Online Programs/Resources
Dav Pilkey’s Reading Gives You Superpowers Week! We’re celebrating Reading Gives You Superpowers Week March 22nd – 26th! Five days to emphasize why reading is not only critical bust just as importantly—reading is fun! Join Dav Pilkey for a special event and a week of free activities!
Create Comics With Dav Pilkey
Global Classroom Event
March 22 – 1:00 pm ET
Join author and illustrator Dav Pilkey and a team of teachers for a free event that will spark readers’ imagination! Together, kids from around the world will create their own comic inspired by Dog Man, Cat Kid Comic Club, and Captain Underpants!
Register here!
The free activity planner includes a comic book story starter, idea prompts, a Dog Man Mothering Heights Readers’ Theater activity, and more!
Download here!
For More Free Activities, Check Out Dav Pilkey at Home!
Have fun and get creative at home with characters from Dog Man, Cat Kid Comic Club, Captain Underpants, and the Dragon series! Learn how to draw your favorite characters, create your own comic, download a Zoom background, and so much more!
Check out all of the fun, free activities here.
A Fireside Chat with John Sandford will be on Wednesday, April 14th at 7:00 PM.
John Sandford is the author of twenty-nine Prey novels; four Kidd novels; twelve Virgil Flowers novels; three YA novels co-authored with his wife, Michele Cook, and three other books. The next book in his Prey series, Ocean Prey, will be released on April 13th, so this is great timing! G. P. Putnam’s Sons is thrilled to publish this latest installment.
This will be an online Zoom Webinar. If you have any questions for John, please send them to the library at elmwoodlib@gmail.com by April 1st and we will forward them to John's publicist. To register, please let the library know your name and email address by April 1st. You may email it to us at elmwoodlib@gmail.com or call the library at 309-742-2431.
We are extremely excited to bring this program to you!
10 Warning Signs of Alzheimer’s & 10 Warning Signs of Elder Abuse
An education program presented by the Alzheimer’s Association©
Alzheimer's and other dementias cause memory, thinking and behavior problems that interfere with daily living. Join us to learn how to recognize common signs of the disease; how to approach someone about memory concerns; the importance of early detection and benefits of a diagnosis; possible tests and assessments for the diagnostic process, and Alzheimer's Association resources. Followed by, Western Illinois Regional Council-Victim Services Preventionist, Deborah Collins talking about 10 Warning Signs of Elder Abuse 10 Warning Signs of Alzheimer’s & 10 Warning Signs of Elder Abuse Registration https://www.communityresourcefinder.org/Resour ceView/Index?id=2134121&profileDefinitionId=93 24/7 HELPline 800.272.3900
Understanding Alzheimer’s & Dementia & Practical Tips for Faith Communities
An education program presented by the Alzheimer’s Association©
Alzheimer's disease is not a normal part of aging. Join us to learn about the impact of Alzheimer's; the difference between Alzheimer's and dementia; stages and risk factors; current research and treatments available for some symptoms; and Alzheimer's Association resources. Followed by, Faith-Based Communities face unique challenges when helping families who are living with Dementia. This program will have bonus content to provide practical tips that will improve your service and outreach. You will learn how to raise awareness on this issue with a small amount of effort, how to recruit more volunteers to help families in need, and how simple changes can have the most impact for your congregation. We hope you join us because Alzheimer’s Disease affects everyone!
View this program online, anytime through March 26, 2021
To Watch 24/7, Click: http://bit.ly/3aUeUDL
GLOBE Observer Citizen Science Public Training
NASA Video: October Skywatching Tips
What to look for: October will give us a second full Moon on October 31st (Halloween) – a Blue Moon. Also, look for Mars any time of the night, Venus before dawn, and go intergalactic with Andromeda!
Watch the Video and More
Below is a set of resources that you may watch.
Activity: Water Pollution Clean Up
Civil engineers are very concerned about water quality. They devise systems for taking water from rivers, underground reservoirs, and even the ocean to provide water for drinking, irrigation, and flushing toilets. They also figure out how to clean the water after it’s been used so people and animals downstream have safe water to drink and use.
Learn how to design a water filter to remove pollutants. Watch Video >>
View/Download This Activity
Video: Water Wishes - Engineering for Those in Need
This video demonstrates how engineers can improve the lives of those in need. This short video highlights the work of Engineers Without Borders USA. Take a look at the work they are doing in Peru to provide community access to drinkable water.
Watch the Video
Digital App: Fly to Mars
We can only send spacecraft to Mars every two years. Have you ever wondered why? This simple simulation lets you launch a spacecraft from Earth to Mars. All you have to do is decide when to launch and we take care of the amount and direction of thrust. Easy, right?
Available on smartphones and tablets!
Download the Digital App
Play the Game on the Web
Use these featured resources to faciliate hands-on STEAM activities (using common household materials) for your patrons at home.
Virtual Program: Stellarium
Stellarium is a free and open source online planetarium that can be used for virtual night sky programs. It shows a realistic sky in 3D, just like what you see with the naked eye, binoculars or a telescope.
View This Virtual Program
Let NASA bring the universe into your home.
Podcast: Rendezvous with Mars
“Houston We Have a Podcast” is the official podcast of the NASA Johnson Space Center from Houston, Texas, home for NASA’s astronauts and Mission Control Center.
In this episode (151), Patrick Chai, aerospace engineer at NASA’s Langley Research Center in Virginia, covers the challenges and needs for getting humans to Mars and the options for propulsion, duration, time, and staging.
Listen to the Podcast
The STAR Library Network (STAR Net) is a hands-on learning network for libraries and their communities across the country. STAR Net focuses on helping library professionals build their STEM skills by providing “science-technology activities and resources” (STAR) and training to use those resources.
STAR Net is built upon a strong network of collaborators and partners, led by the Space Science Institute’s (SSI) National Center for Interactive Learning (NCIL). Partners include the American Library Association’s Public Programs Office, Collaborative Summer Library Program, Chief Officers of State Library Agencies, Lunar and Planetary Institute, Education Development Center, Twin Cities PBS (TPT), Institute for Learning Innovation (ILI), University of Colorado, University of Virginia, Urban Libraries Council, American Society of Civil Engineers, and Cornerstones of Science. Funding is provided by the National Science Foundation, NASA Science Mission Directorate, and the Institute of Museum and Library Services.
Find us online! Click any of the above images to link
to follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Pinterest.
Women and the Vote: Happenings at Hull-House
As we celebrate the 100th anniversary of the official certification of the ratification of the 19th Amendment, the Jane Addams Hull-House Museum is partnering with RAILS and four Illinois libraries to pilot a new virtual suite of exhibits and programs commemorating the history of women’s activism and its evolution today, including women of color and queer communities.
For more details about this partnership and the resulting online experiences, read the press release or visit the Hull-House website.
More related links to the suffrage exhibits.
Join this online event on November 17, from 6–8 p.m. This session will focus on three significant Chicago-based women activists who were connected in their reform work but who encountered difficulties in finding common ground.
In case anyone is thinking about making their own masks:
https://youtu.be/hFLIhGYDQA4
The STAR Library Network (STAR Net) is a hands-on learning network for libraries and their communities across the country. STAR Net focuses on helping library professionals build their STEM skills by providing “science-technology activities and resources” (STAR) and training to use those resources. Plus, engage public audiences nationwide in informal and lifelong learning with the excitement of exploration and discovery through STAR Net's NASA@ My Library program!
STAR Net is built upon a strong network of collaborators and partners, led by the Space Science Institute’s (SSI) National Center for Interactive Learning (NCIL). Partners include the American Library Association’s Public Programs Office, Collaborative Summer Library Program, Chief officers of State Library Agencies, Lunar and Planetary Institute, Afterschool Alliance, Education Development Center, American Society of Civil Engineers, and Cornerstones of Science. Major funding is provided by the National Science Foundation, NASA Science Mission Directorate, the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation, and the Institute of Museum and Library Services.
