~ Click and Learn ~ It’s Thursday, and time for Charlie to study Social Sciences and we will be checking out the Recommended Websites: If you have used these resources leave me a comment and let me know what you thought of them and why.

Recommended Website: India

Age Range: 10-18 (Grades 5-12, with parental supervision) Did you know that there was once a Mughal Empire, and that at its peak it encompassed most of India? You will know quite a bit about it after a visit to this virtual classroom developed by the British Museum.

When you get to the site, you’ll see a picture of a classroom. Roll your cursor over the items in the picture to see what each one reveals. Then, simply click on an item to access the contents including:

• Bookcase – Start with an overview. What was the Mughal Empire? Who formed it? What area did it cover? When did it begin and how long did it last? Be sure to click on the bookcase and then select individual books to learn all about various emperors and more! To turn the pages, you will need to click the corner of a page and drag it to the opposite side of the book. To jump to the table of contents, you will need to click just below the book. While you are looking at the individual books, there is a small picture of a bookcase in the top right corner of your screen so that you can easily go back to select another book; if you are finished reading, you can always click on the word “Home” at the bottom of the screen to return to the virtual classroom. (Note: In the book on Akbar, page 4 is missing, replaced by page 11. But that doesn’t detract much from the story; just insert the words “ruling briefly,” turn to page 5, and resume reading.) In addition to plenty of fascinating history, there are also some interactive games hidden inside the books! (Hint: If you are looking for games, try the book about coins.)
• Coin Cabinet (located on the top of the bookshelf) – Coins reveal a lot about a country including who was in power when they were minted, and a bit about the values and beliefs of the nation. Open all the drawers in this cabinet to learn what coins tell us about Mughal religions, emperors, politics, and more! Helpful Hint: Click the knob at the bottom of the drawer to close it and return to the coin cabinet.
• Warfare (or weapons cabinet, located to the right of the easel) – Try your hand at affixing the correct labels to the various implements of war. Some of them are quite ornate! A virtual magnifying glass is provided to examine the engravings, precious inlaid gems, and other intricate details. Each time you play this game, there is a different collection to label.
• Terrapin (jade turtle) – Learn about this remarkable treasure and then take the Terrapin Challenge – try to identify its species!
• Globe – Use your mouse to spin it and find capitals of various countries of the world.

Keep clicking around to see all the treasures hidden in the virtual classroom. Don’t miss the information stored in the “file cabinets” or the “art chest drawer” (located under the terrapin). Check out the date calculator by clicking on the calendar or view the painting on the easel.

DON’T MISS the VIRTUAL TOUR of the Taj Mahal by clicking on the clipboard.

There is simply too much to absorb in just one visit, so bookmark the site to return again.

Recommended Website: Thursday: History Books, Crafts, & Games for K-12

Age Range: 5-18 (Grades K-12, with parental supervision) Veteran homeschool mom, Carol Henderson, owns this website that she designed to help other home educators find interesting and fun “real” books about history and social studies along with timelines, maps, craft activites, and interactive history websites with games and more that enhance the study of World History and American History.

When you get to the site, use the menu to find: 

Recommended Website: Geographic.com

Age Range: 9-18 (Grades 3-12, with parental supervision) This site is an archive of resources for learning about geography. Young children may also enjoy aspects of this site with parental assistance.

When you get to the site, use the menu to explore: 

• Historical Global Weather – Data from 1763!
• Climate – Learn all about the climate and temperature of different countries, as well as the geological aspects that contribute to the climate.
• Flags – See the colorful flags of every country.
• Maps – Get maps of the countries of the world, including population maps, world language maps, earthquake maps, time zone maps and more!
• Countries of the World – Learn about the history, population, geography, economy, transportation, communications, education, religion, government and military in every country. Find out which countries are the “greenest” and the most livable places on earth. (Much of the information at this site is from the CIA’s fact book.)

You’ll also find photos, nautical charts, and airport codes here too.

Don’t miss reading the archived publication “Early Childhood: Where Learning Begins – Geography” that provides simple activities and ideas on how to teach geography to young children. The direct link to the publication is here.

• History Reading Lists – A chronological listing of the best fiction and nonfiction books for kids and teens about important people and events in the Ancient World, Middle Ages, Age of Discovery, World Wars I & II, and The Present Era. Book titles are linked to site affiliates for ease of purchase. You can also look for the titles at your library.
• History Crafts & Projects – Get craft activities that extend learning about any era in American and World history. You’ll find instructions for making Corn Husk Dolls, an Egyptian Pharaoh’s Death Mask, Origami Dinosaurs, A Knight’s Helmet, recipes for authentic foods of different historical eras, and much more! Some require purchase of materials to do the craft, which are linked to this site’s affiliates.
• Online Games – Get links to a terrific selection of online games (many hosted by museums) that boost learning about history and geography. Enjoy games about Mesopotamia, Egypt, ancient Greece, Rome, Israel, China, Japan, Incan & Aztec Empires, Middle Ages, Vikings, The Black Plague, Renaissance, Shakespeare, Victorian Era, and much, much more! The activities I visited were free or free with registration.
• Maps & Timelines – This section recommends some innovative ways for students to use maps and timelines as they study history. There’s a selection of books, kits, maps and timelines for sale, and also free instructions on how to make your own materials along with links to websites that provide free resources such as printable maps.

Most of the information at this site includes suggested grade levels from Kindergarten through High School. The site is well-maintained: we only found a few links that led to error messages which is unusual for a site with so much content.

ABookInTime.com is a fabulous resource for finding books and activities to supplement learning about history. You’ll want to return often.

Recommended Website: The Clans & Tartans of Scotland

Age Range: 10-18 (Grades 5-12, with parental supervision) This ad-supported website offers the condensed history of Scotland. It has a well-organized and easy-to-maneuver format.   

Here are some of the highlights: 

• You can explore the key historical happenings by century – and see some photos of Scottish ruins and landscapes.
• Learn all about the origins of 120 Clans from A-Z – and you can even see photos of each clan’s tartan and crest!
• Read some Scotch Myths – (and download some tartan “wallpaper” in the process!)

This site is designed to be a teaser for the products offered in the store. But there is plenty of interesting information for free at this site – that will be of particular interest to anyone with Scottish heritage.

Thank you,

Glenda, Charlie and David Cates