Best bets.30 Freebies, contests, and good deals for $10 and under Getting your hands on lively activity books, colorful maps, or teaching guides filled with fascinating facts doesn't have to mean spending a fortune. To complement your curriculum, here are 30 resources that will enrich your teachings without breaking your budget. (Look for Best Bets Next month, and every month, in Instructor's Teachers Are Talking About.) LANGUAGE ARTS BOOK WEEK POSTERS (November 14-20) Deck your classroom walls and encourage reading at the same time with the Children Book Council's "Books for Everyone, Everyone for Books," colorful 22-by-9 inch posters featuring children and animals avidly reading. A set of two costs $6, plus $2.50 shipping and handling. Call (800) 999-2160. PEN PALS FOR PEACE Your 'students in grades 1-12 can help promote world peace by corresponding with students from other countries through Kids Meeting Kids Can Make a Difference (KMK KMK Kottonmouth Kings (band) KMK Karlsruher Messe- und Kongress-Gmbh KMK Kiss Me Kate KMK Keating Muething and Klekamp PLL ), a nonprofit organization Nonprofit Organization An association that is given tax-free status. Donations to a non-profit organization are often tax deductible as well. Notes: Examples of non-profit organizations are charities, hospitals and schools. devoted to international cooperation. The pen-pal program costs $5 per student. Or join KMK's global online network, Peacenet, and post your peace messages electronically. For more information, send a SASE SASE - Specific Application Service Element. Opposite: CASE. to KMK, Box 8H, 380 Riverside Dr., New York New York, state, United States New York, Middle Atlantic state of the United States. It is bordered by Vermont, Massachusetts, Connecticut, and the Atlantic Ocean (E), New Jersey and Pennsylvania (S), Lakes Erie and Ontario and the Canadian province of , NY 10025; or call (212) 662-2327. KIDS' TV PROGRAMS TO TAPE Harness the teaching power of television by taping the Discovery Network/Learning Channel's hour-long broadcast for K-6 students, TLC TLC total lung capacity; thin-layer chromatography. TLC abbr. 1. thin-layer chromatography 2. Elementary School, airing Tuesdays at 4 A.M. (EST EST electroshock therapy. EST abbr. electroshock therapy ). Each segment features stories about children from diverse backgrounds, classic tales, explanations of how things work, and more. An accompanying educator's guide includes complete listings and lesson plans. For programming information and to order the free guide, call (800) 321-1832. SCIENCE and The ENVIRONMENT UNDER THE EARTH GUIDE Go beneath the surface of the earth with the Colorado School of Mines' "What's Under Your Feet?" student activity booklet for grades K-12. The illustrated booklet includes dozens of games, activities, maps, fun facts, lively charts, and more. The teacher's guide "Sharing Science with Children" suggests ways to recruit scientists as classroom allies. Order the activity book ($3) and teacher's guide ($1.50) by writing to Earth Science Resource Center, Office of Special Programs and Continuing Education continuing education: see adult education. continuing education or adult education Any form of learning provided for adults. In the U.S. the University of Wisconsin was the first academic institution to offer such programs (1904). , Colorado School of Mines Colorado School of Mines, at Golden; state supported, coeducational; chartered 1874. It was one of the first mineral engineering schools in the United States. , Golden, CO 80401. Make checks payable to CSM CSM - ["CSM - A Distributed Programming Language", S. Zhongxiu et al, IEEE Trans Soft Eng SE-13(4):497-500 (Apr 1987)]. Continuing Education. Colorado residents call about sales tax sales tax, levy on the sale of goods or services, generally calculated as a percentage of the selling price, and sometimes called a purchase tax. It is usually collected in the form of an extra charge by the retailer, who remits the tax to the government. at (303) 273-3038. WASTE NOT! NEWSLETTER FOR KIDS Eco Kids, an environmental education club sponsored by International Paper's Strathmore Legacy, is offering teachers a free copy of "Waste Not!," a newsletter for kids. The colorful newsletter includes updates on endangered species endangered species, any plant or animal species whose ability to