Helping Teens Resist Sexual Pressure

Teens are more likely to have sex if they:

• Entered puberty early
• Socialize with youngsters who approve of and encourage sexual activity
• Place little value on education
• Have a poor relationship with their parents, particularly their father
• Rarely attend religious instruction or services

Abstinence: A Positive Approach

When teaching your child about sexuality, why not accentuate the advantages of delaying sexual intercourse instead of harping on the potentially adverse consequences? It’s the same message, only framed in a more positive light. You might begin by acknowledging that physical intimacy between two loving adult partners is beautiful and joyful, while also warning about the perils of experience that comes too early.

“When young people have sex before they’re ready, they usually end up regretting it. I’d hate to see that happen to you.” Then you can continue with some of the other good reasons that many dating couples offer for their decision to practice abstinence.

Why wait? It’s the only foolproof way to avoid an unplanned pregnancy. If you don’t have sexual intercourse, a girl can’t get pregnant.

Why wait? Because later on, girls who didn’t often wish that they had. Researchers in New Zealand interviewed nearly one thousand young people, all in their mid-twenties, about their first sexual experiences. On average, the men had become sexually active when they were seventeen; the women, at age sixteen. Looking back, more than half the women admitted that they now wished they’d held onto their virginity longer, a sentiment seconded by 70 percent of the women who had been fifteen or younger the first time they had intercourse.

Helping Teens Resist Sexual Pressure

“The pressure on teenagers to have sex is enormous,” says Denver pediatrician Dr. Ron Eagar, adding that kids often feel as if they’re caught in a vise. Not only do they have to contend with the direct pressure to “do it” from their date or steady boyfriend/girlfriend, but there’s also the peer pressure applied by friends who want to know (elbow jab, wink wink) “didja do it?” They may also feel the internal pressure to keep pace with their friends as if competing in a marathon to lose their virginity. One way of helping them resist these pressures is to anticipate them and discuss them.

Let’s say that you have a daughter who’s just beginning to date. Describe a scenario such as this one:

A sixteen-year-old girl is trying to fend off an over amorous date who’s had too much to drink at a party and is clumsily trying to slip his hand under her bra as they kiss in the front seat of his father’s car. She likes this boy and has known him for years, but she’s uncomfortable with the direction the evening is taking and wants to stop things from going further—yet without hurting his feelings unnecessarily.

Then ask your daughter: “What could the girl do or say to regain control of the situation? Is she being too timid? Should she be more forceful?”

Another variation of this exercise is to ask your teenager to picture herself in a given situation and imagine how she might react as if watching herself in a movie frame by frame. For example: “If I was invited to a boy’s house and discovered after I got there that his parents were out of town, what would I do?” Athletes and performers often use visualization to help them prepare for upcoming challenges, including those they’re encountering for the first time.

Let’s encourage youngsters to think ahead, anticipate potential trouble and be alert to warning signs. Perhaps the girl in our example saw her date drink two beers at the party. Though he wasn’t staggering around drunk or slurring his words, she should have registered this as a warning that trouble might lie ahead. Then she could have decided not to take any chances and caught a ride home from the party with some other kids, thus avoiding the awkward situation in the car.

Giving Teens the Words for Fending Off Unwanted Sexual Advances 

Hook	Sinker
“Aw c’mon, everybody does it!”	“I don’t care, I’m not everybody. And besides, not everybody ‘does it,’ including some of the kids who say they do.”
“If you loved me, you’d go to bed with me.”	“If you loved me, you wouldn’t pressure me into doing something that I’m not ready to do.”
“If you don’t have sex with me, I’ll break up with you.”	“If being your girlfriend means that I have to sleep with you, then I guess I don’t want to be your girlfriend.”
“Why won’t you have sex with me?”	“Because I don’t want to.” No further explanation needed.
“We had sex before; why are you turning me down now?”	“I’m entitled to change my mind. It’s my body and my life, and I want to wait until I’m older before I have sex again.”
“Yo, let’s do it. You know you want to!”	“No. No. No! What part of ‘no’ don’t you understand?”
“Your parents are out all night; let’s go back to your house.”	Use your ace in the hole: blame your folks. “Go back to my house? We can’t. My parents won’t let me have boys over when they’re not home.”

Last Updated

 

11/2/2009

Source

 

Caring for Your Teenager (Copyright © 2003 American Academy of Pediatrics)

Expect Respect: Healthy Relationships Teen Dating

Signs of a Healthy Relationship
Respecting each other
Knowing that you make each other better people
Sharing common interests, but having outside friends and activities too
Settling disagreements peacefully and with respect
Relationships are supposed to make both people feel happy. People should feel good about what happens when they are together.

Respect
You ask each other what you want to do.
No one tries to control the other person.
Common Interests
You enjoy doing things together, but no one feels forced to do anything.
If you do have a disagreement—and it’s OK to disagree—you both get to say what you want, talk until you’re both happy, and then go out and enjoy what you’ve planned.
Being With Each Other or Being Apart
You enjoy each other’s company and feel happy when together.
You each feel free enough to have your own friends and interests outside the relationship.
Ways To Make Your Relationship Healthy
Respect Each Other
Show you really care by sharing your thoughts and feelings. Listen to what your partner has to say.

Ask About The Other Person’s Interests
Talk about sports, music, or movies—whatever helps you get past any awkward feelings and get to know each other better.

Have A Life Outside The Relationship
People are more attractive to each other if they have other interests. Keep up with your schoolwork, friends, and the activities you enjoy that do not involve your partner.

Resolve Disagreements With Love and Respect
People don’t always have to agree on movies, music, or favorite sports, or even on how often to call or see each other. It is only natural for people to disagree. The important thing is how you reach an agreement. With a good attitude, you can have a healthy disagreement.

Signs of An Unhealthy Relationship
Feelings of fear, stress, and sadness are not part of a healthy relationship.

Lack of respect
You “go along” with something even if you think it is not right. You feel bad about what happens when you are together.

Being held back
Your partner does not let you succeed in school, or you are made to feel guilty about doing things that interest you.

Controlling behavior
You may hear, “If you love me, I need to know where you are.” Your partner does not care about your friends.

Feeling “crazy in love”
One or both of you calls the other all the time. You feel your partner is possessive and smothering.

Getting blamed for your partner’s problems
You hear, “This is all your fault.”

Feeling jealous most of the time
A little bit of jealousy is normal. A lot of jealousy, or allowing jealousy to control what goes on between the two of you, will hurt the relationship.

Trying to change the other person’s behavior
One of you tells the other, “My way or no way.”

When you can talk about a problem, an unhealthy relationship can become a healthy one. But, if you can’t find ways to enjoy the time that you spend together, it may mean that it is time to end the relationship.

Crossing The Line
There are some things that should never happen in a relationship. Your relationship has serious problems if any of the following things are happening.

Verbal Abuse
Screaming, swearing, bullying, or calling each other names is never all right.

Pushing, Shoving, Hitting, or Kicking In Anger

Trying To Control The Other Person’s Behavior Forced Sex
You always have the right to refuse attention or affection.

Threats
If one of you does not get your way, a threat is made to hurt either the other person or yourself.

Breaking or Hitting Objects During An Argument
If your relationship is crossing the line, the behavior needs to stop right away or the relationship needs to end. If you are having trouble ending a relationship, seek the help of an adult who cares about your well-being.

Talk with an adult you trust about how to end an abusive relationship safely. Use what you have learned to help make your next relationship better.

No Excuse For Abuse
Nothing You Say or Do Is A Reason To Be Abused
When things have calmed down, try saying:

“I hated it when you swore at me. Don’t do that again.”
“Don’t treat me that way. I have done nothing to deserve being _______.”
“If you are upset, tell me. I can try to help, but yelling, screaming, and swearing at me does not help.”
“If you treat me like that again, it’s over.”
Obedience Is Not Respect
Nothing Anyone Says or Does Is A Reason For You To Be Abusive
You deserve to be liked and respected. Using force, power, or control only gets “your way.” This is not how to get respect.

