Go Green!

This set of activities is being created on Earth Day: April 22. This annual observance started in 1970, and the message is as timely as ever: take care of the earth because it takes of you. What are YOU doing to “go green”?  Find out some ways here.

CONNECT:

• What is Earth Day, and how did it start? Read all about it at http://www.livescience.com/50556-earth-day-facts-history.html
• What is geen living? Find out at http://pbskids.org/itsmylife/family/greenliving/
• Take a look at Earth day by the numbers: http://www.timeforkids.com/news/earth-day/87036
• hese titles will help demonstrate how beautiful nature is, whether it's through stunning visuals, interesting facts, or both: https://www.commonsensemedia.org/lists/green-games-for-kids-0
• NASA isn’t just about the sky; they have there eyes on the earth too; get active with them at https://climatekids.nasa.gov/go-green/

CREATE:

• Meet the Greens, and play games with them at http://www.meetthegreens.org/
• Play in Recycle City: https://www3.epa.gov/recyclecity/mainmap.htm
• No need to buy art supplies; you can recycle lots of things around the house; try these recycled art projects: http://handsonaswegrow.com/recycled-art-projects-for-kids-green/
• We celebrate Earth Day on April 22nd but every day should be Earth Day!  Every Day is a great day to take care and appreciate the planet. Here are some other special days to celebrate the planet: http://www.kidsplayandcreate.com/fun-earth-day-facts-activities-and-crafts-for-kids/.  Plan a party to celebrate Mother Earth.

CARE:

• Help keep our planet green; become an earth ranger. Find out how at https://www.earthrangers.com/
• Greenpeace is an international organization that fights for the environment. Get involved at http://www.greenpeace.org/international/en/about/Greenpeace-and-You/
• Explore this eco-family comic website, and find out how to go green in your home: http://greenplanet4kids.com/
• Here are 45 ways to make going green fun: http://www.solarresourceguide.org/45-ways-to-go-green-with-kids/

CAREERS:

Go green and get “green” (that is, money). Yes, you can do well by doing good for a living. You can be an environmental scientist, landscaper, architect, cook, designer, writer, photographer, engineer, manufacturer. The sky is the limit – or rather the earth is. Here are some places to start:

http://www.greencareercentral.com/

https://www.bls.gov/green/home.htm

https://www.careeronestop.org/GreenCareers/green-careers.aspx?&frd=true

http://www.environmentalscience.org/careers/sustainability-and-green-jobs

http://www.letsgosolar.com/consumer-education/green-careers/

http://career-profiles.careertrends.com/stories/9332/highest-paying-green-careers-outdoors-nature

http://environment.nationalgeographic.com/environment/sustainable-earth/11-of-the-fastest-growing-green-jobs/#/rio-20-green-jobs-roof-top-garden_55050_600x450.jpg

Earth Day

April 22 is Earth Day. How will you honor your Earth Mother?

CONNECT:

·        Take a look at Earth Day by the numbers: http://www.timeforkids.com/news/earth-day/87036

·        The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency lists several books for Earth Day: http://www.epa.gov/superfund/kids/earthday.htm

·        Learn about Earth Day by watching these kid-friendly videos: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sQIzoLURl2g

CREATE:

·        Go international, and play Canadian eco-games at http://www.ecokids.ca/pub/kids_home.cfm

·        Get colorful with this coloring and activities book from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency: http://www.epa.gov/region5/earthday/happy.html

·        Try one or more of 50 Earth Day activities: http://tinkerlab.com/fifty-earth-day-activities/

CARE:

·        http://earthday2015.ca/25-ways-to-clean-your-commute/ has 25 ways to green up your trip.

·        Start a Recycle Rangers Club with these resources: http://www2.lhric.org/pocantico/earthday/rangers.htm

·        Be a part of a billion acts of green: http://www.earthday.org/takeaction/

·        Decorate grocery bags for Earth Day: http://www.earthdaybags.org/

CAREERS:

Make some “green” by going green as a career.  Have a job where every day is Earth Day. Find out at:

·        http://idealistcareers.org/inspired-by-earth-day-here-are-jobs-volunteer-opportunities-and-events-to-explore/

·        http://www.epa.gov/careers/

·        http://www.childrenoftheearth.org/Navy%20Pages/eco_careers.htm

Sand: The Gritty Reality

You see sand in lots of places: the beach, on the playground, in gardens, as part of buildings. We even talk about sand in our eyes. But what about sand in windows and computers? Did you know that sand is the second most common element on earth (oxygen is first).  Sand is likely to be more important than you ever dreamed of.

CONNECT:

Not all sand is created equal; did you know that the best beaches are ranked by 50 criteria?  Take a look how sand is rated: http://micro.magnet.fsu.edu/optics/olympusmicd/galleries/oblique/seasand1.html.