survive and reproduce has been jeopardized by human activities. In 1999 the U.S. government, in accordance with the U.S. , facts about the Earth, a list of things kids can do to help the planet, activity suggestions, and more. For a copy, write on school letterhead to Strathmore Legacy's Eco Amigos AMIGOS Advanced Mobile Integration in General Operating Systems Club, 333 Park St., West Springfield, MA 01089. ENVIRONMENTAL ACTION Translate your students' environmental concerns into activism with the help of the Young Environmentalist's Action (YEA) packet, which includes a monthly newsletter (in English, Spanish, or Braille, with information and letter-writting options) focusing on an urgent environmental issue selected by YEA. In September, for example, the topic will be the endangered Siberian tiger. You can also order a free "Eco-Club Environmental Activist Guide" offering tips on how to form and run local YEA club. The $9 donation is requested, not required. For information, contact Global Response, P.O. Box 7490, Boulder, CO 80306-7490; or call (303) 444-0306. FREE MARINE POLLUTION CURRICULUM Teach your students in grades 3-6 about marine pollution and how to combat it with the help of a free interdisciplinary 78-page curriculum, "Turning the Tide on Trash: A Learning Guide on Marine Debris." Developed by the Environmental Protection Agency Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), independent agency of the U.S. government, with headquarters in Washington, D.C. It was established in 1970 to reduce and control air and water pollution, noise pollution, and radiation and to ensure the safe handling and and available from the Center for Marine Conservation, the curriculum includes hands-on lesson plans, reproducibles, games, and more. Also available are brochures, posters, slide shows (on loan), and other educational materials, many of which are free. To order the curriculum or to request a catalog, write to NOAA NOAA abbr. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Noun 1. NOAA - an agency in the Department of Commerce that maps the oceans and conserves their living resources; predicts changes to the earth's environment; Marine Debris Information Office, The Center for Marine Conservation, 1725 DeSales St. NW, Washington, DC 20036; or call (202) 429-5609. VISIT THE RAIN FOREST VIA VIDEO Take your K-6 students on a trip to the rain forest by showing "Tropical Voyage," a $5 video from the nonprofit organization Save the Rainforests. The video showcases the rich ecosystems of Latin American rain forests and the forces that threaten them, and includes a guide to environmental action activities. With the video you'll receive a free poster and sample T-shirt. To order, send a check (payable to Save the Rainforest) to Save the Rainforest, 604 Jamie St., Dodgeville, WI 53533; or call (608) 935-9435. WEATHER UNIT RESOURCES Whether or not the weather is frightful, tape the Weather Channel's Weather Classroom, an instructional program for grades K-12 airing Monday through Friday at 4 P.M. and 1 A.M. (EST). For $6.82, you can get the accompanying 80-page teacher's guide with lesson plans, review questions, and directions for enacting a television weather broadcast, To order the guide, send checks (payable to A.M.F.) to A.M.F., P.O. Box 723247, Atlanta, GA 31139-0247. Also available from the Weather Channel: Short documentaries for students in grades K-12 on alternative energy sources, hurricanes, earthquakes, and other weather-related topics are available on loan for the cost of shipping and handling. Activity guides accompany each documentary. For more information, request a Project Weather brochure by writing to the address above. GUIDE TO GENETICS Introduce your K-6 students to the science of heredity with the help of the March of Dimes