If You Push Your Partner Around, You May Get Your Way, But You Lose Your Partner’s Respect, Support, and Love.
If You Are Crossing The Line, STOP!
If you can’t stop, get help.

A teacher, coach, or counselor at school can help you learn how to treat your partner with respect.
A spiritual leader or an adult at an after-school activity or club can help you learn how to control emotions, like anger or jealousy, and avoid abusive behavior.
By changing your behavior, you can get the true respect, support, and love that you deserve.

Last Updated 11/2/2009
Source Connected Kids: Safe, Strong, Secure (Copyright © 2006 American Academy of Pediatrics)

Happy Thanksgiving 2019

Happy Thanksgiving!

Thanks for checking out my blog

Turkey Facts

Turkey Facts

• Ben Franklin, in a letter to his daughter, proposed the turkey as the official United States bird.
• In 2012, the average American ate 16 pounds of turkey.
• 88% of Americans surveyed by the National Turkey Federation eat turkey on Thanksgiving.
• 46 million turkeys are eaten each Thanksgiving, 22 million on Christmas and 19 million turkeys on Easter.
• In 2011, 736 million pounds of turkey were consumed in the United States.
• Turkey consumption has increased 104% since 1970.
• Since 1970, turkey production in the United States has increased nearly 110%.
• In 2013, 242 million turkeys are expected to be raised in the United States.
• In 2012, 253,500,000 turkeys were produced in the United States.
• The turkey industry employs 20,000 to 25,000 persons in the United States.
• In 1970, 50% of all turkey consumed was during the holidays, now just 29% of all turkey consumed is during the holidays as more turkey is eaten year-round.
• In 2012, turkey was the # 4 protein choice for American consumers behind chicken, beef and pork
• The top three turkey products sold in 2011 were whole birds, ground turkey and cooked white meat (deli meat).
• Turkey hens are usually sold as whole birds. Toms are processed into turkey sausage, turkey franks, tenderloins, cutlets and deli meats.
• In 2011, 47.4% of turkeys were sold to grocery stores and other retail outlets, 30% sold in commodity outlets, 15.5% sold to foodservice outlets and 6.2% were exported.
• In 2011, 703.3 million pounds of turkey were exported.
• The average weight of a turkey purchased at Thanksgiving is 15 pounds.
• The heaviest turkey ever raised was 86 pounds, about the size of a large dog.
• A 15 pound turkey usually has about 70 percent white meat and 30 percent dark meat.
• The wild turkey is native to northern Mexico and the eastern United States.
• The male turkey is called a tom.
• The female turkey is called a hen.
• The turkey was domesticated in Mexico and brought to Europe in the 16th century.
• Tom turkeys have beards. That is comprised of black, hair-like feathers on their breast.
• Canadians consumed 142 million kgs of turkey in the year 2012.
• Turkeys can see movement almost 100 yards away.
• Turkeys lived almost ten million years ago.
• Baby turkeys are called poults and are tan and brown.
• Turkey eggs are tan with brown specks and are larger than chicken eggs.
• It takes 75-80 pounds of feed to raise a 30 pound tom turkey.
• In 1920, U.S. turkey growers produced one turkey for every 29 persons in the U.S. Today growers produce nearly one turkey for every person in the country.
• Male turkeys gobble. Hens do not. They make a clicking noise.
• Gobbling turkeys can be heard a mile away on a quiet day.
• Minnesota, North Carolina, Arkansas, Missouri, Virginia, Indiana, California, South Carolina, Pennsylvania and Ohio were the leading producers of turkeys in 2011-2012.
• Minnesota raised 46 million turkeys in 2012.
• Illinois farmers produce close to 3 million turkeys each year.
• A 16 week old turkey is called a fryer. A 5 to 7 month old turkey is called a young roaster and a yearling is a year old. Any turkey 15 months or older is called mature.
• The ballroom dance the "Turkey Trot"was named for the short, jerky steps that turkeys take.
• Turkeys do not really have ears like ours, but they have very good hearing.
• Turkeys can see in color.
• A large group of turkeys is called a flock.
• Turkeys do not see well at night.
• A domesticated male turkey can reach a weight of 30 pounds within 18 weeks after hatching.
• Turkeys are related to pheasants.
• Commercially raised turkeys cannot fly.
• Wild turkeys spend the night in trees. They prefer oak trees.
• Wild turkeys were almost wiped out in the early 1900's. Today there are wild turkeys in every state except Alaska.
• Wild turkeys can fly for short distances up to 55 mph and can run 20 mph.
• Turkeys are believed to have been brought to Britain in 1526 by Yorkshire man William Strickland. He acquired six turkeys from American Indian traders and sold them for tuppence in Bristol.
• Henry VIII was the first English King to enjoy turkey and Edward VII made turkey eating fashionable at Christmas.
• 200 years ago in England, turkeys were walked to market in herds. They wore booties to protect their feet. Turkeys were also walked to market in the United States.
• For 87% of people in the UK, Christmas wouldn't be Christmas without a traditional roast turkey.
• Turkey breeding has caused turkey breasts to grow so large that the turkeys fall over.
• June is National Turkey Lover’s Month.
• Since 1947, the National Turkey Federation has presented a live turkey and two dressed turkeys to the President. The President does not eat the live turkey. He "pardons"it and allows it to live out its days on a historical farm.
• The National Thanksgiving Turkey has been the Grand Marshall in the Thanksgiving Day Parade at both Disneyland Resort in California and Walt Disney World in Florida for the past four years.
• The five most popular ways to serve leftover turkey are in a sandwich, stew, chili or soup, casseroles and as a burger.
• Eating turkey does not cause you to feel sleepy after your Thanksgiving dinner. Carbohydrates in your Thanksgiving dinner are the likely cause of your sleepiness.
• According to the 2007 Census, there were 8,284 turkey farms in the United States.
• Turkey is low in fat and high in protein.
• Turkey has more protein than chicken or beef.
• White meat has fewer calories and less fat than dark meat.
• Turkeys will have 3,500 feathers at maturity.
• Turkeys have been bred to have white feathers. White feathers have no spots under the skin when plucked.
• Most turkey feathers are composted.
• Turkey feathers were used to stabilize arrows and adorn ceremonial dress, and the spurs on the legs of wild tom turkeys were used as projectiles on arrowheads.
• Turkey skins can be tanned and used to make cowboy boots and belts.
• The costume that "Big Bird"wears on Sesame Street is rumored to be made of turkey feathers.
• The caruncle is a red-pink fleshy growth on the head and upper neck of the turkey.
• Turkeys have a long, red, fleshy growth called the snood from the base of the beak that hangs down over the beak.
• The bright red fleshy growth under a turkey’s throat is called a wattle.
• The beard is a lock of hair found on the chest of the male turkey.
• Giblets are the heart, liver, and gizzard of a poultry carcass. Although often packaged with them, the neck of the bird is not a giblet.
• Turkey eggs hatch in 28 days.
• The Native Americans hunted wild turkey for its sweet, juicy meat as early as 1000 A.D.
• There are a number of towns in the United States named after the holiday’s traditional main course. Turkey, Texas, was the most populous in 2005, with 492 residents;followed by Turkey Creek, Louisiana (357);and Turkey, North Carolina (269). There also are 9 townships around the country named “Turkey,”3 in Kansas.

Sources: National Turkey Federation, U.S.D.A., United States Census Bureau, Minnesota Turkey Growers Association, British Turkey Information Service, Canadian Turkey Marketing Association

Promoting Physical Activity as a Way of Life

As a parent, you need to encourage healthy habits—including exercise—in your youngsters. Physical activity should become as routine a part of their lives as eating and sleeping.

