BOOK REVIEWS!

DAYS END LULLABY written by Karen Cioffi and Robyn Feltman

This enduring book offers you a soothing lullaby to read or sing to your children. The charming illustrations are sure to be pictures your children can relate to and treasure. Upon reaching the last page, my niece fell fast asleep. The lyrical words and sweet melody will lull any restless spirit into a deep and dreamy sleep. www.booksurge.com www.amazon.com

KEESHA'S BRIGHT IDEA written by Eleanor May and illustrated by Amy Wimmer

This book is full of delightful facts about energy usage and waste. This unusual book brings the relevant issue of energy conservation to life with fun characters and an interesting story. The colorful, hip illustrations with their many details keep young children’s attention. On almost every page you’ll find a box with quick tips of fresh new information, which stimulates class discussion. My students were eager to share their own energy saving stories from home, and couldn’t wait to share the new facts and tips they learned in school with their families. www.amazon.com

I coupled this book with a great activity. We made “I save energy” T-shirts with energy tips displayed. We hung them with clothespins on a rope across our classroom.

TROUBLE ON EARTH DAY by Kathy Stemke (yes, that's me!)

This children's picture book about a squirrel family that saves nuts, recycles, and saves a little yellow songbird is a great way to start a conversation about conservation with your children or your students. Coming soon!!

http://www.helium.com/users/406242.html
http://www.associatedcontent.com/user/237923/Kathy_stemke_dancekam.html
http://kathystemke.weebly.com

Rhymes with CH, SH, BR, GR, and TH Sounds!

MULTIPLYING PERFECT SQUARES (rap song)

Perfect squares are fun to do.
Come on guys; let’s do a few.

Zero times zero is zero.
Move with me, just like a hero.

One times one is always one.
Skip around, we’ve just begun.

Hey, two times two is four.
Let’s rock around some more.

Now, three times three is nine.
Slip and slide right on time.

Four times four equals sixteen.
Push and pull like a machine.

Five times five is twenty-five.
Come on kids let’s jump and jive.

Six times six is thirty-six.
Hip-hop and pop in the mix.

Seven times seven is forty-nine.
Float up high and you’ll be just fine.

Eight times eight is sixty-four.
Ride your bike around the floor.

Nine times nine is eighty-one.
Jumping jacks are always fun.

Ten times ten equals a hundred.
Spin and count up to a hundred.

Eleven squared is one twenty-one.
Come dance with me, we’re almost done.

Twelve times twelve’s one forty-four.
Let’s all march right out the door.

Perfect squares are fun to do.
Good job guys; we've done a few.

http://www.helium.com/users/406242.html
http://www.associatedcontent.com/user/237923/Kathy_stemke_dancekam.html
http://kathystemke.weebly.com

WEBSITES KIDS LOVE!

Here are some great kids' websites that kids enjoy:

http://www.noggin.com/
http://www.nasa.gov/audience/forkids/home/index.ht ml
www.funschool.com
www.funbrain.com
www.pbskids.com
www.nationalgeographic.com/ngkids/
http://kids.discovery.com/
www.bbc.co.uk/cbeebies/
http://animal.discovery.com/
www.enchantedlearning.com/Home.html
www.kidzone.ws/tracers/patrick/index.asp
http://yahooligans.yahoo.com/
http://www.sesameworkshop.org/
http://www.kidsgames.org/
http://www.learningplanet.com/
http://www.learn4good.com/games/online.htm
http://www.highlightskids.com/
http://games.disneysblast.com/
http://www.cyberkids.com/fg/
http://www.history.org/kids/
http://www.innerbody.com/htm/body.html (for older kids!)
http://www.smithsonian.org/websites_a_z/

Also children's book publishers such as Scholastic usually have good sites that have activities that coordinate with their books. It would be nice to read and then reinforce with activities.

http://www.helium.com/users/406242.html
http://www.associatedcontent.com/user/237923/Kathy_stemke_dancekam.html
http://kathystemke.weebly.com

DAYS OF THE WEEK SONG!

DAYS OF THE WEEK BOOK IS COMING SOON!
It includes movement activities to learn how to spell the days of the week, worksheets, matching activities, and much more!


7 DAYS A WEEK (Sung to the tune of "Row, Row, Row Your Boat")
As they are singing the children can sit in a pike position on the floor and row with their arms.

More Multiplication Tips!!

