This is part IV in a series dedicated to free, online writing tools for kids. 

This lesson is about insects rather than parasites, but it teaches students about some insect parasites (e.g., mosquitoes and lice) as well as about insects in general. Students will see pictures of insects that bite and sting, and others of insects that don't bother people. They will classify insects into "likeable" and "not-so-likeable" categories and draw pictures of insects that people like and don't like.

Instant Poetry Forms! All different types of poetry! 

Singapore's Jump Rope site: click on the 'See it in Action' Links to show a cartoon demo of the move....

"What it is: Any time students can dig in and discover learning for themselves, I consider it a success.  Recently I ran across the BBC's DIY build a catapult.  The site lets students explore the history behind the catapult, learn how to build one step by step and then discover principles of velocity, acceleration, force, distance and math.  With the popularity of games like Angry Birds, I think a lesson in the science and math behind the catapult is in order.  I like the step-by-step nature of this site and the way that kids are guided through a series of directions. How to integrate BBC Build a Catapult into the classroom: Begin with a time of inquiry where students can inquire into how catapults work, what they can launch, what they have been used for in the past and the science and math behind the catapult.  This site will help answer a lot of their questions and even prompt some additional questions.  Students can follow the step-by-step directions for constructing their own catapult.  Give students the opportunity to test their catapults, using the science and math concepts behind the catapult to predict where object will land based on angles and mass.  The science section of the site does a fantastic job of illustrating vertical velocity, horizontal velocity, the circumference of a circle, acceleration, force and mass.  These can be hard to understand concepts on paper (or in textbooks) but when students can see the concept illustrated and apply it, they will begin to build a framework of understanding. After students understand the concepts of building a catapult, ask them to try building a catapult out of different types of supplies, do some energy sources work better than others?  Ask students to think about objects in our modern-day lives that use the principles or science used in a catapult. Students can access this site from classroom computers as a learning/building center or go through the steps as a class using a projector-connected compu

Different ways to improve fluency...including karaoke!!!

I always wondered what hashtags to follow...this blog gives a list of chats to connect with on any given day...

A link to  many different worm sites

Autobiography of a worm!

Worms, worms, worms! Classroom activities for K to 8!

Using Voicethread in early childhood.

Name is Minchau.student     Password is Edmonton

Spelling sheets for CVC words, very simple. 

Moon Zoo actually lets your students take part in science.  They are contributing to actual lunar research in real and meaningful ways while learning about the moon.  Moon Zoo would be a great activity to complete as a whole class in the elementary classroom.  Tell your students that they are going to be astronauts and complete a "launch" to the moon.  If you have time, students can create official astronaut badges to wear for the big launch.  Using a projector-connected computer or an interactive whiteboard, launch one of the shuttles here.  When you "land" on the moon, let students explore the surface together by hunting for craters in Moon Zoo.  Help students mark craters, look for boulders and map the lunar surface.  Each student should have a chance to make a discovery.  While students wait for their turn, they can track the crater/boulder count on a table to create a graph.  Categories can be small, medium, and large craters found and number of boulders.

An overview of Understanding by Design, its ideas and a