October Features from Internet 4 Classrooms

October Blog | App of The Month | What's Happening |
New- Online Practice | New- Printables | New- Answer Keys |
Teacher Resources | Parent Resources | Technology Tips |
Other Areas of Interest | Common Core |
SAT and ACT Test Preparation

October brings National Bullying Prevention Month, National Dyslexia Awareness Month, Child Health Day, World Space Week, Fire Prevention Week, Columbus Day, Character Counts Week, National Chemistry Week, Halloween, and much more.

October Blog: Unlocking the Secrets of DNA: Creating Your Own GenomeWalk with GenomeCache in Your Local Park or Schoolyard

Unlocking the Secrets of DNA: Creating Your Own GenomeWalk with GenomeCache in Your Local Park or Schoolyard

This month's blog is Unlocking the Secrets of DNA: Creating Your Own GenomeWalk with GenomeCache in Your Local Park or Schoolyard .

Imagine transforming a sunny afternoon in your neighborhood park or a crisp morning on your school’s outdoor track into an epic journey through the human genome. That’s the magic of GenomeCache, a free educational app developed by the HudsonAlpha Institute for Biotechnology. GenomeWalk is essentially a life-sized scavenger hunt that scales down the vast expanse of our 3 billion DNA base pairs into a walkable path, complete with fun facts, quizzes, and virtual treasures. Whether you’re a teacher looking to spice up biology class or a parent eager to engage curious kids, using GenomeCache to craft a custom GenomeWalk in a local school outdoor area or public park is an accessible, low-cost way to make genetics feel tangible and thrilling. In this post, we’ll walk you through the process step by step, so you can hit the ground running—or should I say, strolling?

Guest Blogger Bill Franklin, the CEO of Internet4Classrooms, is our guest blogger this month. He has been on the faculty at The George Washington University, has years of platform instructional experience, was a career Army Special Operations officer and also has decades of experience as a youth sports coach.

App of the Month

Every month we are going to feature a different, and hopefully FREE, iPad/iPod/iPhone/Android educational application. Visit our ever-changing app page.

The App of the Month for October is GenomeCache by HudsonAlpha Institute for Biotechnology ( iOS and Android ).

All new user interface and the addition of a QR code reader for every location. The best human genome scavenger hunt game on the market!

Genome Cache™ has been developed by the Educational Outreach Team at the HudsonAlpha Institute for Biotechnology in Huntsville, Alabama. It can be used on McMillian Park, located on the HudsonAlpha campus in Huntsville or in conjunction with the GenomeCache website (genomecache.hudsonalpha.org), anyone anywhere can create their own GenomeWalk. The app includes a total of 20 different pathways through the human genome to choose from, each highlighting 15 genetic points of interest.

Explore the human genome through a virtual scavenger hunt, learn about how genes contribute to human traits, engage with fun facts, and test your knowledge with a trivia questions. Get points by finding each location and answering the trivia questions correctly and post your high score to the leader board.

GenomeCache is available for Apple and Android devices.

Compatibility: Requires iOS 11.0 or later on Apple iPhone and Android version 5.0 and up on your Android device.

WHAT'S HAPPENING THIS MONTH?

Here are some of the October events that you can celebrate or make note of this month:

1. National Bullying Prevention Month
   
   Help create a positive environment in your school by STOMPing Out Bullying! Find anti-bullying activities, lesson plans, and other resources in the Bullying and Cyberbullying section of our website.


2. National Dyslexia Awareness Month
   
   Did you know that 1 in 10 people have symptoms of dyslexia, including slow or inaccurate reading, poor spelling, poor writing, and mixing up similar words? Visit our Dyslexia Teacher Resource page for strategies and tools to assist in working with students that may have dyslexia and our Dyslexia Classroom Resource page for activities, worksheets, and a variety of tools and techniques to use in the classroom. Parents can look at our Dyslexia Parent Resource page for tips and learning aids to help their child. Online audio phonics help, Dyslexia testing information, and audio textbooks can be found in our Other Resources section. Be sure to check out our Exceptional Children section to find more resources for other learning disorders, ADHD, and autism.


3. World Space Week (10/4-10/10)
   
   The theme of this year's World Space Week is "Living in Space". Find a teacher activity guide with activities for grades K-12 and a collection of science and language arts activities for grades 5-9 based on the book Have Spacesuit - Will Travel by Robert A. Heinlein. Explore our elementary school space page for more space themed activities and be sure to check out our Astronomy pages to learn more about our solar system, stars, and our universe.