Reassure them that sports such as cycling (al­ways with a helmet), swimming, basketball, jogging, walking briskly, cross country skiing, dancing, aerobics, and soccer, played regularly, are not only fun but can promote health. Some sports, like baseball, that require only spo­radic activity are beneficial in a number of ways, but they do not promote fit­ness. Physical activity can be healthful in the following ways:

Increase Cardiovascular Endurance. More Americans die from heart dis­ease than any other ailment; regular physical activity can help protect against heart problems. Exercise can improve your child's fitness, make him feel bet­ter, and strengthen his cardiovascular system.

Aerobic activity can make the heart pump more efficiently, thus reducing the incidence of high blood pressure. It can also raise blood levels of HDL (high-density lipoprotein) cholesterol, the "good" form of cholesterol that re­moves excess fats from the bloodstream. Even though most cardiovascular diseases are thought to be illnesses of adulthood, fatty deposits have been de­tected in the arteries of children as young as age three, and high blood pres­sure exists in about 5 percent of youngsters.

At least three times a week, your middle-years child needs to exercise con­tinuously for twenty to thirty minutes at a heart rate above his resting level. As a guideline, the effort involved in continuous brisk walking is adequate to maintain fitness.

Each exercise session should be preceded and followed by a gradual warm-up and cool-down period, allowing muscles, joints, and the cardiovascular sys­tem to ease into and out of vigorous activity, thus helping to guarantee a safe workout. This can be accomplished by stretching for a few minutes before and after exercise.

Improve Large Muscle Strength and Endurance. As your child's muscles become stronger, he will be able to exercise for longer periods of time, as well as protect himself from injuries—strong muscles provide better support for the joints. Modified sit-ups (knees bent, feet on the ground) can build up ab­dominal muscles, increase lung capacity, and protect against back injuries. For upper body strength, he can perform modified pull-ups (keeping the arms flexed while hanging from a horizontal bar) and modified push-ups (position­ing the knees on the ground while extending the arms at the elbow).

Increase Flexibility. For complete physical fitness, children need to be able to twist and bend their bodies through the full range of normal motions with­out overexerting themselves or causing injury. When children are flexible like this, they are more agile.

Although most people lose flexibility as they age, this process can be retarded by stretching to maintain suppleness throughout life, beginning in childhood. Stretching exercises are the best way to maintain or improve flexibility, and they can be incorporated into your child's warm-up and cool-down routines.

In most stretching exercises, your child should stretch to a position where he begins to feel tightness but not pain, then hold steady for twenty to thirty seconds before relaxing. He should not bounce as he stretches, since this can cause injury to the muscles or tendons.

Maintain Proper Weight. Twelve percent of children in the pre-puberty years are overweight, but few of these youngsters are physically active. Exercise can effectively burn calories and fat and reduce appetite.

Ask your pediatrician to help you determine whether your youngster has a healthy percentage of body fat for his or her age and sex.

Reduce Stress. Unmanaged stress can cause muscle tightness, which can con­tribute to headaches, stomachaches, and other types of discomfort. Your child needs to learn not only to recognize stress in his body but also to diffuse it effectively. Exercise is one of the best ways to control stress. A physically ac­tive child is less likely to experience stress-related symptoms than his more sedentary peers.

Last Updated 11/2/2009
Source Caring for Your School-Age Child: Ages 5 to 12 (Copyright © 2004 American Academy of Pediatrics)

Vegetarian Diets for Children

Vegetarian Diets for Children

In recent years vegetarianism has grown in popularity. School-age children be­come more conscious that animals must be killed in order to obtain meat, and that knowledge may prompt them to choose a vegetarian diet. Vegetarian di­ets tend to be high in fiber and polyunsaturated fat, and low in cholesterol and calories.

If your child is following a vegetarian diet, you need to guard against nutri­tional deficiencies. There are various degrees of vegetarianism, and the strict­ness of the diet will determine whether your youngster is vulnerable to nutritional shortcomings.

The following are the common categories of vegetarians. Although none eat meat, poultry, or fish, there are other areas in which they vary:

Lacto-ovo-vegetarians consume eggs, dairy products, and plant foods.
Lacto-vegetarians eat dairy products and plant foods but not eggs.
Vegans eat only plant foods, no eggs or dairy products.
Children can be well-nourished on all three types of a vegetarian diet, but nu­tritional balance is very difficult to achieve if dairy products and eggs are com­pletely eliminated. Vegetarians sometimes consume insufficient amounts of calcium and vitamin D if they remove milk products from their diet.

Also, because of the lack of meat products, vegetarians sometimes have an inadequate iron intake. They may also consume insufficient amounts of vita­min B-12, zinc, and other minerals. If their caloric intake is also extremely low, this could cause a delay in normal growth and weight gain.

Vegetarians may also lack adequate protein sources. As a result, you need to ensure that your child receives a good balance of essential amino acids. As a general guideline, his protein intake should come from more than one source, combining cereal products (wheat, rice) with legumes (dry beans, soybeans, peas), for example; when eaten together, they provide a higher quality mixture of amino acids than if either is consumed alone.

Other planning may be necessary. To ensure adequate levels of vitamin B-12, you might serve your child commercially prepared foods fortified with this vitamin. While calcium is present in some vegetables, your child may still need a calcium supplement if he does not consume milk and other dairy prod­ucts. Alternative sources of vitamin D might also be advisable if there is no milk in the diet. Your pediatrician may recommend iron supplements, too, al­though your child can improve his absorption of the iron in vegetables by drinking citrus juice at mealtime.

A Zen macrobiotic diet usually presents many more problems than a vege­tarian diet. With a macrobiotic program, important foods (animal products, vegetables, and fruit) are severely restricted in stages. This diet is generally not recommended for children. Youngsters who adhere to it may experience seri­ous nutritional deficiencies that can impair growth and lead to anemia and other severe complications.

Last Updated 11/3/2009
Source Caring for Your School-Age Child: Ages 5 to 12 (Copyright © 2004 American Academy of Pediatrics)
The information contained on this Web site should not be used as a substitute for the medical care and advice of your pediatrician. There may be variations in treatment that your pediatrician may recommend based on individual facts and circumstances.

Shyness in children

My child is shy and does not make friends easily. Should I be worried?
Although childhood shyness is commonplace, it concerns many parents, especially those who place great value on sociability. Some children become shy because of harsh life experiences, but most are born that way. For some middle-years children, social situations and interactions can be terrifying. When they come in contact with new children, they rarely feel at ease. Typically, they are unwilling or unable to make the first move, preferring to abandon a potential friendship rather than reach out to the unfamiliar. A few of these timid children may be emotionally distressed, but they are in the minority. In fact, some children are just naturally withdrawn and slow to warm up in new situations.

Severe shyness
In some cases, shyness can be disabling. Extremely shy children often do not adapt as well as most of their peers in the classroom and on the playground. The longer this pattern exists, the more difficult it is for children to change. Shyness can increasingly lead to purposeful avoidance of social settings and withdrawal and ultimately create an inability to function effectively as a social adult. If your child's shyness becomes debilitating, it may be caused by an anxiety disorder or a temperament pattern; then an evaluation by a child mental-health professional would be helpful.

Time to adjust
Most shy children, however, do well in relationships and in social settings once they are past an initial period of adjustment. Children who have difficulty establishing and maintaining relationships even after the ice-breaking period merit more concern and attention. Eventually, many (and perhaps most) children who are shy learn to conquer their tendency. They function in ways that are not obviously timid or reticent, although inside they may still feel shy. Parents can gently guide or direct their children into social situations in which they can learn to successfully interact.

Rejected children
Most children want to be liked, yet some are slow in learning how to make friends. Others may long for companionship but might be excluded from one group or another, perhaps picked on because of the way they dress, poor personal hygiene, obesity, or even a speech impediment. Youngsters are often rejected by peers if they exhibit disruptive or aggressive behavior. Still, other children may hover on the fringes of one clique or another but never really get noticed. These neglected children spend most of their time alone.

