"The Why Files" - An interactive and informative site for science teachers and students

Teachers and students can both search 'The Why Files' site for science topics help. This a FREE resource without any advertisement so you can browse the site or bookmark it for you.

The Why Files is a non-profit, web-based source of entertaining and informative science information. Founded in 1995 by the National Institute for Science Education and funded by the Graduate School of the University of Wisconsin-Madison since 1998, The Why Files has helped pioneer the art of reaching web audiences with salient, accurate, and accessible science stories.

Each week the site features clearly written, often humorous, and always fact-checked stories explaining the science behind the news. News hooks are the headlines; stories range from 800 to 3,500 words and are richly illustrated with photographs, drawings, and tables. Each story includes links to relevant web sites and a bibliography with further information.

While traditional journalistic standards, snappy writing, and timely reporting have helped The Why Files achieve international recognition, it is the non-parochial approach to science writing that sets its apart from most university science web sites and has helped to attract a diverse reader base. Instead of focusing on Wisconsin stories, we consciously avoid them. Science goes far beyond a single institution to form a foundation of modern society. Our mission is to help people realize the critical nature of science; such an understanding ultimately benefits our university as well.

The Why Files is well-researched, educational descriptions of the actual science behind current news stories from the University of Wisconsin

Mission(In their own words)
'The mission of The Why Files is to explore the science, math and technology behind the news of the day, and to present those topics in a clear, accessible and accurate manner. We are based at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, but The Why Files covers science at all institutions that engage in scientific exploration and discovery. We hope this information will help explain the relationship between science and daily life.'

What you can get from the site?

- The Why Files produces a new story each week, alternating longer features with shorter shorties.
- A biweekly column by science reporter Tom Siegfried, a series of interactive science animations, the ever-popular "Cool Science Images," and
- A series of Teacher Activity Pages linked to the national science standards.


PC Magazine's editors says: "With tons of articles and activities, the Why Files will take you from ignorance to expertise in dozens of subjects."

Why Files articles includes classroom activities! Each article is equipped with a "teacher activities page" featuring relevant discussion questions, activities, quiz and links to national teaching standards. This free resource is designed to help teachers lead students to a deeper understanding of the scientific material covered in each article.
Few titles are:
Miracle of winged migration
Ultimate Storm: What are hurricanes?
Science Meets Sports
Radiation and Health: What Do We know?
Forensic Science: Bugs, Maggots and DNA
Heating the Home Planet
Volcanic Violence
Stem Cell Progress
Tornadoes: Power & Fury
Mosquito Madness
Tsunami Times 3
Polar Science
Heart Bypass Surgery: Up Close and Personal

- Teacher's activities page

Join the mailing list to get their weekly notice, by submitting your e-mail address at this page link

If you have a general science question, you can search at "archieves" link,

look at this page to search for your answer. Or you can submit your question at this page

Drawing contest for kids around the world

This drawing contest is announced from "Neuroscience for kids" a site from 'University of Washington' and kids from all over the world are invited to participate in this contest. As the site topic is neuroscience, drawing topic is also related to brain, so kids get ready to submit your drawings for this contest:

How to participate?

Download the entry form from the link of the site.

Entries will be divided into four groups based on age:
If you are in Kindergrarten to Grade 2: Your picture should be about "My brain helps me ________."

If you are in Grade 3 to Grade 5: Your picture should be about "Brain Fitness: I keep my brain healthy by ______."

If you are in Grade 6 to Grade 8: Your picture should be about "My brain is like a _______ because _________."
(Special hint: drawings that compare the brain to a computer, book or robot usually do NOT win.)

If you are in Grade 9 to Grade 12: Your picture should be about "Brain research is important because________."

To enter the drawing contest, mail your completed entry form with your drawing to:

Dr. Eric H. Chudler
Department of Bioengineering; UWEB E/O
Box 355061
1705 NE Pacific St.
University of Washington
Seattle, WA 98195-5061
USA

Do NOT send your entry by email.

