Online Programs/Resources
Book Passage
Online Author Events and More
https://www.youtube.com/c/bookpassagetv/live
An intimate chat with beloved author Jan Brett on her book, Cozy.
Watch video
Martin Luther King Jr. Program
Thursday, January 20th at 1:00 PM
Keith Henley will be doing a first person portrayal on Zoom, along with a Q & A session for Naperville Public Library and they have invited others to watch.
https://napervillepl.librarycalendar.com/events/brown-bag-lecture-martin-luther-king-jr
Online Programs presented by Illinois Libraries Present. Click on the links below to register.
An Evening with Silvia Moreno-Garcia
Wednesday, January 26 at 7:00 PM| Zoom
https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_z3DtVIPyQWe6AxmLYuTECw
https://bit.ly/ILP_SilviaMoreno-Garcia
Bestselling author Silvia Moreno-Garcia discusses her newest book, Velvet Was the Night, and her genre-defying mashups of cultural noir and Lovecraftian horror.
Silvia Moreno-Garcia is the New York Times bestselling author of the critically acclaimed novels Certain Dark Things, Gods of Jade and Shadow and Mexican Gothic, which Vanity Fair called “[An] irresistibly dark feminist reimagining of the Gothic fantasy novel.” Mexican by birth, Canadian by inclination, Silvia has edited several anthologies, received many awards for her novels, and is a columnist for the Washington Post.
An Evening with Jasmine Guillory
Wednesday, February 16 at 7:00 PM| Zoom
https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_tTHFmy7iRT-yC0D2qOIeyQ
https://bit.ly/ILP_JasmineGuillory
Join us for a lively evening with bestselling author Jasmine Guillory as she discusses the importance of real life and the modern rom-com.
Jasmine Guillory is a writer, lawyer and New York Times bestselling author of six romance novels, including The Wedding Date, The Proposal, and While We Were Dating. NPR called The Proposal, “Rollicking, charming, and infinitely zesty.” Her work has appeared in O, The Oprah Magazine, Cosmopolitan, Bon Appetit, and Time. She lives in Oakland, California.
An Evening with Jenny Lawson
Wednesday, March 30th 7:00 PM l Zoom
Diversity, Poverty, Prejudice: Where Do You Fit In And How Can
You Help Make A Difference?
With: Padma Venkatraman, Stacey Lee & Veera Hiranandani
Watch video
She Persisted : Meet some of the authors from Chelsea Clinton’s Persisterhood
With: Deborah Heiligman, Kekla Magoon & Meg Medina
Watch video
The Holocaust and Global Genocide
With: Ruta Sepetys, Dana Walrath, Karen Gray Ruelle & Vesper Stamper
Watch video
Steven King Reads from Billy Summers.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=IDJz-ccAMeI
Judy Blume Talks Banned Books and FOREVER... on Audio
https://soundcloud.com/user-451822665/a-message-from-judy-blume-author-of-forever?utm_source=www.booksontape.com&utm_campaign=wtshare&utm_medium=widget&utm_content=https%253A%252F%252Fsoundcloud.com%252Fuser-451822665%252Fa-message-from-judy-blume-author-of-forever
Are you an 8-11 year-old who loves to talk/perform, wants to learn about historical figures, and would enjoy a friendly competition?
The new Who Was? podcast is looking for contestants! The Who Was? podcast is based on the best-selling WhoHQ nonfiction series and much like The Who Was? Show on Netflix, the podcast will be a funny quiz show, complete with tons of info and sketches about trailblazing historical figures. The champion of the episode will be rewarded with a selection of Who Was? books and a set for their school library to enjoy. Please connect with Jane Baker Talent Booking Agent, Producer The Who Was Podcast at WWPODTALENT@GMAIL.COM if you are interested. Please note that at least one parent, guardian or teacher, with the parents’ permission, must be available for a video call with the child. Deadline to audition: January 31, 2022.
The 45-episode series will debut in February 2022 and will be available on iHeartRadio and everywhere podcasts are heard.
Email the Producer!
Shelf Care talks with Sara Pennypacker, author of Pat: Journey Home
Welcome to the Shelf Care Interview, an occasional conversation series where Booklist talks to book people. This Shelf Care Interview is sponsored by HarperCollins Children's Books.
In this latest installment, Sarah Hunter talks to Sara Pennypacker, author of PAX: JOURNEY HOME.
Sara Pennypacker is the author of the #1 New York Times bestselling PAX; the award-winning Clementine series and its spinoff series, Waylon; and the acclaimed novels SUMMER OF THE GYPSY MOTHS and HERE IN THE REAL WORLD. She divides her time between Cape Cod, Massachusetts, and Florida.
Read the transcript here: www.booklistonline.com/The-Shelf-Car…h/pid=9754682
soundcloud.com/shelfcare/shelf-care-interview-sara-pennypacker
Learning doesn’t have to be boring! Our portfolio includes diverse products, including new print releases and continuously updated digital content, thousands of eBooks titles, and new assessment and tutoring tools built for educators like you. When considering which activities to blend into your lesson plan, nothing increases engagement, lesson comprehension, or test performance like our fun, yet educational, tools for learning.
In this month's World Book Wired, we're sharing blended and remote learning support, guidance, and helpful resources to make your transition back to school easier.
E-Learning Inspiration
Count & Play
Count & play! Early Learning's "Butterfly Catch" brain game teaches basic counting skills along with color recognition to young children.
2,500+ eBooks
Discover our on-the-go digital library with thousands of engaging titles that support all reading levels and cover the entire curriculum.
Gamification
When faced with teaching challenging topics, try our curriculum-aligned math and science games for grades 3-8 across a variety of learning objectives.
Newsbank
(this is an online resource we have available for patrons to access. Please see the link on the bottom of the Home page).
Welcome to NewsBank Hot Topics!
Hot Topics provides librarians, patrons, faculty and students with an easier path to locating topics of interest related to current global issues, events and people for personal and course research.
Click here to access Hot Topics directly or find it on the main search screen of your NewsBank product menu page.
Download Hot Topics (pdf) to share with others.
Welcome to NewsBank Hot Topics!
Hot Topics provides librarians, patrons, faculty and students with an easier path to locating topics of interest related to current global issues, events and people for personal and course research.
Click here to access Hot Topics directly or find it on the main search screen of your NewsBank product menu page.
Download Hot Topics (pdf) to share with others.
NewsBank Hot Topics
January 2022
Current Events
HEALTH: Worldwide – Spread of Omicron Variant
TOPIC: The omicron variant of Covid-19 has rapidly spread around the world since it was discovered in South Africa in November. Easily transmissible, it has become the dominant variant in many countries. Are any of the existing Covid vaccines helpful against it? What do many of the people who are being hospitalized with it have in common? How are Covid variants identified?
SEARCH TERMS: (coronavirus or Covid-19) AND omicron
BUSINESS: Theranos and Elizabeth Holmes
TOPIC: Founder and CEO of the blood-testing company Theranos, Elizabeth Holmes, has been found guilty on four of the eleven fraud and conspiracy charges against her. Which charges were she found guilty of and which charges were she found not guilty and why? What was the idea behind Theranos that investors and backers found so appealing and why did is seem plausible? What was the flaw in this idea that was being concealed and what was the hope of the company that it could be overcome?
SEARCH TERMS: Theranos AND “Elizabeth Holmes” AND (conspiracy OR fraud)
GOVERNMENT AND POLITICS: Chile – Youngest President Elected
TOPIC: Chileans have elected Gabriel Boric as president. The former student activist is only thirty-five and is the most liberal president since Salvador Allende. Who did he run against and what was notable about the parties they represented? What issues did Boric run on and how did they differ from his opponent’s stances?
SEARCH TERMS: “Gabriel Boric”
ENVIRONMENT AND NATURE: Deadly Tornadoes in the U.S.
TOPIC: An outbreak of deadly tornadoes has impacted Arkansas, Tennessee, Illinois, Missouri and especially western Kentucky where a long-tracked EF4 tornado caused extensive damage. What is a long-tracked EF4 tornado, how do they form and why are they very dangerous? What is the worst of the damage these tornadoes did and how many fatalities did they cause? What is the best preparation strategy for tornadoes, and what kind of recovery practices can best help an area hit by them?
SEARCH TERMS: Kentucky AND (tornado OR tornadoes) AND (damage OR deaths OR fatalities OR destruction)
RELIGION: South Africa – Archbishop Desmond Tutu
TOPIC: Archbishop Desmond Tutu was a leader in the anti-apartheid movement and later chaired the South African Truth and Reconciliation Commission. What was Tutu’s path to becoming the Archbishop of Cape Town? What was the role of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission in the early years after apartheid?
SEARCH TERMS: “Desmond Tutu” OR (“South Africa” AND “Truth and Reconciliation Commission”)
SCIENCE: James Webb Space Telescope
TOPIC: NASA’s new James Webb Space Telescope will be the largest and most complicated telescope ever launched into space. What is the purpose of this telescope and how does it work? How far out in space is it planning to go and why? What are some concerns that NASA scientists have about this mission?
SEARCH TERMS: NASA AND “James Webb Space Telescope”
MOVIES AND TELEVISION: Worldwide – Ratings the Films of the Past Year
TOPIC: Critics around the world compile their lists of the best films of the year, with some also providing their list of the worst films as well. Are there any movies that are on a majority of lists? Which film seems to be the most surprising to have made these lists and why?
