Rev Up for Cars!

 

The U.S. is a nation of cars. Look under the hood of cars with these online activities.

 

CONNECT:

• See the history of cars at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Iorv0Ty2Gbk; teens will probably prefer this visual history: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5cFovJ4HZ8s
• How does a car work? Watch how gas and electric engines work at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uyNaWBl4OXg
• Watch how cars are manufactured at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zn6scKf7k_0

 

CREATE:

• Going on a road trip? Try these 20+ unplugged road trip activities to pass the time: https://travelmamas.com/unplugged-road-trip-activities-for-kids/
• Like playing with toy cars? Here are lots of ways to expand that playtime for youngsters – AND store those toys: https://www.learningandexploringthroughplay.com/2016/08/toy-car-activities-and-storage-ideas.html
• Get crafty with cars with these toddler-friendly ideas: https://www.kidorzo.com/car-crafts-for-toddlers/

 

CARE:

• Watch how to be safe in a car: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-5KrRVdt74U
• Learn about basic traffic signs and rules at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PpEWVxNj2xo
• Do you ride a bike? You usually share the road with cars and other vehicles, so watch this bicycle safer journey at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dkoVxBnnGko&t=139s

 

CAREERS:

Does a car-related CAReer rev you up? Explore the possibilities!

• https://www.lelandwest.com/blog/listing.asp?2021/8/career-advice-for-people-who-love-cars
• See the range of jobs for car enthusiasts: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mbJc7geEpiM
• Check out a mechanic at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BDmQpsKwTmE

Up into the Air

Leaving the ground for the air is exhilarating – and can be hard to do. Take off on these airborne activities about flight.

CONNECT:

• Have you ever dreamt you were flying? Since the beginning of history, people have dreamed of flying, as you’ll see here: https://www.fi.edu/topics/flight
• The Museum of Flight is one of the largest air and space museums in the world. Browse current exhibits virtually at http://www.museumofflight.org/
• What’s the story behind the Wright brothers, who made the first successful flight of a motor-powered airplane? It’s at http://www.wright-house.com/wright-brothers/Wrights.html
• If you've ever been interested in taking a ride in a hot air balloon, this is the site for you: http://www.hotairballooning.com/

CREATE:

• Enjoy a variety of online activities exploring the principles of aviation and spaceflight: https://airandspace.si.edu/learn
• Connect with NASA’s interactive website for students: https://www.nasa.gov/audience/forstudents/index.html
• Have you ever wondered what the controls of a aircraft do? you have come to the right place! http://meriweather.com/flight-decks/
• Learn how to make paper airplanes with these easy instructions: https://www.origamiway.com/paper-airplanes.shtml
• Make your own model air balloon by following the directions at https://www.homesciencetools.com/a/make-a-hot-air-balloon

CARE:

• What safe is flying? Here are some comforting facts: http://www.gogetterjetsetter.com/how-safe-is-flying.php
• A commercial pilot answers questions about flying and its safety: https://www.thrillist.com/travel/nation/how-to-fly-commercial-pilot-flying-questions
• Follow these top ten child air travel safety trips: http://www.airsafe.com/kidsafe/kid_tips.htm
• Have fun watching this flight safety demo by little kids: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y17u5o5HVeo

CAREERS:

Even if you are afraid of flying, you can have a career related to flight: as a chef, travel agent, mechanic, engineer, and communicator. Let your imaginatin take flight with some of these aeronautic careers:

https://www.nasa.gov/centers/langley/news/factsheets/FS-2001-09-68-LaRC.html

http://www.nctaviationcareers.com/

https://www.eaa.org/en/eaa/aviation-education-and-resources/eaa-youth-education/work-in-aviation-and-start-your-aviation-career

http://www.learnhowtobecome.org/science-technology-careers/aviation/

https://www.faa.gov/jobs/

http://www.payscale.com/career-news/2011/08/jobs-in-aviation

I Get Around

How do you know where you are? It’s hard to get to where you want to go if you don’t know where you are and where your desired end location is. Find your way with these activities.

