German Lessons in London

German Lessons in London The Best Schools to Learn German in London ChaptersGerman Language Lessons at Colleges and UniversitiesTake Language Classes at an International InstituteLearn German with a Native SpeakerLondon is truly one city that stands up to any accolade you could choose to hang on it.Global city? Check! Financial capital? Indeed! A centre for diversity, culture and learning? Yes, yes and yes again!Seeing London in that light, is it a wonder that you would also find any number of German language courses, to suit every language learning need?It almost goes without saying that London abounds with opportunities to learn German as well as to practise your newly-learned vocabulary and grammar.Almost... otherwise we would not need to present an article on the topic.From German clubs to university courses, from the obscure to the well-publicised, your Superprof now tours London with you to find the very best German courses and, perhaps, present you with ways to learn that you might not have thought of.Ready? Steady? Go!Check Superprof to check for German lessons London.‘stand up’ (for roleplaying) or ‘open your books’.Naturally, you will also learn reading and writing in German â€" there is a textbook you will have to purchase, after all. However, you should be aware that those language skills are not the primary objective of the course.To give you an added incentive to learn, the bursar has made it easy for you to reserve your place in all three learning sessions!If you sign up for all three parts â€" in other words, the complete course, you will receive a substantial discount over those who pay for each part individually.Just to let you know, you could also find open German courses at the University of Birmingham...Learn German at City LitIf the name ‘Westminster’ calls to mind musty halls, the City Literary Institute conjures images of open, airy spaces with lots of natural light and progressive learning.That image is not too far off, come to think of it!As with the Westminster learning program, City Lit c lasses actively practise language immersion, meaning that you will hear nothing but German spoken by your teacher. Remember, that’s good for you!However, they go much further in breaking their curriculum down:German Beginners: if you don’t know Guten Morgen from Guten Nacht, this is the course for youGerman Beginners/2 Lower: what you sign up for after you complete your first classAnd so the standard progression through the intermediate level and on to advanced German. If you are already there, you have so many intriguing course titles to choose from! Here are just a few:Kultur Mehr: for those who are capable of using German to discuss higher conceptsLiteratur Konversation: this course is so advanced, even the syllabus is written in German!Praktisches Deutsch: practical German for everyday situationsVorsprung Durch Deutsch: a course based on mixed media and current eventsThese are all great â€" especially for advanced speakers of German, but the offering we really like is thei r short refresher course.If you have studied German in the past but have not made use of your language skills in a while or you think you might be a bit rusty, this class will soon get you sorted.If you do need a method of German retrieval before taking on a full language program, as one of the least expensive courses in their catalogue, this might be your best bet!You may certify your German language skills and take classes at London's Goethe Institut Image by Martin Polo from PixabayTake Language Classes at an International InstituteGerman is the official language of Austria, Switzerland, Liechtenstein, a segment of Belgium and, of course, Germany.It is also a co-official language in Luxembourg and a part of Poland and a recognised minority language in a further 11 countries.German is the 12th most spoken language in the world, with its estimated number of speakers totalling over 130 million.When thought of in those terms, it makes sense that international entities offer courses t eaching the language and culture of Germany!And if you really wanted to get official about things...Learn New Language at the International HouseFor 66 years, International House has focused on language training.Initially certifying English teachers to teach abroad â€" they were the pioneers of the CELTA programme, today they teach a host of modern languages, including German.With them, you may follow a standard course progression, from absolute beginner to fluency.However, if you need to learn quickly â€" say, because you’re being transferred to your company’s overseas office or you have a multinational project coming