October

**[|A Metric World]** **- (from Scholastic) Students learn how to convert quantities from the English system to the metric system and think about the many ways in which measuring quantities is a part of daily life. (Click to download the printable version of the lesson plan for the worksheets.)** **[|National Library of Virtual Manipulatives] - There are metric conversion problems available in the Measurement area. This site has wonderful manipulatives for other areas of math as well**
 * [|National Metric Week]**
 * It's the 10th month of the year and the week containing the 10th day!**
 * Discover more about the measurement system based on 10.**
 * [|U.S. Metric Association]** **- Scroll down this web page for many metric resources.**
 * [|Metrics Matter] - A Thinkquest website to learn more about the metric system - there's a converter included on each page to help convert from the English system to the metric system.**
 * [|Ideas for Celebrating Metric Week] - What is the official name of the modern metric system and what is its abbreviation? The metric system consists of how many base units? Find answers to these questions and see ideas for celebrating metric week.**
 * [|Metric Measurement]** **(from AAA Math) Learn - Practice - Play! Topics include Metric System Information, Mass, Length, Volume, and Temperature Converstions**
 * [|Metric Mania Lessons] - Metric lessons on length, volume, mass, conversion practice, and links to additional metric resources.**
 * [|Animal Weigh-In]** **- Do you know your kilograms and pounds? Drag weights to the empty scale to balance the animal's weight in either kilograms or pounds.**

**//[|Excel in Fall]// - Practice technology skills using //MS Excel// while solving these fall math word problems!**
 * There are several sheets in this //Excel// file - see if you can discover the answers to all of them!**

Where the Wild Things Went **This project is open to all PreK - 6th grade classrooms worldwide (Oct. 12 - Oct. 30).** [|Pumpkin Seed Count!!] **Registration opens on Oct. 19, 2009.** **Reinforce math and estimation skills with this collaborative online project! It's especially for PreK - 3rd grade classes all around the world. Results are posted the end of October.**
 * The project offers teachers 3 ideas to share with their students - extending the story, learning about endangered animals, verbs -- both present and past tense. Where the Wild Things Are - online original video (also available from Discovery Streaming)**

Journey North (South)!** **Participate in this global study of wildlife migration and seasonal change! K-12 students share field observations with classmates across North America. A variety of opportunities are available - Plant a tulip garden, send a symbolic Monarch to Mexico, track the Monarch butterflies or whooping cranes journey south, discover Mystery Classes by photoperiod clues, and more!** **[|Journey South News!] Keep up with the migration news! It will be so interesting for your students! Updates are posted weekly.**

[|Fire Safety Lesson Plans] - Education World [|Sparky the Fire Dog:] [|Staying Alive] Flip the Fire Monkey, coloring sheets, etc.... [|Fire Safety] Illinois State Fire Marshall's Page Fire Fighters & Fire Trucks powerpoints, games, etc. [|Printable bookmarks:] [|Fire Safety Webquests:] [|Fire Safety Coloring Book] (I wouldn't print every page....they could color on the SB or computers as well. )
 * Fire Prevention Week**


 * October 15, 1794** - **A Day in American History!** **[|US Silver Dollar]** -The first silver dollars-and the first silver half dollars-were delivered on the same day! View photos and discover why the new federal dollar was not a brilliant success. Enjoy using other resources from the **[|National Museum of American History (Kids)]** - **A wonderful teaching tool!**====
 * //History Explorer// -Explore this interactive timeline of objects from eras of history. Nice!
 * //Life in a Sodhouse// - Our Story in History - Topics include Building a Sod House, You Be a Historian (looking at artifacts from life 200 years ago), and Buffalo Hide Paintings
 * //The American Presidency: A Glorious Burden// - Learn about the many responsibilities of the U.S. president, decode the symbols on the presidential seal, and write your own letter to the president.
 * //I////nvention at Play// - Explore the playful side of invention with four online activities designed to use your imagination.
 * //Preserving the Star-Spangled Banner: You Solve the Mystery// - Unravel the history of the Star-Spangled Banner, the flag that inspired our national anthem, by investigating clues hidden in the flag.
 * //Who Am I? A History Mystery// - Select a mystery character from the Civil War and examine objects that hold the key to their identity.
 * //You Be the Conservator// - Find out how Museum conservators work to save objects, photographs, and other materials for the future.
 * And MORE!

