These Multiplication Houses teach the multiplication facts in a really creative way. There is a house for each number from 1-12. You print out the houses and cut them out. Then for each square with a number you cut around them so they open like a window. Then mount the house on another sheet of paper, gluing all except the windows. We liked using different colors of construction paper Behind each window the kids write the answers to the multiplication fact. For example, if it is the house of threes they multiply each number by three and write that answer behind the window.
PAASSC Students Meet Chinese Consul General During Arts Festival Kickoff
On Friday, September 7, PAASSC students Daria Belle, Kiah Smith, and Sanaa Smith got a chance to meet Chinese Consul General Wang Donghua and his wife, Liu Bin, during the official kickoff of the “Across the Pacific: China Arts Festival” in San Francisco. Now in its 5th year, this six-week festival is held across the Pacific Northwest, in the Bay Area, Sacramento, and Portland, Ore., as well as in Las Vegas, Nev.
Daria Belle, who is in the 7th grade at Yu Ming Charter School in Oakland, was even quoted by Xinhuanet, an online affiliate of China’s state news agency. “I have been learning Chinese for eight years,” she told the reporter. “I love the fantastic Chinese food and like to listen to Chinese music.” She and her sister, Zoe, presented the Consul General and his wife with artwork on behalf of Yu Ming.
In addition to Daria and the Smith girls, the kickoff was attended by Eric Peterson, principal of West County Mandarin School in Richmond, Calif.; PAASSC board member (and Daria’s dad) Randolph Belle and his younger daughter, Zoe; and PAASSC founder Jamila Nightingale, who is also Kiah and Sanaa’s mom.
According to the Xinhuanet.com article, “The festival is part of the China-U.S. cultural communication and exchange projects sponsored by the Chinese Ministry of Culture and Tourism.”
If you want to learn more about the festival events, read this article on China Daily. The San Francisco Public Library also includes information about an exhibit and films it is hosting in conjunction with the festival on page 5 of its September 2018 newsletter.
3 Lists to Help You Start the School Year Off Right
It seems like just yesterday that the school year ended. Now it’s time for another grade, another classroom, and another set of adventures in Mandarin immersion.
Whether your family is wrapping up school shopping or already getting settled back into your daily routines, please take a moment to check out these three amazing listicles from GreatSchools.org:
- School Supply Lists for Every Grade. This article contains lists for pre-school through high school students. The elementary school grades are broken into lists for early and later grade levels. The authors wisely recommend cross checking these lists against those supplied by your children’s schools.
- Creating the Perfect Homework Space. This article encourages parents to build a functional, distraction-free study nook by considering their children’s work habits, temptations, and needed resources among other things.
- Smart Afterschool Snacks. The most effective homework space could be rendered useless if your child is too hopped up on sugar or too hangry to focus. This article provides nutritional suggestions for tasty snacks that will give your learner the energy to hit the books with gusto… or at least with focus.
Wishing you and your family an excellent school year!
7+ Podcasts for a Screen-Free/Screen-Limited Summer
It’s summertime. It’s the digital age. It’s tempting for our kids to fill those long, sunny days of freedom binge-watching the Disney Channel or YouTube, or gaming till bedtime. When we were their ages, our parents may have urged us to turn off the television and video games and play outside instead. Nowadays, digital devices let kids take the TV and video games outside with them, far from their caregiver’s keen eyes and ears.
Podcasts are a great way to find balance between letting your kids engage technology and limiting their screen time (or eliminating screen time altogether). These audio recordings can be great during bedtime, while finishing up chores, and on long road trips, too. There’s great content being produced for kids of all ages, from storytelling for the littles to fun facts and even light social commentary for tweens and teens. As you might expect, there are even Mandarin podcasts aimed at children and language learners.
Here are a few of our favorites, in order of age-appropriateness:
- Story Time. 10-15 minute stories that are great for pre-school and small children. you can play them right inside the website or download the audio files to your computer or device to play another time. You can also access Peace Out, a series of bedtime relaxation recordings for the little ones, on the same website.
- Wow in the World. This is NPR’s kid-oriented podcast. Its exuberant hosts Guy and Mindy explore cool science and tech topics like “Exploding Ants!” and “The Science of Poppin’ Knuckles.” Fun theme music and sound effects helps to keep curious school-age minds tuned in – helpful since the episodes average about 30 minutes. The weekly show is just over a year old and offers a premium membership service in addition to the free podcasts.