up, you can sign up for their intensive language training programme.While this language training hits all of the bases and makes it very easy to learn German, there is only one way to formalise your studies.Discover how Loiners learn the German language and culture...Take a Language Course at the Goethe InstitutYou may earn a certificate of achievement or completi on from any of the German course offerings we’ve mentioned so far but there is the only way to gain official recognition of your German skills.For students, it is called the TestDaF; for professionals, only the TestPro will suffice.We are talking about measuring your second language skills against the Common European Framework of Reference for Language, or CEFRL.If you are a student who hopes to attend university in a German-speaking country, only this exam will certify that you know how to speak German well enough to keep up with your classes.If you hope to start a business in Germany, you too will have to prove you are adept at speaking German, and to what degree.The one accepted body outside of Germany that can administer this exam is the Goethe Institut.There is no need to approach them with fear or trepidation; they are very friendly people who want nothing more than to disseminate German language and culture as widely as possible.To them, your success is a testament to their fulfilling their mission, which includes teaching German courses and preparing you for your German test.You must remember, though: they are also about promoting German culture so, if you need a break from studying, check out their events calendar to see what they’ve got cooking...Edinburgh is also a very international city; find out if they also have a Goethe Institut that teaches German lessons...Taking German lessons via webcam is both convenient and affordable Image by mohamed Hassan from PixabayLearn German with a Native SpeakerSo far, we have covered multiple venues for adults to learn German; now it is time to find German lessons for students as well as adults.Our first suggestion would be to check out Oleson Tuition, founded by native speaker Jens.He has an excellent track record in helping GCSE and A-Level students earn better-than-passing marks; he can also help your learner prepare for the DaF.That doesn’t mean that his repertoire consists of only teaching youths. He is equally capable of teaching adults one-to-one or in small groups, or online.Have you thought of learning German online? If so, Superprof has many native German speakers who deliver lessons via webcam.However, if you’d rather have a tutor come to your home, Superprof has you covered there, too.In London, there are no fewer than 108 Superprofs for you to choose from, most of whom give their first hour of lessons at no charge.Listen and Learn is a franchise language school active throughout the UK. You can even find an outlet in Cardiff!Theirs is a bespoke teaching plan; they promote learning by ones and twos; occasionally in a group or in open session â€" but only if you are on the same level as the rest of the class.How would you know you’re on the same level?Their web page features a free placement test that will help you course advisor to assign you to the right tutor and the right class.Language Trainers operates in much the same way; they too offer one-on-one tuition and s mall group lessons. They also offer online lessons.Cactus Language Training offers a bit different a course lineup by segregating their evening courses from their business courses.They work with many international corporations to ensure employees have the necessary language skills to manage global transactions.As such, they put special effort into the General German courses, in case you wanted to make the jump to include technical or corporate jargon into your German learning.If you really wanted to get to the elite end of the spectrum in business German, Jürgen Zöllner and Associates is the resource you need.Their focus is Business German exclusively, taught either in intensive sessions or over a set period.Could you find such a high-end German tuition service anywhere in the UK?Fact is, there are so many outlets, teachers and venues to learn German in London, it would take a herculean effort to assess them all.What are your language learning needs?Do you want to polish up your c onversational German before catching the Oktoberfest in Munich?  Or would you rather learn for life, for health and for the sheer joy of learning?Is your business going international?For any of these reasons and more, there is a German language class in London that is meant for you.Now discover the surprising wealth of German language studies in Belfast.

