Island Life

“No man is an island,” but there are many islands for humans. And life on islands can be very rich. Bring the family together for these island activities; you won’t be alone in having fun.

CONNECT:

• President Obama is a Hawaiian native, as are several other famous people. Read about them at http://www.atozkidsstuff.com/hawaii.html
• An island can be a good place for criminals because it is hard to escape. Here are ten prison islands that are now tourist attractions: https://weather.com/travel/news/paradise-prison-islands-photos-20140725#/1
• What’s the biggest island in the world? Greenland! Read about its geography, climate, and Northern Lights: http://www.geographia.com/denmark/greenland.html
• Easter Island has long been the subject of curiosity. How and why did its inhabitants carve and transport the massive statues which surround the island? What lessons can we learn from their legacy? Dig out the facts at http://www.sciencekids.co.nz/sciencefacts/earth/easterisland.html
• Read about the mermaid of the Orkney Islands: http://www.orkneyjar.com/folklore/finfolk/mermaid.htm

CREATE:

• Create a trivia fact game about islands using facts found at https://www.nps.gov/findapark/index.htm.  Type in “island” in the search bar, and you’ll find over a dozen islland national monuments and parks.
• Have an island party, and make your own snacks; even preschoolers can get cookin’: http://motherhood.modernmom.com/island-party-theme-snacks-children-can-make-themselves-16591.html
• Play a game about Oceania islands: http://www.sheppardsoftware.com/Oceania_GL_click.html
• Enjoy fun Hawaiian luau games: http://www.polynesia.com/luau-games.html#.V4G8VTVF1_Q

CARE:

• Where did your family immigrate from? It’s likely they arrived at Ellis Island or Angel Island Dig into your family history at http://www.libertyellisfoundation.org/genealogy/index.asp and http://www.aiisf.org/
• Did you know that foxes live on islands? Read about this diminutive and increasingly rare native of the Channel Islands. Learn about factors contributing to the decline of the island fox, and find out what you can do to help – at https://www.nps.gov/chis/learn/nature/island-fox.htm
• Did you ever read the book Misty of Chincoteague? The legend is that ponies swam to this island from a Spanish Vessel which had capsized off the coast, around 1600. Find out about these hardy pones, and help maintain them: http://www.mistyofchincoteague.org/

CAREERS:

What kinds of jobs might you have if you live on an island? Fishing, tourism, park ranger, naturalist, marine biologist, transportation.

http://www.nomadicmatt.com/travel-blogs/whats-it-like-to-actually-work-on-a-cruise-ship/

http://www.parkrangeredu.org/

http://www.academicinvest.com/science-careers/forestry-careers/how-to-become-a-park-and-wildlife-naturalist

http://www.fishingindustryjobs.com/fishing-index.asp

http://www.marinecareers.net/

Over (and Under) the Ocean Blue

How much do you know about the majority of planet earth: its oceans? It’s a lively topic, and one you can really plunge into. Try some of these activities below, and make waves!

CONNECT:

• Did you know that the ocean forms currents? What causes currents? Why is the sea salty? Find out the answers to these questions at http://www.amnh.org/exhibitions/permanent-exhibitions/rose-center-for-earth-and-space/david-s.-and-ruth-l.-gottesman-hall-of-planet-earth/what-causes-climate-and-climate-change/the-world-ocean
• Discover marine creatures from the tiny zooxanthellae that make the coral reefs home to the giant mammals of the vast seas: at http://www.mbgnet.net/salt/index.htm
• Virtually visit the Smithsonian Ocean Planet exhibit at http://seawifs.gsfc.nasa.gov/OCEAN_PLANET/HTML/ocean_planet_overview.html
• Explore marine life “down under” at http://portphillipmarinelife.net.au/
• Discover planet ocean at http://school.discoveryeducation.com/schooladventures/planetocean/ocean.html
• Look at the history of ocean life through NOAA’s photo library: http://www.photolib.noaa.gov/

CREATE:

• This site allows you to do several activities related to sea life: https://www.fi.edu/sites/default/files/SummerCampDiscovery_Week8_Dangers_of_the_Deep_Newsletter.08.14.pdf
• Explore the splendors of the sea at http://www.seasky.org/sea.html
• Watch a kelp forest “live” at http://www.montereybayaquarium.org/animals-and-experiences/live-web-cams/kelp-forest-cam. You might even see a wolf eel!
• Become a Junior Oceanographer! Take the quiz and earn a certificate. Join at http://sealevel.jpl.nasa.gov/education/stuffforkids/junioroceanographer/

CARE:

• How much oil is usually lost to an oil spill and who cleans it up? Find out on this site from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration: http://response.restoration.noaa.gov/oil-and-chemical-spills/oil-spills
• Want to help oceans and the living things therein? http://www.vanaqua.org/act/direct-action has a list of conservation projects that you can participate in.
• Make waves at this interactive website:  http://waves.marine.usf.edu/news_menu/news_menu.htm
• Imagine living underwater to study and preserve marine ecosystems. You can get involved without even getting wet, at http://aquarius.fiu.edu/
• You don’t have to be a scientist to help save coral reefs. Try one of the following ten steps to help: http://www.nature.org/ourinitiatives/habitats/coralreefs/ways-to-help-coral-reefs/index.htm

CAREER:

You can make waves in a career related to oceans. Here are few starters:

http://www.oceancareers.com/2.0/index.php

http://www.marinecareers.net/

http://oceanexplorer.noaa.gov/edu/oceanage/welcome.html

http://www.cosee.net/about/careers/

http://www.marineinsight.com/careers-2/a-list-of-unique-and-interesting-marine-careers/

https://marine-conservation.org/who-we-are/jobs/career-resources/