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Canku
Ota
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(Many
Paths)
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An
Online Newsletter Celebrating Native America
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June 2017 - Volume
15 Number 6
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Favorite
Web Sites
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collected
by Paul and Vicki
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These
Amazing Facts about Native Americans Will Leave You Speechless
Native Americans in the United States are often misunderstood,
mischaracterized and mocked, but their history is a rich and
complex one. Go beyond what you’ve seen in the movies and
gain a deeper understanding of the Native American people, their
story and their impact on society.
http://brainfall.com/lists/these-amazing-facts-about-native-americans-will-leave-you-speechless/#rkow2OdbZ |
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SAPIENS
SAPIENS is about the human world. It’s about how we communicate
with each other, why we behave kindly and badly, where and when
we evolved in the past, and how we live and continue to evolve
today. It’s about the relationship between our laws and
ethics, the cities we build, and the environment we depend on.
It’s about why sex, sports, and violence consume and intrigue
us, what life was like in centuries past, where we might be
headed in centuries to come, and much more.
http://www.sapiens.org |
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The
Dakota Exile Healing Ride
Our Ancestors are not forgotten. Throughout Indian Country there
has been many stories told of the atrocities that occurred to
the Indian Nations in America. American Indian history is American
history, by telling our stories of our ancestors we begin to
mend, "the hoop." When we ride the lands we do learn our history,
learn our stories, and do this through ceremonies on these rides.
https://www.dakotaexileride.org |
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Cheyenne
River Youth Project
The Cheyenne River Youth Project, founded in 1988, is a grassroots,
not-for-profit organization dedicated to providing the youth
of the Cheyenne River reservation with access to a vibrant and
secure future through a wide variety of culturally sensitive
and enduring programs, projects and facilities that ensure strong,
self-sufficient families and communities.
http://www.lakotayouth.org |
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Memorial
Day
Memorial Day (originally known as Decoration Day) was first
observed in 1868 to honor the soldiers of the Civil War. Its
origins can be traced back to General John A. Logan who proclaimed:
“The 30th of May, 1868, is designated for the purpose
of strewing with flowers, or otherwise decorating the graves
of comrades who died in defense of their country during the
late rebellion, and whose bodies now lie in almost every city,
village, and hamlet churchyard in the land.” Has the
original meaning of the holiday been lost in BBQs and picnics?
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Department
of Veteran Affairs: Memorial Day
It is believed that the end of May was chosen for the first
Memorial Day "because flowers would be in bloom all over
the country." Visit the Department of Veterans Affairs
Memorial Day site for a comprehensive history of the holiday,
the story of taps, and to learn how the poppy became the Flower
of Remembrance. There are also links to national observances,
veteran statistics, and flag protocol.
https://www.va.gov/opa/speceven/memday/ |
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The
History Channel: Memorial Day
Explore the history of Memorial Day with a one-page feature
article and a gallery of History Channel videos and photos.
"The Civil War claimed more lives than any conflict in
U.S. history, requiring the establishment of the country's first
national cemeteries. By the late 1860s Americans in various
towns and cities had begun holding springtime tributes to these
countless fallen soldiers, decorating their graves with flowers
and reciting prayers."
http://www.history.com/topics/holidays/memorial-day-history
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Library
of Congress: Patriotic Melodies
Now for something a little different. From "America the
Beautiful" to "You're a Grand Old Flag," this
Library of Congress site "tells the stories behind many
of the songs that have now become part of the American national
heritage. A combination of hymns, national songs, music of the
theater, radio and television, military themes, and poetry,
all of this music demonstrates that while over history many
things have changed, this expression of pride and hope remain
a constant part of the American experience."
https://www.loc.gov/collections/patriotic-melodies/about-this-collection
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Library
of Congress: Veterans History Project
"Every veteran has his or her own war, and each is
custodian of a unique story and memories. At the Veterans History
Project, we treasure the personal narratives sent to us by veterans
from all wars. Vivid as if they happened yesterday, these heartfelt
accounts make us laugh, cry and remember." The stories
are amazing (making this Library of Congress site my pick of
the day) but better yet you can interview a family member, and
add their story to the collection. The participation page is
chock full of interviewing tips and sample questions. Stories
can be submitted online or via a printed form.
http://www.loc.gov/vets/ |
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PBS:
National Memorial Day Concert
The Memorial Day Concert from the West Lawn of the U.S. Capitol
is broadcast live on PBS. This companion website, while it
doesn't host the concert (via streaming), has lots of interesting
Memorial Day content. Visit for video highlights of previous
concerts, and the thoughtful essays in the Meaning & History
section, including a list of ways that Americans observe Memorial
Day. "Memorial Day is a favorite time for Americans to
read their family history, look at old photographs and learn
about their ancestors; especially those who died in the line
of battle."
http://www.pbs.org/national-memorial-day-concert/about/the-concert/
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Flowers
"April
showers bring May flowers." Perhaps this is why May is National
Flower Month. Indulge your green thumb with this week’s
website picks about flowers.
