The Sand Table

"Comprising 10 sand table exercises suitable for NCOs of the Regular Army and Territorial Army and for Cadets of Officers' Training Corps. With 8 maps, over 50 sand table problems and solutions, and 20 questions and answers suitable for NCOs' promotion examinations." Sand tables employ a three-dimensional terrain model made from sand and various props to provide a visual representation of the situation described in the tactical decision game. This is an excellent Gale & Polden manual with good clear instructions that will be of good use to military wargamers. Sand tables have been used for military planning and wargaming for many years as a field expedient, small-scale map, and in training for military actions.

The buzz word in education today is accountability. But the federal mandate of "no child left behind" has come to mean curriculums driven by preparation for standardized tests and quantifiable learning results. Even for very young children, unstructured creative time in the classroom is waning as teachers and administrators are under growing pressures to measure school readiness through rote learning and increased homework. In her new book, Vivian Gussin Paley decries this rapid disappearance of creative time and makes the case for the critical role of fantasy play in the psychological, intellectual, and social development of young children. A Child's Work goes inside classrooms around the globe to explore the stunningly original language of children in their role-playing and storytelling. Drawing from their own words, Paley examines how this natural mode of learning allows children to construct meaning in their worlds, meaning that carries through into their adult lives. Proof that play is the work of children, this compelling and enchanting book will inspire and instruct teachers and parents as well as point to a fundamental misdirection in today's educational programs and strategies.

"This report examines the application of an intelligent tutoring system (ITS) for use in training a complex skill during the Field Artillery Captains Career Course. Based on a technology transfer agreement between the U.S. Army Training and Doctrine Command and the U.S. Army Research institute for the Behavioral and Social Sciences, an ITS originally developed for the Navy was adapted for use in a sand table exercise. The exercise required students to deploy multiple launch rocket system assets during a reconnaissance and selection of position task. The task was conventionally taught using miniature replications of vehicles and launchers on a large table of sand. An ITS version of the exercise, called the Virtual Sand Table, replicated the training with the added advantage of informative feedback and computer-based coaching during the exercise. A comparison group (n=209) used the conventional sand table and the treatment group (n=105) used the Virtual Sand Table during a four-hour training exercise. Results, as measured by a hands-on performance test, indicated superior performance by the Virtual Sand Table treatment group, with an effect size of just over one standard deviation."--Stinet.

SAND AND WATER PLAY: SIMPLE, CREATIVE ACTIVITIES FOR YOUNG CHILDREN.

This New York Times bestselling book is filled with hundreds of fun, deceptively simple, budget-friendly ideas for sprucing up your home. With two home renovations under their (tool) belts and millions of hits per month on their blog YoungHouseLove.com, Sherry and John Petersik are home-improvement enthusiasts primed to pass on a slew of projects, tricks, and techniques to do-it-yourselfers of all levels. Packed with 243 tips and ideas—both classic and unexpected—and more than 400 photographs and illustrations, this is a book that readers will return to again and again for the creative projects and easy-to-follow instructions in the relatable voice the Petersiks are known for. Learn to trick out a thrift-store mirror, spice up plain old roller shades, "hack" your Ikea table to create three distinct looks, and so much more.

"This is a story written from the perspective of an avid golfer and aerial photographer. Aerial photos of sand traps that happen to be shaped like letters of the alphabet were found throughout Florida and printed in this book, A-Z. Each letter has a chapter devoted to the author's take on the golf game pertaining to that letter. Some parts are funny, while some parts reveal profound ugly truths about the game. Golfers will laugh along with the author who reveals her insights on an addictive game with each letter. Go ahead, open it up, read it! FORE!"

The sand art bottles of Andrew Clemens (1857-1894) draw reactions of astonishment and disbelief. Deaf from age six, Clemens began creating his bottles at an early age, selling them from his home and in local shops in his hometown of McGregor, Iowa. He later developed his craft to an extraordinarily high degree, using tempered hickory sticks with specially designed tips to deposit and position naturally colored grains of sand inside chemists' bottles. Many since have attempted to duplicate his technique but his works of art stand unmatched. Clemens made possibly thousands of sand art bottles during his short life but relatively few remain. Some of these are in museums, and many are in private collections. Those that occasionally appear at auctions sell for thousands of dollars. This book covers Clemens's life and work, with dozens of detailed photographs of his intricate designs.