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<title>Latest K-12 Articles</title>
<link>http://www.populate.net/</link>
<description>Articles at Populate.NET</description>
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<title>How to Use the Five-Paragraph Essay Writing Format</title>
<link>http://www.populate.net/Culture_and_Society/Education/K-12/how-to-use-the-five-paragraph-essay-writing-format.html</link>
<guid>http://www.populate.net/Culture_and_Society/Education/K-12/how-to-use-the-five-paragraph-essay-writing-format.html</guid>
<pubDate>Wed, 19 Nov 2008 01:35:08 -0800</pubDate>
<description><![CDATA[ The introductory paragraph is about gathering the readers interest. This paragraph is the most important because this decides if the essay should be read further or not. Make it as attractive and to the point as possible. The thesis statement should be included outlining the entire content of the essay in one or two sentences. A quotation from a famous person can also be used to enhance the reading experience and engage the readers into the content of the <a href="http://www.essayrelief.co.uk/">essay writing</a>.  It should tell the person who go through, what the essay is about. This mini-outline helps establish all the elements present in the essay. Similarly the last lines of the first paragraph should lead the reader on the rest of the essay. 

<br />Discussion
<br />Body â€” First paragraph:
<br />	The first body paragraph should be argumentative, have examples and illustrations. The opening lines of the firs body paragraph should be in a continual form with the last line of the first/introductory paragraph. 
<br />The topic should represent the thesis statement again and the last line should be transitional to the 2nd paragraph of body to lead the reader on to there. 

<br />Body â€” Second paragraph:
<br />	The 2nd paragraph should be composed of the 2nd argumentative narration and supported with examples and illustrations. If there are no examples or illustrations just follow up what was stated in the previous paragraphs. The topic should be discussed in even more detail and similarly this paragraph also ties in with the subsequent paragraph that is the 3rd paragraph of body.

<br />Body â€” Third paragraph:
<br />	This paragraph is different from the previous 2 as it contains the weakest argumentative speech. The topic should again be repeated with help of an example or illustration. This paragraph also serves as closure as it brings about the most prominent point on which the entire essay is based upon. This paragraph should have keywords that related to entire essay and also if possible a reference to the quotation used in the first paragraph. This helps maintain an over all interest and intellect of the essay. This paragraph then leads on to the conclusion of the essay. 

<br />Conclusion:
<br />	This paragraph should include the following: The conclusion paragraph as the name suggests is the end point of the essay and should be supported yet again with examples and illustrations if possible. The thesis statement should be repeated and the this paragraph must have the essence of all the paragraph before this one. Not only represent but this paragraph should take direct quotes from the previous paragraph to present the argument. The last paragraph is the summary of all the 3 paragraphs before it. personal opinion can also be introduced in this paragraph and to enrich the content of the essay a quotation or a saying can be added for validation and to make the message of the essay stronger and more liable. This paragraph alone has to represent the entire essay. With that a final statement should be given as the verdict to complete the essay with an action or open discussion. 
<br />This article can be useful for essay help, my upcoming articles are <a href="http://www.essayrelief.co.uk/coursework.htm"> coursework help</a>, <a href="http://www.essayrelief.co.uk/assignment.htm"> assignment help</a> and <a href="http://www.essayrelief.co.uk/home_learn.htm"> homework help</a> related.
 ]]></description>
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<title>A list of suggested things for inclusion in a dissertation proposal</title>
<link>http://www.populate.net/Culture_and_Society/Education/K-12/a-list-of-suggested-things-for-inclusion-in-a-dissertation-proposal.html</link>
<guid>http://www.populate.net/Culture_and_Society/Education/K-12/a-list-of-suggested-things-for-inclusion-in-a-dissertation-proposal.html</guid>
<pubDate>Sat, 08 Nov 2008 01:30:55 -0800</pubDate>
<description><![CDATA[ Dissertation proposals are mostly dependent on the subject field that we are interested to research. We can propose a subject under business, education, computer technology or social studies. It does not really matter what we have to discuss but we should be sure about having a good subject proposal in which we feel confident to write in detail. A dissertation proposal needs to have a quality outline before we send it to our professor. Some required parts can be learned by simply looking at sample outlines of some essay writings 
<br />In it's most basic form a dissertation proposal contains 
<br />1. Introduction
<br />2. Thesis Statement
<br />3. Research Method
<br />4. Experimental Design (if applicable)
<br />5. Results Discussion
<br />6. Conclusion
<br />These parts are all the most basic parts of <a href="http://www.affordabledissertationwriting.com/">dissertation writing</a>. And they all represent a single segment for the entire research document. If we talk about a dissertation proposal in detail the above parts all can be enhanced. A dissertation proposal should be made very carefully incorporating all essential parts.  As once a proposal is sent to the authority for approval it is checked for all possible mistakes. And this why if a dissertation proposal is perfectly made it will always have a great impact and will be approved.