4. Fire Prevention Week (10/5-10/11)
   
   Did you know that Fire Prevention Week was established to commemorate the Great Chicago Fire? The National Fire Prevention Association has lesson plans and activities for teachers and a website for kids and parents with safety checklists, escape plan worksheets, and other activities. Be sure to also check out I4C's fire safety page for more lesson plans, games, and activities to help kids learn about the importance of fire safety.


5. Child Health Day (10/6)
   
   Check out I4C's Nutrition and Health pages to find classroom resources covering heart health, food pyramids, brush charts, adolescent health, drugs and alcohol education, and first aid.


6. Columbus Day (10/13)
   
   Commemorate the landing of Christopher Columbus in the New World today! He is credited for jump starting exploration, settlement, as well as exploitation of America. Learn about Christopher Columbus and celebrate Columbus Day with fun printables, activities, and crafts on I4C's Columbus Day page.


7. Dictionary Day (10/16)
   
   Although most dictionaries we use are now online, the methodologies of how to use reference materials are still the same. Reinforce good research habits with our links on how to use reference materials like dictionaries and thesauruses.


8. Character Counts Week (10/19-10/25)
   
   Help create a positive school environment and promote kindness, respect, and integrity in your school! Go to I4C's Character Education page to find resources for character building, anger management, bullying, and conflict resolution.


9. National Chemistry Week (10/19-10/25)
   
   National Chemistry Week's theme for 2025 is "The Hidden Life of Spices." Here are some great resources about "The Hidden Life of Spices." Check out I4C's Chemistry page to find activities, experiment simulations, lesson plans, and other resources to use this week!




10. Halloween (10/31)
    
    Happy Halloween! Check out I4C's Halloween page to learn about the history of Halloween and to find spooky activities, crafts, recipies, and games to do today!

New- ONLINE PRACTICE AT I4C

Internet4Classrooms now offers Online Practice and Interactives, covering Kindergarten to Eighth Grade Common Core Mathematics. Look for a rapidly growing variety of thousands of practice quizzes tied to the Common Core State Standards, School Subjects, Activities, and Holidays.

Check out our Online Practice Quizzes. More grades and subjects coming soon.

New Online Practice Quizzes Made Available in October

We have released many new online quizzes during the last months supporting the Common Core Standards.

Try them out, and then use them with your students as:

• Bell Ringers,
• In Class Assignments,
• Homework or
• Extra Credit.

Here is a list of the newest quizzes by grade.

New- COMMON CORE MATHEMATICS PRINTABLES AT I4C

Internet4Classrooms offers Printables, covering Kindergarten to Sixth Grade Mathematics. Look for a rapidly growing variety of thousands of practice worksheets tied to the Common Core State Standards, School Subjects, Activities, and Holidays.

Check out our Common Core Printables. More grades and subjects coming soon.

New Printables Worksheets Made Available in October

We have released thousands of new printables worksheets during the last months supporting the Common Core Standards.

Try them out, and then use them with your students as:

• Bell Ringers,
• In Class Assignments,
• Homework or
• Extra Credit.

Here is a list of the newest worksheet sets by grade.

New- Answer Keys




New Worksheet Answer Keys Made Available in October

We have released thousands of new answer keys for our printables worksheets during the last months supporting the Common Core Standards.

Remember that you can sign up for answer key access here: https://i4c.xyz/n89msyv.

Here is a list of the newest answer key sets by grade.





TEACHER RESOURCES



1. Many historical events happened this month which you can cover in your classroom. Check outI4C's History page for lesson plans, videos, activities, and other resources to supplement your lessons!


2. Get all of your assessment assistance needs here sorted by grade and subject.


3. Need online interactive games and activities to reinforce the day's lessons? We have it! Kids can practice in the computer labs and at home.


4. School may be in full swing but teachers still need organizational help, worksheet ideas, bulletin board inspiration, and lesson plans throughout the year. Our Teacher tools page has it all.


5. This month is National Dyslexia Awareness Month. Internet4Classrooms provides resources specifically geared towards Dyslexia. Visit our Dyslexia Teacher Resource page for strategies and tools to assist in working with students that may have dyslexia and our Dyslexia Classroom Resource page for activities, worksheets, and a variety of tools and techniques to use in the classroom. Also check out our Execeptional Children section to find more resources for other learning disorders, ADHD, and autism.


6. Help create positive bullying-free environment in your school! Find lesson plans, classroom activities, and other resources in the Bullying and Cyberbullying section of our website.


7. Plan out your lessons throughout the school year with Common Core pacing guides! Find English Language Arts pacing guides here and Math pacing guides here. These guides from Shelby County, Tennessee can probably be mapped to the pacing of your school system if your system doesn't have something similar.


