Cool links
Google http://www.google.comThe mother of all search engines. If it is on the net, Google will find it.
Yahooligans http://yahooligans.yahoo.com  This search engine was created with children in mind.
Math Cats http://www.mathcats.com This is one very cool site! There are no advertisements and very clear photographs and graphics. The Explore section offers more math related games than you can imagine!!
Sagawa: The Chinese Siamese Cat http://pbskids.org/sagwat    With a story maker to prod students into creative thinking, games that relate to mathematics and Chinese culture, and background information on the show and it's characters you'll visit  as we study our MY CAT LIKES TO HIDE IN BOXES unit.
What's for Lunch at Pond Café  http://www.uen.org/utahlink/tours/tourFames.cgi?tour_id=13283 It is a virtual fieldtrip created by a Second Grade teacher from Utah. It includes information on the Monarch's life cycle and on butterfly tagging.
The Smallest Page on the Web http://www.microscopy-uk.org.uk/mag/indexmag.html?http://www.microscopy-uk.org.uk/mag/wimsmall/smal1.html is devoted to the microscopic creatures that live in pond water.
Prickly Ball Farm Hedge Hog Hospital http://www.hedgehog.org.uk/  This charming little British site will help students understand just what a hedgehog is. It offers Hedgehog life cycle facts, photos of hedgehogs, hedgehog diet information, information of their hibernation (I did not know they hibernated!), tips on how to build a hedgehog friendly garden, and a separate shopping area (not overly commercial). Use this site with Jan Brett literature. most American children do not know what a hedgehog is.
Creature Feature: Hedgehogs http://www.nationalgeographic.com/kids/creature_feature/0202/ Beautifully crafted site! There are hedgehog facts, a very good list of links, a video clip, an audio clip, a map showing were hedgehogs live in the wild, even a hedgehog electronic post card.
Interactive Tangrams http://www.tangram.i-p.com There is a shameless amount of advertising on this site however it is very good!  It challenges a child's ability to solve dimensional problems and rotate shapes within their mind.
Nature: Virtual Tide Pool http://www.pbs.org/wnet/nature/edgeofsea/tidepool.html  Wow! This site offers an interactive tide pool children can visit at high or low tide! Photos and facts about each creature appear as one explores the tide pool. Please visit during our Ocean Unit!
Nature On Line http://www.pbs.org/wnet/nature/  This is another PBS site and is related to the television show Nature. It offers video clips of dozens of different animals, animal facts, and over two dozen animal games! We read about Koko the gorilla each year as we study sign Language. Koko's Scrapbook, Learn to sign with Koko, and the Conversation with KoKo will mesmerize your child!
Nursery Rhyme Land http://www.iyedo.com/ While there are some typos on this page, this site teaches familiar Nursery Rhymes and is an asset for emergent readers! The rhymes included are: 1.Humpty Dumpty, 2.The Queen of Hearts, 3.Sing a Song of Sixpence, 4.Old King Cole, 5.Hey, Diddle, Diddle, The Cat And The Fiddle,6.Little Nancy Etticoat, 7.Georgie Porgie, 8.Goosey Gander, 9.Peter Piper, 10.Jack Be Nimble, 11.The Clock, 12.Baa, Baa, Black Sheep, 13.Little Boy Blue, 14.Jack and Jill, 15.Bobby Shaftoe, and 16.Little Miss Muffet..
Clifford Interactive Story Books http://teacher.scholastic.com/clifford1 Your child will into practice reading skills while having fun! There are four interactive stories (cloze technique), a letter match, a sound match, a concentration game, and a word making game.
Franklin the Turtlehttp://www.franklintheturtle.com  First Graders light up at any mention of Franklin. This site will have them begging for turns to learn! There is a Secret Club, a section with games, a Reading Room, Woodland Adventures, and even a section for grownups! While this site takes a LONG time to load with dial up, it is worth the wait. Nick Jr.com also hosts a Franklin site at http://www.nickjr.com/kids/html_site/franklin/index.jhtml your child can meet all of Franklin's friends while reading a simple story, create e-cards, and print out pictures to color. The Franklin Book Break http://www.dltk-teach.com/books/franklin.htmloffers wonderful Franklin craft ideas from iron on for creating "happy teeth"  tee shirts to  make after reading Franklin and the Tooth Fairy.
Arthur www.pbs.org/wgbh/arthur Marc Brown knows how to make children laugh! This PBS hosted site offers so much to do including printable trading cards, A How to You like Your Sandwiches Cut Poll, and an Alien game with Buster Bunny. There's even a poetry club and a section that allow children to write to Arthur and his friends.