Brandywine Elementary School, Pendleton County, West Virginia

Online Resources for Parents and Kids

If you've tried to find a site to help your child learn and have fun, you know how overwhelming the selection. We've done the work for you and offer a selection of web sites organized around the four basic learning modules. Reinforce learning at school and use time online as time together. If you have discovered a helpful web site that provides fun and easy-to-use supplementary material, send the link to Mr. Propst in an e-mail. There's a good chance we'll share your selection!

But first — stay safe on the Internet by taking and passing this Online Computer Safety Quiz.

We do our best to select quality web sites. The Pendleton County Board of Education and Brandywine Elementary School take no responsibility for your cyber-travels once you leave this site. Be prudent and download files to a disk and scan them with your anti-virus software before opening them. Do not share personal information over the Internet.

Language and Writing Resources

An Unfortunate Series of Events [ASOUE]
Chateau Meddybemps - "Rather than provide level after level of a particular type of activity, we simply encourage parents to use our site to explore the fun in learning. Discuss this. Play with that. Answer a riddle. Learn about letters of the alphabet. Count, color and create. Write a story."
ASOUE
Between the Lions - Get Wild About Reading • Between the Lions is produced by WGBH Boston, Sirius Thinking, Ltd., and Mississippi Public Broadcasting, and is funded in part by a Ready To Learn Television Cooperative Agreement from the US Department of Education through the Public Broadcasting Service, and by the Barksdale Reading Institute.
Children's Storybooks Online • Site includes books to read, sounds, mazes, riddles and coloring pages. The Farm Animals story by Rolando Merino is a complete online version in Talking eBook format. Click and hear every individual word pronounced, hear every page read, and listen to real farm animal sounds.
CNN article on ASOUE
DinosaurTales.com • Kids writing, dinosaur stories and news, children's creative writings and more.
Find Your Favorite Author Online
First Grade Backpack - Reading • At this site are links to alphabet stories and activities, phonics activities, stories to read online, spelling activities and much more.
Handwriting for Kids • Basic Handwriting for Kids, both cursive and uppercase. Alphabet animations show the correct steps in forming letters.
Kids on the Net • Writings by and for kids around the world. A web site that looks at life online and off-line through children's eyes. With exciting collaborative writing.
Literacy Center Education Network • Free colorful online activities for teachers and parents. Great for upper and lower case recognition of letters. Numbers. Keyboard. Shapes. Colors. Requires Flash plug-in.
Neuroscience for Kids - Writing Projects • Try one of these creative writing projects to spice up your study of the nervous system.
Teeth and Dead Cats • [Doesn't the title make you curious??? This is part of the site above.] Randomized stories from Nottingham produced by children at the Experian Big 3 Book Award day 2003 and based on the prize-winning books.
The Mother Goose Page • Every Mother Goose Rhyme imaginable can be found here. This is an instructional link: "Reading Nursery Rhymes to Children."
Time for Kids - Homework Helper • Write ideas — give your writing a boost!
TIME for Kids Interview with Snicket
Trivia Quiz for Lemony Snicket's Books
WritingFix • Where getting your daily writing "fix" is more important than fixing your writing. Write EVERY day! Hello writers, teachers, and students. Have you been inspired to do any writing today?

Math

A+ Math • This site has plenty of activities and games to help beginning to intermediate math students improve their skills. Flash cards, concentration games and more.

AAA Math • Designed for grades K-8, this comprehensive math resource contains hundreds of pages of basic math skills and randomly-created interactive practice activities.

Ask Dr. Math • This is a huge resource of answers to math questions for elementary to college students. If you have a question not covered, you can ask Dr. Math!

Fun Brain • Click your age and level and then connect to lots of math games including Tic Tac Toe Squares, Connect the Dots, Addition, Subtraction, Measurement and much more.

Fun School • Fun School is a site jam-packed full of interactive, educational games. Click on grade level or on puzzles and games. [commercial advertising]

Interactive Math • Site has a variety of Interactive math activities including puzzles, matching, arithmetic games and many other links to math related sites. This site is definitely worth a look!

Kids Math • Tips about using worksheets, games and math problems to teach kids math.

Math and Reading Help • Games that will teach kids math. Free math games online. Math PC games.

Math Baseball • Choose your game and choose your level. Then step up to home plate and play Math baseball.

Math Dictionary • An animated interactive dictionary for students that explains over 500 common mathematical terms in simple language.

Math for Kids • A Medieval Adventure in Problem-solving. This website was designed by two fourth graders for fourth graders who want to sharpen their math skills.

Math Magic on the Web • Math Magic was a K-12 telecommunications project developed in El Paso, Texas by Alan A. Hodson. The intent of the project was to provide motivation for students to use computer technology while increasing problem-solving strategies and communications skills. Math Magic posted challenges in each of four categories (k-3, 4-6, 7-9 and 10-12), which are now archived and available to view in plain text or download in MS Word file format.

Prongo.com • In the mood for a fun collection of games that might just teach you something at the same time? Practice your math skills in games like Lemonade Larry and Batter's Up Baseball. Also includes age-specific games like checkers, connect the dots, matching, word and maze games.

