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Surfing the Net with Kids PREMIUM Newsletter
for Printables Club Subscribers
http://www.surfnetkids.com/printables/
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Table of Contents

1. Introduction
2. Weekly Topic and Printable: Thomas Alva Edison
3. Related Games
4. Related Books
5. Related Surfnetkids Topics
6. Google Search for More Thomas Alva Edison Sites
7. Internet Tip of the Week
8. From my Mailbag: Grammar Grabbers
9. Quote of the Week
10. Surfing the Calendar
11. Ask Barbara
12. Classified Ads
13. Membership Management

October 22, 2003

Dear Reader,

This is a sample of the PREMIUM newsletter Surfnetkids Club members get every week. Take a look at the Table of Contents, and you'll notice all the educational content. First of all, this PREMIUM newsletter contains six to nine site recommendations on the weekly topic (instead of three included in the free version.) Members also get an Internet Tip of the Week (because we're never too old to learn something new!), From My Mailbag, Ask Barbara and Surfing the Calendar.

And, since this is called the Printables Club, don't overlook the link to the two-page Internet enrichment printable that members can use in their classroom. Members tell me they just love this newsletter format because it's easy on the eyes, and preserves the URLs when they print out a copy. Try it yourself with a risk-free trial at http://www.surfnetkids.com/printables-club.htm

See ya on the Net,
Barbara J. Feldman
"Surfing the Net with Kids"
http://www.surfnetkids.com

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#2. Thomas Alva Edison
by Barbara J. Feldman
http://www.surfnetkids.com/edison.htm

Thomas Alva Edison Printable
http://www.surfnetkids.com/printables/edison.pdf


With a lifetime dedicated to invention, Thomas A. Edison earned 1,093 U.S. patents, more than any other single inventor. His impressive achievements include the invention of electric lighting, the phonograph, and motion pictures. Edison was not only a successful inventor, but also an excellent business man who created companies to manufacture his inventions. As befits a man of his talents, there are many websites devoted to Edison and his inventions. These are the pick of the litter.

American Experience: Edison's Miracle of Light
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/amex/edison/

Produced as a web companion to the 1995 PBS television special, Edison's Miracle of Light is a worthwhile stop even if you've not seen the film. Best clicks are the time line of Edison's life, photo gallery of eight of his inventions, and the Special Features. "In 1887 direct current (DC) was king. At that time there were 121 Edison power stations scattered across the United States delivering DC electricity to its customers." Learn all about AC/DC in the first interactive Special Feature. The second is a collection of five fun tunes the Edison company produced on phonograph records between 1919 and 1926.

Edison After Forty
http://americanhistory.si.edu/edison/

"In 1887, at the age of 40 - with a new wife, a new home, a new winter retreat - Thomas Alva Edison set up shop in a new and grandiose laboratory. There he hoped to recapture and ultimately surpass the inventiveness he had enjoyed in the much smaller laboratory he had used a few years earlier. Edison's goal proved elusive." Edison After Forty, produced by the Smithsonian, is a unique look at the demands that success placed upon the prolific inventor.

Edison Invents!
http://www.si.edu/lemelson/edison/

My pick-of-the-day site is another gem from the Smithsonian. I chose it because it combines multimedia with a well-written feature article, and best of all, it begins with a game. Depending on your mood, there are two ways to navigate Edison Invents! The fun way is to play the Flash concentration game (match Edison's inventions) and then to travel around the game board, clicking on the icons representing phases of Edison's life. The more direct route (for those of you with homework due) is to click on Edison's Story.

Library of Congress: Inventing Entertainment
http://memory.loc.gov/ammem/ndlpedu/collections/ed/

Because a collection as large as The Library of Congress can be daunting, their online curators created Learning Pages that offer "tips and tricks, definitions and rationale for using primary sources, activities, discussions, lesson plans and suggestions for using the collections in classroom curriculum." This Learning Page Collection Connection focuses on the early motion pictures and sound recordings of the Edison companies. My favorite clicks are the movie clips such as "A Day with Thomas A. Edison" and "The Great Train Robbery."

Menlo Park in Edison, New Jersey
http://www.edisonnj.org/menlopark/

The Thomas Alva Edison Memorial Tower and Menlo Park Museum were built in 1937 on the exact spot of Edison's original research and development lab, where he earned over 400 patents for inventions such as the incandescent light bulb, the phonograph and the electric railroad car. In fact, the online museum focuses on these three particular inventions, but is also chock full of odd tidbits such as a page titled "Yum! What Did Edison Eat?"