Middle School Parent-Teacher Conferences What to Ask

Middle School Parent-Teacher Conferences What to Ask Middle school can feel like an entirely different beast from elementary school, with teachers for every subject, a larger school, and often more extracurricular opportunities not to mention the major personal growth your child is going through! Weve already gone over what to ask at high school parent-teacher conferences, but here are some topics to go over when you meet with your childs teachers for middle school parent-teacher conferences: 1. Your childs academic progress One of the most important topics youll cover is your childs academic progress, including both strengths and weaknesses. Youve made your own observations at home and from what your child has told you but the teachers perspective can help round out your own. What are specific concepts, units, or learning styles has your child has taken to? In which areas does your child struggle? The teacher can articulate academic accomplishments and challenges in a different way than your child might. 2. Grade-level expectations Ask the teacher how your child fares according to grade-level expectations. This is extremely helpful if your child is thinking about taking accelerated classes, like honors, and potentially AP and IB courses later on in high school. Similarly, does your child need additional support to reach grade-level goals, like summer school or after-school help? Talking with the teacher about grade-level expectations can be very useful in seeing where your child can direct his or her attention academically, but remember that grade-level goals arent necessarily the end-all be-all. Simply use them as a guideline and pay attention to all factors. 3. Class policies Every teacher has a different way to run his or her classroom, with some overlaps with other instructors in the school. Discuss this teachers classroom policies, as well as classroom norms. You might also ask if there are any opportunities to make up tests or extend due dates if your child is absent, for instance as well as what the major components are of your childs overall grade in the class. Especially when your child is transitioning to middle school (with up to seven teachers a day versus just one or two!), having this conversation can help you and your child implement and organize specific study strategies for each subject. 4. Assessments and long-term projects Middle school assessments can feel more serious (and they often are!) compared to elementary school projects and tests. Ask the teacher how your child will be assessed and given percentages or letter grades. In what ways will your child be asked to demonstrate his or her growing knowledge? Will there be any long-term projects, like a science fair, research papers, or lengthy writing assignments with bigger timelines that would benefit from being broken down into more manageable parts? Knowing about these ahead of time is helpful so you can support your middle schooler at home. 5. Tips and resources End the conversation by going over what you or your child can do outside the classroom to make this middle school experience more successful. The teacher will likely be able to offer study tips that have worked for past students, as well as outside resources, including book recommendations, online learning tools, or events in the community that might be of interest to your child. Depending on how your childs particular middle school works, you may not get scheduled opportunities to meet with every single teacher your child sits with during the school day. Instead, you may just meet with a homeroom teacher or a teacher in one of your childs major subjects. If youd like an additional meeting with a specific teacher or have a specific concern, email or call the school to set up an appointment with him or her. Any topics you want to know more about? Let us know! The Varsity Tutors Blog editors love hearing your feedback and opinions. Feel free to email us at blog@varsitytutors.com.

