This Day in History with Benjamin Franklin

On this day in 1706, Benjamin Franklin was born. Anyone who studies science, history, or has frequented a library, has encountered the ideas, the works, and discoveries of Benjamin Franklin.

Whether you find his fascination with electricity equally as fascinating, or his love for books a complete sheer and utter delight; the man accomplished enough in one lifetime to pass on enough material for months of lessons.

Get your kids and students, or you for that matter, involved at a hands-on level with these freebies that will save you time and money. After all, as Benjamin Franklin would say:

Time is money 

Spend your time learning with your children because the legwork of research has already been done for you in gathering this list of information. Following are some links to some awesome sites across the web that deliver free lesson plans and printables to make your job as a parent and/or educator that much easier:

Why Benjamin Franklin Made the History Books
Free Benjamin Franklin Lesson Plans and Printables (There are links to tons of freebies in this one!)
Free infographic memes and quotes to use for handwriting or memorization

Elephant Pictures 101

Since my daughter now owns upwards of 100 elephants, we have agreed that it's time to make the shift from rescuing and collecting all of the elephants in the world to instead begin taking pictures of all of the elephants we encounter.

Well....  There are many.

I was shocked to discover that there are elephants wherever we go.  And, no, I'm not seeing "pink elephants" from too much drinking.

Here's just a few from one day's outing:

Sign up for Discovery Education Childhood Nutrition Webinar

Do you eat with your children 7 nights a week?  Do you eat with them 1 night a week?  Are your mealtimes more of a battle over what to cook, who will eat what, or what's for dessert than it is a family time filled with encouraging, relationship-building discussions?  Would you like to discover healthy nutrition tips for your dinner time?

Join experts on November 2 at 7:00 p.m. Eastern Time for a Webinar on Energy Balance 101:

Register here at Discovery Education!

This seminar is one-hour long and is intended for educators, teachers, and parents!

What Is Hypothermia And How Is It Treated?

Winter isn't over yet, and part of a complete education includes knowing how to avoid and handle real-life situations extends learning beyond text books. Knowing about issues, such as hypothermia, could do more than expand our brains, it could save a life. Do you know what hypothermia looks like? Do you know what to do immediately upon suspecting hypothermia in someone? Do you know who is at risk or steps to take to avoid hypothermia?

You can find out the answers to these questions in this article on Factoidz about hypothermia.

When we know what to do in an emergency situation, it empowers us to relax and take action. When we know how to avoid a problem to begin with, it helps us be able to take precautions and enjoy the moment.

Watch Discovery Shuttle Launch Today

The final Discovery astronaut was just seat-belted into the shuttle. The Discovery shuttle is taking off at 4:50 p.m. EST today, February 24, 2011. This is an interesting and fascinating way to get students interested in science and space.

Watch live here!

Travel The World in 26 Days with Craig Froman's Passport To The World

Travel the world in 26 weeks using Craig Froman's Passport to the World! Each week you will study along with hundreds of others around the world as you learn the flags, the population, the currency, how to say hello, good-bye, thank you, peace and more from each country in different languages. Every stop you make will earn you a stamp on your learning passport.

You can join in this cultural language learning adventure. You can purchase the book at Amazon.com or through Master Books. Or, you could win a copy by joining the Christian Homeschool Hub and conducting various activities. Find out more here at the Christian Homeschool Hub!

Elephant Education Crafts

We're launching our new Website, Elephant Ears Education. So, I put the kids to work coming up with ideas of educational tools, learning aids and items we could even sell on the new Website. The idea is to come together as a family and make and sell our ideas and merchandise. In the process, we hope to help others learn and enjoy the process.

Here's what we made today. Which ones do you like?

Also, please check out the new Website. It's a work in progress, growing everyday. Let me know what you would like to see added.

You can find the new Website Here!

You can Like the New Facebook Page Here!