Need a printable checklist for choosing your new apartment?

Here's something that's useful for everyone! It's a free printable apartment checklist sheet, available here.

Now that the second half of the school year is approaching, many high school seniors are gearing up to rent their first apartments soon. Obviously, the study of Economics covers the cost of living. But once the student (or adult...I've had friends/relatives use this sheet) has a budget, how does he/she decide on an actual apartment?

This worksheet is the answer. The idea is that the "future renter" brings a copy of this sheet to each apartment viewing. The sheet features tons of categories (number of electrical outlets, size, look of the neighborhood, building amenities, and so forth). There is extra room for notes. This way, the future renter has plenty of info to reflect upon after a day of apartment-viewing, and can make an informed decision.

Obviously, anyone looking to rent a new place will find these useful. For Economics or Life Skills students and teachers, these apartment checklist sheets offer terrific fodder for discussions and questions.

Example #1 - What is the time/money cost of paying for laundry facilities? Lots of kids grow up in homes with washers and dryers. Using the laundry room in an apartment building can easily cost at least $3.00 per load (not including detergent and fabric softener). Some rentals don't have laundry facilities, which means spending a couple of hours at the laundromat each week. Washing only a few loads of laundry a week easily adds up to at least $10.00 a week, or $520.00 a year. Ask your students to calculate the costs of washers and dryers, including energy cost, and then to calculate the savings (over, say, five years) of buying a washer and dryer.

Example #2 - Have students look at the energy costs of an apartment. Spacious places are nice, but how much do they cost to heat and cool?

Example #3 - Deposits/Property damage. Did you know that most states require landlords to return a deposit with interest? If you don't know, don't feel bad...most people assume that because of some thing or another, they can never get a rental deposit back. Not true! Normal wear-and-tear are okay, and the place needn't be spotless when you leave (although actual stains, such as on carpet, can be an issue). Discuss these and other renting financial issues to help create smart consumers.

You get the idea. Enjoy. :)

"A Christmas Carol" by Charles Dickens

For the low price of only $4.99, we have the unabridged Charles Dickens classic holiday story A Christmas Carol available on CurrClick. This is offered as part of our Literary Classics Workbook Series. It includes the complete text, punctuated by review and critical thinking questions. There's even a word search puzzle. Instant download means that it's in your possession to print, copy, etc., in seconds, with no shipping costs.

Keep your kids busy and learning this holiday season!

"Macedonia, Alexander the Great, and Hellenistic Civilization" World History Workbook

This student-friendly workbook is part of our World History series. "Macedonia, Alexander the Great, and the Hellenistic World" focuses on the formation of Alexander's vast empire and the ensuing Hellenistic civilization which flourished throughout southwestern Asia, northern Africa, and the Mediterranean for approximately 300 years after Alexander's death in Babylon.

Appropriate for all learners, from tweens to teenagers, ages 10 to 100, the beauty of this workbook lies in its simplicity. Complex events and concepts are explained in easy-to-understand text without compromising the amount of content. Whether your student is a younger or less sophisticated reader, or an advanced reader preparing for college placement exams, she or he will gain the necessary content knowledge via this workbook. Brief chunks of text are perforated with questions that range from basic recall to critical thinking. There are also numerous illustrations, as well as map work and a word search puzzle.

Our student workbooks provide learners the opportunity to learn independently. Parents or teachers introduce the topic, then give students the workbook to read and complete. After the workbook has been completed, students have acquired the necessary comprehensive content knowledge to competently discuss the topic with educators and others, and will be motivated to branch their study of the topic into other related lines of inquiry. Works great as a stand-alone item or as a supplement to a larger unit. Check out other titles in this popular (and budget-friendly) series here.

Is it September already?

Yes, it's September already. In fact, as of today, September is two-thirds finished. How is your school year shaping up? We have been busy little bees!

Prep, prep, prep...for many of us, it's a necessity. If you cover a "homeroom" class in the morning, or simply want to get your kids "in the zone" at the start of the day, try a daily online quiz. We have a quiz for every single day of the year. These quizzes run the gamut, with the primary focus on social studies.

A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens - Answer Key

This answer key is for use with our Literary Classics Workbook Series on A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens, available exclusively on CurrClick.

1. Marley




2. His nephew




3. "If they would rather die, they had better do it, and decrease the surplus population."




