It's Electric!

 

You usually can’t see electricity but you can sometimes feel it; it can be shocking!  Light up your mind by engaging in these activities.

 

CONNECT:

• Watch electricity in nature explained at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h-0gNl5f4BU
• What is an electric circuit? See the answer at What is an electric circuit? See the answer at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HOFp8bHTN30
• How does electricity get to your house? Watch the journey at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aPsetQ9Nt48
• Watch the history of electricity at What is an electric circuit? See the answer at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HOFp8bHTN30
• Can a fish produce electricity? YES: electric eels – although they aren’t really eels; learn about them at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HOFp8bHTN30

 

CREATE:

• Learn about electricity circuits by experimenting with batteries online at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HOFp8bHTN30
• Do does static electricity work? Experiment by following the directions at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5TAIUCYMlIQ
• Try several more electricity experiments at https://www.aneverydaystory.com/electricity-experiments-for-kids/

 

CARE:

•  Watch how to safe around electricity at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r-QK20pZvto
• Find out 10 easy ways to conserve energy at home and school at https://tristate.coop/kids-conserve-energy-for-home-school
• Be a home energy auditor by following the guide at https://climatekids.nasa.gov/career-auditor/

 

 

CAREERS:

Does electricity turn you on? Here are some bright careers related to electricity: from scientist to manufacturer and repairer.

• Watch the many career paths of an electrician at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ya9KIN1GzbA
• https://learn.org/articles/What_are_Some_Common_Careers_in_the_Electricity_Industry.html
• https://www.rturnerelectric.com/careers-in-electrical-industry/

Get Energized!

 

What makes the world go around?  Energy! Where does that energy come from? How does it work – get other things to work? Use your energy to discover the answers in with these online activities.

 

CONNECT:

• What kinds of energy can you name? Compare them with this video about several kinds of energy: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4HdxQhBRDUI
• See the difference between renewable and non-renewable energy at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w16-Uems2Qo
• How old is energy? It’s as old as the sun. It also comes from the fossils of dinosaurs. Watch the history at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JasIvS7oYw4

 

CREATE:

• goog_174713956Use your energy to play these energetic games: https://www.eia.gov/kids/games-and-activities/
• Energize your home with kid-friendly energy activities: https://alaskarenewableenergy.org/energy-activities-to-do-at-home/
• See the light with these light activities for preschoolers: https://carrotsareorange.com/light-energy/

 

CARE:

• Conserving energy is one way to help the environment: here are 10 ways for kids to conserve energy at home and school: https://tristate.coop/kids-conserve-energy-for-home-school
• Watch how to monitor electric use at home: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hjpxIIgo7-8
• Sumer time can be a high energy use time, especially with are conditioning.  Try at least one of these 8 kid-friendly ways to conserve energy in the summer: https://blog.directenergy.com/8-ways-to-help-kids-conserve-energy-summer/

 

CAREERS:

Does an energy-related career energize you? Let these websites light up your life.

• https://careerwise.minnstate.edu/guide/energy/energy-career-clusters.html
• https://getintoenergy.org/
• https://www.indeed.com/career-advice/finding-a-job/types-of-energy-careers

 

Family Fix-it

Is your family in a fix? All family members should feel confident about doing household repairs; you never know when something might need fixing – and such practice are good for the environment. Family members can teach each other – and they can consult reputable online resources. In addition, reading repair documents helps one follow and create good directions, which is a valuable lifelong skill.

CONNECT:

• Yahoo contribute Sylvia Branch lists five basic home repair skills for kids: https://shine.yahoo.com/five-basic-home-repair-skills-kids-223800824.html
• Ms. FIXIT’s how-to library has lots of advice on home repairs. Here’s her list of ways to deal with laundry and stains: http://www.mrsfixit.com/fixits/FixitCategoryList.asp?id=16
• Watch about electricity safety at http://www.ogepet.com/videos/kids-safety-video.aspx
• Kids can be rough on clothes, so it’s good to involve them in repairing those occasional rips. The University of Kentucky cooperative Extension Service provides useful factsheets on clothing repair: http://www2.ca.uky.edu/hes/fcs/factshts/CT-MMB-147.PDF

CREATE:

• Children should learn how to use basic repair tools, such as screwdrivers, hammers, and even can openers. Get some starting tips at http://www.stretcher.com/stories/10/10dec06e.cfm
• How do parents start teaching children about home maintenance and repair? Get some ideas from http://voices.yahoo.com/involve-kids-home-maintenance-repairs-teach-self-12314086.html?cat=25
• There are some tips for teaching children basic plumbing skills: http://plumbernw.com/teaching-your-children-basic-plumbing-skills/
• Youngsters can have fun with these fire prevention activities: http://www.sparky.org/

CARE:

• You may find that directions need improvement, or you might discover a better way to do something. http://www.wikihow.com/ provides a venue for contributing how-to-ideas to the public.
• Here are some great youth programs focused on “recycle-a-bicycyle”: http://www.recycleabicycle.org/youth-programs.  See if something similar is in your area – or consider starting such a program. You can become a member of this program, and get ideas for helping.
• RePlay for Kids is an organization that provides free repair services to agencies tht work with kids with disabilities. Teens often participate in this service, so maybe your family can get involved too: http://www.replayforkids.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=109&Itemid=54
• Find good resources on bike maintenance and bike repair for kids at http://www.partselect.ca/resources/bicycle-maintenance-and-repair.aspx. Maybe you can host a neighborhood bike repair day.

CAREERS:

Do you have handy family members? Even in this “throw-away” culture, there are always repairs to do, and as people become more resource conscious, repair/recycle jobs will become even more important. There a lot of ways to get a fix on jobs in repairs:

http://www.bls.gov/opub/ooq/2010/fall/art03.pdf

http://money.usnews.com/careers/best-jobs/maintenance-and-repair-worker

http://occupations.careers.org/field/49/installation-maintenance-and-repair

https://www.collegetoolkit.com/careers/category/installation__maintenance___and__repair/49.aspx

http://www.careerprofiles.info/installation-repair-careers.html

FOR PARENTS:

Be sure to discuss with your family as to when a repair should be done by an outside expert rather than dealing with it by yourselves. This note applies particularly when high-voltage electricity is involved.