Smithsonian Online Puzzles
All of these images are freely available through our Image Gallery, Digital Library or Biodiversity Heritage Library. Feel free to explore, download other images and maybe make your own boredom buster!
“The Lilac” from Eugene Grasset’s La plante et ses applications ornementales (1896).
A stunner of a book, Grasset’s design patterns focus on plants and flowers. It was intended to promote the Art Nouveau style.
Play online: jigex.com/CsBd
“The Lilac” from Eugene Grasset’s La plante et ses applications ornementales (1896).“The Koodoo” from Samuel Daniell’s African Scenery and Animals, 1804-05.
The kudu is a type of spiral-horned antelope. It’s one of many species (some now extinct) featured in African scenery and animals (1804-05), available in the Biodiversity Heritage Library. These hand-colored aquatint plates present artwork by Samuel Daniell, produced during an expedition to Africa at the end of the eighteenth century.
Play online: https://jigex.com/HzPd
“The Koodoo” from Samuel Daniell’s African Scenery and Animals, 1804-05.“Pour rêver un peu” from La guirlande, fasc (1919).
The title of this illustration says it all – “To dream a little”. It was published in 1919 in the French literary and art journal, La guirlande. The publication’s art director was Italian artist Umberto Brunelleschi, known for his book and fashion illustrations.
Play online: https://jigex.com/6N8V
“Pour rêver un peu” from La guirlande, fasc (1919).Cover from Aéroplane captif (1909).
Aéroplane captif is one of hundreds of pieces of aeronautical-themed sheet music collected by Bella C. Landauer (1874–1960). Landauer took an interest in aviation when her son became a pilot and scoured music shops to amass her collection. She’s one of many collectors featured in our exhibition, Magnificent Obessions: Why We Collect.
Play online: https://jigex.com/4E1R
Cover from Aéroplane captif (1909). Gift of Bella C. Landauer.“Smithsonian Institution, from the North East” from Robert Dale Owen’s Hints on public architecture . . . (1849).
This charming drawing of men and women strolling on the paths on the Mall in front of the Smithsonian Institution Building (The Castle) is from Robert Dale Owen’s 1849 publication, Hints on public architecture, containing, among other illustrations, views and plans of the Smithsonian institution. Owen was a Smithsonian regent and the head of the Building Committee. The exterior of the building wasn’t actually completed until 1851.
Play online: https://jigex.com/Vggy
“Smithsonian Institution, from the North East” from Robert Dale Owen’s Hints on public architecture . . . (1849).Front cover from John Lewis Childs’ New, rare & beautiful flowers, (1890).
John Lewis Childs was born on May 13, 1856. He acquired a few acres and set up his business as a seedsman and florist at age eighteen, after one year as a florist’s helper on Long Island. His operation was based in Floral Park, New York, which was often featured in his catalogs. The Smithsonian Libraries holds more than 10,000 seed and nursery catalogs dating from 1830 to the present.
Play online: https://jigex.com/6Bzy
Front cover from John Lewis Childs’ New, rare & beautiful flowers, (1890).Categories:Art and Design Biodiversity Heritage Library Collection Highlights Education and Outreach History and Culture
Links for Kids:
Annuity.org is a free financial web resource accredited by the Better Business Bureau who believe when students learn financial literacy at an early age, it helps them to make astute decisions about their personal finances, as smart financial behavior leads to financially secure lives. They've created a guide dedicated to children learning financial literacy:
https://www.annuity.org/financial-literacy/how-to-teach-kids-about-money/
Welcome to Miss Jamie's Farm
Miss Jamie's Farm is a popular music show for young kids and their families, sharing values from life down on the farm through songs both new and familiar. Sing, dance, laugh and learn with Miss Jamie and her farm puppet friends!
https://www.miss-jamie.com/
Continuing its Read-Along series for children and families nationwide during the pandemic, PBS Kids is teaming up with Little Free Libraries for a selection of free online readings by a variety of celebrities and public figures. In addition to reading a children’s book, each guest will designate a location for a new Little Free Library in the U.S., which will feature a collection of diverse books.
The program starts on June 29 at 12 p.m. ET with NBA legend Dwyane Wade reading his wife and actor Gabrielle Union’s children’s book, Welcome to the Party. Upcoming guests will include Camila Alves McConaughey, Tim Gunn, Carla Hall, Anthony Ramos, Marley Dias, Boris Kodjoe, Nicole Ari Parker and more.The series, which spotlights inclusive books and bilingual readings, will be livestreamed simultaneously on PBS Kids’ Facebook and YouTube channel and will remain available for later viewing. Accompanying literacy resources for each episode are available on pbskidsforparents.org.
www.bayut.com/mybayut/explore-dubai-culture/
praxent.com/blog/beginners-guide-to-coding-programming
constructiondisputes.com/construction-and-building-projects-and-activities-for-kids/
STEAM Videos:
https://go.illinois.edu/STEAMplaylist
STEAM Activity lesson plans:
https://go.illinois.edu/STEAMactivities
https://www.mackidsschoolandlibrary.com/tag/virtual-storytime/?utm_source=exacttarget&utm_medium=na&utm_term=slnewsletter-activitykits&utm_content=na-learnmore-announcement&utm_campaign=slsite&e=1c3499d5f9ccc27b164a8d695603600f358d772134d30b5ac886cbdb940736c4
https://www.canr.msu.edu/resources/heads-in-hearts-in-healthy-living-activities
http://www.curiousgeorge.com/curiosity-challenge
https://www.peoriariverfrontmuseum.org/plan-your-visit/virtual-museum
https://storytimefromspace.com/
https://www.penguinclassroom.com/
https://www.theatlantic.com/family/archive/2020/03/activities-kids-coronavirus-quarantine/608110/
17 Apps to Help Kids Stay FocuseApps That Act Like Math and Science Tutors for Homework Help
25 dance games (you might need to buy a special control from Amazon).
Apps, websites, and video games
https://www.harpercollins.com/childrens/harper-at-home/?
utm_source=Publishers+Weekly&utm_campaign=7f4deea3fb-Abrams+-+PWD+-+20170530_COPY_01&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_0bb2959cbb-7f4deea3fb-306845093
https://www.readbrightly.com/?
ref=PRH4FB919F7ADC0&linkid=PRH4FB919F7ADC0&cdi=23CF0FA8F3402BF3E0534FD66B0A902E&template_id=16097&aid=randohouseinc9840-20
https://freedomhomeschooling.com/virtual-field-trips/?