4. Marley's




5. A locomotive hearse




6. Jacob




7. Because this was not done during life




8. Answers will vary




9. Fan




10. Old Fezziwig




11. Scrooge's former fiancee




12. Answers will vary




13. He wears a simple green robe, bordered with white fur, a holly wreath on his head, and nothing more




14. Martha




15. Tiny Tim




16. Scrooge




17. Ignorance




18. It wears a deep black garment, from which only its hand is visible




19. Charwoman, laundress, and undertaker




20. Tiny Tim




21. Ebenezer Scrooge




22. B - heart




23. The Cratchits




24. Fred




25. B - False




26. Answers will vary

Tess of the d'Urbervilles by Thomas Hardy - Answer Key

This answer key is designed for use with our Literary Classics Workbook Series title Tess of the d'Urbervilles by Thomas Hardy, available exclusively on CurrClick.

1. He is the lineal representative of the ancient and knightly family of d'Urberville



2. D - Wessex



3. Marlott



4. White



5. Angel, Cuthbert, and Felix



6. Tess



7. Rolliver's



8. A - Abraham



9. Kingsbere



10. Tess and Abraham



11. The horse is killed in a collision with a mail cart



12. The Slopes



13. Answers will vary



14. Alec



15. B - False



16. She allows her hat to blow off, so that she must retrieve it



17. A - True



18. Chaseborough



19. Alec's



20. B - False



21. Alec



22. Her mother, Joan Durbeyfield



23. B - False



24. Mechanical reaper or reaping machine



25. Sorrow



26. D - milkmaid



27. Valley of the Great Dairies



28. Richard Crick



29. Angel Clare



30. Intellectual liberty



31. Tess



32. C - Harp



33. Peter the Great



34. D - Morning



35. B - Liza-Lu



36. Tess feels unworthy of his affections



37. B - Marian, Izz, Retty, Tess



38. Angel runs over to Tess, hugs her, and confesses that he loves her



39. B - Mercy Chant



40. B - False



41. Rev. Clare preached directly to Alec from the pulpit, which led Alec to publicly insult Rev. Clare



42. A - True



43. Sunday



44. Angel



45. A - True



46. B - False



47. Answers will vary



48. December 31 (New Year's Eve)



49. The man recognized Tess from Trantridge, and insulted her



50. An afternoon crow



51. Jewelry



52. Retty Priddle



53. Angel



54. Answers will vary



55. They will separate, with Tess returning to her parents' home



56. Believing Tess dead, he places her in a coffin



57. Answers will vary



58. B - False



59. B - 50



60. B - Brazil



61. Izz Huett



62. She pities them and wants to end their misery



63. Marian



64. B - False



65. B - False



66. A - True



67. A - Cross-in-Hand



68. Marriage license



69. Alec d'Urberville



70. Answers will vary



71. Their mother is dying and their father is ill



72. B - Alec



73. Tess's father, John Durbeyfield



74. Rural-to-urban migration, or "the tendency of the rural population towards the large towns"



75. Kingsbere



76. Izz and Marian



77. Tess's mother, Joan Durbeyfield



78. Sandbourne



79. The Herons



80. Mrs. Brooks



81. Blood



82. Alec d'Urberville



83. Cuthbert Clare



84. A - True



85. Bramshurst Court



86. Stonehenge



87. Answers will vary

Essay Questions - Answers will vary

Buy our Tess of the d'Urbervilles workbook for only $4.99.

Online Student Glossary

We are in the midst of creating an online student glossary. Our plan is to fill it full of easy-to-understand explanations and more. Please feel free to check it out. Don't hesitate to contact us with your suggestions and additions!

As always, you can join the chat in our education message boards.

July 2011 News

Check out the latest website news here. We have plenty more to offer this month. Enjoy!

June 2011 Website News

Read the latest news here. For fun, we've included our story of finding a signed first-edition copy of Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix for 35 cents at a garage sale.

Free Printable Tally Score Sheet for Euchre and More

This free printable tally score sheet can be used for tournament games of progressive euchre, bridge, and canasta. It can also be used for fun classroom test-prep review games.


How to play as a class:

First, you will need question cards. Try printing some of our cards, or make your own. You might even have the kids each make ten or so question cards from a study sheet.

Have prizes ready and clearly marked. You can do first-, second-, and third-place prizes (with something small for "everyone else"). You can also do prize ranges based on point totals (kind of like the tiered prizes offered at festival games).

