Art Resources + Online Painting/Drawing Program Denver Art Museum Explore ancient cultures and artworks with interactive slideshows www.wackykids.org Sumo Paint A free online image editor and painting program with similar features and layout as Adobe Photoshop. This program is suitable for more complex photo editing and the website also has an online gallery, therefore, this website would be more appropriate for grades 6 and older. www.sumopaint.com Sketchpad A simple online painting program with dynamic brushes, this website would be suitable for all grades. Younger students may need initial help with choosing colors, but the program is largely intuitive. mugtug.com Math & Science Resources + Homework Help NASA Student Resources Games about aeronautics, physics, science trivia, space trivia (K-8) www.nasa.gov Online Math Tools Manipulatives, geometry pegboards, fraction modeling, graphing calculator, math facts (K-8) www.theteachersguide.com Tower of Hanoi Math Logic Puzzle nlvm.usu.edu Cool Math Games Flash games, spatial reasoning puzzles, practice math facts (K-6) www.coolmath-games.com Funbrain Games Math, reading, spelling, and writing games (K-6) www.funbrain.com Interactive Human Body Riddle Book (Grade 2-3) www.apples4theteacher.com Interactive Fridge Magnets Create wacky stories with nouns, verbs, and adjectives www.apples4theteacher.com Science Homework Help education.jlab.org Math & Science Trivia education.jlab.org Josie True An online adventure game for ...
Thursday, December 29, 2011
Sunday, December 25, 2011
In 2012, Where to Assemble After the Continental Shift?
Our Earth turns counter-clockwise. In Timaeus, Plato described the shifting in the Earth's crust as follows: "The globe makes all kinds of movements, forwards and backwards and then downward, wandering in all directions." This uncommon portrayal of the behavior of the Earth's surface perfectly describes a polar reversal. At the end of 2012, once the polar reversal has taken place, the Earth will begin rotating clockwise. At this time the Earth's crust will have shifted, pushing North America in the direction of the pole. It will seem as if the Earth is moving itself in all directions: from left to right and from below to above and vice versa. There are plenty of directions the continents can move in! But where will they end up?
Fourteen thousand years ago the scientists of Aha-Men-Ptah calculated that their whole continent would be destroyed completely, come 9792 BC. With great certainty, they knew how the Earth would start behaving. It is highly probable that they based their predictions on the polar shift of 29,808 BC. They must have speculated that the same type of shift would take place in 9792, but in reverse, leading them to the conclusion that the continents would drift back in the opposite direction. After many calculations they also figured out that their entire continent would become the South Pole and would therefore freeze over and become uninhabitable. For that reason they decided to lay plans for a mass exodus to take place on that fateful day. Many were able to escape despite the multitude of difficulties they encountered, among them, a civil war.
Escape and Overpopulation
Because the Atlanteans had hundreds of years of preparation to survive the last cataclysm, there are billions, instead of tens of millions, of people living in the world today. Taking this into consideration, we encounter an unfortunate moral and ecological question: would it be better that a great many or that only a vital few should survive? For the time being, this question need not be answered. Few know about the forthcoming catastrophe. Even fewer are convinced of taking measures to ensure anyone's survival. Perhaps only a few thousand will survive, a minute fraction of the percentage that survived twelve thousand years ago.
The reasons we will suffer such devastation are simple: lack of preparation and planning. The last time a polar shift occurred, the Atlanteans were prepared. They had built enough unsinkable boats to carry everyone off the continent. They had also devised an evacuation plan, which they practiced in preparation for the coming event. Presently, there are few ships available to the public that will withstand the devastation of a polar reversal. There is no plan for escape.
A Catastrophic Shift?
In the event a polar shift of greater magnitude than anticipated should occur, all our present plans may be futile; that is to say, in a case such as one wherein the present polar landmasses would shift all the way to the equator in a very short period of time. Such a drastic shift would have disastrous effects on planetary life.
In the July 25th 1997 issue of Science magazine, there is published proof that such a monumental polar shift can occur. The facts were gathered by researchers of the California Institute of Technology and relate to a period of 535 million years ago. Geologists at the California Institute discovered "that a change of 90 degrees had occurred in the turning direction of the Earth's axis." Landmasses that were previously situated at the North and South Poles slid around the Earth and stopped on the equator. Two opposite points that were previously situated on the equator became the new poles. The researchers compiled the evidence found at the base of stones deposited during and after this interval of time, and discovered geophysical proof that all the big continents were subject to an impulse movement, a rapid, catastrophic rotation of great proportions involving the whole Earth's crust.
Should we experience a catastrophe of the same magnitude as mentioned above, our numbers will drastically decrease. Few habitable areas will be left on Earth for some time due to the fact that the land under the South Pole is frozen and buried beneath enormous amounts of ice. When newly situated at the equator, the continent will require time to melt before anyone will be able to live there. Currently habitable areas will become colder and less able to sustain life.