- Entries must be received by February 1, 2009, and cannot be returned.
- People from all countries may participate in the contest.
- People and their families associated with the Neuroscience for Kids web site are not eligible to enter the contest.
- Drawings will be judged by the staff of Neuroscience for Kids or by other individuals designated by Dr. Eric H. Chudler. Drawings will be judged on the basis of originality, scientific accuracy and overall design.
- At least one winner from each group will be selected. In past years, each drawing contest has had approximately 50 winners. Winners will be announced by e-mail or regular mail no later than March 1, 2009. The winner agrees to allow Neuroscience for Kids to publish his/her name (first name, last initial only) and artwork on the Neuroscience for Kids web site. Winner addresses and e-mail addresses will be kept confidential and will NOT be published.
- All materials received will become the property of Neuroscience for Kids and will not be returned. Neuroscience for Kids will not be held responsible for entries that are damaged or lost in the mail.
- Winners will be awarded a book, CD-ROM or other prize related to the brain. The specific prizes will be announced later. Prizes will be mailed to the address listed on the winner's entry form.

Questions about this contest should be directed to Dr. Chudler at chudler@u.washington.edu

Link of the site: 2009 Drawing Contest

"Neuroscience for kids" - A learning resource for kids and teachers

This interactive and informative site is designed for kids but teachers can also use the site for teaching purposes. As I have searched the site and noticed that this ad free site is very informative for science students and teachers. Site navigation is also easy for kids. It is basically about brain and brain related information.


More about the site:
'"Neuroscience for Kids" is the perfect combination of neuroscience, education, science outreach, and writing and editing-all rolled into a collaborative and creative atmosphere.'

Few topics discussed are:
• The World of Neuroscience
• Brain Basics
• Higher Functions
• Spinal Cord
• Peripheral Nervous System
• The Neuron
• Sensory Systems
• Methods and Techniques
• Drug Effects
• Neurological and Mental Disorders

Every topic covers many articles which are interesting and informative.

If you are interested to get monthly newsletter from the site click on this page link

- FREE Worksheets, posters or colouring book

Other useful resources:
- 'Brain info' for the brain surface of atlas
- Brain maps from 'BrainMaps.org'

Get Online Protection With Internet Filtering Software

I am happy to share this information to all parents who want to protect their children from offensive online content. We need to look for the stuff which could help us regarding safe use of internet.

I am personally using this software from the day I realized that my son has started using search engine for online free video games. And I am aware that these kind of sites are also not safe. So the best solution was to install filtering web protection software which could help me in this regard. The first benefit I found was that if you install it on your computer then nobody can browse offensive sites, as it protects your computer from inappropriate content and contact.

Sometimes I can't check the history of internet browsing, if I am not at home, but this software offers me full control over searching histroy. I was not sure if the software I am going to use is a free trial or a full version unless I install it. It is totally FREE for personal use.

More about the software

Blue Coat Systems offers the software "K9 Web Protection" which is an internet filtering software.

This software requires an administrator password. No one can uninstall it or change settings unless they know this password. With this software you can view internet activity. This page gives you an overview of the internet activity of everyone who uses the computer. With this you are able to see the category summary of what categories have been accessed and what categories have been blocked and why. This page also shows when K9 has been updated and if there has been any failed attempts to login to the system.

On the Setup Page you decide what kind of protection level you desire.
Protection levels include high, default, moderate, minimal, monitor, and custom.

- High protects against all default-level categories plus chat, newsgroups, and un-rated sites. Default protects against all adult content, security threats, illegal activity, sexually-related sites, and online community sites.
- Moderate protects against all adult content, security threats, and illegal activity. Minimal protects against pornography and security threats. Monitor allows all categories and only logs traffic.
- Custom is used when you want to select you own set of categories to block. There are numerous categories to choose from and I found the list to be helpful and complete when choosing what to allow on my family computer.

To use this software you will need a license key. Simply fill in the blanks on the page given here and they'll email it to you.

Get K9 Web Protection

Tips to increase your child's intelligence

These tips may seem very simple but applying these useful techniques can increase your child's intelligence. You can judge the importance or effectiveness of these tips by analyzing that few years ago when family bonds were strong and we had much time to spend with our children, atmosphere was most suitable for the growth of intelligent and healthy personality.