Trace how sand becomes a circuit at http://www.intel.com/content/www/us/en/history/museum-making-silicon.html

Watch how glass is made – from sand: http://www.wikihow.com/Make-Glass

How does an hourglass measure time? The Library of Congress knows: http://www.loc.gov/rr/scitech/mysteries/hourglass.html

CREATE:

Search “sand” at http://kinderart.com/. You’ll find lots of sand-based art activities to do: sand painting, sand jars, even dinosaur treasure eggs.

Learn how to do sand sculpting at http://www.virtualnjshore.com/tbsandcastles.html

Practice being a sand scientist at http://faculty.pasadena.edu/dndouglass/sand/SandExrc.htm

There are a surprising number of statistics about sand. Try a Google image search on “sand statistics.’ Any surprises?

CARE:

You can contribute to the global virtual sand collection: http://faculty.pasadena.edu/dndouglass/sand/sandmap.htm

Have fun and be eco-friendly by make recycled sand and water toys: http://www.inhabitots.com/how-to-make-recycled-sand-and-water-toys/

Help save sand dunes at http://www.envirolink.org/resource.html?itemid=799&catid=5

Find out about the importance of reefs, including sand ones, and how you can help protect them: http://education.nationalgeographic.com/education/encyclopedia/reef/?ar_a=1

CAREERS:

Sand is used in manufacturing, whether to sand down items or build them. Sand is used in energy, such as the oil industry. Sand is used in science: archeology, chemistry, physics, oceanography, and so on. Sand is part of the tourist industry too. The jobs associated with sand may be as numerous as the grains of sand on the beach!

http://www.madehow.com/Volume-3/Sand.html

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rBPqWa1vDTM

Really? Manufacturing sand? Here’s why: http://www.metso.com/miningandconstruction/mm_sepa.nsf/WebWID/WTB-120530-2256F-72E1B/$File/Why%20manufactured%20sand.pdf

http://www.sand.org/

BTW: Sand in your eyes isn’t really sand; it’s rheum – dried mucus (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rheum)

The Circle Of Life

We’re all connected, not just in our families or communities, but with all living things. And they are also connected to water, air, and the rest of the earth. Find out how these elements work together in the great circle of life.

CONNECT:

• Different types of plants animals grow in different climates. Imagine a cactus in the Arctic or polar bears  in the jungle. To appreciate the differences, try some of the activities at http://www.nclark.net/CommunitiesBiomes
• Plants and other living things depend on each other; the system is called ecology.  Explore some ecology activities at http://www.biologyjunction.com/unit9_ecology.htm#POWERPOINTS
• What’s a food web? Think of it as an inter-related food chain.  Spin your food web in this simulation: http://www.nclark.net/CommunitiesBiomes (you might want to check out the whole ecolab set of activities as background information).
• The status of one animal impacts the status of another; see how moose and wolves reflect predator-prey dynamics at http://www.onlinelearningexchange.com/texas_demo/assets/bio_11b_interactive_art_moose/elab2.html
• How do diseases spread? See how populations impact the dynamics of diseases at Speed Sim (https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/speed-sim-spatial-population/id437545518?mt=8).

CREATE:

• The prairie is one of North America's great ecosystems, and a vital habitat for many plants and animals. Can you turn a bare dirt field into a thriving prairie? Take the restoration challenge in this interactive game! http://www.bellmuseum.umn.edu/games/prairie/build/index.html
• Explore the amazing world of recycling for kids with a range of fun experiments, free games, crazy facts, cool projects, interesting videos, quizzes and more! http://www.sciencekids.co.nz/recycling.html
• Recycle these great ideas of crafts made from recycled materials: http://www.planetpals.com/recycle_crafts_kids.html
• Here are 20 toys you can make from trash: http://bigspringenvironmental.com/20-toys-to-make-from-trash/

CARE:

• The Greenhouse Effect is not the result you want when growing plants. Since out how greenhouse gases affect climate at http://phet.colorado.edu/en/simulation/greenhouse
• Smog:  smoke and fog – and more. Try the simulation Smog City (http://www.biologycorner.com/worksheets/smogcity.html) and accompanying activity to find out what causes smog -- and the worst conditions for smog. What can your family to to help address the smog problem?
• Want to go green? Play these environment games to learn about some of the issues, and how to deal with them:  http://ecogamer.org/environmental-games
• Find out ways that your community can reduce waste by checking out the garbage scene at http://www.learner.org/interactives/garbage/intro.html

CAREER:

• Brainstorm all the careers that come to mind when you think about ecology. The list may be longer than you think: http://careerservices.rutgers.edu/ecology.shtml
• Here are some simple descriptions of ecologist careers, along with ecology projects: http://kids.nceas.ucsb.edu/ecology/careers.html
• Want to make some “green” while work in the the green work sector? Check out http://www.dummies.com/how-to/content/green-jobs-in-ecology.html