Algebra Questions

Algebra Questions Algebra is the main branch of Mathematics which involves the relationship of numbers and the variables. There are different types of topics covered under Algebra. They are quadratic equations, linear equations in one or more variables, logarithmic and exponential functions, fractions etc. We use different types of formulas to solve the algebra questions. The algebra questions can be solved in an easy way by simply applying the formulas that are given to us. Following are some of the examples which are based on this concept. Example 1: John worked 22 hours this week and made $132. If he works 15 hours next week at the same pay rate. How much will he make? Solution: Number of hours John worked in First week = 22 hours Number of dollars made in first week = 132 dollars Pay rate = Money gained/ Working hours = 132/22 = 6 Dollars per hour Number of hours John worked in the next week = 15 hours The Amount of money made by John = (Number of working hours) times (Pay rate) = (15) times (6) = $90. Example 2: Alma wants to invest $4,000 at 6% simple interest rate for 5 years. How much interest will she receive? Solution: The amount = P = $4000 R = 6 % T = 5 years We have a formula to find the simple interest that is Simple interest = PRT/100 Now we can plug the values into this formula Simple interest = 4000 * 6 * 5/100 = $1200

What Exactly is a Nephron A Guide to Physiology on the MCAT

What Exactly is a Nephron A Guide to Physiology on the MCAT MCAT Medical School Admissions Just as on every other standardized admissions test, there is much debate as to the utility of the information examined on the Medical College Admissions Test (MCAT). The Biological and Biochemical Foundations of Living Systems Section of the exam is arguably the most pertinent to future medical education endeavors. Included in this section is introductory anatomy and physiology of the cardiovascular, musculoskeletal, integumentary, and genitourinary systems. These topics, while challenging, are fundamental to a strong foundation when entering medical school. In addition, these are the questions that tend to be integrative and aid students in reaching the top percentiles on their MCAT. Below we will discuss an approach to learning anatomy and physiology for the MCAT. Use Diagrams As a first-year medical student who just finished her renal physiology and pathology course, I can attest to the difficulty of understanding the urogenital system. One method I found to be extremely helpful in learning nephrology during my dedicated MCAT study time and this past block in medical school was to utilize diagrams. The nephrons are essentially a giant plumbing system in the body, so it would make sense to draw yourself a schematic or diagram to give yourself an idea of where things occur. I liked to draw the nephron similar to a lot of diagrams seen in MCAT preparation books, drawing the filtrate system from the glomerulus all the way to the collecting duct. Then I would overlay the counter current blood supply. After that, I would draw in the movement of ions and water throughout the sections of the nephron. In medical school, I added to this and wrote the names of the pathologies that occurred in different locations of the nephron such as Bartter’s Syndrome in the thi ck ascending limb of the loop of Henle. In addition, I also wrote the names of drugs or drug classes where they acted, such as loop diuretics in the thick ascending limb of the loop of Henle. I would then work to redraw this diagram and label it by memory. If you are able to have a blueprint of a system in your head, it is much easier to organize and recall facts on test day. Hereis a great example of a diagram for the MCAT. Be the Teacher Another great way to apply this principle is teaching others. During my MCAT, my peers and I would get together periodically and run through the material that we had covered that week. As we went through the material, someone would inevitably voice a lack of understanding of a concept. At this point someone would jump up to the white board and diagram the concept out. I still apply this learning process in my medical education today. This system actually benefits both individuals. The teacher is having to recall the concept, which tests their understanding and brings to light any concepts they are struggling with through the corrections of the group. The individual being taught also gets to examine the concept in a new light; often our peers are able to reach us on a conceptual level that can be more effective than that of someone who has mastered the topics long ago. Break It A method often used by both premedical and medical students is to ‘break’ the model. For example, if I knocked out a part of the nephron such as the sodium-potassium pump, what would be the effects on the rest of the nephron? How would it compensate or respond? Examining your knowledge on a second order allows you to test the bounds of your understanding beyond memorization. In addition, it will build a learning system that is sustainable throughout medical school. Organ systems and pathologies are often taught first by what is ‘normal’ and then what abnormal looks like and how we name and identify the abnormal. Testing and learning through second order questions is what will ultimately allow you to score in the high percentiles on the MCAT and cause these concepts to develop long term, aiding you in medical school. Anatomy and physiology are difficult subjects for most students. Take the time to master the Biological and Biochemical Foundations of Living Systems section on the MCAT and it will serve you well for your medical school courses. These topics are the most similar to concepts covered in medical school. Hopefully, this learning experience is an enjoyable time to delve into the ideas that you are most excited about learning in your future career as a physician. About the Author Jordan S. is a current medical student, and one of our most experienced MCAT tutors. Click here for more information.

