|
|
Canku
Ota
|
|
|
(Many
Paths)
|
|
An
Online Newsletter Celebrating Native America
|
| |
December
1, 2009 - Volume 7 Number 12
|
|
| |
|
|
|
|
|
| |
Favorite
Sites
|
|
| |
collected
by Paul and Vicki
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Probability
Games
Dice games, coin tossing, and spinners can easily be played
online as well as off. Today's collection of probability games
includes both kinds of activities, but with an emphasis on
virtual online games.
|
|
Between
Waters: Probability Games
This unassuming list of probability games lets you virtually
toss a coin, roll a die, and play a Monty Hall game, where the
host presents you with a choice of three doors. “Behind
one door is a new car. Behind the others are goats. The host
knows where the car is and has scripted the scenario in advance.”
The author cleverly adds that this a demonstration only. He
is not giving away any cars or goats! Should you switch doors
after the host shows you a goat behind one of the remaining
doors? Play the game and figure it out.
http://www.betweenwaters.com/probab/probab.html |
|
|
Johnnie’s
Math Page: Probability
The probability section at Johnnie’s Math Page consists
of links to thirteen games at other sites. They include dice
games, coin games, and spinner games. My favorites are Ski
Outcome and What’s in Santa’s Sack? Ski Outcome
includes a video introducing the science of avalanche prediction,
and a printable worksheet to keep track of the outcomes of
the interactive game. What’s in Santa’s Sack is
a Christmas probability game that asks you to determine what
presents Santa has in his bag, based on his taking one gift
out at a time, showing it to you, and then returning it to
the bag.
http://jmathpage.com/JIMSProbabilitypage.html
|
|
Mathwire:
One Die Toss
These eight die-toss activities are designed to be done (gasp!)
offline, with a real die. For those looking for online games,
at the bottom of the page are links to interactive versions
of three of the experiments. Each activity includes printable
directions (in PDF) with printable game boards where needed.
Activities include Game of Pig, Car Race, and the Great Cookie
Race. “Great Cookie Race challenges students to predict
how many chips they will need to make sure each cookie has
8 chips. In this simulation, students toss a die, make a chip
on that cookie and continue tossing and marking until each
cookie has at least 8 chips.”
http://www.mathwire.com/data/dicetoss1.html
|
|
|
Mr.
Nussbaum: Probability Fair
Mr. Nussbaum (a fourth grade teacher from Virginia) has put
together a virtual county fair, with six games of chance.
“Students will learn the practical application of the
concept of probability by playing carnival games. The object
is to win as many tickets as possible.” With the tickets
you win spinning the wheel (choose the colors with the highest
probability of winning), you can play additional games such
as the Shell Game, Plinko or Duck Pluck. There is a link to
more math games at the bottom of the page.
http://www.mrnussbaum.com/probfair.htm
|
|
|
Shodor:
Interactivate: Activities
There isn’t a direct link to the probability games, so
from this main menu, you’ll need to click on Probability
in the horizontal navigation menu. These seventeen interactive
games include classics such as Simple and Advanced Monty Hall,
Racing Game with One Die, and a Coin Toss. These Shodor games
are my probability pick of the day because of the quantity
and quality of the games. In addition to the games, each includes
resources for both the teacher and the student (called the
Learner) with links to more activities, worksheets, and discussion
questions.
http://www.shodor.org/interactivate/activities/
|
|
|
Active
and Passive Voice
The passive voice is frowned upon by many teachers. Or should
I say, many teachers frown upon the passive voice? Today's
sites illustrate the differences between active and passive
voice, bust some common grammar myths, and will help you write
with more clarity.
|
|
|
Elements
of Style: Elementary Principles of Composition
"Elements of Style" by William Strunk, Jr. and E.B.
White is one of my favorite books on writing. This online
edition is the one Strunk published privately in 1918 as a
Cornell professor. In 1959, White (one of Strunk's students)
revised it and re-published it as a co-author. Of interest
today is item eleven, which teaches us although the passive
voice is called for in some situations, the "habitual
use of the active voice makes for forcible writing."
http://www.bartleby.com/141/strunk5.html
|
|
|
Guide
to Grammar and Writing: The Passive Voice
The Guide to Grammar and Writing gives us detailed examples
of the passive voice. For example, only verbs that take objects,
known as transitive verbs, can be used in passive voice. Be
sure to take the quiz (link at the bottom of the page) on
revising passive constructions. "WARNING! Some of these
sentences do not use passive verbs or are better off left
in the passive, so this exercise will also engage your attention
in recognizing passive constructions and in using them when
appropriate."
http://grammar.ccc.commnet.edu/grammar/passive.htm
|
|
OWL
at Purdue: Active and Passive Voice
This seven-section resource from OWL at Purdue University has
a table of contents at the bottom of every page. To print all
seven sections at once, click on the Full Resource for Printing
button in the green nav bar just below the Summary. This lesson
offers illustrated examples of active voice, showing you the
subject acting upon the object (arrow points to the right) versus
the passive voice, where the arrow from the object points to
the subject on the left. My favorite click is the Further Suggestions
section which offers tips such as "Avoid starting a sentence
in active voice and then shifting to passive."
http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/539/1 |
|
University
of Victoria Study Zone: The Choking Dog: Exercise on Passive
Voice
This auto-correcting quiz from the Study Zone at University
of Victoria provides ten opportunities to change sentences from
active to passive, and vice a versa. If you are stuck, the computer
offers correct answers (just click the "Show Me" link.)
Of course, there's always more than one correct way to structure
a sentence, so just use the computer answer as an example. The
quiz sentences are from a common urban legend called the Choking
Dog you can read here: http://web2.uvcs.uvic.ca/elc/StudyZone/410/reading/dog.htm.
http://web2.uvcs.uvic.ca/elc/studyzone/410/reading/exercises/dogqz.htm |
|
|
UNC
Writing Center: Passive Voice
This handout from the University of North Carolina Writing
starts out by busting common passive voice myths. Here are
a few. "Use of the passive voice constitutes a grammatical
error." "Any use of "to be" (in any form)
constitutes the passive voice." Great stuff! There is
also an important section on the use of passive voice in Scientific
Writing. "The rationale for using the passive voice in
scientific writing is that it achieves ‘an objective
tone' – for example, by avoiding the first person."
http://www.unc.edu/depts/wcweb/handouts/passivevoice.html
|
|
|
|
|
STAR
Students And Teachers Against Racism
announces their new website that offers insight into the Native
American perspective to teachers and educators.
http://www.racismagainstindians.org/
|
|
Changing
Winds Advocacy Center
Through presentations, classroom sessions, curriculum, fund
raising, charitable works, and multi-media efforts, we seek
to raise public awareness of the stereotyping, discrimination,
racism and other unique situations facing Native Americans.
http://changingwinds.org/
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
    
|
|
    
|
|
|
|
| |
|
|
| |
Canku Ota is a free Newsletter celebrating Native
America, its traditions and accomplishments . We do not provide subscriber
or visitor names to anyone. Some articles presented in Canku Ota may
contain copyright material. We have received appropriate permissions
for republishing any articles. Material appearing here is distributed
without profit or monetary gain to those who have expressed an interest.
This is in accordance with Title 17 U.S.C. Section 107. |
|
|
|
|
| |
Canku Ota is a copyright © 2000,
2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009 of Vicki Lockard
and Paul Barry.
|
|
| |
|
|
|
The "Canku Ota -
A Newsletter Celebrating Native America" web site and its design
is the
|
|
Copyright ©
1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009
of Paul C. Barry.
|
|
All Rights Reserved.
|
|
