Print, Print, Print, Print, Print....

Even in this digital age, lots of printing is done. Think of packaged foods, books, calendars, newspapers; what are some more examples? Printing has been around for literally thousands of years, and new methods continue to be invented. Maybe you will find a new way to print.

CONNECT:

• Printing is almost 2000 years old, invented by the Chinese. See the timeline at http://www.historyworld.net/wrldhis/PlainTextHistories.asp?groupid=1951&HistoryID=ab78&gtrack=pthc
• Find fascinating facts about Johannes Gutenberg, inventor of the Printing Press in 1440: http://www.ideafinder.com/history/inventors/gutenberg.htm
• Often the first thing you think of in terms of printing is the book. Watch how they are made: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nRKsW-oVcHg
• How is money made? Watch the experts at http://www.moneyfactory.gov/uscurrency/howmoneyismade.html
• Not all printmaking is the same. Look at nine basic types of printmaking: https://www.artsy.net/article/editorial-nine-types-of-printmaking-you-need-to
• What do stones, grease and water together make? Lithography. Watch the process at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JHw5_1Hopsc
• Usually we think of printing as a 2D process, but now there’s 3D printing. Look at this new dimension at https://www.kidscodecs.com/what-is-3d-printing/

CREATE:

• Usually we think of printing as a repetitive process, but you can make a unique print: a monoprint. Here are the directions: http://www.kinderart.com/printmaking/mono.shtml
• There are lots of things at home that you can print with. Try some of these projects (http://artfulparent.com/printmaking-ideas-kids) and invent your own printer tools.
• Use the sun as a printer; see how at http://www.pinkstripeysocks.com/2014/06/diy-sun-prints-with-construction-paper.html

CARE:

• Fingerprints can help solve crimes. Investigate from fingerprints to biometrics at https://www.fbi.gov/video-repository/newss-from-fingerprints-to-a-new-era-of-biometrics-1/view
• Printing counterfeit money is a crime. Why can’t you technically print money on your own color laser printer? Find out at http://www.pcworld.com/article/229647/counterfeit_money_on_color_laser_printers.html
• Here are 175 amazing ways that 3D printing is changing the world: https://3dforged.com/3d-printing/

CAREERS:

Is print big? See the evidence that it IS: http://www.printisbig.com/

See the range of careers in the printing industry at https://collegegrad.com/industries/printing

How Fasten-ating!

Pins, nails, paper clips, zippers, thread, tape, glue. What do all of these objects have in common? They fasten things together. Where would we be without fasteners? At loose ends….    Fasten your eyes on these activities about fasteners. You may find them fasten-ating/

CONNECT:

• See history as it is revealed through buttons: http://www.slate.com/articles/life/design/2012/06/button_history_a_visual_tour_of_button_design_through_the_ages_.html
• Nails are over 5000 years old! Screws are about half that age. Read about the history of buidling fasteners at http://www.constructionmagnet.com/rural-builder/the-history-and-evolution-of-building-fasteners
• How does a zipper work? The secret is in the use of a wedge, one of the 6 basic machines. Read the explanation at http://mocomi.com/how-does-a-zipper-work/, and watch how a zipper works at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WEf28mF4DoY
• Watch how paper clips are manufactured at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xrGU9nZlBVY
• What do plant burrs have to do with fasteners? They inspired Velcro. Trace Velcro’s history at http://hookandloop.com/invention-velcro-brand/
• What’s the Scotch in Scotch tape? How was it invented? Here’s the story: http://www.todayifoundout.com/index.php/2014/12/scotch-tape-invented-scottish/

CREATE:

• Make your own glue and paste for craft projects; you can even color it. Just follow the directions at http://www.familyeducation.com/fun/art-supplies/homemade-glue-and-paste-recipes
• How can a candy wrapper act as a fastener? When it links to other candy wrapper. Try making this Starburst wrapper bracelet: http://fluffyland.com/blog/index.php/starburst-wrapper-bracelet-tutorial/ (tip: you can use lots of different kinds of wrappers, including gum wrappers or money….)
• Here are 24 fun things to make with buttons: http://www.tipjunkie.com/post/make-button/
• Make a tool belt – for yourself or a favorite tool user: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h91Spv4oGyk

CARE:

• Fine motor skills are essential in using lots of tools, from pencils to computers – and even helping them learn to read. Knowing how to use a zipper can help a child learn and practice fine motor skills. The following article helps parents teach their little ones the wonders of zippers: http://www.ilslearning.com/2015-03-zip-it-use-early-fine-motor-development-skill-reading-writing-brain/
• Having a screw loose can be dangerous. You also need to be careful using a screwdriver. See these safety rules: https://www.unr.edu/Documents/research/ehs/occupational-safety/machine-shop/ScrewdriverSafetyRules.pdf
• Knots are really handy at home, for sports, in medicine, and for rescues. Learn abuot the basics of knots, how to make them, and when to use them: http://www.animatedknots.com
• “A stitch in time saves nine.” Repairing clothing, such as reattaching a button or stitching up a rip, keeps your clothes wearable for a longer time. Watch how to do simple repairs at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6DDipUdm37o
  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ySlHtsFauVQ
  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MjmUaWkzF-I  

 
CAREERS:

Fastening things together: that’s the heart of manufacturing. And part of manufcturing is producing the fasteners themselves (as the paper clip video illustrated). Think of all the jobs that require fastening: the clothing industry, jewelry making, carpentry and construction, welding, surgery, and of course inventing. Here are a few of those fasten-ating careers.

• Manufacturing: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vJxNEhd_IAg
• Interview with an architect: https://plus.maths.org/content/os/issue26/interview/index
• So you want to be a surgeon: https://www.facs.org/education/resources/residency-search
• Careers in construction: http://www.careersinconstruction.ca/en/careers
• Fashion and textile careers: http://creativeskillset.org/creative_industries/fashion_and_textiles/job_roles

I Spy with my LIttle Eye

Spies! They continue to serve as information gatherers and dispensers, regardless of the side for which they work. They can sound glamorous, sinister, heroic, or criminal. The following activities spy into their activities.

CONNECT:

• What is the Central Intelligence Agency, and what do they do? https://www.cia.gov/kids-page/index.html includes a history of intelligence work, the CIA World Factbook, and even friendly aerial reconnaissance pigeons.
• Spies played important roles in the American Revolutoin. Uncover their secrets at http://www.ducksters.com/history/american_revolution/spies.php
• Harriet Tubman was a spy for the Union during Civil War, and helpd slaves escaped to freedom. Read about this remarkable woman at http://kids.nationalgeographic.com/explore/history/harriet-tubman/#harriet_lg.jpg
• Here is a list of great books to tween spies: http://www.criminalelement.com/blogs/2012/12/eight-great-books-for-your-tween-spy-f-t-bradley-middle-grade-young-adult-fiction

CREATE:

• Create a message using http://www.thunk.com/
• Learn how to be a spy kid at http://www.wikihow.com/Be-a-Spy-Kid
• Imagine being an undercover agent. The sources are there for you at http://www.topspysecrets.com/
• Investigate the spy museum virtually at http://www.spymuseum.org/education-programs/kids-families/kidspy-zone/
• Try some of these activities for kids who like to play spy:  http://amomwithalessonplan.com/spy-activities-for-kids/
• Plan a spy-themed party using the ideas at https://mysteryfactory.com/kids-party-games/

CARE:

• All youth need a sense of privacy; here are some tips: http://www.parenting.com/article/a-childs-need-for-privacy
• Here are some tips on protecting a child’s privacy online: https://www.commonsensemedia.org/privacy-and-internet-safety/how-do-i-protect-my-kids-privacy-online
• Here’s the government perspect on children’s privacy: https://kids.usa.gov/about-us/privacy/index.shtml
• Know aobut Internet safety: http://kidshealth.org/en/parents/net-safety.html

