Monday, March 30, 2009

Vincent Willem van Gogh (1853 – 1890) Was Born

Vincent van Gogh was a Dutch Post-Impressionist artist. Some of his paintings are now among the world's best known, most popular and expensive works of art.

- Wikipedia

Lesson Plan Information
Title: Sunflower Measuring and Counting
Objectives: Students will:
Learn and tell about sunflowers
improve measuring and counting skills
Work in groups
Grade Level: 1-2
Subject: Arts / Math
Materials: Posters or prints of Van Gogh's Sunflowers, real sunflowers and seeds, glue, crayons, rulers, construction paper; access to the Internet.
Handouts: Vincent Van Gogh Sunflowers (Internet).
Time Needed: 1 hour
Provided by: Vincent Van Gogh Gallery
Link: http://www.vangoghgallery.com/lesson_plans/

Sunday, March 22, 2009

World Day for Water 2009

In 1993 the United Nations General Assembly declared March 22 as World Water Day. Its main goals, among others, are to promote the cause of clean drinking water and sustainable aquatic habitats and to ensure safe water and decent sanitation for civilians in conflict zones.

- Wikipedia

Lesson Plan Information
Title: "Water is Life" Global Water Awareness Mini-Unit
Objectives: Students will calculate the percentage of fresh water available for human use and understand why water is a limited resource and that fresh water is limited and must be conserved and protected.
Grade Level: Elementary School (Grades 3-5)
Subject: Geography /Science/ Math
Materials: 2 colors of construction paper, markers, world map, 1000-mL beaker, 100-mL graduated cylinders, small dish, salt, freezer or an ice bucket, eyedroppers or glass stirring rod, small metal bucket, and copies of Water Availability Table.
Handouts: Worksheets and activities
Provided by: WaterPartners International
Link: http://www.water.org/FileUploads/WPElemCurric2_0.pdf

Tuesday, March 17, 2009

St. Patrick's Day 2009

Saint Patrick's Day, colloquially St. Paddy's Day or Paddy's Day, is an annual feast day which celebrates Saint Patrick (circa AD 385–461), one of the patron saints of Ireland, and is generally celebrated on March 17. Celebrations are generally themed around all things Irish and, by association, the colour green. Both Christians and non-Christians celebrate the secular version of the holiday by wearing green, eating Irish food and/or green foods, imbibing Irish drink (such as Irish stout, Irish Whiskey or Irish Cream) and attending parades.

- Wikipedia

Lesson Plan Information
Title: Why is St. Patrick's Day celebrated all over the world?
Objectives: To gain knowledge about why St. Patrick's Day is celebrated all over the world and to distinguish between fact and fiction.
Grade Level: 2
Subject: Social Studies
Materials: Create a story strictly about the facts of Saint Patrick and create a worksheet to allow discussion about fact or fiction.
Time Needed: Two 50-minute class periods
Provided by: LessonPlansPage.com (Author: Lisa MacBean)
Link: http://www.lessonplanspage.com/SSOStPatricksDayHistory2.htm

Thursday, March 12, 2009

Gustav Robert Kirchhoff (1824 - 1887) Was Born

Gustav Kirchhoff was a German physicist who contributed to the fundamental understanding of electrical circuits, spectroscopy, and the emission of black-body radiation by heated objects. He coined the term "black body" radiation in 1862, and two sets of independent concepts in both circuit theory and thermal emission are named "Kirchhoff's laws" after him.

- Wikipedia

Lesson Plan Information
Title: Kirchhoff’s Current and Voltage Laws
Objectives:
By the end of this lesson, students will understand:
Ohm’s Law and definitions of current, voltage, resistance
Series circuit, parallel circuit (bulb demonstration)
Kirchhoff’s current and voltage laws
Grade Level: 9-10
Subject: Electronics / Physics
Materials: breadboard, 3 100Ω resistors, Voltmeter, 9V battery, bulbs
Handouts: Powerpoint presentation, worksheet
Time Needed: 1 hour
Provided by: University of British Columbia
Link: http://outreach.phas.ubc.ca/phys420/p420_04/mitsuko/lessonPlanElectronics.htm

Sunday, March 8, 2009

International Women's Day 2009

International Woman's Day (IWD) is marked on March 8 every year. It is a major day of global celebration for the economic, political and social achievements of women.
Started as a political event, the holiday blended in the culture of many countries (primarily Russia and the countries of former Soviet bloc). In some celebrations, the day lost its political flavour, and became simply an occasion for men to express their love to the women around them in a way somewhat similar to Mother's Day and St Valentine's Day mixed together. In others, however, the political and human rights theme as designated by the United Nations runs strong, and political and social awareness of the struggles of women worldwide are brought out and examined in a hopeful manner.

- Wikipedia

Lesson Plan Information
Title: International Women's Day
Objectives: To discuss and create a collage about the important roles that women play in the students' lives.
Grade Level: 4-6
Subject: Arts
Materials: Blank placemats, old magazines, glue, scissors, crayons, pens, paper
Handouts: Blank placemats
Provided by: CHARACTER COUNTS!
Link: http://charactercounts.org/lesson-plans/character-education-lesson.php?id=87

Tuesday, March 3, 2009

Alexander Graham Bell (1847 - 1922) Was Born

Alexander Graham Bell was an eminent scientist, inventor and innovator who is credited with inventing the first practical telephone.

- Wikipedia

Lesson Plan Information
Title: How the Ear Works
Objectives:
1. Students will learn the history of Alexander Graham Bell and relate their newfound knowledge to their own lives and
2. develop an understanding of the basic principles of sound and how it travels.
Grade Level: 3
Subject: Science / Science Biographies
Materials: Class set of Sound Know-It-All tests (Appendix A), pencil for each student
Handouts: 8 worksheets
Time Needed: Six lessons approximately 45 minutes each and one Culminating Activity approximately 60 minutes
Provided by: The Academy, Denver, CO (Authors: Sara Laughlin and Telena Haneline)
Link: http://coreknowledge.org/CK/resrcs/lessons/06_3_Ear.pdf

Sunday, March 1, 2009

Yitzhak Rabin (1922 - 1995) Was Born

Yitzhak Rabin was an Israeli politician and general. He was the fifth Prime Minister of Israel, serving two terms in office, 1974–1977 and 1992 until his assassination in 1995. In 1994, Rabin won the Nobel Peace Prize together with Shimon Peres and Yasser Arafat. He was assassinated by a right-wing Israeli radical, who was opposed to Rabin's signing of the Oslo Accords with the Palestinians.

- Wikipedia

Lesson Plan Information
Title: Compare John Lennon's vision of peace to Yitzhak Rabin's.
Objectives: Students will Analyze the song "Imagine", compare Lennon's vision of peace to Rabin's and write and discuss about their own vision of peace.
Concepts: peace, unity, utopia, tolerance
Grade Level: 6-12
Subject: English / ESL
Materials: Internet access, Lennon's "Imagine" album
Time Needed: Two 50-minute class periods
Provided by: Amalnet (Israel)
Link: http://www.amalnet.k12.il/meida/english/rabin/engi0091.htm