CONTACT:

• ·         Every place on earth can be designated by a unique set of numbers that indicate longitude and latitude.  Find out how those numbers are generated at http://www.mrdowling.com/601-grid.html
• ·         How do GPS systems work? See the answer at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IoRQiNFzT0k
• ·         Nature provides you with a variety of ways of finding directions. Even when a map and compass are available, knowing how to interpret the signs of nature become a great help. Read how at http://www.wilderness-survival-skills.com/finding-direction.html
• ·         How do you read a topographic map – and what is it?  Find out at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IoRQiNFzT0k

CREATE:

• ·         Orient yourself to the land by using a compass. http://www.us.orienteering.org/youth-leaders/materials/o-young has instructions on the family-fun activity of orienteering.
• ·         Compass roses were used for sailors draw the angles at which they wished to sail--northeast, north by northeast, south, and so on--on a map. Get inspired by historical designs (http://www.ruf.rice.edu/~feegi/compass.html), and make your own compass rose.
• ·         By using a GPS system, or know your longitude and latitude in other ways, you can make your own sky map at http://www.fourmilab.ch/yoursky/
• ·         Watch this video (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VIKkZcTkhuw) to make your own compass.
• ·         Read and create your own trail signs; can you think of urban equivalents? https://www.nwf.org/kids/family-fun/outdoor-activities/trail-marking.aspx

CARE:

• ·         Here are 14 ways to be prepared for anything while traveling: http://www.nomadicmatt.com/travel-blogs/14-ways-to-be-prepared-for-anything-while-traveling/
• ·         Vacations and trips are fun. Don’t spoil your time because of accidents or other problems. http://www.bestwestern.com/travel-planning/tips/family-safety.asp gives tips for safe family travel.
• ·         What do you do if you get lost? Plan ahead for this kind of situation by watching this video: https://www.kidpower.org/library/article/getting-lost/
• ·         Make a travel first aid kit by following the directions at https://www.lonelyplanet.com/thorntree/forums/health/topics/how-to-make-a-top-notch-travel-first-aid-kit

CAREERS:

Like to travel – and help other people do that? Every step of the way is a career: transportation, information services, translating, travel agents, food services, even travel clothing and equipment.

• ·         Here are 45 jobs you can do while traveling: http://www.thebarefootnomad.com/travel-tips/45-great-jobs-you-can-do-while-traveling-the-world-and-how-to-get-them/
• ·         Find out how to become a travel agent: http://www.asta.org/Education/content.cfm?ItemNumber=1681
• ·         What is the outlook for translators and interpreters? Find out at http://www.bls.gov/ooh/media-and-communication/interpreters-and-translators.htm

Oktoberfest

Feast on the month of October.

 Connect:

Oktoberfest is a big German festival. Find out about its history and other things German at http://www.journey-to-germany.com/oktoberfest.html

Find out about Germany from the national Geographic Society at http://gogermany.about.com/od/citiesandregions/tp/Munich-For-Kids.htm

Learn some German  through games at http://www.german-games.net/
Get to know Germany through its food: http://www.globalgourmet.com/destinations/germany/#axzz1Kp7evGgR

 

Create:
Have fun with these Oktoberfest crafty activities: http://lifestyle.howstuffworks.com/crafts/seasonal/fall/oktoberfest-activities.htm
Plan your own family-friendly Oktoberfest party: http://entertaining.about.com/od/kidsparties/a/oktoberfestkids.htm
Play some Oktoberfest-inspired games: http://www.ehow.com/way_5251435_oktoberfest-games-kids.html
Plan a virtual trip to the Oktoberfest original city Munich: http://gogermany.about.com/od/citiesandregions/tp/Munich-For-Kids.htm

 Care:

One adult aspect of Oktoberfest is drinking beer. Drinking liquor is very unhealthy for youth; find out why at http://kidshealth.org/teen/drug_alcohol/alcohol/alcohol.html