According to the facts, a shift this drastic hasn't occurred in 535 million years. However chances are that this could be when it happens again. A slight polar shift is disastrous enough; a ninety-degree polar shift would be a serious nightmare!
The current theory rests on a shift of thirty, maybe forty degrees; a bit farther than the previous shift. The longer the sun contains its energy, the more power there will be to unleash when it comes time to release it. A somewhat larger shift in the Earth's surface structure is expected, but in the opposite direction than what took place in 9792 BC. Let's hope the conservative estimate is true.
This brings us back to locating possible places that may provide sufficient space for human survival. The Earth's crust is fairly rigid so the shape of the continental landmasses should not deviate much from their pre-catastrophic forms. Considerable differences can occur, but the whole should remain more or less the same; however, some parts will rise above sea level, while others will sink below it.
The sliding around of the lithosphere is what causes us the greatest consternation. When the crust loses its anchor, the continents will move around on the surface of the Earth; this will restrict the number of available choices for habitation. Doing some homework though, we may be able to map out some scenarios in advance, based on a shift of thirty to forty degrees for North America. The reality after the catastrophe, optimistically, should not differ much from at least one of our models. These models make it possible to pick out several starting points for a new civilization. Pessimistically, the shift can turn out very different from our predictions, so we need to keep our options as wide open as possible. Should a starting place fail to be suitable, we need to have a few backup locations chosen to take its place.
The assembly places we are choosing are important to people who want to survive the tidal wave with the help of unsinkable boats. After the catastrophe people in these boats will be separated from others in their boats, large distances of wide-open ocean between them. Groups of survivors will be completely alone, adrift on the open sea. Without a proper plan, chances for continued survival are slim; the odds of restarting a new civilization without those people diminish. The bigger the group, the better are our chances for survival. By establishing possible meeting places beforehand, we are offering everybody the ability to reach a new place they can call home where they will meet others who have the same goal in mind. In order to create this reality, we need to take the following into account:
Meeting places need to be prioritized and restricted to a certain number-a maximum of five assembly places per model. In order for us to survive the "nuclear winter", designated meeting places have to be situated as close to the equator as possible.
According scientific calculations, choices would have to be situated in the following areas:
* South America (somewhere at the height of Lake Titicaca)
* Africa (Dragon Mountains)
* Asia (India, Thailand or Borneo)
Tuesday, December 20, 2011
Bonus Session: Google Product Showcase - Zeitgeist Europe 2010
Bonus Session - Google Product Showcase ***Please note that all the videos feature YouTube's new Captioning feature. To turn this off or on, simply click the 'cc' button in the bottom right corner of the player. As this is a brand new technology, there may be a few syncing slips - please bear with us as we work to perfect***
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Thursday, December 15, 2011
Learning Algebra With Algebra DVDs
Learning algebra can be a challenge. Many students are confused by x and y variables. Add the distractions of a classroom, and you have one frustrated student. But these difficulties can be overcome with the use of algebra DVDs, which allow students to work at their own pace.
Many adults going into second careers in health fields also need to brush up on their algebra, and DVDs are a helpful and time saving way to review.
Before you spend money on a DVD, though, there are some things to think about. The student should have a real commitment to learning. Without that, no DVD can help. Make sure your student understands that he or she will have to make an honest effort.
Then, find out all you can about the DVD you plan to buy. How does it approach the subject? If it's disorganized or unclear, it won't be much help. It should also be comprehensive, covering functions, algebraic properties, and linear equations.
Read all the available descriptions carefully to make sure it has the content you desire.
The DVD should proceed step by step, and build on previous knowledge. It should encourage students to write everything down. It should encourage students to be neat, since this will prevent a lot of mistakes. It should teach students how to read problems carefully. And it should provide plenty of practice problems.
The DVD should be a supplement to the student's algebra class. Carefully studying both the DVD and the classwork is the best way to learn.
Well-made algebra DVDs can help students master those essential algebra skills
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Sunday, December 11, 2011
Teach Your Kids Algebra: The Quadratic Formula
When I first saw the quadratic formula, I was amazed that there existed such a thing no less a way to derive this elegant formula. For those who remember, this formula gives a sure-fire way of getting the solution to those things we call quadratic, or second-degree equations, in mathematics. For many students, this formula is a nightmare of grand proportions and its mastery seems no more probable than striking it rich with the lottery. However, with some novel techniques and some different approaches, the mastery of this formula--which provides a linchpin to understanding algebra on a deeper level--becomes a walk in the park.
