Chinese dynasties visual

An excellent visual of the geographical territories of the Chinese dynasties

This colorful visual rolls through the dynasties and gives the viewer a sense of their vastness and changes.

The Importance of Outlining

For an excellent article on why outlining is important, read the entire entry through this link.

The first paragraph:

Generating an outline before working is not just a good idea, it is essential. Most of the thinking that goes into an essay should be done by the time the outline is written, so that when you actually sit down to write your essay from the outline, your writing is not a matter of formulating ideas in your mind but merely a matter of presenting those ideas in a coherent and persuasive manner.

Useless words

May 1, 2011

Today is the 160th celebration of the first World's Fair known as The Great Exhibition of 1851 held in London, England during the reign of Queen Victoria and Prince Albert.

In Google's tradition, the anniversary was recognized by using the artful decoration over its search bar. When moused-over, a magnifying glass appears and enlarges the art underneath. Details are seen as the fountain flows with water.

To learn more about The Great Exhibition, read a short summary here or read The World for a Shilling (Leapman). Or, work The Crystal Palace 1000 piece jigsaw puzzle!

Decorah Eagle Cam

Visit the Decorah Eagle Cam!

Two cameras are placed in different locations about five feet away. The cameras are equipped with an infrared lenses so that the birds can be viewed during the night.

The House by the Side of the Road (Sam Foss)

Enjoy listening to these readings of "The House by the Side of the Road" by Sam Foss.

Kipling's "If" by Middlers

Monday night, all middle-schoolers will give a recitation of Rudyard Kipling's "If" from memory. They know it well and can be very exuberant in their presentation. I look forward to it and hope parents are pleased!

Check out "If" in song to the tune is Pachelbel's Canon with guitar. The words follow.

If
by Rudyard Kipling

If you can keep your head when all about you
Are losing theirs and blaming it on you;
If you can trust yourself when all men doubt you,
But make allowance for their doubting too;
If you can wait and not be tired by waiting,
Or, being lied about, don't deal in lies,
Or, being hated, don't give way to hating,
And yet don't look too good, nor talk too wise;

If you can dream - and not make dreams your master;
If you can think - and not make thoughts your aim;
If you can meet with triumph and disaster
And treat those two imposters just the same;
If you can bear to hear the truth you've spoken
Twisted by knaves to make a trap for fools,
Or watch the things you gave your life to broken,
And stoop and build 'em up with wornout tools;

If you can make one heap of all your winnings
And risk it on one turn of pitch-and-toss,
And lose, and start again at your beginnings
And never breath a word about your loss;
If you can force your heart and nerve and sinew
To serve your turn long after they are gone,
And so hold on when there is nothing in you
Except the Will which says to them: "Hold on";
If you can talk with crowds and keep your virtue,
Or walk with kings - nor lose the common touch;
If neither foes nor loving friends can hurt you;
If all men count with you, but none too much;
If you can fill the unforgiving minute
With sixty seconds' worth of distance run -
Yours is the Earth and everything that's in it,
And - which is more - you'll be a Man my son!

Patrick Henry's "Give me Liberty or give me Death" speech

Ron Paul enacts Patrick Henry's famous speech and only misses one line right at the end.

Follow along in your handout or go here to see the written speech.