<br />There is a definite requirement of certain things that go within a dissertation document all items should be followed in a sequence. Dissertations should comply with these guidelines. A dissertation proposal comprises of the following.: 
________________________________________
<br />An Abstract is the first major part of a dissertation proposal  An abstract should be reflective and must have familiarity with present issues related to the dissertation topic.
________________________________________
<br />Table of Contents A <a href="http://www.affordabledissertationwriting.com/">dissertation help</a> should incorporate a complete table of content list. Essentially, a table of contents for the proposal lists all of the elements A table of content should be double spaced between entries.________________________________________
<br />Chapter I. Introduction is also known as the Statement of the Problem. The introduction should describe the nature and purpose of the study in a dissertation proposal.
________________________________________
<br />Chapter 2. Review of the Literature and Research Questions. A review of literature concerns the main topic and places the <a href="http://www.affordabledissertationwriting.com/">custom dissertation</a> in context of research conducted previously. ________________________________________
<br />Chapter 3. Methodology. The methodology is an integral part of a dissertation proposal and describes in detail how the study will be conducted. The methodology chapter is divided into labeled sub-sections. 
________________________________________

<br />Chapter 4  Results. The results section in a dissertation proposal summarizes data collected with details and statistical support. After briefly stating main results or findings of the study, the data should be reported with sufficient detail in order to justify the conclusions. Tables and illustrations can be for numerical data. ________________________________________
<br />Chapter 5 Discussion.  In a dissertation proposal all results should be summarized, evaluated, and interpreted with respect to the original research problem question. In this section, 

<br />References. References are listed at the end of the dissertation proposal ________________________________________
<br />Appendices. The appendices section must begin with its own cover page, followed by an exclusive  table of contents page. ]]></description>
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<title>Four Things A Private Tutor Cannot Do For Your Child</title>
<link>http://www.populate.net/Culture_and_Society/Education/K-12/four-things-a-private-tutor-cannot-do-for-your-child.html</link>
<guid>http://www.populate.net/Culture_and_Society/Education/K-12/four-things-a-private-tutor-cannot-do-for-your-child.html</guid>
<pubDate>Thu, 30 Oct 2008 00:00:00 -0700</pubDate>
<description><![CDATA[ Obtaining the services of a private tutor is an excellent choice to help your child if they are falling behind in school or lacking motivation and confidence. The time spent with a private tutor can provided the needed skills to boost student's grades, attitude and performance. Keep in mind, however, that there are certain things a professional private tutor cannot, or will not, do for your child.

Do This For Me Please

Children often ask and expect a private tutor to do their homework for them. A professional tutor will never give in to this sort of request. Instead the tutor will focus on building the student's confidence and attitude about their school work. A professional tutor helps a student to see how to work through difficult tasks, thus reinforcing the need for the student to work on their own even as they help make it a possibility.

Impossible Expectations

Children will often procrastinate and begin studying for a test far too late. They often believe a crash session with a tutor will help them get all of the important points just in time. It is true that tutors can help with study skills and strategy. However, a tutor is never a replacement for consistent studying and hard work; those are exactly the skills they will try instill in your child. 

Professional tutors work hard to help their students build confidence and academic independence. Do not be surprised if your child complains that a tutor is making them work too hard. This is what tutors do best; increasing the level of your child's competence, responsibility, and academic independence.