Irregular Past Simple Verbs 2 (video and exercise)

Irregular Past Simple Verbs 2 (video and exercise) Ok, so this week were continuing to work on the 180 irregular past simple verbs in English (click here to read the first lesson) with another video and exercise. Once again, the good news is there are some patterns and categories that will make it much easier for you to remember which English verbs are irregular, and how they change.Here are a few more examples of irregular English verbs. See if you can conjugate them into the past simple.FeelSendLetSellTakeShootWatch the video to see how these verbs are changed to past simple, and to learn more about conjugating irregular English verbs into the past simple, then try the exercises below.Exercise: At the end of the video, Teauna asked if you could take the six irregular past simple categories, and see if you can add two verbs that fit in each one. Try it, and write your answers in the comments below.Thanks!

Alexa, Teach Me a Language! How You Can Get Fluent with an Alexa Device

Alexa, Teach Me a Language! How You Can Get Fluent with an Alexa Device “Alexa, Teach Me a Language!” How You Can Get Fluent with an Alexa Device Many of us have someone special living in our homes.Not exactly family, but…We ask her questions and give her basic commands, so she certainly seems real, doesn’t she?You know who I mean.Maybe she lives at your house, too.“Alexa…”That’s right. I’m talking about always-present, ever-ready, through-thick-and-thin Alexa.“Alexa, turn on the kitchen light.”“Alexa, play some slow jazz.”“Alexa, order pizza. With a side of garlic knots, please.”She’s a live-in genius who follows orders without hesitation.Perfect for ordering take-out. Turning on the lights. Giving your life some background music. After all, thats the extent of her abilities, right?Wrong!If you think that’s all your  resident companion can do, think again!If you’re not saying, “Alexa, teach languages,” you’re not giving Alexa the credit she deserves.Let’s see what this little digital polyglot can really do! What Is Alexa?This technological magic called “Alexa” is Amazon’s cloud- based virtual assistant. Her name is evocative of the library of Alexandria where at one time all knowledge was thought to be held.Alexa is a voice-controlled know-it-all that’s connected to something called AVS, short for “Alexa Voice Service.”  The AVS is available to be integrated for use with Amazon products like the Echo or Dot. They’re all speaker devices that accommodate the service.Okay, But How Can Alexa Teach Languages?Alexa has skills. Think of skills as apps that expand Alexas knowledge and help her understand more requests. They go way beyond basic commands! Fortunately for us, she has tons of skills specifically designed to  teach languages.The nuts and bolts of accessing this technology is simple.Just sign into your Amazon account online. On the lefthand side of the search bar, there’s a dropdown menu. Press “Alexa Skills” to go to the skills offered. Search “languages,” then choose one to learn. Press “get this skill” and access the content on a ll Alexa devices!Then? Start speaking with Alexa! It’s so simple to learn either one language or many. Your choiceâ€"Alexa’s ready whenever you are to take the next step on your language learning journey. Below, well give you plenty of language-focused skills to start you off!And Alexa is always gaining skills. If you know a language that she doesn’t, you can actually teach Alexa a language  with a skill called Cleo. Shell ask you questions in English and you answer in your language!“Alexa, Teach Me a Language!” How You Can Get Fluent with an Alexa DeviceMultiple-language SkillsTalk about a language-learner’s jackpot!There are a number of Alexa skills that can teach more than one language so if youre aiming to become a polyglot, why not try out one of these? Of course, they work just as well if you’re only interested in one target language. The learning’s up to you and Alexas ready to help.If you enjoy this type of innovative language learning, FluentU is the perfect tool to round out your Alexa learning.FluentU makes it possible to learn languages from music videos, commercials, news, inspiring talks and more.With FluentU, you hear languages in real-world contextsâ€"the way that native speakers actually use them. Just a quick look will give you an idea of the variety of FluentU videos on offer:FluentU really takes the grunt work out of learning languages, leaving you with nothing but engaging, effective and efficient learning. It’s already hand-picked the best videos for you and organized them by level and topic. All you have to do is choose any video that strikes your fancy to get started!Each word in the interactive captions comes with a definition, audio, image, example sentences and more.Access a complete interactive transcript of every video under the Dialogue tab, and easily review words and phrases from the video under Vocab.You can use FluentU’s unique adaptive quizzes to learn the vocabulary and phrases from the video through fun questions and exercises. Just swipe left or right to see more examples of the word youre studying.The program even keeps track of what you’re learning and tells you exactly when it’s time for review, giving you a 100% personalized experience.FluentU currently has programs for Mandarin Chinese, Spanish, French, German, Russian, Italian, Japanese, Korean and English.Start using FluentU on the website with your computer or tablet or, better yet, download the FluentU app from the iTunes store or Google Play store.Rosetta Stone“Alexa, open Rosetta Stone.”Learn Spanish, French, Italian, Portuguese, German, Japanese or Russian with this skill.It’s designed especially for those preparing to travel, so itll help you  recognize and produce essential phrases for a trip. For example, the lesson categories include greetings, ordering food and drink, asking for and