What kind of billion do you mean

http://www.mentalfloss.com/archives/archive2002-10-02.htm

Got large-number-loving kids? Help them name numbers transcontinentally. As shown in the chart, Europe and the U.S. have different meanings for the words "billion," "trillion," and other large-number names. For example:

In the U.S., a billion is this number:


1,000,000,000.

In Europe, a billion is this number:


1,000,000,000,000, which in the U.S. is called a trillion.

More Fun Math for Kids

Count your birds

http://www.birds.cornell.edu/MyYardCounts

Looking for a real science project to do with your kids this summer? Sign up for "My Yard Counts." MYC is a new citizen science project from the Cornell Lab of Ornithology.

To participate, you fill out a short questionnaire about your yard, and then do a 20-minute bird count once a week and submit your count to the lab. The lab is trying to figure how yards help support the larger ecosystem and improve bird health.

More Bird Watching for Kids

Kidszworld's Get Physical

Kidzworld's "Get Physical"

Ages 9-13

http://www.kidzworld.com/site/get_physical.htm

Here's a kids' sport site with its head on straight. The writing is friendly and smart throughout. Kids can learn about their favorite sports and heroes, but the site pays equal or greater attention to helping kids get active and stay healthy - be it through organized sports or by jumping rope. There's an advice column called "Quiz the Coach" with all sorts of interesting kid-questions, like "Will weight training stunt my growth?" For skateboarders, there's a column called "Ask Simon" where kids can get advice on how to learn particular tricks or even find out how to get sponsored.

I like the "Gear" part of the site too, I expected to find a catalog of stuff to buy, but instead I found product reviews and tips on choosing and caring for sports equipment. A featured article tells how to break in a new baseball glove.

Teach to the Test?

Education News for Adults

Teach to the Test?

Washington Post education columnist Jay Mathews sure created a stir when he wrote this column, suggesting that "teaching to the test" is a good thing.

Critics of high-stakes standardized testing say that the practice encourages teachers to teach only what they think will be tested. As a result the curriculum can be both narrowed (no more writing a class play - that won't be on the test) and dumbed down (no time for in-depth discussion or further exploration of topics).

Mathews argues that teachers do neither in practice - instead they carefully and conscientiously push their students to meet those tough state standards.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/

It's hard for me to believe that Mathews hasn't seen the life sucked out of education by the tests - I see it everywhere. Teachers who still teach in-depth consider themselves rebels.

So this week, Mathews published responses from two of his teacher friends, Kenneth Bernstein and


Mark Ingerson.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/

Bernstein, a high-school social studies teacher, teaches both required test-driven classes, and non-test driven electives. He thoughtfully analyzes the way the test influences his teaching and his students' learning. Here's a partial quote: "The existence of external tests inevitably influences what occurs in my classroom. I cannot avoid my responsibility for preparing my students to do well on those tests. That takes time away from other things I might want to explore. It limits my ability to respond to events in the world and in the lives of my students that might be far more meaningful in connecting them with the domain."

Bernstein's response is excerpted from a longer post here:

http://www.dailykos.com/story/2006/3/18/84750/3438

Ingram argues that high-level thinking and learning of facts must go hand-in-hand: great thinking requires mastery of facts. I absolutely agree with that, but the problem is that a lot of test-driven instruction leaves facts disconnected or meaningless.

Fun with Fungi

Fungi Fun

http://herbarium.usu.edu/fungi/FunFacts/factindx.htm

http://www.backyardnature.net/f/2fungi.htm

"Beautiful mushroom" always seems like an oxymoron to me. But lately I have noticed a really, well, showy mushroom - shiny and deep brown, and I have wondered what it is.

These sites are good for starting to learn about mushrooms and other fungi. On the first site, don't miss the time-lapse movie of a mushroom growing, right on the home page.

On the second site, go to this page:

http://www.backyardnature.net/f/mush-id.htm

and scroll down to the bottom for instructions on how to make a "spore print," which sounds like a fun art activity even if you aren't trying to identify a mushroom.

And if you 're thinking of eating your finds, heed this warning from the second site:

"A person really can kill himself or herself by eating the wrong mushrooms."

More Nature for Kids and Families

Math Moment: One Red Paperclip

Math Moment

One red paper clip

http://news.bbc.co.uk/

If your kids have been in school for any length of time, they have encountered this problem:

What if someone offered you a penny for your first day on the job, and then offered to double your wages each day for a month?