Get Me Out of This Mess

Students often believe that a private tutor exists as a cure all for poor academic performance. It is wrong to assume that poor test scores can be alleviated with a few sessions with a tutor. While grades and academic performance of students with private tutors do indeed improve over time, a professional tutor may very well discontinue with students who simply want quick GPA fixes. Tutors attempt to help students who need consistent help while catching up in difficult subjects. A tutor cannot truly help a student who is reluctant to commit to a period of hard work and their best effort.

Tell Me What To Do

Lastly, a private tutor cannot help your child if they are not prepared for their tutoring sessions. Keep you tutor up to date by sending them updates or e-mails about what your child is studying in school. Alternatively, you might also consider putting the tutor in direct contact with the student's teacher to keep you out of the middle. This will help your tutor to be prepared to address needed subjects and make the most out of each tutoring session.

In turn for keeping your tutor informed of student needs, a private tutor is able to address the progress a student is making and make personalized recommendations for further study as needed. This constant feedback from student to tutor, and tutor to student, is what makes the tutoring relationship so powerful. ]]></description>
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<title>Bringing Halloween Into The Classroom</title>
<link>http://www.populate.net/Culture_and_Society/Education/K-12/bringing-halloween-into-the-classroom.html</link>
<guid>http://www.populate.net/Culture_and_Society/Education/K-12/bringing-halloween-into-the-classroom.html</guid>
<pubDate>Fri, 10 Oct 2008 00:00:00 -0700</pubDate>
<description><![CDATA[ When Halloween comes kids get excited, very excited. So why not use that excitement to enhance their learning at school? Halloween provides a wonderful opportunity to motivate kids in the classroom. 

Halloween activities and Halloween games can be used in different subjects and will get kids performing enthusiastically in math, spelling, writing and reading. 

Listed below are a few suggestions for using Halloween as a stimulus at school. 

Halloween Math
Predicting Pumpkin Measurements
Introduce a few pumpkins to the classroom and you can get kids, estimating and comparing mass, circumferences, diameters and heights. Use three - five pumpkins and label each with a letter. 

Have children record their estimated mass, circumference, diameter and height for each. Children can also record the order of the pumpkins from lightest to heaviest and from smallest circumference to largest. The same can be done for diameter and height. Then have the students measure and record these things. Children can then compare their estimates with the actual measures. 

Halloween Counting
Play the old favorite counting game Buzz replacing the word "Buzz" with a Halloween word. Use "Boo" or "Scary" instead. Children count around a circle but replace the number 7, every multiple of 7 and every number containing a digit 7 with the word "Boo". If a child says the number instead of saying "Boo" they are out. This is a challenging game and it requires concentration and a knowledge of multiples. Trying playing it with other digits instead of 7, e.g. 5 or 9. 

Halloween Problems and Brain Teasers
Number problems can also be made much more interesting by using Halloween themed characters and situations. Here are a few to try.

Zelda the witch has all of her cats and all of her owls in the house. She has 9 animals in the house and they have 30 legs altogether. How many cats and how many owls does she have?

Frankenstein has 15 shirts in his wardrobe. They are all black or blue. He has 7 more black shirts than blue ones. How many blue shirts does he have?

Dracula, Frankenstein, Mummy, Gilda and Zelda are all having a Halloween party. Each of them has given an invitation to all of the others. How many invitations have been given out? 

Halloween Word Activities and Spelling Activities
Letting children play with words is a great way to develop spelling skills and reading skills. Try these games to develop and extend children's spelling skills.

Black Cat
Kids will want to play this game over and over again even though it is really just a version of a spelling bee. You can use Halloween themed words or use words that the children are learning to spell. Children stand in a circle. The teacher gives a word for the children to spell and nominates the person to start. Children give one letter at a time going in a clockwise direction. The child who is after the person who says the last letter says 'Black Cat'. The next child is out and sits down. If a child says a wrong letter, he is out and sits down also. Then the next person gives the correct letter. When the word is completed, the teacher gives the next word and play continues around the circle. The last child standing is the winner. This one is really worth trying as it moves quite quickly and kids really love to play.