Rejected youngsters are overtly disliked by their peers and are constantly made to feel unwelcome. They often tend to be aggressive or disruptive and very sensitive to teasing. They may be bullies and rule-violators, or they may be so unsure of themselves that they invite the rejection of others. They might also be rejected because of their impulsive and disruptive behavior. Some of them may have attention deficits or hyperactivity.

Neglected children
Neglected children, on the other hand, are not overtly rejected and teased but are often just ignored, forgotten, not invited to parties, and are the last ones picked for a team. These youngsters may be perceived as loners but might be passive and detest their isolation. Others may actually prefer to be alone. This latter group might be respected and admired by others but simply feel more comfortable in solitary pursuits or in spending time with parents, siblings other adults, or even pets. They may also lack the social skills and self-confidence necessary for them to enter social arenas, often because of limited social experiences. Or they may be more shy, quiet and reserved than most of their peers.

How parents can help
Successful peer interactions require a variety of skills and special ways of interacting. Parents should look for these skills in their children and help develop and model them.

Coping with failure and frustration
Coping with success
Coping with change and transitions
Coping with rejection and teasing
Managing anger
Using humor
Forgiving
Apologizing
Refusing to accept a dare
Thinking up fun things to do
Expressing affection
Avoiding dangerous situations
Defending himself
Comforting someone
Sharing
Making requests
Self-disclosure
Giving a compliment
Expressing appreciation
Coping with loss
Sticking up for a friend
Doing favors
Asking for help
Helping others
Keeping secrets
Last Updated 11/2/2009
Source Caring for Your School-Age Child: Ages 5 to 12 (Copyright © 2004 American Academy of Pediatrics)

Accepting Your Child's gender-diverse Identity

​ Definitions

• Gender diverse: An umbrella term to describe an ever-evolving array of labels people may apply when their gender identity, expression, or even perception does not conform to the norms and stereotypes others expect.
• Gender identity: One's internal sense of who one is, based on an interaction of biological traits, developmental influences, and environmental conditions. This may be male, female, somewhere in between, a combination of both or neither. Self-recognition of gender identity develops over time, much the same way a child's physical body does.
• Sexual orientation: One's sexual identity as it relates to who someone falls in love with or is attracted to. A person who is transgender still identifies as straight, gay, bisexual or something else. Like gender identity, an individual's physical and emotional attraction to a member of the same or the opposite sex cannot be changed and is very difficult to predict early in childhood.
• Transgender: Usually used when gender diverse traits remain persistent, consistent, and insistent over time.

Accepting Your Child's gender-diverse Identity

Research suggests that gender is something we are born with; it can't be changed by any interventions. It is critically important that children feel loved and accepted for who they are. When disclosing their gender diverse identity, some kids might expect immediate acceptance and understanding. However, there is evidence that family members go through their own process of becoming more comfortable and understanding of a child's gender identity, thoughts, and feelings. One model suggests the process resembles the stages of grief: shock, denial, anger, bargaining, and acceptance. 

Just as gender diverse children do best when their feelings are explored and validated, some parents may need their own emotional supports. They may also have many questions along their child's journey.

What parents can do:

When your child discloses his or her identity to you, respond in an affirming, supportive way. Understand that although gender identity is not able to be changed, it often is revealed over time as people discover more about themselves.

Accept and love your child as they are. Try to understand what they are feeling and experiencing. Even if there are disagreements, they will need your support and validation to develop into healthy teens and adults. 

Stand up for your child when he or she is mistreated. Do not minimize the social pressure or bullying your child may be facing. See How You Can Help Your Child Avoid & Address Bullying.

Make it clear that slurs or jokes based on gender, gender identity, or sexual orientation are not tolerated. Express your disapproval of these types of jokes or slurs when you encounter them in the community or media. 

Be on the lookout for danger signs that may indicate a need for mental health support such as anxiety, insecurity, depression, low self-esteem, and any emotional problems in your child and others who may not have a source of support otherwise.

Connect your child with LGBTQ organizations, resources, and events. It is important for them to know they are not alone.

Celebrate diversity in all forms. Provide access to a variety of books, movies, and materials—including those that positively represent gender diverse individuals. Point out LGBTQ celebrities and role models who stand up for the LGBTQ community, and people in general who demonstrate bravery in the face of social stigma.

Support your child's self-expression. Engage in conversations with them around their choices of clothing, jewelry, hairstyle, friends, and room decorations.

Reach out for education, resources, and support if you feel the need to deepen your own understanding of LGBTQ youth experiences. See Support Resources for Families of Gender Diverse Youth.

Gender Affirmative Care

Gender affirmative care is based on the belief that all children benefit from love and support. The goal of gender affirmative care is not treatment; it is to listen to a  child and, with the help of parents and families, build understanding. Sometimes, disagreements can cause frustration. But, the conversation can remain respectful. Through strong, nonjudgmental partnerships with patients and their families, pediatricians create a safe environment in which complicated emotions, questions, and concerns related to gender can be appreciated and explored. Gender affirmative care is most effective in a collaborative system with access to medical, mental health, and social services, including specific resources for parents and families. 

Mental Health Support for Gender-Diverse Youth

Support or rejection ultimately has little influence on the gender identity of youth; however, it may strongly affect a young person's ability to openly share or discuss concerns about their identity and feelings. Gender-diverse identities and expressions are not mental disorders, but suppressing gender concerns can harm a child's emotional health and development and possibly contribute to high rates of depression, anxiety, and other mental health issues.

A large proportion of teenage suicide attempts are linked to issues of gender and sexuality, particularly feelings of rejection. Many gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender individuals, unfortunately, attempt suicide during their lifetime. As a parent, even when you struggle to understand and may not see eye-to-eye, your most important role is to offer understanding, respect, and unconditional love for your child. This builds trust and puts you in a better position to help them through difficult times. Research has shown that if a transgender teen has even just one supportive person their life, it greatly reduces their risk of suicide.

Transgender and gender-diverse children – like all children – need support, love, and care from family, school and society. When supported and loved as they grow and develop, kids mature into happy and healthy adults. Pediatricians stand ready to assist in the healthy development of transgender and gender-diverse children.

When to Talk with Your Child's Pediatrician:

Talk to your child's pediatrician early and often. It is recommended that pediatricians start conversations with children as young as preschool about their bodies, feelings, and relationships. Pediatricians can help them understand and appreciate difficult feelings and concerns.

It is important to recognize that cross-gender preferences and play are a normal part of exploring gender and relationships for children regardless of their future gender identity. Routine conversations about gender create an environment of support and reassurance so that children feel safe bringing up questions and concerns. It is also good practice for continuing these discussions at home. The best approach, for parents or pediatricians, is to nonjudgmentally ask questions that allow the child to talk about their experience and feelings before applying any labels or assumptions.

If your child is struggling with symptoms of depression, anxiety, isolation, or other emotional concerns, then he or she may need to see a mental health professional who can offer additional support. If your child mentions any suicidal thinking, then it should be brought to the attention of your pediatrician or mental health professional right away. 

For more information or help finding a support group for yourself or your child, please talk with your pediatrician.

https://healthychildren.org/English/ages-stages/gradeschool/Pages/Gender-Diverse-Transgender-Children.aspx

Music Curriculum for Home School

Music for homeschoolers.