fbclid=IwAR3aXQjoxslMt1WPHofcQrD8q5oXC_vKWNTBVdapP9vQ_Z7tGIFcU-0022c
https://www.commonsensemedia.org/blog/free-online-events-activities-kids-at-home-coronavirus? j=7711684&sfmc_sub=170626408&l=2048712_HTML&u=143747069&mid=6409703&jb=891&utm_source=covid19_freeactivities_20200323&utm_medium=email
https://www.khanacademy.org/about/blog/post/611770255064350720/remote-learning-with-khan-academy-during-school
http://clearinghouse.starnetlibraries.org/astronomy-and-space/218-sky-heroes-an-activity-reinventing-the-constellations.html
https://kids.scholastic.com/kids/books/dav-pilkey-at-home/
https://www.tabletwise.com/class/category/free
https://www.nationalgeographic.com/family/at-home-education-resources
https://www.workman.com/company/resources-for-remote-learning
https://simonandschusterpublishing.com/readandlearn/
https://www.learnwithcrp.com/
https://www.charlesbridge.com/pages/remote-author-content
https://www.si.edu/sites/default/files/how-to-make-a-collagasaurus.pdf
https://pjlibrary.org/home
https://www.barbarabush.org/toolkit-for-at-home-learning/
https://www.dccomics.com/familynewsletter
https://www.scbwi.org/scbwi-connects/
https://www.readtogetherbetogether.com/
https://writeforkids.org/blog/2020/03/a-message-to-the-kidlit-writing-community/
https://tundrabooks.com/virtual-story-times-and-singalongs/
http://www.hogwartsishere.com/sign-up/?next=/library/
https://blog.library.si.edu/blog/2020/05/07/puzzles/#.Xt7QMUVKiUn
https://www.alastore.ala.org/sites/default/files/StayWellStayInspired.pdf
https://www.publishersweekly.com/pw/by-topic/industry-news/tip-sheet/article/83485-an-anti-racist-reading-list.html
https://action.alz.org/PersonifyEbusiness/Default.aspx?TabID=1357&productid=69717593&_ga=2.164819455.1991245800.1587061189-325887764.1584646532
https://www.laphamsquarterly.org/roundtable/viral-news
Free Educational Apps, Games, and WebsitesTop Time-Management Apps
tips for taking in rapidly changing news
meditation apps for kids and families
https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/hope-resilience/202003/how-talk-your-kids-about-covid-19
https://www.bookbyte.com/blog/productivity-tips-for-studying-from-home-during-the-coronavirus-pandemic?
utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=studyFromHomeTipsMAR2020
https://archive.org/details/nationalemergencylibrary
https://12bdea39-3149-40e1-5bcf-fbe26c4bed5b.filesusr.com/ugd/c18080_9b6fba0adf164ba4824496a1c9f1523a.pdf
https://www.maginationpressfamily.org/
https://www.dk.com/us/information/stay-home-hub/
https://www.mackin.com/hq/distance-learning-essentials/
https://starbrightbooks.com/blog/free-digital-access/
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC0MpwxxTbrBOz1g1X-BynUA
https://holidayhouse.com/holiday-house-resources/
Julie’s Library: Story Time with Julie Andrews
American Public Media
Listen on Apple Podcasts
Join beloved icon Julie Andrews for story time! Julie and her daughter, children’s author and educator Emma Walton Hamilton, invite you into their library to read their favorite children's books. Every story comes to life with sound, music and activities. Authors, kids and other special guests chime in, too! It’s a show that will inspire lively conversations and a lifelong love of reading. Produced by American Public Media.
https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/id1507980417
Michelle Obama Announces Storytimes with PRH and PBS Kids
https://www.facebook.com/PBSKIDS/
https://static.macmillan.com/static/macmillanchildrens/mackids-streaming-schoolhouse/
https://www.instagram.com/leilasalesbooks/
Cool Games
https://portal.gamelearning.co/dashboard?SiteID=&DistrictID=&SchoolID=&Preview=1
AT HOME LEARNING COLLECTIONS WITH ADDITIONAL LINKS
Georgia 4-H Activity Resources to Educate and Entertain Youth - https://georgia4h.org/about-us/resources/activity-resources
Iowa State Extension At Home Learning Resources - https://www.extension.iastate.edu/4h/4h-at-home-learning-resources
Nebraska 4-H Living Room Learning - https://4h.unl.edu/living-room-learning
New Jersey 4-H – 4-H from Home - http://nj4h.rutgers.edu/4h-from-home/
Michigan State University Extension Resources for School Closures - https://www.canr.msu.edu/family/Educational-Resources-for-School-Closures/index
STEM
Embryology in the Classroom – University of Illinois Extension, Fulton-Mason-Peoria-Tazewell Unit moved their regular Embryology in the Classroom program to an online format. Using videos, Facebook live, online photo album, and downloadable resources, 4-H staff provide information students of all ages will enjoy learning about the incubation process of chickens.
https://extension.illinois.edu/fmpt/embryology-classroom
What’s Quackin? A Virtual Embryology Program – University of Illinois Extension, McLean County STEAM Program used duck eggs to teach about embryology. 4-H staff posted short Daily Quack Fact videos that include updates of the incubating eggs and hands-on activities.
https://extension.illinois.edu/lmw/steam-classroom
Virtual Butterfly Adventures – University of Illinois Extension, Livingston County 4-H staff are teaching youth about the butterfly life cycle. New episodes are posted daily on the Livingston County 4-H Facebook page. They are currently working on creating a landing spot on their website to share all of the video links in one easy spot.
https://www.facebook.com/LivingstonCountyExt4H/
https://extension.illinois.edu/lmw/4-h-livingston-county
84 Easy Science Lessons You Can Do At Home – Michigan State University Extension - science activities using supplies you probably already have around the house: understanding your senses, physical science, engineering, animal science, plant science, environmental science, food science, and social science.
https://www.canr.msu.edu/news/84-easy-science-lessons-you-can-do-at-home
National 4-H Council – National Youth Science Day: Since 2008, National 4-H Council encourages youth to complete the National Youth Science Day challenge each fall. Past challenges including supply lists, instructions, and youth and facilitator guides are available for download. Depending on the challenge, some supplies are easy to obtain, while others may be more difficult.
https://4-h.org/parents/national-youth-science-day/
Iowa 4-H and NASA Iowa Space Grant Consortium STEAM Academy - Weekly STEAM challenges for youth in grades 4-12.
https://www.extension.iastate.edu/4h/iowa-4-h-and-nasa-iowa-space-grant-consortium-steam-academy
Steam Powered Family: Virtual Dissections Lab. Dissections. Does the word make you cringe? Feel a little sick to your stomach? Fill you with dread? For many reasons dissections can cause concerns for educators, but they are a very important part of a child’s education. Understanding how things work from the inside, is vital to developing a strong understanding of biology, physiology and anatomy. Thankfully there are many solutions available. So save yourself the mess and the stress in your lessons and labs with these options for virtual dissections.
https://www.steampoweredfamily.com/education/virtual-dissections-labs/?fbclid=IwAR2QTjQq1YARpy5eMdhxCJ37XhKa9Fcw-u-7j1_ym32RIvc9ZoCvMr_3shs
From The Mountains To The Sea – Georgia 4-H Centers: We are excited to announce the #FromTheMountainsToTheSea series hosted by the Georgia 4-H Centers. These sessions will highlight many of the programs available at the 4-H Centers. Each weekday at 3:00 PM, Georgia 4-H environmental education staff will either post a session or go live on Facebook to bring our EE programming to your home: Rock Eagle 4-H Center, Burton 4-H Center, Wahsega 4-H Center, Tidelands Nature Center 4-H, Georgia 4-H at Camp Jekyll, and Fortson 4-H Center! This past week’s sessions includes lessons on snakes, oysters and creatures of the living shoreline, night critters of Wahsega, ocean feeding frenzies and goats. View the series archive. Tune in this week to learn more about Rock Eagle 4-H Center, alligators, amphibians, turtles and enjoy a spa day at Fortson Farm.