Halloween Hangman
Hangman is a popular spelling game that tends to be particularly appropriate for Halloween. Use Halloween themed words or for a more interesting version try using a whole sentence. Simply make up a Halloween sentence, e.g. Ghosts, mummies, witches and zombies chased the frightened children all over the haunted house. Draw the dashes for each letter or each word, leaving spaces between the words. Then you are ready to start. Just fill in all instances of each letter that the children give. A great writing activity is to get the children to write interesting sentences that can be used for the Hangman sentence. 

Halloween Sentence Jumble
After children have written their own Halloween sentences as suggested above. Play Sentence Jumble by writing the sentences in a long string with no breaks between the words. This creates an interesting puzzle for children to decipher. They have to rewrite the sentence putting in the breaks. A more advanced version of this is to run the words together and then break the letters up into groups of three, four or five letters. This makes an even more difficult word puzzle. Here is one for you to try. 

aho wlin gsou ndca mefr omth eolds pook yho use

Jumbled Letters
Another simple Halloween word puzzle is to jumble the letters of Halloween words and have children compete to see who can unjumble them to find all of the words first. 

There are many, many different ways to incorporate Halloween into your school program. Hope the ideas above help to make Halloween more fun for your students. Happy Halloween! ]]></description>
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<title>Fun Math Games That Develop Strategic Thinking</title>
<link>http://www.populate.net/Culture_and_Society/Education/K-12/fun-math-games-that-develop-strategic-thinking.html</link>
<guid>http://www.populate.net/Culture_and_Society/Education/K-12/fun-math-games-that-develop-strategic-thinking.html</guid>
<pubDate>Fri, 19 Sep 2008 00:00:00 -0700</pubDate>
<description><![CDATA[ Strategic thinking is a most valuable skill for children to develop. It requires the ability to observe, take in different pieces of information, analyze information, plan and analyze possible solutions and select appropriate actions. 

Strategic thinking is a form of problem solving. Everyday we are required to solve problems. Everyday we need solutions. Problem solving is an essential skill in our work life, home life and social life. 

Games like chess and backgammon are ideal for teaching strategic thinking. However these games require the game equipment and have complex rules that can take some time to learn and master. They are also games that take some time to play.

Instead of using these complex games there are some math games that are much simpler for children to learn and play. Have a go at teaching these games to children and you'll find that you'll be hooked on playing too. 

Corners
This is a challenging game of strategy for two people. It is simple to learn and quick to play and children love to play again and again. 
To play Corners draw a 10 by 10 grid. Each player uses a different colored pen. 
- Both players start in opposite corners.  
- Players take turns at coloring a block of 2 squares that are joined by a side.
- Every block that is colored after the first one must join to one of the other colored blocks that has been colored by that player, but only at the corner. 
- A player can not have 2 of their colored blocks joined along a side. 
- When a player is unable to color a block of 2 squares, he is out and the other player is the winner. 

Sprouts
This is a simple but challenging game for 2 people. 
To play Sprouts draw three random dots on a sheet of paper.
- Each player takes turns at drawing a curved line to link 2 dots then placing another dot somewhere along the line. 
- There are 2 rules for this game - no line can cross another line and no dot can have more than 3 lines leaving it.
- The last player who is able to make a join is the winner.

These games can be played in different ways in different situations. 
- Use pencil and paper to play or play on a whiteboard or blackboard. 
- Play on the computer by drawing a table in a Microsoft Word doc for Corners or by drawing dots and lines for Sprouts. This will also give practice at computer skills at the same time. 
- Play in the classroom on the board with one side of the room challenging the other side. 
- In the classroom, have a tournament by pairing students off to play against each other. Winners of each game can play again in the next round and then continue until a class champ is found.

There are many other simple strategy games that kids love to play. 
At first children may choose to play in a random manner but they can be encouraged to develop strategies that will improve their chance of winning. 

If you are looking for a great strategy to develop strategic thinking - start looking at math games. ]]></description>
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<title>The Benefits of High School Transcripts</title>
<link>http://www.populate.net/Culture_and_Society/Education/K-12/the-benefits-of-high-school-transcripts.html</link>
<guid>http://www.populate.net/Culture_and_Society/Education/K-12/the-benefits-of-high-school-transcripts.html</guid>
<pubDate>Thu, 18 Sep 2008 00:00:00 -0700</pubDate>
<description><![CDATA[ I want to share a secret with you, and it is probably the biggest secret of the adult world; no matter how much you study or how well you do in school, most employers will only care about the fact that you finished.  Many employers will ask to see a diploma or transcript only to verify that you have completed something.  While a diploma can do this, nothing shows your accomplishment or the potential ability to hold down a strong work load like a transcript.

