Don’t Desert Deserts

 What comes to your mind when you think of deserts? Dry, hot, empty? Deserts are found on every continent. Try these online activities to get more truths about deserts.

 

CONNECT:

• Explore deserts with National Geographic Kids at https://kids.nationalgeographic.com/nature/habitats/article/desert
• Watch details about deserts at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WwS05igCcx4
• Watch and learn about desert animals at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JxgC0B9Vjvc
• See how ancient engineers kept a desert city wet at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2cU0H58eG2A

 

CREATE:

• Create a desert-themed trivia game based on 50 desert facts shared at https://www.mkewithkids.com/post/desert-facts-for-kids/
• Try these desert activities for preschoolers: https://stayathomeeducator.com/desert-preschool-theme/ and these desert activities for grade and middle schoolers: https://www.imthecheftoo.com/blogs/stem-for-kids/cool-desert-stem-activities-for-kids
• Play games about deserts at https://sciencetrek.org/topics/deserts/games
• Virtually visit desert national parks at https://www.nps.gov/subjects/deserts/visit.htm 

  

CARE:

• Watch how to live in the desert at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gaZKEc59g1w
• Visiting a desert? Prepare for travel safety with a great infographic and more at https://desertsoftheworld.com/desert-travel-safety-guide/
• See ways to conserve the Mojave desert at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fA8hrRh_PIw

 

CAREERS:

Does a desert-related career whet your appetite? Lots of opportunities exist: as a park ranger, a tour guide, an archaeologist, a conservationist, a doctor, an historian, a scientist, an energy expert, an engineer, an artist, a manufacturer, and more. Look into some of these examples.

• https://www.livingdesert.org/conservation/
• Ask an archaeologist at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l7dlKOjRot0&t=12s
• Desert farming and energy: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gMCJXum7QU0
• Desert-inspired creatives: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oXV1egVqi2c

 

The Road More Taken

What do you walk or drive on? Paths, streets, highways all mark our communal movement. Don’t just trample them – give them the respect they deserve. And make your own path in doing the following activities.

CONNECT:

•  How are roads made? The answer(s) are available at https://wonderopolis.org/wonder/how-do-you-build-a-road
• What was the historical road to roads? Follow the story at http://www.roadandtrack.com/car-culture/a4447/the-road-ahead-road-evolution/
•  How did toll roads start? Read about it history in the US at https://www.fhwa.dot.gov/infrastructure/mcdonaldtoll.cfm
•  “All roads lead to Rome.” How did this saying start? Find out at https://writingexplained.org/idiom-dictionary/all-roads-lead-to-rome

CREATE:

•  While you’re on the road, banish backseat boredom by playing these car games: http://www.minitime.com/trip-tips/10-Best-Car-Games-for-Kids-article
• Learn how to read (And make) trail signs: http://howtowilderness.com/trail-signs/
• Play these park and street cleaning games: http://www.cleaning-games.net/park-and-street. Maybe they will inspire you to make your streets clean in real life.
• Make your own rocky road dessert using this kid-friendly recipe: https://planningwithkids.com/2009/06/06/rocky-road-recipe-kid-friendly-version/

CARE:

• Here’s a way to turn community (including streets) clenup into a fun scavenger hunt: http://www.mykidsadventures.com/cleanup-scavenger-hunt/
• Learn how to make and maintain a hiking trail at https://mylandplan.org/content/hiking-0
•  Help reduce and slow down traffic in your street with these activities: https://www.sustrans.org.uk/what-you-can-do/change-your-street/easy-ways-reduce-traffic-your-street
• The Expanded Environment is a non-profit group that tries to help the relationship between biological systems and architecture. They visualize animal movement in order to help engineers to identify eco-friendly human paths and roads. See those animal paths at http://www.expandedenvironment.org/animal-paths/

CAREERS:

Roads can carry you to a career: in urban planning, construction, engineering, road safety personnel. These are some career paths for you to consider:

https://www.brazen.com/blog/archive/job-search/urban-planning-jobs-how-to-get-them-and-what-to-expect/

https://www.sokanu.com/careers/civil-engineer/

https://www.chp.ca.gov/chp-careers

D

R U A Robot?

Robotics started as 19^th century science fiction, and is now a growing field of science. Explore our newest relative.

