Lighten up for Auroras

 

You may know of Princess Aurora (also known as Sleeping Beauty), but do you know about the original auroras: bright dancing lights in the sky? Brighten up your life with these online activities.

 

CONNECT:

• Let NASA enlighten you about auroras at https://spaceplace.nasa.gov/aurora/en/
•  Watch the science behind the northern lights at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=we-MfBKx4Bc
• Read 20 Aurora Borealis facts you will love to know at https://hello-aurora.com/blog/20-aurora-facts

 

CREATE:

• Make a magical northern light sky with pastels at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mo8wee7blQ4
• Or paint the aurora with ice cubes at https://www.uaf.edu/museum/education/educators/heliophysics-aurora-outre/activities/pdfs/Paint-The-Aurora-With-Ice-Cubes-Activity.pdf
• Check the Aurora Tracker to find out if you can see the Aurora right now at https://www.explorefairbanks.com/explore-the-area/aurora-season/aurora-tracker/ and check out the Aurora live webcam on this website.
• Create an aurora borealis with milk, oil and food coloring at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YglrrA2XQ5Y

 

CARE:

• Auroras are typically seen in areas that are very cold. Stay warm with these tips: https://www.healthychildren.org/English/safety-prevention/at-play/Pages/Winter-Safety.aspx
• There is often ice in areas where auroras are seen. Stay ice-safe with these tips: https://www.blacklinesafety.com/blog/6-tips-for-dealing-with-black-ice
• Auroras are best seen in wilderness areas. Be prepared for the wilderness with these tips: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rBQfaxDiGlw

 

CAREERS:

Want your career to light you up? You would be a scientist, an engineer, a meteorologist (weather expert), a photographer, a tour guide, and more. Light up with these sample career tips.

• https://www.sciencefriday.com/articles/a-physicist-explains-the-shimmering-science-behind-auroras/
• https://globaledge.msu.edu/blog/post/57349/the-northern-lights-tourism-industry
• Meteorologists https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=npwXgH5t3o0&t=3s

 

Roger That, Rocket!

 

The US anthem includes the phrase “the rockets’ red glare.” We continue to be awed by rockets. Have a blast exploring the world of rockets with these online activities.

 

CONNECT:

• Check out these rocket facts at https://www.factsjustforkids.com/technology-facts/rocket-facts-for-kids/
• Watch how rockets work at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1yBwWLunlOM
• Rockets are not new; they have been around for more than 2000 years! Discover their history at https://www.space.com/29295-rocket-history.html

 

CREATE:

• Even little ones can do cool rocket activites at https://toddlerapproved.com/2015/05/10-cool-rocket-activities-for-kids.html
• Explore rockets at NASA space place: https://spaceplace.nasa.gov/search/Rockets/
• Create your own rocket and other high fliers at https://www.parentmap.com/article/launching-imaginations-diy-action-toy-contraptions

 

CARE:

• Safety goes to a new level in space; find out how to stay healthy in space at https://www.lpi.usra.edu/education/space_days/activities/healthInSpace/aboutHealthInSpace.pdf
• rockets are fun to watch but they can be dangerous if you get too clase, so follow this model rocket safety code at https://www.nar.org/safety-information/model-rocket-safety-code/
• Watch this video about rocket safety: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EZ1V1si2mC0

 

CAREERS:

Blast into space with these rocket-based jobs. The sky's the limit!

• https://www.myrocketcareer.com/
• https://www.nasa.gov/audience/foreducators/rocketry/careercorner/index.html

 

 

Beam Me Up, Scotty!

Dr. Spock may have died, but there may be extraterrestrials, creatures from outer space, aliens, space beings, little green men. Humans have wondered about life beyond earth for millenia. It’s time to hunt for alien worlds!