American Choral Directors Association: http://acdaonline.org/
Baroque Music: http://baroque-music.com/
Boston Symphony Orchestra: http://www.bsokids.com/
Classics for Kids: http://www.teachersfirst.com/getsource.cfm?id=6372
Classroom displays and bulletin boards:
http://home.bellsouth.net/p/s/community.dll?ep=16&groupid=20303&ck
Dallas Symphony site: http://www.dsokids.com/2001/rooms/DSO_Intro.html
Invaluable Mail list through Teachers.net for music teachers:
www.teachers.net/mentors/music/posts.html
Invaluable Mail list through MENC for music teachers:
www.menc.org/networks/genmus/openforum/wwwboard.htm
Making Tracks: http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio3/makingtracks/makeatune.shtml
Morton Subotnik’s Creating Music: http://www.creatingmusic.com/
Musicclass.com: http://www.mymusicclass.com
Music Express Magazine: http://www.musicexpressmagazine.com/kidscorner/index.jsp
MusicK8kids.com: http://www.musick8kids.com/html/links.tpl
Musical Mysteries:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/northernireland/schools/4_11/music/mm/index.shtml
NY Philharmonic Kids: http://www.nyphilkids.org/main.phtml
PBS Jazz site: http://pbskids.org/jazz/index.html
Reader’s Theater Scripts: http://www.teachingheart.net/readerstheater.htm
Ricci Adams musictheory.net: http://www.musictheory.net/
SFS Kids: http://www.sfskids.org/templates/splash.asp
The Musical Scientist: http://members.aol.com/Alsabbeth/Music.html

Smart Kids Fight BAC! ®

When something happened to the food on a class picnic and Mrs. Turkle's class comes down with a yucky foodborne illness, the drama club and the science club put on a play to teach kids at Smart Elementary School four steps to keeping food safe -- Clean, Separate, Cook, Chill!

http://www.fightbac.org/kidsfoodsafety/curricula-and-programs/

Photos 9 years apart

9 years apart family photos

We went to the Zoo during Free Fall Baltimore. Check the website every September for free fall Baltimore events. (Freefallbaltimore.org)

I snapped these pics 9 years apart. Our world has changed so much since then. 

Learning about Neighborly Manners

We are reaching out to our neighbors this holiday season. Thanksgiving is more and more about family, football, and food. We want to let our neighbors know we care and appreciate their love and friendship. This little snack idea isn't much, but the thought behind it and the conversations had while preparing it will further enforce empathy and the value of living in a close-knit community.

HOME SCHOOL RECORDER Albuquerque Turkey Lesson Plan

Lyrics
Albuquerque is a turkey,
And he’s feathered and he’s fine
And he wobbles and he gobbles
And he’s absolutely mine.

He’s the best pet that you can get,
Better than a dog or cat,
He’s my Albuquerque turkey,
And I’m awfully proud of that.

And my Albuquerque turkey
Is so happy in his bed,
‘Cause for our Thanksgiving dinner,
We had scrambled eggs instead.

Pete the Cat: The First Thanksgiving

http://www.petethecatbooks.com/


http://www.petethecatbooks.com/activities/pete-the-cat-the-first-thanksgiving-drawing/




https://www.scholastic.com/teachers/blog-posts/brian-smith/how-pete-cat-saved-my-pilgrim-unit/



http://www.petethecatbooks.com/activities/pete-the-cat-the-first-thanksgiving-drawing/

Peirce Patent of 1621

Peirce Patent of 1621



The original Peirce Patent of 1621 is on display at the Pilgrim Hall Museum in Plymouth.

This Indenture made the First Day of June 1621 And in the yeeres of the raigne of our soveraigne Lord James by the grace of god King of England Scotland Fraunce and Ireland defendor of the faith etc.  That is to say of England Fraunce and Ireland the Nynetenth and of Scotland the fowre and fiftith.  Betwene the President and Counsell of New England of the one partie And John Peirce Citizen and Clothworker of London and his Associates of the other partie Witnesseth that whereas the said John Peirce and his Associates have already transported and undertaken to transporte at their cost and chardges themselves and dyvers persons into New England and there to erect and build a Towne and settle dyvers Inhabitantes for the advancemt of the generall plantacon of that Country of New England Now the sayde President and Counsell in consideracon thereof and for the furtherance of the said plantacon and incoragemt of the said Undertakers have agreed to graunt assigne allott and appoynt to the said John Peirce and his associates and every of them his and their heires and assignes one hundred acres of grownd for every person so to be transported besides dyvers other pryviledges Liberties and commodyties hereafter menconed.  And to that intent they have graunted allotted assigned and confirmed, And by theis prentes doe graunt allott assigne and confirme unto the said John Peirce and his Associates his and their heirs and assignes and the heires and assignes of every of them severally and respectivelie one hundred severall acres of grownd in New England for every person so transported or to be transported, If the said John Peirce or his Associates contynue there three whole yeeres either at one or severall tymes or dye in the meane season after he or they are shipped with intent there to inhabit.  The same Land to be taken and chosen by them their deputies or assignes in any place or plaes wheresoever not already inhabited by any English and where no English person or persons are already placed or settled or have by order of the said President and Councell made choyce of, nor within Tenne myles of the same, unles it be the opposite syde of some great or Navigable Ryver to the former particuler plantacon, together with the one half of the Ryver or Ryvers, that is to say to the middest thereof, as shall adjoyne to such landes as they shall make choyce of together with all such Liberties pryviledges proffittes and commodyties as the said Land and Ryvers which they shall make choyce of shall yeild together with free libertie to fishe in and upon the Coast of New England and in all havens portes and creekes Thereunto belonging and that no person or persons whatsoever shall take any benefitt or libertie of or to any of the grownds or the one half of the Ryvers aforesaid, excepting the free use of highwayes by land and Navigable Ryvers, but that the said undertakers and planters their heirs and assignes shall have the sole right and use of the said grownds and the one half of the said Ryvers with all their proffittes and appurtennces.  And forasmuch as the said John Peirce and his associates intend to have undertaken to build Churches, Schooles, Hospitalls Towne howses, Bridges and such like workes of Charytie As also for the maynteyning of Magistrates and other inferior Officers, In regard whereof and to the end that the said John Peirce and his Associates his and their heires and assignes may have wherewithall to beare and support such like charges.  Therefore the said President and Councell aforesaid to graunt unto the said Undertakers their heires and assignes Fifteene hundred acres of Land more over and above the aforesaid proporcon of one hundred the person for every undertaker and Planter to be imployed upon such publique uses and the said Undertakers and Planters shall thinck fitt.  And they do further graunt unto the said John Peirce and his Associates their heires and assignes, that for every person that they or any of them shall transport at their owne proper costes and charges into New England either unto the Lands hereby graunted or adjoyninge to them within Seaven Yeeres after the feast of St. John Baptist next comming If the said person transported contynue there three whole yeeres either at one or severall tymes or dye in the mean season after he is shipped with intent there to inhabit that the said person or persons that shall so at his or their owne charges transport any other shall have graunted and allowed to him and them and his and their heires respectyvelie for every person so transported or dyeing after he is shipped one hundred acres of Land, and also that every person or persons who by contract and agreamt to be had and made with the said Undertakers shall at his and their owne charge transport him and themselves or any other and setle and plant themselves in New England within the said Seaven Yeeres for three yeeres space as aforesaid or dye in the mean tyme shall have graunted and allowed unto every person so transporting or transported and their heires and assignes respectyvely the like nomber of one hundred acres of Land as aforesaid the same to be by him and them or their heires and assignes chosen in any entyre place together and adjoyning to the aforesaid Landes and not straglingly not before the type of such choyce made possessed or inhabited by any English Company or within tenne myles of the same, except it be on the opposite side of some great Navigable Ryver as aforesaid Yeilding and paying unto the said President and Counsell for every hundred acres so obteyned and possessed by the said John Peirce and his said Associates and by those said other persons and their heires and assignes who by Contract as aforesaid shall at their owne charges transport themselves or others the Yerely rent of Two shillings at the feast of St. Michaell Tharchaungell to the hand of the Rentgatherer of the said President and Counsell and their successors forever, the first payment to begyn after the expiracon of the first seaven Yeeres next after the date hereof And further it shal be lawfull to and for the said John Peirce and his Associates and such as contract with them as aforesaid their Tennantes and servantes upon dislike of or in the Country to returne for England or elsewhere with all their goodes and chattells at their will and pleasure without lett or disturbaunce of any paying all debtes that justly shalbe demaunded And likewise it shalbe lawfull and is graunted to and for the said John Peirce and his Associates and Planters their heires and assignes their Tennantes and servantes and such as they or any of them shall contract with as aforesaid and send and imploy for the said plantacon to goe and returne trade traffique inport or transport their goodes and merchaundize at their will and pleasure into England or elswhere paying onely such dueties to the Kinges matie his heires and succesors as the President and Counsell of New England doe pay without any other taxes Imposicons burthens or restraintes whatsoever upon them to be imposed (the rent hereby reserved being onely excepted) And it shalbe lawfull for the said Undertakers and Planters, their heires and successors freely to truck trade and traffique with the Salvages in New England or neighboring thereabouts at their wills and pleasures without lett or disturbaunce.  As also to have libertie to hunt hauke fish or fowle in any place or places not now or hereafter by the English inhabited.  And the said President and Counsell do covenant and promyse to and with the said John Peirce and his Associates and others contracted with as aforesaid his and their heires and assignes, That upon lawfull survey to be had and made at the charge of the said Undertakers and Planters and lawfull informacon geven of the bowndes, meetes, and quantytie of Land so as aforesaid to be by them chosen and possessed they the said President and Counsell upon surrender of this pnte graunt and Indenture and upon reasonable request to be made by the said Undertakers and Planters their heires and assignes within seaven Yeeres now next coming, shall and will by their Deede Indented and under their Common seale graunt infeorre and confirme all and every the said landes so sett out and bownded as aforesaid to the firme all and every the said landes so sett out and bownded as afiresaid to the said John Peirce and his Associates and such as contract with them their heires and assignes in as large and beneficiall manner as the same are in theis pntes graunted or intended to be graunted to all intentes and purposes with all and every particular pryviledge and freedome reservacon and condicon with all dependances herein specyfied and graunted.  And shall also at any tyme within the said terme of Seaven Yeeres upon request unto the said President and Counsell made, graunt unto them the said John Peirce and his Associates Undertakers and Planters their heires and assignes, Letters and Grauntes of Incorporacon by some usuall and fitt name and tytle with Liberty to them and their successors from tyme to tyme to make orders Lawes Ordynaunces and Constitucons for the rule governement ordering and dyrecting of all persons to be transported and settled upon the landes hereby graunted, intended to be graunted or hereafter to be granted and of the said Landes and proffittes thereby arrysing.  And in the meane tyme untill such graunt made, It shalbe lawfull for the said John Peirce his Associates Undertakers and Planters their heires and assignes by consent of the greater part of them to establish such lawes and ordynaunces as are for their better governemt, and the same by such Officer or Officers as they shall by most voyces elect and choose to put in execucon And lastly the said President and Counsell do graunt and agree to and with the said John Peirce and his Associates and others contracted with and imployed as aforesaid their heires and assignes, That when they have planted the Landes hereby to them assigned and appoynted, That then it shalbe lawfull for them with the pryvitie and allowaunce of the President and Counsell as aforesaid to make choyce of and to enter into and have an addition of fiftie acres more for every person transported into New England wiht like reservacons condicons and pryviledges as are above granted to be had and chosen in such place or places where no English shalbe then setled or inhabiting or have made choyce of and the same entered into a booke of Actes at the tyme of such choyce so to be made or within thenne Myles of the same, excepting on the opposite side of some great Navigable Ryver as aforesaid.  And that it shall and may be lawfull for the said John Peirce and his Associates their heires and assignes from tyme to tyme and at all tymes hereafter for their severall defence and savetie to encounter expulse repell and resist by force of Armes aswell by Sea as by Land and by all wayes and meanes whatsoever all such person or persons as without the especiall lycense of the said President or Counsell and their successors or the greater part of them shall attempt to inhabit within the severall presinctes and lymmyttes of their said Plantacon, Or shall enterpryse or attempt at any tyme hereafter distruccon, Invation, detryment or annoyaunce to the said Plantacon.  And the said John Peirce and his associates and their heires and assignes do covennant and promyse to and with the said President and Counsell and their successors, That they the said John Peirce and his Associates from tyme to tyme during the said Seaven Yeeres shall make a true Certificat to the said President and Counsell and their successors from the chief Officers and the places respectyvely of every person transported and landed in New England or shipped as aforesaid to be entered by the Secretary of the said President and Counsell into a Register book for that purpose to be kept And the said John Peirce and his Associates Jointly and severally for them their heires and assignes do covennant promyse and graunt to and with the said President and Counsell and their successors That the persons transported to this their particuler Plantacon shall apply themselves and their Labors in a large and competent manner to the planting setting making and procuring of good and staple commodyties in and upon the said Land hereby graunted unto them as Corne and silkgrasse hemp flaxe pitch and tarre sopeashes and potashes Iron Clapbord and other the like materialls.  In witnes whereof the said President and Counsell have to the one part of this pnte Indenture sett their seales And to th'other part hereof the said John Peirce in the name of himself and his said Associates have sett to his seale geven the day and yeeres first above written.