CAREERS:

Like to sleuth and uncover information? There’s a career for you. Here are some career avenues to investigate.

https://archives.fbi.gov/archives/fun-games/kids/kids-investigate

https://www.cia.gov/kids-page

http://www.kidzworld.com/article/7261-becoming-a-secret-agent

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

GIve a Big Hand for Hands

Aren’t hands amazing? They move in so many ways, and have so many uses. They certainly come in handy, as these activities show.

CONNECT:

• What are hands made of? Bones, joints, ligaments, tendons, muscles, nerves, and blood vessels. See each of them at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zyl6eoU-3Rg
• How does the hand work? Read the details at http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK279362/
• Did you know that your hand can be used to understand math beyond just counting your fingers? Discover how your hand demonstrates the Divine Proportion and other math concepts at http://www.goldennumber.net/human-hand-foot/
• Create a trivia game based on these fun facts about hands: http://www.eatonhand.com/hw/facts.htm

CREATE:

• Try some of these hands-on crafts for kids: http://www.craftsforkids.com/
• Hands are the main way that we use the sense of touch. This website on the senses includes many experiments and activities in which the participant is blindfolded in order to heighten the sense of touch: http://faculty.washington.edu/chudler/chsense.html
• Think drawing a hand is just drawing a circle and 5 lines? There is so much more! Look at the possibilities at http://design.tutsplus.com/tutorials/human-anatomy-fundamentals-how-to-draw-hands--cms-21440
• What kind of fingerprint are you? Try this experiment: https://www.nsta.org/sciencematters/docs/Shippensburg-FingerPrinting2.pdf

CARE:

• Show your care of the environment by making crafts from recycled materials: http://www.handsoncrafts.org/
• No matter how old you are or what you do for a living, you are always using your hands. When there is something wrong with them, you may not be able to do your regular activities. Find out about possible hand problems and how to prevent or deal with them at  https://medlineplus.gov/handinjuriesanddisorders.html
• Choosing the right pair of gloves or mittens for snow sports can be the difference between a fun-filled, comfortable outing and a miserable trip with frigid fingers. Learn the details at https://www.rei.com/learn/expert-advice/snow-gloves-and-mittens--how-to-choose.html
• And if you have ink on your hands (say you did fingerprint experiments), be crafty, and make something for a friend: http://www.triciagoyer.com/15-fingerprint-crafts/

CAREERS:

Do you like to work with your hands? Almost all jobs use hands, but some jobs specialize in hands: hand care specialists, health professionals hand models, clothiers, forensics.

• Here are top jobs for hands-on workers: http://www.insidejobs.com/blog/top-jobs-for-hands-on-workers
• Communicate with your hands as a sign language interpreter: http://www.deafwebsites.com/sign-language/career-sign-language-interpreter.html
• Watch how detectives use fingerprints at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7ohDwGPeqgE

Go Fish!

The kingdom of the sea is the realm of fish. Consider your pet goldfish as a land visitor. Fish for these fun activities.

CONNECT:

• Do fish sleep? Do fish breathe air? Can fish swim backwards? Here’s a bouillabaisse of fish FAQs: http://www.nefsc.noaa.gov/faq/
• Experience an aquarium online in real time at http://www.waikikiaquarium.org/experience/webcam/
• At the bottom of the ocean where does light come from? Fish make their own light: bioluminescence. Shed some light on these DEEP water animals at http://ocean.si.edu/bioluminescence
• Seahorses aren’t horses. Sea horse dads give birth to their babies. What else makes seahorses special? Round up details about seahorses at http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/seahorse/

 

CREATE:

• Create a trivia fact game using the information from Shark Sider: http://www.sharksider.com/shark-facts/
• Try your hand at tying fishing knots by following the directions at http://www.fishingcairns.com.au/page6-1.html
• Learn how to fish in 9 easy steps: http://www.mykidsadventures.com/how-to-fish/
• Ever hear of folding fish? Try create origami fish by following the directions at http://www.origami-resource-center.com/origami-fish.html

CARE:

• Learn how to make an aquarium and take care of your pet fish by consulting http://www.tetra-fish.com/Splash.aspx
• Take care of your aquarium too; http://www.aquariumcarebasics.com/
• Use this web tool to diagnose your pet fish’s health: http://www.fishyportal.com/diag/
• Over 50 species of fish are threatened or endangered in the U.S. Leran how to help them keep around at https://www.fws.gov/endangered/. Type “fish” in the species search box to identify your favorite finny friend.

CAREERS:

Fishing for a good career? Your future may look watery – but fun!

• Consider volunteering for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service: https://www.fws.gov/refuges/about/youth.html
• Meet an oceanographer: http://oceanexplorer.noaa.gov/edu/oceanage/05auster/welcome.html
• See the range of jobs in the fishing industry: http://www.fishingindustryjobs.com/fishing-index.asp

Island Life

“No man is an island,” but there are many islands for humans. And life on islands can be very rich. Bring the family together for these island activities; you won’t be alone in having fun.

CONNECT:

• President Obama is a Hawaiian native, as are several other famous people. Read about them at http://www.atozkidsstuff.com/hawaii.html
• An island can be a good place for criminals because it is hard to escape. Here are ten prison islands that are now tourist attractions: https://weather.com/travel/news/paradise-prison-islands-photos-20140725#/1
• What’s the biggest island in the world? Greenland! Read about its geography, climate, and Northern Lights: http://www.geographia.com/denmark/greenland.html
• Easter Island has long been the subject of curiosity. How and why did its inhabitants carve and transport the massive statues which surround the island? What lessons can we learn from their legacy? Dig out the facts at http://www.sciencekids.co.nz/sciencefacts/earth/easterisland.html
• Read about the mermaid of the Orkney Islands: http://www.orkneyjar.com/folklore/finfolk/mermaid.htm

CREATE:

• Create a trivia fact game about islands using facts found at https://www.nps.gov/findapark/index.htm.  Type in “island” in the search bar, and you’ll find over a dozen islland national monuments and parks.
• Have an island party, and make your own snacks; even preschoolers can get cookin’: http://motherhood.modernmom.com/island-party-theme-snacks-children-can-make-themselves-16591.html
• Play a game about Oceania islands: http://www.sheppardsoftware.com/Oceania_GL_click.html
• Enjoy fun Hawaiian luau games: http://www.polynesia.com/luau-games.html#.V4G8VTVF1_Q

CARE:

• Where did your family immigrate from? It’s likely they arrived at Ellis Island or Angel Island Dig into your family history at http://www.libertyellisfoundation.org/genealogy/index.asp and http://www.aiisf.org/
• Did you know that foxes live on islands? Read about this diminutive and increasingly rare native of the Channel Islands. Learn about factors contributing to the decline of the island fox, and find out what you can do to help – at https://www.nps.gov/chis/learn/nature/island-fox.htm
• Did you ever read the book Misty of Chincoteague? The legend is that ponies swam to this island from a Spanish Vessel which had capsized off the coast, around 1600. Find out about these hardy pones, and help maintain them: http://www.mistyofchincoteague.org/

CAREERS:

What kinds of jobs might you have if you live on an island? Fishing, tourism, park ranger, naturalist, marine biologist, transportation.

http://www.nomadicmatt.com/travel-blogs/whats-it-like-to-actually-work-on-a-cruise-ship/

http://www.parkrangeredu.org/

http://www.academicinvest.com/science-careers/forestry-careers/how-to-become-a-park-and-wildlife-naturalist

http://www.fishingindustryjobs.com/fishing-index.asp

http://www.marinecareers.net/