The #ChannelOneNews Common-Core Aligned Video Library is an Excellent Resource for Non-Fiction Learning

This is a sponsored post on behalf of Channel One News. All opinions expressed here are my own.

There are several things that impressed me immediately when attending Curriculum Night for our 4th grader's classroom this past fall.  One of the main things that stood out was how much the 4th grade curriculum was centered around real life.  The monthly Book Talk Projects are not focused around novels only, but rather a variety of genres, including non-fiction, historical fiction, biographies, autobiographies, and more.  Also part of the curriculum is weaving the topic of money and finances into other aspects of classroom learning.

"Managing the ins and outs of money is something schools across the country are trying to tackle. And they are looking for creative, hands-on ways to do that." - Channel One News

I have to say that our son's 4th grade teacher has this covered!  The students all have bank accounts (with checkbook registries) and wallets for their classroom money.  They earn classroom money by doing their homework and passing it in on time, passing tests, doing Book Talk Projects, and taking paid positions around the classroom, for which they need to submit job applications.  They also get fined for things like forgetting to pass in their homework or failing to complete it.  The students can spend their money weekly at the 4th grade store and at the 4th grade auctions, which take place several times throughout the school year.

Currently, my son and two of his classmates have submitted a business proposal for the upcoming opening of the 4th Grade Mall.  The whole class will submit proposals that will need to be approved.  Then each business will need to make a financial plan, list out their expenses, their inventory, and other business basics.  I am very much looking forward to finding out if the business run by my son and his two associates will be a profitable one.

I only recently discovered Channel One News' Generation Money series.  I am definitely going to recommend it to our son's teacher as a resource for her lessons in finance.  Channel One News offers a whole video library on a variety of non-fiction topics that are reported in a way that is kid-friendly.  Whether you are an educator in a Common Core classroom or are a parent, you can tap into this resource by registering on ChannelOne.com.  Simply filling out a brief form and indicate whether you are a student, a parent, an educator, or a homeschooler, then you're in!

How Children, Young Adults, and Their Families Can Help Victims of Natural Disasters Like Typhoon Haiyan #channelonenews

This is a sponsored post on behalf of Channel One News. All opinions expressed here are my own.

Our 3 children's grade school does a fairly good job at helping their students to understand tragedies that have occurred due to natural and unnatural causes.  Depending on their grade, students are given a general explanation of what has happened and are encouraged to ask questions.  For certain types of devastating events, they even have counselors on-hand to speak to any children who need someone to listen.

The school community as a whole often does a school-wide fundraiser, such as collecting change.  They often do this for events that really hit home with the students, such as the shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School and the bombing at the Boston Marathon, a local event.  It was amazing to see how each child contributing a handful of pocket change could raise thousands of dollars from our little school.  This was an easy way for our children to feel like they were helping.

One of our obstacles as a parent is helping our children understand an event like Typhoon Haiyan in the Philippines, somewhere far away.  Once we overcome that obstacle, that is when the feeling of wanting to help surfaces in our children.  Our elementary school's art teacher created a project where all the students made little clay tree ornament houses.  Families can buy these houses for $1 (or more if they wish) and all the money will be going to the Red Cross for those affected by the typhoon in the Philippines.  What should parents do if there is not something already being organized in their community?  Channel One News has shared a list of ways to help the Philippines.  Whether your family would like to contribute to something that has already been organized or perhaps head up a new plan in your own community, this list is a great place to start.

Channel One News is an excellent source for news presented in a family-friendly way.  Be sure to register if you have not already and then select "Parent" so that you can take a look around at their daily news and vast video news library.  Then choose a few videos to watch along with your children.  You will be amazed at what wonderful conversation starters these videos will be between you and your child.

A News Program Designed for Parents and Children to Watch Together #channelonenews

This is a sponsored post on behalf of Channel One News. All opinions expressed here are my own.

Before we switched to strictly streaming media, I recall the countless number of times when a feeling of panic would come over me whenever one or more of our children would walk into the room while my husband and I were watching the news on television.  Although there were some feel-good news stories, more often than not we were watching a story about something tragic and horrific.  The news and current events turned into something that was on a need-to-know basis for our children, which is unfortunate because some news stories are reporting about history in the making.  Our children could learn quite a bit about the world from watching the news and that's where Channel One News comes in.

The Channel One News website is designed for parents and educators to use as a way to teach their children about current events and other newsworthy topics in a way that children can comprehend.  Channel One News stories and videos often open the door for children to ask questions and to have an open discussion about real world topics.  It could become part of your family's daily routine to talk about the news over breakfast or at the dinner table.

Parents can register at ChannelOne.com by filling out a short form.  Be sure to select 'Parent' in the drop down menu, so you will be directed to the correct page.  Once registered, you can access new programming daily, as well as recent news stories and a video library.  I think the Channel One News website would be a wonderful resource for students working on current event projects for school.  Parents can also download the beta version of the Family Daily Mobile App, which not only provides access to the daily news programming, but also suggests questions you can use to discuss the topic at hand with your children.

To learn more about Channel One News, visit Channel One News on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Tumblr, and YouTube.