Explorers

 * [[image:months:explorer2.jpg width="113" height="119" align="right"]][|Mystery Explorer Postcards - Who Is It?] Use Inspiration to organize and compile facts about different explorers. Create a postcard -- write from the explorer's point of view! Have your classmates guess the mystery explorer! Challenging!**


 * [|Explorer's Graveyard!] This lesson offers a unique way to display information students acquire while researching Explorers and includes a combination of research and creative writing. You may even want to encourage students to use MS PowerPoint to design an individual "tombstone slide", then put them all together for a class show!**


 * [|Famous Explorer Reports!] Write a report about one of your favorite explorers. Information about how to write a report as well as explorer web sites can be found at this Enchanted Learning web site.**


 * [|Explorers and Discoverer's Day]- Links, resources, lesson plans and more from Education World on a wide variety of Explorers (from Christopher Columbus to Amelia Earhart)**


 * [|The Lewis and Clark Expedition] Discover the Lewis and Clark Expedition (1804-1806)**


 * [|Go West Across America with Lewis and Clark]! Enjoy this resource with your students - They can personalize the web site with their name!**


 * [|Lewis and Clark] Follow their adventures with this interactive journey log! You'll see historical photos, drawings, and map along with text entries.**


 * [|Adventurers and Explorers] - Site sponsored by the Library of Congress. Information about Lewis and Clark and Amelia Earhart**


 * [|Voyages of Discovery and Exploration] - This web site has links for a multitude of explorers - catagorized by period and region! Wonderful!**


 * [|Henry Hudson 400] - Celebrating the History of Hudson, Amsterdam and New York. Includes a wide variety of maps of Henry Hudson's 4 voyages, information about the first New Yorkers, a biography of Henry Hudson and more.**


 * [|Discoverystreaming Videos Available!] - "Exploring the World: Spanish Explorers of North America", "Challenging Geography: Explorers Discover America", "Exploring the World: The Viking Explorers", "Westward Strategy: Louisiana Purchase and the Lewis and Clark Expedition", "Math: Travel Around the World to Explore Trade", and more!**


 * [|Explorers Webquest] - information about Drake, Cortez, De Soto, Columbus and more. Includes an [|Explorers Quiz]and additional worksheets.**


 * [|Explorers Links]- from Social Studies for kids. Click on the dropdown arrow to select an explorer.**

Columbus Information - Columbus Day
[|**The Columbus Navigation Homepage**] Examine the world of a famous explorer! Find information on celestial navigation, longitude, and the ships Columbus sailed.

[|**Columbus's Lost Ships**] Discover information about Christopher Columbus's ships -- How many were lost?


 * [|Columbus Information] - Enchanted Learning - information, activities, minibooks and more**


 * [|Christopher Columbus links] - from Social Studies for Kids.**

=Bats=


 * [|Bats!] An excellent site for bat information and projects!**


 * [|Bats!] from Enchanted Learning - A teaching theme unit.**


 * [|Don't Be Scared of Bats] - from Scholastic - Listen and read along.**


 * [|Bats Conservation International] - all about bats, species information, [|Kidz Cave,] (video, pages, and more)**


 * [|Bats Efield trip to Carlsbad Caverns] - Click on Virtual Visit - may need to enter the teacher name and school. Gives info @ bats, links to reveal info. The [|trip journal pdf]is a good guide to bat information.**
 * [|Discoverystreaming Video Available!] - "Animal Profiles: Bats"**

Pumpkins
[|**Pumpkin Seed Count**!!] **Click on link and scroll down to the Pumpkin Seed Count on the left. Link will be live closer to the registration date. Registration opens on October 19, 2009**. **Project Dates: October 29-30, 2009.** **Reinforce math and estimation skills with this collaborative project! It's especially for PreK - 3rd grade classes all around the world. Results posted the end of October.**


 * [|Pumpkins!] How much do you know about pumpkins? This PowerPoint show provides many interesting pumpkin facts!**


 * [|101 Things to do with Pumpkins!]**


 * [|The Pumpkin Nook] - More pumpkin fun - giant pumpkins, carving, jack-o-lanterns, recipes, word search, games, etc. Be sure to look at the Facts/Education section!**

[|****Grow Pumpkins!****] **- Steps on how to grow pumpkins**

[|****Carve a Pumpkin****] **- Interactive where you carve a pumpkin with a knife.**

[|****Make a Pumpkin****] **- from primary games.com (move shapes to make a face)**


 * [|Pick a Pumpkin Activity] - lessons plans, websites, and activities from Education World**

