Print, Print, Print, Print, Print....

Even in this digital age, lots of printing is done. Think of packaged foods, books, calendars, newspapers; what are some more examples? Printing has been around for literally thousands of years, and new methods continue to be invented. Maybe you will find a new way to print.

CONNECT:

• Printing is almost 2000 years old, invented by the Chinese. See the timeline at http://www.historyworld.net/wrldhis/PlainTextHistories.asp?groupid=1951&HistoryID=ab78&gtrack=pthc
• Find fascinating facts about Johannes Gutenberg, inventor of the Printing Press in 1440: http://www.ideafinder.com/history/inventors/gutenberg.htm
• Often the first thing you think of in terms of printing is the book. Watch how they are made: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nRKsW-oVcHg
• How is money made? Watch the experts at http://www.moneyfactory.gov/uscurrency/howmoneyismade.html
• Not all printmaking is the same. Look at nine basic types of printmaking: https://www.artsy.net/article/editorial-nine-types-of-printmaking-you-need-to
• What do stones, grease and water together make? Lithography. Watch the process at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JHw5_1Hopsc
• Usually we think of printing as a 2D process, but now there’s 3D printing. Look at this new dimension at https://www.kidscodecs.com/what-is-3d-printing/

CREATE:

• Usually we think of printing as a repetitive process, but you can make a unique print: a monoprint. Here are the directions: http://www.kinderart.com/printmaking/mono.shtml
• There are lots of things at home that you can print with. Try some of these projects (http://artfulparent.com/printmaking-ideas-kids) and invent your own printer tools.
• Use the sun as a printer; see how at http://www.pinkstripeysocks.com/2014/06/diy-sun-prints-with-construction-paper.html

CARE:

• Fingerprints can help solve crimes. Investigate from fingerprints to biometrics at https://www.fbi.gov/video-repository/newss-from-fingerprints-to-a-new-era-of-biometrics-1/view
• Printing counterfeit money is a crime. Why can’t you technically print money on your own color laser printer? Find out at http://www.pcworld.com/article/229647/counterfeit_money_on_color_laser_printers.html
• Here are 175 amazing ways that 3D printing is changing the world: https://3dforged.com/3d-printing/

CAREERS:

Is print big? See the evidence that it IS: http://www.printisbig.com/

See the range of careers in the printing industry at https://collegegrad.com/industries/printing

It's a puzzlement!

Puzzles are fun to do, and can strengthen the brain. Puzzles come in all sizes and formats. Try some web-based ones, and make your own.

CONNECT:

Did you know that the crossword puzzle is just a little over 100 years old? Read about its history, and see the first one at http://thinks.com/crosswords/first1.htm. You’ll also find lots of other puzzlements on that website.

Puzzles come in lots of different “flavors,” as “The Ultimate Puzzle Site” attests to: http://www.puzzle.dse.nl/index_us.html (note it can be read in English, French, and German).

Optical illusions can be very puzzling. Challenge your eyeballs at http://www.sandlotscience.com/

Do you find science puzzling? This may be YOUR corner: http://www.sciencespot.net/Pages/classpuzzle.html

Games and puzzles can be a fun way to test your knowledge about various cultures; try a few at http://www.coedu.usf.edu/culture/activity.htm

Try some fun brain teasers created for kids: http://www.squiglysplayhouse.com/BrainTeasers/index.html

Build your family’s vocabulary using this online interactive tool: http://www.vocabulary.com/

Try these interactive map puzzles to learn continents, countries, states, capitals, borders, physical features and cultural monuments: http://www.yourchildlearns.com/map-puzzles.htm

CREATE:

The Lemelson Center of the Study of Invention and Innovation knows that play is an important component of invention. Go inside their invention playhouse at http://www.inventionatplay.org/

How about a crossword puzzle that is customized for YOUR needs? Click on Cricklers: http://crickler.com/crossword.html

Create your own puzzles using the free generator tool: http://www.discoveryeducation.com/free-puzzlemaker/?CFID=3068813&CFTOKEN=84890352

Do you like jigsaw puzzles? At http://www.jigzone.com/ you can choose your level of difficulty from 6 to 247 pieces. You can also upload your photos to make them into pigsaw puzzles.

Have you ever heard of tangrams? Read the legend of tangrams, play with them, and create your own puzzle magic at http://www.creativeimaginations.net/PAGE4.html

Cryptology can be considered as language puzzles. Learn about this secret communication at http://www.cerias.purdue.edu/education/k-12/teaching_resources/lessons_presentations/cryptology.html.  You can even create your own secret messages

CARE:

Memory puzzles can help people with learning disabilities. Try some yourself at http://www.ababasoft.com/games/learning_disability.html, and introduce them to someone who could use help developing their memory.

http://www.e-bility.com/links/games.php links to several games and puzzles for people with disabilities.