SEARCH TERMS: “best films” OR “worst films”
ENVIRONMENT AND NATURE: Spain – La Palma Volcano Eruption
TOPIC: Cumbre Vieja began erupting on September 19th on the Canary Island of La Palma and continued its destructive activity until mid-December. Lava flows have totally destroyed the western side of the island. Seismic activity decreased on December 14th, but there needs to be ten days of no seismic activity for the volcano to be declared safe. How many houses were thought to be destroyed? How many acres of crops were destroyed? What is the estimate of the total costs of the destruction?
SEARCH TERMS: (“La Palma” AND volcano) NOT lottery
SCIENCE: China – Dinosaur Embryo Discovery
TOPIC: Researchers in China have discovered an almost complete dinosaur embryo inside of an egg. The embryo’s position within the egg is similar to how birds prepare for their imminent hatching, a process called tucking. How was this embryo discovered? How do birds position themselves in their eggs before birth and what was similar about the position of the dinosaur? Does this discovery support the theory that birds are descendants of dinosaurs?
SEARCH TERMS: embryo AND tucking
FINE ARTS AND ARCHITECTURE: United Kingdom – Richard Rogers
TOPIC: Richard Rogers was a British architect. He came to prominence when he and Renzo Piano were chosen to design the Pompidou Centre in Paris in the 1970s. This was a building that went from being reviled while it was in its design stages to becoming beloved. Why were Rogers and Piano chosen, given that neither of them were French? What was a noticeable feature of both the Pompidou Centre and other buildings by Rogers? What other buildings did Rogers design? What honors did he win for his architectural work?
SEARCH TERMS: “Richard Rogers” AND architect
Business and Economics
BUSINESS: Theranos and Elizabeth Holmes
TOPIC: Founder and CEO of the blood-testing company Theranos, Elizabeth Holmes, has been found guilty on four of the eleven fraud and conspiracy charges against her. Which charges were she found guilty of and which charges were she found not guilty and why? What was the idea behind Theranos that investors and backers found so appealing and why did is seem plausible? What was the flaw in this idea that was being concealed and what was the hope of the company that it could be overcome?
SEARCH TERMS: Theranos AND “Elizabeth Holmes” AND (conspiracy OR fraud)
BUSINESS: Perdue Pharma Settlement Overturned
TOPIC: A federal judge has overturned Perdue Pharma’s settlement for the lawsuits it has faced due to its involvement in the opioid epidemic. What was the aspect of the settlement that the judge objected to and why? Who made the original settlement ruling and what had been the public reaction to that ruling?
SEARCH TERMS: “Perdue Pharma” AND settlement AND “federal judge”
BUSINESS: India – Apple Puts Foxconn Plant on Probation
TOPIC: Apple has found living conditions at its supplier’s iPhone plant in southern India are substandard after nearly 250 women working there came down with food poisoning. 150 of them were hospitalized. What were the conditions at the plant like? What are the likely consequences for Foxconn, the company that runs the iPhone plant, it if is unable to fully resolve the problems Apple has identified?
SEARCH TERMS: “Foxconn Sriperumbudur” AND probation
ECONOMICS: Turkey – Turkish Lira Plummets
TOPIC: The Turkish lira has been falling against other currencies, which drives inflation in the country. President Erdogan has just announced that peoples’ bank deposits would be protected against losses caused by declines in the lira’s value. How much has the lira declined against stronger currencies? What has the Turkish Central Bank done during this period? What is the current rate of inflation in Turkey and how does it compare to other countries in the region?
SEARCH TERMS: Turkey AND (inflation OR lira)
ECONOMICS: Worker Shortages
TOPIC: Multiple states are experiencing worker shortages with employers facing the worst labor pool since the 1990s. What is driving these shortages and what caused worker shortages in the 1990s? What regions and what states in the U.S. are seeing the biggest worker shortages and why?
SEARCH TERMS: (“worker shortage” OR “worker shortages” OR “labor shortage” OR “labor shortages”) AND states
FINANCE: Fed to Tighten Credit
TOPIC: The Federal Reserve (Fed) announced it will tighten credit faster in 2022. What does the Fed mean by “tightening credit faster” and what do they hope to achieve by it? What else did the Fed say it was planning for 2022 and for what purpose?
SEARCH TERMS: “Federal Reserve” AND (“tighten credit” OR “tightening credit”
Civics, Government and Politics
GOVERNMENT AND POLITICS: Democrats Split on Spending Plan
TOPIC: West Virginia Senator Joe Manchin has consistently been the toughest Democrat to negotiate with President Biden and his supporters on the President’s spending bill. How does this delay impact the President? What are the specifics in the bill that Senator Manchin has cited as his biggest concerns and what are his demands? What other reason has Senator Manchin given for his misgivings regarding this spending bill?
SEARCH TERMS: Biden AND (“spending bill” OR “Build Back Better”) AND (“Joe Manchin” OR “Senator Manchin” OR “Sen. Manchin”)
GOVERNMENT AND POLITICS: Chile – Youngest President Elected
TOPIC: Chileans have elected Gabriel Boric as president. The former student activist is only thirty-five and is the most liberal president since Salvador Allende. Who did he run against and what was notable about the parties they represented? What issues did Boric run on and how did they differ from his opponent’s stances?
SEARCH TERMS: “Gabriel Boric”
GOVERNMENT AND POLITICS: January 6 Investigation
TOPIC: The January 6th Select Committee which is investigating the January 2021 attack on the U.S. Capitol has subpoenaed several people, one of them is former White House Chief of Staff for the Trump administration, Mark Meadows. What records were turned over by Meadows and what valuable information did they reveal? What other records have been subpoenaed and what has been important information in those records? What warnings have come from retired generals regarding a potential new insurrection and what new rules has the Pentagon put in place to insure these people are not infiltrating the military?
SEARCH TERMS: (“Jan. 6” OR “January 6”) AND (records OR texts OR messages) AND Meadows AND (committee OR investigation)
HISTORY: Russian – Judges Shuts Memorial Down
TOPIC: The Memorial Human Rights Centre, based in Moscow, has been ordered closed by a judge, who has determined that the organization was violating the 2012 foreign agents’ law. Memorial was initially founded during the era of perestroika during the late 1980s to keep alive the memory of those persecuted under the Stalinist regime? What is the foreign agents’ law and how does it apply to Memorial? How did other countries react to this court ruling and subsequent closure of Memorial? Have other Russian NGOs been closed in this way?
SEARCH TERMS: “Memorial Human Rights Centre”
HISTORY: 80th Anniversary of Pearl Harbor
TOPIC: It has been eighty years since the Japanese air force bombed Hawaii’s Pearl Harbor Naval Base in a surprise attack. What was the issues that the U.S. and Japan were in disagreement over before the attack and what did the Japanese hope to achieve by attacking Pearl Harbor? Wat was the overall significance of this attack to the involvement of the United States in World War II and what was the United States position on the war before the attack?
SEARCH TERMS: “Pearl Harbor” And (Japan OR Japanese) AND (WW2 OR WWII OR “World War II” OR “World War 2”)
Social Issues
CRIME AND LAW: South Africa – Parliament Buildings Burn
TOPIC: A man has been arrested and charged with arson after he was found in the Parliamentary compound in Cape Town, the legislative capital of South Africa. Buildings in the compound had been set alight and the sprinkler system seemed to have been tampered with. How long did the fire burn and how many of the complex’s buildings were damaged?
SEARCH TERMS: “Cape Town” AND Parliament AND arson
CRIME AND LAW: US Cities Seeing Record Homicides
TOPIC: Several U.S. cities have seen a record numbers of homicides in 2021. What city had the worst spike in homicides and what previous record did it break? What other cities were high on the list for a spike in homicides? What are some contributing factors for these homicides that are unique to specific big and medium sized cities?
SEARCH TERMS: Cities AND Philadelphia AND (murders OR homicides) AND record
CRIME AND LAW: Myanmar – Aung San Suu Kyi Sentenced
TOPIC: Aung San Suu Kyi was sentenced to two years in jail for “incitement” of two of the eleven charges placed against her. She was overthrown by a military coup last February and has been in detention since then. What are some of the other charges against her? How does being convicted prevent her from running for office after her sentence is served? How has the international community reacted to her ouster and her conviction on these charges?
SEARCH TERMS: “Aung San Suu Kyi”
EDUCATION: Fears of School Violence
TOPIC: With over thirty school shootings this year, a threat of impending school violence posted on TikTok caused schools in several states to beef up security before the threat was identified as non-credible. What have been the most current security practices by schools to keep students safe? What are some early signs that a student may be a threat to fellow students and teachers?
SEARCH TERMS: schools AND (violence OR security OR shooting OR shootings) AND TikTok
EDUCATION: Afghanistan/Portugal – Famed Music School Relocates
TOPIC: The Afghanistan National Institute of Music has moved from Afghanistan to Portugal, in the hopes that it reopen. Students and faculty members and their families have all been granted asylum there. They had been taken to Doha, Qatar, in five installments. When was the Afghanistan National Institute of Music founded and what was notable about its student body? What other organization has relocated to Portugal from Afghanistan? Are other cultural figures leaving Afghanistan?
SEARCH TERMS: “Afghanistan National Institute of Music”
RELIGION: South Africa – Archbishop Desmond Tutu
TOPIC: Archbishop Desmond Tutu was a leader in the anti-apartheid movement and later chaired the South African Truth and Reconciliation Commission. What was Tutu’s path to becoming the Archbishop of Cape Town? What was the role of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission in the early years after apartheid?
SEARCH TERMS: “Desmond Tutu” OR (“South Africa” AND “Truth and Reconciliation Commission”)
RELIGION: Religious Holidays in December
TOPIC: Three of the major religious holidays that are usually celebrated in December are the Christian holiday of Christmas, the Jewish holiday of Hanukkah and the Buddhist holiday of Rohatsu, also known as Bodhi Day. What is the religious significance of each of these holidays? What determines the dates these religious holidays are celebrated?
