabukuro of Kapiolani Community College in Honolulu, has enlisted my participation in TCC2000, "A Virtual Odyssey: What's Ahead for New Technologies in Learning?" There will be writing teams to bring the sub-themes into focus, extending the conference to before and after the main events of April 12-14, 2000. I am to chair the team on "International Issues and New Technologies for Learning."

Consider presenting a 'paper' or otherwise participating in TCC2000 http://leahi.kcc.hawaii.edu/org/tcon2000/. The Virtual Odyssey continues ...

Steve McCarty
Professor, Kagawa Junior College, Japan
President, World Association for Online Education:
http://www.kagawa-jc.ac.jp/~steve_mc/WAOE-founding.html
Home Page: http://www.kagawa-jc.ac.jp/~steve_mc/presence.html
Bilingualism and Japanology Intersection (Online Library):
http://www.kagawa-jc.ac.jp/~steve_mc/epublist.html
(an Asian Studies WWW Virtual Library 4-star site)
E-mail: steve@kagawa-jc.ac.jp

======================================

~ Audrey Ciuffo's Library Connection ~
BOOKS TO BE THANKFUL FOR

Well, we survived the Halloween fright fest!! A good time was had by all! Now it's time to think of November books. I like to combine Thanksgiving with Native American folklore and information. They seem to work very well together. As always, I try to use as many different genre as I can to highlight the seasonal books. In the non-fiction . "how-to" section - I recommend Thanksgiving Fun by Judith Hoffman Corwin, Messner Books 1984 and Crafts for Thanksgiving by Kathy Ross, Millbrook Press 1995. Children can improve reading reading skills at the same time as they are having fun creating a myriad of Thanksgiving decorations. I always ask the children, when borrowing from this genre, to please make some samples for display in the library. It becomes good advertisement for these books. In the Poetry section, I recommend Thanksgiving Stories and Poems edited by Caroline Feller Bauer. It's a delightful whimsical look at one of our most popular holidays.

I also like the feeling that Over the River and Through the Wood, A Thanksgiving Poem by Lydia Maria Child, North-South Books 1993, evokes. It makes us picture a rural pastoral scene with the requisite snow and horse - drawn sleds. Some picture books that are always a hit with the little ones are: A Turkey for Thanksgiving by Eve Bunting,Clarion Books, 1991 and Arthur's Thanksgiving by Marc Brown, Little, Brown, and Co. 1983. Children are always clamoring to read about another zany adventure about Arthur the Aardvark. On a more serious note, Eve Bunting shifts gears from the hilarious book mentioned above when she tackles the emotions involved in a story that is very true to the heart of the meaning of Thanksgiving. In her wonderful How Many Days To America, Clarion Books 1988, she follows the story of a family forced to leave their homeland by an oppressive government. We learn about their harrowing journey across the sea and how they had to leave all their possessions behind. It is so touching to read the reception that they receive when they finally do get to America. The meaning of this holiday rings so true as we read this stirring book.

Some other books that I like to use are: Thanksgiving by Margaret Baldwin, Franklin Watts, 1983 and Thanksgiving Day Gail Gibbons, Holiday House, 1983 to illustrate factual information about this special day.

There are quite a few books that I incorporate along with the Thanksgiving books that seem to work well. Native American and/or Pilgrim facts and folklore blend well with this topic. Two that could be used are:
Priscilla Alden and the First Thanksgiving by Alice Benjamin Boynton, Silver Press 1990 and
A Native American Feast by Lucille Recht Penner, Macmillan 1994.
This last book is a collection of facts foods, and folklore of Native Americans at the time of the Pilgrims. For some interesting facts about the pilgrims, one might read Eating the Plates, A Pilgrim Book of Food and Manners by Lucille Recht Penner,Macmillan 1991.

Three terrific books in the area of Native American folklore are:
The Legend of the Bluebonnet by Tomie DePaola, Scholastic Books,
Clamshell Boy by Terri Cohlene, Watermill Press 1990, and
The Mud Pony Retold by Caron Lee Cohen, Scholastic Books, 1988.

