Election Day 2012

Every four years, Americans have an opportunity that many around the world only wish for: to elect the leader of their country. Whether a Republican, Democrat, Independent, Progressive, Green, or any party affiliation in between, each and every American citizen over the age of 18 has the right to vote for the President of the United States. And today, November 6, 2012 is such a day.

Although the majority of our students are not old enough to vote, it is never too early to discuss the importance of voting and talk about the lengths that those before us went through to ensure that all Americans, regardless of gender, race or religion, can cast their ballot.

While the election process has surely been a topic of discussion in all students’ social studies classes, the following are a list of resources that students and parents can check out today to learn more about the voting process, and election and presidential history. And there’s also a fun activity to do today, too.

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   USA.gov| Learn About Elections and voting at USA.org www.usa.gov/Citizen/Topics/Voting/Learn.shtml
Featuring resources and websites for teaching  kids about the Election Process and Government

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   New York Times Education Blog | 2012 Presidential Resources & Teaching Tips

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   Presidential Elections: Find an explanation of the United States presidential election process that is appropriate for elementary students. They'll learn the requirements for becoming president and how the election process works.

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   Closest Presidential Races: An article comparing close presidential races in U.S. history.

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   How a President Gets Elected: Use this article to help explain the U.S. presidential election process, including nominations, campaigns, caucuses and primaries, and more.

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   Unusual Voting Results in the U.S.: The results of the1872, and 1876 presidential elections exemplify the difficulties of the electoral process.
• Election of the President & Vice President: Electoral College: This article explains the electoral college in the presidential election process in the United States. This is a great resource to use during the election season, when you're discussing current events in the classroom.

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   U.S. Election Vocabulary: This election vocabulary will help teaching students about the U.S. Government.

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   Election of the President & Vice President: Primary Election: An explanation of the primary facet of the presidential election process in the United States. Students learn all about campaigning, the nomination process, and more.

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   Residency Requirements for Voting in the U.S.: A chart listing residency requirements for voting in U.S. federal, state, and local elections.

Pearsonschool.com 2012 Election Resource Center has information on

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   Meet the Candidates: Learn more about our 2012 Presidential candidates Barack Obama and Mitt Romney.

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   myWorld TikaTok Election Book: A fun resource for students to write their own digital book about the election.

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   Interactive Constitution: Check out our Interactive Constitution to learn more about executive power and how it pertains to the President of the United States of America.

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   Declaration of Independence Tour: As president it's important to know information about how the country was formed. Here get resources to help student study and learn more about the Declaration of independence.

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   Prentice Hall America: History of our Nation: A hands-on, digital, customizable resources to help students understand the history of the U.S. and how democracy has helped form our nation.

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   Mock Election: Get involved in the nation's largest civic education project – the 2012 My Voice National Student Mock Election.

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   The Idea of America: Provocative questions and intriguing content around the history of elections from  our partner Colonial Williamsburg.

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   Biographies: Learn about presidents of the past. Read biographies of past presidents.

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   Symbols of America: Give your students a chance to interact with key symbols of our republic in a new and exciting way.

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   TeacherVision.com | Understanding the Presidential Election Process  

This project teaches students about the electoral college and how presidential elections are decided by the electoral college, not the popular vote. (Ideal for students in grades 3– 8)

Students will:

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   understand that elections are decided by the electoral college

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   see that each state has a number of electors, and understand how this number is determined

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   examine election trends.

Materials needed:

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   Crayons or colored pencils

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   Copies of U.S. map

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   Website: http://www.archives.gov/federal-register/electoral-college/index.html

Procedures:

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   Ask if the students have heard of the Electoral College. If so, can anyone explain it? (The electoral college is technically responsible for electing the president.) Explain that each state has a particular number of electors, their numbers determined by how many senators and representatives a state has. On Election Day, as presidential candidates "win" a particular state by accumulating the most votes, they are awarded the number of delegates from that state. The candidate with the highest number of electoral votes wins the election. In December, the electors hold their own election to vote formally for President. The winning candidate will have at least half the electoral votes – or 270 delegates. (For a more thorough explanation of the Electoral College, see http://www.archives.gov/federal-register/electoral-college/about.html.) 