SEARCH TERMS: (Christmas OR Hanukkah OR Chanukah OR Rohatsu OR “Bodhi Day”) AND (religion OR religious OR spiritual) AND (significance OR significant OR meaning)
SOCIAL RELATIONS: Supreme Court Allows Texas Law
TOPIC: In the case of Whole Women’s Health vs. Jackson, the U.S. Supreme Court has ruled that the restrictive abortion law in Texas can stand but can be challenged in court. What is the meaning of this verdict and how specifically is the state law allowed to be legally challenged? What implications does this ruling have on abortion rights across the nation?
SEARCH TERMS: "Whole Women’s Health” AND “Supreme Court” AND abortion
SOCIAL RELATIONS: Chile – Same-Sex Marriages Legalized
TOPIC: Both houses of Chile’s legislature have passed a bill that not only legalizes same-sex marriages, but allows adoptions by same-sex couples. Former President Sebastien Pinera supported the measure and said he would sign the bill. What was this bill’s path through the legislature? How long will it take for this bill to become law? How was this news received in Chile?
SEARCH TERMS: Chile AND “same-sex marriage”
Science, Technology and Health
ENVIRONMENT AND NATURE: Deadly Tornadoes in the U.S.
TOPIC: An outbreak of deadly tornadoes has impacted Arkansas, Tennessee, Illinois, Missouri and especially western Kentucky where a long-tracked EF4 tornado caused extensive damage. What is a long-tracked EF4 tornado, how do they form and why are they very dangerous? What is the worst of the damage these tornadoes did and how many fatalities did they cause? What is the best preparation strategy for tornadoes, and what kind of recovery practices can best help an area hit by them?
SEARCH TERMS: Kentucky AND (tornado OR tornadoes) AND (damage OR deaths OR fatalities OR destruction)
ENVIRONMENT AND NATURE: Spain – La Palma Volcano Eruption
TOPIC: Cumbre Vieja began erupting on September 19th on the Canary Island of La Palma and continued its destructive activity until mid-December. Lava flows have totally destroyed the western side of the island. Seismic activity decreased on December 14th, but there needs to be ten days of no seismic activity for the volcano to be declared safe. How many houses were thought to be destroyed? How many acres of crops were destroyed? What is the estimate of the total costs of the destruction?
SEARCH TERMS: (“La Palma” AND volcano) NOT lottery
ENVIRONMENT AND NATURE: December Colorado Wildfires
TOPIC: Boulder County, Colorado has suffered brutal wildfires at the unlikely time of late December 2021. What were the climate conditions in the preceding months that created the conditions for these wildfires? What was the extent of damage done and what were the recovery measures? What prevention measures can be taken by Colorado in the future?
SEARCH TERMS: (Colorado OR Boulder) AND (wildfire OR wildfires)
HEALTH: Worldwide – Spread of Omicron Variant
TOPIC: The omicron variant of Covid-19 has rapidly spread around the world since it was discovered in South Africa in November. Easily transmissible, it has become the dominant variant in many countries. Are any of the existing Covid vaccines helpful against it? What do many of the people who are being hospitalized with it have in common? How are Covid variants identified?
SEARCH TERMS: (coronavirus or Covid-19) AND omicron
HEALTH: Health Care Preparation
TOPIC: As the new omicron strain of COVID spreads across the U.S., many fear hospitals being overwhelmed but the federal government is planning for widespread free testing and federal support for hospitals. What are some ways the government and hospitals are working to prepare for increased omicron patients? What are the challenges some hospitals are facing now with new omicron patients and how are they dealing with these challenges?
SEARCH TERMS: omicron AND hospitals AND (Biden OR federal) AND (overwhelm OR overwhelmed)
SCIENCE: James Webb Space Telescope
TOPIC: NASA’s new James Webb Space Telescope will be the largest and most complicated telescope ever launched into space. What is the purpose of this telescope and how does it work? How far out in space is it planning to go and why? What are some concerns that NASA scientists have about this mission?
SEARCH TERMS: NASA AND “James Webb Space Telescope”
SCIENCE: China – Dinosaur Embryo Discovery
TOPIC: Researchers in China have discovered an almost complete dinosaur embryo inside of an egg. The embryo’s position within the egg is similar to how birds prepare for their imminent hatching, a process called tucking. How was this embryo discovered? How do birds position themselves in their eggs before birth and what was similar about the position of the dinosaur? Does this discovery support the theory that birds are descendants of dinosaurs?
SEARCH TERMS: embryo AND tucking
TECHNOLOGY: Outer Space – Too Many Satellites?
TOPIC: China has complained to the United Nations about the number of Starlink satellites in close earth orbit, saying their space station has had two incidents of having to avoid one of them. The head of the European Space Agency has claimed that Starlink’s owner, Elon Musk, is essentially making the rules for the commercialization of space, which he denies. What is Starlink and how many satellites does it already have in orbit? How many more does it plan to put up? What is Musk’s defense of this goal and of the number of satellites it will take?
SEARCH TERMS: Starlink AND satellites
TECHNOLOGY: Instagram Hearings
TOPIC: Head of the photo-sharing app Instagram, Adam Mosseri, has testified before a Senate committee in an investigation that stemmed from documents released by a whistleblower showing that images from this app among other content by Instagram’s owner Meta (formerly Facebook), might be harmful to the mental health of users. In what ways could some of the images in Instagram be harmful to users according to the documents? How can harmful images be “pushed” to users and why? What information did the Senate committee get from Mosseri’s testimony?
SEARCH TERMS: Mosseri AND Instagram AND Senate AND (committee OR hearing)
Sports
SPORTS: Formula One – A Champion Crowned Amid Controversy
TOPIC: Max Verstappen won the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix after the race director allowed the five lapped cars between his car and race leader Lewis Hamilton to unlap themselves, meaning they were allowed to pass Hamilton and the safety car. Lapped cars behind Verstappen were not allowed to pass. This unlapping brought Verstappen up to Hamilton and allowed him to overtake him in the one lap of racing that ensued. He won the championship. How controversial was this decision? What record was Hamilton attempting to win this season?
SEARCH TERMS: “Max Verstappen” OR “Lewis Hamilton”
SPORTS: MLB Lockout
TOPIC: Major League Baseball owners have unanimously voted for a lockout (ongoing work stoppage) soon after their collective bargaining agreement with the MLB players union expired. What are the primary issues that have been raised between the owners and the union, and why did the owners vote for a lockout? When was the last MLB work stoppage and what were the circumstances for that one?
SEARCH TERMS: MLB AND baseball AND (“work stoppage” OR lockout)
SPORTS: Canada – IIHF World Junior Championship Cancelled
TOPIC: Covid-19 has caused the postponement if not cancellation of the IIHF World Junior Championship which was underway in Edmonton. The International Ice Hockey Federation made this decision after two games were forfeited and other teams needed to enter quarantine. What games were forfeited? What teams needed to enter quarantine? Who had been favored to win? Has the IIHF cancelled any other tournaments?
SEARCH TERMS: “International Ice Hockey Federation” AND tournaments
SPORTS: Point Spread Record by Memphis Grizzlies
TOPIC: When the Memphis Grizzlies beat the Oklahoma City Thunder in early December 2021 by a score of 152 to 79, they set a new NBA record for the largest margin of victory - 73 points. What was the previous NBA record for a winning margin? What happened in the game between the Grizzlies and Oklahoma City that resulted in such a spread?
SEARCH TERMS: Memphis AND Grizzlies AND Thunder AND (margin OR spread) AND record
Arts and Literature
FINE ARTS AND ARCHITECTURE: Mondrian Lawsuit
TOPIC: The heirs of Dutch painter Piet Mondrian have filed a lawsuit informing the Philadelphia Museum of Art that a 1926 Mondrian painting in their holdings was plundered by the Nazis and show be returned to the Mondrian family. What is the law regarding artworks that have been acquired and then stolen from their rightful owner? What is the position of the Philadelphia Museum of Art in this matter?
SEARCH TERMS: “Philadelphia Museum of Art” AND Mondrian AND (Nazi OR Nazis)
FINE ARTS AND ARCHITECTURE: United Kingdom – Richard Rogers
TOPIC: Richard Rogers was a British architect. He came to prominence when he and Renzo Piano were chosen to design the Pompidou Centre in Paris in the 1970s. This was a building that went from being reviled while it was in its design stages to becoming beloved. Why were Rogers and Piano chosen, given that neither of them were French? What was a noticeable feature of both the Pompidou Centre and other buildings by Rogers? What other buildings did Rogers design? What honors did he win for his architectural work?
SEARCH TERMS: “Richard Rogers” AND architect
LITERATURE: Australia – Prime Minister’s Literary Award
TOPIC: Amanda Lohrey’s novel Labyrinth has won the Prime Minister’s Literary Award for fiction. It also won 2021 Miles Franklin and Voss literary prizes. The Prime Minister’s prize comes with $80,000 AU. Who won the other Prime Minister’s Literary Awards given out in 2021? Has another work of fiction swept Australia’s literary awards? What are Ms. Lohrey’s other works?
SEARCH TERMS: “Amanda Lohrey” AND Labyrinth
LITERATURE: Anne Rice
TOPIC: Anne Rice was an American novelist best known for her gothic fiction. What are some of her most famous books and what were the qualities that impressed critics and readers? What other genres did she write in and how does her style and writing talent show in those books?