Rick's Math Web • Pre-kindergarden to high school students looking for a better understanding of math will find over 4,750 problems to help them improve their skills. Problems can be printed in worksheet form and tips and tricks are included for each area of study.

Teach R Kids Math • Learn number basics, addition, subtraction, fractions, and much more with these interactive online math worksheets. Exercises are designed for preschool through 3rd grade students.
Math Help and Practice:

Figure This! Math Challenges for Families • Especially good for 5th and 6th graders • From the NCTM

Cool Math 4 Kids [Lots of ads!]

Making Change Game

Multiplication.com

Science

Bill Nye the Science Guy • Learn about Bill Nye the Science Guy and his show, choose from 40 'Home Demos' you can try, watch video clips, and more.

Brain POP • Animated science, health, technology, math, social studies and English movies, comic strips and activity pages. Subscription required for access to all activities but there are free ones to try.

Cool Science for Curious Kids • Includes five interactive activities for kids. From the Howard Hughes Medical Institute.

Energy Quest • Visit "Devoured by the Dark, " an online adventure as well as the science project section. Created by the California Energy Dept.

EurekAlert! - Science for Kids • Features weekly news based on research published in the journal Science.

For Kids Only - Earth Science Enterprise • Learn about NASA earth science projects related to air, thunderstorms, the earth's crust, tropical rainfall, and water. Sponsored by NASA's Earth Science Educational Products and Programs.

Funology.com • At Funology, science is all about having fun! But that's not all. Besides fun facts and experiments you can perform, you'll also find crafts, recipes, magic tricks, jokes, and a whole lot more.

Marvelous Machines • This site contains a series of experiments about simple machines: levers, wheels and inclined planes. The experiments are designed for use by third graders but can be adapted.

National Agricultural Library - Kids' Science Page • Lists of books, articles, and web sites on specific agricultural subjects. Also includes related science fair projects.

PBS Kids • Mix cool science with your hot ideas! The five senses, forces, patterns, sound, structures, water and more. Activities that help the environment are marked.

Sea and Sky • Take your pick and explore the beauty of the sea, or the wonders of the universe. Sea and Sky is an incredible resource, providing extensive information on the mysteries of each in amazing detail.

Science for Kids • Experiments to do, articles to read, science fair projects, puzzles and games.

SCORE Science - Kids' Corner • Web-based activities for all to enjoy. Learn about stars, comets, planets, galaxies and other space objects. Grades 3-12.
Sun Shadows Unit Links:

Why Do Leaves Change Colors?

Earth Observatory Data and Images

Weather Activities (Franklin Institute)

National Hurricane Center

Volcanos• Learn how volcanoes form, see what happens when a volcano erupts, and find out what scientists are doing to better understand and predict when a volcano will erupt.

Wonder Whiz Kids • Science project for kids - helps your kids improve on basics, a grasp on fundamental concepts of science in an interactive and collaborative environment.

Social Studies
At Home in the Heartland • Explore family life in Illinois from 1700 to the present. Real-life stories about the people who lived there give this site a very personal touch.
Countries of the World • Do you know countries of the world? Play this interactive game where a you try to guess countries of the world. This game has been simplified for the primary child.
DIG • The archaeology magazine for kids
Flag Tag • How well do you know your country flags? Let the United Nations CyberSchoolBus Flag Tag game test you!
Fifty States • United States Theme Unit - 50 States: Maps, Printables, and Worksheets
H.I.P. Pocket Change • The H.I.P. Pocket Change (HPC) Web site was launched in July 1999 by the US Mint. HPC is designed to be a fun, educational tool — for students and teachers that generates interest in coins, the Mint, and US history. Great for second and third graders.
Homework Spot - Elementary Social Studies • HomeworkSpot is a free, award-winning useful and engaging information portal and resource for first-class study and homework help for K-12 students. This link takes you to the Elementary Social Studies section, featuring General Sites, specialized Topics, Quick Reference,and more!
KidsKonnect • A dynamic educational Web site for kids, young adults, teachers and parents. Subjects include Countries & Places, Geography, Geography Games (under Games & Puzzles), History, People Social Studies and States. Check out their Alphabetized List.
Maya Adventure • Highlights science activities and information related to ancient and modern Maya culture. Interactive "Start Your Adventure" activity.
Pyramids - The Inside Story • Who built the Pyramids? How old are they? You can get answers to questions like these and explore the Pyramids of Egypt at this excellent PBS/NOVA site. Some sections of the site require the QuickTime plug-in.
State of West Virginia • (part of the above site) State of West Virginia Theme Unit - Printables and Worksheets
States and Capitals
Smithsonian Institution - Smithsonian Kids • This site has lots of information about social studies, science, mysteries of history and much more. Be sure to see the fun feature "Know It All!"
Social Studies for Kids - Geography • Geography is more than maps. It's basic to any understanding of how to get from one place to another — in your head or on paper!
US History.org
Who Is That? • This site shows you a picture of a US president and then asks you to name him. You can also do famous scientists and mathematicians.
WV's Legislative Information Kids' Page • Fun facts about West Virginia: fun quiz, famous people and state symbols.

Let us know your favorite site!