The United States was concerned about the Berlin Wall, which divided the German people. Read about the President’s speech at http://www.archives.gov/exhibits/american_originals/kennedy.html.
Read about Anne Frank, who suffered under the German Nazis: http://www.annefrank.org/

 Careers:

Have you heard of seasonal jobs? Those are jobs that are short term, usually summer or Christmas time. Here is information about seasonal jobs:
http://www.myfoxtwincities.com/Clip/9852958/fox-29-business-expert-explain-seasonal-jobs

 

 

Maps: We Get Around

Interested in maps? You need them when you travel or try to navigate around. Maps are visual representations that show relationships among the mapped items, be they cities or ideas. Atlases are collections of maps. Consider that even websites have site maps. Explore the variety of maps, and how to make them. It’s a fun way to get around.

CONNECT:

• What are maps for? Find your way around maps at http://www.k-8visual.info/maps.html, http://www.myteacherpages.com/webpages/ttravis/social_studies_class.cfm?subpage=648434, and http://msnucleus.org/membership/html/jh/earth/mapstype/lesson1/mapstypes01a.html
• How do you take a 3D globe and make it into a 2D map? Think about taking an orange peel, and making it flat. How does it impact how you perceive that orange’s shape? Different world map projections can also impact your world view, literally and culturally (Africa is bigger or smaller depending on the map’s projection). Find out details at http://www.progonos.com/furuti/MapProj/Normal/TOC/. For another perspective, look at the world upside down:  http://flourish.org/upsidedownmap/.  Does it alter your view about each continent’s importance?
• How have geography regions changed over time? The U.S. Geological Survey has produced topographic (land mass) maps for more than 125. See how your region has changed by searching the agency’s historical map collection online at http://nationalmap.gov/historical/.
• Do you what “mappa mundi” means? Is any European map of the world. Take a look at at ancient maps at http://ancientworldmaps.blogspot.com/
• Find out how to read weather maps by using Discovery Education’s lesson plan, which contains several kinds of weather maps: http://www.discoveryeducation.com/teachers/free-lesson-plans/weather-maps.cfm.
• How about mapping the sky? A brain? What kinds of legends or keys would you use? Here are some examples to explore: http://kidshealth.org/kid/htbw/brain.html, http://www.skymaponline.net/, http://healthland.time.com/2012/10/22/time-explains-genome-sequencing/, http://arctic.fws.gov/birdworldmig.htm.

CREATE:

• Personalize your journeys, be they your family’s history or a fantasy trip. It might be your family’s immigration journey. Go to Google Earth (http://earth.google.com/‎), and download it for free. Follow their directions about adding features to the map.
• Going on a family car trip – or wish to? Choose a destination across the country, and see how it’s tracked by car on http://maps.yahoo.com. Figure out reasonable stopping times and places. Then use the site to find lodging, dining spots, and local sites. You can use a spreadsheet to calculate the cost of the trip (don’t forget the cost of gas!). Each family member might make their own choices, and then compare the results, or it can be done as a family project.
• Try your hand at creating an imaginary map. http://www.fantasticmaps.com/ provides great tips and examples.
• You can map any area, even the moon – or an imaginary place! You can make a map from several types of image documents (jpg, png, gif) by using UMapper (http://www.umapper.com/). You can make a journey through the body, for instance, such as the blood’s journey from the heart, or food from the mouth on down.This application also allows you to create your own geography game.

CARE:

• Create a neighborhood or school map for visually impaired. It might be a raised map, or a podcast that can serve as an audio tour. You can start by printing out a digital map from http://maps.google.com or http://maps.yahoo.com, or you can create your own using digital or traditional drawing tools.
• Travel ecologically. Visualize different ways to get to a family destination by using http://maps.google.com. It enables you to map your path by car, public transportation, bicycle, and foot. See how far you can get by using only public transportation.
• Is there a park in the area? You can create a nature walk, and map it. Get ideas for projects at http://www.stormthecastle.com/nature-walk-ideas-and-projects.htm.
• Create maps from data using UN statistics (http://hdr.undp.org/en/data/map/) or Harvard University’s data sets (http://hdr.undp.org/en/data/map/). See if you can see issues arising as a result of visualizing the statistics.