following directions, understanding time and travel issues and shopping with ease.You may already be familiar with the popu lar Rosetta Stone language programâ€"a great option for focused language study outside of Alexa-time. Like their Alexa skill, Rosetta Stones language programs are aimed at getting you speaking correctly, quickly, with speech-recognition technology and immersive vocabulary and grammar lessons. Check out the full programs on offer for:SpanishFrenchGermanItalianArabicChineseJapaneseKoreanPortugueseTranslatedAlexa, ask Translated how to say Wheres the bathroom in Danish.Alexa translates sentences from English into 36 languages when she’s got this skill in her repertoire. Its an excellent tool to learn new phrases quickly or even practice your pronunciation by imitating Alexas responses.If you’re having trouble keeping up, just ask her to slow down. Alexa will adjust her speaking speed to accommodate any listener.Daily Dose“Alexa, teach me Spanish with Daily Dose. ”Substitute Italian or Chineseâ€"or any of the other languages. It’s really that easy!Daily Dose enables Alexa to t each 34 languages including Spanish, French, Italian, Chinese, Hebrew, Russian, Dutch, Japanese, Korean, Portuguese you name it. There are even options to learn Persian, Hindi, Indonesian or Afrikaans, among others.Theres a  â€œword of the day” for quick vocabulary building. Then there are 10- to 20-minute daily lessons aimed to get you speaking your target language. It all  makes daily learning almost as exciting as date night! Pencil in “Alexa and me time” on your schedule. The meetings will be so much fun you’ll be looking forward to them between dates!Three to five new lessons are added every week, making this a continuously evolving Alexa skill.This Alexa skill comes from the same people behind the Innovative Language podcasts, which are just as prolific! These podcasts bring thousands of video and audio lessons to language learners, with new ones added all the time. The podcasts are designed to be informative but entertaining and full of up-to-date cultural information .So if this Alexa skill works for you, youll definitely want to expand your learning to one of the following Innovative Language podcasts! Theyve got:SpanishPod101FrenchPod101GermanPod101ChineseClass101RussianPod101JapanesePod101ItalianPod101ArabicPod101PortuguesePod101KoreanClass101EnglishClass101My Linguist“Alexa, ask My Linguist to translate ‘Your eyes sparkle in the moonlight’ into Italian.”With My Linguist, Alexa can quickly translate words or phrases into 52 languages. It’s also possible to get the translation spelled out  so you can write it down correctly.By the way, Alexa’s Italian translation:  I tuoi occhi brillano al chiaro di luna.  (Your eyes sparkle in the moonlight.) Feel free to use that one the next time you’re trying to get on someone’s good side!SayHi Language Learning“Alexa, ask SayHi to teach German.”This skill makes Alexa a brilliant language teacher for Spanish, French, German or Danish learners.She provides full conversational lessons tha t are designed to have learners understanding and repeating each lesson by the time it’s complete. It also boosts your memory with spaced repetition technology, which has you review key language elements at just the right moment before you forget them. This is the place to pick up these four languagesâ€"and have fun while doing it!Language-specific Alexa SkillsSpanish Vocabulary“Alexa, ask Spanish Vocabulary to ask me words from the vacation vocabulary list.”With this skill, Alexa is able to teach Spanish vocabulary from themed word lists. Currently there are four available: basic vocabulary, numbers, times and dates and vacation.Turning on the spelling mode makes it possible to hear every Spanish word spelled out, which is perfect if youre compiling lists or making flashcards for the words youre learning.The words run on a continuous loop. You can  ask Alexa how you’re doing on this oneâ€"and she’ll provide an honest answer!German Article“Alexa, start German Articles.†This skill is unique because Alexa brings along Hans, her German pal, to untangle the ins and outs of German articles. It’s all about der/die/das and how to use these different words for the appropriately.Alexa provides a random noun and the learner responds with correct article (or their best guess!). Hans pipes up if an incorrect response is given, providing the correct answer with an example to substantiate his reply.Chineasy“Alexa, ask Chineasy for today’s lesson.”With this skill, Alexa teaches Chinese through daily seven-minute lessons. There’s a new phrase to learn each day, as well.There are more to lessons with this skill. Daily exposure to Chinese culture and Chinese stories are shared by special guests. The guest list is impressive and includes rock stars, professors and scientists.Weather in Russian Language (Russian Sky)Alexa, ask Russian Sky for tomorrow.This is a fun language skill! Use this one and Alexa will report the weather in Russian. You can specifica lly ask for the weather in Russian cities, to  learn weather phrases while getting a little daily connection to Russia, even from afar.And if you have travel plans to see Red Square, dont wonder about what to pack. The forecast is available for today, tomorrow and next week!So now you see that Alexa is a great addition to your family, don’t you? She’s a language-learner’s BFFâ€"and she lives right in your own home! It doesn’t get much better than that!Don’t keep Alexa on pizza-ordering or temperature-changing detail. Let her help you prepare for travel. And as you’re learning languages with Alexa, don’t just listen. Add to your vocabulary log so your language skills grow every single day.Let’s face it, there’s no need for another language partner as long as Alexa’s around.She’s the ideal language buddy. She covers all the basesâ€"and she’s not going to eat the last slice of pizza, either!

