Stand Up for Statues

 

Statues memorialize important people and animals: not only famous ones but also unknown ones who made a difference in history. Discover the importance of statues in the following activities.

 

CONNECT:

• Get the facts about the most famous statue in the US that greets newcomers: The Statue of Liberty: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=usHRc7G0gVo
• Another famous American statue is the Oscar; see how it is made at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HNPPHBZjUXI
• Do you wonder about Egyptian statues? Dig up the facts about them and other Egyptian sculptures at https://www.historyforkids.net/egyptian-sculpture.html
• Watch how a marble statue is made at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vR8ZiT9JTcg
• There are lots of horse statues in Washington, DC: Why? Get the answer – and find out some myths -- at https://www.washingtonian.com/2008/10/02/washingtoniana-whats-up-with-those-horse-statues/
• See 23 unbelievable statues and other sculptures at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jh6QiH9ZVSk

 

CREATE:

• Statues can be made with different kinds of materials; experiment with some and even create your own Statue of Liberty at https://www.ehow.com/list_6504456_activities-kids-build-statue-liberty.html
• Play Statues by following the directions at https://www.mainstages.com/blog/statues/
• Draw Easter Island Moai statues; see how to do that at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D5Kr-1JY3qE – and watch the story of those statues at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c4U5Y7MSAJc
• Want a fun hobby? Photograph action statue figures; watch how a professional does it at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PZlOnW8ovjc

 

CARE:

• Statues wear down by weather and use. See how they can be preserved at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2BFK3pas-J4
• Learn how to care for your own toy statues and action figures at https://www.thesprucecrafts.com/care-for-action-figure-collection-17920
• Does your family have a plaster statue? See how to waterproof them at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2BFK3pas-J4

 

CAREERS:

Don’t just stand there; statues can lead you to a great career: studying them, making them, selling them, displaying them, preserving them – or be a living status. See some possibilities here.

• https://www.theartcareerproject.com/careers/sculpture/
• https://work.chron.com/careers-art-majors-7336.html
• https://study.com/articles/Sculpture_Artist_Information_for_Sculpture_Art_Students_Starting_a_Career_in_Sculpting.html
• https://careerplanet.co.za/careers-listing/living-statue/

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Swimming in Information

People have been swimming even since they needed to cross water, and animals have been swimming for millions of years before then. Swimming isn’t just a matter of necessity; it is also a sport. Plunge into this life skill and recreation in these activities.

CONNECT:

• Swimming has been enjoyed as early as by the ancient Egyptians in the Nile. How did it become an Olympic sport? Dip into the facts at https://www.olympicchannel.com/en/stories/news/detail/the-history-of-olympic-swimming/
• Speaking of history, how did swimming strokes originate? You can look at cave paintings, but this website is more convenient to find out: https://www.livestrong.com/article/347359-history-of-swimming-strokes/
• Swimming is applied physics as you can see at https://www.real-world-physics-problems.com/physics-of-swimming.html
• Can all mammals swim? No. Which can – and can’t? Read about the strange experiments to find out: http://www.bbc.com/earth/story/20170320-the-cruel-experiments-that-revealed-most-mammals-can-swim

CREATE:

• Enjoy the last days of summer with the fun pool games for kids: https://www.activekids.com/parenting-and-family/articles/10-fun-pool-games-for-kids
• Sink or swim? Find out with this hands-on water activity: https://www.cbc.ca/parents/play/view/sink-or-swim-water-activity
• Make your own pool / water toys by following the directions at https://www.craftfoxes.com/blog/6-great-diy-pool-toys-for-kids-and-adults
• Here are 31 ideas to help you throw an epic pool party (even if you just have sprinklers): http://redtri.com/summer-splash-pool-party-ideas/

CARE:

• Watch the minions show you swim safety at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iNO18rEMR1o
• Pools are fun but they can be dangerous too. Feel safe around pools by following these rules: https://www.swimmingpool.com/pool-living/pool-safety/safety-for-kids
• What about outdoor water safety? Here are some times based on the type of water: https://kidshealth.org/en/parents/water-safety-outdoors.html
• Don’t toy with water toys; know their risks and what to do at https://www.royallifesaving.com.au/families/at-home/home-pool-safety/pool-toys-safety

CONNECT:

Yes, you can be a professional swimmer, but there are lots of other swimming-related jobs to choose from: lifeguard, swimming coach, camp counselor, marine biologist, physical therapist, sports doctor, pool manager or manufacturer, photographer, reporter. Hopefully, you are swimming with career ideas now.

https://www.goldfishswimschool.com/blog/2016/august/swimming-for-a-living-9-careers-for-kids-who-lov/

https://www.swimmingworldmagazine.com/news/swimming-find-a-job/

https://www.theodysseyonline.com/11-career-lessons-learned-from-competitive-swimming-career

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