• This particular tally sheet works for student players totaling multiples of 12 (12, 24, 36, etc.). With 12 students, you will need 3 tables, followed by 6 tables for 24 students, 9 tables for 36 students, etc. (four student players per table).
• If you have 6 or 9 tables going, randomly divide the class into color-coded teams. Print each team's tally card on colored copy paper.
  
• You will also need a score writer/question reader for each table. This job can be done by "extra" students, teachers, parents, etc. (Note: If the students are playing for prizes, be sure to offer good prizes to students who volunteer for this job.)
• Questions can be answered and scored different ways. (1) The "reader" can read the question, then have students slap the table, raise a hand, or ring a buzzer. The first correct answer gets the point for the question. (2) All students can have 15-20 seconds to write the answer to the question. The "reader" checks the answers and gives a point to each student with a correct answer.
  
• Each tournament lasts eleven rounds. If you instruct the students to do ten questions per round, each round should be done in about five minutes or less. This totals 55 minutes.
• To keep kids moving quickly, try ringing a bell. After 4:30, ring the bell and say, "Thirty seconds left." After 5:00, ring the bell and say, "Move onto round ___." The 5 minutes-per-round time limit will keep students focused because the kids will want a chance to earn all possible points for that round.

Classroom management tip:

In this tournament, students have no choice regarding their partners. Each student on a 12-person team will have a chance to play with every other person on her/his team. This means, particularly if students play as partners at each table, no "two troublemakers" will be partners at the same table more than once. There is simply no time in this game for kids to drift off or become behaviorally inappropriate.

Internet Age Drama: Gadgets, Gizmos, and Gimmicks

Here's a funny and semi-educational story that I'd like to share with you. The moral of the story? Beware the linking that you do on the internet. Keep track of what accounts, phone numbers, log-ins, email addresses, etc., are linked to one another.

I am a bit of a techie nut. While no expert, I'm crazy for gadgets, gizmos, and gimmicks. I own a fancy Droid phone with more apps than I could ever possibly use. I have both a laptop and a PC, and I love investing my hard-earned money on tons of interesting-looking software I see advertised.

Needless to say, I use the Google calendar that comes free with my Google email account. You might be thinking that as an educator working on an educational website, my calendar is full of important meetings, conferences, etc. And these things are definitely in my calendar. But as a tech nut who carries her cell phone with her 24/7, I've also come to rely on my Google calendar for tons of everyday things. I get easily distracted, so if I need to do something in a few hours, darn tootin' that I put it on my calendar.

Putting a batch of jerky in the dehydrator? Mark in my Google calendar the time when it should be ready. Need to pick up toilet tissue after work? There's a Google calendar alert set for 3:00 P.M. to remind me.

The Google calendar has an option that allows you to send SMS (text message alerts) to your phone. And even though I have the Google calendar app installed on my phone, I've always used the text alerts as back-up. To do this, I had to validate the phone number by responding to a text that Google sent me.

The problem? About a year ago, I changed my service provider and got a new cell phone number. The Google calendar text messages never entered my mind. I loaded my new phone with all of my old apps and services, and went about my life. I never thought about the reality that eventually, my old provider would get around to assigning my old phone number to another customer.

Oops!

One day, I saw a new event in my calendar: "Quit sending this **** to my ******* phone!!!" I was dumbfounded. What on earth was this? After a lot of pondering, and further harsh exchanges, I realized that my mundane, incessant calendar events were still being sent to my old phone number. The poor man who was using my old phone number was every day getting reminders to buy feminine hygiene products, take the pot roast out of the oven, etc.

Quickly, I went into my Google calendar settings and erased the old phone number (but not before sending out a sincere apology via the calendar).

Your take-away:

Be very careful about what accounts and log-ins you link to your cell phone number, because if you ever change your number, those old accounts may be accessible to whomever receives your old phone number. When you validate your phone number for texting directly to and from your calendar, blog, twitter, etc., you are giving anyone who "inherits" your phone number access to those accounts.

So think twice before you link anything to your cell phone number!

What are QR codes?

Everyone seems to be talking about QR codes right now. So what the heck are they?

QR codes are, essentially, an updated version of bar codes. The benefit of a QR code is that anyone can create one. Better yet, someone creating a QR code can link it to just about anything.

How do I use a QR code when I see one?

