Corn is poppin' good

You probably eat more corn than you imagine, and it is in more things than you imagine. Dig into these online activities to see how often corn pops up!

CONNECT:

• Watch the history and growth of corn at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FyPVqNu9NPI
• Learn about different types of corn at https://wicorn.org/resources/corn-facts/
• Discover what makes popcorn pop at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HJjsKJJHIYY&t=93s
• Explore 10 surprising products made from corn at https://kidseatincolor.com/corn/

 

CREATE:

• Create of trivia game using these fun corn facts: https://www.sciencekids.co.nz/sciencefacts/food/corn.html
• Create Cute Corn Crafts by following the directions at https://www.nestle-cereals.com/uk/blog/kids-activities/easy-corn-crafts
• Make corn dance with this science experiment: https://youtu.be/RDRU064CZNU

 

CARE:

• Corn not only tastes good but it is also good for your health. Read 5 reasons why at https://www.healthyfood.com/advice/5-surprising-health-benefits-of-corn/
• Corn is sometimes used in grain boxes and play bins. Check out safety concerns and good alternatives at https://marshfieldresearch.org/Media/Default/NFMC/PDFs/Corn%20Boxes%20and%20Play%20Bins.pdf
• Discover ways to recycle corn cobs at https://www.wastex.io/post/corn-cob-uses
• For parents: get tips on helping your kids to eat corn at https://kidseatincolor.com/corn/

 

CAREERS:

Are you all ears about having a corn-filled career? You could be a cook, a farmer, a scientist, a researcher, a manufacturer, or even a marketer. Here are some possible ways to grow a great, corny job.

• https://www.wastex.io/post/corn-cob-uses
• https://nebraskacorn.gov/cornstalk/trade/11-in-demand-careers-in-agriculture-besides-farming/
• Harvesting corn: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fsYfpJ2IgWY

 

 

 

Fireworks are a bang!

Fireworks can be spectacular – and a bit scary! Find out the back story of fireworks. It can be a real bang!

CONNECT:

• NOVA Online explains how fireworks explode and why fireworks have different colors: http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/kaboom/
• Watch a video on creating dazzling fireworks shows at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5apJqP1KvWA
• Who is Guy Fawkes and why are there fireworks set off in his memory? Find out about the English Bonfire night at http://www.bonfirenight.net
• Fireworks as a dazzling history: trace its evolution at http://www.history.com/news/fireworks-vibrant-history
• All that color of fireworks? It all depends on chemistry. See the list at http://www.fireworks.com/fireworks-university/chemistry-fireworks/ and see the colorful video at http://www.pbslearningmedia.org/resource/phy03.sci.phys.matter.fireworkcol/fireworks-making-color/

CREATE:

• Create a trivia game based on fireworks facts: http://www.infoplease.com/spot/fireworks1.html
• Create fireworks in a glass by following the directions at http://chemistry.about.com/od/4thofjulychemistry/a/waterfireworks.htm
• Watch the science of fireworks at http://www.sciencekids.co.nz/videos/chemistry/fireworks.html
• Celebrate fireworks from a global perspective: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fireworks#Fireworks_celebrations_throughout_the_world

CARE:

• Fireworks can be dangerous; how do you stay safe around them? http://www.chp.edu/CHP/Fireworks+for+Parents
• Can you imagine how birds react to fireworks? Here are tips to take care of your feathered friends during fireworks time: http://www.birdchannel.com/bird-diet-and-health/bird-care/birds-and-fireworks.aspx
• You can help your dog overcome its fear of fireworks through this training: http://www.animalcareclinicslo.com/pet-health/handouts/help-my-dog-is-afraid-of-fireworks/
• It’s useful to know the laws and regulations about fireworks: http://www.pyrouniverse.com/statelaws.htm

CAREERS:

Want to get paid to create explosions? Here’s an interview with a demolition woman: http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/kaboom/loizeaux.html

Go Fly a Kite

April is Kite Month, largely because the weather conditions in the Northern Hemisphere are good for flying them. But you can learn about kites any time of the year. And when someone says, “Go fly a kite,” take them up on it – as a compliment.

CONNECT:

• Look at different types of kites at the Virtual Kite Zoo: http://www.blueskylark.org/zoo/
• Trace 3000 years of kite history at http://www.my-best-kite.com/history-of-chinese-kites.html
• Meteorological kites served important roles in the Industrial Revolution. Check them out at http://www.kitehistory.com/Miscellaneous/meteorological_kites.htm
• How does a kite fly? Check out its aerodynamics at http://blog.nasm.si.edu/aviation/how-kites-fly/
• Benjamin Franklin discovered electrical phenomenon using a kite Truth or myth?  Read one version at http://www.codecheck.com/cc/BenAndTheKite.html.  Now read about Myth Busters’s experiment at http://www.discovery.com/tv-shows/mythbusters/mythbusters-database/ben-franklin-electricity.htm

CREATE:

• Make your own kite following the directions at: http://www.skratch-pad.com/kites/make.html. Another video set of directions for making a kite can be seen at http://www.wikihow.com/Make-a-Fast-Kite-with-One-Sheet-of-Paper
• Kite festivals are held around the world. Maybe there’s one near you that you could visit – and you can always see pictures virtually. A list of kite festivals is found at http://matadornetwork.com/trips/photo-gallery-23-huge-kite-festivals-around-the-world/
• Experiment with different kite shapes, and see which flies best: http://pbskids.org/dragonflytv/show/kites.html
• Discover kite math at http://www.transum.org/software/Fun_Maths/kite/

CARE:

• Have a story about kites? You can add it to the World’s Kit Collection at http://www.drachen.org/
• Find out safety issues about kite flying at http://www.awindofchange.com/lessons/lesson1-1.html
• Help plan a kite festival: http://www.nationalkitemonth.org/events/
• Kites aren’t just for fun. Find out some nifty uses at https://sites.google.com/site/stanfordkfs/the-kite/uses-of-kites

CAREERS:

Up in the air about careers? You might fly high with these careers:

http://www.aopa.org/letsgoflying/dream/whyfly/careers.html

http://quest.arc.nasa.gov/aero/background/careers/

http://www.khake.com/page41.html