- Stories. This podcast has been sharing kid-friendly adaptations of classic fairy tales, folktales from cultures around the world, Bible stories, and even original works since 2016. There’s a brief ad before each story, but they also have a Patreon account that lets you download ad-free content and even get your children’s name mentioned during a future podcast.
- Six Minutes. Aimed at tweens, this podcast is a modern-day take on the lost art of serial radio dramas. Twice a week, listeners can follow the six-minute long adventures of a girl named Holiday, who is found “floating in the icy waters off the coast of Alaska with no memory.” So far, there are 41 sci-fi-ish episodes. Binge-listen, anyone? (If you’re into sci-fi for kids and tweens, also check out The Alien Adventures of Finn Caspian.)
- Stuff You Missed in History Class. Developed by the creators of HowStuffWorks.com, this engaging podcast digs into the annals of history from around the world, satisfying curious minds on a number of topics. The website conveniently arranges past podcasts into categories, including African, Black, and Chinese history. The episodes are fairly long and don’t come with many bells and whistles, so older tweens and teens will probably get the most out of them. (411 Teen also covers serious, more contemporary topics, but as the name suggests, it’s crafted with teens in mind.)
- This American Life. NPR’s popular weekly show has become one of the nation’s top podcasts. It’s a great choice to listen to as a family as your kids mature. Some of the topics might go over their heads a bit, and the language can get a little dicey at times, but it also creates a perfect opportunity to engage in meaningful discussions.
- Kids Chinese Podcast. This podcast features over 140 Mandarin language lessons broken down by grade level from kindergarten to fifth grade. Pinyin and character script can be found throughout the site. Although “kids” is in the title, the home page states that the lessons can be helpful for kids, teens, and adults. So listen as a family and one day soon, you may be able to talk to (and hear) your language learners in Chinese too!
Check out more lists of amazing, kid-friendly podcast at Common Sense Media. Don’t see your family’s favorite podcast listed? Share it with us in the comment section.
Black Girls CODE Bay Area Chapter Presents: Code A Brighter Future Hackathon
Black Girls CODE is teaming with Colgate to deliver a free girls-only hackathon (6th – 12th grade) as they push young women to “Code a Brighter Future”.
When you picture a promising future, what do you see? What changes do you envision in your community? How is your day-to-day life improved? What challenges do you anticipate we’ll experience with our environment or wildlife? What would you build to make the future you foresee a reality? Use your imagination to create a mobile app that paves the way for a brighter future.
What is a hackathon?
A hackathon is an event designed to bring groups of people together as they work collaboratively to solve a wide-array of problems through computer programming. Black Girls CODE youth hackathons are education focused and allow students to work in teams with experienced mentors over a weekend building apps and tools.
This hackathon will provide each Tech Diva with the opportunity to take part in a three-day youth focused hackathon that encourages creativity and teamwork. Ladies will learn how to design and build apps, concluding the weekend with team presentations and solution demos live on stage!
Who can participate in the hackathon?
The Code a Brighter Future Hackathon is open to girls, grade 6 – 12, of all experience levels. Previous computer camps and STEM exposure are great, but young ladies new to coding and app development are welcomed and encouraged to register as well!
Inviting Tech Divas fitting into the following categories to register today:
- Girls of all experience levels
- Girls entering 6th through 12th grade next year
- Girls who are interested in computer science, STEM, mobile applications, and gaming
What’s the schedule?
Friday, September 22nd: 6:00pm – 9:00pm (registration begins at 5:00pm) – Galvanize, 44 Tehama Street, SF, Ca
Saturday, Sepetmber 23rd: 9:00am – 6:00pm (registration begins at 8:00am ) – Galvanize, 44 Tehama Street, SF, CA
Sunday, September 24th: 9:00am – 6:00pm (registration begins at 8:00am ) – Galvanize, 44 Tehama Street, SF, CA
Multiplication House Printables
I’m constantly looking for new ways for the girls to practice their multiplication math facts so they have them committed to memory. These multiplication houses from TeachBesideMe.com are a great way for the girls to review their math facts with each other using tools that are interactive and fun.
To make these Multiplication Houses, cut the squares of each window on three sides so they open. Mount on another piece of paper. Write the answers to each math problem behind the windows. For example: if it is the house of fives, behind the 3 window you would write 15!
Use them for your kids to practice their multiplication facts. You can attach them together into book form when finished with all of them!
