Mrs. Lundell’s Computer Lab

It is that time again…tomorrow the bell will ring for the last time, ending the 2009-2010 school year.  Students will rush out to the bus and begin their summer vacation.

Summer vacation is a time for relaxing, enjoying the outdoors and spending time with family and friends.  I will be travelling to many of the major cities in the United States.  Look for my photograph posts during the months of June and July.

I wish you a summer filled with American flags, hot dogs, sparklers, watermelon, apple pie and fun!

Did you know that April is National Poetry Month? 

Students can learn all about poetry by visiting www.poetshouse.org and www.poetry-online.org.  Thursday is Poem In Your Pocket Day.  Students can write their own poem using Poem Shaper by readwritethink.org.  Did you know that the author of Alice In Wonderland was also a famous poet?  Lewis Carroll wrote several fun poems for children.

April 27 is Morse Code Day.  Morse Code was created by Samuel Morse in the 1840s.  The code of dots and dashes is an universal code used by pilots and air traffic controllers.  Guess what word this is -.- — .-.. .-.. .. -. –. ?

Arbor Day is on Friday, April 30.  Arbor Day is the celebration of planting trees.  The day was founded by Julius Sterling Morton a Nebraska journalist.  Arbor Day is now celebrated in several different countries such as Australia and Japan.  You can learn more about Arbor Day by visiting www.arborday.org .

Did you know that Thomas Jefferson was born on April 13, 1743?  Thomas Jefferson was the Governor of Virginia and the first Secretary of State before becoming the President of the United States.  Thomas Jefferson was also one of the founding fathers of the University of Virginia.

Did you know that President Jefferson was one of three presidents to die on July 4?

McDonald’s Day is on Thursday, April 15 which is also Tax Day.  Did you know that the Happy Meal is called Joyeux Festin in Quebec, Canada?  The Happy Meal made its national debut in 1979. 

McDonald’s now offers free Wi-Fi in over 11,000 stores.  In 2009 McDonald’s was awarded one of the most prestigious awards for being Green, LEED-EB Platinum.  McDonald’s stays competitive in the fast food industry by changing their menu to fit customer’s needs such as adding Lattes and Angus Burgers.

Friday is National Wear Your P.J.s To Work Day.  Martha Stewart, Google and Flick’r are among the companies in the United States to participate in this event.

Did you know that President Barack Obama proclaimed April 8 National D.A.R.E. Day?

The D.A.R.E. program was established to educate children about the dangers of drugs and violence.  The program is over 25 years old and was founded in Los Angles.  D.A.R.E. is now educating children in all 50 states and over 41 different nations.

D.A.R.E. America provides students with free educational materials including workbooks that help children act out scenarios on drugs and violence with the law enforcement officer.

The National Geographic Bee is an annual contest sponsored by the National Geograhic Society.  Categories include cultural and economic geography.  The winner of the National competition receives a $25,000 college scholarship and the chance to compete in the International Bee. 

Did you know that the National Geographic Bee is hosted by Alex Trebek?  Last year’s winner was Eric Yang from Texas.

The first day of spring is tomorrow, March 20.  Celebrate spring by taking the “Be Out There Pledge” on the National Wildlife Federation website.  You will find some great outdoor game ideas such as Capture The Flag and Horse.  You can also log on and blog about the different types of nature you view in your own backyard.

Did you know the largest recorded earthquake in the United States struck on March 28, 1964 at Prince William Sound?  It had a magnitude of 9.2.  Did you know that Florida and North Dakota have the smallest number of earthquakes?  Alaska is the most prone earthquake state in the U.S.  A great place to learn all about earthquakes is the United States Geological Survey Website.

April is “Go Orange” month at the ASPCA.  Wear orange to support animals and the ASPCA shelters.  Mimi Ausland, a young student, created Freekibble.com and Freekibblekat.com to get free food for America’s shelters.  Every time you play the trivia games food gets donated to one of America’s shelters for animals.  Over 195,361,530 pieces of kibble have been donated since June 01, 2008.

Did you know the city of Hinkley, Ohio awaits the return of the buzzard every year on March 15?

Buzzard is a common name for the turkey vulture.  They are very graceful birds with bald heads and red beaks. 

There is actually a buzzard spotter named Dr. Bob Hinkle.  He looks for the buzzards to return to roost through his binoculars.  The town of Hinkley has a celebration of songs and skits along with an early bird hike.

Buzzard Day is Monday, March 15.

Legend has it that whoever kisses the Blarney Stone is bestowed the gift of eloquence.  The Blarney Stone is located at Blarney Castle in Ireland.

Did you know that the first stone structure at the Blarney site was built in 1210 AD?

The Leprechaun is also related to St. Patrick’s Day.  The Leprechaun is an Irish fairy.  Leprechaun’s pass the time making shoes and can be tracked down by the sound of their hammer.  Leprechauns often possess a pot of gold.

Here is an Irish recipe you can make to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day:

Chocolate Potato Candy (from theholidayspot.com)

4 cups of powdered sugar, 4 cups flaked coconut, 1 1/2 tsp. of vanilla, 3/4 cup of mashed potato, pinch of salt, 1 lb of chocolate

Combine sugar, potatoes, coconut, vanilla and salt- mix well, line a 9 inch pan with foil sprayed with non-stick cooking spray, spread the mixture into the pan, cover and refrigerate overnight, cut into rectangles, cover and freeze, melt the chocolate and dip the bars into chocolate, place on wax paper to harden, store in air tight container

St. Patrick’s Day is Wednesday, March 17.

Did you know there is an entire week devoted to names, called Celebrate Your Name Week?  There is Name Tag Day, Middle Name Pride Day, Namesake Day, Fun Facts About Names Day, Learn What Your Name Means Day and Unique Names Day.   Celebrate Your Name Week is a worldwide celebration. 

Here are some fun facts about names:  the Monopoly dog’s name is Scotty, six United States President’s first names are James, Barbie’s last name is Roberts, and the Granny Smith apple was named after Maria Smith.

Did you know the name Johnny appears in over seven song titles?  The most popular boy’s name according to the United States Social Security Office in 2008 was Jacob and the most popular girl’s name was Emma.

My last name Lundell is of Swedish origin and means a grove of trees.  My first name Tammy is from the Hebrew word Tamar which means Palm tree.

Did you know that Winnie the Pooh was once referred to as Edward Bear?  A. A. Milne wrote Winnie- the- Pooh in 1926.  Winnie the Pooh was named after Christopher Milne’s teddy bear.

Did you know that Winnie the Pooh first appeared in his now famous red shirt in 1932?  Disney has made several animated stories starring Winnie the Pooh since 1966.

Winnie the Pooh Day is on Monday, January 18, 2010.

Camcorders contain three major components the lens, the imager and the recorder.  Did you know that JVC was the first company to make the VHS-c camcorder?

Camcorder Day is on Wednesday, January 20, 2010.

Did you know that rubber duckies were originally made of hard rubber and did not include a squeaker?  Some rubber ducks were actually made out of metal and did not float.

The song “Rubber Duckie” spent 9 weeks on the Billboard 100 chart in 1970.  The character Ernie sang the song on Sesame Street.  Did you know the voice of Ernie was none other than the famous Muppet maker, Jim Henson?

Rubber Duckies are now found in various colors and sizes.  You can also find rubber ducks wearing uniforms.

Rubber Duck Day is on Wednesday, January 13.

Did you know the largest thesaurus in the world is the Historical Thesaurus of the Oxford English Dictionary?   It contains more than 920,000 words and meanings. 

Did you know you can use the thesaurus in Microsoft Word? 

Thesaurus Day is on Monday, January 18.