CONNECT:

• Start at Project Family ASTRO for fun activities: http://www.astrosociety.org/education/k12-educators/about-family-astro/
• What’s fact and fiction about extraterrestrial life? Test your knowledge at http://planetquest.jpl.nasa.gov/system/interactable/6/index.html
• Trace the history of extra-terrestrial quests at http://planetquest.jpl.nasa.gov/system/interactable/2/timeline.html
• Do you like atlases: collections of maps? http://planetquest.jpl.nasa.gov/newworldsatlas is an atlas of over a thousand new worlds.
• See how infrared reveals the universe at http://coolcosmos.ipac.caltech.edu/infrared_universe
• There are some strange alien-looking creatures here on earth; find them at http://planetquest.jpl.nasa.gov/system/interactable/3/index.html

CREATE:

• Wake up, space traveler! You've entered your target solar system. Time to begin your mission: Find and photograph the planet known as Jupiter and see if a habitable planet exists in this sector. Start your mission at http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/worlds/life/
• Are there other planets with life? The Exoplanet Data Explorer is an interactive table and plotter for exploring and displaying data. Explore this database at http://exoplanets.org/
• Plan an interstellar trip using http://planetquest.jpl.nasa.gov/system/interactable/5/index.html
• Search for alien life at http://www.alienearths.org/online/searchforlife/index.php
• Create your own planet at http://planetquest.jpl.nasa.gov/system/interactable/1/index.html

CARE:

• Help scientists by classifying data from http://www.planethunters.org/ to discover new worlds.
• Become a member of an astronomy club, or follow them online at  http://nightsky.jpl.nasa.gov/index.cfm  Bring the universe to you!
• Volunteer to help with Project FIRST, which promotes sports of the mind (which could like to explore alien worlds): http://www.usfirst.org/
• Support the search for life in the universe; become at SETIStar: http://www.seti.org/seti-educators

CAREERS:

What’s it like to have a career hunting for new worlds?

• Follow this scientist’s blog: http://planetquest.jpl.nasa.gov/ave/33.
• Read about these SETI scientists: http://www.seti.org/seti-institute/about-seti/scientists
• You might  even become a UFOlogist: http://www.cufos.org/you_want_to_be_a_ufologist.pdf

Sleep

We spend about a third of our life sleeping – but that’s not wasted time. Keep awake to find out more about this necessary activity.

CONNECT:

• Here’s a good introduction to several aspects of sleeping: http://www.aboutkidshealth.ca/En/JustForKids/Life/OnePagers/Pages/OnePagerSleep.aspx
• Why is sleep important? Find out why at http://www.sleepforkids.org/
• When we’re asleep the brain is still active. Find out about its work at http://faculty.washington.edu/chudler/sleep.html
• How do you sleep in outer space? Find at out at http://www.esa.int/esaKIDSen/SEMAIP6TLPG_LifeinSpace_0.html
• Learn how marine animals sleep: at http://marinelife.about.com/od/marinelife101/tp/SleepInMarineAnimals.htm
• Trace the historical and cultural perspectives of sleep at http://healthysleep.med.harvard.edu/healthy/matters/history

CREATE:

• Some animals are nocturnal: they sleep in the day and are active at night. Watch and listen to them at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VVloVe4jWMU.  Try making some animal night sounds yourself.
• Children sing lullabies around the world. Hear them, and sing along, at http://www.songsforteaching.com/lullabies/.   (And you can listen to 8 hours of lullabies at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vU0fYzuypXg).
• Having nightmares? Try drawing them, or making a mask about them. Get details at http://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/the-wisdom-your-dreams/201004/working-childrens-dreams-especially-nightmares
• Create a dreamcatcher following these directions: http://www.kidzworld.com/article/26775-how-to-make-a-dream-catcher

CARE:

• What causes sleeping, and what happens when you walk in your sleep? How can you keep safe? Get the inside story at http://kidshealth.org/parent/growth/sleep/sleepwalking.html#
• Do you have nocturnal enuresis (that’s sleep wetting)? It runs in families. Found out how to deal with it at http://kidshealth.org/kid/health_problems/bladder/enuresis.html
• What can you do if you can’t sleep? Try these tips: http://kidshealth.org/kid/stay_healthy/body/cant_sleep.html
• Why do some teens have trouble sleeping? Find out at http://kidshealth.org/teen/your_body/take_care/sleep.html#

