Tuesday, September 17, 2013
Tuesday, September 3, 2013
Diddle Diddle Dumpling
This free printable handwriting practice worksheet features the popular children's nursery rhyme "Diddle Diddle Dumpling."
Diddle, diddle, dumpling, my son John,
Went to bed with his stockings on;
One shoe off, and one shoe on,
Diddle, diddle, dumpling, my son John.
Click here.
Diddle, diddle, dumpling, my son John,
Went to bed with his stockings on;
One shoe off, and one shoe on,
Diddle, diddle, dumpling, my son John.
Click here.
Post by Student Handouts.
Tuesday, August 6, 2013
Who was Henry VIII?
Who was Henry VIII? Find out with this free printable worksheet. A short reading is followed by four questions. Designed for students in grades 7-12, this worksheet on England's Henry VIII and his six wives will also work for advanced fifth- and sixth-graders. Henry VIII Reading Worksheet
Thursday, May 2, 2013
May 2013 Website News
Read all about it! Check out the latest news and updates for Student Handouts here.
Video History of the Western World
Here's a neat YouTube video. It features a map of the "Old World" (Europe, northeastern Africa, and southwestern Asia) and the region's changing boundaries between the year 1000 C.E. and 2000 C.E. (roughly the past thousand years). It's just shy of nine minutes in length.
Watched on its own by students, it's not particularly useful. And it would work a lot better if the changing dates appeared in a large font, perhaps on top of some of the unneeded blue space. But when used by teachers, this video has great educative value. "What empire dominated southwestern Asia in the 1300s?" "Where was the 'Golden Horde' dominant in the 1400s?" "What empire was waning as Portugal and Spain became independent kingdoms?" It's a great opportunity to show students what was going on elsewhere (outside of a particular country or area being studied), and how these 'outside' events impact events within nations.
Watched on its own by students, it's not particularly useful. And it would work a lot better if the changing dates appeared in a large font, perhaps on top of some of the unneeded blue space. But when used by teachers, this video has great educative value. "What empire dominated southwestern Asia in the 1300s?" "Where was the 'Golden Horde' dominant in the 1400s?" "What empire was waning as Portugal and Spain became independent kingdoms?" It's a great opportunity to show students what was going on elsewhere (outside of a particular country or area being studied), and how these 'outside' events impact events within nations.
Wednesday, April 10, 2013
Hackschooling
I recently came across this video from Ted Talks. It features 13-year-old Logan LaPlante discussing "hackschooling."
So what is hackschooling?
It's roughly equivalent to the "unschooling" movement in homeschooling. Instead of a strict curriculum in the basics, Logan is given access to varied learning experiences centered around his interests. Logan loves skiing, and interned with a skiing equipment manufacturer, for example. Logan's hackschooling is pretty interesting.
No doubt, given how articulate and mature he is, his parents have done a terrific job. But just how practical is it? That is, how many parents could afford to fund this sort of education, let alone devote the time to it that it would require?
How many of you do a bit of "hackschooling"? Do you have examples of doing so affordably, in a way that doesn't cost a fortune paying for trips out of state?
So what is hackschooling?
It's roughly equivalent to the "unschooling" movement in homeschooling. Instead of a strict curriculum in the basics, Logan is given access to varied learning experiences centered around his interests. Logan loves skiing, and interned with a skiing equipment manufacturer, for example. Logan's hackschooling is pretty interesting.
No doubt, given how articulate and mature he is, his parents have done a terrific job. But just how practical is it? That is, how many parents could afford to fund this sort of education, let alone devote the time to it that it would require?
How many of you do a bit of "hackschooling"? Do you have examples of doing so affordably, in a way that doesn't cost a fortune paying for trips out of state?
Thursday, April 4, 2013
Cutesy vs. Practical Worksheets
There are a lot of terrific worksheets and printables available on the internet, and not just from this website. Just like you, we love finding a terrific worksheet online that we know our students will love. But sometimes, we find ourselves frustrated by the overwhelming graphics.
Sometimes, the printable that looks terrific on the computer monitor is completely impractical in real life. Cutesy graphics take up most of the writing space, while simultaneously using a lot of ink to print.
It sometimes seems that teachers and companies making worksheets have either never worked in a school, or worked in one with an enormous printing budget! At every school I’ve worked in, the problem wasn’t getting enough paper—which is general inexpensive these days. The problem was with the cost of ink cartridges for the school’s printers and photocopiers.
It’s so aggravating to print something and realize that making a classroom set will use up half of the school’s ink reserves! And of course, like I already mentioned, butterflies floating across the page are adorable, but they leave little room for students to write.
How do you balance the need to capture student interest with a worksheet with the need to save on printing costs?
Sometimes, the printable that looks terrific on the computer monitor is completely impractical in real life. Cutesy graphics take up most of the writing space, while simultaneously using a lot of ink to print.
It sometimes seems that teachers and companies making worksheets have either never worked in a school, or worked in one with an enormous printing budget! At every school I’ve worked in, the problem wasn’t getting enough paper—which is general inexpensive these days. The problem was with the cost of ink cartridges for the school’s printers and photocopiers.
It’s so aggravating to print something and realize that making a classroom set will use up half of the school’s ink reserves! And of course, like I already mentioned, butterflies floating across the page are adorable, but they leave little room for students to write.
How do you balance the need to capture student interest with a worksheet with the need to save on printing costs?
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