This is a lesson in exponential growth, and most children are delighted to imagine themselves with $5,368,709.12.

But at Big Learning we love real-life math, so check out this true story: One enterprising person, Kyle McDonald, started with one red paper clip and is trying to trade his way to home ownership. He doesn't double his value on each trade, but does increase the value considerably. In his first trade, he traded his paperclip for the a pen shaped like a fish. At present, he's managed to trade his way up to a year's rent on a house in Phoenix.

Read the above news article with your kids. You might have fun estimating the value of things to dig more math out of the experience.

Look at Kyle's site on your own http://oneredpaperclip.blogspot.com/ before offering it to your kids. Most of it is fine, but now that he's received so much publicity people are starting to offer some risque things in trade. Some of the stories of his trades are good though, so you might want to select some entries to share with the kids. The home page is G-rated so far, and has photos of every item in the series of trades.

More Fun Math for Kids

Activity: Train a Fish

Train your goldfish (or just read about it)

http://www.fish-school.com/

This web site started out as a kid's science project. He was able to train his goldfish to push a little soccer ball into a little soccer goal. Fun to read about and possibly fun to do, and a good way to learn about the psychology of conditioning - the way all show animals are trained.

The "how it works" page is interesting:

http://www.fish-school.com/background.htm

In one article I read, an expert sniffs that this might be stressful for the fish if done incorrectly (but the article didn't specify what that would be - I presume none of you will beat the fish).

The site has a little video of the fish pushing the soccer ball.

Book Review: Last Child in the Woods

Book Review

Last child in the Woods: Saving our Children from Nature-Deficit Disorder by Richard Louv (Algonquin Books, 2006)

Adult.

Does your child have nature-deficit disorder? Do you?

I'll admit, the title made me hold out for the paperback before reading this gem ("oh dear," I thought, "not another disorder.").

The author, Richard Louv, totally charmed me with his thoughtful, accessible, and well-researched presentation. He offers considerable evidence that a lot of our societal and personal sicknesses relate to our increasing distance from the natural world. This separation has many causes, including fear and the hectic pace of modern life. Louv makes a compelling case that our very salvation depends on finding ways to reconnect with nature, and that you don't have to be a tree-hugging hippie to support the regreening our cities, schools, and homes.

As a parent, I found the arguments related to fear especially interesting. Many parents say they can't let their kids play in the woods the way they did, because of the fear of stranger abduction. Yet as Louv points out, the crimes that worry parents are exceedingly rare. Crime rates in national parks are infinitesimal compared to crime rates in cities. Louv hypothesizes that we are actually making our children less safe by depriving them of the "trust-your-gut" instinct that nature play helps to develop. Kids who play in nature a lot also develop a confident bearing that makes them less likely to become victims.

Other parents are more worried about their children getting injured by nature itself. Although injuries do happen in the woods, they also happen on the soccer field. Yet nature play offers unparalleled opportunities to develop coordination and know-how that help kids prevent injuries. Louv says, tell 'em to take a friend and a cell phone and enjoy themselves.

There's lots more to love about this book - practical advice for parents, educators, and urban planners.

Buying Information

More Nature Resources for Kids and Families

Education Resource for Adults

How things are made

http://www.madehow.com/

"Mommy, how do they make Scotch tape?" I don't know about you, but I get questions like that all the time. This site explains the manufacturing process of common items in considerable (and often quite technical) detail.


It also provides historical background about the reasons various products were developed. For instance, Scotch tape was developed by the 3M company to solve a problem early automakers had painting cars.

News to share with kids

The World's Record-breaking Capital

http://www.wired.com/wired/archive/14.04/capital.html

"The strongest hair! The youngest sumo wrestler! The longest pencil! In Malaysia, making your mark - any mark - is a matter of national pride."

In the late 80's, then-Prime Minister Mahathir bin began using the slogan Mohamad

Malaysia boleh! (Malaysia can do it!). He wanted to put Malaysia on the map with spectacular achievements. The public took on the challenge and the results are documented in the Malaysian Book of Records, published every two years. This article includes some fun examples of record-breaking, such as a 150-meter long pizza..