SEARCH TERMS: "Anne Rice” AND (author OR writer OR novelist)
LITERATURE: Joan Didion
TOPIC: Joan Didion was a highly respected journalist, author and has co-written several screen plays with her husband, writer John Gregory Dunne. What kind of journalism and nonfiction was she best known for and how did she often describe the counter culture and Hollywood life to the public? What were her most popular novels and why? What is her most popular nonfiction book and why?
SEARCH TERMS: “Joan Didion” AND (author OR writer OR novelist OR journalist OR “Year of Magical Thinking”)
MOVIES AND TELEVISION: Spielberg’s West Side Story
TOPIC: Film director Steven Spielberg and screenwriter Tony Kushner have remade the 1961 film West Side Story. In what ways has Spielberg’s new film recreated the story to modernize it? Who originally created the stage musical of West Side Story, how was it adapted from Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet and what impact does the original stage musical have on Tony Kushner’s script for this new film?
SEARCH TERMS: Spielberg AND “West Side Story”
MOVIES AND TELEVISION: Worldwide – Ratings the Films of the Past Year
TOPIC: Critics around the world compile their lists of the best films of the year, with some also providing their list of the worst films as well. Are there any movies that are on a majority of lists? Which film seems to be the most surprising to have made these lists and why?
SEARCH TERMS: “best films” OR “worst films”
MUSIC: Mexico – Vincente Fernandez
TOPIC: Vicente Fernandez was a popular singer of ranchera and mariachi music and won multiple Grammy and Latin Grammy awards. What was notable about his concerts? What were some of his most popular songs? What other awards and honors did he win? What is ranchera music?
SEARCH TERMS: “Vicente Fernandez”
MUSIC: Springsteen’s Catalogue
TOPIC: Bruce Springsteen has sold the entire catalogue of his songs to Sony Music for a reported $500 million. What does it mean to “sell his catalogue” and why did Springsteen sell it? What other artists have done the same and why?
SEARCH TERMS: “Bruce Springsteen” AND (catalogue OR catalog)
PERFORMING ARTS: Nutcracker
TOPIC: Tchaikovsky’s Nutcracker ballet has become a popular staple during the Christmas season with its broadly appealing holiday music, its family-friendly Christmas story and sensational production. When did Tchaikovsky first present the Nutcracker and what was that production like? Who revived and reworked the Nutcracker for the New York City Ballet in the mid-1950s, making it the popular spectacle it is today? How did it change from the original?
SEARCH TERMS: Tchaikovsky AND Nutcracker AND Balanchine
People
PEOPLE: Bob Dole
TOPIC: Bob Dole was a longtime senator from Kansas and was a respected leader in the Republican Party. What are some of the key roles Senator Dole had during his time in the U.S. Senate? What were his experiences in World War II and what military decorations did he earn? What were his expressed political beliefs, and how did they manifest in the work he did as senator and as a candidate for President of the United States? What are some examples of bipartisan work he did with senators of the Democratic Party and how did he believe members of the U.S. Congress should work together?
SEARCH TERMS: (“Bob Dole” OR “Senator Dole”) AND (Kansas OR Senate)
PEOPLE: Harry M. Reid, Former Senate Leader
TOPIC: Harry M. Reid, Senator from Nevada, served as the Democratic Senate Majority Leader from 2004 until 2014. He chose not to run for re-election in 2016. He was instrumental in getting much of President Barack Obama’s legislation through the Senate, including the Affordable Care Act. His life was not like those of many of his colleagues. Where did he grow up and what were the circumstances of his childhood? What did he do before he became a politician? How effective was he as the Majority Leader of the Senate?
SEARCH TERMS: “Harry M. Reid”
PEOPLE: North Korea – Kim Yong-ju
TOPIC: Kim Yong-ju was the youngest brother of the founder of North Korea Kim Il-sung. Under his brother he first held a high position in the North Korean government, and then, in 1975 he vanished from public view. He returned in 1993 and became a vice president. Were the reasons for his abrupt disappearance and reappearance ever made public? What roles in government did he play before 1975? What has he done since his return to prominence?
SEARCH TERMS: “Kim Yong-ju”
PEOPLE: Kenya – Richard Leakey
TOPIC: Richard Leakey, whose parents were paleontologists Louis and Mary Leakey, made his own discoveries of early hominids in Kenya. He ran the anti-poaching effort in Kenya and was an activist against the ivory trade. What was his most famous find as a paleontologist? What other roles did he play in Kenya life?
SEARCH TERMS: “Richard Leakey”
PEOPLE: Hall of Famer John Madden
TOPIC: John Madden as coach of the Oakland Raiders led the team to Super Bowl success and as a broadcaster working for all major networks he became the face and voice of the National Football League. He is perhaps best known for the video game franchise he helped Entertainment Arts make, Madden NFL. Where did Madden play college football and what NFL team drafted him? What was his path through the coaching ranks that led to his appointment as head coach of the Oakland Raiders? Who did he partner with in the broadcast booth and what innovations in broadcasting did he pioneer?
SEARCH TERMS: “John Madden”
PEOPLE: Edward O. Wilson, Noted Biologist
TOPIC: Edward O. Wilson was an authority on ants who extrapolated his findings about them to other species including humans in the 1970s. He was interested in the evolution of behavior and how natural selection could influence the social behavior of species. A long-time professor at Harvard, he won the Pulitzer Prize for two of his books. Beyond ants, what were some of the other areas of his research interest? What was controversial about his application of natural selection to human behaviors, which was called sociobiology in the 1970s?
SEARCH TERMS: “E.O. Wilson”
PEOPLE: Betty White
TOPIC: Betty White was a popular comedic actress and a pioneer of early television. How did she transition from radio to television? What television roles are she best remembered for and why? What popular movies was she in and what did critics and fans find appealing about her performances?
SEARCH TERMS: “Betty White” AND (television OR TV OR “Golden Girls”)
PEOPLE: bell hooks
TOPIC: Writer Gloria Jean Watkins, best known by her lower-case-spelled name bell hooks was also well known as a social activist. What were the economic and social themes in her writing? How are some of the beliefs bell hooks expressed in her writings embraced by groups in society today?
SEARCH TERMS: “bell hooks” AND (professor OR writer OR author) AND (race OR gender OR woman OR women)
PEOPLE: Kataluna Enriquez
TOPIC: Kataluna Enriquez is the first openly transgender person to win the Miss Nevada USA pageant and the first openly transgender person to compete in the Miss USA pageant. What work did Enriquez do as a model before entering pageants and how did the kind of pageants they entered change? What work has Enriquez done for LGBTQ rights?
SEARCH TERMS: “Kataluna Enriquez” AND (trans OR transgender) AND (pageant OR “Miss Nevada” OR “Miss USA”)
PEOPLE: Al Unser
TOPIC: Al Unser was an established race car driver whose wins have put him in an elite group of racers. What major race and championship has he won multiple times and how does he rank against other drivers for number of wins in these races? What were his strengths as a driver? Who were his brothers, and what were their major achievements?
SEARCH TERMS: “Al Unser” AND (racing OR racer) AND (Indianapolis OR “national championship”)
PEOPLE: Michael Nesmith
TOPIC: Michael Nesmith was a member of the 1960s pop band The Monkees, mostly known for their popular television show of the same name. What Monkees songs were the most popular and why? What famous hit for Linda Ronstadt was written by Mike Nesmith? What successful multimedia production company was founded by Nesmith and what other roles did he play in the business of television and film? What hit did he have with his group the First National Band?
SEARCH TERMS: “Michael Nesmith” AND Monkeese Klerk”
Watch the Webinar: Teaching About Juneteenth with Children's Books
Lee & Low had a great virtual turnout for last week’s webinar, Teaching About Juneteenth with Children’s Books with Newbery and Caldecott Honor-winning author and poet Carole Boston Weatherford (Juneteenth Jamboree), alongside expert educators Dr. Amanda Vickery and Dawnavyn James. And the recording is finally here!
If you missed it live (or just want to watch again), you can access the webinar below, or here on YouTube. Find resources and booklists shared during the webinar here and feel free to reach out for more information and/or a Professional Development certificate.
WATCH HERE
The Music Never Stops: Virtual Concerts, DJ Sets, Dance Parties, and Classes
lwww.eventbrite.com/c/livestream-music-events-cwwrkfd/?utm_campaign=newsletter_editorial&utm_content=loc.85938701.r2021_14&aff=ebemnseattnewseditorial&utm_source=eventbrite&utm_medium=email&ref=ebemnseattnewseditorial
Stop Asian Hate: Virtual Anti-Asian Racism Events
www.eventbrite.com/c/stop-asian-hate-virtual-events-ccbddmmg/?utm_campaign=newsletter_editorial&utm_content=loc.85938701.r2021_14&aff=ebemnseattnewseditorial&utm_source=eventbrite&utm_medium=email&ref=ebemnseattnewseditorial
Amanda Gorman answers: why is poetry your chosen medium?
Celebrated poet and Penguin author Amanda Gorman talks about why poetry is her chosen medium in this video. Click on the link below to hear directly from the poet herself!
Watch the Video!
Online events for you
Child’s Play: Online Classes and Events to Keep Kids Busy at Home
Sign-in to follow Child’s Play: Online Classes and Events to Keep Kids Busy at Home and get notified of future events in this collection.
https://www.eventbrite.com/signin
GLOBE Observer Citizen Science Public Training
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
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
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).
Links for Kids:
Pigly is a free online personal finance guide offering over 100 financial calculators.
In-depth guide to help teach kids the importance of building an emergency savings plan.
https://pigly.com/savings/guide-for-kids.php
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://router-admin.net/articles/computer-games-experiments
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/
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://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/
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
Links for Youth and Adults
https://superscaling.com/category/blog/
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
Online Author Events and More
https://www.youtube.com/c/bookpassagetv/live
An intimate chat with beloved author Jan Brett on her book, Cozy.
