Touring Museums - Virtually

You may have heard of museums – and even the names of a few famous ones such as the British Museum in London or the Van Gogh Museum. But you probably have not visited many of them. Now you can – virtually. These online activities introduce you to museums and let you tour them anytime anywhere.

CONNECT:

• What is a museum? And why should you visit them? Get the answers at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dAr3UZn7nyg&ab_channel=ClickMuseum
• How did museums come about? Watch the answer at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iymqBTCUgKs&ab_channel=AccessibleArtHistory
• Watch some unusual museums from around the world at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_GiKf0RfcnM&ab_channel=TheBrain

CREATE:

• Virtually tour kid-friendly museums by choosing from the list at https://kidsactivitiesblog.com/135637/virtual-museum-tours/
• The Smithsonian is a set of national museums in Washington, DC, and has as one of its main goals to provide learning activities for young people. Try some of the “fun stuff” for kids and teens at https://www.si.edu/kids
• Create your own virtual museum by following the directions at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gLLD8jceios&ab_channel=BaldGuySci or https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mqXBT7CB0X4&ab_channel=BethanyThiele%2CArtTeacher

CARE:

• How do museums prepare and preserve their collections? See how natural history is collected and saved at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gsKVjmQ-4pQ&ab_channel=PeggyNotebaertNatureMuseum
• Watch how library collections are handled at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0UnXsWudagQ&ab_channel=TheMet. You can apply these techniques with books you own or borrow too.
• Here are 10 tips for visiting museums with kids: https://thisismyhappiness.com/tips-visiting-museums-kids/

CAREERS:

Practically any topic can be the focus of a museum: toys, sports, candy, as well as science and history. And there are many museum-related jobs Here are a few curated websites on museum careers.

• https://online.maryville.edu/online-bachelors-degrees/history/careers/types-of-museum-careers/
• Art curator: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AKgsT5yTEWs&ab_channel=CamilleAllen
• A day inn the life of a museum collection manager: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pEzA0kn6wrE&ab_channel=BurkeMuseum

Into the Internet

For this, the 199^th theme, Cyberfamilies is featuring the Internet: the communication backbone of this blog. Nowadays, more than ever, the Internet has become a way to learn more than even – as well as a way to be entertained. With the activities below, you can learn WITH the Internet to learn ABOUT the Internet.

CONNECT:

• What happens in an Internet minute? See the action at https://www.visualcapitalist.com/what-happens-in-an-internet-minute-in-2019/
• What’s the difference between the Internet and the World Wide Web? Find out this and many more fun technology facts for kids at https://www.sciencekids.co.nz/sciencefacts/technology/internet.html
• Watch how the Internet works at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UXsomnDkntI
• Several virtual museums exist; welcome to the Big Internet Museum at http://symbolics.com/museum/

CREATE:

• Staying at home a lot? Check out these free online events and activities for kids: https://www.commonsensemedia.org/blog/free-online-events-activities-kids-at-home-coronavirus
• And https://www.livescience.com/coronavirus-kids-activities.html
• Try an hour of code activities (or more) at https://code.org/learn
• Choose from a variety of hands-on activities that introduce simple machine learning models through games and interactive projects at https://www.ibm.org/activities/machine-learning-for-kids

CARE:

• Get kid-friendly Internet safety tips at https://www.searchrpm.com/internet-safety-for-kids/kid-and-teen-resources
• Here’s more in-depth information about Internet dangers and ways to address them: https://www.safewise.com/resources/internet-safety-kids/
• Watch what’s in your digital footprint at https://www.commonsense.org/education/videos/whats-in-your-digital-footprint
• Not everyone has good access to the Internet; learn about the digital divide at https://kids.kiddle.co/Digital_divide

CAREERS:

The Internet is part of the majority of jobs in the U.S. You can be part of creating the Internet as well. Go from virtual to reality as you check out these possibilities!

https://www.careerfaqs.com.au/news/news-and-views/10-jobs-that-the-internet-created

https://www.jobsites411.com/web-internet.html

https://learn.org/articles/What_are_Some_Popular_Careers_in_Internet_Technology.html

https://www.entrepreneur.com/slideshow/306474

Pyramids Are Tops

You may have seen pictures of Egyptian pyramids, but do you know their history – or the history of other pyramids around the world? They are also great examples of design thinking. There’s lots to figure out with these activities about pyramids. Get the point?

