Gifted & Educational Links

The Web resources below originally appeared in the Fall 2009 issue of Gifted Child Today.

This popular journal offers teachers and parents the practical information needed to create a successful education for gifted children. Visit the Gifted Child Today home page to download sample articles or to order a subscription to the nation's most popular gifted education journal, Gifted Child Today.

You can find more great ideas, information, and resources on Prufrock's Gifted Education Blog.

Investing for Kids
http://efinancedirectory.com/article_directory/Investing_for_Kids.html

What are Exchange Traded Funds? What is the difference between a spread and a bid? What do banks do with the money that you deposit and what does the FDIC have to do with it? How is coin and paper money really made? What is the difference between CDs and bonds? Features on this Web site include kid-friendly tips on avoiding identity theft, the basics of investing, how to create a budget, and how the stock market works.

The Smithsonian for Students
http://smithsonianeducation.org/students

If the movie Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian whetted your appetite to learn more about the Smithsonian Museum collection, then this site will get you even more excited about the museum's 142 million objects, including everything from fossils to tapestries. On this site you will find profiles of our nation's presidents, a "Walking on the Moon" Apollo 11 mission page, and some of the Smithsonian's collections as well as tips for starting your own collection. The Secrets of the Smithsonian features behind-the-scenes secrets such as the history of the Hope Diamond and even spiders in space!

Willard Wigan Micro Sculptures
http://www.willard-wigan.com/default.aspx

Read about this artist who creates sculptures of such small proportions that you need a microscope to see them. Each piece typically sits within the eye of a needle or on a pinhead. As a creative outlet to deal with dyslexia at school, Willard started making minute pieces of art from the age of 5. This site features a gallery of his work, including replicas of the Statue of Liberty, Tutankhamen, and Marilyn Monroe.

The Berenstain Bears
http://www.randomhouse.com/kids/berenstainbears

This Web site features all of the Berenstain Bears books. Students can browse through short descriptions of all of them, find out more information on how to purchase them, and check out a section on new releases. In the activities section, you'll find an interactive coloring game, a "Money Matters" presentation, coloring sheets, and more.

Classics for Kids
http://www.classicsforkids.com

Do you know students who are interested in composing their own music? Who want to know more about the different instrument families? Who need to get those musical periods down once and for all? If so, then this Web site is for them. Students can search composers by musical period, by country, or browse for a particular composer on a timeline. One link allows visitors to listen to entire movements of famous pieces by Bach, Beethoven, Mozart, Mendelssohn, and more. A musical dictionary might come in handy for those cryptic musical terms. There also are games to play, including Compose Your Own Music and Rockin' Rhythm Master.