You have to scan the code with your cell phone or laptop camera. Yes, there's an app for it. Currently, there are several free QR code apps for Droids and SmartPhones. Simply go to the app market or Google and search for "QR Code." Download the app. Once the app is downloaded, open the app. On your cell phone screen, you should see what looks like the view from your camera, except that it probably has a red line through it. This red line is the QR code reader. Aim your camera at the QR code you want to decipher. Within a couple of seconds, a screen should pop up on your phone displaying the QR code's information.

For example, here is a sample QR code:

Go ahead and aim your cell phone camera at the code. Within a few seconds, you should see the web address for www.studenthandouts.com. You should also see an option to go to the website. Neat, huh?

So what would or could I use a QR code for?

Promotions: As seen in the example above, an obvious use for a QR code is to promote a website or blog. We now place the above QR code on pretty much every piece of mail we send out. We also place it on everything from business cards to flyers.

This photo features something we are all familiar with--a flyer advertising something. At the bottom of the sheet are the familiar tabs that interested parties are expected to rip off. In the upper right hand corner, though, is something new--the QR code. Instead of ripping off a little sheet of paper, someone interested in the flyer can simply scan the QR code. In this instance, the QR code will lead the person straight to our website. Because the person has accessed our site from her/his cell phone, there is no fear of losing the information. (Oh, if I had a dollar for every paper tab that was left in my pocket and lost in the wash!)

Real-world applications for this cover everything from classroom newsletters to garage sales. Why? The QR code can be created to lead to a website and/or simple text. You can include a QR code on classroom newsletters (or even your professional stationery) that links directly to your classroom blog or website. Having a garage sale? Create a flyer like the one above, except that your QR code will contain the address, dates, and hours of your sale.

Other neat uses for QR codes:

• On a homework sheet, place a QR code linking to an online tutorial, such as a video on YouTube.
• On a field trip permission slip, place a QR code linking to the website of the destination.
• Have students create an interactive tour of the school or classroom for an event such as your school's open house. Students can link the QR codes to text describing different things, such as the computer lab, cafeteria, etc.
• Create a scavenger hunt around the classroom or school. For example, a QR code posted in the classroom asks a riddle. Answering this riddle will lead students to the cafeteria. Posted in the cafeteria is another QR code, this one a riddle that will lead students on to the school media center. Teachers can expand upon this by offering several QR code options, creating a sort of "Choose Your Own Adventure" game. Better yet, teach older kids about this technology by having them create a QR code scavenger hunt for younger students.

The possibilities for QR codes are almost limitless. Do you have an idea? Comment with your thoughts.

Ancient History PowerPoints and Outlines

Are you studying the history of ancient Greece and Rome in a Global Studies, World History, or European History course? We have everything you need. Click to see a sampling of our outlines and PowerPoints:

"The Glory That Was Greece" PowerPoint Presentation

"The Glory That Was Ancient Greece" Printable Outline

"Macedonia, Alexander the Great, and the Hellenistic World" PowerPoint Presentation

"Macedonia, Alexander the Great, and the Hellenistic World" Printable Outline

"Establishment of the Ancient Roman Republic" PowerPoint Presentation

"Establishment of the Ancient Roman Republic" Printable Outline

"The Punic Wars (264-146 BCE)" PowerPoint Presentation

"The Punic Wars (264-146 BCE)" Printable Outline

"Civil War in Ancient Rome and the End of the Roman Republic" PowerPoint Presentation

"Civil War in Ancient Rome and the End of the Roman Republic" Printable Outline

"Civil War in Ancient Rome and the End of the Roman Republic" PowerPoint Presentation

"Civil War in Ancient Rome and the End of the Roman Republic" Printable Outline

Unrest in the Middle East

Classrooms around the world are discussing the events in the Middle East. Students and teachers are asking: What is a dictator? What signifies oppression? How does a revolution unfold?

We have created a discussion sheet for these current events talks on what is happening in places like Egypt and Libya. Educators pick the countries (try a few with stable governments for comparison). After completing the chart, students should be able to identify the factors that lead to revolution. Completion of the chart can be done individually, in small groups, or as a class. (Good teachers know that basic background knowledge is pivotal for comprehension, understanding, and a thoughtful dialogue.) Kids might even be able to predict where rebellion will break out next!

Vietnam War Outline

Are you or your students studying the war in Vietnam (1945-1975)?