In fairness to the readers out there who are not familiar with my writings and teachings, let me point out to them that getting to the heart of the matter has always been my prime focus in whatever subject or course I am teaching. The core of the Wiz Kid Teaching Philosophy, which I have created and catalogued over the past twenty years or so, hinges on getting right to the heart of the matter. Another way of putting this, albeit more luridly, is that I like to go right for the jugular. Such is the case in teaching the quadratic formula.
In my Wiz Kid Algebracadabra series, I teach the method of quadratic compression. Basically, this method "chunks" the quadratic formula down to pieces, each of which is easily digested by the student. The quadratic formula is indeed a mouthful; however, the chunked-down version is quite manageable. Moreover, once students see this method, they start to realize that they can apply this methodology to other areas of their studies, coming out ahead of the pack and obviating much of their frustration and confusion.
The beauty of the Method of Quadratic Compression is that it takes a difficult formula and decomposes it into a few easy pieces. Once students see this, they are no longer intimidated by this famous formula; moreover, they are less inclined to be intimidated in the future by newly introduced formulas and equations. Now what could be better than that. No fear equals enhanced scholastic success. And you know what parents?: when your kids do well in school, you can go about your life with less headaches. That's a deal everyone can live with.
See more at Algebra Ebook and Help with Math
Wednesday, December 7, 2011
Why Study Calculus - The Limit
Calculus does have its limits. Indeed. In order to understand the pun of the first sentence, you need to know that calculus has two key branches: differential and integral. Although the concept of limit belongs to both branches and is an essential component to the understanding and mastery of this kind of math, differential calculus gets its name from the derivative; and such a creature depends entirely on the concept of limit. In fact, the derivative is nothing more than a special kind of limit.
Now what the heck is a limit? If you think of the ordinary definition of limit as some terminal point or boundary that is reached, then you start to get a feel for the concept of the mathematical limit. Although this concept has a formal definition, which if I stated, would probably not make a lot of sense because of the Greek letters and mathematical symbols, the actual idea is not at all hard to understand. In other words, anyone can understand the concept of limit and therefore have a good foundation toward the understanding of the calculus. In order to get this understanding, however, we must first introduce some basic definitions. These are independent variable, dependent variable, and function.
Function is one of the most important ideas in all of mathematics. In fact, most of the study of mathematics either directly or indirectly has something to do with the idea of a function. A function is nothing more than a rule, a model, a relationship between two other objects: the independent and dependent variables. The idea of function has a mathematical notation usually written as y = f(x) and read "y equals f of x." Using this notation, y is called the dependent variable (because its value depends on what we choose for x), and x is called the independent variable.
Functions describe all kinds of things in the real world, from the growth of money at different interest rates, to the speed at which a tsunami moves in the ocean. One of the simplest of all kinds of functions is the linear function, so named because its graph produces a straight line. A linear function like y = 2x just says that whatever value we pick for the independent variable x, we get twice that value for the dependent variable y. For example, if x = 2 then y = 4, and if x = 10, then y = 20.
Now that we have laid this groundwork, we can talk in plain English--I just hate all the mathematical mumbo jumbo--of what a limit means. A limit simply means that as the value of the independent variable gets closer and closer to some value, then the dependent variable gets closer and closer to some other value. For example, if we take the linear function y = 2x just discussed, then as x gets closer and closer to the value of 2, y gets closer and closer to the value 4. At this point, you might be saying, "Okay so what's the big deal?" Well there are times when the value of x cannot take on the limiting value, which in the example discussed was 2. In other words, we cannot calculate the value of the function when the value of x is equal to 2, yet we can still talk about what happens to the value of the function when x gets very close to the value of 2.
The idea discussed above is what gives us the concept of derivative, which is nothing more than a special limit. From the concept of derivative, all kinds of applications emerge: we can find the maximum and minimum values of functions and find rates at which one quantity is changing with respect to another at some instantaneous point. It is the derivative which permits us to find the dimensions of a rectangle if we wish to have as large an area as possible and it is the derivative that tells us the maximum height that a ball will reach when thrown according to a specific law.
Yes a simple question like "In a special relation called a function between two variables, what happens to the value of the dependent variable when the independent variable gets closer and closer to some specific value?" has spawned all kinds of mathematical discoveries by opening the door to the calculus. Not bad for a single question.
See more at Wiz Kid Calculus
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Thursday, December 1, 2011
Math Equations, Fractions & Problem Solving : How to Solve Trig Problems
Solving trig problems requires using a sine function, a cosine function and a tangent and making use of sine tables used for hundreds of years to find the value. Figure out trigonometry problems, which are based on right angle triangles, with an online math lesson from an experienced high school teacher in this free video on mathematics. Expert: Steve Jones Contact: www.marlixint.com Bio: Steve Jones is an experienced mathematics and science teacher. Filmmaker: Paul Volniansky
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