University of Massachusetts 4-H Green Genes: Genetics - UMass Amherst biochemistry professor Dr. Molly Fitzgerald-Hayes, Dr. Frieda Reichsman, Kim Pond of the Massachusetts 4-H Program, and Carrie Chickering-Sears, Director of Community Education in Animal Agriculture at the University of Massachusetts Amherst have joined together to create a multi-media curriculum, Green Genes: a DNA Curriculum. Designed for the non-scientist adult working in out-of-school settings, this curriculum utilizes the experiential learning model and current research on how today’s youth learn to assist adults in teaching youth science concepts that are fun, informative and thought provoking. The intended audience includes youth workers, 4-H volunteers and educators, parents providing home-school education, and science teachers working primarily with youth between the ages of 10 and 13.
https://ag.umass.edu/mass4h/programs/science-engineering-technology/curriculum/green-genes-genetics
Michigan State University Extension 4-H Heads In, Hearts In: Full Science Activity Book - 100+ page activity guide for science activities at home. Free downloadable file.
https://www.canr.msu.edu/resources/heads-in-hearts-in-science-activities
NATURAL RESOURCES
University of Illinois Extension – My First Garden - An interactive website for kids on gardening. Grade 4
https://web.extension.illinois.edu/firstgarden/
Growing Gardens Growing Healthy Youth – University of Maryland Extension – Quick and Fun Indoor Gardening Activities for Families.
https://extension.umd.edu/sites/extension.umd.edu/files/_docs/locations/frederick_county/Indoor%20Gardening.pdf?fbclid=IwAR1iUcHFMHY2Zxb9aClja2_ST1GzDWX76qUVhjvjul-_N7o76Zo1uliaEhg
Parts of A Leaf Activity Guide: Leaves are all around us! Follow this guide as you create leaf rubbings and learn to identify all the parts of a leaf.
https://georgia4h.org/wp-content/uploads/Parts-of-a-Leaf.pdf
Leaf Scavenger Hunt: Get outside and observe the trees around you! Use this scavenger hunt guide to find all the different ways to classify leaves.
https://georgia4h.org/wp-content/uploads/Leaf-Scavenger-Hunt.pdf
Nature’s Colors Activity Guide: Nature is filled with colors! Challenge yourself by trying to discover all the colors you can find in the great outdoors.
https://georgia4h.org/wp-content/uploads/Natures-Colors.pdf
Dish Garden Activity Guide: A dish garden is a garden of small plants that grow together in a shallow dish/bowl. The plants used in a dish garden generally stay small, grow at slow rates and should be compatible with each other.
Dish Garden Activity Guide
Seed Starter Activity Guide: Growing plants from seeds can be a fun and rewarding experience! Many times, gardeners begin their seeds in small containers before transplanting the seeds into larger pots.
Seed Starter Activity Guide
HEALTH & WELLNESS
National 4-H Council- 4-H Healthy Living Activity Guide: Download the 4-H Healthy Living Activity Guide for 30 hands-on, educational activities to help your child live a happy, healthy life.
https://4-h.org/about/inspire-kids-to-do/#main-form
Food Science Activities For Kids: Penn State University offers a list of easy, hands-on activities to help kids learn about Food Science.
https://foodscience.psu.edu/youth/experiments
4-H Yoga for Kids Videos: Oklahoma 4-H has put together a playlist of videos demonstrating yoga poses.
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCmwZHr33dN_Iqg_Q87o-pBg
Heads In, Hearts In: Full Healthy Living Activity Book – Michigan State University Extension - The Heads In, Hearts In family enrichment program encourages families to use their minds as a tool to expand their knowledge around a variety of topic areas. This packet contains all 15 healthy living activities.
Energy and Environment Recorded Webinars
STEAM Activities
Storybook Engineering - Explore simple machines and how they are used in everyday life.
Meet at STEAM Professional – Interviews and tours with local STEAM professionals Navigating School Meals during COVID-19 Webinar
Links for Youth and Adults
The Mushrooms of Illinois webinar educated a large crowd during the live webinar as well as thousands via the recording. Dr. Andrew Miller, Director of the Herbarium at the Illinois Natural History Survey, presented.
Mushroom Workshop Reaches Thousands Via Live Presentation and Recording
Summer Camp for Grownups No matter where you’re spending this summer, you deserve some creativity, relaxation, and joy. So throw on that favorite tie-dye tee and pack your metaphorical bags, because we’re taking you back to Summer Camp . . . For Grownups.
The Penguin Random House Library Marketing Department were so thrilled to gather librarian love from around the country to send to 2020 grads. Hear what advice these librarians have to share!
https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/cc/summer-camp-for-grownups?ref=PRH068E1691B17E&linkid=PRH068E1691B17E&cdi=23CF0FA8F3402BF3E0534FD66B0A902E&template_id=17760&aid=randohouseinc41159-20
Click to Watch the Video.
Starting 3/18/20, LibraryThing.com, both on the web and using our cataloging app, are free to all, to add as many books as you want. And, no, we’re not going to add ads. (We will keep showing a few Google ads to visitors, but they vanish as soon as you become a member.)
At any time you may visit https://extension.illinois.edu/global/digital-webinars-and-training for the most current listing of webinars.
Publishers Weekly Makes Resources Free
We will make the digital magazine available to everyone regardless of whether you subscribe starting with the current issue (March 16, 2020).
Everyone can now access the digital edition of PW from www.digitalpw.com or from the PW app on iOS and Android.
Additionally, articles, past bestsellers lists and the reviews database, which includes a search feature and the reviews listed by genre, will be made available to all.
It's Time To Get Serious About Social Distancing. Here's How
https://www.npr.org/sections/health-shots/2020/03/17/817251610/its-time-to-get-serious-about-social-distancing-here-s-how?utm_medium=social&utm_source=twitter.com&utm_campaign=npr&utm_term=nprnews
Given the unknown, but increasingly problematic, status of the (Wuhan/China) coronavirus, here is a link from the CDC.
https://www.cdc.gov/flu/
Dreams Take Flight at Your Local Library portrays children discovering the library and all it has to offer and it features the library's important role in STEM education. Please click the link to see the video on You Tube. https://youtu.be/FaSwEQ5-5T0
Storyline Online is a program of the SAG-AFTRA Foundation. The Foundation is a nonprofit organization that relies entirely on gifts, grants and donations to fund Storyline Online and produce all of its videos.
Hula Hoopin Queen was selected by the Screen Actors Guild Foundation for its latest read aloud on Storyline Online, an interactive literacy website where well-known actors read popular, award-winning children’s books to help students fall in love with reading. In this video, media maven Oprah Winfrey reads our picture book The Hula-Hoopin’ Queen by Thelma Godin and illustrated by Vanessa Brantley-Newton, a charming celebration of family and community ties.
www.storylineonline.net/books/hula-hoopin-queen/
Other Lee & Low titles on Storyline Online include Rent Party Jazz read by Viola Davis, Catching the Moon read by Kevin Costner and Jillian Estell and As Fast As Words Could Fly read by Dulé Hill!
For the Storyline Online Book Collection, click here.
Elmwood's Historical Society was recently part of an interview by Tim Shelby of WCBU radio. You may listen to the interview at https://www.peoriapublicradio.org/post/sculptor-lorado-tafts-legacy-undergoing-quiet-restoration-his-hometown#stream/0
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Create Comics With Dav Pilkey
Global Classroom Event
March 22 – 1:00 pm ET
Join author and illustrator Dav Pilkey and a team of teachers for a free event that will spark readers’ imagination! Together, kids from around the world will create their own comic inspired by Dog Man, Cat Kid Comic Club, and Captain Underpants!
Register here!
The free activity planner includes a comic book story starter, idea prompts, a Dog Man Mothering Heights Readers’ Theater activity, and more!
Download here!
For More Free Activities, Check Out Dav Pilkey at Home!
Have fun and get creative at home with characters from Dog Man, Cat Kid Comic Club, Captain Underpants, and the Dragon series! Learn how to draw your favorite characters, create your own comic, download a Zoom background, and so much more!
Check out all of the fun, free activities here.
A Fireside Chat with John Sandford will be on Wednesday, April 14th at 7:00 PM.