Watch video
Martin Luther King Jr. Program
Thursday, January 20th at 1:00 PM
Keith Henley will be doing a first person portrayal on Zoom, along with a Q & A session for Naperville Public Library and they have invited others to watch.
https://napervillepl.librarycalendar.com/events/brown-bag-lecture-martin-luther-king-jr
Online Programs presented by Illinois Libraries Present. Click on the links below to register.
An Evening with Silvia Moreno-Garcia
Wednesday, January 26 at 7:00 PM| Zoom
https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_z3DtVIPyQWe6AxmLYuTECw
https://bit.ly/ILP_SilviaMoreno-Garcia
Bestselling author Silvia Moreno-Garcia discusses her newest book, Velvet Was the Night, and her genre-defying mashups of cultural noir and Lovecraftian horror.
Silvia Moreno-Garcia is the New York Times bestselling author of the critically acclaimed novels Certain Dark Things, Gods of Jade and Shadow and Mexican Gothic, which Vanity Fair called “[An] irresistibly dark feminist reimagining of the Gothic fantasy novel.” Mexican by birth, Canadian by inclination, Silvia has edited several anthologies, received many awards for her novels, and is a columnist for the Washington Post.
An Evening with Jasmine Guillory
Wednesday, February 16 at 7:00 PM| Zoom
https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_tTHFmy7iRT-yC0D2qOIeyQ
https://bit.ly/ILP_JasmineGuillory
Join us for a lively evening with bestselling author Jasmine Guillory as she discusses the importance of real life and the modern rom-com.
Jasmine Guillory is a writer, lawyer and New York Times bestselling author of six romance novels, including The Wedding Date, The Proposal, and While We Were Dating. NPR called The Proposal, “Rollicking, charming, and infinitely zesty.” Her work has appeared in O, The Oprah Magazine, Cosmopolitan, Bon Appetit, and Time. She lives in Oakland, California.
An Evening with Jenny Lawson
Wednesday, March 30th 7:00 PM l Zoom
Diversity, Poverty, Prejudice: Where Do You Fit In And How Can
You Help Make A Difference?
With: Padma Venkatraman, Stacey Lee & Veera Hiranandani
Watch video
She Persisted : Meet some of the authors from Chelsea Clinton’s Persisterhood
With: Deborah Heiligman, Kekla Magoon & Meg Medina
Watch video
The Holocaust and Global Genocide
With: Ruta Sepetys, Dana Walrath, Karen Gray Ruelle & Vesper Stamper
Watch video
Steven King Reads from Billy Summers.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=IDJz-ccAMeI
Judy Blume Talks Banned Books and FOREVER... on Audio
https://soundcloud.com/user-451822665/a-message-from-judy-blume-author-of-forever?utm_source=www.booksontape.com&utm_campaign=wtshare&utm_medium=widget&utm_content=https%253A%252F%252Fsoundcloud.com%252Fuser-451822665%252Fa-message-from-judy-blume-author-of-forever
Are you an 8-11 year-old who loves to talk/perform, wants to learn about historical figures, and would enjoy a friendly competition?
The new Who Was? podcast is looking for contestants! The Who Was? podcast is based on the best-selling WhoHQ nonfiction series and much like The Who Was? Show on Netflix, the podcast will be a funny quiz show, complete with tons of info and sketches about trailblazing historical figures. The champion of the episode will be rewarded with a selection of Who Was? books and a set for their school library to enjoy. Please connect with Jane Baker Talent Booking Agent, Producer The Who Was Podcast at WWPODTALENT@GMAIL.COM if you are interested. Please note that at least one parent, guardian or teacher, with the parents’ permission, must be available for a video call with the child. Deadline to audition: January 31, 2022.
The 45-episode series will debut in February 2022 and will be available on iHeartRadio and everywhere podcasts are heard.
Email the Producer!
Shelf Care talks with Sara Pennypacker, author of Pat: Journey Home
Welcome to the Shelf Care Interview, an occasional conversation series where Booklist talks to book people. This Shelf Care Interview is sponsored by HarperCollins Children's Books.
In this latest installment, Sarah Hunter talks to Sara Pennypacker, author of PAX: JOURNEY HOME.
Sara Pennypacker is the author of the #1 New York Times bestselling PAX; the award-winning Clementine series and its spinoff series, Waylon; and the acclaimed novels SUMMER OF THE GYPSY MOTHS and HERE IN THE REAL WORLD. She divides her time between Cape Cod, Massachusetts, and Florida.
Read the transcript here: www.booklistonline.com/The-Shelf-Car…h/pid=9754682
soundcloud.com/shelfcare/shelf-care-interview-sara-pennypacker
Learning doesn’t have to be boring! Our portfolio includes diverse products, including new print releases and continuously updated digital content, thousands of eBooks titles, and new assessment and tutoring tools built for educators like you. When considering which activities to blend into your lesson plan, nothing increases engagement, lesson comprehension, or test performance like our fun, yet educational, tools for learning.
In this month's World Book Wired, we're sharing blended and remote learning support, guidance, and helpful resources to make your transition back to school easier.
E-Learning Inspiration
Count & Play
Count & play! Early Learning's "Butterfly Catch" brain game teaches basic counting skills along with color recognition to young children.
2,500+ eBooks
Discover our on-the-go digital library with thousands of engaging titles that support all reading levels and cover the entire curriculum.
Gamification
When faced with teaching challenging topics, try our curriculum-aligned math and science games for grades 3-8 across a variety of learning objectives.
Newsbank
(this is an online resource we have available for patrons to access. Please see the link on the bottom of the Home page).
Welcome to NewsBank Hot Topics!
Hot Topics provides librarians, patrons, faculty and students with an easier path to locating topics of interest related to current global issues, events and people for personal and course research.
Click here to access Hot Topics directly or find it on the main search screen of your NewsBank product menu page.
Download Hot Topics (pdf) to share with others.
Welcome to NewsBank Hot Topics!
Hot Topics provides librarians, patrons, faculty and students with an easier path to locating topics of interest related to current global issues, events and people for personal and course research.
Click here to access Hot Topics directly or find it on the main search screen of your NewsBank product menu page.
Download Hot Topics (pdf) to share with others.
NewsBank Hot Topics
January 2022
Current Events
HEALTH: Worldwide – Spread of Omicron Variant
TOPIC: The omicron variant of Covid-19 has rapidly spread around the world since it was discovered in South Africa in November. Easily transmissible, it has become the dominant variant in many countries. Are any of the existing Covid vaccines helpful against it? What do many of the people who are being hospitalized with it have in common? How are Covid variants identified?
SEARCH TERMS: (coronavirus or Covid-19) AND omicron
BUSINESS: Theranos and Elizabeth Holmes
TOPIC: Founder and CEO of the blood-testing company Theranos, Elizabeth Holmes, has been found guilty on four of the eleven fraud and conspiracy charges against her. Which charges were she found guilty of and which charges were she found not guilty and why? What was the idea behind Theranos that investors and backers found so appealing and why did is seem plausible? What was the flaw in this idea that was being concealed and what was the hope of the company that it could be overcome?
SEARCH TERMS: Theranos AND “Elizabeth Holmes” AND (conspiracy OR fraud)
GOVERNMENT AND POLITICS: Chile – Youngest President Elected
TOPIC: Chileans have elected Gabriel Boric as president. The former student activist is only thirty-five and is the most liberal president since Salvador Allende. Who did he run against and what was notable about the parties they represented? What issues did Boric run on and how did they differ from his opponent’s stances?
SEARCH TERMS: “Gabriel Boric”
ENVIRONMENT AND NATURE: Deadly Tornadoes in the U.S.
TOPIC: An outbreak of deadly tornadoes has impacted Arkansas, Tennessee, Illinois, Missouri and especially western Kentucky where a long-tracked EF4 tornado caused extensive damage. What is a long-tracked EF4 tornado, how do they form and why are they very dangerous? What is the worst of the damage these tornadoes did and how many fatalities did they cause? What is the best preparation strategy for tornadoes, and what kind of recovery practices can best help an area hit by them?
SEARCH TERMS: Kentucky AND (tornado OR tornadoes) AND (damage OR deaths OR fatalities OR destruction)
RELIGION: South Africa – Archbishop Desmond Tutu
TOPIC: Archbishop Desmond Tutu was a leader in the anti-apartheid movement and later chaired the South African Truth and Reconciliation Commission. What was Tutu’s path to becoming the Archbishop of Cape Town? What was the role of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission in the early years after apartheid?
SEARCH TERMS: “Desmond Tutu” OR (“South Africa” AND “Truth and Reconciliation Commission”)
SCIENCE: James Webb Space Telescope
TOPIC: NASA’s new James Webb Space Telescope will be the largest and most complicated telescope ever launched into space. What is the purpose of this telescope and how does it work? How far out in space is it planning to go and why? What are some concerns that NASA scientists have about this mission?
SEARCH TERMS: NASA AND “James Webb Space Telescope”
MOVIES AND TELEVISION: Worldwide – Ratings the Films of the Past Year
TOPIC: Critics around the world compile their lists of the best films of the year, with some also providing their list of the worst films as well. Are there any movies that are on a majority of lists? Which film seems to be the most surprising to have made these lists and why?
SEARCH TERMS: “best films” OR “worst films”
ENVIRONMENT AND NATURE: Spain – La Palma Volcano Eruption
TOPIC: Cumbre Vieja began erupting on September 19th on the Canary Island of La Palma and continued its destructive activity until mid-December. Lava flows have totally destroyed the western side of the island. Seismic activity decreased on December 14th, but there needs to be ten days of no seismic activity for the volcano to be declared safe. How many houses were thought to be destroyed? How many acres of crops were destroyed? What is the estimate of the total costs of the destruction?