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   Have students look at the List of States and Votes on the National Archives and Records Administration site on the electoral college's website: http://www.archives.gov/federal-register/electoral-college/2008/. Ask a student to name a state that is physically large, then note the number of electoral votes. Try another state. By looking at California and Montana, for example, students will see that the physical size of a state does not correlate with its number of electoral votes. Why do they think this is? (Answer: Votes correspond to population, not size.) 

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   Distribute a U.S. map to each pair and have students use the numbers from the National Archives website to fill in the number of delegates in each state on their map, using pencil or black ink. 

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   Assign recent election years, starting with 2008 and moving back in time, to the pairs and direct them to the Electoral Votes by State section of the site (http://www.archives.gov/federal-register/electoral-college/historical.html). As a class, choose colors to represent republicans, democrats, and third-party candidates. Then have the students color in the states in pencil or crayon to show whether the electoral votes went republican or democrat for their year. 

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   Hang the maps on the wall in chronological order. Identify and discuss voting trends and shifts in those trends over time, including regional differences. Has the South, for example, traditionally voted with a certain party? What do the students think the current presidential candidates might anticipate by way of votes? If they were running for president, would they spend more time in states that had traditionally voted for them or against them? Why?

(Sources: TeacherVision.comwww.teachervision.fen.com/elections/teaching-methods/56372.html#ixzz2BPSxhqRv,www.teachervision.fen.com/elections/lesson-plan/3246.html#ixzz2BPRqR3U7; Pearson www.pearsonschool.com/index.cfm?locator=PS1s6l)

How to Avoid Summer Brain Drain

Summer break is undoubtedly a great time for kids. School is out and fun is in session. They trade in class, homework and studying for sleeping-in, playing and swimming...and brain-drain.

What’s brain-drain, you ask? It’s a very real thing that presents itself over the summer months and is hugely detrimental to a student's learning retention and future progress.

According to research on summerlearning.org, all students, regardless of grade level, experience learning loss when they don’t engage in educational activities during the summer.  For some students, they can lose as much as two months-worth of grade level equivalency.

That just doesn’t sit right with us—especially since there are a number of activities that students can do over the summer to avoid brain-drain.  

We talked with experts from the Student Achievement Department from the Pennsylvania Cyber Charter School for a list of activities to help keep the minds of students—from elementary to high school—sharp over the summer.  

Elementary

• Reading is one of the easiest and most effective ways to ensure a student’s success in school and in life. Research shows that students who who enjoy reading from a young age will continue to read and learn throughout their lives. The National Education Association says that young readers need to become practiced at recognizing letters and sounds and the best way to do that is to read, A LOT!
  
  At the elementary level, family involvement plays an important role in developing a child’s reading skills, and summer is a great time to work with them at this essential skills.
• Read to your child often and work with them as they read aloud.
• Take advantage of your local library and check out new books every week.
• Encourage your child to read every day
• Start your own family library and share your favorite books from your childhood with them.
   
• At the beginning of summer break, make a list of fun yet educational activities that your child can do on their own over the next few months. Examples might include paint a picture, read a book, work a puzzle, listen to a favorite CD, write a letter or email to family members about their break , or write a short story. Write each activity on a slip of paper and drop it into the “Activity Jar.”  Every few days, have the student draw a slip of paper from the jar and do the activity listed.
   