The Mayflower Compact

The Mayflower Compact
The "Mayflower Compact" was signed on 11 November 1620 onboard the Mayflower shortly after she came to anchor off Provincetown Harbor.  The Pilgrims had obtained permission from English authorities to settle in Virginia, whose northern border at the time extended up to what is now New York.  The Pilgrims had originally intended to settle near the mouth of the Hudson River, but due to dangerous shoals and a near shipwreck on their attempt to head south, they decided instead to plant themselves outside the bounds of the Virginia Company patent--which caused some "mutinous speeches" amongst some of the passengers.  The Mayflower Compact was an attempt to establish a temporary, legally-binding form of self-government until such time as the Company could get formal permission from the Council of New England.  This formal permission came in the form of the Pierce Patent of 1621. 

The original Mayflower Compact has been lost, perhaps falling victim to Revolutionary War looting.  The text was first published in London in 1622 in A Relation or Journal of the Beginning and Proceeding of the English Plantation Settled at Plymouth in New England.  A copy of it is found in William Bradford's handwritten history, Of Plymouth Plantation, made about 1630.  And Nathaniel Morton, secretary for Plymouth Colony, published it, along with the earliest known list of the signers, in his history, New England's Memorial, published in 1669.  A list of signers is also found in Thomas Prince's 1736 book, Chronological History of New England; and Thomas Hutchinson published a list of signers in 1767 as well.  It is uncertain if they had access to the original, or were basing their list of signers off Nathaniel Morton's.

The following is an image of the original handwritten page of Governor William Bradford's history Of Plymouth Plantation.    This is followed by an exact, line-by-line transcription.  Spelling and punctuation have not been modernized. 



In ye name of God Amen· We whose names are vnderwriten,
the loyall subjects of our dread soueraigne Lord King James
by ye grace of God, of great Britaine, franc, & Ireland king,
defender of ye faith, &c
Haueing vndertaken, for ye glorie of God, and aduancemente
of ye christian ^faith and honour of our king & countrie, a voyage to
plant ye first colonie in ye Northerne parts of Virginia· doe
by these presents solemnly & mutualy in ye presence of God, and
one of another, couenant, & combine our selues togeather into a
ciuill body politick; for ye our better ordering, & preseruation & fur=
therance of ye ends aforesaid; and by vertue hearof, to enacte,
constitute, and frame shuch just & equall lawes, ordinances,
Acts, constitutions, & offices, from time to time, as shall be thought
most meete & conuenient for ye generall good of ye colonie:  vnto
which we promise all due submission and obedience.  In witnes
wherof we haue herevnder subscribed our names at Cap=
Codd ye ·11· of Nouember, in ye year of ye raigne of our soueraigne
Lord king James of England, france, & Ireland ye eighteenth
and of Scotland ye fiftie fourth. Ano: Dom ·1620·|
Signers
John Carver
William Bradford
Edward Winslow
William Brewster
Isaac Allerton
Myles Standish
John Alden
Samuel Fuller
Christopher Martin
William Mullins
William White
Richard Warren
John Howland
Stephen Hopkins

Edward Tilley
John Tilley
Francis Cooke
Thomas Rogers
Thomas Tinker
John Rigsdale
Edward Fuller
John Turner
Francis Eaton
James Chilton
John Crackstone
John Billington
Moses Fletcher
John Goodman

Degory Priest
Thomas Williams
Gilbert Winslow
Edmund Margesson
Peter Browne
Richard Britteridge
George Soule
Richard Clarke
Richard Gardiner
John Allerton
Thomas English
Edward Doty
Edward Leister

Hypervelocity star || Star ejected from center of Milky Way is traveling at incredible speed

https://www.wthr.com/article/star-ejected-center-milky-way-traveling-incredible-speed

A lone star traveling at blistering speed is on track to be ejected from our Milky Way galaxy and into intergalactic space. Astronomers think the massive black hole at the center of the galaxy launched it, and it confirms a theory they've long held but never been able to observe until now.