GET GARDENING! Pique your K-8 students' interest in plants and gardening with The American Horticultural Society's Children's Gardening Resource Directory. The 21-page directory includes classroom activities, a guide to funding sources, information about public gardening programs, and a list of gardening newsletters for children. To order, send a $5 check to AHS AHS Assistant House Surgeon. , Education Dept., 7931 E. Boulevard Dr., Alexandria, VA 22308-1300; or call (703) 768-5700. For more gardening ideas for your green-thumbed students, don't miss "Growing Ideas," a free 12-page newsletter of K-8 curriculum ideas, and the free Growing Minds Activity Sampler, both available from The National Gardening Association. To order, call (800) 538-7476 and say you read about it in Instructor. SOCIAL STUDIES FREE GEOGRAPHY MATERIALS Gear up for National Geography Awareness Week (November 13-19) by ordering the free teaching packet for grades K-12, "Geography: Keeping Wilderness in Sight." Available from the National Geographic Society National Geographic Society U.S. scientific society founded in 1888 in Washington, D.C., by a small group of eminent explorers and scientists “for the increase and diffusion of geographic knowledge. , the packet includes a teacher handbook filled with activities adaptable to the grade you teach, a poster picturing the wilderness, a map of U.S. federal lands, a banner depicting an urban-to-wilderness continuum, and a newsletter for teachers. To order, write to the National Geographic Society, Geography Education Program, P.O. Box 37138, Washington, DC 20013-7138. (Order now; packets available in September.) TEACHING GUIDE ON AFRICA Africa (ăf`rĭkə), second largest continent (1997 est. pop. 743,000,000), c.11,677,240 sq mi (30,244,050 sq km) including adjacent islands. Broad to the north (c.4,600 mi/7,400 km wide), Africa straddles the equator and stretches c. The U.S. Committee for UNICEF UNICEF (y  `nĭsĕf'), the United Nations Children's Fund, an affiliated agency of the United Nations. is offering "Africa, A Continent of Contrast," a free teacher's guide for students in grades K-6. The guide, which includes lesson plans, an "Africa, A Continent of Contrast" poster, and fund-raising materials for the U.S. Committee for UNICEF's Halloween drive, explores the people and ecosystems of African countries. For a copy, call (800) 252-KIDS after August 15 and say you read about it in Instructor. NEWSLETTER ON NATIVE AMERICANS To support your unit on Native American heritage, order a free copy of the 24-page Daybreak Star Magazine, a monthly publication published for students by the United Indians of All Tribes United Indians of All Tribes (also known as the United Indians of All Tribes Foundation, UIATF) is a nonprofit foundation based at the Daybreak Star Cultural Center in Seattle, Washington's Discovery Park that provides social and educational services to Native Foundation. Daybreak includes suggestions for art projects based on traditional crafts, submissions from student reporters, and an accompanying teacher's guide. For a free copy, send a SASE with two 29-cent stamps to Daybreak Star Magazine, United Indians of All Tribes Foundation, 1945 Yale Place E., Seattle, WA 98102. FREE POPULATION PACKAGE Teach your students in grades 3-8 to be whiz map- and chart-readers with the help of a free resource package from the Census Bureau. It includes lots of teacher-ready math and geography activities, plus language arts lessons focusing on national and state population trends and other statistical data. For a free package, write to Census Bureau Education Program, Data User Services Division, Dept. IM, Washington, DC 20233-8300; or call (301) 763-1510. ARTS AND CRAFTS arts and crafts, term for that general field of applied design in which hand fabrication is dominant. The term was coined in England in the late 19th cent. as a label for the then-current movement directed toward the revivifying of the decorative arts. ART ACTIVITY GUIDE Integrate art into your K-6 curriculum with the help of the Crayola Dream-Makers "Earth, Sea, and Sky" program, a hands-on art curriculum focusing on the environment. The kit includes lesson plans, pullout pull·out n. 1. A withdrawal, especially of troops. 2. Change from a dive to level flight. Used of an aircraft. 