Pat's pick for June 19, 2023 is Ice Cream Cones....Who Cooked That Up?

Pat says, "Now that school is almost over and the hot weather is arriving, most of us will spend some time this summer enjoying one of my weaknesses, ice cream. With this in mind, here is a site that you can use to show your expertise as you wait on line at the local ice cream shop. You can read about the controversy as to who invented the ice cream cone while you and your friends are eating away. Enjoy your ice cream and have a happy, safe summer!"

Pat's Picks for January to June, 2000

• June 2000
  • Learn to Juggle in 6 Steps
  • Learn 2 Fold an American Flag
• May 2000
  • Sue at the Field Museum
  • Do you know your leaves?
  • Unusual Sports in the Olympics
  • Enter the Middle Ages
  • The Space Place
• April 2000
  • The World Fact Book Web Site
  • The Animal Diversity Web
  • Earth Day at Kid's Domain
• March 2000
  • Minnetonka Science Center - Ooey Gooey Recipes
  • One Across
• January 2000
  • American Museum of Natural History: Endangered Animals
  • Collab-O-Write
  • SnowCraft

Pat's pick for June 12, 2023 was Learn to Juggle in 6 Steps

Pat says, "When I saw this site, all I could think about was the Gymnastics and Chorus show done by the kids last month. I was impressed with the skills that the children developed under the tutelage of Mrs. Brainard, Mr. Kimball and Mr. Schwinger. I just want to say, 'Great job, kids!' I was especially impressed with the jugglers because I'm not very good at it.

Now here is an application for animated graphics that makes sense - juggling hands. Each step of this tutorial is illustrated with an animation. Click the illustration to view the animation again. Step One starts with the basics: finding the right balls. Something with the size and weight of a small apple is about right. Lacrosse balls are great and not too expensive. Step Two is learning to toss a single ball. Tossing the ball correctly is everything. Be patient, practice, and don't proceed until you are catching the ball in the correct position consistently. If you want to learn to juggle three balls, this site is for you (and me)!"

Pat's pick for June 5, 2023 was Learn 2 Fold an American Flag

Pat says, "Each year on June 14th, our country celebrates the history and symbolism of our flag on National Flag Day. This week's pick teaches the proper and respectful way to fold the flag. Flag-folding does take some practice, but the task isn't exactly rocket science. As long as you've got an awareness of flag etiquette (a few simple rules) and a friend to help you out, mastering the art of getting the flag in that neat little triangle will have you looking like the best girl or boy scout in town. The instructions can be followed online, or printed out for ease of reference. You'll find the link to a printable version at the end of the last step. Start practicing now to impress everyone next week."

Pat's pick for May 29, 2023 was Sue at the Field Museum

Pat says, "Who is Sue? Sue is the largest, most complete, and best preserved Tyrannosaurus Rex. She was discovered by fossil hunter Sue Hendrickson in 1990, in the badlands of South Dakota. Following a long custody battle, Sue was sold at Sotheby's auction house October 4, 1997. The Field Museum purchased Sue for nearly $8.4 million - the most money ever paid for a fossil (maybe it's time to start digging in the backyard!). On May 17 of this year, the museum revealed Sue. She stands thirteen feet high at her hips and is forty-two feet long from head to tail. Disney may have the movie, but the Field Museum has the real thing!"

Pat's pick for May 22, 2023 was Do You Know Your Leaves?

Pat says, "Do you know your leaves? Get ready for a botanical mind bender. Plants are everywhere - but how often do you pay attention to a single leaf? Test yourself here, by matching leaves with their plant names. Is it a fir, a birch or a eucalyptus leaf? After trying your hand at this educational eighteen-question quiz, click on over to the rest of Bonus.com's Garden Playground. To get there, follow the link to Explore and then choose The Earth. Good luck!"

Pat's pick for May 15, 2023 was Unusual Sports in the Olympics

Pat says, "This week's pick doesn't come from too far from home. Children from the George Washington School in our neighboring Lakeland District have put together a great page about the Olympics. I obviously am not the only one who thinks the kids did a great job, because they are semi-finalists in the ThinkQuest Jr. competition. Kids, keep up the good work and congratulations to the district's team from George Washington Elementary School on being named a semifinalist in this national competition. Visit their site, Unusual Sports in the Olympics and sign the guestbook to show your support!"

Pat's pick for May 8, 2023 was Enter the Middle Ages

Pat says, "If I remember right, this is the time of year that the 6th graders are studying about the Middle Ages with Mrs. LoPuzzo. I thought that this site would be of interest. Take a look at the Middle Ages through the eyes of a knight, merchant, nun, or peasant. You'll learn about their lives, the roles they played in society, their medical knowledge, how the government worked, and more."