The astronomers, whose findings are published in the journal Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society, say the star is traveling at 3.7 million mph (1,027 miles per second) — about 10 times faster than most of the stars in the galaxy.

“The velocity of the discovered star is so high that it will inevitably leave the Galaxy and never return,” co-author Douglas Boubert of the University of Oxford, said in a statement.

For perspective, the average distance between the Earth and Mars is 140 million miles. The star could travel that distance in about 37 hours.

The star, called S5-HVS1, passed within 29,000 light-years of Earth — passing through our neighborhood in astronomical standards. That gave astronomers a rare chance to observe it and trace its footsteps back to the center of the Milky Way. There resides Sagittarius A — a massive black hole that is 4 million times the mass of our sun.




Astronomers believe that about 5 million years ago, S5-HSV1 was part of a binary system, paired with another star. That companion star was captured and swallowed up by the black hole while S5-HSV1 was launched away at thousands of miles per second.

“This is super exciting, as we have long suspected that black holes can eject stars with very high velocities. However, we never had an unambiguous association of such a fast star with the Galactic Center,” said lead author Sergey Koposov of Carnegie Mellon University.

Books Written by Mayflower Passengers

Books Written by Mayflower Passengers
A Relation or Journal of the Proceedings of the English Plantation Settled at Plymouth, by Edward Winslow and others (London, 1622).  These are the Pilgrims' journals for the first year at Plymouth.
Good News from New England, by Edward Winslow (London, 1624).  See also a full scan of an original.  These are the Pilgrims' journals for the second and third year at Plymouth.
Of Plymouth Plantation (Volume 1 and Volume 2) by William Bradford (written 1630-1651, first published 1854).  This is the most complete first-hand history of Plymouth, written by its long-time governor.
First Conference Between Some Young Men Born in New England and some Ancient Men who Came out of Holland, by William Bradford (manuscript, 1648).
Third Conference Between Some Young Men Born in New England and some Ancient Men who Came out of Holland Concerning the Church and the Government Thereof, by William Bradford (manuscript, 1651).
The poetry of William Bradford (various poems, 1640s, and 1650s).
Hypocrisy Unmasked, by Edward Winslow (London, 1646).
New England's Salamander Discovered, by Edward Winslow (London, 1647).
Glorious Progress of the Gospel Amongst the Indians, by Edward Winslow (London, 1649).



A lot of these books were written by Edward Winslow. Edward Winslow was a Separatist who traveled on the Mayflower in 1620. He was one of several senior leaders on the ship and also later at Plymouth Colony.

Edward Winslow was born in Droitwich, co. Worcester in 1595.  He was traveling in the Low Countries, and subsequently became acquainted with the Pilgrims' church in Leiden.  He was married in Leiden in 1618 to Elizabeth Barker, and was called a printer of London at the time.  It is quite possible he was assisting William Brewster and Thomas Brewer in their publishing of religious books that were illegal in England.

Edward Winslow and wife Elizabeth came on the Mayflower to Plymouth in 1620.  Elizabeth died the first winter, and Edward remarried to the widowed Susanna (Jackson) White, on 12 May 1621--the first marriage in the Plymouth Colony.

Winslow quickly became one of the more prominent men in the colony.  He was on many of the early explorations of Cape Cod, and led a number of expeditions to meet and trade with the Indians.  He wrote several first-hand accounts of these early years, including portions of A Relation or Journal of the Proceedings of the Plantation Settled at Plymouth (London, 1622) and the entirety of Good News from New England (London, 1624).


Edward Winslow became involved in defending the Plymouth and later Massachusetts Bay Colonies from their opponents and adversaries in England, and made several trips back and forth between England and Massachusetts, including trips in 1623/4, 1630, and 1634; on one occasion he was arrested and thrown into the Fleet Prison in London by his adversaries, on grounds that he had performed marriage ceremonies without being ordained (the Pilgrims viewed marriage as an event to be handled by the civil magistrates, not by the Church).  Winslow returned to England shortly after the English Civil War, and published a couple of pamphlets in defense of the New England colonies, including Hypocrisy Unmasked (1646) andNew England's Salamander Discovered (1647).  He also wrote the introduction to the Glorious Progress of the Gospel Amongst the Indians in New England (1649).

In Plymouth, he held a number of political offices, as was routinely elected an assistant to Governor William Bradford; Winslow himself was elected governor of Plymouth on three occasions: 1632/3, 1635/6, and 1644.  After Winslow returned to England, he was on several Parliamentary committees.  He died in 1655 at sea between Hispaniola and Jamaica, while serving as a commissioner for Oliver Cromwell on a military expedition to retake the island of Hispaniola.

Games for the Elementary Music Classroom

Games for the Elementary Music Classroom
Book Resources:
 Double Agents: Music Games Disguising Core Content (published by: Heritage Music Press)
 A Galaxy of Games for the Music Class (by: Margaret Athey and Gwen Hatchkiss)
 Music Puzzlers (has different levels based on grade level) published by: Hayes School Publishing Co.
Web Resources:
 http://www.toolsforeducators.com/music.php (free online music worksheet and game maker)
 Classicsforkids.com (site over composers with some games to go along with what they have learned)
 SFSkids.org (this site has interactive areas and games about the orchestra)
 Musictechteacher.com (site with lots of games/quiz games over just about anything music)
 http://www.learninggamesforkids.com/art_and_music_games.html


Games:
 Sound Cups (grades K, 1st, and maybe 2nd )
 I use Sound Cup with my younger classes when we are talking about sounds and how everything has a different sound. Sound Cups test their listening to see if they can find the matching sound cup to the one
they have. I have them in two groups in a straight line facing the other group. They take turns one at a
time moving from group to group down the line to find their match. If they find their match and it is
correct, then their team gets a point. If they do not have it correct, then the cup is returned to the player and the next person goes.
 To make sound cups, all you need are the 30 small bathroom mouthwash cups, tape (masking or duct tape works best), two different colored magic markers, and 15 different things to put in the sound cups twice (ex. Paperclips, pennies, etc.). Make sure that you pick things that are not too close in sound so that the students can match them up.
 Put one of the sound items in one mouthwash cup and place a second on top. Tape the two cups
together so they cannot be opened. Write a number on the top of the cup.
 Take the same sound as in the first cup and place it in another mouthwash cup. Place the second on
top and tape the two together. With the other color magic marker, give this cup a different number
so that they will not be a match in numbers.
 I like to write down what number goes with each number from the other color so that when we play I can keep track of the cups that are matches easily.

