As we power our modern lives, Global warming is on a high alert all over the world. Glacier's are melting, sea levels are rising and this is what I mentioned in an article in Freesouls Print media in 1998. The green house gases are higher than earlier - the Green house effect is the warming that happens when certain gases in the Earth's atmosphere traps heat. The rapid rise in the Greenhouse gases is a problem as it changes climate faster posing unique challenges to life. The hole in the ozone layer is all playing it's big role.  Even humans are more responsible for the imbalance that occur rapidly.

You can find all details more in E-The Environmental Magazine and here on National Geography website.

Kidsfreesouls has ever presented the Earth Talk Column with all your Questions and Answers with concerns related to Environment issues. Now, Kidsfreesouls presents Earth Talk - in ESPANOL - For all Kidsfreesouls Spanish Readers. Hence, the Earth Talk Q & A column of Ed Doug Moss will now feature bilingually - English and Espanol. If you have concerns related to Global Warming and related issues using products or whatever, please shoot in your Questions by email or post your comments on the Spanish Archive Blog too. Do let us have your feedback, comments and suggestions too.

Many times while children get to write composition (Essays) in the classroom, it is a real mess with the beginnings and ending part. As teachers, I feel, the kids need to be crafted for writing with helpful tips and later, get to writing the composition.

It is hard for kids to grip that pencil and pen words on the page. First, is the need of building a strong vocabulary base - whichever the grade they are in. Second is Loud Reading and by this, I mean real loud so that they can hear their own voice. Third is, reading phonetically. Finally, think over and write down the summary of what they read. Apart from this, let them learn the quotes and beginning phrases, sorted from books. Let the kids discuss, plot stories - write dialogues and why, these can be beginnings too like the Prisoner of Zenda by Anthony Hope begins, "I wonder when in the world you're going to do anything, Rudolf?." Three things are most important to remember are 'Head, body copy and the ending part' - The heading with a quote or a phrase, a dialogue or the trailing incident - coming to the description to the body copy stuffed with the topic's central writing and the end which makes it fade away with conclusion. Like an introduction arousing the interest, the conclusion should satisfy it. No abrupt ends but strikingly express the main topic you drive home. About the style in writing, I can say, "The secret of clear writing is clear thinking." So, let the kids be perfectly clear before they start writing.

Ugh, oh. This reminds me, once I wrote an Essay for my son when he was sick and had a submission in eighth grade. The topic was 'Adolescence age' - I helped him to copy the same from one of my print article and the teacher gave him 2 marks out of 10! I really failed to understand why my writing deserved only 2 marks? So, talked to her and she confessed, "I have 60 students in my classroom and it was not possible for me to read. Maybe, that's an error" - Well, teachers need not overburden their work and discourage a child who cannot write - rather motivate and encourage. Isn't it?

Mildred J. Hill composed the Happy Birthday Melody and the fact remains, this is the most popular song in English which was written by Patty Hill and Mildred J. Hill in 1893 when they were school teachers in Louisville, Kentucky. Originally, "Good Morning to all' - a variation later followed too.  Born on June 27, 1859, Mildred learnt music from her father, Calvin Cody. A kindergarten and Sunday school teacher, she loved children and made learning more fun. Children feel free with music and this is what the sisters knew too well.

Well, here's a piece of news on the Internet Radio. Music is ever so good to hear and we can listen to Internet radio almost everywhere on the web now. I am fond of Yahoo Launchcast and it is so great to listen as you work.  Here are some songs for children and a recommendation of a Harry Belafonte song "Jamaican Farewell". Teach the lyrics to kids and they enjoy singing this song.

Ever been to Flixter? I always avoided social networking places once I had my visits to orkut and my space. I turn away the requests of Face book or Friendster. Somehow, I landed up recently to Flixter and it is a place that sparkle your eyes with the Hollywood movies and stars to add to fav and rate them. Also enter to quizzes and answer too. You can write a piece of news on Flixter if you are into Gossiping on those movie artists - what they do, eat, drink or how Paris Hilton felt while she was in Jail!

Not quite a place for kids except for just for a change - yeah, an idea can do float in to make the kids creative and be interested. Monitored activities do help on web to motivate learning. In my class, I've seen children playing a game called "Bollywood" - they write a jumble of a movie name and you got to guess the name right. Also fill in the alphabets in fill-in-blanks that fit in the movie name.  Flixter can serve the purpose on the web. Kids can write in their Hollywood Quiz and find some quizzes on Flixter too; share the fun with friends. In doing this activity for a change in a while, as we allow, we get back the results in real time educational activities as lighter minds work well with reading, writing book reviews or doing grammar lessons. Try this for a change 'A do-it-together' and maybe, kids may give great results when you tell them to finish grammar exercises.

Nancy Drew

Btw, here's the new Nancy Drew Movie on Flixter. Enjoy!

Helen Keller (Adams) was born in Tuscumbia, Alabama on 27th June 1880 - An American author and lecturer, who, having overcome considerable physical handicaps, she served as an inspiration for other afflicted people. When 19 months old, she was stricken with a severe illness that left her deaf and blind. No way could be found to educate her until her seventh year, when she began her special education in reading and writing with Anne Mansfield Sullivan, later Macy, of the Perkins Institute for the Blind. She quickly learned to read by the Braille system and to write by means of a specially constructed typewriter. She later became a Lecturer and an Author.  Her writings include The Story of My Life (1903), The World I Live In (1908), Out of the Dark (1913), Midstream-My Later Life (1930), Let Us Have Faith (1940), Teacher: Anne Sullivan Macy (1955), and The Open Door (1957). Her life is the subject of a film, The Unconquered (1954) and a play, The Miracle Worker (1960; made into an award-winning film in 1962), by the American author William Gibson.

It might be a surprise but Hellen Keller's Life has also been a subject of an Indian Film "Black" with a little bit of difference. This movie got many awards. What makes me write on Hellen Keller is a memory to the competition we, at Swagat, held at the Deaf, Dumb and Blind School when the deaf and dumb children gleefully participated and the blind children arranged a show for us. The blind children danced, sang and played songs and it has been memorable moments for me. It is known that angry feelings about being blind can hinder Braille learning. It needs a lot of motivation. Why, even a lot of love, care and motivation can change normal child's attitude too. Do not Sympathize the blind or handicapped but stand by and motivate them with love and care.

Movies like Sound of Music painted a glowing picture of a big family with warmth, sharing and fun and ready to support playmates. They reflect the belief that large families encourage resourcefulness, independence and responsibility while discouraging selfishness and feeling sorry for oneself.

Not anymore! Some think that a big family can be a buffer against what they see as the rootless ness and isolation of modern life. As a result, we see many parents staying alone with their kids. Children have almost become loners. As such, parents are over-scheduling their children with many activities apart from school lessons.  The outdoor games are almost missed as parents do not allow the children to play after school hours as they are busy with the home-work lessons. As such, children take time out to be mini adults, watching television, playing video games or computing on their laptops or fiddle with cell phones. The parents mostly get them to activities like dancing, singing, math learning, drawing and coloring. Sports like Tennis, skating or Badminton is almost for a short term class. Kids at home should have a balance schedule of both, work and play. Outdoor games are equally important as they mix up with other children, learn to share, fight and survive, resolve differences and even feel fresh as they are physically exercising while playing outdoors. Here are some games you may find interesting! Playing is recreation. Let the kids ENJOY!