Sunday, September 27, 2009

Sleep: Quiz

Take this quiz to show how much you know about sleep!

Sleep: CBS News Video


Watch CBS Videos Online

Sleep: How much sleep do I need?


Check out this article about sleep and teens. Discuss how much sleep they get in a night. Offer these suggestions for how to get more sleep.

What is Yom Kippur?


Check out this great site for kids about Yom Kippur...find out why it is important to have the day off from school! You can even hear what a shofar sounds like here!

Sunday, September 20, 2009

Homework: Scholastic Homework Hub

Check out Scholastic's Homework Hub Organizer! Some features are:

Homework: Discussion Questions

Use these questions to prompt discussion about homework:
  1. When do you usually do your homework?
  2. Where do you usually do your homework?
  3. Do you use your assignment planner?
  4. Do you listen to music while you do your homework? If so, why?
  5. Do you use any electronic devices to help you organize your homework?
  6. Do you do you start your homework independently or does someone need to remind you to do it?
  7. What homework do you usually do homework first and why?
  8. How do you manage long-term homework assignments?
  9. What is your favorite type of homework? (reading, worksheet, creative assignment) Give an example of it.
  10. If you were a teacher, what kind of homework would you love to assign? Create an assignment in each subject area (language arts, social studies, science, math) ps...you can't have "no homework" as an assignment! ;o)

Homework: Organize through Color

Here are some great tips about color coding to organize your work!

Homework: How to make homework less work

The following article will help you to make homework less work! Click each number to help organize your work!

  1. Create a plan
  2. Watch where you work
  3. Get to work
  4. Take a break
  5. Get help when you need it

Track the Trash: Current Events

Read this article and print out copies of this student page. Answers can be found here.

Science News For Kids: Current Events

Click here to check out all the latest science current events for kids!

KidsPost: Current Events

Did you know that there is a Washington Post for kids online? Click here to explore KidsPost.

Sunday, September 13, 2009

News Snapshot 9/11

Read this article and then have a discussion with these questions. The answers can be found here.

Saturday, September 12, 2009

Stress Relief Games

There are tons of games that are fun, but are also designed to relieve stress! Choose a stress relieving game to play today!

  1. Play cards (you can play solitaire online or with a deck by yourself)
  2. Although a Rubik's Cube might be frustrating, it helps to focus your mind on something other than what is bugging you.
  3. Play with a slinky.
  4. Do a crossword puzzle....or check out this great online puzzle site.
  5. Sudoku puzzles and chess.
  6. Darts
  7. Computer games.
  8. Have fun playing a group game that will make you laugh like Twister.

Ways to Manage Stress

Stress is a physical response to something going on in your life - school pressures, social pressures, or the physical, emotional, and mental changes and challenges of being a teen. Try these tips to relieve, reduce, or even prevent stress.

1. Be active
2. Eat right
3. Avoid caffeine
4. Get enough sleep
5. Express your feelings
6. Laugh it up
7. Know how to relax
8. Get organized
9. Simplify
10. Build strong relationships
11. Be a planner

11 Warning Signs that You're Under Too Much Stress

Everyone has some stress, and not all stress is bad. But if some or all of these signs describe you, you may be on stress overload.

1. Having more trouble with teachers.
2. Needing a lot of sleep - or not sleeping well.
3. Wanting to eat all the time - or never eating.
4. Headaches, stomachaches, colds, infections, sore muscles.
5. Escapist behavior - overdoing one thing (TV, music, studying, sleeping, Web surfing) and ignoring other things.
6. Withdrawing from friends and family.
7. Crying for no apparent reason.
8. Feeling like an idiot.
9. Feeling restless and anxious; worrying all the time.
10. Feeling like everything is out of control - like you're out of control.
11. Depression, sadness, crabbiness, the blahs.

On this day in History: (not so) current events


Want to discuss events that were current hundreds of years ago, fifty years ago, or even ten years ago? Check out This Day in History.

News Summaries from the New York Times: Current Events

Designed specifically for students, click here to read this week's latest news summaries.

Who's Who & What's What Quiz: Current Events


See what you know about the events that made the news of the past week from The New York Times. Take this quiz to test yourself and your students.