If you'd like to show your kids where Malaysia is, look here:

http://www.cia.gov/

Comment on this article

Call for submissions from Chicken Soup Series

Chicken Soup for the Kid's Soul III

http://www.chickensoup.com/

Gina Romanello, who's shepherding the Chicken Soup for the Kid's Soul III project, asked me to pass along the information that your young writer can still submit a story for possible publication in the book.

She says to keep in mind that the audience is kids 6-10 years old. She says many of the Kid's Soul stories are written by kids. You can write her for more info at mail@lifewriters.com .

Story Specifications

1. All submissions are preferred e-mailed in Word format, otherwise, type-written on plain 8.5 x 11 inch paper. Email stories to mail@lifewriters.com . Snail mail stories to Chicken Soup for the Kid's Soul 3, ATTN: Gina Romanello, PO Box 10879 , Costa Mesa , CA 92627 .


2. Stories should be non-fiction, 500-1000 words in length. Authors of chosen stories are paid $200. Authors retain the copyright of their material.


3. Please note that if you have a favorite short story, poem or cartoon that has been previously published, feel free to submit any of the above for consideration. Please provide information regarding the original author and the publication in which it appeared.


4. Stories due by May 12, 2006. (...but I noticed the web site now says June 15).

Math Moment: Perfectly Symmetrical

http://www.mathplayground.com/Perfectly_Symmetrical.html

Here's a fun little mind-stretching game. "Perfectly Symmetrical" gives you some dots scattered around one quadrant of a four-quadrant graph, and asks to to reflect the dots into the other four quadrants, racing against the clock. It's an exercise that builds a more sophisticated idea of symmetry than "The same on both sides," adding in the idea of reflecting around multiple lines of symmetry and that patterns of dots can be symmetrical, not just shapes.

More Fun Math for Kids

Activity: A cup of science

My son came home from the school science fair and replicated this quick little experiment he saw there.

Fill a pot with water.

Take a drinking glass and stuff a paper napkin in the bottom so that it stays put.

Turn the glass upside down and quickly immerse it in the pot of water. Then pull it out - the napkin is dry! A miracle, you say? Not at all - the cup isn't really empty, it's filled with air. The air keeps the water out of the cup and the napkin stays dry. This is one of many science experiments that help demonstrate that air isn't empty space.

Book Review: Bird Houses

Book Review

Birdhouses by Renee Schwartz (Kids Can Press, 2005).

Ages 9-12

If your kids would like to make a birdhouse or two for your yard, this book is terrific for beginners and sure to appeal to kids. I love that it's not plan after plan of wood cut out of a plywood sheet. Instead, the book makes creative use of cheap materials like an old boot or plastic pipes. There are plans for some wood houses too, also with kid-appeal. Take a look at the cover by clicking on the "Buying Information" link below, and you'll see what I mean.

The book doesn't have much general information about birds, but if you are the dive-right-in type, this book will get you started on a summer of bird watching fun.

Buying Information

More Bird Watching Resources for Kids and Families

Math Blog

http://www.actionmath.com/blog/MathPlayground.html

I came across this when I discovered the symmetry game above. It could be called "inside the mind of a math teacher." Colleen, the writer, poses interesting math problems she has done with her students and talks through what her students did with the problem and what that showed about their level of understanding. The articles are sure to interest elementary math teachers, but also parents who want to help their kids thinking mathematically and go beyond mechanics.

The blog is only about two months old but I hope she keeps it up.

News to share: Learning While Sleeping

http://www.sciencenewsforkids.org/articles/20060405/Note2.asp

Here's a fascinating and kid-friendly article describing how the brain keeps processing new information long after we've gone on to other things, and even while we're asleep. The article includes brain images highlighted to show regions of the brain active in processing a new concept.

Web Site: Bug Mugs

http://education.denniskunkel.com/Wanted-Mugs-Index.php

With spring coming to Washington DC, we at Big Learning appear to be stuck on the topic of bugs, which we have here in over-abundance. Bug Mugs has "rap sheets" on twelve common insects and a magnified picture of each. On the same site, you can "zoom in" on microscope photos of three insects and inspect various body parts close up:

http://education.denniskunkel.com/ZoomIn.php

You can see more cool photos of insects, bacteria, and more under a microscope here:

http://education.denniskunkel.com/catalog/

If you'd like to have a great low-cost microscope for your kids, read about it on BigLearning.com