Web Monthly
School Library Monthly/Volume XXVI, Number 10/June 2010
School’s Out—Some Summer Vacation Web Sites
by Greg Byerly
Greg Byerly, Ph.D., is an Associate Professor at the School of Library and Information Science, Kent State University in Kent, OH. Email: gbyerly@kent.edu
No more pencils (and no more kids without pencils). No more books (and no more kids without their books). No more teachers' dirty looks (and no more students' blank stares). Summer vacation is for everyone—children (and teachers)!
So, there is nothing too serious for the column this time, but lots of good, fun summer Web sites. As always, some of the Web sites can be used for other purposes, and some are reminders of old favorites. The emphasis is on summer favorites—cookouts, fireworks, drive-ins, picnics, fireflies, ice cream, baseball, and soccer, plus a few reminders that summer can also be a time for learning.
However, it's also important to remember that in September 1998, Google had four employees and reported an astonishing 10,000 searches per day! The Web and Google continued to grow. Millions became billions. Google was estimated to handle almost 300 million searches a day in 2009. Recently, the Official Google Blog announced that Google engineers had marked a new milestone: "1 trillion (as in 1,000,000,000,000) unique URLs on the Web at once!"
So, enjoy your summer. Travel if you can, but get away from school and students. Even though school's out for the summer, next fall will come in a hurry. And most importantly, Carpe diem!
Ants
http://www.pestworldforkids.org/ants.html
Ants? Sure, what would summer be without ants at a picnic? Contrary to the stereotype that ants are picnic intruders, they are fascinating animals. This kid-friendly Web site explains that there are more than 12,000 species of ants, that queen ants live for years and have millions of babies, and if a second grader were as strong as an ant, she would be able to pick up a car! There will be a 2nd annual Pest PSA Contest in fall 2010. A $3,000 prize will be awarded to the winning school. Find out more at: http://www.pestworldforkids.org.
Drive-ins.com
http://www.drive-ins.com/
Whether connected to a childhood memory or a new experience for you and your children, consider seeing a movie at a drive-in this summer. This Web site can help you find your nearest drive-in from a database of almost 5,000 American drive-ins. It also has a great, well-illustrated history of drive-ins. If this is your first visit to a drive-in, check out the Tips for New Drive-In Goers.
Firefly (Lightning Bug)
http://animals.nationalgeographic.com/animals/bugs/firefly/
Fireflies (aka lightning bugs) are a friendly and familiar sight on summer evenings. Fireflies are nocturnal members of the family Lampyridae, winged-beetles that use bioluminescence to attract both mates and prey. This Web site from National Geographic provides basic facts about fireflies, but of special interest is the explanation of how their special glow is produced. Check out Animals A-Z, More Bugs, and Bug Features for information about other summer bugs like flies, butterflies, and horse flies.
History of the Summer Vacation
http://www.infoplease.com/spot/schoolyear1.html
No one's complaining this June, but why do American schools have a three-month vacation? Why does school start in August or September and end in May or June? There are various reasons, and they are probably not what you think. As always, Infoplease.com gives concise, factual, and interesting answers. If you want to read an overview of other ideas for the school year, check out "On the Clock: Rethinking the Way Schools Use Time" by Elena Silva (http://www.educationsector.org/usr_doc/OntheClock.pdf).
Homemade Ice Cream
http://allrecipes.com/HowTo/Homemade-Ice-Cream/Detail.aspx
Two all-time favorites—homemade ice cream and Allrecipes.com. This is one of several ice cream recipes (I've tried it and it's great!). But, Allrecipes.com is known for wide variety of recipes. So, if you want other ice cream recipes, check out the More Ice Cream Links and discover other treats such as How to Make Ice Cream (Video), Making Ice Cream Treats (Video), and Cold Summer Treats. Ice Cream Recipes links to other ice cream categories—Homemade Ice Cream, Ice Cream Pies, and Chocolate Frozen Desserts and Ice Cream. Enjoy!
How to Build a Picnic Table
http://www.wikihow.com/Build-a-Picnic-Table
WikiHow.com, subtitled "the how to manual that you can edit," is similar to eHow.com, but is actually a wiki that permits users to add comments and make corrections. In most cases there are pictures of each step and of the final product. If you need a picnic table and are somewhat handy with basic tools, this might be a project for you. If this project is too ambitious or if you need a little help, check out these topics: How to Build a Birdhouse, How to Build a Porch Swing, How to Build a Fishing Chair, or How to Use a Circular Saw. Good luck!