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Cornell
University: Flower Growing Guides
This home gardening guide is not written specifically for
students; it's for anyone interested in learning more about
any of the 269 featured flowers. Flowers are listed alphabetically
by botanical name (such as achillea millefolium) and common
name (yarrow.) Each entry includes a picture, a description,
and a brief guide to growing it. Yarrow, by the way, needs
full sun and prefers well-drained soil.
http://www.gardening.cornell.edu/homegardening/scenee139.html
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PBS
Parents: Exploring Flowers
Help your kids learn about flowers with these parent-child
activities (for ages three to six) from PBS. Ideas include
watching a video clip from "Flower Power," drawing
flowers, collecting flowers, and/or pressing flowers. "As
you collect and press individual flowers, encourage your child
to describe them. Take her dictation, writing down her words
on the paper next to the flower. Encourage your child to use
words to describe the shapes, colors, and textures of the
flower parts."
http://www.pbs.org/parents/catinthehat/activity_exploring_flowers.html
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Pinterest:
Flower Crafts for Kids
This Pinterest Explore collection showcases flower crafts.
You'll find all the usual materials here: paper plates, construction
paper, tissue paper, and pipe cleaners. You can refine your
search using the tag buttons that run across the top of the
page: Paper, Easy DIY, Fun, Egg Cartons, Coffee Filters and
so on. Remember to click twice on any pin to see the craft
at the originating website.
https://www.pinterest.com/explore/flower-crafts-kids/
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Thompson
& Morgan: Top 10 Easy to Grow Flowers
British seed company Thompson & Morgan offers advice on
improving your garden with these ten easy-to-grow flowers.
Sunflowers, for example, can reach heights of fourteen feet
and are quite kid friendly. "Just sow the seeds straight
into the ground in a sunny, sheltered spot and watch them
grow and grow and grow! Be sure to provide the stems with
supports to grow the tallest sunflowers around."
http://www.thompson-morgan.com/top-10-easy-to-grow-flowers?source=aw&affid=85386&awc=2283_1494417891_3eac3ca42b437d4bb8a21d4b28f7cf40
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US
Forest Service: Celebrating Wildflowers: Just for Kids
The kid section of this US Forest Service wildflower site
features coloring pages, activities, a dozen printable word
search puzzles, and a glossary of vocabulary words from "adapt"
to "threatened." Activities include How to Make
a Butterfly Garden, Make Your Own Perfume, and Preserving
Wildflowers. "Most wild flowers soon wither if you pick
them, but you can preserve them for a long time by pressing
or drying them. Choose only flowers that you know are common,
and do not pick them unless there are lots of them."
https://www.fs.fed.us/wildflowers/kids/
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Driver's
Ed
When
calculated on a per-mile basis, teens are four times more
likely to crash than older drivers. Worse yet, car accidents
are the leading cause of death for American teens. On a more
positive note, many organizations have created free online
resources to help teens drive safer. Here are my picks.
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Allstate
Parent-Teen Driving Agreement
"Talking to your teen about the rules of the road isn't
necessarily easy, but it is important." To guide your conversation,
Allstate has create a downloadable Parent-Teen Driving Contract.
Choose your state, then download the agreement. It includes
blank space for you and your teen to write in your own agreements
and consequences. Other resources include a parent's tip sheet
and up-to-date research on teen driving statistics.
https://www.allstatefoundation.org/teen_safe_driving_parent_resources.html
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Driving
Skills for Life: Students
"According to the most recent data from the National Highway
Traffic Safety Administration, almost 6,000 teens lost their
lives in 2006 due to vehicle crashes. Driving Skills for Life
aims to reduce the number of teen vehicle crashes in America."
Sponsored by Ford, the learning module covers road hazards,
vehicle handling, space management and speed management with
videos, quizzes, and games. Teacher materials include a Leader's
Guide with discussion questions and a Tool Kit with ideas for
producing a high school driving safety day or event.
https://www.drivingskillsforlife.com |
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Impact
Teen Drivers
Founded in 2007 by California firefighters and teachers, Impact
Teen Drivers aims to spread driver safety through education.