Either you are a parents or teacher, you can help your child grow healthier, and more intelligent by applying these techniques:

* Talk a lot
* Listen more than you talk
* Hug a lot
* Take walks
* Read together
* Make just a few rules and stick to them
* Say “I love you” at least once a day
* Sing — even if it's off key
* Keep your sense of humor
* Tell stories about your childhood
* Listen to their questions and give answers
* Celebrate special times
* Use “please” and “thank you”
* Never call names or belittle
* Smile a lot
* Never, ever yell
* Remember how big you look
* Praise good efforts
* Think of guidance instead of punishment
* Ask questions instead of jumping to conclusions
* Use “do” much more often than “don't”
* Avoid criticizing or blaming
* Or scaring
* Admit your mistakes
* Play games
* Keep a schedule
* Allow lots of room for their mistakes
* Look for the funny side
* Practice patience
* Call someone if you feel you are getting out of control
* Give your full attention when they talk
* Get on their level when they talk
* Look them in the eye
* Express appreciation often
* Read, read, read
* “Hang loose”
* Learn to say “I'm sorry”
* Wonder at life
* Get to know an older person
* Rock
* Swing
* Let the kid out in you
* Keep promises
* Remember when you were a kid
* Exercise your faith and share it
* Say “no” only when you mean it and will stick by it
* Do kindnesses for others
* Experience lots of things
* Enjoy each child's uniqueness
* Tell the truth
* Take pride in your community
* Be an example of the kind of person you want them to be

Tips are courtesy of: Lane H. Powell, Ph.D., 1996 (from 'Children's Healthcare of Atlanta Pediatric Hospital)

Importance Of Play - Promoting Child Development

I have noticed in nursery classes that whenever our students were not given opportunity to play or any outdoor activities, they were inattentive in class and more hyper. Play time allows our children to interact with their environment and gives us a great insight into how they view the world.

We need to make sure we give our children free time so they can direct their own play allowing their imagination and creativity to grow.

'Play is so important to optimal child development that it has been recognized by the United Nations High Commission for Human Rights as a right of every child. Children’s time has become a lot more structured at home and in the schools. According to the American Academy of Pediatrics, free play is defined as “child-directed play time with no rules” and is a very important aspect in our child’s creativity, and emotional and social development. Free play is important for promoting physical activity and decreasing the incidence of childhood obesity. When children use their creativity, they are more likely to get up and move.

The scientific evidence shows that opportunity to play is more than simply a right for our children, it is a life essential. This means that if children do not play they will suffer from a condition known as play deprivation, which in mild doses makes children irritable and unhappy but which in more concentrated forms turns children into killers and mass murderers.

Playing is an integral component of the human evolutionary process and play in one of its forms has probably been a part of human behaviour for many millions of years.

Play is essential to brain growth and to balanced neurochemical activity.

It exploits biologically ‘sensitive periods’ during which certain kinds of experiences trigger rapid brain growth. Children under ten years of age are thought to have the potential to grow brains twice the size of those of children over that age. Some scientists regard play as one the main factors that human beings have not yet become extinct because of the flexibility it gives them to adapt to changing environmental and meteorological conditions.

Although play itself is vital to human survival and development and to our identity as a species, and is important for those reasons, because increasingly children around the world are being deprived of the space, time and freedom to play our concerns are with the development of appropriate practical opportunities for children to play too. Developing, operating and maintaining these practical opportunities is known as playwork.
Source: Play education.com

* A report from the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) says free and unstructured play is healthy and - in fact - essential for helping children reach important social, emotional, and cognitive developmental milestones as well as helping them manage stress and become resilient.

The report, "The Importance of Play in Promoting Healthy Child Development and Maintaining Strong Parent-Child Bonds," is written in defense of play and in response to forces threatening free play and unscheduled time. These forces include changes in family structure, the increasingly competitive college admissions process, and federal education policies that have led to reduced recess and physical education in many schools.

Get the pdf version: The Importance of Play in Promoting Healthy Child Development and Maintaining Strong Parent-Child Bonds,
Get the html version: The Importance of Play

- Importnace of play at 'blogher'

- Melitsa Avila from www.play-activities.com has some advice for parents on why playing with your kids is time well spent:
The Importance of Play

- Benefits of Play

Tips for parents to help their child's brain development

Parents are always eager to see their child healthy in both ways: physically or mentally. Physical development is possible by providing them nutritious food and physical movements which might be free play or participation in sports or other related activities. But do we think that our children need another thing from us?