John Sandford is the author of twenty-nine Prey novels; four Kidd novels; twelve Virgil Flowers novels; three YA novels co-authored with his wife, Michele Cook, and three other books. The next book in his Prey series, Ocean Prey, will be released on April 13th, so this is great timing! G. P. Putnam’s Sons is thrilled to publish this latest installment.
This will be an online Zoom Webinar. If you have any questions for John, please send them to the library at elmwoodlib@gmail.com by April 1st and we will forward them to John's publicist. To register, please let the library know your name and email address by April 1st. You may email it to us at elmwoodlib@gmail.com or call the library at 309-742-2431.
We are extremely excited to bring this program to you!
10 Warning Signs of Alzheimer’s & 10 Warning Signs of Elder Abuse
An education program presented by the Alzheimer’s Association©
Alzheimer's and other dementias cause memory, thinking and behavior problems that interfere with daily living. Join us to learn how to recognize common signs of the disease; how to approach someone about memory concerns; the importance of early detection and benefits of a diagnosis; possible tests and assessments for the diagnostic process, and Alzheimer's Association resources. Followed by, Western Illinois Regional Council-Victim Services Preventionist, Deborah Collins talking about 10 Warning Signs of Elder Abuse 10 Warning Signs of Alzheimer’s & 10 Warning Signs of Elder Abuse Registration https://www.communityresourcefinder.org/Resour ceView/Index?id=2134121&profileDefinitionId=93 24/7 HELPline 800.272.3900
Understanding Alzheimer’s & Dementia & Practical Tips for Faith Communities
An education program presented by the Alzheimer’s Association©
Alzheimer's disease is not a normal part of aging. Join us to learn about the impact of Alzheimer's; the difference between Alzheimer's and dementia; stages and risk factors; current research and treatments available for some symptoms; and Alzheimer's Association resources. Followed by, Faith-Based Communities face unique challenges when helping families who are living with Dementia. This program will have bonus content to provide practical tips that will improve your service and outreach. You will learn how to raise awareness on this issue with a small amount of effort, how to recruit more volunteers to help families in need, and how simple changes can have the most impact for your congregation. We hope you join us because Alzheimer’s Disease affects everyone!
View this program online, anytime through March 26, 2021
To Watch 24/7, Click: http://bit.ly/3aUeUDL
GLOBE Observer Citizen Science Public Training
NASA Video: October Skywatching Tips
What to look for: October will give us a second full Moon on October 31st (Halloween) – a Blue Moon. Also, look for Mars any time of the night, Venus before dawn, and go intergalactic with Andromeda!
Watch the Video and More
Below is a set of resources that you may watch.
Activity: Water Pollution Clean Up
Civil engineers are very concerned about water quality. They devise systems for taking water from rivers, underground reservoirs, and even the ocean to provide water for drinking, irrigation, and flushing toilets. They also figure out how to clean the water after it’s been used so people and animals downstream have safe water to drink and use.
Learn how to design a water filter to remove pollutants. Watch Video >>
View/Download This Activity
Video: Water Wishes - Engineering for Those in Need
This video demonstrates how engineers can improve the lives of those in need. This short video highlights the work of Engineers Without Borders USA. Take a look at the work they are doing in Peru to provide community access to drinkable water.
Watch the Video
Digital App: Fly to Mars
We can only send spacecraft to Mars every two years. Have you ever wondered why? This simple simulation lets you launch a spacecraft from Earth to Mars. All you have to do is decide when to launch and we take care of the amount and direction of thrust. Easy, right?
Available on smartphones and tablets!
Download the Digital App
Play the Game on the Web
Use these featured resources to faciliate hands-on STEAM activities (using common household materials) for your patrons at home.
Virtual Program: Stellarium
Stellarium is a free and open source online planetarium that can be used for virtual night sky programs. It shows a realistic sky in 3D, just like what you see with the naked eye, binoculars or a telescope.
View This Virtual Program
Let NASA bring the universe into your home.
Podcast: Rendezvous with Mars
“Houston We Have a Podcast” is the official podcast of the NASA Johnson Space Center from Houston, Texas, home for NASA’s astronauts and Mission Control Center.
In this episode (151), Patrick Chai, aerospace engineer at NASA’s Langley Research Center in Virginia, covers the challenges and needs for getting humans to Mars and the options for propulsion, duration, time, and staging.
Listen to the Podcast
The STAR Library Network (STAR Net) is a hands-on learning network for libraries and their communities across the country. STAR Net focuses on helping library professionals build their STEM skills by providing “science-technology activities and resources” (STAR) and training to use those resources.
STAR Net is built upon a strong network of collaborators and partners, led by the Space Science Institute’s (SSI) National Center for Interactive Learning (NCIL). Partners include the American Library Association’s Public Programs Office, Collaborative Summer Library Program, Chief Officers of State Library Agencies, Lunar and Planetary Institute, Education Development Center, Twin Cities PBS (TPT), Institute for Learning Innovation (ILI), University of Colorado, University of Virginia, Urban Libraries Council, American Society of Civil Engineers, and Cornerstones of Science. Funding is provided by the National Science Foundation, NASA Science Mission Directorate, and the Institute of Museum and Library Services.
Find us online! Click any of the above images to link
to follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Pinterest.
Women and the Vote: Happenings at Hull-House
As we celebrate the 100th anniversary of the official certification of the ratification of the 19th Amendment, the Jane Addams Hull-House Museum is partnering with RAILS and four Illinois libraries to pilot a new virtual suite of exhibits and programs commemorating the history of women’s activism and its evolution today, including women of color and queer communities.
For more details about this partnership and the resulting online experiences, read the press release or visit the Hull-House website.
More related links to the suffrage exhibits.
- Virtual Walk-through of Hull-House Museum and the Why Women Should Vote Exhibits
- The Jane Addams Hull-House has released a virtual walk-through of the exhibits in our collaborative project that celebrates women's right to vote. View it on YouTube; share on social media; tell your patrons about it.
- Map - Celebrating Women's Suffrage in Illinois
Libraries are invited to add community efforts and history about women's suffrage to this map. People across Illinois, as well as library staff, are invited to share their stories about the history of women's voting in their community and/or the current impact of today's women's activists.
Join this online event on November 17, from 6–8 p.m. This session will focus on three significant Chicago-based women activists who were connected in their reform work but who encountered difficulties in finding common ground.
In case anyone is thinking about making their own masks:
https://youtu.be/hFLIhGYDQA4
The STAR Library Network (STAR Net) is a hands-on learning network for libraries and their communities across the country. STAR Net focuses on helping library professionals build their STEM skills by providing “science-technology activities and resources” (STAR) and training to use those resources. Plus, engage public audiences nationwide in informal and lifelong learning with the excitement of exploration and discovery through STAR Net's NASA@ My Library program!
STAR Net is built upon a strong network of collaborators and partners, led by the Space Science Institute’s (SSI) National Center for Interactive Learning (NCIL). Partners include the American Library Association’s Public Programs Office, Collaborative Summer Library Program, Chief officers of State Library Agencies, Lunar and Planetary Institute, Afterschool Alliance, Education Development Center, American Society of Civil Engineers, and Cornerstones of Science. Major funding is provided by the National Science Foundation, NASA Science Mission Directorate, the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation, and the Institute of Museum and Library Services.
Smithsonian Online Puzzles
All of these images are freely available through our Image Gallery, Digital Library or Biodiversity Heritage Library. Feel free to explore, download other images and maybe make your own boredom buster!
“The Lilac” from Eugene Grasset’s La plante et ses applications ornementales (1896).
A stunner of a book, Grasset’s design patterns focus on plants and flowers. It was intended to promote the Art Nouveau style.