8. We now have answer guides for our Common Core Math Printables! Request teacher access here.


9. Be sure to check out I4C's collection of free educational iPhone and iPad apps.


10. Remember to visit our Teacher Tools section. This home page contains all the topics you need to use during the school year.


11. Go to our grade level help for lesson plans, activities, instructionals, and tools organized by grade and subject.



PARENT RESOURCES




1. Parents need help too. Not only can you browse all the teaching tools, but there's a Parent Zone as well so families can continue the education at home. Every student needs practice outside of the classroom.


2. Math and reading seem to be the most challenging when it comes to homework. Check out our math resources page for extensive help. Reading tools develop those language arts skills.


3. Vocabulary and math quizzes are typically the dreaded end of the week activity. Give your kids more confidence with our free online vocabulary and math quiz practice. The more they study the more comfortable they will feel, while increasing their knowledge for future ACT and SAT testing.


4. Hone in on Internet Safety. Save time and research more effectively online - including the safest online search engines for kids when they're doing homework and projects.


5. October is National Bullying Prevention Month. Look at I4C's section devoted to bullying and cyberbullying for activities and resources to help create a positive environment in your child's school and your community.


6. Find information and tips about dyslexia on our Dyslexia Parent Resource page. Also check out our Exceptional Children section to find more resources for other learning disorders, ADHD, and autism.


7. Before trick-or-treating this year, be sure to read these Halloween safety tips to have a fun and safe holiday!


8. Be sure to teach your children about fire safety! The National Fire Prevention Association provides a fire prevention resource website and has a website for parents to help kids to learn about fire safety with activities, printables, and games. The NFPA also offers a Home Fire Escape Plan worksheet and a Fire Safety Checklist for Parents. Be sure to also check out I4C's fire safety page for more games and activities to help your kids learn about the importance of fire safety.


9. Be sure to check out I4C's collection of free educational iPhone and iPad apps for you and your child.


10. You can always visit our Parent Resources page to get grade level practice sites, find online sources, and information pertaining to homework, special needs, reading help, and more.


11. Don't forget our Technology Tutorial section in case you need refresher courses in your computer skills.





TECHNOLOGY TIPS



1. 5 Engaging Ways to Teach the Structure and Function of DNA:
   DNA, or deoxyribonucleic acid, is the fundamental building block of all life. But the molecule is so small that students can’t even see it under a microscope. Teaching a topic like DNA can be daunting, especially if students have a hard time grasping the concepts. But there are more exciting ways to teach this topic. Here are five things instructors can do to make the structure and function of DNA more interesting to students.
   
   Learn more in the resource found: HERE


2. Explaining DNA: Teaching Tips and Lecture Notes:
   DNA and genetics are intriguing phenomena in science. It seems mysterious and almost magical to students, which inspires their curiosity and desire to learn more. That makes it fun and easy to teach! DNA is also fun to teach because we get to do lots of modeling and hands-on activities.
   
   You can find out more: HERE.


3. Teaching DNA Structure and Replication Just Got Easier:
   Ready to kick off your genetics unit? Rebecca Fanucci prefers starting with DNA and then moving onto Punnett squares and inheritance patterns. For her, it makes more sense to teach DNA first and explain what a gene actually is. If you start with inheritance and use the word “gene” or “allele,” students won’t have the background knowledge needed to understand what the terms actually mean. This article contains her list of resources to get you started.
   
   Learn more by visiting: HERE.






We also have other basic instruction in Microsoft Office, including Word 2007, Excel 2007, Powerpoint 2007.





OTHER AREAS OF INTEREST



1. Resources for Educators - In this section you can find classroom resources for Exceptional Children, Smartboards, Character Education, Web 2.0 Resources and other topics.
2. Resources for Parents - Parents can find resources
   on assisting their children with homework, time management, Internet Safety, subject area resources, grade level resources and more.




Common Core State Standards at I4C




Our Common Core State Standards are full of resources for every individual standard. Students can take control of their own learning by clicking on the page with the standard number, and choosing their own resource to practice that skill.




Check out our Common Core Math High School Algebra Standards, Common Core Math Standards, and Common Core ELA Standards.




SAT and ACT Test Preparation

Free Online Practice Resources for ACT Tests and SAT Tests. I4C now offers free SAT and ACT vocabulary and math quizzes. Join our SAT and ACT Test Preparation program and log in as much as you'd like. Students can take practice tests on 5000 vocabulary words or over 1000 math problems. Parents and Mentors can log in to monitor your scores - including seeing which vocabulary words that were missed. Interactive quizzes allow the test taker to retake and study as much as they want.




Sign Up Here for ACT Test & SAT Test Preparation.