 Quarter, Quarter, Half (grades K and 1st)
 This is a modified Duck, Duck, Goose game that I use to help with Quarter and Half Note name recognition along with the number of beats they get. With the K and 1st grade we gave the Quarter Note and Half Note nicknames to help them remember the names easier and so they could write the name too. We call Quarter Note Mr. Q and Half Note we call Mr. H. We look at them as brothers with Mr. Q being the youngest and Mr. H being the oldest.
 With the game, it is just like Duck, Duck, Goose, except instead of saying Duck and Goose we say Q and H.
 Q is for Duck and H is for Goose. When the H is picked and they do not catch the Q, then before they can start taping heads, they have to tell us what number the H is. If they get it wrong, you can make them go into the pot or give them another try. It is up to you how you want to do that.
 If the H does catch the Q, then the Q has to tell us what number they get or they have to go into the
pot
 Rhythm Matching (grades K-5)
 I have a different version of this game depending on the grade level that I am using it for.
 For the Kindergarten and 1st grade we use the rhythm matching cards for note and number of beats
recognition for the Quarter Note, Quarter Rest, and Half Note. They have two versions that I have
a use. The first one they match the symbols to its name and the second is where they match the
symbol to the number of counts.
 For 2nd and 3rd grade we use the Quarter Note, Quarter Rest, Half Note, Half Rest, Eighth Note, and a Pair of Eighth Notes. With their versions, they have one where they match the symbol to the number of beats and the second version is they have to count the rhythm for their partner to claim the match.
 4th and 5th grade are similar to the 2nd and 3rd grades except they use Whole Note and Rest, Half Note and Rest, Quarter Note and Rest, Eighth Note and Rest, and a Pair of Eighth Notes in their games. 

Cherokee Legends Origin of Strawberries

Origin of Strawberries

When the world was new, there was one man and one woman. They were happy; then they quarreled. At last, the woman left the man and began to walk away toward the Sunland, the Eastland. The man followed. He felt sorry, but the woman walked straight on. She did not look back.

Then Sun, the great Apportioner, was sorry for the man. He said, “Are you still angry with your wife?”

The man said, “No.”

Sun said, “Would you like to have her come back to you?”

“Yes,” said the man.

So Sun made a great patch of huckleberries which he placed in front of the woman’s trail. She passed them without paying any attention to them. Then Sun made a clump of blackberry bushes and put those in front of her trail. The woman walked on. Then Sun created beautiful service-berry bushes that stood beside the trail. Still, the woman walked on.

So Sun made other fruits and berries. But the woman did not look at them.

Then Sun created a patch of beautiful ripe strawberries. They were the first strawberries. When the woman saw those, she stopped to gather a few. As she gathered them, she turned her face toward the west. Then she remembered the man. She turned to the Sunland but could not go on. She could not go any further.

Then the woman picked some of the strawberries and started back on her trail, away from the Sunland. So her husband met her, and they went back together.



European folklore holds that if two people share a double berry, they're bound to fall in love. Medieval stonemasons carved strawberries on cathedrals to symbolize perfection. In provincial France, newlyweds were fed a breakfast of strawberry soup.

And even today, when berries grown who-knows-where are available in the dead of winter — the sight of the first local berries, those berries that taste perfectly sweet, the way berries are supposed to taste — still have the power to stop us in our tracks. We pick up a quart or two or three. We give thanks and head home smiling, thinking sweet thoughts about how we might enjoy them and who we'd like to feed.

Why the Turkey Gobbles || Cherokee Legends

Why the Turkey Gobbles

In the old days, Grouse had a good voice and Turkey had none. Therefore Turkey asked Grouse to teach him. But Grouse wanted to pay, so Turkey promised to give him some feathers for a collar. That is how the Grouse got his collar of turkey feathers.

So the Grouse began to teach Turkey. At last Grouse said, “Now you must try your voice. You must halloo.”

Turkey said, “Yes.”

Grouse said, “I’ll stand on this hollow log, and when I tap on it, you must halloo as loudly as you can.”

So Grouse climbed upon a log, ready to tap on it, but when he did so, Turkey became so excited that when he opened his mouth, he only said, “Gobble, gobble, gobble.”

That is why the Turkey gobbles whenever he hears a noise.


Fill Your Medicine Bag
At Legends’ General Store


The Eagle’s Revenge

Once a hunter in the mountains heard a noise

at night like a rushing wind. He went out

side his tepee, and found an eagle was sitting on the drying pole, feasting at the deer he had shot. So he shot the eagle.

The next morning the hunter took the deer back to the village. He told how he had shot the deer and then the eagle. Therefore the chief sent out men to bring in the eagle, and have an Eagle dance.

That night when they were dancing, there was a whoop outside. A strange warrior walked into the circle. He was not of that village. They thought he had come from one of the other Cherokee villages.

This warrior told how he had killed a man. At the end of the story, he yelled, “Hi!” One of the men with rattles, who was leading the dance, fell dead. The stranger sang of another deed. At the end, he yelled, “Hi!” Another rattler fell dead. The people were frightened. But the stranger sang of another great deed. Then again he yelled, “Hi!” Again a man with the rattles fell dead. So all seven men who had rattles and who were leading the dance fell dead. And the people were too frightened to leave the lodge where they were dancing.

Then the stranger vanished into the darkness. Long after they learned that the stranger was the brother of the eagle that had been killed.

Old Wives’ Tale or Helpful Hint?

To introduce this lesson, students discuss old wives' tales and define the difference between them and superstitions. The class creates a list of the tales on the board and each group chooses one to investigate. They have to choose one that is can be tested safely and in a short amount of time. Groups use the scientific method to explore the accuracy of the tale and keep a record of their results. After all the investigations are completed, the students write a lab report and give a brief oral report to the class.


Old Wives’ Tale or Helpful Hint?
People often tell us things and ask us to believe they're true. Some of
these "Helpful Hints" are true. Some aren't. People have realized for a long
time that some of these hints aren't true and call them "Old Wives' Tales."
An Old Wives' Tale is an everyday statement that some people believe is
true, but it really isn't. But how can you tell them apart? You can't just
ask a grownup, some of them are wrong. The only way anyone knows the
truth for sure is to use the Scientific Method.
Each group will choose a hint/old wives' tale to test using the
scientific method. Make sure you choose an old wives' tale or hint, not a
superstition. A superstition involves luck, magic or the supernatural, a
hint or old wives' tale does not. Each group will work together as a class
to find out if this hint is true or false. Each group is responsible for
preparing an individual written lab report. Your grade on this assignment
will be based on your participation during the project in and out of class
and your written and oral lab reports.
Homework to prepare for Day 1:
Explain to at least two adults the difference between a helpful hint,
superstition, and an old wives’ tale. Ask the adults to help you come up
with as many examples as you can. You must write down and bring in at
least 10 examples tomorrow.
Day 1 - Determine your PURPOSE
Each student should bring in at least ten old wives' tales or helpful hints
to class. We'll list all the old wives' tales on the board. Your group should
choose the one you plan to test on your project sheet. It must be a
question that you can test quickly and SAFELY. Your teacher must check
your PURPOSE before you continue.
Day 2 - RESEARCH:
We'll spend one day researching in the library. Summarize what you
learned on your group's project sheet
Day 3 - HYPOTHESIS & EXPERIMENT
Use what you've learned to write a testable hypothesis Design an
experiment to test your hypothesis. Write the procedure you plan to use
as well as a materials list. Make sure you control for any variables. Do
not begin your test until your teacher has approved your research,
hypothesis, material, and procedure and signed your project sheet.


Days 4 & 5 - EXPERIMENT (Part 2)
Obtain all your materials and perform your experiment following the
procedure outlined in your project sheet. Record your data and
observations as you proceed.
DAY 6 - ANALYSIS
Use computer software to analyze your data. Create appropriate
charts or graphs to help you look for trends and evidence proving or
disproving your hypothesis.
Day 7 - CONCLUSION & DISCUSSION
As a group, you must decide whether your hypothesis was proven true or
false, or if your tests were inconclusive. Write a 1-2 sentence statement of
your conclusion. Each individual should write his/her own discussion (1-
2 paragraphs) Finally, finish the lab report and turn it in. Prepare to
present your findings to the class.

Old Wives’ Tale Group Members __________________________
Group Project Sheet __________________________
__________________________
Purpose:
_________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________

Research Summary:
_________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________
Hypothesis:
_________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________
Materials List: on your own paper, please attach

Procedure: a step by step procedure on your own paper, please attach