For many, college is a far away dream.  Fortunately, many employers sympathize with this and will settle for a high school education concerning their jobs.  In fact, many careers that can lead to further certification and advancement will specifically look for high school graduates due to the pay scale and training involved with the position.  While they know you haven't got the college degree, your high school transcript shows two things; that you actually graduated and what your normal semester was like.  

This can help an employer to know if you are able to handle a lot of work, if you prefer math over English and so on.  Also, this can provide many tech savvy employers with an understanding of what you accomplished while training in specific fields at career centers and out-of-school programs.

Now, how do you get your high school transcript?  Your high school keeps records going back decades, and the nice thing is that for many, high school transcripts are free.  The only cost involved might be a flat mailing fee, and usually you can request multiple copies.  Also, it never hurts to show up in person to request a transcript; that way you may avoid any extra costs.  While the secretary should be able to provide your document, remember that it never hurts to call ahead and give them time to prepare it for you.

Something you may want to remember is that your transcript will show everything you took, even the courses you may have failed and dropped.  This may not be a bad thing, as it may show you tried again to complete a course.  Remember that everyone fails from time to time; a potential employer may be impressed that you had the gumption to stick with it and finish what you started.  Also, if you took any courses that could potentially count for college credit, you will need that high school transcript to claim those college hours.

The world is full of opportunities for graduates, and a high school transcript is just one more tool in your hands to help make those opportunities come to life. ]]></description>
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<title>Fake GED Diplomas and Its Uses</title>
<link>http://www.populate.net/Culture_and_Society/Education/K-12/fake-ged-diplomas-and-its-uses.html</link>
<guid>http://www.populate.net/Culture_and_Society/Education/K-12/fake-ged-diplomas-and-its-uses.html</guid>
<pubDate>Thu, 18 Sep 2008 00:00:00 -0700</pubDate>
<description><![CDATA[ The end result of years of schooling for many is the coveted diploma.  A simple piece of paper signifies an accomplishment reflecting years of work and toil.  For many, achieving this through high school is impossible due to real life butting in, so another route is available, the GED.  Even here, people still tend to find difficulty completing the necessary requirements for that single piece of paper on time.  What if you need it for an upcoming interview but lost the real diploma?  What if you have a family to feed and the only thing stopping you is your lack of a diploma?

Phony GED diplomas are a dime a dozen on the internet, as well as college and high school level documents.  Despite the stigma that may accompany them, phony diplomas can actually serve a variety of uses.  For example, what if you are a single mother who is desperately trying to get a job to support her children?  You don't have enough time to finish your GED studies and you are about to wind up on the street.  A GED certificate would go a long way towards securing a job so that you could complete the  necessary GED requirements in the future.

Also, what about the graduate who lost their diploma?  Or better yet, the one that is unsatisfied with how their diploma looks?  Some universities have taken the easy way out in recent years and have refused to state on diplomas what they were assigned for, other than a Bachelors of Science or Arts.  Why not retool your college diploma to proudly display your specific field of accomplishment?  The fact of the degree is still there, but now it is also visible for the world to see.  Fake GED diplomas can offer a temporary solution to finding a job while you try to get a replacement for that lost high school diploma.

Finally, what about those that are on their way towards earning their actual GED diploma, but haven't finished up yet?  Employers won't hold jobs forever, and a fake GED diploma may serve as a temporary signal of completion while you wait to actually finish up your required credits.