• If you are planning a family trip, there are a number of activities that you can use to pass the time in the car and promote learning.
• Have your child read the road signs as you travel to your destination.
• When you see signs with mileage on them, encourage the child to flex their addition and subtraction skills with the numbers posted.
• Before hitting the road, create a scavenger hunt for your child to take part in during the drive.
• Help your child to look up information on the cities and states you will be driving though before you leave, then on your journey be sure to discuss that information with them.
• Create a “Serial Story” with the whole family. One person starts telling a story. As that person  gets to an exciting or suspenseful part, they stop talking and the next person takes over.
   
• Summer is a great time to teach kids about the moon and the stars, thanks to all the clear, warm summer nights. Watch how the moon changes over the course of the summer. Read books about the moon and the stars. NASA provides a wealth of resources that are safe, fun, and educational for children. Click here to find information on space-related topics, as well as games, Web quests, and even chats with NASA experts.

Middle & High School

• Reading is essential at all levels. For middle and high school students, their taste in literature is becoming more developed and they are reading more for pleasure than anything.
• If they are fans of a series, i.e. Harry Potter, Lord of the Rings, The Chronicles of Narnia, The Hunger Games, etc., encourage them to re-read the series. When they’re finished with the books, have them invite their friends over to watch all the movies.
• Have them ask the local librarian for new authors or books they should read based on other books they’ve enjoyed. Also, they can ask their teachers for recommend reading to prepare them for the next year of school.
• Have them start a book club with their friends and meet once a week to discuss the book. They can choose books off the New York Times Best Sellers list or check out this list from The Telegraph on the 100 books everyone should read.
   
• Writing is another essential, especially because as students progresses through school, the number (and length) of writing assignments they receive increases. Ways you can encourage your child’s writing include:
• Have them keep a journal or write a blog detailing their summer break. Work with your student to create a list of topics he/she can write about such as: their favorite class from the past year, a subject they struggled with and how they moved past it, a review of a book they read or movie they saw, and someone who inspires them and why.
• Have them identify ten people (teachers, coaches, family members, etc.) who deserve their thanks. Have the student write each person a hand-written letter of at least one page expressing their appreciation and detailing the impact they’ve had on them.
   
• Let your child plan a family meal from beginning to end. Have them choose the recipes, create the list and set a budget, then go grocery shopping together. While at the store, have them can calculate the cost savings of items with sales and coupons, as well teach them to stick to the set budget. While preparing of the meal, they will be able to work on their fractions and weight conversions as well.
   
• We are surrounded by history and it can be exciting to learn about the history that is right in your backyard. Have your child research the history of your town or plan a visit to historical landmarks in your area. Also, encourage them to go to local parks, zoos, museums, and art galleries to expand their horizons and learn something new!
   
• Have your child help you in the planning of your vacation or trip out of town by:
• Asking for their help in mapping the fastest route
• Have them look up information about your destination and find fun and interesting things for you do while you’re there. While on the trip, be sure to ask them questions about the places they’ve taken you and why they chose them.
• Have them work on their math skills by asking them to calculate the miles per gallon your car is getting and average speed you are traveling.
  
  
• Science is around us all of the time, and it’s all about learning via careful observation and experimentation. Encourage your student to think like a scientist by observing, classifying, predicting, and quantifying all summer long by:
• Learning about organic gardening and growing plants in containers by having them start their own small garden. 
• If you have a pool, ask your student to help you with adding the chemicals and then learning about how those chemicals work together to make the pool safe.
   
• Have your student enroll in a class at the community college, library or community center. This is a great way for students to explore different interests they may have from music or art to poetry or engineering. Also look into summer camps with specific themes, such as science or music for older students to attend. As an added bonus, some courses may count towards high school and college credit!
   
• Encourage your student to pick something they love to do and figure out how to use it to make contributions to others. For example, they could play the piano in a jazz band, teach residents at a retirement home how to use a computer, or help run the lights for a play at the community theater.

What activities would you suggest to help students avoid summer brain-drain? Tell us on our Facebook page:  www.facebook.com/wisconsinvl.

2012-2013 Back to School Fairs

Come to learn and stay to play!