Space Exploration

 * [|Sputnik,] the first space vehicle, was launched on October 4, 1957.**

===Celebrate Dictionary Day on October 16, 2009 with Dictionaries on the Web===

[|****Online Dictionary and Thesaurus****]**- from Merriam Webster**
 * [|Look Way Up Dictionary] - dictionary, multilingual dictionary, thesaurus and more. Claims you don't have to spell the word correctly - will fix it for you.**
 * [|Picture Dictionary] from Enchanted Learning, also translates words into Spanish, French, German, and Portuguese**
 * [|All About Words -] Lesson plans, links and activities from Education World to celebrate Dictionary Day/learn about the dictionary.**
 * [|Biographical Dictionary]- find out more about famous people**
 * [|Internet Picture Dictionary] - Great for early childhood or ESOL.**

**[|The Virtual Body!] This is a must for those of you studying skeletal systems! An absolutely wonderful site to share with your class as a group internet activity. Click on "Skeleton" and you can hear a narration of the bones, see zoomed pictures of bones, or - for fun - build the skeleton! Give it a try - your students will enjoy it!**
 * (This site also includes the Human Brain, Human Heart, and Digestive Tract - //ghoulish//!)**


 * [|My Skeleton]- Poems for Early Childhood from Education World**


 * [|The Human Body]- an Online Tour (Education World)**

=**October 29, 1929 Black Tuesday**= [|Stock Market] - October 29, 1929 - Stock Market Crash/Beginning of the Great Depression - Read newspaper articles from the New York Times to learn more about this historical event. [|America's Story (Jump Back in Time]) - Read and learn how the stock market crash affected everyone. [|Stock Market Quiz] - See how much you know about the stock market crash of October 29, 1929. [|Stock Market Investing] - Use this //MS Excel// spreadsheet to see how stocks you choose today gain or lose money! There is a completed example sheet, a chart sheet, and a blank template sheet for you to choose your own stocks. Who wants to be a millionaire? [|The NASDAQ Stock Market] - [|American Stock Exchange] - Up to date information

[|**Big Apple History**] **- The Crash - background info from PBSkids.**


 * [|American Memory Timeline]- The Great Depression -**

[|**Pirates of the Caribbean**] **- Information and photos are included in this web site that has everything to offer about the life of pirates!**
 * [|Pirates! Fact & Legend]** **- Facts of Piracy, Jolly Roger, Pirate Legends, Types of Pirates, Pirate Ships, and more.[|The Crows Nest] - An Exploration of Pirates in South Carolina!**
 * [|Pirates] - What are Pirates, Buccaneers and Privateers? Discover this information and lots more. Be sure to try the Pirate Treasure Hunt!**
 * [[image:months:pirate.jpg width="143" height="155"]] ||

[|Pirates] (from National Geographic) Embark upon a "High Seas Adventure" or just learn more about Pirate Ports and the famous Blackbeard! [|Pirates of the //Whyduh//] - Explore the real life of pirates through North America’s famous pirate shipwreck!
 * [|Treasure Island] - Read about Robert Louis Stevenson who wrote this famous pirate tale and meet the characters!**
 * [|Dunbarr Bound] - A pirate adventure with many different story lines depending on what you choose!**
 * [|Beej's Pirate Image Archive] - Images of pirates, ships, etc.**


 * [[image:http://www.lexington1.net/technology/instruct/months/images/boo2.gif width="191" height="142" align="left"]][|Guess Who is Coming to Our Classroom] - Lesson plan idea from Education World.** **Join Miss Terie (mystery) in designing costumes for famous people. You can also connect it to people your class has been studying in Social Studies.**


 * [|Monster Mash Lesson Plan] - Education World - create, advertise, describe, and market an invention.**


 * Halloween Is Here - Ghost Stories and more**


 * [|By The Light of the Halloween Moon] - Online language arts video of this scholastic book.**

[|**North Carolina Legends and Ghost Stories**] **- Several tales to spook you! Read, enjoy, then write your own!**

[|**The Moonlit Road**] **- Ghost stories and strange folktales of the American South, told by the region's most celebrated storytellers.** [|**Haunted Alphabet**] **- find the hidden letters in the picture - click on the letters you find to complete the alphabet.**

[|**Trick or Treat.com**] **- Spooky Activities, Ghoulish Games, Creepy Free Stuff, Teacher Resources, and more!**
 * Take the virtual tour through the Haunted House (Spooky Activities) to learn the origins of Halloween traditions!**

[|**Halloween Jokes**] **- More Halloween jokes for the kid in all of us.**

[|**Halloween Activities**] **- (from the Teacher's Corner) Find examples of lessons as well as other links for classroom activities**

[|**Salem Witch Trials**] **- (links from Eduscapes) - Research for your older students.** [|**Discoverystreaming Video Available!**] **- "Holiday Facts and Fun: Halloween"**