Of course, this is just a small taste of the bountiful books that are available on these subjects. Hope it whets your appetite. Happy Turkey Day!!!

Audrey Ciuffo,
New York, New York USA
Teacher, Mentor, Library Technologist
http://www.ps161.com/libpower.html
E-mail: aciuffo@ps161.com

======================================

=======HOT HOLIDAY WEB SITES ========

Celebrate...Hanukkah at the New York Public Library
Stories for Young Readers, Stories for Older Readers, History and Customs, Recordings & Videos, Internet Sites. Delightful.
http://www.nypl.org/branch/kids/hanukkah.html

Hanukkah in CyberSpace
You can fine all kinds of site here, from games to origins of the holiday.
http://members.xoom.com/web_lady/hanukkah/

A HANUKKAH OF MIXED TRADITIONS
Five tasty Hanukkah recipes for vegetarians.
http://www.vegsource.com/hanukkah.htm

JCN's Great Computerized Dreidel Game
Learn the rules and play dreidel!
http://www.billybear4kids.com/holidays/fun.htm

Celebrate Chanukah at Pleasant Grove Elementary School
THis school has a wonderful list of sites that delve into the Festical of Lights. Kudos!
http://www.henry.k12.ga.us/pges/hanukkah.htm

Celebrate Winter
There are articles amd links to sites that deal with all aspects of WINTER! Lessons plans too! Enjoy. http://www.education-world.com/a_lesson/lesson094.shtml

Origins of Christmas Customs & Traditions around the World
A great teacher resource that explains such things as the advent calendar, wassail, poinsettias, plum pudding, Christmas cards, the Yule log, mistletoe, etc.
http://www.bconnex.net/~mbuchana/realms/christmas/origindx.html

Christmas at Alphabet Soup
Tons of information on Christmas. Religous info as well are lore. Contests, games, midi, and stories. Very nice.
http://www.alphabet-soup.net/christmas.html

Snow Activities
You will find great hands-on projects all dealing with SNOW. A great resource!
http://www.teelfamily.com/activities/snow/

Science Center Lesson - Christmas Chemistry
This is a lab adaptation from the Joy of Cooking. It is their recipe for Peppermint Cream Wafers. Use the full recipe and a sauce pan for a demo or group lab.
http://www.minnetonka.k12.mn.us/support/science/lessons45/christmas.html

Billy Bear's on Holidays
This internet playground is filled with stories, games, activities pages, holiday pages, screen savers, desktop and web page decor. An adorable Billy Bear image follows your mouse around. Very cute! Kid Safe Site.
http://www.billybear4kids.com/holidays/fun.htm

Kwanzaa from the About.com Guide
This internet playground is filled with stories, games, activities pages, holiday pages, screen savers, desktop and webpage decor. An adorable Billy Bear image follows your mouse around. Very cute!Kid Safe Site.
http://craftsforkids.about.com/kidsteens/craftsforkids/library/spdays/bldec26th.htm

The Kwanzaa Information Center
A comprehensive site that strives to promote the principles of Kwanzaa 12 months a year.
http://www.melanet.com/kwanzaa/

Kwanzaa Recipes
Yep- recipes. Detailed and practical.
http://members.tripod.com/~Nancy_J/kwanzaa.htm

Kwanzaa An African-American Celebration
This is a simple colorful site. Easy to navigate and learn from.
http://www.globalindex.com/kwanzaa/

Who is Rosa Parks?
Learn all about the woman who sparked the civil rights movement.
http://craftsforkids.about.com/kidsteens/craftsforkids/gi/dynamic/offsite.htm?site=http://www.leap.yale.edu/lclc/town/stand/rosa.html

Dec. 21st- Celebrate the First Day of Winter
Great activities for home or school from About.com.
http://craftsforkids.about.com/kidsteens/craftsforkids/library/spdays/bldec21st.htm

New Year's Eve
Start the New Year off right. Here are super ideas to get you going in the right direction- from About.com
http://craftsforkids.about.com/kidsteens/craftsforkids/library/spdays/bldec31st.htm

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