1. Introduction
2. Sponsor's Spot: Don't Pay Full Price for Ink
3. Weekly Topic: Presidential Candidates
4. What Did We Miss? Submit Site or Link To Us
5. Notes from Many Readers
6. Related Games
7. Related Video
8. Quote of the Week
9. Classified Ads
10. Subscription Management
#1. January 16, 2008
Dear Barbara,
Whew! I can breathe again!
Since showing you NurseryRhymesOnline a few weeks ago, it's really grown. It now has over 1100 rhymes, nursery songs, Mother Goose rhymes
and limericks. It's still not "done" yet, but it is getting close. A few of things that I added recently are:
In the years preceding a presidential election, many candidates announce their intent to run. But by mid-September of election year, the race focuses primarily on the candidates chosen by the Republican and Democratic parties. How do the parties choose their candidates? That's the focus of this week's web quest.
CNN Student News One-Sheet: Caucuses and Primaries http://www.cnn.com/2008/LIVING/studentnews/01/03/one.sheet.caucus.primary/
CNN Student News presents a single-page explanation of how the political parties choose their candidates, and the difference between a caucus and a primary. Following the link back to the Student News front page, you'll find related election articles and activities, including the Caucuses and Primaries Learning Activity ( http://tinyurl.com/2fofbw ) which is a set of open-ended questions for classroom discussion, and a form for students to submit videos about the election.
Enchanted Learning: U.S. Election Glossary http://www.enchantedlearning.com/election/glossary.shtml
"Hanging Chad - a chad is a tiny bit of paper that is punched from a ballot using a punch-type mechanical voting machine. A hanging chad is a chad that did not completely detach from the ballot. When there is a hanging chad, that vote may not be counted correctly." For elementary and middle school students, this election glossary from Enchanted Learning defines seventy-five terms from "absentee ballot" to "voting machine."
Howstuffworks: How do Caucuses Work? http://people.howstuffworks.com/question721.htm
Since federal law doesn't specify how states choose their delegates, each state has its own procedure. Most states hold primaries, where voters choose their favorite candidates, but a few still use the older caucus system, were the decisions are made in a series of meetings. Visit Howstuffworks to learn the ins and outs of presidential caucuses, and how the Democratic and Republican parties choose their convention delegates.
It was so nice to receive your well wishes about my recovery from bronchitis. I am pleased to report that although I still cough like a cigarette-smoking truck driver, my energy is back. Hooray! I don't have space to individual acknowledge each well wisher, but here a couple of notes I received.
I am really sorry you have bronchitis. My brother had it and it was terrible!
Your Fan,
Andrea
This is not a good beginning of 2008. I wish you all health. I hope that this finds you in the best of health.
Sincerely,
Rajendra
**Printables Club members get 6 to 9 recommended sites (instead of the 3 included in this free newsletter) and
oodles of additional educational content with the Surfnetkids
Premium Newsletter.
Learn more with a ten-day trial: http://www.surfnetkids.com/printables-club.htm
"You don't have to burn books to destroy a culture. Just get people to stop reading them." ~~ Ray Bradbury (born August 22, 1920) American science fiction author.
No time to workout? No problem! Introducing the amazing new workout program that's the laziest way to get in shape - works almost any place, anytime, anywhere...even while watching TV! http://www.fit-and-sit.com
Online games turn ordinary school assignments into interactive fun.
Show your kids how to author word searches, jigsaws and
crossword puzzles. http://www.how2add.com
Dear Barbara,