Try this: Vietnam War Outline You can view the outline online. There is also a printable version (.pdf file). We have also started adding easy-to-use HTML codes on popular pages like this, so that teachers can quickly and simply post a link to the page on their blogs and classroom websites. This way, students can view, download, and print materials at their leisure.

Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass

Frederick Douglass was a leading figure in the American abolitionist movement of the 19th century. His autobiography, Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, describes his young years spent in slavery, his escape from the American South, and so much more. We have the complete text available as an eBook which you may download or print for free by clicking here.

Vladimir Lenin: Voice of Revolution

If you are doing a unit on the Russian Revolution, you might want to consider showing your students Biography's "Vladimir Lenin: Voice of Revolution." We have a complete, teacher-friendly review of the documentary available here. We also have a free, printable note-taking worksheet for students. This is great for making sure that students pay attention when you play the video.

The French Revolution (1789-1799)

We have updated and improved our educational materials on the Revolutionary period in France. Start checking things out by first visiting our French Revolution Outline, which can be read online, and is also available as a printable .pdf file. We hope that you like the more user-friendly formatting! We have placed an HTML code box on the page so that you can link directly to the outline page on your own blog or web page. We hope to add more such links, and to create more student- and teacher-friendly outlines, in the future...so keep checking with us! As usual, new materials, web pages, and updates are guaranteed on a daily basis.

Qwiki Website Review for Teachers

Qwiki looks to be a lot of fun. The gist of it is that you click on a topic. A video/flash screen starts playing out the definition or description of the topic. Pictures flash across the screen, and text scrolls along the bottom of the screen, all while a voice (one that sounds like text-to-speech software) reads the text from the screen. Pros: You can see and learn about a topic (e.g., Lake Titicaca, cheetah, World War II) very quickly with a lot of pictures. Cons: The text-to-speech can be a bit off (oddly pronounced words*). The speech is read quite quickly (perhaps to keep each description to a minute or less), meaning that struggling readers may find it hard to keep up (if they try to read along). And honestly, the voice speaks so quickly that it was hard for us to keep up. In some of the descriptions we viewed, the presentations merely proved the point that complicated events (such as World War II) can never be properly explained in 60 seconds. Our Review and Rating: We are torn. Our guess is that students will generally like Qwiki, some teachers will like it, but most teachers will hate it. As teachers, we see ourselves hating it for the same reason we would have loved it as students. Picture it...the big World History exam days away. We (as students) have a giant list of terms to know. We go to Qwiki and enter each term. In a minute per term, we have enough superficial knowledge to pass the test with a decent grade. You may be thinking...but wait! You have hundreds upon hundreds of quiz games that test "superficial" and "trivial" knowledge! Yes, that's true. But we also have creative lesson plans, DBQs that launch thoughtful discussions, and much more. Qwiki has great potential as a teaching and learning tool, but we fear for students who zone out for the semester, use Qwiki to pass tests, and end up with little or no true comprehension.

*We have implemented text-to-speech software on our website as read-alongs to some of our images. We love using this software, but there are drawbacks. The software (no matter how good it is) never truly sounds human. And, no matter how good it is, there are a lot of words that are mispronounced. Often, when preparing a video or sound clip with text-to-speech software, we find ourselves scrambling to write terms and names phonetically so that the software will pronounce them correctly. With Qwiki (at least in its current version), it appears that programmers inputted the text without later checking the pronunciation. Hopefully, future updates will fix this bug.

News: January, 2011

Happy New Year! We have been busy, busy, busy. Over the holidays, we caught the crafting bug. We designed and made a large number of promotional tote bags. If you are interested in "toting" around the Student Handouts message, please send us at email at studenthandouts@gmail.com with your name and mailing address, and we'll put a tote bag in the mail to you. Put "Tote Bag" as the subject of your email.

What's new this month? You may have noticed that several of the web pages have a new design. This "full page" design has received some rave reviews, so we intend to continue incorporating it into the site.

We have started a "Back to School Guide for Parents." It still needs a bit of polish, but feel free to take a look and share your thoughts.

Did you know that this web site is ranked in the top 300,000 of all American web sites? This may not seem impressive at first glance, but it's excellent for a small-time web site created from scratch by non-computer people less than three years ago! In the last year, we have gone from about 200 daily visitors to over 2,000 visitors per day. Keep spreading the word!