"And of the 5,500 teenagers killed in car accidents last
year; 75 percent of the accidents had nothing to do with drugs
or alcohol. Text messaging, eating, applying makeup and adjusting
music are among the main killers." Best clicks are the
photo galleries (most are pretty graphic), tips for teen (16
Tips You Already Knew), and the Probability Wheel (which will
show you how much certain driving behaviors increase the probability
of an accident.)
http://impactteendrivers.org |
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Power
of Youth
"You may know some teens who drink. You may even have tried
it yourself. But the truth is three out of four teens don't
drink. That means the majority is staying alcohol free until
21! Learn the truth about teens and alcohol." This teen
site is sponsored by MADD (Mothers Against Drunk Drivers). Visit
for a downloadable pamphlet about the dangers of driving drunk,
and for ways you can "use your power to take a stand."
http://powerofyouth.com |
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Teen
Driving
Run by a mother-son team, Eileen and Ryan. Teen Driving got
its start in 1994 "in response to several very serious
accidents at Ryan's high school, Glenelg. Sadly, our community
lost 3 students and a teacher in car accidents over a 4-year
period, and there were many other serious accidents that resulted
in injury." Highlights include driving tips, and info
about buying and financing a car.
http://teendriving.com
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Margaret
Wise Brown
Although "Goodnight Moon" is her best known work (it has sold
forty-eight million copies since 1947), children’s author
Margaret Wise Brown (1910 – 1952) wrote more than a hundred
children's books before dying suddenly at forty-two while
recovering from surgery. Her special magic was using simple
language to tell a story from a child's point of view.
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HarperCollins
Childrens's: Margaret Wise Brown
Celebrating 100 years of Margaret Wise Brown, this HarperCollins
sites features some of her bestselling books with printable
bedtime activities, coloring games, a printable counting activity,
and an audio snippet from "The Runaway Bunny". There
is also a short Brown bio and a longer one of illustrator Clement
Hurd. "The son of a prosperous New York mortgage banker,
Hurd attended St. Paul's and Yale, and seemed destined to join
his father's firm when, in the spring of 1931, he announced
his plan to become an artist and sailed for France."
http://www.harpercollinschildrens.com/parents/gamesandcontests/features/goodnightmoon/
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Homeschool
Creations: Goodnight Moon Unit
Crafty homeschooling mom Jolanthe shares activities and printables
for a Goodnight Moon week. "We learned the nursery rhyme
Hey Diddle Diddle this week {one of the pictures in Goodnight
Moon is of the cow jumping over the moon}. As he found words
to the rhyme {on a separate sheet}, he used a Do-A-Dot Marker
to blot them out." You find the printable worksheets at
the bottom of the page, listed under Other Helpful Goodnight
Moon Links.
http://www.homeschoolcreations.net/goodnight-moon-unit-preschool-corner/
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Hubbard's
Cupboard: Goodnight Moon
Hubbard's Cupboard, a site for parents and teachers of preschoolers
and kindergarten students, presents a five-day plan for teaching
and enjoying "Goodnight Moon" with a group of youngsters.
"Day One: Ask students to share with the class things that
they do to get ready for bed (brush teeth, get a drink of water,
put on pajamas, hug a family member, find their favorite stuffed
animal, say goodnight, etc.)" The lesson plan includes
a list of related poems, a few craft projects, and cross-curricular
ideas such as studying nocturnal animals in science.
http://www.hubbardscupboard.org/goodnight-moon |
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Margaret
Wise Brown
Amy Gary, a publishing industry veteran, has found over 300
unpublished works by Margaret Wise Brown since 1990, which she
is editing and bringing to market. Her site is an excellent
biographical source, as it contains both a short and long bio,
a photo gallery, and links to additional online articles about
Brown. "Margaret loved animals. Most of her books have
animals as characters in the story. She liked to write books
that had a rhythm to them, so many of her books rhyme or repeat
a word pattern."
http://margaretwisebrown.com |
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Twodaloo:
Goodnight Moon Vocabulary Activity
Stephanie is a mom of twins, and a speech-language pathologist.
At Twodaloo she shares "activities and information about
early childhood development that you can use at home, in the
classroom, or in the therapy setting." This activity
page is the first of three related to Goodnight Moon, and
it uses the printables from Homeschool Creations (see link
above.) The second and third units are linked in the closing
paragraph.
http://www.two-daloo.com/goodnight-moon-vocabulary-activity/
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