Yes, helping them grow their mental skills which nourish their brains. This article is offering tips for parents to help their child's brain development.

Basic brain maintenance for our children, and for ourselves, means making a specific effort, every day, to help our children's brains work normally. Dr. Ingraham urges parents to teach their children every day, by example as well as by communication, so that they develop positive and healthy habits and lifestyles, now and for the future. Children learn best by example

Bed on time: Sleep is brain restoration time. The brain's systems do not function very well without sleep.

Normal nutrition: The brain requires normal nutrition to develop normally and replenish the brain's chemicals.

Regular exercise: Endorphins are the brain's built-in stabilizers. Exercise and physical work stabilize the brain's systems, especially the emotion response and mood regulation systems.

Regular outdoor time: Being outdoors is therapeutic. We humans were not meant to be indoors all the time.

Regular chores and responsibility: Teach your child how to work. Work keeps a child connected to the reality of life. Teaching a child by example how to work helps the brain develop normally. The opportunity to learn to work is crucial. Children who never work never mature.

Tie all privileges to responsibilities: This keeps the child connected to the reality of life, and what life requires for success.

No exposure to violence, in any form: Violence in the family, violence in the environment, violence in TV, videos, video games and movies. Repeated and continual exposure to violence, whether in person or in the media, reprograms the child's primitive brain systems. We want to maintain the normal ecology of our children's brains.

No exposure to greed, extravagance, explicit sex: These are major problems with the media and our value systems, both of which have disconnected our children from reality.

Simplify your life and your family's life: Make your family's life more personal and less driven.

Get in tune with your real values and priorities: Get off the rollercoaster of materialism.

Source: CHILDREN’S HEALTH CARE OF ATLANTA, Georgia Dept of American Academy of Pediatrics and Department of Human Resources.

The Importance of Teaching Children Good Social Skills

Among other skill develpment options, it is noted that social skill is the most important among all. This post would help you learn the importance of teaching good social skills to children.

Your 4-year-old may already know how to tie their own shoelaces and spell out their first and last names. But as preschool looms around the corner, are you worried how well they’ll fit in with the rest of the classroom?

According to a nationwide survey conducted of 1,000 parents by Mom Central Inc. on behalf of Hasbro Inc., the majority of parents feel the same way with 90 percent considering social skills to be vital to their children’s happiness and confidence.

Nearly eight out of 10 parents also think social skills are more important than academic skills when it comes to their child’s overall happiness. As a matter of fact, parents gave social skills a higher ranking than academic skills on the survey in nearly every area of child development.

“More than ever, our children must get along with others to function effectively,” says Stacy DeBroff, chief executive officer of Mom Central, found at www.momcentral.com. “In this age of team sports and structured play, it has never been more critical for our children to master socialization skills. From children’s play groups to collaboration in the classroom, kids today engage in significantly more structured group activities, raising the profile and the necessity for good social skills.”

According to the survey, one in five parents feel overwhelmed with teaching social skills and more than one-third say that teaching social skills leads to frustration. In response, Stacy DeBroff has developed some tips parents can use to help their child learn social skills in a positive and reinforcing way:

* Lead by example.

Children are excellent observers. If they see Mom and Dad using polite language, sharing and being respectful, they will follow their parents’ guidance.

* Play with them in an educational way.

Children love to play games with their parents because it provides them with direct attention. Noodleboro by Hasbro is a new line of board games, which includes storybooks and audio CDs that nurture preschoolers’ social skills through laughter and play.

* Take a problem-solving approach.

If a situation becomes stressful, encourage your child to talk about the issues they might have with saying “please,” and “thank you” or sharing their toys with their friends. By allowing children to talk, they often discover for themselves what’s causing the problem while also coming up with unique ways in which they will be able to handle themselves.

“It’s more than just manners… it’s sharing, it’s listening, and it’s engaging with others. The Noodleboro games offer an innovative way to use a classic board game to reward and challenge kids as they learn valuable social skills,” says DeBroff.

Source: 'ARAcontent'

More resource and articles:
* Download pdf report: 'Discipline- teaching school age children social skills'

* How to Teach Your Child Social Skills

* At 'Self Growth: "How to Teach Your Child Social Skills?"