For many employers, the degree field or school name is not what is important, but the fact that you have that piece of paper.  A fake GED Diploma won't get you a job as a rocket scientist, but it may help to cement a standard service level job, which can then get you on a positive track.  Don't let your lack of education hinder your potential, show the world what you can do. ]]></description>
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<title>Four Fun Activities for Kids to Celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month</title>
<link>http://www.populate.net/Culture_and_Society/Education/K-12/four-fun-activities-for-kids-to-celebrate-hispanic-heritage-month.html</link>
<guid>http://www.populate.net/Culture_and_Society/Education/K-12/four-fun-activities-for-kids-to-celebrate-hispanic-heritage-month.html</guid>
<pubDate>Mon, 15 Sep 2008 00:00:00 -0700</pubDate>
<description><![CDATA[ National Hispanic Heritage Month has been celebrated for 39 years on September 17, 2007. Enacted into law on that day in 1968, this Public Law set aside a week to honor our Spanish-speaking citizens. When the 100th Congress enacted a new Public Law, the celebration period increased to 31 days, from September 15, 2008 to October 15.

The initiative for National Hispanic Heritage Month is an acknowledgement of the over 45 million Americans of Hispanic origin. The 31 day observation period honors the Independence Day for many Latin American countries including El Salvador, Costa Rica, Nicaragua, Guatemala, and Honduras which celebrate September 15 as their Independence Day. September 16th is the Independence Day for Mexico, September 18th for Chile, September 21st for Belize and El Dia de la Raza (Columbus Day) is October 12th.

Celebrating and bringing to life this special time for children who have parents of Hispanic decent is important along with exposing our Anglo children to how other cultures celebrate various occasions.

Cooking is a social time in Latin American families, and making these quesadillas is a fun way to get the party started.  Quesadillas are Spanish and Southwest in origin. The ones we experience in restaurants here in the United States are fine but are not true depictions of how the real Mexican quesadillas are made. Quesadillas in Mexico can be found outside movie theaters, stadiums, and special events with the most popular quesadilla being made with potatoes, cheese, chorizo, beans, green peppers (rajas) and other ingredients.

Following is a simple recipe for quesadillas that allows you to easily involve your children in their preparation. Cooking is a social time in most Latin American countries, and you can make it a social time with your family too!

Quesadillas Ingredients:
3 six-inch flour tortillas
Vegetable cooking oil
2 cups shredded Colby/Jack mixed cheese
One half cup finely chopped tomato
Cilantro

Directions:
Lightly fry each tortilla in 1 tablespoon vegetable oil until crisp and golden, turning once. Sprinkle with combined cheeses and top with tomato. Put lid on pan and turn heat to low. When cheese is melted, fold tortilla in half. Cut each tortilla into quarters. Garnish with chopped cilantro. Serve warm with salsa if desired.

We read the statistics on obesity among our young children here in the United States. We realize the many benefits derived from learning a second language during our early years.  For this next activity we suggest using a song that is from Latin America or a bilingual song that features both Spanish and English during its play.

This activity appeals to kinesthetic, auditory and visual learners as it encourages following the leader, very similar to Simon Says.  Use an older child to be the leader, and have him direct the children on what to do to match the song.  Depending upon the song you choose, it could be body part wiggling or chicken movements!  Watch the young ones delight in their grasp of a new culture with new music and perhaps a new language.

This next activity is a Language activity, and it comes to life as the children create their own bilingual number book.  The children will make a book/un libro that helps them learn the Spanish words for the numbers one/uno to ten/diez. Reinforcement is the key to all learning so find a cool bilingual song for kids that introduces these numbers in both languages if you can.

Depending upon the ages of the children you might offer pre-made blank books out of brightly colored construction paper that measure a finished book size of five by seven(a total of six pages stapled or bound together is needed for this activity). If the children are old enough they can participate in the making of the blank book first.  You will also need markers, crayons, magazine pictures or newspaper food ad pictures, age appropriate scissors, and glue sticks.

Procedure:
Guide the child in making a cute front and back cover for this bilingual number book.  Use examples from books from the library or ones you have purchased over the years.  Each page should have the numeral (1), the English word (one), and the Spanish word (uno) for the number you are working on.  Assist the child in finding a picture that depicts the number of a
certain item (one banana, two dogs, three pencils and so on). Glue the picture onto the page that corresponds to that number.

The English-language number words in sequence order are one, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, nine, and ten while the Spanish language number words in order are uno, dos, tres, cuatro, cinco, seis, siete, ocho, nueve, and diez.

And this last activity is about appreciating the culture of Spanish speaking countries.  Children learn about maracas, an instrument from our Hispanic friends.  In this activity the children make their own maracas and celebrate to music.