How to Keep Kids Busy During Summer Vacation
http://www.ehow.com/how_5061750_keep-busy-during-summer-vacation.html
This is a reminder—if you want to know how to do something, check out eHow.com. This link takes you to a list of possible summer activities, ranging from arts and crafts to lemonade stands. It also recommends that children and young adults visit their local public library regularly and do a lot of summer reading. Other related eHows include How to Find a Performing Arts Summer School, How to Entertain Kids during Summer Break, How to Create Your Own Printable Word Puzzles, and How to Keep Your Teens Busy and Safe During Vacations. There is even a Children's Activities for a Bonfire Night.
Name that Shell [Fireworks]
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/fireworks/gallery.html
Fireworks! Impress your significant other, your children, friends, and those around you by calling out the names of eighteen popular firework displays. This Web site shows video clips of fireworks and then describes and names each of them. Don't be embarrassed—know the difference between a wagon wheel, a strobe, and a crackle firework display this Fourth of July.
National Baseball Hall of Fame
http://community.baseballhall.org
The National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum will "host the ultimate baseball Father’s Day weekend, June 18-20, with… the annual Hall of Fame Classic." While you may not make a visit to Cooperstown this summer, there are three other summer suggestions: 1) Go a baseball or softball game this summer, whether Little League, Major League, or in between; 2) Explore the virtual exhibits of the National Baseball Hall of Fame on this Web site; and 3) Don’t forget Father’s Day, June 20th.
NFL PLAY 60
http://www.nfl.com/play60
No football required! But, summer exercise is essential. The NFL PLAY 60 campaign is "designed to tackle childhood obesity by getting kids active through in-school, after-school, and team-based programs, online child-targeted outreach… and many partnerships with like-minded organizations." The PLAY 60 program has been a well-received Web site and program. Two major initiatives directly related to schools are Fuel Up to Play 60 (nutrition in schools) and Keep Gym in School.
Positive and Productive Summer Vacation Ideas
http://summer.about.com/od/craftsfunactivities/a/summervacation.htm
This site is a guide from Apply Now, formerly known as About.com Guide. It offers human-selected links to summer vacation Web sites and other guides under topics such as Summer Road Trips, Summer Vacation A to Z, Summer Fishing, Summer Fun and Activities, Ultimate Summer Vacation Planner, and Quick Ideas for Summer Family Fun. And, the very first suggestion is "Find your local library and make a call or visit the library’s Web site for more summer reading program information." Good advice!
Top 10 Math Web Sites
http://tutoring.sylvanlearning.com/newsletter/0704/math.cfm
It's important for students to avoid "summer slide"—the loss of skills learned in the previous year. Sylvan Learning provides links to ten math skills Web sites that can be used during the summer. You can also download a copy of the 8-page "Summer Fun and Learning Guide" by going directly to sylvanlearning.com and searching for "summer."
2010 FIFA World Cup South Africa™
http://www.fifa.com/worldcup
Soccer? Yes! Most Americans aren't too excited about soccer (the real "football" to non-Americans), but the rest of the world will be watching the World Cup in South Africa this summer starting on June 11th and ending with the final match on July 11th. This summer's World Cup will attract literally billions of television viewers and be the "most extensively covered and viewed event in television history." Check it out and see what all the excitement is about.
Visit a Children's Museum
http://www.childrensmuseums.org/visit/visit.htm
Museums, especially children's museums, are no longer dull, boring rows of dusty exhibits. Children's museums are interactive, fun destinations for children of all ages. The Web site of the Association of Children’s Museums (ACM) can help you find a children's museum in all fifty states and around the world.
Way Back Summer Vacation
http://pbskids.org/wayback/summer
Step back in time to the days of summer camp and family car trips. Road Trip takes students on a virtual trip to some of America's favorite vacation spots, while Feature includes Summer Camp, Miami Beach, and Car Camping. Click the Teachers & Parents sign at the bottom for ideas about using this Web site as part of an end-of-the-year unit on summer vacations. Way Back Summer Vacation, part of the Way Back: U. S. History for Kids, is produced by American Experience, television’s longest-running, most-watched history series. This is a fun way to end the year.
ePodunk™
http://www.epodunk.com
Finally, ePodunk™—a stretch as a summer vacation site, but it is an award-winning Web site that you need to know about. Selected as one of the Best Free Reference Web Sites 2009 by the ALA's Reference and User Services Association’s (RUSA) Machine-Assisted Reference Section (MARS), ePodunk™ is described as "Detailed, easily browsable profiles of cities and counties across the U. S. are the specialty of ePodunk™, which has grown to include data on airports, cemeteries, museums, and other institutions as well." You can use ePodunk™ to find public libraries, museums, or other local places of interest while on vacation. However, remember to also check out the MARS Best Free Reference Web Sites which are announced each July.
Enjoy your summer vacation!