SEARCH TERMS: (“La Palma” AND volcano) NOT lottery
SCIENCE: China – Dinosaur Embryo Discovery
TOPIC: Researchers in China have discovered an almost complete dinosaur embryo inside of an egg. The embryo’s position within the egg is similar to how birds prepare for their imminent hatching, a process called tucking. How was this embryo discovered? How do birds position themselves in their eggs before birth and what was similar about the position of the dinosaur? Does this discovery support the theory that birds are descendants of dinosaurs?
SEARCH TERMS: embryo AND tucking
FINE ARTS AND ARCHITECTURE: United Kingdom – Richard Rogers
TOPIC: Richard Rogers was a British architect. He came to prominence when he and Renzo Piano were chosen to design the Pompidou Centre in Paris in the 1970s. This was a building that went from being reviled while it was in its design stages to becoming beloved. Why were Rogers and Piano chosen, given that neither of them were French? What was a noticeable feature of both the Pompidou Centre and other buildings by Rogers? What other buildings did Rogers design? What honors did he win for his architectural work?
SEARCH TERMS: “Richard Rogers” AND architect
Business and Economics
BUSINESS: Theranos and Elizabeth Holmes
TOPIC: Founder and CEO of the blood-testing company Theranos, Elizabeth Holmes, has been found guilty on four of the eleven fraud and conspiracy charges against her. Which charges were she found guilty of and which charges were she found not guilty and why? What was the idea behind Theranos that investors and backers found so appealing and why did is seem plausible? What was the flaw in this idea that was being concealed and what was the hope of the company that it could be overcome?
SEARCH TERMS: Theranos AND “Elizabeth Holmes” AND (conspiracy OR fraud)
BUSINESS: Perdue Pharma Settlement Overturned
TOPIC: A federal judge has overturned Perdue Pharma’s settlement for the lawsuits it has faced due to its involvement in the opioid epidemic. What was the aspect of the settlement that the judge objected to and why? Who made the original settlement ruling and what had been the public reaction to that ruling?
SEARCH TERMS: “Perdue Pharma” AND settlement AND “federal judge”
BUSINESS: India – Apple Puts Foxconn Plant on Probation
TOPIC: Apple has found living conditions at its supplier’s iPhone plant in southern India are substandard after nearly 250 women working there came down with food poisoning. 150 of them were hospitalized. What were the conditions at the plant like? What are the likely consequences for Foxconn, the company that runs the iPhone plant, it if is unable to fully resolve the problems Apple has identified?
SEARCH TERMS: “Foxconn Sriperumbudur” AND probation
ECONOMICS: Turkey – Turkish Lira Plummets
TOPIC: The Turkish lira has been falling against other currencies, which drives inflation in the country. President Erdogan has just announced that peoples’ bank deposits would be protected against losses caused by declines in the lira’s value. How much has the lira declined against stronger currencies? What has the Turkish Central Bank done during this period? What is the current rate of inflation in Turkey and how does it compare to other countries in the region?
SEARCH TERMS: Turkey AND (inflation OR lira)
ECONOMICS: Worker Shortages
TOPIC: Multiple states are experiencing worker shortages with employers facing the worst labor pool since the 1990s. What is driving these shortages and what caused worker shortages in the 1990s? What regions and what states in the U.S. are seeing the biggest worker shortages and why?
SEARCH TERMS: (“worker shortage” OR “worker shortages” OR “labor shortage” OR “labor shortages”) AND states
FINANCE: Fed to Tighten Credit
TOPIC: The Federal Reserve (Fed) announced it will tighten credit faster in 2022. What does the Fed mean by “tightening credit faster” and what do they hope to achieve by it? What else did the Fed say it was planning for 2022 and for what purpose?
SEARCH TERMS: “Federal Reserve” AND (“tighten credit” OR “tightening credit”
Civics, Government and Politics
GOVERNMENT AND POLITICS: Democrats Split on Spending Plan
TOPIC: West Virginia Senator Joe Manchin has consistently been the toughest Democrat to negotiate with President Biden and his supporters on the President’s spending bill. How does this delay impact the President? What are the specifics in the bill that Senator Manchin has cited as his biggest concerns and what are his demands? What other reason has Senator Manchin given for his misgivings regarding this spending bill?
SEARCH TERMS: Biden AND (“spending bill” OR “Build Back Better”) AND (“Joe Manchin” OR “Senator Manchin” OR “Sen. Manchin”)
GOVERNMENT AND POLITICS: Chile – Youngest President Elected
TOPIC: Chileans have elected Gabriel Boric as president. The former student activist is only thirty-five and is the most liberal president since Salvador Allende. Who did he run against and what was notable about the parties they represented? What issues did Boric run on and how did they differ from his opponent’s stances?
SEARCH TERMS: “Gabriel Boric”
GOVERNMENT AND POLITICS: January 6 Investigation
TOPIC: The January 6th Select Committee which is investigating the January 2021 attack on the U.S. Capitol has subpoenaed several people, one of them is former White House Chief of Staff for the Trump administration, Mark Meadows. What records were turned over by Meadows and what valuable information did they reveal? What other records have been subpoenaed and what has been important information in those records? What warnings have come from retired generals regarding a potential new insurrection and what new rules has the Pentagon put in place to insure these people are not infiltrating the military?
SEARCH TERMS: (“Jan. 6” OR “January 6”) AND (records OR texts OR messages) AND Meadows AND (committee OR investigation)
HISTORY: Russian – Judges Shuts Memorial Down
TOPIC: The Memorial Human Rights Centre, based in Moscow, has been ordered closed by a judge, who has determined that the organization was violating the 2012 foreign agents’ law. Memorial was initially founded during the era of perestroika during the late 1980s to keep alive the memory of those persecuted under the Stalinist regime? What is the foreign agents’ law and how does it apply to Memorial? How did other countries react to this court ruling and subsequent closure of Memorial? Have other Russian NGOs been closed in this way?
SEARCH TERMS: “Memorial Human Rights Centre”
HISTORY: 80th Anniversary of Pearl Harbor
TOPIC: It has been eighty years since the Japanese air force bombed Hawaii’s Pearl Harbor Naval Base in a surprise attack. What was the issues that the U.S. and Japan were in disagreement over before the attack and what did the Japanese hope to achieve by attacking Pearl Harbor? Wat was the overall significance of this attack to the involvement of the United States in World War II and what was the United States position on the war before the attack?
SEARCH TERMS: “Pearl Harbor” And (Japan OR Japanese) AND (WW2 OR WWII OR “World War II” OR “World War 2”)
Social Issues
CRIME AND LAW: South Africa – Parliament Buildings Burn
TOPIC: A man has been arrested and charged with arson after he was found in the Parliamentary compound in Cape Town, the legislative capital of South Africa. Buildings in the compound had been set alight and the sprinkler system seemed to have been tampered with. How long did the fire burn and how many of the complex’s buildings were damaged?
SEARCH TERMS: “Cape Town” AND Parliament AND arson
CRIME AND LAW: US Cities Seeing Record Homicides
TOPIC: Several U.S. cities have seen a record numbers of homicides in 2021. What city had the worst spike in homicides and what previous record did it break? What other cities were high on the list for a spike in homicides? What are some contributing factors for these homicides that are unique to specific big and medium sized cities?
SEARCH TERMS: Cities AND Philadelphia AND (murders OR homicides) AND record
CRIME AND LAW: Myanmar – Aung San Suu Kyi Sentenced
TOPIC: Aung San Suu Kyi was sentenced to two years in jail for “incitement” of two of the eleven charges placed against her. She was overthrown by a military coup last February and has been in detention since then. What are some of the other charges against her? How does being convicted prevent her from running for office after her sentence is served? How has the international community reacted to her ouster and her conviction on these charges?
SEARCH TERMS: “Aung San Suu Kyi”
EDUCATION: Fears of School Violence
TOPIC: With over thirty school shootings this year, a threat of impending school violence posted on TikTok caused schools in several states to beef up security before the threat was identified as non-credible. What have been the most current security practices by schools to keep students safe? What are some early signs that a student may be a threat to fellow students and teachers?
SEARCH TERMS: schools AND (violence OR security OR shooting OR shootings) AND TikTok
EDUCATION: Afghanistan/Portugal – Famed Music School Relocates
TOPIC: The Afghanistan National Institute of Music has moved from Afghanistan to Portugal, in the hopes that it reopen. Students and faculty members and their families have all been granted asylum there. They had been taken to Doha, Qatar, in five installments. When was the Afghanistan National Institute of Music founded and what was notable about its student body? What other organization has relocated to Portugal from Afghanistan? Are other cultural figures leaving Afghanistan?
SEARCH TERMS: “Afghanistan National Institute of Music”
RELIGION: South Africa – Archbishop Desmond Tutu
TOPIC: Archbishop Desmond Tutu was a leader in the anti-apartheid movement and later chaired the South African Truth and Reconciliation Commission. What was Tutu’s path to becoming the Archbishop of Cape Town? What was the role of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission in the early years after apartheid?
SEARCH TERMS: “Desmond Tutu” OR (“South Africa” AND “Truth and Reconciliation Commission”)
RELIGION: Religious Holidays in December
TOPIC: Three of the major religious holidays that are usually celebrated in December are the Christian holiday of Christmas, the Jewish holiday of Hanukkah and the Buddhist holiday of Rohatsu, also known as Bodhi Day. What is the religious significance of each of these holidays? What determines the dates these religious holidays are celebrated?