Maracas help celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month and the culture and music of Spanish-speaking countries. Using old cardboard tubes, jelly jars, plastic soda bottles (anything that you can put a lid on and shake!) makes this project inexpensive and fun. Find different materials and different sized containers to create a wide range of musical sounds that will allow the
children to create their own band.

This activity is suitable for toddlers, preschoolers and elementary aged children (with adult supervision).  As you make these together put on some upbeat bilingual music or Latin American tunes and party!

Materials needed:
Containers with tops/lids to hold dried beans or rice in. (jelly jars, plastic soda bottles, cardboard tubes with paper glued on as lid)
Dried beans, rice, small shell pasta
Construction paper or white computer paper
Paints, markers, glitter, glue, Spanish/Mexican theme stickers

Procedure:
Allow each child to choose their own maraca container and filler.  For soda bottles you can insert a cardboard tube that has been cut and wound tightly to fit into the top of the bottle in order to create a handle. Secure the top to the handle with quality masking tape.  Pour approximately twenty dried beans, grains of rice or pasta shells into the container (amount based on size of container and filler chosen).  Secure the lid back onto the container. If no lid is available, make one with paper and secure tightly with quality masking tape or transparent packing tape.  Wrap paper around the container as desired for decorating purposes.

Some children may simply want to decorate the container with stickers. Encourage the children to customize their maraca with markers, glitter, stickers and imagination.  Once complete, have fun singing, dancing and playing with the children to various songs that represent the Hispanic culture and bilingual songs that will introduce the Spanish and English languages to these young children.

Being bilingual is no longer an option, it is a necessity.  Celebrating Hispanic Heritage Month with your family or your class allows you to show the children in your life that you value other languages and cultures.  Set a good example for an open mind and open heart as we bridge children together from all walks of life. ]]></description>
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<title>Music in our Classrooms Help Children Learn</title>
<link>http://www.populate.net/Culture_and_Society/Education/K-12/music-in-our-classrooms-help-children-learn.html</link>
<guid>http://www.populate.net/Culture_and_Society/Education/K-12/music-in-our-classrooms-help-children-learn.html</guid>
<pubDate>Thu, 11 Sep 2008 00:00:00 -0700</pubDate>
<description><![CDATA[ I remember the listening center I set up in my elementary school classroom as if it was yesterday.  It was my first year of teaching, and I was so proud of that blue denim beanbag chair and cassette tape listening station that I had put together to introduce Spanish to my second graders.  I had decided not to subject the little seven year olds to me singing acappella on the tapes I made at home, but I did incorporate some rhythmic beat to make the learning easier. I chanted the vocabulary word in English first then in Spanish and repeated the pair again, leaving time for the student to repeat the words out loud.

It worked!  The little darlings were begging me to make more and more tapes each weekend, thinking I had no other life outside of being their teacher.  (For those of you who are teachers you can so relate to that feeling!)  And so it was, way back in the early 1980s, I was carrying on the tradition of what generations of parents and teachers had been doing which was to introduce new concepts to kids with rhythm and song.

Why does this technique work so well that even as adults we recall a cute little tune our French teacher taught us to learn the colors in French or that silly little chant our Science teacher rapped off to us about the Solar System so that we never forgot the order of the planets as long as we could recite our little rap out loud?  There are many studies, some recent and some from years back, that explain to us how music works so well in the learning process.

As adults, we intuitively realize that students who have had the opportunity to study music tend to do better in school and in life, and over the years there has been quite a lot of research to support those feelings.  It has been proven that children who study music perform better on tests.  There have been many studies conducted where the conclusions point to kids participating in music programs show enhanced academic performance and better social skills. 

It is even more astounding to note that a study conducted by the College Entrance Examination Board reports students with experience in music performance or courses that involved music scored more than fifty points higher on the verbal section of the SAT and more than forty points higher on the math section.  As a parent and teacher that means a lot to me and my take on the arts in the education of my children.

Music engages children and allows them to learn concepts that sometimes are difficult without the beat or without the rhythm of a song.  It allows children to remember important facts, whether they are in history, science, math or language arts.  Imagine the feeling of success a child experiences once he has mastered his ABCs thanks to that little song placed to the melody of Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star.  You have seen the delight on many faces of toddlers and preschoolers who master that twenty-six letter song!