Play online: jigex.com/CsBd
“The Lilac” from Eugene Grasset’s La plante et ses applications ornementales (1896).“The Koodoo” from Samuel Daniell’s African Scenery and Animals, 1804-05.
The kudu is a type of spiral-horned antelope. It’s one of many species (some now extinct) featured in African scenery and animals (1804-05), available in the Biodiversity Heritage Library. These hand-colored aquatint plates present artwork by Samuel Daniell, produced during an expedition to Africa at the end of the eighteenth century.
Play online: https://jigex.com/HzPd
“The Koodoo” from Samuel Daniell’s African Scenery and Animals, 1804-05.“Pour rêver un peu” from La guirlande, fasc (1919).
The title of this illustration says it all – “To dream a little”. It was published in 1919 in the French literary and art journal, La guirlande. The publication’s art director was Italian artist Umberto Brunelleschi, known for his book and fashion illustrations.
Play online: https://jigex.com/6N8V
“Pour rêver un peu” from La guirlande, fasc (1919).Cover from Aéroplane captif (1909).
Aéroplane captif is one of hundreds of pieces of aeronautical-themed sheet music collected by Bella C. Landauer (1874–1960). Landauer took an interest in aviation when her son became a pilot and scoured music shops to amass her collection. She’s one of many collectors featured in our exhibition, Magnificent Obessions: Why We Collect.
Play online: https://jigex.com/4E1R
Cover from Aéroplane captif (1909). Gift of Bella C. Landauer.“Smithsonian Institution, from the North East” from Robert Dale Owen’s Hints on public architecture . . . (1849).
This charming drawing of men and women strolling on the paths on the Mall in front of the Smithsonian Institution Building (The Castle) is from Robert Dale Owen’s 1849 publication, Hints on public architecture, containing, among other illustrations, views and plans of the Smithsonian institution. Owen was a Smithsonian regent and the head of the Building Committee. The exterior of the building wasn’t actually completed until 1851.
Play online: https://jigex.com/Vggy
“Smithsonian Institution, from the North East” from Robert Dale Owen’s Hints on public architecture . . . (1849).Front cover from John Lewis Childs’ New, rare & beautiful flowers, (1890).
John Lewis Childs was born on May 13, 1856. He acquired a few acres and set up his business as a seedsman and florist at age eighteen, after one year as a florist’s helper on Long Island. His operation was based in Floral Park, New York, which was often featured in his catalogs. The Smithsonian Libraries holds more than 10,000 seed and nursery catalogs dating from 1830 to the present.
Play online: https://jigex.com/6Bzy
Front cover from John Lewis Childs’ New, rare & beautiful flowers, (1890).Categories:Art and Design Biodiversity Heritage Library Collection Highlights Education and Outreach History and Culture
Links for Kids:
Annuity.org is a free financial web resource accredited by the Better Business Bureau who believe when students learn financial literacy at an early age, it helps them to make astute decisions about their personal finances, as smart financial behavior leads to financially secure lives. They've created a guide dedicated to children learning financial literacy:
https://www.annuity.org/financial-literacy/how-to-teach-kids-about-money/
Welcome to Miss Jamie's Farm
Miss Jamie's Farm is a popular music show for young kids and their families, sharing values from life down on the farm through songs both new and familiar. Sing, dance, laugh and learn with Miss Jamie and her farm puppet friends!
https://www.miss-jamie.com/
Continuing its Read-Along series for children and families nationwide during the pandemic, PBS Kids is teaming up with Little Free Libraries for a selection of free online readings by a variety of celebrities and public figures. In addition to reading a children’s book, each guest will designate a location for a new Little Free Library in the U.S., which will feature a collection of diverse books.
The program starts on June 29 at 12 p.m. ET with NBA legend Dwyane Wade reading his wife and actor Gabrielle Union’s children’s book, Welcome to the Party. Upcoming guests will include Camila Alves McConaughey, Tim Gunn, Carla Hall, Anthony Ramos, Marley Dias, Boris Kodjoe, Nicole Ari Parker and more.The series, which spotlights inclusive books and bilingual readings, will be livestreamed simultaneously on PBS Kids’ Facebook and YouTube channel and will remain available for later viewing. Accompanying literacy resources for each episode are available on pbskidsforparents.org.
www.bayut.com/mybayut/explore-dubai-culture/
praxent.com/blog/beginners-guide-to-coding-programming
constructiondisputes.com/construction-and-building-projects-and-activities-for-kids/
STEAM Videos:
https://go.illinois.edu/STEAMplaylist
STEAM Activity lesson plans:
https://go.illinois.edu/STEAMactivities
https://www.mackidsschoolandlibrary.com/tag/virtual-storytime/?utm_source=exacttarget&utm_medium=na&utm_term=slnewsletter-activitykits&utm_content=na-learnmore-announcement&utm_campaign=slsite&e=1c3499d5f9ccc27b164a8d695603600f358d772134d30b5ac886cbdb940736c4
https://www.canr.msu.edu/resources/heads-in-hearts-in-healthy-living-activities
http://www.curiousgeorge.com/curiosity-challenge
https://www.peoriariverfrontmuseum.org/plan-your-visit/virtual-museum
https://storytimefromspace.com/
https://www.penguinclassroom.com/
https://www.theatlantic.com/family/archive/2020/03/activities-kids-coronavirus-quarantine/608110/
17 Apps to Help Kids Stay FocuseApps That Act Like Math and Science Tutors for Homework Help
25 dance games (you might need to buy a special control from Amazon).
Apps, websites, and video games
https://www.harpercollins.com/childrens/harper-at-home/?
utm_source=Publishers+Weekly&utm_campaign=7f4deea3fb-Abrams+-+PWD+-+20170530_COPY_01&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_0bb2959cbb-7f4deea3fb-306845093
https://www.readbrightly.com/?
ref=PRH4FB919F7ADC0&linkid=PRH4FB919F7ADC0&cdi=23CF0FA8F3402BF3E0534FD66B0A902E&template_id=16097&aid=randohouseinc9840-20
https://freedomhomeschooling.com/virtual-field-trips/?
fbclid=IwAR3aXQjoxslMt1WPHofcQrD8q5oXC_vKWNTBVdapP9vQ_Z7tGIFcU-0022c
https://www.commonsensemedia.org/blog/free-online-events-activities-kids-at-home-coronavirus? j=7711684&sfmc_sub=170626408&l=2048712_HTML&u=143747069&mid=6409703&jb=891&utm_source=covid19_freeactivities_20200323&utm_medium=email
https://www.khanacademy.org/about/blog/post/611770255064350720/remote-learning-with-khan-academy-during-school
http://clearinghouse.starnetlibraries.org/astronomy-and-space/218-sky-heroes-an-activity-reinventing-the-constellations.html
https://kids.scholastic.com/kids/books/dav-pilkey-at-home/
https://www.tabletwise.com/class/category/free
https://www.nationalgeographic.com/family/at-home-education-resources
https://www.workman.com/company/resources-for-remote-learning
https://simonandschusterpublishing.com/readandlearn/
https://www.learnwithcrp.com/
https://www.charlesbridge.com/pages/remote-author-content
https://www.si.edu/sites/default/files/how-to-make-a-collagasaurus.pdf
https://pjlibrary.org/home
https://www.barbarabush.org/toolkit-for-at-home-learning/
https://www.dccomics.com/familynewsletter
https://www.scbwi.org/scbwi-connects/
https://www.readtogetherbetogether.com/
https://writeforkids.org/blog/2020/03/a-message-to-the-kidlit-writing-community/
https://tundrabooks.com/virtual-story-times-and-singalongs/
http://www.hogwartsishere.com/sign-up/?next=/library/
https://blog.library.si.edu/blog/2020/05/07/puzzles/#.Xt7QMUVKiUn
https://www.alastore.ala.org/sites/default/files/StayWellStayInspired.pdf
https://www.publishersweekly.com/pw/by-topic/industry-news/tip-sheet/article/83485-an-anti-racist-reading-list.html
https://action.alz.org/PersonifyEbusiness/Default.aspx?TabID=1357&productid=69717593&_ga=2.164819455.1991245800.1587061189-325887764.1584646532
https://www.laphamsquarterly.org/roundtable/viral-news
Free Educational Apps, Games, and WebsitesTop Time-Management Apps
tips for taking in rapidly changing news
meditation apps for kids and families
https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/hope-resilience/202003/how-talk-your-kids-about-covid-19
https://www.bookbyte.com/blog/productivity-tips-for-studying-from-home-during-the-coronavirus-pandemic?
utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=studyFromHomeTipsMAR2020
https://archive.org/details/nationalemergencylibrary
https://12bdea39-3149-40e1-5bcf-fbe26c4bed5b.filesusr.com/ugd/c18080_9b6fba0adf164ba4824496a1c9f1523a.pdf
https://www.maginationpressfamily.org/
https://www.dk.com/us/information/stay-home-hub/
https://www.mackin.com/hq/distance-learning-essentials/
https://starbrightbooks.com/blog/free-digital-access/
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC0MpwxxTbrBOz1g1X-BynUA
https://holidayhouse.com/holiday-house-resources/
Julie’s Library: Story Time with Julie Andrews
American Public Media
Listen on Apple Podcasts
Join beloved icon Julie Andrews for story time! Julie and her daughter, children’s author and educator Emma Walton Hamilton, invite you into their library to read their favorite children's books. Every story comes to life with sound, music and activities. Authors, kids and other special guests chime in, too! It’s a show that will inspire lively conversations and a lifelong love of reading. Produced by American Public Media.
https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/id1507980417
Michelle Obama Announces Storytimes with PRH and PBS Kids
https://www.facebook.com/PBSKIDS/
https://static.macmillan.com/static/macmillanchildrens/mackids-streaming-schoolhouse/
https://www.instagram.com/leilasalesbooks/
Cool Games
https://portal.gamelearning.co/dashboard?SiteID=&DistrictID=&SchoolID=&Preview=1
AT HOME LEARNING COLLECTIONS WITH ADDITIONAL LINKS
Georgia 4-H Activity Resources to Educate and Entertain Youth - https://georgia4h.org/about-us/resources/activity-resources
Iowa State Extension At Home Learning Resources - https://www.extension.iastate.edu/4h/4h-at-home-learning-resources
Nebraska 4-H Living Room Learning - https://4h.unl.edu/living-room-learning
New Jersey 4-H – 4-H from Home - http://nj4h.rutgers.edu/4h-from-home/
Michigan State University Extension Resources for School Closures - https://www.canr.msu.edu/family/Educational-Resources-for-School-Closures/index
STEM
Embryology in the Classroom – University of Illinois Extension, Fulton-Mason-Peoria-Tazewell Unit moved their regular Embryology in the Classroom program to an online format. Using videos, Facebook live, online photo album, and downloadable resources, 4-H staff provide information students of all ages will enjoy learning about the incubation process of chickens.
https://extension.illinois.edu/fmpt/embryology-classroom
What’s Quackin? A Virtual Embryology Program – University of Illinois Extension, McLean County STEAM Program used duck eggs to teach about embryology. 4-H staff posted short Daily Quack Fact videos that include updates of the incubating eggs and hands-on activities.
https://extension.illinois.edu/lmw/steam-classroom
Virtual Butterfly Adventures – University of Illinois Extension, Livingston County 4-H staff are teaching youth about the butterfly life cycle. New episodes are posted daily on the Livingston County 4-H Facebook page. They are currently working on creating a landing spot on their website to share all of the video links in one easy spot.
https://www.facebook.com/LivingstonCountyExt4H/
https://extension.illinois.edu/lmw/4-h-livingston-county
84 Easy Science Lessons You Can Do At Home – Michigan State University Extension - science activities using supplies you probably already have around the house: understanding your senses, physical science, engineering, animal science, plant science, environmental science, food science, and social science.
https://www.canr.msu.edu/news/84-easy-science-lessons-you-can-do-at-home
National 4-H Council – National Youth Science Day: Since 2008, National 4-H Council encourages youth to complete the National Youth Science Day challenge each fall. Past challenges including supply lists, instructions, and youth and facilitator guides are available for download. Depending on the challenge, some supplies are easy to obtain, while others may be more difficult.
https://4-h.org/parents/national-youth-science-day/
Iowa 4-H and NASA Iowa Space Grant Consortium STEAM Academy - Weekly STEAM challenges for youth in grades 4-12.
https://www.extension.iastate.edu/4h/iowa-4-h-and-nasa-iowa-space-grant-consortium-steam-academy
Steam Powered Family: Virtual Dissections Lab. Dissections. Does the word make you cringe? Feel a little sick to your stomach? Fill you with dread? For many reasons dissections can cause concerns for educators, but they are a very important part of a child’s education. Understanding how things work from the inside, is vital to developing a strong understanding of biology, physiology and anatomy. Thankfully there are many solutions available. So save yourself the mess and the stress in your lessons and labs with these options for virtual dissections.
https://www.steampoweredfamily.com/education/virtual-dissections-labs/?fbclid=IwAR2QTjQq1YARpy5eMdhxCJ37XhKa9Fcw-u-7j1_ym32RIvc9ZoCvMr_3shs
From The Mountains To The Sea – Georgia 4-H Centers: We are excited to announce the #FromTheMountainsToTheSea series hosted by the Georgia 4-H Centers. These sessions will highlight many of the programs available at the 4-H Centers. Each weekday at 3:00 PM, Georgia 4-H environmental education staff will either post a session or go live on Facebook to bring our EE programming to your home: Rock Eagle 4-H Center, Burton 4-H Center, Wahsega 4-H Center, Tidelands Nature Center 4-H, Georgia 4-H at Camp Jekyll, and Fortson 4-H Center! This past week’s sessions includes lessons on snakes, oysters and creatures of the living shoreline, night critters of Wahsega, ocean feeding frenzies and goats. View the series archive. Tune in this week to learn more about Rock Eagle 4-H Center, alligators, amphibians, turtles and enjoy a spa day at Fortson Farm.
University of Massachusetts 4-H Green Genes: Genetics - UMass Amherst biochemistry professor Dr. Molly Fitzgerald-Hayes, Dr. Frieda Reichsman, Kim Pond of the Massachusetts 4-H Program, and Carrie Chickering-Sears, Director of Community Education in Animal Agriculture at the University of Massachusetts Amherst have joined together to create a multi-media curriculum, Green Genes: a DNA Curriculum. Designed for the non-scientist adult working in out-of-school settings, this curriculum utilizes the experiential learning model and current research on how today’s youth learn to assist adults in teaching youth science concepts that are fun, informative and thought provoking. The intended audience includes youth workers, 4-H volunteers and educators, parents providing home-school education, and science teachers working primarily with youth between the ages of 10 and 13.
https://ag.umass.edu/mass4h/programs/science-engineering-technology/curriculum/green-genes-genetics
Michigan State University Extension 4-H Heads In, Hearts In: Full Science Activity Book - 100+ page activity guide for science activities at home. Free downloadable file.
https://www.canr.msu.edu/resources/heads-in-hearts-in-science-activities
NATURAL RESOURCES
University of Illinois Extension – My First Garden - An interactive website for kids on gardening. Grade 4
https://web.extension.illinois.edu/firstgarden/
Growing Gardens Growing Healthy Youth – University of Maryland Extension – Quick and Fun Indoor Gardening Activities for Families.