SEARCH TERMS: (Christmas OR Hanukkah OR Chanukah OR Rohatsu OR “Bodhi Day”) AND (religion OR religious OR spiritual) AND (significance OR significant OR meaning)
SOCIAL RELATIONS: Supreme Court Allows Texas Law
TOPIC: In the case of Whole Women’s Health vs. Jackson, the U.S. Supreme Court has ruled that the restrictive abortion law in Texas can stand but can be challenged in court. What is the meaning of this verdict and how specifically is the state law allowed to be legally challenged? What implications does this ruling have on abortion rights across the nation?
SEARCH TERMS: "Whole Women’s Health” AND “Supreme Court” AND abortion
SOCIAL RELATIONS: Chile – Same-Sex Marriages Legalized
TOPIC: Both houses of Chile’s legislature have passed a bill that not only legalizes same-sex marriages, but allows adoptions by same-sex couples. Former President Sebastien Pinera supported the measure and said he would sign the bill. What was this bill’s path through the legislature? How long will it take for this bill to become law? How was this news received in Chile?
SEARCH TERMS: Chile AND “same-sex marriage”
Science, Technology and Health
ENVIRONMENT AND NATURE: Deadly Tornadoes in the U.S.
TOPIC: An outbreak of deadly tornadoes has impacted Arkansas, Tennessee, Illinois, Missouri and especially western Kentucky where a long-tracked EF4 tornado caused extensive damage. What is a long-tracked EF4 tornado, how do they form and why are they very dangerous? What is the worst of the damage these tornadoes did and how many fatalities did they cause? What is the best preparation strategy for tornadoes, and what kind of recovery practices can best help an area hit by them?
SEARCH TERMS: Kentucky AND (tornado OR tornadoes) AND (damage OR deaths OR fatalities OR destruction)
ENVIRONMENT AND NATURE: Spain – La Palma Volcano Eruption
TOPIC: Cumbre Vieja began erupting on September 19th on the Canary Island of La Palma and continued its destructive activity until mid-December. Lava flows have totally destroyed the western side of the island. Seismic activity decreased on December 14th, but there needs to be ten days of no seismic activity for the volcano to be declared safe. How many houses were thought to be destroyed? How many acres of crops were destroyed? What is the estimate of the total costs of the destruction?
SEARCH TERMS: (“La Palma” AND volcano) NOT lottery
ENVIRONMENT AND NATURE: December Colorado Wildfires
TOPIC: Boulder County, Colorado has suffered brutal wildfires at the unlikely time of late December 2021. What were the climate conditions in the preceding months that created the conditions for these wildfires? What was the extent of damage done and what were the recovery measures? What prevention measures can be taken by Colorado in the future?
SEARCH TERMS: (Colorado OR Boulder) AND (wildfire OR wildfires)
HEALTH: Worldwide – Spread of Omicron Variant
TOPIC: The omicron variant of Covid-19 has rapidly spread around the world since it was discovered in South Africa in November. Easily transmissible, it has become the dominant variant in many countries. Are any of the existing Covid vaccines helpful against it? What do many of the people who are being hospitalized with it have in common? How are Covid variants identified?
SEARCH TERMS: (coronavirus or Covid-19) AND omicron
HEALTH: Health Care Preparation
TOPIC: As the new omicron strain of COVID spreads across the U.S., many fear hospitals being overwhelmed but the federal government is planning for widespread free testing and federal support for hospitals. What are some ways the government and hospitals are working to prepare for increased omicron patients? What are the challenges some hospitals are facing now with new omicron patients and how are they dealing with these challenges?
SEARCH TERMS: omicron AND hospitals AND (Biden OR federal) AND (overwhelm OR overwhelmed)
SCIENCE: James Webb Space Telescope
TOPIC: NASA’s new James Webb Space Telescope will be the largest and most complicated telescope ever launched into space. What is the purpose of this telescope and how does it work? How far out in space is it planning to go and why? What are some concerns that NASA scientists have about this mission?
SEARCH TERMS: NASA AND “James Webb Space Telescope”
SCIENCE: China – Dinosaur Embryo Discovery
TOPIC: Researchers in China have discovered an almost complete dinosaur embryo inside of an egg. The embryo’s position within the egg is similar to how birds prepare for their imminent hatching, a process called tucking. How was this embryo discovered? How do birds position themselves in their eggs before birth and what was similar about the position of the dinosaur? Does this discovery support the theory that birds are descendants of dinosaurs?
SEARCH TERMS: embryo AND tucking
TECHNOLOGY: Outer Space – Too Many Satellites?
TOPIC: China has complained to the United Nations about the number of Starlink satellites in close earth orbit, saying their space station has had two incidents of having to avoid one of them. The head of the European Space Agency has claimed that Starlink’s owner, Elon Musk, is essentially making the rules for the commercialization of space, which he denies. What is Starlink and how many satellites does it already have in orbit? How many more does it plan to put up? What is Musk’s defense of this goal and of the number of satellites it will take?
SEARCH TERMS: Starlink AND satellites
TECHNOLOGY: Instagram Hearings
TOPIC: Head of the photo-sharing app Instagram, Adam Mosseri, has testified before a Senate committee in an investigation that stemmed from documents released by a whistleblower showing that images from this app among other content by Instagram’s owner Meta (formerly Facebook), might be harmful to the mental health of users. In what ways could some of the images in Instagram be harmful to users according to the documents? How can harmful images be “pushed” to users and why? What information did the Senate committee get from Mosseri’s testimony?
SEARCH TERMS: Mosseri AND Instagram AND Senate AND (committee OR hearing)
Sports
SPORTS: Formula One – A Champion Crowned Amid Controversy
TOPIC: Max Verstappen won the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix after the race director allowed the five lapped cars between his car and race leader Lewis Hamilton to unlap themselves, meaning they were allowed to pass Hamilton and the safety car. Lapped cars behind Verstappen were not allowed to pass. This unlapping brought Verstappen up to Hamilton and allowed him to overtake him in the one lap of racing that ensued. He won the championship. How controversial was this decision? What record was Hamilton attempting to win this season?
SEARCH TERMS: “Max Verstappen” OR “Lewis Hamilton”
SPORTS: MLB Lockout
TOPIC: Major League Baseball owners have unanimously voted for a lockout (ongoing work stoppage) soon after their collective bargaining agreement with the MLB players union expired. What are the primary issues that have been raised between the owners and the union, and why did the owners vote for a lockout? When was the last MLB work stoppage and what were the circumstances for that one?
SEARCH TERMS: MLB AND baseball AND (“work stoppage” OR lockout)
SPORTS: Canada – IIHF World Junior Championship Cancelled
TOPIC: Covid-19 has caused the postponement if not cancellation of the IIHF World Junior Championship which was underway in Edmonton. The International Ice Hockey Federation made this decision after two games were forfeited and other teams needed to enter quarantine. What games were forfeited? What teams needed to enter quarantine? Who had been favored to win? Has the IIHF cancelled any other tournaments?
SEARCH TERMS: “International Ice Hockey Federation” AND tournaments
SPORTS: Point Spread Record by Memphis Grizzlies
TOPIC: When the Memphis Grizzlies beat the Oklahoma City Thunder in early December 2021 by a score of 152 to 79, they set a new NBA record for the largest margin of victory - 73 points. What was the previous NBA record for a winning margin? What happened in the game between the Grizzlies and Oklahoma City that resulted in such a spread?
SEARCH TERMS: Memphis AND Grizzlies AND Thunder AND (margin OR spread) AND record
Arts and Literature
FINE ARTS AND ARCHITECTURE: Mondrian Lawsuit
TOPIC: The heirs of Dutch painter Piet Mondrian have filed a lawsuit informing the Philadelphia Museum of Art that a 1926 Mondrian painting in their holdings was plundered by the Nazis and show be returned to the Mondrian family. What is the law regarding artworks that have been acquired and then stolen from their rightful owner? What is the position of the Philadelphia Museum of Art in this matter?
SEARCH TERMS: “Philadelphia Museum of Art” AND Mondrian AND (Nazi OR Nazis)
FINE ARTS AND ARCHITECTURE: United Kingdom – Richard Rogers
TOPIC: Richard Rogers was a British architect. He came to prominence when he and Renzo Piano were chosen to design the Pompidou Centre in Paris in the 1970s. This was a building that went from being reviled while it was in its design stages to becoming beloved. Why were Rogers and Piano chosen, given that neither of them were French? What was a noticeable feature of both the Pompidou Centre and other buildings by Rogers? What other buildings did Rogers design? What honors did he win for his architectural work?
SEARCH TERMS: “Richard Rogers” AND architect
LITERATURE: Australia – Prime Minister’s Literary Award
TOPIC: Amanda Lohrey’s novel Labyrinth has won the Prime Minister’s Literary Award for fiction. It also won 2021 Miles Franklin and Voss literary prizes. The Prime Minister’s prize comes with $80,000 AU. Who won the other Prime Minister’s Literary Awards given out in 2021? Has another work of fiction swept Australia’s literary awards? What are Ms. Lohrey’s other works?
SEARCH TERMS: “Amanda Lohrey” AND Labyrinth
LITERATURE: Anne Rice
TOPIC: Anne Rice was an American novelist best known for her gothic fiction. What are some of her most famous books and what were the qualities that impressed critics and readers? What other genres did she write in and how does her style and writing talent show in those books?
SEARCH TERMS: "Anne Rice” AND (author OR writer OR novelist)
LITERATURE: Joan Didion
TOPIC: Joan Didion was a highly respected journalist, author and has co-written several screen plays with her husband, writer John Gregory Dunne. What kind of journalism and nonfiction was she best known for and how did she often describe the counter culture and Hollywood life to the public? What were her most popular novels and why? What is her most popular nonfiction book and why?