CAREER:

Like maps? You can become a cartographer: a map maker. You are also likely to use a map for many jobs: city planning, pilots, shippers, engineers, GIS programmers, scientists, performers, even writers. Here are some career leads that involve mapping skills.

http://www.cccarto.com/gisjobs/gisjobs.html

http://careerkey.blogspot.com/2011/09/why-maps-and-related-promising-careers.html

http://www.distancelearningplan.com/cartographers-surveyors-and-other-map-related-professions.html

http://www.aag.org/careers

http://www.superscholar.org/careers/technology/mapping-engineer/

'Tis the Irish

March 17 is St. Patrick's Day, and you don't have to be Irish or Catholic to celebrate it. The concept of legendary heroes, particularly those who reflect the spirit of a country or other group, is universal. In this thematic set of activities, your family gets to explore various links to a real human legend. These activities can help you think of other cultural legends, and how they link us together.

CONNECT:

• What’s the story behind St. Patrick? Here’s a whole website about the day and the man: http://www.st-patricks-day.com/about_saintpatrick.html. It also features a cartoon video about St. Patrick.
• Why What other events and people are celebrated on March 17 (the date that St. Patrick died)? Find out at http://www.reference.com/thisday/
• Several symbols and traditions are associated with St. Patrick’s Day. Read about their meaning and origin at History Channel’s article:  http://www.history.com/topics/st-patricks-day-symbols-and-traditions.
• There are many Irish proverbs and sayings. See if you can figure out what they really mean: http://www.irishabroad.com/culture/proverbs/. For instance, “A good beginning is half the work.”

CREATE:

• Several myths about St. Patrick’s Day abound. Did he really drives all the snakes out of Ireland? Was he Irish? What is blarney? Referring to the National Geographic Society’s article about St. Patrick (http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2005/03/0315_050315_stpatricksday.html), create a “blarney” or trivia game about St. Patrick. See if players can guess which statements are facts or blarney. You can make up your own myths, or research more facts, and add them to the game.
• Enchanted Learning (http://www.enchantedlearning.com/crafts/stpatrick/) has lots of ideas for fun crafts for youngsters, many of them using items around the house.
• You don’t have to be Irish to eat like one. Here is a handful of traditional Irish recipes to try: http://www.history.com/topics/irish-recipes-st-patricks-day
• Have fun playing games with a St. Patrick’s Day theme: http://spoonful.com/st-patricks-day/st-patricks-day-games. You can change some of the details, and make them work for other holidays – or any day!

CARE:

• Saint Patrick was known for supporting the Irish, who were sometimes mistreated by others. Even today, some people are mistreated. Sometimes people who have disabilities, who are poor, or who are very young or very old may be mistreated. Cyberbullying is a form is mistreatment.  Here are some websites that can help you address cyberbullying mistreatment: http://www.stopcyberbullying.org/, http://cyberbully411.org/, http://www.stopbullying.gov/cyberbullying/index.html
• The potato is often associated with Ireland.  Find out what happened to the potato in Ireland: http://www.digitalhistory.uh.edu/historyonline/irish_potato_famine.cfm. Famines still occur in the world. For instance, East Africans suffer from hunger. CNN suggests ways that you can help: http://www.cnn.com/2011/WORLD/africa/07/20/iyw.howtohelp.somalia.famine/index.html
• St. Patrick is the patron saint of Ireland. Most countries have special heroes who have cared for those people. Can you think of some? Ganghi? Martin Luther King? Can you think of someone who is a special hero to your area or your family? How can you be a special helper to others?

CAREER:

How might St. Patrick’s Day link to careers? You could become a historian, a religious leader, a party or events planner, a travel agent, a linguist, a costumer, a chef, a media maker. Or you might want to work in Ireland. It’s amazing how an interest can lead to a career. Get inspired by these ideas of travel-related careers.

http://matadornetwork.com/abroad/20-awesome-travel-jobs-and-how-to-get-them/