If you're children are struggling with multiplication, try these mental and physical multitasking activities to get your children back in the swing of things. This hula hoop game is fun with two or more players taking turns and keeping score, but can work as well with one.

HULA HOOP MULTIPLICATION

1. Have your children make individual lists of the multiplication tables. (skip counting) Fold each list and place them in a bowl.
2. Each child takes a turn picking from the bowl. They must recite the table while using the hula hoop. (Ex. 4,8,12,16...) The other child can time them and check for correctness.
3. Now the next player gets a turn. After several turns, the player with the highest time wins.
4. You can modify this activity by changing the movement. (Ex. jump in and out of the hoop, hop on one foot in the hoop, circle the hoop on your wrist)

CIRCLE AND BEANS MULIPLICATION

Cut a 12 cicles and laminate them for durability. Use a bag of beans for counters. Write a multiplication problem on an index card. Explain that the first factor is the number of circles you need to use, and the second factor is the number of beans to put on each circle. (Ex. 5x7=) 5 circles with 7 beans on each circle. The kids will love this fun way to use concrete manipulatives to understand abstract concepts.

SKIP COUNT BY 3!

A great way to help kids learn their 3 times table is to teach them skip counting by 3's. See how fast they learn skip counting by 3's when you teach them this simple rhyme. You may even want to create a little dance to go with the rhyme. Remember, the more senses a child uses to learn something, the more he will be able to retain.


Skip, skip, skip, count by 3.
Skip, skip, skip, count with me!

3, 6, and then there’s 9.
Now repeat, that’s just fine!

12, 15, then 18.
Don’t be mean, count 18.

21, 24, 27.
Count straight up, up to heaven.

30, 33, 36.
Just for kicks, get in the mix.

Skip, skip, skip, count by 3.
Skip, skip, skip, count with me!

HOW WHALES EVOLVED

A whale is not as small as us.
Most whales are bigger than a bus!
Whales are not like fish in the sea.
Whales breathe air like you & me.
Whales can't walk upon the ground.
Whales must swim to get around.
A whale is a mammal just like me.
But its home is in the deep blue sea.

How could a whale have evolved from a mammal that lived and walked in the forest to an animal that lives and swims with its flippers in the sea? When most animals were developing limbs and climbing out of the oceans, the whales were developing fins and walking into the oceans. Whales evolved from warm-blooded, air breathing mammalian ancestors that lived on land, had large brains, and gave birth to their young alive, to an efficient swimming and eating machine that lives in the great oceans of the world.

NATURAL SELECTION
In nature, nothing is more constant than change. Animals adapt by producing anatomical, physiological, and behavioral traits that promote survival and reproduction. Adaptations evolve in response to interactions with other organisms and with the physical environment. Animals that adapt better, survive better, and leave more offspring with a copy of their genes than others in the population.

HOW DID IT HAPPEN?
About 57 million years ago, certain animals lived near the sea and would hunt just off the shoreline for fish. Because the sea was not very deep they could do this easily. As the hunt required further excursion into the deeper waters, the proto-whales who were best at swimming reproduced in greater numbers than those who weren’t. Gradually, their front legs became smaller and were useful as flippers, while the hind feet became larger and helped better propel the animal through the water. Later, the back legs changed into the horizontal extension of the tail, known in the modern whale as the fluke. They further evolved adaptations for diving and hearing under water. The transition from land to sea presented difficulties for which adaptations developed over many generations. Smooth skin and loss of protruding ear parts and hind limbs streamlined whales for swimming. The nostrils moved to the top of the head to facilitate breathing and an insulating layer of blubber replaced hair for warmth. The body, supported by water, was able to reach its enormous size.

ANCIENT FOSSIL PROOF
Whale fossils show the intermediate stages in the evolution of early whales to be of four distinct types. These fossils are evidence that whales evolved from a terrestrial animal.

A 52 million year old fossil found by Dr. Phil Gingrich, consisted of a very primitive whale skull with teeth and ear structures akin to those of terrestrial mammals, yet it had other features, which defined it as a whale. While it fed on fish, it could not dive deeply and probably spent much time on land.

A 50 million year old fossil shows a whale that was adapted to life in water as well as land. This transitional whale had large hind legs like a land dweller, and may have used them for walking as well as swimming. Its spine was long and flexible, with a tail not yet modified for propulsion. The most extraordinary feature of this animal was his enormous hind feet, which must have provided the major propulsive force in swimming.

A 45 million year old fossil shows an animal that had leg bones large enough to support the body on land. It is believed these whales spent most of their time in water, feeding on fish, but reproducing on land.