SEARCH TERMS: “Joan Didion” AND (author OR writer OR novelist OR journalist OR “Year of Magical Thinking”)
MOVIES AND TELEVISION: Spielberg’s West Side Story
TOPIC: Film director Steven Spielberg and screenwriter Tony Kushner have remade the 1961 film West Side Story. In what ways has Spielberg’s new film recreated the story to modernize it? Who originally created the stage musical of West Side Story, how was it adapted from Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet and what impact does the original stage musical have on Tony Kushner’s script for this new film?
SEARCH TERMS: Spielberg AND “West Side Story”
MOVIES AND TELEVISION: Worldwide – Ratings the Films of the Past Year
TOPIC: Critics around the world compile their lists of the best films of the year, with some also providing their list of the worst films as well. Are there any movies that are on a majority of lists? Which film seems to be the most surprising to have made these lists and why?
SEARCH TERMS: “best films” OR “worst films”
MUSIC: Mexico – Vincente Fernandez
TOPIC: Vicente Fernandez was a popular singer of ranchera and mariachi music and won multiple Grammy and Latin Grammy awards. What was notable about his concerts? What were some of his most popular songs? What other awards and honors did he win? What is ranchera music?
SEARCH TERMS: “Vicente Fernandez”
MUSIC: Springsteen’s Catalogue
TOPIC: Bruce Springsteen has sold the entire catalogue of his songs to Sony Music for a reported $500 million. What does it mean to “sell his catalogue” and why did Springsteen sell it? What other artists have done the same and why?
SEARCH TERMS: “Bruce Springsteen” AND (catalogue OR catalog)
PERFORMING ARTS: Nutcracker
TOPIC: Tchaikovsky’s Nutcracker ballet has become a popular staple during the Christmas season with its broadly appealing holiday music, its family-friendly Christmas story and sensational production. When did Tchaikovsky first present the Nutcracker and what was that production like? Who revived and reworked the Nutcracker for the New York City Ballet in the mid-1950s, making it the popular spectacle it is today? How did it change from the original?
SEARCH TERMS: Tchaikovsky AND Nutcracker AND Balanchine
People
PEOPLE: Bob Dole
TOPIC: Bob Dole was a longtime senator from Kansas and was a respected leader in the Republican Party. What are some of the key roles Senator Dole had during his time in the U.S. Senate? What were his experiences in World War II and what military decorations did he earn? What were his expressed political beliefs, and how did they manifest in the work he did as senator and as a candidate for President of the United States? What are some examples of bipartisan work he did with senators of the Democratic Party and how did he believe members of the U.S. Congress should work together?
SEARCH TERMS: (“Bob Dole” OR “Senator Dole”) AND (Kansas OR Senate)
PEOPLE: Harry M. Reid, Former Senate Leader
TOPIC: Harry M. Reid, Senator from Nevada, served as the Democratic Senate Majority Leader from 2004 until 2014. He chose not to run for re-election in 2016. He was instrumental in getting much of President Barack Obama’s legislation through the Senate, including the Affordable Care Act. His life was not like those of many of his colleagues. Where did he grow up and what were the circumstances of his childhood? What did he do before he became a politician? How effective was he as the Majority Leader of the Senate?
SEARCH TERMS: “Harry M. Reid”
PEOPLE: North Korea – Kim Yong-ju
TOPIC: Kim Yong-ju was the youngest brother of the founder of North Korea Kim Il-sung. Under his brother he first held a high position in the North Korean government, and then, in 1975 he vanished from public view. He returned in 1993 and became a vice president. Were the reasons for his abrupt disappearance and reappearance ever made public? What roles in government did he play before 1975? What has he done since his return to prominence?
SEARCH TERMS: “Kim Yong-ju”
PEOPLE: Kenya – Richard Leakey
TOPIC: Richard Leakey, whose parents were paleontologists Louis and Mary Leakey, made his own discoveries of early hominids in Kenya. He ran the anti-poaching effort in Kenya and was an activist against the ivory trade. What was his most famous find as a paleontologist? What other roles did he play in Kenya life?
SEARCH TERMS: “Richard Leakey”
PEOPLE: Hall of Famer John Madden
TOPIC: John Madden as coach of the Oakland Raiders led the team to Super Bowl success and as a broadcaster working for all major networks he became the face and voice of the National Football League. He is perhaps best known for the video game franchise he helped Entertainment Arts make, Madden NFL. Where did Madden play college football and what NFL team drafted him? What was his path through the coaching ranks that led to his appointment as head coach of the Oakland Raiders? Who did he partner with in the broadcast booth and what innovations in broadcasting did he pioneer?
SEARCH TERMS: “John Madden”
PEOPLE: Edward O. Wilson, Noted Biologist
TOPIC: Edward O. Wilson was an authority on ants who extrapolated his findings about them to other species including humans in the 1970s. He was interested in the evolution of behavior and how natural selection could influence the social behavior of species. A long-time professor at Harvard, he won the Pulitzer Prize for two of his books. Beyond ants, what were some of the other areas of his research interest? What was controversial about his application of natural selection to human behaviors, which was called sociobiology in the 1970s?
SEARCH TERMS: “E.O. Wilson”
PEOPLE: Betty White
TOPIC: Betty White was a popular comedic actress and a pioneer of early television. How did she transition from radio to television? What television roles are she best remembered for and why? What popular movies was she in and what did critics and fans find appealing about her performances?
SEARCH TERMS: “Betty White” AND (television OR TV OR “Golden Girls”)
PEOPLE: bell hooks
TOPIC: Writer Gloria Jean Watkins, best known by her lower-case-spelled name bell hooks was also well known as a social activist. What were the economic and social themes in her writing? How are some of the beliefs bell hooks expressed in her writings embraced by groups in society today?
SEARCH TERMS: “bell hooks” AND (professor OR writer OR author) AND (race OR gender OR woman OR women)
PEOPLE: Kataluna Enriquez
TOPIC: Kataluna Enriquez is the first openly transgender person to win the Miss Nevada USA pageant and the first openly transgender person to compete in the Miss USA pageant. What work did Enriquez do as a model before entering pageants and how did the kind of pageants they entered change? What work has Enriquez done for LGBTQ rights?
SEARCH TERMS: “Kataluna Enriquez” AND (trans OR transgender) AND (pageant OR “Miss Nevada” OR “Miss USA”)
PEOPLE: Al Unser
TOPIC: Al Unser was an established race car driver whose wins have put him in an elite group of racers. What major race and championship has he won multiple times and how does he rank against other drivers for number of wins in these races? What were his strengths as a driver? Who were his brothers, and what were their major achievements?
SEARCH TERMS: “Al Unser” AND (racing OR racer) AND (Indianapolis OR “national championship”)
PEOPLE: Michael Nesmith
TOPIC: Michael Nesmith was a member of the 1960s pop band The Monkees, mostly known for their popular television show of the same name. What Monkees songs were the most popular and why? What famous hit for Linda Ronstadt was written by Mike Nesmith? What successful multimedia production company was founded by Nesmith and what other roles did he play in the business of television and film? What hit did he have with his group the First National Band?
SEARCH TERMS: “Michael Nesmith” AND Monkeese Klerk”
Watch the Webinar: Teaching About Juneteenth with Children's Books
Lee & Low had a great virtual turnout for last week’s webinar, Teaching About Juneteenth with Children’s Books with Newbery and Caldecott Honor-winning author and poet Carole Boston Weatherford (Juneteenth Jamboree), alongside expert educators Dr. Amanda Vickery and Dawnavyn James. And the recording is finally here!
If you missed it live (or just want to watch again), you can access the webinar below, or here on YouTube. Find resources and booklists shared during the webinar here and feel free to reach out for more information and/or a Professional Development certificate.
WATCH HERE
The Music Never Stops: Virtual Concerts, DJ Sets, Dance Parties, and Classes
lwww.eventbrite.com/c/livestream-music-events-cwwrkfd/?utm_campaign=newsletter_editorial&utm_content=loc.85938701.r2021_14&aff=ebemnseattnewseditorial&utm_source=eventbrite&utm_medium=email&ref=ebemnseattnewseditorial
Stop Asian Hate: Virtual Anti-Asian Racism Events
www.eventbrite.com/c/stop-asian-hate-virtual-events-ccbddmmg/?utm_campaign=newsletter_editorial&utm_content=loc.85938701.r2021_14&aff=ebemnseattnewseditorial&utm_source=eventbrite&utm_medium=email&ref=ebemnseattnewseditorial
Amanda Gorman answers: why is poetry your chosen medium?
Celebrated poet and Penguin author Amanda Gorman talks about why poetry is her chosen medium in this video. Click on the link below to hear directly from the poet herself!
Watch the Video!
Online events for you
Child’s Play: Online Classes and Events to Keep Kids Busy at Home
Sign-in to follow Child’s Play: Online Classes and Events to Keep Kids Busy at Home and get notified of future events in this collection.
https://www.eventbrite.com/signin
GLOBE Observer Citizen Science Public Training
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
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
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).
Links for Kids:
Pigly is a free online personal finance guide offering over 100 financial calculators.
In-depth guide to help teach kids the importance of building an emergency savings plan.
https://pigly.com/savings/guide-for-kids.php
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://router-admin.net/articles/computer-games-experiments
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/
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://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/
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
- https://extension.illinois.edu/lge
- Local Foods Small Farms YouTube channel
- Building Your Resilience: How High Do You Bounce, Illinois Extension
- 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
Links for Youth and Adults
https://superscaling.com/category/blog/
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