3. An object designed to be pulled out. Noun 1. posters, artwork samples, an art material list, and an art techniques booklet. Teachers who use the Dream-Makers curriculum may submit their students' artwork for possible exhibitions at museums and universities across the country. To order the activity guide, send a check for $3 (payable to Binney & Smith) to Crayola Dream-Makers, P.O. Box 20027, Lehigh Valley, PA 18002-0027. ARTS-AND-CRAFTS MATERIALS Prompt your school district to apply for one of the 600 Association of Crafts and Creative Industries' (ACCI ACCI Australian Chamber of Commerce and Industry ACCI American Council on Consumer Interests ACCI Association of Crafts & Creative Industries ACCI American Consortium of Certified Interpreters ACCI African Center for Crop Improvement ACCI Air Compliance Consultants Inc. ) packages of art-related materials from its Create-A-Craft School Grant Program. Packages include materials such as a 17-cassette video library, activity sheets, and project guides for use in grades K-12, plus the rights to copy the material. For more information and application, call ACCI at (800) 294-5680. HEALTH AND NUTRITION JOIN THE EAT RIGHT CLUB Help students kick the junk food junk food n. Any of various prepackaged snack foods high in calories but low in nutritional value. junk food habit by starting a Kids Against Junk Food (KAJF) club chapter. A free club handbook explains how to found a chapter and suggests club activities. KAJF is a national activist group of nutrition-conscious 5- to 18-year-olds who urge schools, food companies, and fast-food restaurants to serve healthier food. For a start-up kit, send $1 to The Center for Science in the Public Interest, 1875 Connecticut Ave. NW, Suite 300, Washington, DC 20009. HEARING AIDS Hearing Aids Definition A hearing aid is a device that can amplify sound waves in order to help a deaf or hard-of-hearing person hear sounds more clearly. FOR NEEDY CHILDREN If you suspect that one of your students may be hearing impaired but can't afford a hearing aid or medical care, contact The Miracle-Ear Children's Foundation, which provides free hearing aids and services to eligible children ages 16 and younger. Call (800) 234-5422. GUIDE TO VISION PROBLEMS IN KIDS Be on the lookout for in search of; looking for. See also: Lookout vision problems in your classroom by consulting the free pamphlet "A Teacher's Guide to Vision Problems," developed by the American Optometric Association The American Optometric Association (AOA) represents optometrists nationally in the USA. It consists of State Optometric Associations, which are made up of local Optometric Societies. . To request a copy, send a business-size SASE to Communications Center, American Optometric Association, 243 N. Lindbergh Blvd., St. Louis, MO 63141. NUTRITION ON CD-ROM CD-ROM: see compact disc. CD-ROM in full compact disc read-only memory Type of computer storage medium that is read optically (e.g., by a laser). The Dole Company's "5 a Day Adventures" characters will bring healthy habits for your third graders via a free, multi-media CD-ROM program. The program features 36 animated characters and includes music videos, review questions, and a support module for teachers. To order, write on school letterhead to Dole Food Company Dole Food Company, Inc. is an American-based agricultural multinational corporation headquartered in Westlake Village, California and is the leading grower and packer of such food items as bananas, pineapples (fresh and packaged), grapes, strawberries, and other fresh and frozen , Nutrition Program, 155 Bovet, Suite 476, San Mateo, CA 94402, and specify the type of CD-ROM computer platform (Macintosh or Windows) and number of disks you need. NUTRITION GUIDE Promote healthy eating habits in K-4 students with The National Dairy Council's Eat the Five Food Group Way teacher's kit--it's free if you qualify. The kit includes a "Guide to Good Eating" poster, drawings of healthy food choices, and a 24-page teacher's guide with lesson plans and activities. To order, call (800) 426-8271. MATH MATH ASSESSMENT GRANTS All you have to do is fill out a one-page form to apply for a grant from Quality Computers to receive the software Math Curriculum Manager (MCM (MultiChip Module or MicroChip Module) A chip package that contains several bare chips mounted close together on a substrate (base) of some kind. ), nearly a $1,000 value. MCM (for grades K-4 and 5-8) has a database that allows you to create assessment tools aligned with the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics' standards for teaching estimation, problem-solving, geometry, probability, and other topics. While you're at it, apply for a grant for the Science Curriculum Manager (SCM (1) (Software Configuration Management, Source Code Management) See configuration management. (2) See supply chain management. ) software, too. For an application, write to Quality Computers, 20200 Nine