 

This summer WVL staff will be traveling the state, holding Back to School Fairs for families to come get essential information to start the beginning of the year. Each fair will include booths for elementary, middle, and high school, as well as a Student Learning Advocate (SLA) booth, a social outing booth and a booth to help with technology. All staff, including teachers, SLAs, and administration, will be on hand to help make sure you and your child know everything you need to know to have a successful start to the 2012-2013 school year. Both new and returning families are strongly encouraged to attend.  There will be a Meet and Greet at 10 a.m. to get your child's information and meet your SLA, teachers, and the rest of the WVL staff.  Beginning at 11 a.m. we will break into smaller sessions for elementary, middle, and high school.  These sessions will repeat at noon to accommodate families with children in more than one level.  Stay after the fair to enjoy an outing with other WVL families!

Monday, August 13^th- Country Springs Hotel and Water Park, Pewaukee, WI

Outing: Country Springs Water Park

Tuesday, August 14^th- Miller Pavilion, Milwaukee, WI

Outing:  Milwaukee Art Museum, Betty Brinn Children’s Museum, Discovery World, or Picnic on Milwaukee’s lakefront.

Wednesday, August 15^th- Tundra Lodge and Water Park, Green Bay, WI

Outing: Tundra Lodge Water Park

Thursday, August 16^th- Chula Vista Resort and Water Park, Wisconsin Dells, WI

Outing: Chula Vista Water Park

*Please visit our website or Facebook page for more information 

and to register for one of our fairs! 

WVL Student, Kithara Vogel, Awared Honorable Mention in the Adventure Write Contest for the Second Year in a Row

Congratulations to Kithara Vogel, WVL sophomore, for receiving an honorable mention in the Adventure Write Contest for the second year in a row! Read her story below:

A Different Perspective
Written By: Kithara Vogel

So there I was, feeling around above me for a firm grip. With one swift movement, I pulled myself up and over the ledge jutting out from the side of the mountain. I stood up and looked triumphantly down at the tiny landscape below. My ponytail was plastered to the back of my sweating neck, and my face was flushed. I smiled despite the hot July afternoon. As I leaned daringly over the edge admiring the view, a bead of sweat fell from my face. I watched as it fell to the rocks far below and was reminded of my own fate if I should slip.

After taking a drink from my water bottle, I put it back into my emergency pack I kept at my waist and started investigating the uneven mountaintop. All around, the beauty of the Black Hills extended out until it met a flawless blue sky. My parents were somewhere down in those hills, roaming the trails and enjoying our vacation. Earlier in the day, I had split up from them to go exploring my way – free climbing.

As I climbed between two rocks, I stepped into a pile of brush and my foot caught on something. Kicking the brush aside, I spotted a rusted handle attached to a small metal door. I adjusted my position and grabbed the handle. With a firm tug, I tried to open it. At first it didn't move. I pulled harder, and before I knew it the entire door fell off its hinges and was clutched in my hand. Inside, a metal ladder led down into darkness. I admit, there was a second of hesitation, but my curiosity quickly overcame it.

The hole was just big enough for me to fit through, and I made my way down the ladder. The temperature dropped as sunlight from above grew dimmer. After descending for quite some time, my foot finally hit a hard surface. Positioning myself on the ground, I froze and listened for any noise. It was absolutely silent, with only the sound of my labored breathing filling my ears. On my left and in front of me, my hands immediately felt the cool surface of rock. To my right, however, there was nothing. With my arms still outstretched, I slowly proceeded.

As careful as I was, I still managed to trip and fall flat on my face. I felt around the area I had fallen, and my hand hit something. Since it wasn't rattling, squeaking, pinching, or crawling I decided it was safe enough to pick up and investigate. Just then I remembered the flashlight I kept in my pack and took it out. Suddenly, the darkness that enveloped me overflowed with light. I could finally see! Looking down, I saw what I had stumbled over--a stick of dynamite.