Puzzles can help older people keep their brains in gear. http://www.generationon.org/service-clubs/make-your-mark/projects/puzzles-to-remember provides directions on how to set a a club to donate puzzles to organizations that serve seniors – and to play puzzles with them.

Want to do service projects? This website teaches project measurement skills through logic puzzles: https://www.nationalserviceresources.gov/americorpsstatenational-logic-model-puzzles#.U2wCgFfiiSo

 CAREERS:

Do you love to solve puzzles? Here are some careers that might solve your career puzzle: mathematician, scientist, engineer, forensics, computer programmer, linguist, puzzle maker, repairer.

http://jonasadhitya.wordpress.com/2010/01/02/5-careers-for-people-who-love-solving-problems-and-puzzles/

http://www.bls.gov/opub/ooq/2003/fall/art02.pdf

http://careers.collegetoolkit.com/career-search/criteria/skills/complexproblemsolving.aspx

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L4BF3_ICgXY

What's the Problem?

We encounter problems every day throughout our lives. And we usually cannot wish them away. If it’s the same problem we’ve solved before, then we can solve it the same way – or maybe we can think of a better solution. Different problems sometimes require different ways to address them. The following activities look at a variety of kinds of problems and ways to solve them – using technology. You’ll find that they can be fun to do – and can help you with those real-life problems that seemed impossible to solve before.

CONNECT:
•    Engineers often use design briefs as a systematic way to define and solve a problem. Read about this approach at http://www.technologystudent.com/designpro/problem1.htm. Think about your home; can you apply a design brief to solve a problem there?   
•    What is computational thinking? Think with and outside this interactive student’s box to find out: http://www.iste.org/Files/CT-animation_student.swf
•    Sometimes making ideas explode is a good idea. See how problem-solving techniques can result in a great fireworks display: http://artsedge.kennedy-center.org/multimedia/series/AEMicrosites/art-of-the-explosion.aspx
•    How do inventors solve problems? Watch this video about Thomas Edison: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lgt9NCSqCjI. You can search for lots of inventors at http://web.mit.edu/invent/i-archive.html. This site also has fun interactive games about inventions: http://web.mit.edu/invent/g-main.html
•    Have you ever invented something? What would it take to get a patent for it? Find out at http://web.mit.edu/invent/h-main.html

CREATE:
•    Can you link art, baseball, and problem-solving? ArtsEdge can help you do that. Try their activity at: http://artsedge.kennedy-center.org/educators/lessons/grade-3-4/All_Around_The_Baseball_Field.aspx
•    A math problem a day keeps the dead brain cells away. Choose from over 100 activities, listed by grade: http://illuminations.nctm.org/ActivitySearch.aspx/ Here’s one to start with (and you’ll learn some programming techniques!): http://illuminations.nctm.org/ActivityDetail.aspx?ID=83
•    How about systems thinking? Break it down! In this interactive simulation: http://sciencenetlinks.com/media/filer/2011/10/07/breakitdown.swf  (here is the teacher’s guide to this activity: http://sciencenetlinks.com/lessons/break-it-down/)
•    Play with ideas! Learn how inventors problem solve by playing these games: http://sciencenetlinks.com/tools/invention-at-play/
•    Try your hand at experimenting. Jefferson labs links to many hands-on and online activities: http://education.jlab.org/indexpages/teachers.html

CARE:
•    Closely related to design briefs is design thinking: http://www.edutopia.org/blog/design-thinking-betty-ray. This article refers to the Big Ideas Fest: http://www.bigideasfest.org/ Most of these Big Ideas improve the community. Do you see any Big Idea that you might adapt  to solve a problem in your own community?
•    Can kids solve community problems? YES! Get inspired by reading what these teens did: http://www.sciencenewsforkids.org/2012/09/pathways-to-research-problem-solving/
•    Want to help map your community to help solve geographic problems? Find out how to participate at http://www.esri.com/software/arcgis/community-maps-program/ If you get hooked on Geographic Information Systems, go to http://www.educationworld.com/a_tech/tech/tech186.shtml for lots of cool projects.
•    The KIDS Model promotes service learning and youth engagement to help the community. There are several projects for different ages to choose from. Maybe your family can adopt one: http://www.kidsconsortium.org/kidsmodel.php
•    Thinking about your future? Futures problem solving tries to think ahead so your world will be a better place to live. Find out how this approach is done worldwide at  http://www.unesco.org/education/tlsf/mods/theme_d/mod25.html

CAREERS:
•    Do you like to solve problems? Every job entails problem solving, but some jobs really focus on this kind of activity. Find out about some of those jobs at
http://careerthoughts.com/jobs-solving-problems
http://www.employmentspot.com/employment-articles/careers-for-people-who-like-to-problem-solve/
•    The following site explains the benefits of learning how to problem solve in your job: http://targetjobs.co.uk/careers-advice/skills-and-competencies/300766-problem-solving-the-mark-of-an-independent-employee