Music helps many children build a level of confidence they might never have experienced had it not been for music.  Children gain nourishment from music in their classrooms, in their homes, in their daily routines.  Sometimes that child who feels no success in the academic side of school finally is introduced to music with that one special teacher and the rest is history (no pun intended!).  Drop outs may become drop ins thanks to a little rap, a simple play of jazz or a classic tune played during art class for inspiration.

Exposing children to other cultures, other people, and other lands far from theirs come many times through music.  What a lovely way to hear what the new student in school used to listen to daily by appreciating and playing the music from his country during his first week in class.  Imagine the impact that teacher makes on the success of this new student by embracing the culture of this new student, inviting her to bring in a CD from home or a song book from her childhood.  The encouragement it provides her as a new member of this society along with the world experience it allows all of the members of the class to have are things no text book could ever provide with such feeling, such emotion.

Music is the universal language of our world.  Whether you speak English, Spanish, French, Hindu, Mandarin, Farsi, or any of the other thousands of languages in our world, you will always be connected to your neighbor, your co-worker, your new friend by music.  And it is that music that should continue to be a large part of the learning you expose your child to and insist that his school continue to incorporate in order to bring the learning to life and make the learning fun. ]]></description>
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<title>7 Ways to Brighten Your Child's School Day</title>
<link>http://www.populate.net/Culture_and_Society/Education/K-12/7-ways-to-brighten-your-child-s-school-day.html</link>
<guid>http://www.populate.net/Culture_and_Society/Education/K-12/7-ways-to-brighten-your-child-s-school-day.html</guid>
<pubDate>Wed, 10 Sep 2008 00:00:00 -0700</pubDate>
<description><![CDATA[ Going back to school can be stressful for kids. They've had all summer to have fun, but now they have to focus on learning. A little pick me up can do wonders for their attitude toward school.

1. Start with a good breakfast.

There's a reason why "breakfast is the most important meal of the day" is such a cliche. It's true. If your family consistently has trouble making time for breakfast in the morning, try getting up a bit earlier. It may be hard for both you and the kids to get used to, but it means you can get a decent breakfast into them. And maybe even feed yourself.

2. Pack a note to be read at school.

Another classic, but very worthwhile. My daughter's first grade class actually has this somewhat formalized, with a "Write-to-Me Journal". She writes to us each Friday, and we write back to her over the weekend, to be read at school. But of course notes at other times are also a good idea, such as the classic note in the lunch box.

3. Say "I love you" as they leave for school.

Younger kids love to hear this, of course. Older ones may play embarrassed or annoyed, but they need to hear it too. Say it, and don't worry too much about their reaction.

4. Tell them you're proud of them.

Another thing kids need to hear. I've read that it's best to praise effort rather than to say things such as "You're so smart." You want to be sure that your praise is about something your child is doing well.

Also be sure to let them hear you praise them to others. It's a little extra step that has a lot of meaning when done right. Once again, you don't want to praise just anything, but when an action is worth mentioning to others, do so and sometimes let the kids overhear.

5. Take the time for family fun outside of school.

The school year is a busy time, but don't let it get in the way of all the fun you can have as a family. Get out and enjoy yourselves. Play games. Relax.

6. Give the kids time to be kids.

There's a lot of pressure to put children into a bunch of activities these days. While these can provide some benefits, too many simply lead to stressed out kids. Give them time to play on their own, no instructions from adults. Other than "No TV, no computer, no video games" perhaps. Get them outside.

Outdoor play has been shown to help with the symptoms of ADD, and the exercise is generally healthy anyhow. It doesn't matter your age, you should all get outside to have fun daily anyhow. Playing outside helps kids to focus mentally.

7. Talk about what's happening at school.

Go beyond "So how was your day?" and similar questions. Younger kids can be asked about what they enjoyed most about their day. Older kids may be more willing to talk about projects they're working on. Figure out what topics will get your child talking to you about what's happening in school. Keep this as a habit and be positive about things so they're used to discussing things with you, even when there's a problem. ]]></description>
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