What I saw around me was mainly what I expected--a narrow tunnel carved into rock. What I hadn't expected was a clearing just a few feet ahead of me. From there, a small tunnel branched off in another direction. I followed the tunnel and caught my breath at what it led to. Loose, yellowed papers spilled out of the drawers of an ancient-looking wooden desk. I ran over to the desk and picked up a torn piece of paper that had fallen onto the ground. It was dated August 4, 1937. In small cursive, the words read:

It will be 10 years next week since the fellas and I began this job. Honestly, the time's gone by so fast it seems like only a couple years. We're about finished with the third one, which proves that construction is ahead of schedule. My daughter is getting married tomorrow. I hate to miss it, but the days get so rushed when we get close to finishing each section and we need all the help we can get. I will contact her the minute I get the chance. For now, I won't have any difficulty falling asleep tonight and the morning brings new work.

The bottom of the page was signed "Gutzom Borglum." I was confused and interested about what Borglum was talking about. Whatever they were working on must have been a big deal. I set the paper on the desk and looked around. Yet another tunnel extended from the room at the opposite end. I walked down it, expecting another chamber, or even a glimpse at the creation Borglum had talked about constructing. All of a sudden, the tunnel grew lighter, and I could see sunlight in the distance. I walked faster, anxious to see what lay ahead.

Then, as I saw the outside world, I realized where I was. How on Earth was this possible? I came to the end of the tunnel as well as a huge hole carved out of the rock. Standing there, I found myself staring at George Washington's magnificent stone-carved face. Beside him was Thomas Jefferson, and in the corner Teddy Roosevelt gazed at me. It took a minute to realize I was standing in the eyes of Abraham Lincoln. To my left, flags waved and crowds of people scattered a walkway. They were all staring directly at me, though I knew it wasn't me they had come to see. They had come to see the four famous faces of Mount Rushmore.

WVL student, Michael Dieffenbach, named finalist for the 2012 National Merit Scholarship Competition

Michael Dieffenbach, a senior at WVL, has been named as a finalist in the 2012 National Merit Scholarship Competition!  The National Merit Scholarship Program is an academic competition for recognition and scholarships that began in 1955. High school students enter the National Merit Program by taking the Preliminary SAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test–a test which serves as an initial screen of more than 1.5 million entrants each year–and by meeting published program entry/participation requirements.

Of the 1.5 million entrants, some 50,000 with the highest PSAT/NMSQT^® Selection Index scores (critical reading + mathematics + writing skills scores) qualify for recognition in the National Merit^® Scholarship Program.  Finalists are evaluated on: their academic record, information about the school's curricula and grading system, two sets of test scores, the high school official's written recommendation, information about the student's activities and leadership, and the Finalist's own essay. All winners of Merit Scholarship^® awards  are chosen from the Finalist group, based on their abilities, skills, and accomplishments. Michael will be notified this spring about which Merit Scholarship Awards he will receive.

Congratulations Michael!  WVL wishes you well as you continue your journey to becoming a National Merit Scholarship winner!

Wisconsin Virtual Learning student shares her favorite place through poetry in Ms. Yoder's English class

The Windy City

By Marina, 12th Grade WVL Student

Bright lights, yellow taxi cabs, heels clicking, shoppers shopping,

How could I ever leave you?

The noise of the horns and the presence of so many people, Chicago. With its beautiful buildings that reach for the heavens.

Your Magnificent Mile that stretches farther than my mind can fathom.

Never tasted a treat so sweet until I let my feet sweep themselves into one of the many places of “Chicago's Famous Popcorn.”

Only thing blown out of the windy city is my mind,

captivated by the beautiful Marilyn Monroe in all her pompous elegance.

As I depart, your imagery still lives within me.

Your commotion feeds my soul it's much needed excitement.

While your aesthetic architecture raises the crease in between my lips.

Knowing as I look back, one day I shall return.