Pat's pick for May 1, 2023 was The Space Place

Pat says, "Space Place is the place for hands-on elementary-age space crafts ('Make your own jewel in the sky - a model Saturn decoration'), space activities ('Play our Intergalactic Adventures board game and be the first to explore a black hole and live to tell about it!'), and space experiments ('Test a new spacecraft material.'). You'll also find a smattering of fun space facts, but not enough to put you into orbit."

Pat's pick for April 24, 2023 was The World Fact Book Web Site

Pat says, "While I was at my son's Little League game today, I heard all the 6th grade boys talking about the project that they had to do on different countries. I thought this site might help them. This web site contains an in-depth encyclopedia of countries. It displays a list of every country in the world for you to search through. Displayed beneath each country is a list of data and useful facts about the country. This list includes such topics as Economy, Transportation, Communications, and Government. I hope you all do well on your projects!"

Pat's pick for April 10, 2023 wa The Animal Diversity Web

Pat says, "I started out last week to find out what a group of tigers would be called. This search led me to this site which I thought would prove to be useful. Animal Diversity Web is an excellent way to get information on specific animal species. It gives great information on a variety of subjects relating to the animals, like their food sources, and their roles in their ecosystems. This information is very good and fairly well detailed, providing a large amount of information through a small amount of reading. The pages are well organized, indexed under headings that are linked at the top of each page. The site also features a Tree of Life, which helps you study specific levels of classifications to see the relationships between species. When you select a specific species, the Tree tells you every level of classification for that species, and allows you to link to each level. The pages also provide a few photographs for each animal, and they are a very good selection.

"By the way, a group of tigers is called a streak (except here in Putnam Valley where they are usually called students!)."

Pat's pick for April 10, 2023 was Earth Day at Kid's Domain

Pat says, "I remember when I was 13 years old, our school participated in this new thing called Earth Day. This day was started by former Senator Gaylord Nelson because he was concerned about the way we were treating the planet. Senator Nelson knew that our world was getting dirty and that many of our plants and animals were dying. He wondered why more people weren't trying to solve these problems. He had the idea to put an article in Scholastic Magazine and seek the help of children.

Earth Day is now 30 years old and still uses kids to make a difference. After you read about Earth Day, why don't we do our part in our town? Remember, Town Clean Up Days are April 15th and 16th."

Pat's pick for April 3, 2023 was Minnetonka Science Center - Ooey Gooey Recipes

Pat says, "I remember as a kid pretending to be a mad scientist and concocting all sorts of crazy things. This site has recipes for kids to experiment with safe household foods to create bubbles, slime, silly putty and more. This is just the site for those rainy, stuck-in-the-house days!"

Pat's pick for March 13, 2023 was One Across

Pat says, "I was reading the paper the other day, and saw an article talking about a study that showed what was the most popular game that was played. I was surprised to find that it was crossword puzzles. But with that in mind, here is a pick that can be of use to all those that indulge themselves in this pastime.

"It is called One Across, and is a site that helps to find those difficult answers, such as a four letter word for employment (work). Here you can enter the clue and the number of letters and/or the pattern they take. The answers are usually quite accurate, and can give you some idea of what the correct one is.

"So the next time you are banging you head trying to find the correct answer, remember this site."

Pat's pick for January 31, 2023 was American Museum of Natural History: Endangered Animals

Pat says, "This is an interesting site that includes an exhibition on endangered animals. The search engine allows you to look up a specific endangered animal. A site map enables you to find your way around the site easily. If you click on Tour the Exhibition, you will embark on a virtual tour of the exhibition through the world of endangered species. I liked the glossary, which explains terms often used in relation to endangered animals. There is also a calendar of events for young explorers."

Pat's pick for January 10, 2023 was Collab-O-Write

Pat says, "Collab-O-Write allows students to upload finished stories. Then they can add onto the site's existing stories, or rewrite them to place the characters in greater peril or give them a happier ending. The site also encourages young artists to illustrate stories. Have fun becoming the next Stephen King!"

Pat's pick for January 3, 2023 was SnowCraft

Pat says, "While everyone is on vacation I thought I would find a winter game to play. SnowCraft is my favorite. This game is a blast - a snow blast in fact! Use your mouse to move the red team then release the mouse button to throw a snowball. (The longer you hold the button, the farther it goes.) Get them before they get you!"