CONNECT:

• See how the ancient Egyptian pyramids look today at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xtc0LQuA3z4
• The ancient Mayans built pyramids too. See what they look like now at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kyvw6G9Max0
• In fact ancient pyramids are found around the world; see ten examples at https://www.heritagedaily.com/2018/05/10-ancient-pyramids-around-the-world/119856
• Today’s buildings are sometimes constructed as pyramids, the most famous one at the Louvre. Get the facts at https://kids.kiddle.co/Pyramid_of_the_Louvre
• Math is the basis of pyramids – of several sorts; figure them out at https://www.mathsisfun.com/geometry/pyramids.html

CREATE:

• How do you build a pyramid? See the science and math behind the hard work at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=52V9jmrgSbI
• Try this range of pyramid projects: https://study.com/academy/lesson/pyramid-projects-for-kids.html
• Learn about ancient Egypt with these fun activities: https://www.curiositychronicles.org/single-post/2017/09/08/19-Activities-for-Ancient-Egypt
• Make ancient Egypt come alive with these fun activities: https://egypt.mrdonn.org/games.html

CARE:

• See the history of the human pyramid at https://www.atlasobscura.com/articles/a-visual-history-of-the-human-pyramid
• Use this activity pyramid for kids to keep in shape: https://www.mdpedi.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/04/eKids1.pdf
• The U.S. used to use a pyramid to explain how to have a healthy diet; see the history of USDA food guides at https://www.choosemyplate.gov/eathealthy/brief-history-usda-food-guides
• The pyramid of conservation is a good way to figure out where to start to green your home: https://www.treehugger.com/sustainable-product-design/the-pyramid-of-conservation-is-a-terrific-tool-for-figuring-out-where-to-start-to-green-your-home.html

CAREERS:

Be they old or new, pyramids can lead to an inspiring career: from archeologist to architect.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4BXkL5nba40

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ImTTW94ZicM

https://www.world-archaeology.com/features/pyramids-excavation-and-preservation/

YOU’VE GOT THE WORLD ON A STRING

The word “puppet” comes from the Greek, and means “drawn by strings.”   Puppets come in many sizes and shapes, and have been around for centuries. Make the world of puppetry come alive with these activities.

CONNECT:

• Puppets came alive in this adult marionette comic theater. Take a virtual tour of this Turnabout Theatre: http://dbase1.lapl.org/turnabout/
• Virtually visit the puppet museum in Holland: http://www.poppenspelmuseum.nl/index2.html
• Punch is considered the traditional puppet of England, but variations on Punch are found around the world: http://www.punchandjudy.com/patw.htm
• Ever see puppets walk on water? They do on Vietnam’s Red River. Watch a performance at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rxIff980XyM
• Three people for one puppet? Read about Bunraku: Japan's professional puppet theater. http://factsanddetails.com/japan/cat20/sub131/item713.html#chapter-4

CREATE:

• Make your own puppet; here’s more than two dozen ideas: https://craftsbyamanda.com/kids-puppets/
• You can make a puppet out of almost anything: Watch how to make shadow puppets with your hands at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kz8wP2RYy64
• And here’s how to make Indonesian shadow puppets: http://www.thatartistwoman.org/2011/01/wayang-kulit-indonesian-shadow-puppets.html
• Try your hand at making a marionette, and see how a professional marionette is created: https://www.wikihow.com/Create-a-Marionette
• Act out these puppet play scripts (https://www.dramanotebook.com/plays-for-kids/puppet-plays-2/) – and make up your own.

CARE:

• Celebrate World Day of Puppetry! It occurs March 21, the first day of spring, but you can celebrate every day at https://www.puppeteers.org/discover-puppetry/world-day-of-puppetry
• Watch how puppets can be an effective play therapy: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m3EMiXzGymg
• Find out how socks become service puppets that help children speak: http://studentprograms.operationsmile.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/Sock-Puppet.pdf
•  Put on a show for friends by creating a shadow puppet theater; follow the directions at http://www.kidspot.com.au/things-to-do/activity-articles/make-a-shadow-puppet-theatre/news-story/d9ed634b2e68caea28c52c263771a400

CAREERS:

Want the world on a string? Try a career connected with puppets: puppet designer, puppeteer, playwright, children’s party planner, therapist, as well as the digital world of puppets.

• Here’s how a professional takes care of puppets: http://articles.latimes.com/2007/mar/25/entertainment/ca-working25
•  Watch an interview with a Cirque du Soleil puppeteer at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AHGUV8nMpYg
•  Get behind the scenes of the Muppets at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OZW8T7WKG0Y

Seeing Through Glass

Glass is all around you, but do you really see its value? Look into glass with these activities.