CAREER:

What is your dream career? Babysitting might be your first paying job that deals with sleep. Lots of adults deal with sleep: doctors, scientists, anthropologists, clothing designers and manufacturers, furniture makers and sellers, even artists. Here are a couple of leads:

http://school.sleepeducation.com/sleepcareers.aspx

http://healthcareers.about.com/od/healthcareerprofiles/p/SleepCareers.htm

Look! Up in the Sky! It's a bird, it's a plane, it's your future!

What do you see in the sky at night? When the main light is the moon, you can oftentimes see stars, some of which might actually be planets. They are the same heavenly bodies that our ancestors saw, although there has been some movement over time.  Are the stars in your future? Explore now!

 CONNECT:

• Start by exploring the history of space at http://news.discovery.com/space/history-of-space
• Find out about lunar landings at http://www.kidport.com/reflib/science/moonlanding/moonlanding.htm (and maybe some of your relatives saw the first moon landing on TV!)
• What size would other planets look like if they were the same distance from earth as is the moon? See this simulation at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=usYC_Z36rHw
• People have been observing the sky for thousands of years. One famous ancient observatory was Chichen Itza; find out more about that Mayan site at http://www.exploratorium.edu/ancientobs/chichen/flash.html 
• Amazing Space (http://amazing-space.stsci.edu/) uses the Hubble Space Telescope's discoveries to inspire and educate about the wonders of our universe.

CREATE:

• The magazine Sky and Telescope offers several interactive observation tools: http://www.skyandtelescope.com/observing/objects/javascript
• Tour the solar system at http://nineplanets.org/tour. The main site is an overview of the history, mythology, and current scientific knowledge of the planets, moons and other objects in our solar system. Each page has text and NASA's images, and some have sounds and movies.
• Anyone on the Internet can access the Bradford robotic telescope and ask it to look at anything in the northern night sky! The Web doesn't get more hands-on than this! http://www.telescope.org/
• The Solar System Simulator (http://space.jpl.nasa.gov/)  will show you a picture of any planet or moon as it would look if you were standing on another planet or traveling with one of the NASA space probes.
• http://starchild.gsfc.nasa.gov/docs/StarChild/StarChild.html is a learning center for young astonomers.

CARE:

• Search for and design a habitable planet in this Astro-Venture: http://astroventure.arc.nasa.gov/
• People have been telling stories about stars for even longer than the Mayans. Read some of those star stories, especially as combinations of stars were labelled constellations: http://school.discoveryeducation.com/schooladventures/skywatch/stories/index.htm. Learn some of these stories, and tell them to the kids in your neighborhood; it’s a great babysitting activity!
• Teach others how to be a stargazer by studying this PBS website: http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/worlds/stargazer.html
• NASA’s Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter is collecting information about resources on the moon; all of this information will help humans learn to live and work safely on another planetary body! http://www.lpi.usra.edu/education/explore/LRO/ includes activities for children where they work in teams to prioritize environmental and scientific criteria to recommend a lunar landing site. Ultimately, they get to design and build a lunar colony!
• Want to show your love by naming a star after your special someone? It may be a scam. Find out the details at http://www.iau.org/public/buying_star_names/

CAREERS:

• Want a career in space? The first place you might think of is NASA, but its future is in jeopardy. Nevertheless, their website explains about space-related careers:  http://www.nasa.gov/audience/forstudents/careers-index.html
• This college teacher gives a realistic picture of astronomy-related careers, and suggess further resources: http://www.astronomynotes.com/careers.htm
• A really reputable source for finding out about physicists and astronomers careers is the U.S. Department of Labor: http://www.bls.gov/ooh/life-physical-and-social-science/physicists-and-astronomers.htm