https://extension.umd.edu/sites/extension.umd.edu/files/_docs/locations/frederick_county/Indoor%20Gardening.pdf?fbclid=IwAR1iUcHFMHY2Zxb9aClja2_ST1GzDWX76qUVhjvjul-_N7o76Zo1uliaEhg
Parts of A Leaf Activity Guide: Leaves are all around us! Follow this guide as you create leaf rubbings and learn to identify all the parts of a leaf.
https://georgia4h.org/wp-content/uploads/Parts-of-a-Leaf.pdf
Leaf Scavenger Hunt: Get outside and observe the trees around you! Use this scavenger hunt guide to find all the different ways to classify leaves.
https://georgia4h.org/wp-content/uploads/Leaf-Scavenger-Hunt.pdf
Nature’s Colors Activity Guide: Nature is filled with colors! Challenge yourself by trying to discover all the colors you can find in the great outdoors.
https://georgia4h.org/wp-content/uploads/Natures-Colors.pdf
Dish Garden Activity Guide: A dish garden is a garden of small plants that grow together in a shallow dish/bowl. The plants used in a dish garden generally stay small, grow at slow rates and should be compatible with each other.
Dish Garden Activity Guide
Seed Starter Activity Guide: Growing plants from seeds can be a fun and rewarding experience! Many times, gardeners begin their seeds in small containers before transplanting the seeds into larger pots.
Seed Starter Activity Guide
HEALTH & WELLNESS
National 4-H Council- 4-H Healthy Living Activity Guide: Download the 4-H Healthy Living Activity Guide for 30 hands-on, educational activities to help your child live a happy, healthy life.
https://4-h.org/about/inspire-kids-to-do/#main-form
Food Science Activities For Kids: Penn State University offers a list of easy, hands-on activities to help kids learn about Food Science.
https://foodscience.psu.edu/youth/experiments
4-H Yoga for Kids Videos: Oklahoma 4-H has put together a playlist of videos demonstrating yoga poses.
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCmwZHr33dN_Iqg_Q87o-pBg
Heads In, Hearts In: Full Healthy Living Activity Book – Michigan State University Extension - The Heads In, Hearts In family enrichment program encourages families to use their minds as a tool to expand their knowledge around a variety of topic areas. This packet contains all 15 healthy living activities.
Energy and Environment Recorded Webinars
- Illinois Extension Horticulture YouTube channel
- Local Government Education archives
- Local Foods Small Farms YouTube channel
- Get Growing: Beyond Dirt (Recorded 4/2/20) Illinois Extension
- Caregiver Self-Care (Recorded 4/2/20) Illinois Extension
- Outlook and Farm Policy Moving Forward, farmdoc
- Global Transportation and Cash Flow Considerations, farmdoc
- Financial Perspectives on Agriculture and Coronavirus, farmdoc
- Virology of the Coronavirus Pandemic and its Impact on the Economy and Agriculture, farmdoc
- Coronavirus Impact on Ag Markets, Planting Decisions, and Agricultural Policy, farmdoc
- Your Personal Finances in a Time of Uncertainty ACE (Recording to come)
- Building Your Resilience: How High Do You Bounce, Illinois Extension
- The Economic Impact of Coronavirus. U of I Gies College of Business
- Where Do We Go From Here, ACE, University of Illinois Agricultural and Consumer Economics
STEAM Activities
- Easy Activities Involving Design
- Rainbow in a Jar
- Fun with Buoyancy
- Clouds
- Acids and Bases
- Fun in the Sun
- Binary Code
- Air Pressure
- Habitats
- Making Observations
- Fun with Fingerprints
- Wind Velocity
- Temperature
- Outer Space
Storybook Engineering - Explore simple machines and how they are used in everyday life.
- The Gingerbread Man – The wedge
- Rapunzel – The inclined plane
- Three Billy Goats Gruff – The wheel and axle
- Little Red Riding Hood – The lever
- The Little Red Hen – The pulley
- If You Give A Mouse a Cookie – The screw
Meet at STEAM Professional – Interviews and tours with local STEAM professionals Navigating School Meals during COVID-19 Webinar
Links for Youth and Adults
The Mushrooms of Illinois webinar educated a large crowd during the live webinar as well as thousands via the recording. Dr. Andrew Miller, Director of the Herbarium at the Illinois Natural History Survey, presented.
Mushroom Workshop Reaches Thousands Via Live Presentation and Recording
Summer Camp for Grownups No matter where you’re spending this summer, you deserve some creativity, relaxation, and joy. So throw on that favorite tie-dye tee and pack your metaphorical bags, because we’re taking you back to Summer Camp . . . For Grownups.
The Penguin Random House Library Marketing Department were so thrilled to gather librarian love from around the country to send to 2020 grads. Hear what advice these librarians have to share!
https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/cc/summer-camp-for-grownups?ref=PRH068E1691B17E&linkid=PRH068E1691B17E&cdi=23CF0FA8F3402BF3E0534FD66B0A902E&template_id=17760&aid=randohouseinc41159-20
Click to Watch the Video.
Starting 3/18/20, LibraryThing.com, both on the web and using our cataloging app, are free to all, to add as many books as you want. And, no, we’re not going to add ads. (We will keep showing a few Google ads to visitors, but they vanish as soon as you become a member.)
- Sign Up
- The LibraryThing app for iOS and Android
- More about LT2
- Our YouTube channel, with demos and such
At any time you may visit https://extension.illinois.edu/global/digital-webinars-and-training for the most current listing of webinars.
Publishers Weekly Makes Resources Free
We will make the digital magazine available to everyone regardless of whether you subscribe starting with the current issue (March 16, 2020).
Everyone can now access the digital edition of PW from www.digitalpw.com or from the PW app on iOS and Android.
Additionally, articles, past bestsellers lists and the reviews database, which includes a search feature and the reviews listed by genre, will be made available to all.
It's Time To Get Serious About Social Distancing. Here's How
https://www.npr.org/sections/health-shots/2020/03/17/817251610/its-time-to-get-serious-about-social-distancing-here-s-how?utm_medium=social&utm_source=twitter.com&utm_campaign=npr&utm_term=nprnews
Given the unknown, but increasingly problematic, status of the (Wuhan/China) coronavirus, here is a link from the CDC.
https://www.cdc.gov/flu/
Dreams Take Flight at Your Local Library portrays children discovering the library and all it has to offer and it features the library's important role in STEM education. Please click the link to see the video on You Tube. https://youtu.be/FaSwEQ5-5T0
Storyline Online is a program of the SAG-AFTRA Foundation. The Foundation is a nonprofit organization that relies entirely on gifts, grants and donations to fund Storyline Online and produce all of its videos.
Hula Hoopin Queen was selected by the Screen Actors Guild Foundation for its latest read aloud on Storyline Online, an interactive literacy website where well-known actors read popular, award-winning children’s books to help students fall in love with reading. In this video, media maven Oprah Winfrey reads our picture book The Hula-Hoopin’ Queen by Thelma Godin and illustrated by Vanessa Brantley-Newton, a charming celebration of family and community ties.
www.storylineonline.net/books/hula-hoopin-queen/
Other Lee & Low titles on Storyline Online include Rent Party Jazz read by Viola Davis, Catching the Moon read by Kevin Costner and Jillian Estell and As Fast As Words Could Fly read by Dulé Hill!
For the Storyline Online Book Collection, click here.
Elmwood's Historical Society was recently part of an interview by Tim Shelby of WCBU radio. You may listen to the interview at https://www.peoriapublicradio.org/post/sculptor-lorado-tafts-legacy-undergoing-quiet-restoration-his-hometown#stream/0
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