CONNECT:

• Explore the different tasks that robots do: at http://www.frc.ri.cmu.edu/
• What can robots do – or not do? Check the facts at http://idahoptv.org/sciencetrek/topics/robots/facts.cfm
• Visit a whole museum about robots at http://www.the-robotman.com/
• The first time the word “robot” was used was in the play R.U.R.. Read about it at http://public.wsu.edu/~delahoyd/sf/r.u.r.html
• Read 20 great books about robotics: http://robohub.org/20-great-books-to-hook-kids-and-teens-on-robotics/

CREATE:

• Design and build a robotic rover with cardboard and a balloon; follow the directions at http://www.nasa.gov/offices/education/programs/national/summer/education_resources/engineering_grades7-9/E_nanorover.html#.VldOj793EZw
• You can also build your own virtual robot, and use it for gaming – at http://www.channel4.com/learning/microsites/R/robots/constructor.html
• Consider visiting – and participating – in a robot competition, listed at http://www.robofest.net/ and http://robots.net/rcfaq.html
• Dance like a robot at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ggadhy--yLs

CARE:

• Support the US, NASA, AND Robots by joining the Robotics Alliance as a family: http://robotics.arc.nasa.gov/email/subscribe.php
• Robots can protect people -- by finding and defusing bombs, and taking on other hazardous duties. Watch how they work at http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/robots/
• Here are 9 more awesome ways that robots help people: http://mic.com/articles/118712/9-awesome-robots-that-are-helping-to-save-the-world#.j1QERWk9o
• See how driverless cars work: http://auto.howstuffworks.com/under-the-hood/trends-innovations/driverless-car.htm  Consider: should a driverless car kill the passenger to save a child outside? http://qz.com/245142/should-your-driverless-car-kill-you-to-save-a-child/

CAREERS:

Interested in robots? Or robotics? Don’t just sit there; get moving!

• You could become a robotics engineer: http://www.sciencebuddies.org/science-engineering-careers/engineering/robotics-engineer
• Read about other robotics career paths at http://www.nasa.gov/audience/foreducators/robotics/careercorner/#.VldeD793EZw.
• Watch NASA’s video to get career advice: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CyE6l7Ewko8&feature=youtu.be&list=PL9TFrgFq7557J_fG5s4TsNmSqwFuEjaFU
• It’s not only a science career. Think about manufacturing and selling, health, writing, clothing, illustration, even food preparation.

Shake, Rattle, and Roll -- the Earth

It’s been shaking here in California – and other places throughout the world. Find out how the earth moves – and how you can take action.

CONNECT:

Explore the science behind earthquakes at http://www.exploratorium.edu/faultline/index.html

Watch National Geographic Society’s videos on earthquate format: www.nationalgeographic.com/eye/earthquakes/phenomena.html

See animations about earthquakes at http://www.pbs.org/wnet/savageearth/earthquakes/index.html

What earthquakes occurred on this day? Find out at http://earthquake.usgs.gov/learn/today/

Read a child’s view of earthquakes in this ABC: http://earthquake.usgs.gov/learn/kids/abc/

Know about Pangaea? It’s the earth’s supercontinent; watch it move at http://www.ucmp.berkeley.edu/geology/anim1.html

CREATE:

Try these activities that demonstrate earthquake principles: http://www.exploratorium.edu/faultline/activezone/activities.html

Try your hand at one or several of these earthquake activities: http://earthquake.usgs.gov/learn/kids/kidsLearningLinks.php

Test out earthquake science experiments at http://earthquake.usgs.gov/learn/kids/sciencefair.php

A seismograph measures earthquake activity; Bill Nye the Science Guy explains them at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1qbg7orb1lc.  Make your own seismograph following the directions at http://www.mrsec.psu.edu/education/nano-activities/sand/make_a_seismograph/make_a_working_seismograph.pdf

Check out earthquake simulations at http://smartr.edc.org/earthquake

CARE:

Learn how to construct an earthquake-proof building at http://school.discoveryeducation.com/lessonplans/programs/earthquakeproof/

How can you be safe in an earthquake? Create a family earthquake ready kit following the guidelines at http://teacher.scholastic.com/activities/wwatch/earthquakes/ready.htm

The U.S. Geological Survey provides several booklists on earthquake preparedness: http://earthquake.usgs.gov/learn/preparedness.php

The US government shows how to be prepared and support your community in earthquake times: http://www.ready.gov/earthquakes

CAREER:

What’s shaking in civil engineering? Find out at http://www.civilengineeringcareers.org/earthquake-engineering

Learn more about earthquake-related careers at http://www.classzone.com/books/earth_science/terc/content/careers/es1004.cfm

Find out what it takes to become a geophysicist: http://earthquake.usgs.gov/learn/kids/become.php

Explore a career in seismology at http://www.seismosoc.org/society/education/careers.php