Amuse Yourself with Theme Parks

Theme parks offer lots of fun: with attractions, rides and games. Enjoy theme virtually here.

CONNECT:

• Theme parks began to appear as early as 1550 in Europe. Trace this theme park timeline: http://www.napha.org/LIBRARYRESOURCES/FactsFigures/GreatMoments/tabid/69/Default.aspx  This website has other resources about historic aspects of amusement parks.
• Disney parks have changed over the years, but this website http://www.yesterland.com/ has preserved information about discontinued Disney attractions.
• Europe helps preserve their traditional buildings and ways of life through open air folk museums; see some of them virtually at https://www.ricksteves.com/watch-read-listen/read/articles/europes-folk-museums
• Europe also has fascinating sculpture parks: https://www.theguardian.com/travel/2016/sep/05/10-best-sculpture-parks-europe
• Did you know that the word “carousel” originally meant “little war”? Find out the reason for that connotation, and how carousels have developed over the centuries: at http://www.carouselmuseum.com/history.html

CREATE:

• What are are the forces behind theme park fun? Explore at http://www.learner.org/interactives/parkphysics/
• Want to design your own thrilling coaster? Use this simulator to create one: http://www.funderstanding.com/educators/coaster/
• Enjoy “My Fantastic Park” virtually: http://www.myfantasticpark.com/
• Want to create your own amusement park? Here’s how: http://www.wikihow.com/Start-an-Amusement-Park
• Create a “trivia” game using these little known factors about theme parks: http://www.iaapa.org/resources/by-park-type/amusement-parks-and-attractions/trivia

CARE:

• It’s not fun when you have an accident, even in a theme park. The following website http://www.rideaccidents.com/ lists amusement ride accidents so you can be aware of the risks associated with amusement rides – and are more willing to follow warning and procedures.
• Learn how to keep yourself and your family safe when you visit amusement parks and carnivals: see http://www.saferparks.org/
• Want to get more active in theme parks, especially roller coasters? Join an enthusiast club: http://www.themeparkcity.com/itps/L_enthusiast.htm
• Theme parks also give back to their communities, such as Disney Voluntears: https://publicaffairs.disneyland.com/voluntears/. Some theme parks also support community volunteers – check out the local opportunities.

CAREERS:

Like people? Art? Construction? Food? Finance? Architecture? Engineering? Acting? Music? Like working outside – or inside? There’s a job for you in the theme/amusement part industry sector.

http://www.reluctantgourmet.com/hospitality-theme-park-careers/

http://www.collegexpress.com/articles-and-advice/career-search/blog/somebody-does-theme-entertainment-design/

http://www.insidethemagic.net/2010/04/want-to-be-a-theme-park-designer-disney-imagineer-and-universal-creative-experts-offer-advice/

Let There Be Light

We live in the light, and live because of light. We also make light. From caveman fire to LEDs, humans have created artificial light. The following websites shed light on these technologies.

CONNECT:

• 2015 was the International Year of Light; explore aspects of that focus at http://www.light2015.org/Home/HandsOnInvolvement/Kids-and-Optics.html
• Get the facts about traffic lights: http://mocomi.com/facts-about-traffic-lights/
• Light bulbs are not created equally. What are the different types of light bulbs – and how are they used? Find out at http://www.hgtv.com/design/decorating/design-101/light-bulbs-know-the-different-types
• Explore the science of visual illusions at https://faculty.washington.edu/chudler/chvision.html

CREATE:

• These experiments help you understand the physics of light; impress your friends with your new ability to manipulate light and color using nothing but a few gumballs and a shoebox: http://www.optics4kids.org/home/content/classroom-activities/
• Turn on the lights and discover the science subject of light for kids with our cool range of experiments, free games, science fair projects, fun facts, interesting quizzes, videos and more! http://www.sciencekids.co.nz/light.html
• Try these light science “snacks” at https://www.exploratorium.edu/snacks/subject/light
• Build your own light bulb at http://thekidshouldseethis.com/post/19783357736

CARE:

• Watch this video to see ways to conserve light: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3OEU1oAEIIE
• Play these light saving games: http://kidsenergyzone.com/games/activitiesdetail63.cfm?activityid=8
• See how soda bottles bring light to developing countries: Li https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o-Fpsw_yYPg&context=C471073aADvjVQa1PpcFPuD_FyHIflhu3QwP3_77YHLeST6AK4VS8=
• Can lights be intelligent? Find out the answer at http://futurecity.glasgow.gov.uk/intelligent-street-lighting/

CAREERS:

Time to shine a light on possible careers: science, manufacturing, construction, interior designing, theater, technician.  Here are some options:

http://www.sciencemag.org/careers/2004/10/seeing-light

http://freshome.com/2014/10/13/10-things-you-should-know-about-becoming-an-interior-designer/

http://www.allaboutcareers.com/careers/job-profile/lighting-technician-broadcasting-film

http://www.bls.gov/ooh/construction-and-extraction/electricians.htm

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The Mail Must Go Through

Even in the digital age, people around the world send and receive mail. Find out its history and current activities.

CONNECT:

• See the first postage stamp in the world (issued in 1840) and other expensive stamps at http://www.2-clicks-stamps.com/article/rare-postage-stamps.html
• Scented postage stamps? Stamps made from fabric? Glow in the dark stamps? Look at these unusual stamps from around the world: http://www.darkroastedblend.com/2010/05/peculiar-postage-unusual-stamps-from.html
• See the US postal service at work: http://thekidshouldseethis.com/post/united-states-postal-service-systems-at-work
• This site tells the story of Miss Clara Breed, a librarian who used the mail to keep in close contact with the Japanese American students who were taken to the internment camps. Includes transcripts of 17 letters, photos, and information on post offices in the camps: http://www.smithsonianeducation.org/educators/lesson_plans/japanese_internment/stamps
• How are stamps designed? Watch the process at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KETwb4MLKVI
• Explore 10 interesting facts about the short-lived pony express mail service that helped transform the American West: http://www.history.com/news/history-lists/10-things-you-may-not-know-about-the-pony-express

CREATE:

• Explore these education kits from the US Postal Service: https://about.usps.com/corporate-social-responsibility/education-kits.htm
• Stamp collecting helps instruct the collector in geography, biography, history, culture and art. Stamps are miniature gateways to the world. See that world at http://arago.si.edu/category_2027477.html
• The Postal Service welcomes written suggestions for stamp subjects that help portray the diversity of the American experience for a worldwide audience. Submit your idea following the directions at https://about.usps.com/who-we-are/csac/process.htm

CARE:

• Send free online greetings and gifts that support wildlife and the environment: http://www.e-cards.com/
• In the past, children could be mailed. Read about some of these real-life deliveries: http://postalmuseumblog.si.edu/2013/02/very-special-deliveries.html
• Join the National Postal Museum in creating a comprehensive history of America’s post and people: http://memorybook.si.edu/

CAREERS:

Mail service is an important communications career. Here are some details.

http://www.federaljobs.net/psclerks.htm

http://www.bls.gov/ooh/office-and-administrative-support/postal-service-workers.htm

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