CONNECT:

• Can you imagine a world without glass? Here are SOME of the ways that glass is used: http://www.glassallianceeurope.eu/en/applications
• Corning (New York) is a brand of glass, and the town has a whole museum dedicated to glass. See what’s inside at http://www.cmog.org/
• Did you know that glass making started over 7000 years ago? Read about the history of glass at http://www.historyofglass.com/
• Watch this video about glass artist Louis Comfort Tiffany: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bV_9mQgZVdU
• Can you break glass with your voice? Is this a myth or real? Read the science behind the reality at https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/fact-or-fiction-opera-singer-can-shatter-glass/

CREATE:

• Visit Alice “through the looking-glass” with these interactive adventures: http://www.ruthannzaroff.com/wonderland/index.htm
• Here are super cool window crafts for kids that look just like stained glass! http://buggyandbuddy.com/16-faux-stained-glass-crafts-for-kids/
• Upcycle Mason jars and other glass bottles with these crafts and projects: http://www.inhabitots.com/16-kid-friendly-recycled-mason-jar-crafts-and-projects/
• Learn how to make a monoprint with glass: http://redtri.com/kids-art-idea-monoprints/

CARE:

• Here are tips for caring for your eyeglasses: http://www.allaboutvision.com/eyeglasses/how-to-clean-glasses.htm
• Billions of people wear glasses, but how many people make their glasses? This video shows how one person made eyeglasses from scratch: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ef2_aaYpZSI
• Lions Club recycles eyeglasses. See how to participate – at http://www.lionsclubs.org/EN/how-we-serve/health/sight/eyeglass-recycling.php
• What is safety glass, and how is it made? Look here: http://auto.howstuffworks.com/car-driving-safety/safety-regulatory-devices/question508.htm
• Find the facts about glass recycling, and participate in this ecological effort at http://www.gpi.org/recycling/glass-recycling-facts

CAREER:

Do you see glass in your future as a career? Here are some options to look into:

http://www.eia.gov/todayinenergy/detail.php?id=12631

http://www.theartcareerproject.com/interview/brent-young-glass-artist/

https://www.thebalance.com/recycling-and-new-job-creation-2878003

The Mail Must Go Through

Even in the digital age, people around the world send and receive mail. Find out its history and current activities.

CONNECT:

• See the first postage stamp in the world (issued in 1840) and other expensive stamps at http://www.2-clicks-stamps.com/article/rare-postage-stamps.html
• Scented postage stamps? Stamps made from fabric? Glow in the dark stamps? Look at these unusual stamps from around the world: http://www.darkroastedblend.com/2010/05/peculiar-postage-unusual-stamps-from.html
• See the US postal service at work: http://thekidshouldseethis.com/post/united-states-postal-service-systems-at-work
• This site tells the story of Miss Clara Breed, a librarian who used the mail to keep in close contact with the Japanese American students who were taken to the internment camps. Includes transcripts of 17 letters, photos, and information on post offices in the camps: http://www.smithsonianeducation.org/educators/lesson_plans/japanese_internment/stamps
• How are stamps designed? Watch the process at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KETwb4MLKVI
• Explore 10 interesting facts about the short-lived pony express mail service that helped transform the American West: http://www.history.com/news/history-lists/10-things-you-may-not-know-about-the-pony-express

CREATE:

• Explore these education kits from the US Postal Service: https://about.usps.com/corporate-social-responsibility/education-kits.htm
• Stamp collecting helps instruct the collector in geography, biography, history, culture and art. Stamps are miniature gateways to the world. See that world at http://arago.si.edu/category_2027477.html
• The Postal Service welcomes written suggestions for stamp subjects that help portray the diversity of the American experience for a worldwide audience. Submit your idea following the directions at https://about.usps.com/who-we-are/csac/process.htm

CARE:

• Send free online greetings and gifts that support wildlife and the environment: http://www.e-cards.com/
• In the past, children could be mailed. Read about some of these real-life deliveries: http://postalmuseumblog.si.edu/2013/02/very-special-deliveries.html
• Join the National Postal Museum in creating a comprehensive history of America’s post and people: http://memorybook.si.edu/

CAREERS:

Mail service is an important communications career. Here are some details.

http://www.federaljobs.net/psclerks.htm

http://www.bls.gov/ooh/office-and-administrative-support/postal-service-workers.htm