How to Teach Your Kids About the Stars This Summer

How to Teach Your Kids About the Stars This Summer How to Teach Your Kids About the Stars This Summer Oh, summer nights! They bring us right back to memories of eating ice cream on the porch, watching a baseball game, or playing with friends. These are the carefree nights filled with experiences that you and your kids will remember for a lifetime. Summer is also the perfect time to teach your children about the stars. Treat your kids to a late night (they don’t have to worry about waking up for school, after all!). Grab some blankets and head out to your backyard for a fun, educational evening gazing at the night sky. Here are some tips to make it the perfect night: Choose a Moonless Night A bright, full moon may be beautiful, but moonlight can make it more difficult to see the stars in the sky. Choose a clear night during the new moon when it is just a sliver in the sky and won’t obscure your view. You can take this opportunity to teach your kids about the phases of the moon. Discover Constellations Constellations are groups of stars that form a pattern when viewed from Earth. Many of the constellations we still look for today were discovered and named over 2,000 years ago by the Ancient Greeks. Explain to your kids that viewing constellations is just like playing connect the dotsâ€"in the sky! Before you go stargazing, try these fun activity sheets from Ready Jet Go! on PBS Kids. Kumon is a proud sponsor of Ready Jet Go!, an animated series that teaches kids about science and astronomy. Your kids can “connect the stars” in several constellations on paper before they see them in the night sky. Bring the completed sheets with you on your stargazing adventure to help guide your experience. Start With the Big Dipper The Big Dipper is one of the easiest constellations to spot, and a great starting point to find others. Once you find the Big Dipper, follow the two stars at the end of the cup to see the North Star, Polaris. Polaris is the final star in the handle of the Little Dipper, also known as Ursa Minor. If that’s all you spot in the night sky, you’ve already learned a lot! Photo Credit: Jerry Lodriguss Did you know that the Big Dipper is actually just a small part of a larger constellation called Ursa Major? Like its smaller counterpart Ursa Minor, Ursa Major is in the shape of a bear. See if you can connect the stars for the entire Ursa Major constellation. Source: PBS Kids After you’ve found Ursa Major, your options are endless. You can try to find more constellations, like Draco, which is most visible in July. Or you can look for planets, which may appear at first to be stars, but don’t have the same twinkle. If you’re lucky, you might even be able to catch a meteor shower! Keep Learning The fun doesn’t have to stop just because of a rainy or cloudy day. If you can’t see the stars in the sky, watch an episode of Ready Jet Go! and get transported into the stars yourself! Jet and his friends Sydney, Sean, and Mindy will take you with them as they explore space. Learning opportunities are all around us, including in the sky! Summer is an exciting time to explore the world around us. Discover 6 more ways to make summer learning fun. You might also be interested in: 6 Practical Tips for Summer Parenting Meet Etash, a Kumon Program Completer Who is Using his Technology Skills to Teach Kids to Code What Could Your Kids Gain (or Lose) This Summer? Soar Past the Summer Slide with Kumon’s Summer Learning Roundup How to Teach Your Kids About the Stars This Summer How to Teach Your Kids About the Stars This Summer Oh, summer nights! They bring us right back to memories of eating ice cream on the porch, watching a baseball game, or playing with friends. These are the carefree nights filled with experiences that you and your kids will remember for a lifetime. Summer is also the perfect time to teach your children about the stars. Treat your kids to a late night (they don’t have to worry about waking up for school, after all!). Grab some blankets and head out to your backyard for a fun, educational evening gazing at the night sky. Here are some tips to make it the perfect night: Choose a Moonless Night A bright, full moon may be beautiful, but moonlight can make it more difficult to see the stars in the sky. Choose a clear night during the new moon when it is just a sliver in the sky and won’t obscure your view. You can take this opportunity to teach your kids about the phases of the moon. Discover Constellations Constellations are groups of stars that form a pattern when viewed from Earth. Many of the constellations we still look for today were discovered and named over 2,000 years ago by the Ancient Greeks. Explain to your kids that viewing constellations is just like playing connect the dotsâ€"in the sky! Before you go stargazing, try these fun activity sheets from Ready Jet Go! on PBS Kids. Kumon is a proud sponsor of Ready Jet Go!, an animated series that teaches kids about science and astronomy. Your kids can “connect the stars” in several constellations on paper before they see them in the night sky. Bring the completed sheets with you on your stargazing adventure to help guide your experience. Start With the Big Dipper The Big Dipper is one of the easiest constellations to spot, and a great starting point to find others. Once you find the Big Dipper, follow the two stars at the end of the cup to see the North Star, Polaris. Polaris is the final star in the handle of the Little Dipper, also known as Ursa Minor. If that’s all you spot in the night sky, you’ve already learned a lot! Photo Credit: Jerry Lodriguss Did you know that the Big Dipper is actually just a small part of a larger constellation called Ursa Major? Like its smaller counterpart Ursa Minor, Ursa Major is in the shape of a bear. See if you can connect the stars for the entire Ursa Major constellation. Source: PBS Kids After you’ve found Ursa Major, your options are endless. You can try to find more constellations, like Draco, which is most visible in July. Or you can look for planets, which may appear at first to be stars, but don’t have the same twinkle. If you’re lucky, you might even be able to catch a meteor shower! Keep Learning The fun doesn’t have to stop just because of a rainy or cloudy day. If you can’t see the stars in the sky, watch an episode of Ready Jet Go! and get transported into the stars yourself! Jet and his friends Sydney, Sean, and Mindy will take you with them as they explore space. Learning opportunities are all around us, including in the sky! Summer is an exciting time to explore the world around us. Discover 6 more ways to make summer learning fun. 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