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Elementary Aged

Sounds of the Mountains Storytelling Festival, Dolly Parton, and More Available Online

2020-04-04T22:16:22-06:00

Hey, everyone! I hope everyone is staying at home and healthy. I wanted to share some exciting news! Instead of canceling the Sounds of the Mountains Storytelling Festival this year, the organizers and storytellers have opted to offer it virtually, free, and forever!! In fact, I am listening to a great story as I write this blog! Please check it out. There is little in life that can beat a great storyteller. www.SoundsoftheMountains.org Dolly Parton has also joined the ranks of those offering activities for children during our time of shelter in place. She is reading stories on Thursday evenings for [...]

Sounds of the Mountains Storytelling Festival, Dolly Parton, and More Available Online2020-04-04T22:16:22-06:00

Online Resources for Home-bound #3

2020-03-29T00:07:17-06:00

Hello again!  I hope this post finds everyone staying at home and safe. It's amazing how much can be found on the internet to keep a person entertained and learning while we're hanging out at home.  I'm taking classes on all kinds of subjects from several different sites myself these days.  I'm almost finished with all the courses on Code.org.  That site is like playing a game all day!  I'm reviewing my math skills on Alison (Alison.com).  I've started coding on FreeCodeCamp (https://www.freecodecamp.org/learn/), and I am excited to say that I am finally working on earning NASA Badges (https://www.txstate-epdc.net/).  I'm not [...]

Online Resources for Home-bound #32020-03-29T00:07:17-06:00

Online Resources for Homebound Families #2

2020-03-26T00:58:44-06:00

Here is my next list of resources for folks staying home for health and safety  In this list I have collected some virtual tours of museums and zoos, and sites that offer collections of books that are free to read. (I'll be searching for graphic novels and comic books next.) If you find a broken link, please let me know so that I can correct it. If there is a subject or resource that you'd like me to look for, please let me know.  I want to do whatever I can to help folks. Virtual Trips to the Zoo Atlanta Zoo [...]

Online Resources for Homebound Families #22020-03-26T00:58:44-06:00

On-line Resources for Homebound Families #1

2020-03-22T17:21:41-06:00

I, like the rest of the country, am at home these days.  Fortunately for me, I have always been good at keeping myself entertained.  Today though, many kids aren't as good at that as in generations past.  Anyone in my childhood household who said the word 'bored' would get such a long list of chores to do from my mother that the word would never pass through those lips again. In an attempt to help out families everywhere who are in a situation they never imagined could happen, I have been scouring the internet.  I have several goals in mind.  The [...]

On-line Resources for Homebound Families #12020-03-22T17:21:41-06:00

February is Feed the Birds Month!

2020-02-18T19:52:37-07:00

On February 23, 1994, February was declared 'National Bird Feeding Month' by Congress. If you want to narrow things down to one day, February 3 is 'Feed the Birds Day.' February is one of the hardest months of the year for many animals in North America, especially those who depend on seeds and plants for food. That would make it the perfect time to start a new hobby - bird watching!  According to the U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service, over 45 million people in the country participate in bird watching at home and at work.  It doesn't require special skills [...]

February is Feed the Birds Month!2020-02-18T19:52:37-07:00

STEAM Engines: falling for you

2019-11-30T20:03:57-07:00

As it often does in the Midwest, the fall began in all its resplendence - sun shining through the foliage, colors changing majestically, a cozy crispness in the air. And then it snowed. A lot. And it stuck, leaving us incongruously with deep snow and trees full of not-quite-changed leaves. It was amazing to look at, a reminder that wonder exists in the unexpected. My kids and I spent Halloween afternoon tromping down streets arched with heavy snow-dr enched branches, dodging puddles, and throwing snowballs. I was marveling at the spectacle, when it occurred to me that every year I look [...]

STEAM Engines: falling for you2019-11-30T20:03:57-07:00

Vermicomposting

2019-11-19T07:58:15-07:00

November programs at Skokie Public Library focused on food in a variety of ways. On Mondays, we provided an International Snack Cart showcasing local restaurants and continued our Be the Chef workshop series. To align with this theme, Be the Scientist, a hands-on STEAM program for grades 3-5, featured vermicomposting this month. Here’s what we did. Program supplies We purchased shoe-box sized plastic bins and limited the program to 12 participants. The boxes were prepared in advance of the program as this required cutting a 2in x 2in opening in the top and then affixing netting wit a hot [...]

Vermicomposting2019-11-19T07:58:15-07:00

Mercury is on the Main Stage Monday!

2019-11-08T17:47:08-07:00

There is going to be a special event this coming Monday.  The planet Mercury will be passing between the Sun and the Earth.  It's called a Mercury Transit, and it is a rare occurrence.  The next time such an event will be visible from the United States will be 2049.  There will be one in 2032 and another in 2039, but they won't be visible to anyone in North America. A Mercury Transit is when the planet Mercury passes between the Earth and the Sun.  Unlike an eclipse, which is visible to the human eye, anyone who wants to watch the [...]

Mercury is on the Main Stage Monday!2019-11-08T17:47:08-07:00

Art Magic With Markers

2019-10-04T12:10:07-06:00

I've had the opportunity lately to do something that I haven't been able to do in a very long time - ART! There are few things as much fun as taking brilliant colors mixing them on paper to create wonderful things.  It is important for children to have the opportunity to just play with color, and discover the the wonder of it while learning how color works and blends.  That is the very best way to learn color theory. These days there are a multitude of resources available with which to play with color.  I've come across some great ones recently, [...]

Art Magic With Markers2019-10-04T12:10:07-06:00

Robotics With Cubelets

2019-10-03T18:32:04-06:00

  Over the last year or so, I've done a number of programs using Cubelets.  For anyone unfamiliar with them, they are cube-shaped modules that connect to one another magnetically to create 'robots.'  Each module has a single function.  There's a power Cube, that contains the rechargeable battery, and the On/Off switch.  The rest are divided into ' Sense Cubes,' 'Think Cubes,' and 'Act Cubes.' The Sense Cubes in the kit I have access to are modules that have light sensors, and distance (proximity) sensors.  The Power Cube is also the processor for the robot.  The action cubes include cubes with [...]

Robotics With Cubelets2019-10-03T18:32:04-06:00
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