google.com, pub-8985115814551729, DIRECT, f08c47fec0942fa0 Free Printable Lesson Plans

International Holocaust Memorial Day: How to remember

 Hello my dear friends. Some blog posts are easier to write than others and today's is one of the hardest of all. January 27 commemorates International Holocaust Memorial Day, to honor the 6-20 million souls killed during the Nazi genocide of Jews, Poles, Slavs, Roma and Sinti in World War II. Sadly, it didn't even end which those millions of people. Anyone deemed undesirable, such as gays, political dissidents, developmentally and physically disabled, was targeted, persecuted and ultimately murdered. 

International Holocaust Memorial Day focuses on this genocide but it's also a day to remember all those lost to war, in refugee situations or in planned genocides, of which our world has seen so heartbreaking and atrociously many. To help understand and lovingly remembered those who were lost, visit Yad Vashem which is the World Holocaust Remembrance Center. It is located in Jerusalem in Israel. 

It is particularly important in this time of conflict in Gaza between Palestine and Israel, to pray for and work toward peace in the Middle East. We will never understand the entire situation. It would be arrogant to think, especially if we are westerners, that we could. We don't explore the situation to pass judgement to but learn and grow. 

Of course, as educators, it's crucial to be very sensitive to each child's response to this situation. Be sure to judge wisely when a youth is old enough to learn about these terrible crises without causing needless trauma over things she can do nothing about. If you are a family of faith, whatever that may be, remind your children that we can offer up these sufferings to our higher power. 

Thank you, Love Omi


Free printable animal tracks flashcards to play nature detective

 


Hello my friends! Teacher Omi (grandma) here with some fun winter science lesson plans for you. Today at the Omschool, we are having a big blizzard, so the ground is covered with snow. Opi (grandpa) was clearing the snow and noticed that lots of different animal friends had visited. How did he know? Yes, you  guessed it. Because he saw animal tracks in the snow! But the mystery was, which animal tracks are they. So we decided to play nature detectives and thought you might like to join us. But first you'll need some free printable animal tracks flashcards to help. 

We can figure out who visited by looking at the footprints and sometimes, tail prints that they left behind. Let's begin by printing those free printable animal tracks identification cards to help us solve the mystery of the who visited our yard.  You can use these to make your own field guide. 

Exploration America offers free printable animal tracks flashcards for you to print out, cut and assemble into a booklet. You can even use these as animal identification coloring pages. Maine.gov offers free downloadable printables of animal footprints and the Minnesota DNR (Department of Natural Resources) has 14 more free animal tracks printables. Massachusetts.gov has free printable animal identification flashcards.  

Along with our field guides, nature detectives need a magnifying glass. A camera would help, to take pictures of the tracks in situ (as they are). We can then make them into a nature scrapbook. We might also bring tweezers and some small plastic bags to collect any specimens we find, of fur. If we find any scat (animal droppings, or poop), we'll just leave it there and take pictures!