Techgab1415
Monday, April 27, 2015
Toy Theater
Toy Theater is a collection of early learning activities to be used as another tool in the teachers toolbox. An eclectic "Theater" of learning toys, it is a safe place to play and learn.
Toy Theater is aimed at both preschool and primary school age children and it is free!
TBD (Throw Back Decade) Above Photo
For all you "kids" out there, "Abbey Road" was a Beatles album released in 1969. Original album cover here:
Chasing Tornados
From PBS Learning Media:
"From an outsider's perspective, storm chasing might appear to involve hours and hours of boredom, accentuated by a few moments of unimaginable excitement—or terror—depending on one's love or fear of tornadoes. But to tornado researchers, the effort and expense they expend in search of a single tornado-producing storm reflect the importance of these events in terms of their impact on lives and property. This video segment adapted from NOVA follows some of the scientists who study these violent storms and highlights what they've learned about the storms and what they still want to know about the conditions that cause them."
"From an outsider's perspective, storm chasing might appear to involve hours and hours of boredom, accentuated by a few moments of unimaginable excitement—or terror—depending on one's love or fear of tornadoes. But to tornado researchers, the effort and expense they expend in search of a single tornado-producing storm reflect the importance of these events in terms of their impact on lives and property. This video segment adapted from NOVA follows some of the scientists who study these violent storms and highlights what they've learned about the storms and what they still want to know about the conditions that cause them."
Link: http://www.pbslearningmedia.org/resource/ess05.sci.ess.watcyc.chasing/chasing-tornadoes/
Tornado Damage Interactive
The U.S. National Weather Service uses a rating system it adopted in 1973 called the Fujita Scale to measure tornadoes. Devised by meteorologist Theodore Fujita in 1970, the F-scale enables experts to estimate a tornado's maximum wind speed in relation to the single most destructive thing it did. In this interactive, use the F-scale to examine and rate the destruction caused by several recent tornadoes.
Link: http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/earth/rate-tornado-damage.html
1928 Tornado and Heroism
"Tornado forecasting did not exist on September 13, 1928, and the only warning systems people had were the informal ones that have always been present in small farming communities. There were no severe weather outlooks, tornado watches, amateur radio or spotter networks, community sirens, commercial television or radio alerts, or awareness programs in northeastern Nebraska in 1928. There were only people who watched the skies and were ready to risk their own lives to help a neighbor. The heroism displayed by Dale Larson and Eugene Keyser is similar to that shown by countless people during the past century across the Great Plains."
Link: http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/earth/killer-tornado-1928.html
Deadliest Season
In 2011, the worst tornado season in decades left a trail of destruction across the U.S., killing more than 550 people. With modern warning systems, why did so many die? Is our weather getting more extreme - and if so how bad will it get? In this Nova special, people whose lives have been upended by these extreme weather events are interviewed and and viewers learn how we all can protect ourselves and our communities for the future.
Link: http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/earth/deadliest-tornadoes.html
Google Calendar Tips for Relieving Stress
During this frantically busy time of year, it is easy to over schedule. Google Calendar is an effective resource when it comes to getting organized! This article gives 10 tips from avoiding the stress. Bottom line-- "The secret to effectively using a calendar is simple: cut out the things that you don’t need, make time for the things you love, and keep it all organized!"
Link: http://www.makeuseof.com/tag/avoid-stress-scheduling-10-smart-google-calendar-tips/
Link: http://www.makeuseof.com/tag/avoid-stress-scheduling-10-smart-google-calendar-tips/
Hidden Heroes
"Hidden Heroes" allows the user to create an exhibit of "ordinary" objects from among 40+ items available. Once items have been selected for an exhibit, the user can examine the items chosen to learn about their origins, unusual uses, and often about how they have been altered or improved upon over time. These "hidden heroes" run the gamut from chopsticks to lipsticks, and from flip-flops to bottle caps. Once students learn about the backgrounds of these simple objects, they might be challenged to come up with simple solutions to everyday 21st century problems.
This Week's Special Days
*Babe Ruth Day: 27
* Mantanzas Mule Day: 27
*Morse Code Day: 27
*Biological Clock Day: 28
*Workers Memorial Day: 28
*World Day for Safety and Health at Work: 28 Link
*Day of Remembrance for all Victims of Chemical Warfare: 29 Link
*International Dance Day: 29 Link Link
International Guide Dogs Day: 29 Link (Last Wednesday)
*World Wish Day: 29 Link
*Zipper Day: 29
*Adopt A Shelter Pet Day: 30 Link
*Bugs Bunny Day: 30
* Mantanzas Mule Day: 27
*Morse Code Day: 27
*Biological Clock Day: 28
*Workers Memorial Day: 28
*World Day for Safety and Health at Work: 28 Link
*Day of Remembrance for all Victims of Chemical Warfare: 29 Link
*International Dance Day: 29 Link Link
International Guide Dogs Day: 29 Link (Last Wednesday)
*World Wish Day: 29 Link
*Zipper Day: 29
*Adopt A Shelter Pet Day: 30 Link
*Bugs Bunny Day: 30