Mile Rd., St. Claire Shores, MI 48080, and tell them you read about it in Instructor. The deadline is August, 31, 1994. There will be one winner for MCM and one for SCM. TECHNOLOGY ALL ABOUT COMPUTER LEARNING Plan ahead for the Computer Learning Foundation's Computer Learning Month in October by requesting the free publication Computer Learning, which includes tips for using technology more effectively, information on technology sweepstakes and contests open to students and teachers, and more. To order, write to CLF CLF The ISO 4217 currency code for Chile Unidades de Fomento. , Dept. IM94, P.O. Box 60007, Palo Alto, CA 94306-0007; or call (415) 327-3347. SOFTWARE GUIDE Request a free copy of the newsletter "Children's Software Review" (CSR (1) (Customer Service Representative) A person who handles a customer's request regarding a bill, account changes or service or merchandise ordered. Agents in call centers are known as CSRs. See call center. ) and read up on the latest in educational software for children ages 3 to 12. Available from Active Learning Associates, the newsletter--which is published six times a year--reviews the latest MS-DOS MS-DOS in full Microsoft Disk Operating System Operating system for personal computers. MS-DOS was based on DOS, developed in 1980 by Seattle Computer Products. Microsoft Corp. bought the rights to DOS in 1981, and released MS-DOS with IBM's PC that year. , Macintosh, and CD-ROM software packages, includes ratings by children, and lists the latest developments in technology. (A year's subscription is $24.) For a free issue, write to CSR, 520 North Adams St., Ypsilanti, MI 48179-2482, or call (313) 480-0040. PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT EDUCATION REFORM UPDATE Keep on top of the latest in education reform with "Community Update," a free monthly newsletter distributed by the U.S. Department of Education. Each issue includes a forum for discussion of common classroom challenges, upcoming events, and a resource material list. Call (800) USA-LEARN. SPECIAL-ED NEWSLETTER If you teach children ages 5 to 8 with behavioral and emotional disturbances, try the biannual bi·an·nu·al adj. 1. Happening twice each year; semiannual. 2. Occurring every two years; biennial. bi·an newsletter "Trusting Kids," written for and by teachers. The newsletter provides a forum for sharing questions and ideas about how to educate special children with these disorders in holistic and developmentally appropriate ways. Subscribers are welcome to submit articles, too. For a free copy, send two 29-cent stamps to Trusting Kids, c/o Becky Schaller, 7719 N. Hermitage, G-1, Chicago, IL 60626-1064. CONTESTS GEOGRAPHY BEE ANNOUNCED Encourage your grades 4-8 students to participate in the National Geographic Society's National Geography Bee. Schools that are first-time participants must register by October 15; competitions begin in December. To register, principals must write to National Geography Bee, 1145 17th St. NW, Washington, DC 20036. TEACHING SAFETY POSTER CONTEST If your K-6 students design posters that teach pedestrian, bicycle, alcohol, and driving safety, they can enter the AAA AAA: see American Automobile Association. (Triple A) A common single-cell battery used in a myriad of electronic devices of all variety. Like its double A (AA) cousin, it provides 1.5 volts of DC power. When used in series, the voltage is multiplied. National School Traffic Safety Program poster contest. Students in grades K-3 and 4-6 compete for 40 savings bond awards, including ten $125 first prizes. The program begins in September and entries must be submitted by February 4, 1995. For a free brochure, contact your local AAA. PUBLISH A BOOK Invite your grade 2-6 aspiring writers to enter the Raintree/Steck-Vaughn Publish-a-Book Contest. One grand-prize winner and ten honorable-mention winners will be selected from grades 2 and 3, and four grand prizes and twenty honorable mentions will be awarded in the grades 4-6 group. Among other awards, winners take home a $500 royalty advance and ten copies of their book published in color with illustrations; a variety of titles will be donated to the winner's school library. This year's theme is "The Future" and entries must be received by January 31, 1995. For complete rules, call (800) 531-5015. |
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