Geography: Traveling the World Through the Pages of a Book

Classes, Classroom Help, Informative

Published with Permission
Written by Rea Berg
www.reaberg.com
www.TOSMagazine.com

“The world is a book, and those who do not travel read only a page.”—Saint Augustine

The ancient Greek, Strabo (c. 64 B.C.–24 A.D.), is credited with writing the first complete book of geography during the years that Augustus Caesar reigned as emperor of the vast Roman Empire. Because travel was difficult in the ancient world and the fact that most people, with the exception of merchants and sailors, rarely traveled far from the homes of their birth, knowledge of the world was extremely limited. However, with the reign of peace brought about under Augustus, Strabo changed all that when he traveled extensively in what was then the known world. He traveled throughout Asia Minor, into Egypt to the border of Ethiopia, into Tuscany, and to many other parts of Europe. In his Geographica, Strabo was the first to combine the knowledge of the land and topography of regions with anthropological information, which proved invaluable to all future students of history, philosophy, and science.

Strabo’s Geographica demonstrates the importance of travel in order to develop a broad and informed knowledge of the world, its peoples, customs, and beliefs. The notion that travel expands us in good ways is summed up in Mark Twain’s maxim: “Travel is fatal to prejudice, bigotry, and narrow-mindedness . . . .” While this is a worthy goal and often desirable in youth, when responsibilities are few and freedom is possible, travel is an option to any and all who simply open the pages of a good book. (more…)

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ABCya: A Great Library of Educational Games

Classes, Classroom Help, Informative, Just For Fun, Technology

Published with Permission
Written by Andy Harris
www.aharrisbooks.net
www.TOSMagazine.com

Computer games are here to stay. There’s no denying it. There is something extremely compelling about video games, especially for today’s kids. Some games are not appropriate for kids, and it is right to be nervous about them. However, some games can be useful reinforcement tools for your lessons. If you can find a fun way to reinforce skills in math, reading, typing, or science, maybe you should reinforce them.

ABCya (abcya.com) is a website containing dozens of games written by frustrated schoolteachers who could not find quality educational games easily and couldn’t afford the few quality games they found. The games are available for free on the website and are grouped by age level and topic. The site does feature Google ad-word advertising, but the ads are small and unobtrusive and are mainly visible on the home page. Each game page hosts an ad, but I didn’t see anything objectionable as I used the site.

Although the quality of the games varies, they are all well made, and most are quite entertaining. They were created with the public school audience in mind, so there are a few themes (there’s a Halloween game in the K–1 section) you’ll want to be alert to. All the games use Flash technology, so they’ll work fine on any reasonably modern computer. They should play on Android devices (although many games rely on the keyboard) but sadly will not work on iPhones or iPads. A few of the more popular games have been converted to apps and are available for 99 cents each. (more…)

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A Ship Full of Ideas: Lesson Plans on the Titanic

Classes, Classroom Help, Informative, Projects

Published with Permission
Written by Amy Nicholson
www.TOSMagazine.com

“Hast thou entered into the springs of the sea? or hast thou walked in the search of the depth? Have the gates of death been opened unto thee? or hast thou seen the doors of the shadow of death? Hast thou perceived the breadth of the earth? declare if thou knowest it all . . .” [God answering Job] ( Job 38:16–19).

 “We are all on the Titanic. The reason we cannot stop talking about the great liner is because the Titanic is about everything.”[1] —John Wilson Foster

On April 14, 1912, the Titanic, touted as the “world’s safest ship” on its maiden voyage from Southhampton,England, to New York City, collided with an iceberg, and sank. A total of 1,523 people died.[1] This event left an indelible mark in history. This year will mark the one-hundredth anniversary of that fateful night. We can commemorate it in our classrooms with lesson plans that span the curriculum.

 The lessons that follow would be most suitable for middle and high school-aged students but could be modified for use with younger children. These activities focus on research and critical thinking, urging students to delve a little deeper and see God’s hand at work. (more…)

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