A 40 million year old fossil, Basilosaurus, burst onto the scientific scene with a bang. It was an advanced form of whale with a long flexible spine, forelegs modified into flippers for steering and stabilization, and a modified tail for propulsion. The hind legs were very tiny, and unable to support the animal’s weight. It was not able to walk on land.

Dr. Castello Banfi found 5 million year old, practically complete, 33-foot long fossil in 2007 in Itlay. We’re all anxious waiting for the exciting findings of his investigations.

REMNANTS FOUND IN TODAY’S WHALE
Inside the fin of a modern whale, you can still find the bones of an arm and hand. Today’s whale is equipped with a pelvis bone, which has long ago lost its function. And unlike fish, modern whales have lungs and nostrils called blowholes, and must surface occasionally to breathe.

When climates change due to geologic processes, animals have to adapt or face extinction. Whales certainly changed in a most unusual way. By reversing the water to land adaptation, and becoming an efficient mammal for ocean life, it is remaining one of the most fascinating evolutions of all time.

Alphabet Animal Action Phonics

Many children find it difficult to sit and learn phonics, so give them opportunities for movement! It's commonly believed that when you hear something, 10% of the information is retained. If you see it, hear it and say it, 40% is retained. But, if you also DO it, you retain 70%-100% of the information. Using a multi-sensory approach to teach children phonics and reading enhances their retention and capitalizes on their natural tendency to wiggle. In other words, incorporate movement as a teaching tool for phonics and reading.

ANIMAL ACTION PHONICS BOOK COMING SOON!

It is usually a good idea to introduce one letter sound a week. Learn and ACT OUT the first weeks letter sound S (The sneaky snake slithered up to me. It was a silly sight to see). Practice the rhyme as you do errands. Write the rhyme on a giant poster board and hang it in your child’s room. Flood your child's world with the letter sound of the week by looking for that letter everywhere you go (grocery store, signs, food they eat, books you read to them). Create a short book that emphasizes the new sound by cutting and pasting pictures of S objects. The following rhymes will give children many opportunities for action and fun.

SHORT VOWELS

A Andy the antelope started to clap, when an ant sat on his lap.
E Ellie the elephant swept and swept ate an egg, and then she wept.
I Ichabod inchworm started to twitch, because he had an itch, itch, itch.
O Ozzie the ostrich went hop, hop, hop, and his balloon went pop, pop, pop.
U The Umbrella bird under the sun wanted to run and have some fun.

CONSONANTS

B The baby baboon bought a mug, and gave his buddy a big bad bug.
C The curious cat began to creep closer, closer he did leap.
D The dolphin dives down under a wave, down so deep, his name is Dave.
F The freckled finch flew into the air, funny and fat, he was so fair.
G The grateful goat grew every day, he was so good, and he was so gray.
H The happy hippo loved to eat; he hopped all day in the heat.
J Johnnie the jackal would jump and leap; he never drove a jeep, jeep, jeep.
K Kenny kangaroo kicked his sis, than he gave her a kooky kiss.
L The lazy lizard would laugh and play, upon his log he would lay all day.
M The mild mouse moved with a squeak, to run from me he was so meek.
N The naughty narwhal has a nice spear, but make sure that you never go near.
P Polly pelican's pouch is pretty, it's empty, what a pity.
Q The quiet quail tiptoed quickly; his many quills were so very prickly.
R Roger rabbit ran and stomped, right through the river he romped.
S The sneaky snake slithered up to me; it was a silly sight to see.
T The terrific tiger would turn and skip, and every Tuesday he took a trip.
V The victorious vulture vaulted the best, and vowed to wear a vivid vest.
W Wally the walrus wiggled with a pig, and always wore a wonderful wig.
X The X-ray fish swam like a fox, but he never ever ate his lox.
Y The young yak yawned so very hard, on his yellow yacht in the yard.
Z The zany zebra zoomed like Flipper, but he always stopped to zip his zipper.

LONG VOWELS

A The aging ape is out of shape, because he ate and ate and ate.
E The enormous eagle is so regal, when he fly's with a seagull.
I The idle ibex stands so high, in the icy, icy sky.
O The orange orangutan climbed a rope to see what he could scope.
U The unique unicorn, dressed in blue, was stuck on ugly, ugly glue.

The more proficient your child gets at phonics the easier it will be to combine sounds into words. Be creative and have fun with Action Animal Phonics!