Honorable Mentions

America's Library: Thomas Alva Edison
http://www.americaslibrary.gov/cgi-bin/page.cgi/aa/edison

Edisonian
http://www.edisonian.com/

Edison's Home Page
http://www.thomasedison.com/

Undiscovered World of Thomas Edison
http://www.theatlantic.com/issues/95dec/edison/edison.htm

#3. Related Games

Thomas Edison Word Search
http://www.surfnetkids.com/games/edison-ws.htm

Thomas Edison Printable Word Search
http://www.surfnetkids.com/printables/Word_Searches/edison-ws.pdf

(Learn how to make games just like this with my step-by-step manual. )

#4. Click on Book Cover for Related Books



#5. Related Topics

Inventing
http://www.surfnetkids.com/invent.htm

Alexander Graham Bell
http://www.surfnetkids.com/bell.htm

Benjamin Franklin
http://www.surfnetkids.com/franklin.htm

#6. Google Search for More Thomas Alva Edison Sites

http://www.google.com/search?q=thomas+edison&safe=active&lr=lang_en

#7. Internet Tip of the Week:

Digital music is abuzz with new offerings that range from pay-per-download stores to monthly subscription sites. With all the activity, come a few new music formats. Both Windows Media Audio (WMA) and Advanced Audio Coding (AAC) include copy protection that allow the publisher to define what you can do with the download. MP3 is a popular music format that does not include any copy protection. When you purchase digital music, a desktop player or a portable music player, be aware of which formats are supported; very few of the most popular products support all three formats.

#8. From My Mailbag: Grammar Grabbers

http://www3.sympatico.ca/bill.cutler/INDEX.HTM
""Grammar Grabbers takes a light-hearted approach to what would otherwise be an overly serious topic. Its primary goal is to assist visitors to the site in their efforts to improve their use of the English language. It's fun! It's helpful!" " From Bill Cutler, a reader from Pickering, Ontario, Canada, who is affiliated with the site..

#9. Quote of the Week
A Minute of Inspiration: Light a Fire Movie
http://www.surfnetkids.com/movie/

Daily Education Quote via Email
http://www.surfnetkids.com/quotations/

"My heart is singing for joy this morning. A miracle has happened! The light of understanding has shone upon my little pupil's mild, and behold, all things are changed." ~~ Anne Sullivan (1866 - 1936) educator who gained fame as Helen Keller's teacher

#10. Surfing the Calendar

Statue of Liberty dedicated
Oct 28, 1886
Halloween Costumes
Oct 31, 2003
Halloween Ghost Stories
Oct 31, 2003
Harry Houdini's Death
Oct 31, 1926

#11. Ask Barbara

Dear Barbara,
Do you know of any web sites that instruct on how to put together a citation for a research paper?
Thanks. Jeff B.

Dear Jeff,
I think this would be a great topic for a weekly column. Meanwhile here are two free online tools format Modern Language Associaton (MLA) citations:

EasyBib
http://www.easybib.com/

NoddleTools Quick Cite
http://www.noodletools.com/quickcite/

#12. Surfnetkids Classified Ads

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

Quiz-Buddy flash card software makes studying easy.
http://www.surfnetkids.com/quiz-buddy.htm

Personal Medical Alert pendant will call for help even when you can't reach a phone.
http://www.PioneerEmergency.com

Get Awesome Grades in Math and Science.
http://surfnetkids.com/awesomegrades.htm

Give your family the gift of financial literacy, with a board game that's fun to play.
http://www.surfnetkids.com/cashflow101.htm

FUN GIFT IDEA: Puzzle Clonzz jigsaw paper for printing forty-piece jigsaw puzzles from your computer printer.
http://surfnetkids.com/puzzleclonzz.htm

Surfnetkids Sponsored Website Text Links are a bargain at $125/month for more than +500,000 impressions!
http://www.surfnetkids.com/ratecard.htm

#13. Membership Management

You are NOT yet subscribed to the Surfnetkids Printables Club, but you can be. Sign up for a risk-free trial at http://www.surfnetkids.com/printables-club.htm

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Copyright © 2003 by Barbara J. Feldman.
Publication in any medium is strictly prohibited without prior written permission. This means you are NOT allowed to post this newsletter on your website, in your school publication, nor distribute it to an email list. Thank you for your help in protecting my copyright.

ISSN 1520-4588
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